Don't fear final year! Uni Student Niamh Shields has four top tips for planning your next step after college:

Photo by Andre Hunter on Unsplash.

‘School and College years are the quickest years of your life, be sure and cherish them’

Young people out there will roll or have rolled their eyes at that comment. Suddenly, you find yourself researching thesis topics, applying endlessly to internships and going on Wiki-How typing in the search engine – ‘How To Be an ADULT’.

Here are a few tips I have been given by some amazing loved ones on how to stay cool, calm, collected during Final Year.

1. Discover Yourself:

Extremely hipster I know. I don’t mean defer your course and embark on an Eat, Pray and Love journey. Simply ask yourself, what path do I want to embark on after college?

When answering your question, really focus on WHY you are opting for this.

Final year can be a challenging one as everyone has different opinions, you may be influenced by what a lecture is advising, what your siblings are currently doing or simply what your peers are thinking.

However, it’s important to put those thoughts out of your head and imagine if those people weren’t there, what would you have done instead.

It’s your life, do what’s best for you and only you.

Photo by Kobu Agency on Unsplash.

2. Get yourself a Mentor:

College, Donegal, Ireland itself, is filled with the kindest, hardworking and admirable people. I’m fortunate to have found many mentors and friends that have studied in the same field as myself and that are willing to help and inspire me.

My mentors include my sister Marie Shields who owns, Digital Marketing Company, Moss Marketing and Rachel Mc Laughlin, founder of this AMAZING online publication, Donegal Woman.

Mentors are there to help navigate you on your journey, show you the pretty and not so pretty side to the job, so you don’t get completely shocked when you enter the work space expecting it to be just like Zoella’s office room filled with endlessly cupcakes and coffee – although, being an intern with Marie this afternoon, we halved a soggy cupcake that we tried rescuing, running to shelter as it was lashing the rain.

3. Be Organised Early:

Organisation should be one of my keywords for my articles, but I can’t stress enough,

‘Organisation is key.’

Final year it is filled with assignments, presentations, group work and not to mention the lovely old thesis!

Get a timetable and note everything that needs to be done!

Try and get a jump start into thesis topics so when it comes to the end you aren’t feeling completely overwhelmed and wanting to the Loch Ness monster to be real, so he can swallow you up!

Photo by Simon Maage on Unsplash

4. Have Fun:

Okay, so although it may be a somewhat scary road ahead of us it’s important to enjoy too, it’s our last year of college, let’s make it count! Get up early, hit the library and lectures and get the jersey on for Coppers in the afternoon! Treat yo’self!

And remember, everything will fall into place.