TY2015: BEES TRANSITION YEAR EXPERIENCE

Melissa Conroy – Scoil Mhuire Gan Smal

This week, I was involved in the BEES Transition Year programme where we got lectures on different environmental topics such as; Zoology, Ecology, Marine Biology, Geology, Plant Science and Bird Ringing. I found that it was a great way to see what the different courses were like and what we would be learning in them if we decided to do them in the future. I found the lectures very informative and interesting throughout the week and even considered some topics to be my future career choice. A lecture I found greatly interesting was Zoology. I have always had an interest in animals and other species and this lecture gave me a bigger interest in them. We learned how there are a lot of different aspects of working in zoology from fieldwork to lab work. I personally enjoyed this lecture very much and am considering doing this course in the future.

Another lecture I found very interesting was Ecology. I found this interesting because even though we were given a lecture on this topic, we also had the opportunity to do an outside practical. This consisted of us collecting small traps that were set up outside the Butler Building in the ditches that were used to trap mice, voles and other small, wild species. We captured three small wood mice and learned about the different qualities each one had. For example; long tails, narrow faces, agility, etc. I would also consider ecology to be a career path for me.

The lecture I was looking forward to the most was Marine Biology, mostly because I’m interested in sea creatures and how they live and adapt to their surroundings. It wasn’t exactly what I thought it was going to be like. That’s the reason I found this programme very helpful to me because it gave me an idea of what’s involved in different environmental sciences. I also found it helpful because even though I liked the thought of doing marine biology at first, I don’t think it’s the type of career I would like to be involved in the future.

Finally, we also were given a tour of the Main Campus and Library and also learned about the history that UCC holds in its grounds and buildings. We got the opportunity to get a tour of the Special Collections area of the library which was also very interesting. I enjoyed this programme throughout the whole week and I’m glad I was chosen to be part of this incredible experience!