Lorraine Meehan – BEd (Hons) in Early Education and Care

Name: Lorraine Meehan

School: Scoil Bhríde, Mercy Secondary School, Tuam, Galway

Tell us a little bit about yourself and what led you to choose your course 

I chose this course because I have a keen interest in children and enjoy working with them. I have done a lot of work in the past few years minding children and working in creches and I have loved every second of it. I hope to go on to primary teaching in the future when I get my early year’s degree!

Why did you choose ATU Sligo? 

I chose ATU Sligo because when I first visited I thought the facilities were very good. The sports facilities, in particular, were of very high standards. My cousins attended ATU Sligo and when I told them I was thinking of attending they highly recommended it to me from their experience. I find because it is a smaller campus and my course has small classes, there are more opportunities to meet new people and more options for extracurriculars.

What advice would you give someone thinking about choosing ATU Sligo? 

I would advise someone thinking about choosing ATU Sligo to visit the campus and spend time there to see the atmosphere and get used to the campus. I would also advise chatting to students that attend there or have attended ATU Sligo and hearing about their experiences.

Do you like Sligo as a student town? e.g. things to do, food, nightlife, clubs and societies, accommodation etc. 

I like Sligo town. There are loads of things to do here and there is good student life. There is something for everyone to do and loads of sights to see. Sligo is a coastal town so Strandhill beach and Rosses point are on the doorstep for days out and things to do.

What specifically about your course do you particularly enjoy? 

I enjoy the two thirteen-week placements in years 2 and 3. These placements give me a feel for the work and environments that I will be working in once qualified. I also enjoy the continuous assessment in each module. I find it’s less stressful and you can work away at each assignment so that you aren’t left with loads to complete coming up to due dates.

What would you say to a student thinking about studying your course? 

I would recommend this course to a student thinking about studying it. There are loads of different things you can do when fully qualified. There are plenty of different career paths with this degree. In the second and third years, you do thirteen weeks of placement which gives you loads of opportunities to try different areas of work.

Tell us about your sporting career/success so far? 

I have been on Galway u14s, u16s, minor and senior panels. I play club football with Dunmore McHale’s.

I have won one senior All-Ireland runners medal, one All-Ireland u16 medal and one minor All-Ireland medal with Galway. I have also won six Connacht medals from u14 – minor county.

What is the best thing about sports and sports facilities at ATU Sligo? 

Sport in ATU Sligo gives you a great chance of meeting new people and making friends with people that have similar interests to you. As ATU Sligo is a smaller campus, I find you get more chances to be on the team. There are two teams for LGFA which ensures everyone that is interested gets to play.

How has the sports scholarship benefited you? What are the advantages of it? 

The sports scholarship has benefitted me greatly. I get to proudly represent ATU Sligo while playing the sport I love. It has provided me with opportunities to meet others who have also received sports scholarships. Receiving the sports scholarship has improved my confidence levels a lot and provided me with the potential to succeed further. The gym membership allows me to train independently to further improve as an individual which in turn will improve my performance as a player.

Find out more about AU919 Bachelor of Education (Honours) in Early Education and Care

Find out more about ATU Sligo Sports Scholarships