Despite the sunshine currently blasting through my window, and the heat slowly cooking everything, and everyone, in my student accommodation, it must be said that summer is most definitely over. In no time at all, Trinity College students shall once again walk among the plethora of tourists on campus. No matter how many times I’ve strolled through the doors alongside them, stepping into what feels like its own slice of community tucked deep within Dublin, a sense of magic and pride washes over me. In the two years that I’ve been studying here, it honestly never changes.
This year, Trinity sees another batch of bright-eyed first years eagerly explore its ancient halls and cobbled paths, navigating the 140 plus societies, making new friends, and slowly but surely welcoming the sweet release of independence from their parents. As film director Judd Apatow once said; “college is the reward for surviving high school”, and in the case of Trinity newcomers, it’s a welcome reward for their hard work during the Leaving Cert.
As a third year, my best advice would be to do as much as you possibly can in your first year. Join a society, go for that pint, stay up late playing UNO with your flatmates, do a cinema marathon, dance until you drop in some packed-to-the-rafters nightclub, and anything else that makes your time spent here even more memorable.
Believe me, college flies by faster than you could possibly imagine. Especially for a film student such as myself, who, with the fortune of never having exams, attends a mere six months’ worth of classes (it feels like I’m getting away with a crime).
No matter how many times I’ve strolled through the doors alongside them, stepping into what feels like its own slice of community tucked deep within Dublin, a sense of magic and pride washes over me.
Often, the most exciting aspect of college isn’t the place itself, but rather the people in it. This is truly the place where you find your tribe. I can’t wait to make a short film with my friends on a weekend, meet up with them for a burger and wedges at the Pav (try it, they’re honestly delicious), and just spend time meeting as many new people across campus.
For those coming into a student accommodation, congrats, you’ve just bought a ticket to the “who am I living with this year?” lottery. It can be hit and miss with who you’re assigned to share a flat with, to put it mildly, but once you hopefully click together, you’ll never look back. I’ve been blessed with a group of bakers and Cluedo players this time around, and I already know it’s going to be a relaxed and fun year ahead.
Should you ever stroll through the front doors of Trinity (or squeeze through them, because for some reason they funnel crowds through the tiniest door imaginable), then I implore you to just stop and take a moment. You’re here, you made it, you’ve returned, and you’re ready.
Sure, you might have to deal with the Academic Registry, wade through a pool of assignments, or wander around looking for a mysterious ‘House 6’, but even then, your time spent in Trinity is something special. We’re all here for another chapter of our lives, so let’s make it one for a bookmark.
