by Euan Palmer,
TY Coláiste an Eachréidh, Athenry
Transition year, as a concept, has been around for almost 30 years in its current from. It is a year-long event that takes place in the fourth year of secondary school. Generally it is an optional thing, but in some schools, such as mine, it is compulsory. I personally have a favorable opinion of TY because of my experience of it over the past year.
I have made plenty of friends and, overall, had a good time. Some notable trips we have undertaken were to the Delphi retreat north of Killary, and paintball and karting at Pallas. I would definitely recommend taking part in transition year to any students who are sitting the Junior Cert this year.
There are some criticisms of TY that I have heard, and I find myself agreeing with a couple of them. Firstly, it is expensive. That is the biggest obstacle for people interested in taking part. Secondly, a few people consider it as a "doss year" where nothing is done for the academic careers of the students. While it is true that there is no important work happening in TY, it doesn't mean that teachers don't give some work to TY students.
I have a number of friends who did, and didn’t, take part in Transition Year. Those who took part in it generally do not regret doing so and those who opted out generally regret it. I do not regret taking part at all and regard it as one of my best decisions.
One of my friends said, "You will learn how to deal with people, and you can do many things you won't be able to in the following years. Even if nothing sparks your interest, you should still do it as you may discover a new passion. it's been one of the best years of my life and I made so many new friends, had great experiences and I'd say it's much better to have done it and not enjoyed it than not do it at all."
One of my friends who didn't do it told me, "I wish I had done it. I probably would have had fun and there will be a year after I graduate before I am actually independent. I regret not doing it."
As a teenager myself, I can definitely say it is a good idea to take part in it. It is wholly worth it and you will have a very good year and have experiences to look back fondly on.
