Securing a job before finishing his degree took pressure off Aaron

Expression and community are highlighted in Aarons highlights at SETU, little things such as setting up a badminton course with friends helped him through the degree

Aaron Callaghan is from Meath and is a past pupil of St Ciarans Community School, Kells, Co Meath and has studied BSc (Honours) In Architectural and Building Information Modelling Technology.

Since I finished my course I have:

Luckily in my final year of studying, I had received and accepted a job offer before Christmas. Being certain I wasn't going to struggle to join the job market took enormous pressure off my shoulders while writing my dissertation and other assignments, and gave me great confidence and pride in the quality of my work to date. The global pandemic of 2020 and 21 was particularly difficult for students and lecturers alike, and I am just glad to be finished and on the right side of it now after graduating in 2021.

I wanted to study BSc (Hons) in Architectural and Building Information Modelling (BIM) Technology at SETU because:

I always had a keen interest in Construction and Architecture from a young age. Most of my male family remodels had a career in construction or similar and by the age of 18, I had spent most of my summers picking up invaluable site experience with multiple different sub-contractors.

My father has always pushed me to have a pen in my hand instead of a drill or a saw as he knew better than most the incredible tool construction has traditionally taken on one's body and mind. Because of this and the influence from the Construction Studies and Technical Graphics teachers in Secondary School, I decided to pursue a career in Architectural Technology. 

While many colleges offer Artictectual Technology degrees few offer the level of BIM that the lectures at SETU have integrated within their program. Many employers in Ireland have been crying out for BIM Graduates and this course is definitely an excellent fit for the construction industry and job market. Waterford as a city also boasts a great nightlife, and renting is considerably better value in Waterford than in Ireland's capital.

Some of the highlights of my college experience at SETU include:

It is hard to focus on one particular aspect, but in general, the Granary is a great campus and an incredible building with rich historic significance in Waterford. My colleagues and I set up a badminton court in our third year and things got pretty competitive within the building. Some of the lectures got involved and beaten heavily, to spare embarrassment I won't mention names.

I think what I'll miss the most is just the social aspect of the Granary itself and neighbouring establishment "Tullys" on Champions League nights. The Granary has 5 floors of college students, all with similar interests and hobbies and with a huge amount of cultural diversity.

Erasmus participation benefited my college experience in the following way:

Something I'm positive all the AT & BIM students enjoyed was the multiple Trivarsity Workshops we attended. Our first was in Arrhaus in Demark, where students of multiple disciplines and programs came together to produce a concept design for the new campus building over a 3-day period. This was a great opportunity to enhance our collaborative techniques and to gain some experience in a multi-disciplinary environment. It was also a great opportunity to experience Danish culture and food.

The next workshop in Third year was hosted by SETU so it meant we had to organise the events and activities each day. The brief was to produce a concept design for a tower on the North Quays development just opposite the river of the Granary. Overall the project was very successful. This was a very exciting project given the reported €350 million invested in the North Quays project.

Why I would recommend studying in SETU:

As I have touched on previously the nightlife in Waterford City is top class. The college has fantastic facilities, including the library building and the sports park out in SETU Arena. Ultimately I enjoyed every minute in the Granary and looking back on it those 4 years flew by.

My advice for anyone considering the BSc (Hons) in Architectural and Building Information Modelling (BIM) Technology course is:

The industry is crying out for BIM Graduates. As I mentioned previously I received my postgrad job offer before Christmas. That is a testament to the employability of SETU students. Unfortunately due to Covid-19, my paid work placement was cancelled last year (2020), but I believe the current 3rd years are working away out on placement this year without any issues! The college has great industry links with local architectural and construction firms in Waterford and further afield in Ireland and globally which leads to great opportunities for working home and away!

SETU is also involved in WorldSkills, a global competition where Luke O'Keeffe from the Architectural Technology & BIM program won a gold medal.

Related Courses

• Bachelor of Science in  Architectural & Building Information Modelling Technology