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Volume 1 (1999/2000)
Issue
1 (March 1999)
Issue
2 (Nov. 1999)
Issue 3 (Dec. 1999)
Issue 4 (Feb. 2000)
Issue 5 (March 2000)
Issue 6 (April 2000)
Issue
7 (May 2000)
Volume 2 (2000/2001)
Issue 1 (Sept. 2000)
Issue 2 (Oct. 2000)
Issue 3 (Jan. 2001)
Issue 4 (March 2001)
Issue 5 (April 2001)
Issue 6 (May 2001)
Volume 3 (2001)
Issue 1 (Sept. 2001)
Issue 2 (Nov. 2001)
Categories
Sport: 1
2 3
Lifestyles: 1 2
3
Commentary: 1 2
3
Review: 1 2
3
Writing: 1 2
3
Event: 1 2
3
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Looking forward to Transition Year
Elaine Mahon & Jennifer Kavanagh
St. Dominic's College (Cabra)
"I have an announcement to make, I'm going to go and do it".
As those words slipped from my mouth, I felt a twinge of apprehension.
My statement was soon followed by my friends begging me to reconsider
and urging me not to go. "We'll miss you", they said. "Who
will I sit beside in school?" and "You'll make new friends and
forget all about us"! But, I knew that I had to, it would just be
for a year.
Little did I know what I was getting myself into!!!!! The days that lay
ahead of me, those sifting through company accounts, walking up mountains,
finding myself up to my elbows in car grease. At one stage I even found
myself giving mouth-to-mouth to Resuci-Anne! Who would have thought that
due to my adventures I would find myself in the Rotunda Hospital, and
the next week surrounded by screaming kids! I began to wonder if this
was such a great idea after all.
I can afford to smile looking back on my work-experience now. Maternal
Physiotherapy just wasn't my thing but I'm still in two minds about Teaching.
Oh, to be back in Transition Year!!!!!!
As a predecessor of the Transition Year experience, I am writing this
article to set the record straight. To educate the uneducated, to enlighten
those in the dark and once and for all, to dispel the rumours and myths
surrounding Transition Year. They tried to convince me it was a waste
of time. They tried to tell me that I was taking the easy way out and
they tried to show me that I wouldn't be able to get back into the swing
of normal school-life. But they had forgotten the fun that I would have,
the experiences I would have and the benefits that I would reap!
Without a doubt, I was apprehensive at first, this would after all have
been an extra year in school and leaving me 365 days short of my fifth
year friends would be no laughing matter. But by the end of my first few
days in Transition I knew that I had fallen for that misunderstood option.
The year got a kick-start the morning after I received my Junior-Cert.
results as we all piled on the mini-bus and headed into the west. A three
day retreat was in order in Esker, Co. Galway and what a retreat it was!!
Three days later, my head was spinning with the amount of names of my
new found friends and everyone's throats were hoarse from singing Fr.
Johnny's 'Community Song' to Will Smith's 'Men In Black'. Of course, matters
were not helped when we passed through Athenry and serenaded it. It stuck
to become our anthem and received quite a battering over the next few
months!
My weeks were filled with car-mechanics, horticulture, photography, and
dancing, while still keeping a strong grasp on the ol' favorites, English,
Irish, and Maths. Our teachers insisted on keeping an eagle eye on our
academic subjects. Except for this year I was shown a different aspect
to them. We produced the school Newsletter and a stunning performance
of "Dancing At Lunaghsa" in English class. I tried my hand at
Irish dancing and entered the Slogadh competition for Irish and History!
I learned how to cook, sew, and stitch, much to the delight of my mother,
and I even had time to service the maths teacher's Toyota Corolla! Who
knew that there was two meanings to 'dipstick'?
I coached younger sports players, achieved the bronze Gaisce Award, made
a group of new friends in the Saint Vincent De Paul home and just about
found time to canoe in the Liffey!
Next on the agenda was an eventful trip to Lough Muckno, in which we
had to endure action-packed activities such as orienteering, canoeing,
archery, just to mention a few. Although this trip was full of fun and
games, it was also one of sadness and regret as we knew it was to be our
last venture away together as 'The Fourth Years'. We did, however, manage
to push these thoughts to the back of our minds and an excellent and memorable
time was had by all. We somehow managed to get our hands on a strobe light
and danced the night away in one of the bigger rooms (we even succeeded
in convincing our teachers to shake their bodies along with us).
On the Transition Year Open-Day our projects and achievements took pride
of place on various stands while our delicacies were tried and tested
on those brave (or foolish) enough to give their taste-buds a tickling
(or more like a thumping ).
Looking back now I know that I made the right decision by doing Transition
Year, all the experience that I gained really stands to me. It gave me
the opportunity to try things that I would not have had the chance to
otherwise try, it taught me to get more involved and to make the most
out of things. Through Transition Year I have really matured a lot and
I believe that I am more willing to participate in things and have no
restricting views on those that I do not know! People see Transition Year
as a 'doss' year, but to me it was an extra year of education, a change
from the normal educational system after the pressures of the Junior Cert.
Through Transition Year I got involved in debating and have taken part
in numerous debating competitions, which is sure to stand to me in the
future!
Starting fifth year was a bit unnerving, it felt like I was starting
first year again with a sea of unfamiliar faces and new subjects in store
for me, but like everything else we all began to settle in quite quickly.
I believe this was because Transition Year taught me to adapt more quickly
to new and unfamiliar things!
By writing this article I am not trying to say that Transition Year is
something that comes so easy to you. Despite what people say, one cannot
just sit back and expect to reap all the benefits that I have listed above.
To get the most out of Transition Year one must 'give it all that they
have got', after all you only receive back whatever you put in. If I was
asked to explain what I mean in just four words, they would be 'NO PAIN,
NO GAIN!!!!!!!!!'.
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