Elaine Hayes, a student at Davis College in Mallow, Co Cork, describes a hectic but rewarding transition year
I am very lucky to be at a school with a transition-year programme that caters for all interests. For me it has been brilliant. The amount of work we are doing, both individually and as class groups, is phenomenal. What with Young Social Innovators, Blastbeat (the music-business programme), many other certificate courses, two work-experience placements and lots of trips and excursions, it has been a busy year.
My first placement was at the Corkman newspaper, in Mallow, which was definitely worthwhile. I had written one or two articles before, about school news, but being at the paper really confirmed my interest in journalism.
Work experience is about trying something out, seeing if it works for you and deciding if you would like it as a career. It also helps you decide what subjects you should choose for Leaving Certificate.
Our school's first Young Social Innovators class is tackling the sensitive topic of teenage suicide, in a project called Carpe Diem - Seize the Day. We are trying to show that suicide is never the only option. It is a topic the whole class feels strongly about. Our ambition is to enlighten, not frighten.
In our Blastbeat mini company, Rebelation, we are selling compilation CDs of some of the best up-and- coming young Irish groups. The biggest challenge was to organise our battle of the bands, which we held on January 21st, at Mallow Park Hotel. We thought it would be quite easy, but the amount of work that goes into a concert amazed us.
We had to get six bands, organise a venue, find judges and a PA system, get teachers to supervise the evening and arrange security, to name only some of the tasks. After a lot of organising, it went off without a
hitch - except for being told by the hotel manager to turn the volume down. Is Risen, a four-piece metal band from Charleville, won on the day, progressing to the regional final - although that was where their journey ended, to the disappointment of all their fans.
We continued with our other tasks, such as undertaking a health study and updating our website, www.blastbeat.org/ie/ rebelationmusic. We got up to the dizzy heights of fifth place during February.
A number of factors make transition year so memorable, perhaps principally the enthusiasm of the teachers and students, as well as the number of projects and courses available to us. I really don't want the year to end, as I have found it a completely new experience. It blows the doss-year myth out of the water.
