“I have been at UCD for 4 years now, and it being my final year studying here at UCD,  makes thinking about my time all the more nostalgic! I’ve been through a lot at  UCD, I’ve had some amazing times, and sometimes that were the opposite. I will always remember the most amazing people that I met that either study or work here at UCD, they have made my experience the most enjoyable! I can say that I  have enjoyed my time studying at UCD, it was indeed a college experience. It is definitely not something I could have done by myself, and I have so much gratitude for the assistance I had throughout my time in UCD.  

The scholarship was something I remember being overjoyed with when I received it in 2020, a form of income that I knew would definitely help me every year I  have been at UCD. Since I joined UCD in 2020, straight out of COVID, I didn’t work at the time, and receiving the scholarship lifted the heaviest weight off my shoulders in my first year. I was also able to get things I wanted, and needed for college, every year without fail, the scholarship truly is a gift.  

Like any student, I worried about being able to afford the commute to college, the expenses that came with college such as the student levy. I was also just worried I  wouldn’t be able to enjoy college like everyone else and I’d constantly be worried about covering the cost of one thing or the other. The scholarship helped alleviate this worry. 

Starting during restrictions was definitely my biggest barrier and concern. I was worried I wouldn’t make any friends, or I didn’t have the correct equipment to fully immerse myself in online education. I had a lot of concerns regarding whether or not I would be able to get through the year at all. Fast forward a year later, my biggest worry is being able to afford the commute to college and if I could manage the fast-paced college lifestyle.  

The course itself I would say has been my greatest challenge. It is difficult to study and requires time, patience, and effort. It is not something you can easily achieve in and that is what I’ve realised 4 years in. It starts off slow but between the 3rd and the 4th year, things can get intense quite drastically and I feel like that was one thing I wasn’t prepared for. Having already lost a year, it has been a challenge to learn how to study, to figure out what I need and how much time I  should put towards one specific thing. 

 In my first year, I remember getting myself a laptop. Starting when everything was online and not having my own laptop, to call my own, to feel comfortable to customise and know it is truly mine, it was a burden. Therefore, being able to buy a laptop I could only dream of owning was a gift! I work, so I was able to lower my hours to the shortest possible in order to afford going to college, and the cost of everyday living. Throughout the years, it has been something that rescues me during a time of need, there always seems to be a time where expenses just seem to be increasing and then the scholarship money comes in and I feel relief and freedom! 

I kept myself busy for the past 4 years. I work, I’ve worked 3 different jobs since my  1st year of college. I am also an actor! I have been involved in a number of projects during my time in UCD. I am part of a number of societies in UCD such as the Afrosoc, Dramsoc, Artsoc, L&H and the Livingstone’s society. I am a Christian and I attend Sunday service every Sunday that I am not working. I find so much joy in my multiple communities as stressful as it gets to balance them all.  

I don’t think I would have even been able to complete my first year of college without the scholarship. The circumstances the year I started my UCD journey made it hard for me to feel motivated as I felt I was lacking. However, with the scholarship, I was able to get all the material necessary for me to carry on with the year to the best of my ability and it turned out to be amazing! I believe it’s the push I receive every year to continue with such a difficult course because it would be a shame to give up! 

From someone who received the scholarship, thank you a million times. What you’re doing is not just providing someone with financial assistance, it is providing someone with the peace of mind that they can enjoy their college experience. The scholarship helps provide stability and assurance that probably the majority of funds required for the year, can be covered by the scholarship. ”