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Category: College

Starting college during a pandemic

Posted on by Eve Donnelly

Ross, 18, a Jigsaw volunteer from Offaly, talks about starting college this year.

Like any young person, or any person at all in Ireland in 2020, it’s safe to say life has been anything but normal since March. Going from “schools are closed for two weeks”, to finding out that the culmination of 12 years of schoolwork, the Leaving Cert, was now cancelled, was an emotional rollercoaster.

The relief from finally getting a concrete answer gave room to thinking more about college and my concerns about third-level education in the world’s current state.

 

Ask Jigsaw: Won’t get into course

Posted on by Eve Donnelly

Hi,  today we received our calculated grades and unfortunately I think I won’t be getting into the course that I wanted to. So College might be out of the options. I live with my parents. I’m 18 and I don’t know the first thing about getting a job nor’ what it is that I would like. I don’t think I can just jump into something that I’ll end up hating everyday. I don’t have anywhere to share my thoughts and I don’t want to rely on my parents, because it’s my own life I want to get started. It takes a lot more time, doesn’t it?

-TryAndBeKind

 

Hi TryAndBeKind,

I am sorry to hear that you didn’t get the grades that you wanted. It sounds like you are both disappointed and confused about your next steps, which is understandable.

Ask Jigsaw: Moving away for college

Posted on by Eve Donnelly

I’m moving away to go to college in September, I know and have my course already.

It will be my first time living away from home and I have a been offered a space in a house with a cousin and some friends of theirs who are already in college.

The thing is I don’t really know my cousin that well. We’re not going to be in the same college. This has been organised by our parents and I don’t know the other people. I haven’t even seen the house yet but I’m getting really anxious about living with some strangers but also someone I am meant to know but don’t really and haven’t since we were young.

Hi there,

It sounds like you have lots of change ahead of you, which can be exciting, but also overwhelming. At Jigsaw, we know that it would not be unusual for people who are preparing for college to talk about some of the worries that you have mentioned.

Ask Jigsaw: Panicking that I’ve failed my course

Posted on by Eve Donnelly

I’m in final year of my teaching degree, and really afraid that I’ve failed my last placement. It really knocked my confidence because the inspectors were really harsh after lessons that actually went really well. I had the worst panic attacks I’ve ever experienced after those inspections.

On top of the fear of failing and having the repeat another placement next year and not graduating with my friends in September, I’m not even sure that I want to be a teacher anymore because of how terrible the inspectors made me feel about myself.

One of my assignments involves reflecting on that placement, and it brought back up all those feelings of fear and failure. How do I deal with this fear of the possibility that I’ve failed while waiting for results in June, and if I have failed, how do I get over this anxiety around teaching? 

-Rewind  

Dear Rewind,

Firstly, it’s important to acknowledge all of the hard work and dedication that went into getting to your final year in teaching and doing placements. Regardless of the outcome, your effort and impact on your students is something to recognise.

Ask Jigsaw: I scratched myself what can I do?

Posted on by Eve Donnelly

I am anxious about the leaving I scratched myself what can I do? ( I tried get apt with local jigsaw device there are no apt’s til may)

– Lc220

Hi Lc220,

You are not alone in feeling anxious or worried about exams. The leaving cert year can be a really difficult one for many different reasons. The exams themselves are difficult, along with thoughts about the future. You can find out more about some strategies and ways to cope with Leaving Cert stress here.

Time spent online

Posted on by Eve Donnelly

Time spent online and social media are commonly viewed as the root causes of any problem that young people face.

For a lot of us, work and education is tied into a stable internet connection. Digital communication is more important than ever.

When we ask young people how long they spend online, they often refer to this amount as bad or negative. We’re all guilty of mindless scrolling at times, but does that make it bad?

In this article, you will find:

Dealing with change

Posted on by Eve Donnelly

We face many changes throughout our lives.

We might be finishing primary or secondary school, starting college, or getting a new job. Some of us decide to leave home or even move to a new country.

Change can occur within our families, such as separation, divorce, or the death of a family member. The world itself goes through many changes too. The political, environmental, and social environments are always in flux.

It can also be exciting, daunting, or exhausting. No matter what we feel about it, change is inevitable and can’t be avoided. When we’re finding it difficult, often the problem isn’t the change itself, but how we deal with it.

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