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Official bitch about daily life in UL
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Precious flower wrote: »Nope. No I've no clue what I want to do after I finish college and I'm getting so stressed over it. I don't think I'll do a masters, I'm certainly not doing one next year. But that means I have to get a job and if I've no idea what I want to do it'll mean a fairly "menial" (in inverted commas because I know that word is insulting and it's not intended to infer that but you understand what I mean).
Fours years of college and I've nothing to show for it and I don't want to stay here either (at home and Ireland). I've lived at home for four years during college and I can't see myself living a fifth (though I probably will). Feel I want to live away from Ireland. I just feel tired of it....feel my life is a right mess at the moment! Sorry for the rant, just final year worries. Should have chosen a more stable degree than English & history...:/
Tbh everyone is the same really. I finished last year and I still think the same as you. Am heading abroad soon enough. Getting into jobs in anyway related to the degree and experience picked up along the way is very difficult. I'd say the majority of people I went to college with and those I know from other courses are teaching English abroad or the like. I wouldn't be worrying about doing a Masters or worrying about careers just yet, there's a few more years to be young
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wnolan1992 wrote: »Just repeat with me, that'll kill all those fluffy "end of an era" thoughts which will be distracting you over the next few weeks. :pac:
Oh I'll be back next year but it'll be to work and do a distance learning course. Im just planning on getting a car 0 -
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The Little Fella wrote: »Don't necessarily have to stay and do a masters. I'm an accountant and more and more of the people coming in to the office are people that have converted to it by doing diplomas following an undergrad in a different area and they can't get jobs in that area. Don't feel limited by what you did as an undergrad.Chris Martin wrote: »If you're thinking about travelling abroad and working while deciding how to progress with degree; I would definitely suggest teaching English abroad.
Did it for Co-Op and the demand is immense in European countries.
Just need to do a TEFL course, depending where you're going, some require you to do 150 hour one, others accept internet course.
If you go through UL, they can set you up with a company abroad. When I went on CoOp, there were 4 other students who graduated from UL that year who were there just working as a gap year and travelling.
Something I might do when I finish as well. Plus I'd like to learn a language.
I went over without a language but you'd be able to pick it up fast enough over there, certainly not a necessity.
It's tiring work but definitely worth it, especially if you want to admire surroundings as well. Definitely don't discount it; and if you want to get into teaching, great stepping stone and experience.
Sorry for the late reply guys, thanks for that!
After I posted, I was thinking to myself 'Why did you post that rant? You're such a whiner!' :pac: I was thinking that myself I suppose I just want to make sure I get value out of doing a TEFL course considering the money involved! Can't do it through UL though after I've graduated can I though? Strangely despite doing English and History we could never pick TEFL as an extra module but other english courses could. I would have never done it in fourth year anyway because I had heard that it caused unnecessary stress for people when trying to balance it and other modules in their final year. Wish I'd had the sense to do it in 1st or 2nd year but there's TEFL courses at home too, but UL might have had a reduced price for students.I think the stress of FYP is getting to me. I've had a nagging notion these last few days to go buy a leather jacket and cut my hair short. I can neither afford a leather jacket nor a haircut (although I've curly hair naturally so it would be a nightmare to keep it straight), nor a pair of solid boots but I'm finding it very hard to shake the feeling. Also really wanna go learn parkour and some form of martial art or Krav Maga... Is it possible to have an early stressed induced female midlife crisis? :pac: Hoping my grant doesn't come in until after my FYP is printed...
YES, do it!! It's a great bit of craic. You'll really enjoy it if you get the right group of people and good, serious but fun instructors! I'm going to miss it so much when I leave 
kickboxing would be good too wish they'd get an instructor and club set up for that! And no, ever since turning 21 I've been having that, I don't care what people say! I use to think people you said those things were stupid and conceited until I turned 21 and felt a weird shift like I was going through a door that couldn't be opened again....:cool: :pac: 0 -
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Precious flower wrote: »I was thinking that myself I suppose I just want to make sure I get value out of doing a TEFL course considering the money involved! Can't do it through UL though after I've graduated can I though? Strangely despite doing English and History we could never pick TEFL as an extra module but other english courses could. I would have never done it in fourth year anyway because I had heard that it caused unnecessary stress for people when trying to balance it and other modules in their final year. Wish I'd had the sense to do it in 1st or 2nd year but there's TEFL courses at home too, but UL might have had a reduced price for students.
Well it depends how invested you want to get into teaching abroad.
Do you want to do it as an experience, a break from Ireland for a year or so or is it a long term thing? If you want to do it long term, then I would probably check out prices of the physical course. A lot of places 'don't take on' people with internet courses. That said, unknowingly you hold the most valuable tool anyone going into TEFL can have; Native English.
They say that they need you to have done an extensive TEFL course and experience but saying you have native English is equivalent to 5 years of both. I did a '3 day' (all in all maybe about 12 hours) course through UL. Essentially a fast track course before I went on CoOp. I did this last May I think, I'd say they do it every year as people go abroad teaching English each year. There was about 5 in the class. Just went through a few presentations and that was it. There is the 2 year course but I was unable to do that because I have CoOp and Erasmus for my 3rd year. Again, I think there's a way fit it all into final year but they were talking about stress as well..
I'd say email UL and see if you can do that thing in May if you want to do it (relatively) short term. I will say this though; although I've never taught native English people English, which at the moment in my goal, I will say that teaching English as a foreign language is an awful lot different to teaching it as a subject. It's also very difficult when you don't speak their native language. The place I went on CoOp, I won't name it because it was awful, I got through UL and there were 4 people who had graduated that year who went through UL to get the job. In Seville, there is an unbelievable demand for TEFL teachers, if I was to guess I'd say there are at least 100 English academies in and around Seville and I can only imagine the same is true with the rest of Spain as a lot of Universities require a B2 level in English to graduate. I'm not sure if there's a similar story with Spain but those that I've spoken too here have very good English so I can only imagine that they're present, Venice isn't a good gauge though.
It's a painstaking job and I'd definitely recommend taking a course in the language of the country you're going to first as you do pick it up when you're over there, but I felt I would've got an awful lot more had I known the basics beforehand. It's a great experience though, glad I chose to go abroad and will probably go back there in later years. Language barrier and I guess general lack of preparation on my part cost me a bit. I also went to an academy that had opted to shun the default method of teaching for a more 'natural approach.' Natural being, not teaching grammar. The lesson I got from it being, you don't need to know how it works, just that it works. Fell out of favour with boss for disagreeing with it and things didn't really get better.. :P
I will probably do it again in the future as I'm dying to learn a new language.
Also this year has kindled the traveller in me, something I didn't know I had..
I've realised travelling isn't as expensive as I thought if you sacrifice comfort and be a little more reckless. GoGoCar I think it's called is amazing. Carpooling with other people travelling to your destination, costs a fraction of the price of train or bus. Add an 's' in the middle of hotel to get a budget bed at prices you didn't think were possible. Cheap breakfast, new cuisine, early mornings. All come naturally :P
I've stayed places for 9e a night and I've seen cheaper. I see why backpackers do it. :P
With good restraint, I'd say you could travel Europe for under 1,000e, a foreign notion had it been said to me a year before.
Drifting off topic a little here..
tl;dr: Contact UL, 3 day TEFL course in May if you're thinking of going abroad short ish term.
Long term, look into doing a physical TEFL course and learn basics of language :P0 -
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Dude I don't even know.
The interwebz.
Probably the wrong one...
I actually go to LIT...
(Lol I joke.)
Limerick. o_O
Cat.
All of them. I own all of the goldfish.
Damnit I should know this one!
I can see that. :P
Your answers will suffice. For now. You must submit to further questioning in time.Chris Martin wrote: »
Makes me wonder how much I've let slip over the years.. :P
Every time I think back to Snape I go to the last scene he was in when Harry was looking into the penseive. Never has the word 'Always' been delivered with so much emotion. :P
Too much, much like myself I would imagine :P I've been recognised on more than one occassion in real life due to my posting style
Not a bitch, but my boyfriend is taking me to Warner Bros studios after exams to the Harry Potter studio! And I have full intentions to bring my replica wand to graduation because when else am I gonna be wearing robes? 0 -
Your answers will suffice. For now. You must submit to further questioning in time.
Too much, much like myself I would imagine :P I've been recognised on more than one occassion in real life due to my posting style
Not a bitch, but my boyfriend is taking me to Warner Bros studios after exams to the Harry Potter studio! And I have full intentions to bring my replica wand to graduation because when else am I gonna be wearing robes?
Always be ready for a spot quiz :P
I dno.. I think it was about a year before I knew your gender, then watched from sidelines as everyone mistook you for a bloke due to you having dude in your name.. :P
I like HP but I think it's strange for a fella to go there on his lonesome.. :P
I don't have a replica wand.. :S
I would though if I did.. :P0 -
Chris Martin wrote: »Always be ready for a spot quiz :P
I dno.. I think it was about a year before I knew your gender, then watched from sidelines as everyone mistook you for a bloke due to you having dude in your name.. :P
I like HP but I think it's strange for a fella to go there on his lonesome.. :P
I don't have a replica wand.. :S
I would though if I did.. :P That's the only thing going in my favour.
Pfft, I wouldn't think it strange at all!0 -
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Aw shucks mister,Chris Martin wrote: »Well it depends how invested you want to get into teaching abroad.
Do you want to do it as an experience, a break from Ireland for a year or so or is it a long term thing? If you want to do it long term, then I would probably check out prices of the physical course. A lot of places 'don't take on' people with internet courses. That said, unknowingly you hold the most valuable tool anyone going into TEFL can have; Native English.
They say that they need you to have done an extensive TEFL course and experience but saying you have native English is equivalent to 5 years of both. I did a '3 day' (all in all maybe about 12 hours) course through UL. Essentially a fast track course before I went on CoOp. I did this last May I think, I'd say they do it every year as people go abroad teaching English each year. There was about 5 in the class. Just went through a few presentations and that was it. There is the 2 year course but I was unable to do that because I have CoOp and Erasmus for my 3rd year. Again, I think there's a way fit it all into final year but they were talking about stress as well..
I'd say email UL and see if you can do that thing in May if you want to do it (relatively) short term. I will say this though; although I've never taught native English people English, which at the moment in my goal, I will say that teaching English as a foreign language is an awful lot different to teaching it as a subject. It's also very difficult when you don't speak their native language. The place I went on CoOp, I won't name it because it was awful, I got through UL and there were 4 people who had graduated that year who went through UL to get the job. In Seville, there is an unbelievable demand for TEFL teachers, if I was to guess I'd say there are at least 100 English academies in and around Seville and I can only imagine the same is true with the rest of Spain as a lot of Universities require a B2 level in English to graduate. I'm not sure if there's a similar story with Spain but those that I've spoken too here have very good English so I can only imagine that they're present, Venice isn't a good gauge though.
It's a painstaking job and I'd definitely recommend taking a course in the language of the country you're going to first as you do pick it up when you're over there, but I felt I would've got an awful lot more had I known the basics beforehand. It's a great experience though, glad I chose to go abroad and will probably go back there in later years. Language barrier and I guess general lack of preparation on my part cost me a bit. I also went to an academy that had opted to shun the default method of teaching for a more 'natural approach.' Natural being, not teaching grammar. The lesson I got from it being, you don't need to know how it works, just that it works. Fell out of favour with boss for disagreeing with it and things didn't really get better.. :P
I will probably do it again in the future as I'm dying to learn a new language.
Also this year has kindled the traveller in me, something I didn't know I had..
I've realised travelling isn't as expensive as I thought if you sacrifice comfort and be a little more reckless. GoGoCar I think it's called is amazing. Carpooling with other people travelling to your destination, costs a fraction of the price of train or bus. Add an 's' in the middle of hotel to get a budget bed at prices you didn't think were possible. Cheap breakfast, new cuisine, early mornings. All come naturally :P
I've stayed places for 9e a night and I've seen cheaper. I see why backpackers do it. :P
With good restraint, I'd say you could travel Europe for under 1,000e, a foreign notion had it been said to me a year before.
Drifting off topic a little here..
tl;dr: Contact UL, 3 day TEFL course in May if you're thinking of going abroad short ish term.
Long term, look into doing a physical TEFL course and learn basics of language :P
thanks so much for the detailed post!:) I'd love to move to Italy for a year or so and teach English mainly because it would be the 'simpler' way to get in so I guess I should start learning Italian! 0 -
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And I have full intentions to bring my replica wand to graduation because when else am I gonna be wearing robes?
I did that... Myself and my friend have a photo of us pretending to have a duel in our robes with our pretend wands. I have no regrets. Still my favourite photo of the day 0
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