Don’t be scared! I’m here to tell you that there’s no reason to be afraid of doing an internship and that in fact, completing one will be one of the best decisions you’ll make! Internship programmes are up there with the best opportunities you will be given at third level - I completed a nine-month programme in my third year at one of the big 4 accounting companies, Ernst & Young, and couldn’t recommend it more. This experience has opened so many new avenues for me and has highlighted my strengths, while also giving me an idea of the career path I hope to take after my final year. Depending on the course you’re doing, an internship may be offered as part of your degree (as was the case for me), or it may not, in which case you may have to complete the internship during the summer months. Some people see it as a waste of your limited summers, but I would completely disagree and see it as an extremely valuable use of your time.

Would you like to see all the beauty Europe has to offer? Inter-railing is often seen as a rite of passage for students around Europe. With cheap Ryanair flights, Interrail tickets and easy entry to other EU countries, there is a real opportunity for students to travel Europe on a budget. Now more than ever can you be admiring the beautiful Eiffel tower one night and walking through the Colosseum the next – without breaking the bank! Travelling from city to city, country to country, is a truly amazing experience, and Inter-railing is one of the best methods of seeing mainland Europe. A little planning beforehand could save you a lot of money.

Starting or joining a new college can be very overwhelming. Not only do you have to make new friends and start new lectures, but you have the exceptionally difficult task of choosing which societies to join. Let’s face it, there are so many student societies in UCD that even at the €2 signup fee, you could end up spending a small fortune.

Every little helps as they say, and this could not be more true for us students. With such a broad range of societies there really is something for everyone. We want to tell you about ten cool societies and what you could get from them.