Having previously attended courses in a number of third-level institutions, I can claim to have some insight into how different colleges work.

Call me an eternal student, a sod or an optimist; the truth is that I did my Leaving Certificate nine years ago and I'm still studying.

What courses did I do? A Post-Leaving Certificate course in European languages, a two-year national cert in the same subject at DIT Kevin Street and then one year in UCD. If that wasn't enough, I also did a national cert in cycling coaching and then spent two years studying applied physiology in Carlow RTC. And I'm not finished yet.

One benefit of all this studying is that I have been able to compare the various different institutions. My experience is that the RTC is probably the most enjoyable place of all to study and that the quality of the education is far higher than most people would believe.

Perhaps the main reason for this is that the class sizes are smaller than at university, a factor which has a number of knock-on effects.

First, the fact that I was in a class of about 60 people helped me to settle in quickly. With a group that size, I found it easy to make friends (and to remember names). This helped greatly in being able to cope with living away from home - many people faced this daunting prospect for the first time, and the intimate size of the RTC class helped in this respect.

Having left behind one family, most people had no problem in picking up a surrogate one - albeit all of the same age.

This class set-up has other advantages too. Communications between lecturers and students is two-way. Questions can be asked about anything confusing. I found that this led to much better understanding of the subjects than in previous colleges. Instead of sitting there in some huge hall, in utter confusion, listening to a far-off intellectual ranting about some obscure topic, it was now possible to understand exactly what they meant.

Being noticed and spoken to as an individual by these lecturers also helped. It encouraged me to work harder and to play a more active role in the course.

The smaller size of the college was also beneficial. My strongest memory of studying in UCD was of feeling like a tiny ant in one big, sprawling nest. This led to feelings of alienation and apathy. However, in Carlow RTC I felt like a part of the community; this added greatly to satisfaction with the course and increased my motivation to get work done.

Another feature of RTCs which I found extremely useful was the amount of practical work, an aspect that is highly regarded by employers. Sure, we did learn the theory behind the subjects, but we also got the opportunity to go to a lab or a gym and to actually put into practice what we were taught.

While I wasn't particularly comfortable jumping up and down in funny clothes and making an absolute eejit of myself when teaching an aerobics class, it did help me understand my subject (applied physiology, in this case).

Also beneficial was the fact that in the two years I spent in Carlow RTC, I did about 15 projects on different topics. Okay, I cursed the hard work, but it really did help me learn.

So at the end of the course, how did I benefit? Well, I found that I had grown both as a person and as a student. I had made some great friends, been in several interesting relationships, gained in confidence and self-belief. My knowledge had increased dramatically, while my practical experience in the subjects was also greatly enhanced. The marks I got led to four university offers in England and two here. I went on to do a postgraduate course in TCD.

Contrary to popular belief, studying in an RTC is not a doddle. Nor is it a cop-out. Instead, my experience of Carlow RTC is that I was able to work hard, learn much and still have the time of my life. Of all the third-level institutions I have studied in, it is the best by far.

And my goal now? I'm thinking of getting an MSc and returning as a lecturer. If that isn't a recommendation, I don't know what is!