Students at this month's Young Scientist exhibition tell Gráinne Faller what they think of TY

It was impossible to ignore the BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition, at the RDS in Dublin two weeks ago. It was the destination of many a school day out and the subject of many an AA Roadwatch report.

With 500 projects and tens of thousands of people visiting, the atmosphere was excited and busy as students milled from stand to stand, chatting easily.

The projects were varied, although there were a couple of common themes. Some ideas to combat tsunamis and flooding proved interesting. Apple iPods and the effect of music on concentration, mood and hearing was another theme. Lots of projects looked at the changing values in a society that is combating racism and experiencing religious diversity for the first time.

Exercise and sport were the focus of an impressive array of projects. One canny student devised a remote control that can be used on a cash machine to outwit the fraudsters who might otherwise swipe your card's Pin.

A popular way for transition-year students to spend their time, the Young Scientist exhibition was an ideal opportunity to talk to some of them about what they're doing, how they are enjoying the year and whether, if they had their time over, they would choose transition year again.

GILLIAN BEATTY AND MARIA SPILLANE

Mount Mercy College, Cork

A Study of the Effectiveness of Soaps in Removing Bacteria from Hands

Why did you decide to study this area?

Gillian: With all the stuff about MRSA in the news, they kept saying that the problem could be easily sorted out with people washing their hands properly, so we decided to test the effectiveness of different soaps in getting rid of bacteria.

Maria: They weren't effective at all, even after four minutes of washing. We tested a number of well-known brands, so it was kind of shocking.

Gillian: So we decided to try a combination of soap and alcohol. That was much more successful. Bacteria was reduced after less than one minute of washing, and it was really successful after four minutes.

You must have been busy.

Gillian: We did a lot over Christmas.

Maria: Don't tell the judges that, though. It's our first time entering the competition. You have extra time in transition year.

So what else have you been doing during the year?

Gillian: We organised a fashion show, which was brilliant. We got sponsors for it, and everyone was involved: people were modelling clothes. We also did a mini Form and Fusion competition. Those outfits were modelled as well.

Maria: We're going skiing to Italy in two weeks. Can't wait for that. We're also going on work experience in February, and I did my community work in St Joseph's Hospital.

Gillian: I did mine with the Chernobyl Children's Project. Lots of people are doing the Gaisce awards. We've done first aid, self-defence, video making. It's all optional, but it's great.

Would you recommend people do transition year?

Maria: It's so much fun. Our classes were split up, so we got to meet so many new people, and we do so much. I'd definitely recommend it.

NICOLE NÍ CHEARMADA, SHONA NÍ MHEACHAIR AND CILLIAN O'BUITEACH

Ennis Community School

Diet Drinks: the Healthier Alternative?

So, are diet drinks the healthier alternative?

Shona: "We don't think so. We came across a new study that linked artificial sweeteners - mainly aspartame - to leukaemias and lymphomas. The EU is reviewing that sweetener at the moment, so we decided to test and see how much of it diet drinks contain. It consists of three components, so we decided to test for one of those, methanol. We tested lots of different drinks to see what the methanol content was. Red Bull Sugar Free has a very high level, for example."

How are you enjoying the exhibition?

Shona: "The opening ceremony was amazing. There was a massive robot that came on, and it stopped right in front of me and Nicole. It was so funny." Are you doing much other than this for transition year?

Nicole: "We did a Christmas concert in the school. It was a variety show."

Shona: "There's the mini-company as well. The class has formed a company, and we're selling fridge magnets." Cillian: "We were going to do the Form and Fusion competition, but that's not going ahead this year."

Nicole: We can organise things ourselves, and we've done yoga, self-defence, things like that."

How about work experience?

Cillian: "We do that every Friday. I'm doing mine in an architect's office. I really like art. I'm having an exhibition on January 31st in the Riches of Clare [ at Clare Museum]."

Nicole: "It's a really good thing. I wanted to do something with hair and beauty, but I'm not so sure now. I don't know if I want to do the two years of sweeping floors and washing hair before becoming a stylist. I'm now thinking I'd like to be a primary-school teacher. I wouldn't have known that without work experience."

FIONA KEARNEY

Gaelcholáiste Choilm, Cork

Iompar ar Thimpeallacht (Driver Behaviour on Roundabouts)

What did you do for your project?

I surveyed 200 drivers about their knowledge of roundabouts and how to drive on them, and I made a video of driver behaviour on roundabouts. I found that only 67 per cent of people got the questions on the survey right - a bit worrying if nobody knows the rules.

Why did you decide to enter the competition? Had you entered before?

No, this is the first time. My school is really into it. We have loads of projects here. We have dedicated classes for Young Scientist in transition year, which helps. My teachers gave me loads of advice, too.

What else has been happening in transition year for you?

We did a show, Fiddler on the Roof, which was great fun. We've been doing loads of different activities, trying out different things in PE, like bowling and GAA. There's a trip to Holland, an exchange with another school, happening in March. It's an annual thing in the school. We go over there and they come over here. I'm in the Gaelcholáiste, so it's Holland, but the English part of the school does a similar exchange with a German school.

Would you recommend transition year?

I'd really recommend it, but I was actually really against it at the start. I thought it would be a waste of time, but then I started looking at it properly. I did it for the break more than anything else. I didn't want to go straight from Junior Cert into the Leaving. I'm really glad I did it now. I'd definitely recommend it.

MARK MEEHAN, DARRAGH McHUGH AND NICHOLAS COOPER

Knocklyon Community School, Dublin

Do Sight and Smell Affect Your Perception of Taste?

Tell us about your project.

Darragh: We wanted to see if the way we experience taste is just affected by food hitting the tongue or whether sight and smell have something to do with it. We got loads of people to taste drinks with their noses held.

Nicholas: We also got people to taste drinks. One looked good but was actually concentrated lemon juice, and one that looked really bad was just Sprite. We took pictures of people drinking them.

Did your school suggest the Young Scientist exhibition?

Mark: It's a choice in the school.

You can do Gaisce, Young Social Innovators or this. We decided on this.

Tell me about transition year so far.

Darragh: It's a great break after the Junior Cert, instead of going straight into the Leaving. It gives you a bit of time. I'd definitely recommend it, anyway. There's loads of stuff that you can do.

Nicholas: There's lots that you don't do in other years. We've done music classes and drama classes.

Darragh: We also do community-care modules. I went to the National Children's Hospital. I was helping in the school there. We do outdoor pursuits as well, so we get to do all sorts of different sports and things like go-karting.

Mark: We have more trips coming up as well. We're going to Delphi, the outdoor adventure centre, soon.

Any interesting work experience yet?

Nicholas: I did my work experience in a fire station. I got to help with the training and the practices. I got to play an accident victim and get cut out of a car. It was really easy to get the experience, actually. I think I caught them off guard, but they're always looking for new people. It was good fun.

DARRAGH KINSELLA

St Peter's College Secondary School, Summerhill, Wexford

Transition Year: A1 or NG?

Tell us about your project.

There are a lot of myths going around about transition year - that it's difficult to get back to studying afterwards and all that. When I was deciding whether or not to do transition year I was thinking about all of those things, so I decided to survey fourth-, fifth- and sixth-year students about it. The fifth and sixth years had more regrets about not doing it, but the current transition years don't think it should be compulsory. I did a comparison of Leaving Cert results as well. Transition-year students did better, but the difference wasn't as big as I expected.

So how's transition year going for you?

It's brilliant. I've been really busy between the Young Scientist and a show that I've been involved in. It's Mother Goose. I'm Jack, out of Jack and Jill, in it.

Once this exhibition is over you won't be so busy. What's in store then?

I'm doing the Gaisce awards, so I'll definitely finish that. I'm doing life-saving as well. I just have another level to pass and I'll be able to get a job over the summer as a lifeguard at a pool. I'll be going on work experience as well.

Still busy, then. What has stood out for you so far?

The Young Scientist, obviously enough for me. We went on a big walk for Gaisce in Glendalough, which was brilliant. We've had a load of day trips and things like that. We went to a wildfowl reserve in Wexford. Some people did a day of cooking. Doing this project for the Young Scientist exhibition has been great. It was hard. Sometimes you'd think of all the work you had to do, and you'd feel really downbeat, but it was definitely worth it. Transition year is the ideal time for it.