My Griffith Story: If you told me I'd have a Master's degree five years ago I'd have said you were messing
Hi, my name is James and five years ago, I came to Griffith College attempting to attend the level 7 business in Business Studies. Now, I have just finished a level 9 Master’s degree in International Business and this is my Griffith College story.
On my first day of college, I can still remember how nervous I was as I would never have considered myself to be that much of an academic person and felt I would struggle with the concept of college.
Looking back, I would never have imagined how far I would progress and if you told me that I’d be walking out of Griffith in five years’ time with a Masters’ under my belt, I’d have thought you were messing with me.
A mix of academic and practical skills
From a personal point of view; the lectures and staff were a huge factor in assisting me in my own personal progression. It’s not all academic either – the relationship I have with one of my lecturers was formed over his love of Kerry GAA. (I’m from Dublin and can assure you – he’s wrong about everything GAA-related!)
My time at Griffith College has allowed me to develop a combination of both academic and practical skills through the manner in which the modules are created and taught.
From my own personal perspective, one of the college’s biggest assets is the lecturers.
Each lecturer has experience in the field in which they teach, allowing them to apply their knowledge from real-world examples to the academic material, which is then transferred to the students among the class.
When I was doing marketing lectures, for example, it helped that our lecturer worked in an agency in Dublin and was dealing with clients all the time. So it wasn’t just learning from textbooks – instead it was real-life examples that will help myself and my classmates in the workplace.
The lecturers employed are always willing to assist the students with difficulties which they may face during the semesters, and offer guidance and support throughout the year, whether this be from a college perspective or from a personal aspect. This guidance is often particularly useful around the time of exam periods.
Progression in Griffith College
By continuing my education within Griffith College, progressing from a level 7 (ordinary level) degree to a full level 9 Master’s; I had the ability to slowly adjust each year to the additional demands which were required. Obviously, each year was harder than the one before but on the other hand – I was becoming a stronger student each year too so I was able for it!
Outside of the classroom and away from assignments there was also a number of opportunities for students to experience the more “enjoyable” aspects of the college lifestyle.
With a number of trips organised throughout the year, along with a variety of clubs and societies available for students to participate in, there would be something suitable for every type of student’s interests.
These trips and events often allow students to interact with each other in ways which previously would not have occurred. An example of this would be our “bog activity” during the trip to Delphi in Mayo. With temperatures reaching below zero degrees at times, we battled through a range of obstacle and assisting each other in order to complete the course.
One additional benefit of these sort of trips would be that it allows many of the international students to explore other areas of Ireland outside of Dublin, visiting different towns and countries across the country.
With a number of different cultures attending the college, this also opened up the possibility to experience a different variety of lifestyle which may not be available in some other colleges.
During my time here I’ve made friends from all over the world, ranging from American to Vietnamese, allowing friendships to begin and stretch across the world for the future, long after the college courses have finished.
My Griffith story might be ending, but there’s another new chapter coming right around the corner!