"The saved cost of accommodation is a major benefit and because of this I was able to afford my own car. This gave me great independence."
Evelyn O’Farrell has just completed her second year in the Bachelor of Business Studies with the accountancy stream and hopes to do her chartered accountancy exams following her studies in Waterford and aim to work for one of the big four accountancy firms.
“I chose to study business and accounting because I always loved accounting in secondary school but wanted to do a general business degree as it incorporated study abroad or work experience and will give me a better insight in the business world.”
Staying at home in Waterford to study was a no brainer for Evelyn, “Even though I got over 500 points in my Leaving Cert, meaning I could choose any accountancy course in the country I chose SETU because the facilities are fabulous and the course is amongst the best in the country why would I travel past such a great asset on my door step?”
Studying in Waterford meant she could continue on with her part time job and continue to compete and train her horses, showjumping being one of her greatest passions in life.
Evelyn believes living at home while in college was ideal, particularly financially. “The saved cost on accommodation is a major benefit and because of this I was able to afford my own car. This gave me great independence both during the week and weekend.”
When offering advice to students sitting their Leaving Cert and considering living at home while at college, Evelyn says that students shouldn’t think they need to move away for college.
“Even though I stayed at home my life has changed from my school days. I would consider myself to be an independent person and have grown a lot as a person since starting SETU.”
A flexible semester gives her the option of experiencing college life beyond Waterford.
“Part of my course has a flexible semester meaning you can do teaching practice, work experience, a new venture initiative (WIT help you set up your own business) or study abroad. I have chosen to go on study abroad and will travel to the south of France from January to June to study this will be a once in a life time experience that not every college offers and will really benefit my cv. The great thing about it in SETU is that they have so many contacts around the world you can literally go anywhere.”
Her love of horses has also helped foster links at third level. “I am also a very active member of the SETU equestrian team. I have made friends for life with people who are in all different types of courses in SETU. We train on a Monday night and the riding school supplies the horses. We also do two/three competitions a year which are great fun and also allows us to interact with students."