I have just finished my three years of lectures and am about to sit my final exams. In the past three years I have had the most fulfilling, exciting and rewarding time of my life. Studying at St Patrick’s College Maynooth has been an exhilarating experience. When I first started, all the apprehension and nervousness was very quickly dispelled and I felt at ease with fellow students and the tutors and lecturers. In St. Patrick’s, making you feel welcome and the willingness to help you seems to be as important as the academic training. As a mature student I thought the fitting in would have been difficult, but I could not have been more wrong.

My three years here have been, as I said, rewarding. As part of that reward, as well as the academic training, I have gotten to know many new friends in both fellow students and lecturers. I have to say that I was never apprehensive in asking either students or lecturers for help and assistance, as their willingness to help was always forthcoming.

I shall be sad when I am finished but I look forward to my graduation in November. My memories of St Patrick’s College will live with me forever. I am delighted to have studied the two subjects that I am passionate about, theology and philosophy. It is true what is said that if you are studying something you love it is half the battle. I will be forever indebted to all my fellow students and all my lecturers and tutors, without whose help I could not have achieved so much.

Michael Ormonde