By Aoife Burke
Hi everybody!
This is it, I have made it. The last hurrah! I never expected in a month of Sundays to write this but, as the university is closed prematurely due to the coronavirus, here I am. I am virus free but house bound. Thankfully, I have the use of both of my arms again, in case ye forgot, I slipped on the ice last month. There was a pinhole fracture in my arm but nothing to worry about. Today I finished yet another module (legal skills) and I have got 3 radio assessments to complete before the exams. Did I mention they are online? Well, English are allowing us to submit an essay and law, we haven’t heard back yet, likely to be on blackboard, at home. It’s a surreal situation! I had planned on dropping law after first year, as my mum insisted I do an English degree. It seems I am good at writing. Well, I was an award–winning poet at the age of 15 (it’s in the digital archives) and have lost track of the amount of celebrities I have met. I could tell some funny stories!
I am going to miss first year and being a newbie. I have made some fantastic friends and we are going to be split up further as each of us journalism students pursue our own individual arts degrees (within journalism). I have had a ball in my first year of university and if you had told me I would have achieved all I did, wouldn’t have believed you! I am absolutely exhausted from essay writing and I feel all I ever do is write, but it will one day be my job.
This summer, I plan on definitely sitting my driving test and doing, yes, you guessed it, more writing. I wouldn’t be here without having already graduated from AIT in 2014. I feel I have been incredibly lucky in the arts world and have had once in a lifetime experiences (Coronas music video, anyone?) Working in an office in a past life was fun, but living off minimum wage wasn’t so I chose to pursue college instead. At times it was incredibly tough and lonely waiting for university but I was welcomed by NUI Galway and felt support and encouragement everywhere I went. I would like to say congratulations to the people graduating this year (especially the medical students who had their exams pushed forward).
It has been an honour and privilege to have this diary for the student year, lucky me being a local celebrity and only in the door! Maybe in my 4th year, should I get there, I will do the final year diary. I guess it’s onwards towards Shakespeare and to all the other amazing writers I am going to discover in my English degree.
Thank you all so much for reading my diary, I will miss ye all. Best of luck with your degrees and stay healthy!
For the last time,
Aoife X