Choosing to repeat your Leaving Certificate is no easy feat. For some it may seem like the worse thing in the world, but for others it’s an opportunity to show you can do better and achieve your goals. I was the latter when I decided to repeat my Leaving Certificate almost two years ago. To say it was a tough journey would be an understatement. That said it was definitely the best decision I ever made and it led me to my dream college course today.

Here is my advice if you’re considering repeating the Leaving Cert.

Deciding to Repeat?

First and foremost, don’t decide to repeat until you get your Leaving Certificate results. Lots of people panic after exams and decide they won’t get their college course before they even know how they did. Forget about your exams once you've finished them in June. There’s nothing you can do until August. If you’re disappointed once you get your results then it’s time to lay out all your options. Wait and see what offer you get from the CAO. You’ve listed your choices in order of preference for a reason. Hopefully you’ll get an offer you want and you’ll be happy to take it. If not though there are a number of other options.

Look into PLC courses for starters. Lots of PLC courses give you a fantastic foundation. Many PLC colleges have links with third level institutions so that you can move into a Level 7 or Level 8 course once you’ve completed your PLC course. This might be a better option than repeating because you’ll be studying something you have an interest in and it lays the foundation for your future studies. If PLC colleges are not the right choice for you, then maybe start looking into repeating.

You need to be incredibly determined before you decide to repeat. The last thing you want to do is start the Leaving Certificate again only to give up halfway through. You must also be determined to do better. There is no point in doing it all over again only to come out with much the same result.

Set yourself goals!

They don’t need to be about specific course but aim for certain grades in your subjects or for a certain number of points maybe. Your goals are specific to you. Repeating the Leaving Cert is definitely a tough journey. It can take a lot to sit studying at your desk for another year while many of your friends are off in college having fun. If you think you can suffer another year of exam papers, definitions and stay determined until next June well then I think you’re ready to repeat.

Where should I repeat?

Deciding where you should repeat is the next step. Depending on where you live in the country you might have three possible options:

  1. Go back to your old school,
  2. Go to a new school.
  3. Go to a Further Education College and participate in a Repeat Leaving Certificate course.

Going back to your own school is good because you’re already familiar with the school and its rules. You may even have friends in the year below you. If you go to a new school it may allow for a fresh start which might be exactly what you need.

I went to a PLC college and participated in a Repeat Leaving Certificate course. This was by far the best option for me. It almost feels like you’re in college because you don’t have a uniform, you have more freedom with your studies and you’re treated like an adult. It’s also great being around other repeat students who are going through the same experience as you. You can support each other and guide one another through the tough times. PLC colleges also tend to offer a great range of subjects and much more flexible timetables than schools can offer. This is a huge advantage.

In the end your performance will depend on you much more so than your environment. So weigh up the benefits of each option to you personally taking any costs into consideration and go wherever suits you best.

What subjects should I do?

The great thing about repeating is that there is no need to retake the subjects you passed for college enrolment during your first leaving cert. So this means if you passed maths, English, Irish, a science or a third language the first time you do not need to resist it the second time to meet university requirements. This is a huge benefit to many people who might wish to drop Irish or maths, for example, so they can focus on their other subjects. My advice would be to do 7 subjects for your Leaving Cert. Some would prefer to do 6 but I’m a firm believer that it’s useful to have a ‘back-up’ subject if anything ever goes wrong. What if you slept in and missed an exam one day? Having 7 means if something goes wrong at least you still have 6 subjects for your points. Many people decide to take up a new subject during their repeat leaving cert. If it is a subject you’re interested in then I believe there’s no reason not to take it up but be cautious as it’s likely to be a lot of work. If there’s a project involved you’ll need to have a teacher to sign off on your work too so you can’t do the subject alone.

A few last nuggets of advice: Repeating the Leaving Cert is definitely not easier than doing it the first time around. There is a myth that you’ve learned it all before so you just have to learn a bit extra to do better. But in reality, you’ll have forgotten much of what you’ve learned from last year and you’ll have lots of revision to do throughout your repeat year.

So if you think repeating is the option for you, then go for it! Be sure that you’re determined and willing to put in the effort for another full academic year. If you are, you’ll be sure to achieve your goals.

Best of luck with it!

About this banana bread recipe

Ingredients

Method:

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C / 350°F / Gas Mark 4.
  2. Mix the dry ingredients in one bowl.
  3. Mix the wet ingredients in another bowl.
  4. Mix the wet mixture and the dry mixture together.
  5. Put into well greased loaf tin.
  6. Bake the banana bread in the pre-heated oven for 1&1/2 hours.

Recipes are from 101 square meals by Safefood.eu and MABS.

About this recipe

Ingredients

Method

  1. Put all the ingredients into a blender and blend for 30 seconds
  2. Drink and enjoy!

Tip: Try this banana and oat smoothie with a variety of fruit – strawberries, raspberries, pears or peaches (tinned or fresh) all work well. Use fruit yoghurt instead of milk for a thicker drink.

Recipes are from 101 square meals by Safefood.eu.

If you are unemployed and interested in setting up your own business, there is support available to help you to get started. The Short-Term Enterprise Allowance is one support that you might be eligible for.

What is the Short Term Enterprise Allowance?

The Short-Term Enterprise Allowance (STEA) is a financial support for unemployed people who want to start their own business. If your application for this support is approved, it replaces your Jobseeker’s Benefit payment.

How much is the Short-Term Enterprise Allowance?

The Short-Term Enterprise Allowance is paid at the same rate as your Jobseeker’s Benefit. The income that you earn from self-employment will not affect your payment on the Short Term Enterprise Allowance.

How long can I receive the Short-Term Enterprise Allowance?

You can receive the Short-Term Enterprise Allowance for the same amount of time that you are eligible for Jobseeker’s Benefit. The maximum amount of time that you can receive the payment is nine months.

Am I eligible for the Short-Term Enterprise Allowance?

In order to be eligible for the Short-Term Enterprise allowance, you must:

Am I eligible for the Short-Term Enterprise Allowance if I have received a grant?

Employment grants from a Local Enterprise Office (LEO) or a local development company do not affect your entitlement to the Short-Term Enterprise Allowance.

Applying for the Short-Term Enterprise Allowance

If you think you are eligible for the Short-Term Enterprise Allowance and wish to apply, you will need to fill out some paperwork.

How can I apply for the Short-Term Enterprise Allowance?

To apply for the Short-Term Enterprise Allowance, you will need to get an STEA 1 application form from your local Intreo Centre.

The STEA 1 form asks you for your business proposal and how much it will cost to set up. Although this does not require a detailed business plan, it is a good idea to create one. This will help you explain your vision and show that you are passionate about starting a business. If you attended a Start Your Own Business course in the past, you can put that down on your application.

Once you have completed this form, you can return it to the Jobs Case Officer in your local Intreo Centre or Social Welfare Branch Office. The Case Officer will look at your business proposal and might talk to you and the Enterprise Officer in your Local Development Company about it.

If your application for Short-Term Enterprise Allowance is approved, you must register as self-employed with the Revenue Commissioners.

Refusal of the Short-Term Enterprise Allowance

The Short-Term Enterprise Allowance is a non-statutory scheme. This means that you cannot make an appeal if your application is not approved. You can ask the Department of Social Protection to review your application if you feel that you have been wrongly refused the allowance.

What other business supports can I receive while getting the Short-Term Enterprise Allowance?

If you are receiving the Short-Term Enterprise Allowance, you can also get financial support with the costs of setting up your business. These supports are provided under a scheme called the Enterprise Support Grant (ESG).

You can only get this grant if you have been approved for either the Short-Term Enterprise Allowance or the Back to Work Enterprise Allowance. Find out more about the Enterprise Support Grant.

What can I do when the Short-Term Enterprise Allowance ends?

If your entitlement to the Short-Term Enterprise Allowance ends and you are not fully self-employed by the business, you may be able to apply for a Jobseeker’s Allowance payment. You can continue to be self-employed while receiving a Jobseeker’s Allowance payment if you meet the means test and can show that you are also available for and seeking full-time employment.

Need more information?

We are here to answer your questions and talk through your options. Our online chat service is for 16 to 25 year olds and is available Monday to Friday, 4pm to 8pm. Chat to us now about your situation.

Gaisce, or the Presiden'ts Award, is a three-tiered personal development programme for young people aged 15 to 25.

The programme combines self-directed challenges and structured supervision by adult volunteers who are called President Award Leaders, or PALs. For the self-directed elements young people set and achieve a series of personal, physical, community and team challenges at three different levels. These are known as Bronze, Silver or Gold levels.

At each level, participants are required to commit at least one hour per week to achieving each of their personal, physical and community challenges for a minimum number of weeks. The number of weeks depends on the level of the award, as does the time required to complete their team challenge: the Adventure Journey.

Individuals can complete the award at their own pace, the weeks in which challenges are undertaken do not have to be consecutive. Recipients of awards receive a certificate signed by the President and a medal/pin. 

These are the three challenges that participants need to complete on each level:

Personal Skill Challenge

The aim of the Personal Skill is to encourage young people to improve on an existing skill or to try something new. A level of commitment over time to progress in a skill leads to a sense of achievement and well being.
This skill section should stimulate the development of new interests or to improve existing ones. These interests are typically of a non-physically demanding nature and may include hobbies, vocational or job related skills, social or individual activities, cultural activities or life skills.

Examples of Personal Skills:

Physical Activity

The purpose of this section is to encourage physical recreation activity. Involvement in physical recreation should be an enjoyable experience, regardless of physical ability and this section is based on the belief that physical exercise is good for both body and mind and is essential for a person's well-being.

As in the Personal Skill section, participants may either seek to improve their ability in an activity that they already do or take up a completely new activity. Activities chosen should be enjoyable and the goals set realistic so that at the end of the section, participants feel a real sense of achievement.

Examples of Physical Activity:

Community Involvement

Community Involvement is all about giving back to the community. Whatever passions you may have, whether it's care and concern for the environment, a love of animals, a desire to make a difference to the lives of those less fortunate than you or wish to help the sick or elderly, the Community Involvement section offers the structure to fulfil these passions.

The Community Involvement section offers you the opportunity to engage with society and gain an understanding of the importance of your role within your immediate and global community. It also gives you the chance to connect with individuals and groups you may have not been aware of before and to make a difference in the wider community.

Examples of Community Involvement :

Adventure Challenge

To inspire young people to develop a spirit of adventure and discovery, by planning, training for and completing an outdoor Adventure Journey as part of a team. The experience opens possibilities for new pathways to be explored and brings together much of the learning that has taken place during the Award, providing participants with a unique, challenge and memorable experience as well as a learning of self-sufficiency.

The keys elements of the Adventure Journey are teamwork in planning and execution against the background of real challenges posed by unfamiliar environment. The Adventure Journey can either be an Expedition or an Exploration. An Expedition is a journey with a purpose, and an Exploration is a purpose with a journey.

Examples of Adventure Challange

Plan, prepare and undertake a 2 day, 1 night Adventure Journey in a group covering a minimum total distance of: Walking 25 – 35 km or Cycling 100 – 130 km over 2 consecutive days.

Bronze Award: Apply Here!

Silver Award: Apply Here!

Gold Award: Apply Here!

Who are the President Award Leaders?

Gaisce participants are mentored through their journey by a President Award Leaders. There are currently more than 1,500 active PALs across Ireland. PALs are teachers, youth and community workers (paid and unpaid) who recognise the value of Gaisce as a ‘tool’ that can assist them in the work they do empowering young people. In order to become a PAL, individuals are required to do a one-day training course provided by Gaisce.

Benefits of partaking in Gaisce Awards

PhD research was recently undertaken on Gaisce which examined the impact of Gaisce on a mixed-gender group of participants at Bronze and Gold level.

The key findings of the research were that, as a result of their participation in Gaisce, young people:

Two-step verification, sometimes known as two factor authentication or 2FA, is a great way to keep your account secure.

Keeping accounts secure is important. Everyone should have complex, unique passwords that are difficult to crack, but in reality many people use extremely simple passwords to secure their accounts. Some of the most common passwords are ‘123456’ and ‘password’, which are extremely easy to guess. Not only that, but about 70% of people use the same password for all of their different accounts which means that if one account is breached, they all are.

While it’s important to create a good password, it also helps to add an extra layer of security by setting up two-step verification on your accounts.

What is two factor authentication?

Two factor authentication/two-step verification adds an additional step when logging into an account. After you successfully enter your username and password, you will be asked to enter a code that will be sent to your device. This can be sent to you via text message, read out to you by a machine over a phone call, or displayed in an authenticator app downloaded to your phone.

Why set up two-step verification?

Having this additional step means that even if someone manages to find out your password, your account will still be secure, because they will need the code to go any further. This is especially great for email accounts that could hold personal information, online bank accounts, as well as social media and online shopping accounts.

It’s also useful if you have your browser remember your passwords. This means that even if your laptop were stolen and your log in information was automatically filled in, the person still won’t be able to get into your accounts, unless they had your phone as well.

How to set up two-step verification

Most websites will not give you the option to set up two-step verification. Some sites will ask you if you want to set it up when you log in, while others will have the option available in the settings.

Look for the option to activate two-step verification in the privacy settings of the app or website. You can find out if a website has two-step by visiting twofactorauth.org.

Here are some popular services offering two-step verification, and how to set it up:

How to turn off two factor authentication

It is possible to cancel your two-step verification if you don’t want to use it anymore. The steps for turning off two factor authentication can be different for each website, so it’s best to contact them directly or look at the help section of the website.

In most cases, if you still have access to the device that you receive your log in code on, you may just need to enter your password and a code one last time to confirm that you want to turn it off. If you don’t have access to the device, or if the site follows a different procedure for switching it off, you might need to answer a security question.

If you’re not sure, contact the website directly.

Chronic pain is defined as "pain without apparent biological value that has persisted beyond normal tissue healing time. The pain may be continuous or intermittent."

I have Osteoarthritis which is the most common chronic condition of the joints. In osteoarthritis, the cartilage breaks down, causing pain, swelling and problems moving the joint.

Living with chronic pain is hard, it affects day to day activities that many people take for granted. When you suffer from chronic pain, simple tasks like putting away the dishes, typing on a computer, folding laundry, and more can be stressful to the joints or whatever part of your body that inhibits you from performing these tasks comfortably. Although chronic disease may be incurable, that does not mean it is untreatable. Here are some treatments that have helped me over the past eight years living with chronic pain.

Exercise

I cannot stress this enough! Exercise may seem daunting when your muscles and joints are in pain and all you want to do is give your body a rest, but that actually makes the pain worse. Your muscles and joints will become stiff from being in the same position for too long and in turn it will result in more pain. You don't have to go for a five mile run or lift 100 pound weights, but simply going for a walk or taking the stairs instead of the lift everyday will help decrease your pain and increase your strength. Exercising with arthritis or chronic pain can increase your strength and flexibility, reduces joint pain, and helps combat fatigue.

Eating well

Eating right improves your bodies health overall, but it is especially essential when you are suffering from chronic pain. Here are some foods to always have in your fridge to combat inflammation: tomatoes, olive oil, green leafy vegetables, nuts, fish, strawberries, blueberries, cherries and oranges.

Here are the main food groups to avoid with chronic pain: refined carbohydrates, fried foods, sugar sweetened drinks, red meat, and margarine. Even though we feel better when we eat healthy, we're only human and sometimes we have cravings for food that we know are bad for us, especially when dealing with chronic pain and inflammation. If you must eat some of these foods, do so sparingly.

Know when to rest

It can be embarrassing when you are doing activities with a group of people such as sports, walking, hiking, biking, etc., and have to take a break sooner than everyone else. But that is because bodies that are suffering from chronic pain cannot deal with the wear and tear on our muscles and joints as well as those without chronic pain. It is okay to take a break and give your body a rest when it needs it. Ice or heat, and lots of water always works for me when I have pushed my joints too hard. Listen to your body, don't push yourself too hard but also don't let your body be still for too long, either.

Living with chronic pain is a challenge but don't let it stop you from living your life to the best of your abilities. It may be hard to get moving everyday, but by following these three easy steps it can become much easier. Your body was made to move, so move it.

Many of us rely on our online accounts to get through the day. We use social media to connect with others, pay for things online using cards and online bank accounts, and save important files, whether for school, college or work, or our own personal documents, on storage sites like Dropbox or Google Drive.

With so much important information stored online, having a strong password is essential to make sure your accounts are safe and difficult to get into. If your password is not strong enough, it increases the risk that someone could guess it and gain access to your accounts.

What makes a good password?

A good password is simply one that only you know and can’t be reasonably guessed by another person or a computer. Some of the most common passwords include ‘123456’ and ‘password’. These are very easy for hackers or computer software to guess. Many sites will not allow passwords this simple, but keep in mind the easier you make it for yourself, the easier you make it for the hacker. If you’re worried you won’t remember a complex password, consider using a password manager.

Computer programs trying to hack your account often start with the most common passwords, followed by trying words from a dictionary with common alterations like numbers. Making your password more complex will make it more secure.

Here are some things that make a complex password:

How secure is my password?

If you want to check the strength of your password, use the password checker below. This checker comes from LastPass, a secure password management tool.

Creating and storing strong passwords

In order to make sure your strong passwords work, it’s important that you know where to store them, especially if you’re using different passwords for different sites that are hard to remember.

The best things to do when creating a password is to use a password generator, and then store it in a reliable, secure password manager.

Using a password generator

A password generator is a tool that comes up with a password for you using random letters, numbers, and characters. Using a password generator helps you to ensure that your password is complex enough that it can’t be guessed by anyone.

Most password managers will have a password generator tool, but you can also try generators from LastPass, Norton Security, or Avast.

Storing passwords in a password manager

Password managers are a great way to make sure you can create complex passwords without the risk of forgetting what they are. Your password manager will have a ‘master password’ which will allow you to access all of your other passwords, so this is the only one you need to remember – but make sure it’s complex enough that it won’t be easy to guess and access all of your other account information.

Some password managers you can try include LastPass and Dashlane which both have free versions and can be used on your computer (you will need to pay to sync with mobile devices).

How do accounts get hacked?

There are many ways an account can be hacked, and depending on the type of account the person has gotten access to, it can be very distressing. Here are some of the ways a password can be hacked, and how to avoid it.

Leaving an account open or signed in

Sometimes leaving your account signed-in on a computer that is shared with others can be the same as simply telling someone your password. All they need to do is use the computer or device after you. This can also be the case when you don’t lock your devices such as phones, tablets and laptops.

Only ever click “remember me” when signing onto your own computer or device. Never have a browser or device remember your account when you don’t control it. For devices that are yours, always make sure you have a password or PIN lock on it, and put the device to sleep or log out when you’re done.

Learn more about device security to avoid letting others access your accounts.

The password was not strong enough

Simple passwords can be really easily guessed with a ‘brute force attack’, which goes through all possible password phrases that are guessable until they find it. Simple passwords with dictionary words and numbers are the most vulnerable to this attack.

To avoid this, pick a good, complex password that is not easily guessable. A good password (as outlined above) has more than 8 characters, has upper and lower case letters, has numbers and also contains symbols. You should avoid simple dictionary words, patterns of keys on a keyboard and names which are significant to you that people might know about (such as locations or names of family members).

Account recovery hack

Account recovery tools are often useful when you have forgotten your username or password and need to reset your account. Usually, you will need to answer a secret question only you know the answer to, or a link is emailed to you that will allow you to reset the password.

The problem is if someone also has access to your email, or if the answers to your security questions can be easily guessed, then the person may be able to change the password.

To avoid this, pick a question that only you know the answer to. If it allows you to write the question all the better. Pick something secret and personal to prevent people from being able to accurately guess what the answer is.

There was a data breach

Sometimes the company you have an account with can get hacked, which not only effects the company themselves, but their users too. This especially becomes an issue if you use the same password for all of your accounts. This will make it easy for people who have accessed your password to get into all of your other accounts as well.

While you can’t stop the company you have an account with from being hacked, you can take precautions to minimise the damage. Make sure you don’t use the same password everywhere. This will mean you won’t lose all your other accounts.

It also helps to set up two-step verification, which will send you a text or notification to confirm that you are the person signing in before the website will allow you into the account. This way no one will be able to access the account without you verifying it first.

So much of our lives are now carried out online – most people carry out their banking online, fees and bills are paid online, and many people use online shopping as a way to get the things they need. Your online identity and accounts can do so much that it’s crucial you keep them secure and confidential.

There are a number of steps you can take to protect your financial information and make sure that your cards and accounts never end up in the wrong hands.

How to protect your financial information online

Depending on how you use the internet and what sort of cards and accounts you manage, there may be different things you’ll need to do. Try and do as many of these things as possible to keep things safe and secure.

Avoid storing card information on browsers or a device that isn’t yours

If you are using a computer or device that isn’t yours, always make sure the computer or browser doesn’t save your financial details. Many browsers can automatically save your card information so that you don’t have to fill out all the details again the next time you’re paying for something. If the browser asks if you want to save your card information, be sure to decline so that no one else can use your card to pay for things.

Never e-mail or message card numbers

If you need to send your card or bank account information to a friend to pay for something or to someone doing a job for you, try to avoid sending this information via email. If either of your email accounts were to get hacked, anyone could access this information and use it to remove money from your account or make purchases.

If you need to tell someone of your financial information it’s best to do it in person or call them and tell them over the phone. If it’s not possible to call or do it in person, then use an encrypted messaging service like WhatsApp, which is more secure – just make sure to delete the information as soon as they’ve gotten what they needed so that it can’t be screenshot.

Make sure the websites you are using are secure

If you are thinking of buying something online, take a second to make sure the website is exactly what it claims to be. There are a few simple things to double check this.

Is it secure? – Make sure the URL starts with HTTPS. This will give you a greater level of encryption between you and the website, preventing people from snooping in on your transaction. This is often signified with a lock or certificate icon in your URL bar meaning you and the server will have a secure interaction.

Is this the real website? – Sometimes hackers will make a fake website to gather information (called phishing) which looks exactly like the one you were expecting, but is actually at a slightly different address to the official site. Double check that the URL is what it should be.

Don’t let them save your credit/debit card – If you are making a once-off purchase with a retailer, don’t let them save your card information for future use. Remember, once you save your card information on another site, it could be accessed if that site is hacked.

Set spending alerts

Most banks have the ability to send you a text or email if you are spending over a certain amount per day, or if your balance drops to a specific level. If someone got access to your card or bank information and went on a spending spree, the alerts will let you know if they spend over the limit and help you catch it earlier.

Avoid scams or suspicious behaviour

A good rule of thumb for avoiding scams online is “if it seems too good to be true, it usually is”. Bear in mind that hackers can make an email look like it came from anyone, right down to imitating their address. If a person or company tries to contact you looking for data, treat it as suspicious. If the email claims to come from a friend or family member and you are unsure, then reach out them in person or with a phone call. If a company or bank is trying to get more information then do the same or visit their website.

A lot of the time hackers will use email to get you to follow a link to their fake website. There they will ask you to sign-in or provide some financial information. Never click a link in an email you are suspicious of. Visit the website by typing the URL yourself or finding it on google. You can also contact the company directly and ask if it was them.

This can also happen on Facebook – someone might create a new account to look exactly like another user’s and add all of their friends and begin messaging them as though they are that person, and they will eventually ask for money. If you get a friend request from someone who already has an account, ask if it is them before accepting.

Remember, you bank will never ever send you an email to request your bank details. Do not respond if you receive an email asking you to send them.

Avoid writing down sensitive information

If you are writing down information for someone, such as login information or your banking details, make sure it’s destroyed once you no longer need it or kept in a safe place. Someone coming into contact with that information could use it to access your accounts.

Use strong passwords

Make sure your email and any account with your financial information is secure with a strong password and two-step sign-in turned on. Your email contains a lot of information from your bank, receipts from transactions you’ve completed and might even have bank statements, so make sure it’s secure.

Use PayPal for online payments

If you have to make a payment to someone or send money online, ask if it’s possible to do so through PayPal. You can connect your bank account or card to PayPal and all you need is the other person’s email address to securely send the funds over.

Need more information?

We are here to answer your questions and talk through your options. Our online chat service is for 16 to 25 year olds and is available Monday to Friday, 4pm to 8pm. Chat to us now about your situation.

Many people spend a lot of time on phones, tablets and laptops. This is where we store a lot of information about ourselves and other people, and we depend on these devices every day – to communicate with others, for directions, for getting information, for accessing our bank accounts and paying for things online. This is why it’s so important that we protect our devices to avoid getting hacked or losing our important information.

8 ways to protect your phone or computer

There are many things you can do, but it can depend on the type of device you own and what sort of settings it has. Explore your security and privacy settings and find out more about your brand.

In this section:

1. Have a passcode or PIN for all your devices

One of the most basic recommendations would be to ensure your devices have passcode or a PIN. This will ensure that your device (computer, mobile or tablet) cannot be used by anyone but yourself if left unattended. If the device is lost or stolen, having a passcode or PIN will make accessing the device information much more difficult.

It’s a good idea to set your device to lock if left alone for a certain amount of time. For example, if you haven’t used your laptop in 15 minutes, it ill lock and no one will be able to access it without the passcode.

It’s also a good idea to use a different passcode for each device, and avoid using the same PIN as your bank card.

2. Use virus protection software

Getting a virus on your device can cause a lot of problems. Viruses can harm your device in a multitude of ways. They can slow down your device, try to get you to purchase meaningless items, or even harvest your personal information. The best way to protect yourself is to install virus protection software. There are a wide rage of free and paid virus scanning software available.

When choosing virus software, always make sure of the following:

Some great free options include AVG, Avast and the Microsoft Security Essentials. For the most part, iOS and Mac devices are less likely to suffer from viruses as their PC and Android counterparts, but they are not totally immune. Be sure to have your devices up to date at all times.

3. Turn on GPS tracking

Many devices, including phones, tablets, and laptops, will have a GPS tracking option that lets you see where your device location if it is lost or stolen. These settings do require the device to be switched on, so if the battery dies or someone has stolen it and switched it off, it may not be possible to track unless it’s switched on again. However, in some cases it could show you where the device was before being switched off.

4. Update your device regularly

Most viruses, malware and hackers rely on taking advantage of old loopholes in your operating systems to do damage. When these loopholes are exposed, companies rush to patch the software and send an update to your device.

Regularly updating your device means that it will always have the most up to date version of its software and will reduce the chances of getting a virus or malware. An up-to-date device is a secure device.

5. Be wary of free public wifi

Free public wifi can be very useful, but it is best to be cautious when connecting to unknown networks. It can be hard to guarantee the security of the wifi network, and it could be used as an opportunity for hackers to view your information, and it puts your device at risk of getting a virus or malware. Some wifi networks also gather data on the people accessing the service. If you are connecting to a network in a public place, try to limit the sensitive information you send.

Take it for granted that someone may be watching and make sure you are connected only to secure websites. You can check this by making sure the URL starts with HTTPS instead of HTTP. That extra ‘S’ will make a big difference as it makes sure that the only people seeing the data sent is you and the server the website is stored on.

Also, when you’re done browsing be sure to have your device “forget this network” as it will prevent it from automatically connecting to it in the future.

6. Avoid dodgy websites like streaming sites

A huge amount of viruses and malware these days come from people trying to get content from third party streaming and download websites. Notice all the weird pop-ups and third party banners on the websites wen you’re trying to watch your favourite shows? They could be installing things in the background without your knowledge.

If you can, get your content via official channels like Netflix. It will almost always be higher quality and will have no malware or viruses.

7. If selling or passing on your device, make sure to reset it

If you decide to sell your device or pass it on to someone, make sure to restore it to remove all of your data and restore it to factory settings.

This is important to make sure that none of your personal information is still on the device, and no one can access any of your chat or email history. It can also help to ensure the device is updated and free of any viruses.

8. If using someone else’s device, be sure to sign out

Sometimes you just need to borrow a device for a few minutes. Whether it’s to check your email or see something on a social media network, sometimes it just has to be done. When you’re doing this however, you need to make sure you are only signing in temporarily.

As February finally arrives and we leave the winter behind it is interesting to wonder will the January fitness buzz leave with it or remain as a long term change. It is said you must do something for 21 days for it to become a habit and then it will stick with you so generally speaking if you have stuck to your January fitness goals it will be easy to keep going with them through another few months. However, could it be possible that your decision to keep going or leave all where it is will depend on what your social media counterparts will do?

I myself did try to become more healthy and active this year. I joined a gym and cut down on all junk foods and take aways. I became interested in the trend and so I began to keep a close watch on social media to see what the approach of other people was and what new meals and recipes were out there to try. I became aware that there was a major other side to the January healthy eating that I had not previously encountered and that was the competitive side.

It was not the first time I witnessed people use social media to record their weight loss or targets or talking about their exercise regime. I had always viewed this as a positive thing! People would get to brag a little about their achievements and in return receive praise and compliments from their friends and in return this would probably spur them to keep going with their diet or new healthy eating regime.

Placing the emphasis on health

However, it became evident that for people around my age group, late teens to early twenties, it wasn't necessarily about a change in lifestyle and becoming more health concious, it was about becoming "fit". To me "fit" and "healthy" are on two completely different levels. While one can become fit by eating healthily, striving to be a fit person does not mean you are health conscious. From what I have noticed, it can mean cutting down to one meal a day and having shakes as substitutes. For others it could mean cutting carbohydrates completely out of your diet. Then it seems a competition has arrived with food pictures posted and barely any food on the plate. This cannot be described as a healthy way of living.

More emphasis should be put on the health side of dieting and eating instead of fitness and weight loss. It is a knock on effect of becoming more health aware that you will lose weight in a responsible and maintainable manner, instead of choosing a fad diet losing a significant amount of weight in one go and then being unable to sustain it.

A diet to lose necessary weight makes sense, becoming fit because you enjoy sports makes sense but starving oneself and depriving yourself of necessary nutrients does not make sense. In primary school we are taught the food pyramid – the basis of healthy eating. Everyone should strive to follow this from a health perspective first and for those wishing to get to the next level of fitness, experts are available at local gyms to ensure this is done in a safe and healthy way.

Social media gets a lot of bad press. And rightly so! An unhealthy addiction to social networking sites is associated with mental health issues, low self-esteem, and physical inactivity in addition to other social problems. However these sites can be used as tools of immense positive change as well.

The summer of 2014 was undeniably dominated by one single online hashtag; #alsicebucketchallenge. The ALS Association website describes the symptoms of ALS as the “progression of weakness, wasting and paralysis of the muscles of the limbs and trunk as well as those that control vital functions such as speech, swallowing and later breathing generally follows.” A pretty grim disease and those who suffer from it require constant care. Endorsed by celebrities the hashtag quickly took off and reached an audience estimated at 95 million. From July 29th to August 25th, the ALS Association received $79.7 million dollars, a 3000% increase on that period the year before. Lionel Messi’s ice bucket challenge alone had over 400,000 likes.

Another trend which highlighted social media’s ability to turn people’s generosity into action was the #NoMakeUpSelfie. The movement sprang up overnight and saw thousands of women (and some men) post photos of themselves without make-up and, subsequently, men posting photos (of themselves) with make-up. A staggering one million euro was raised for the Irish Cancer Society. Social media enables people to unite instantly and effectively for a good cause and the results are incredible. The money will fund a nationwide breast cancer research project, co-ordinating Ireland’s leading cancer researchers to improve treatment. One in ten women will be diagnosed with breast cancer and 80% of those will beat it.

These movements had huge financial ramifications, covered by mainstream media and trended globally and nationally. In the past two weeks I have witnessed an international community work to help a local New York community because of the actions of a single man on social media.

If you’re a fan of social media, it’s likely that you’ve stumbled upon one of Brandon Stanton’s photographs. As the creator of the popular ‘Humans of New York’ blog, Stanton offers the world an interesting glimpse into lives of the diverse inhabitants of New York City through portraits and a short description or quote.

On January 20th, one of those inhabitants was 13 year old Vidal Chastanet from Brownsville, an area in Brooklyn with the highest crime rate in New York. Stanton asked Vidal a simple question; “Who’s influenced you the most in your life?”

Vidal’s response, praising his principle Ms Lopez, elicited such a strong social media reaction that Stanton uncharacteristically followed up and visited Ms Lopez. There he began to profile her school, Mott Hall Bridges Academy, photographing various teachers and students and transcribing their stories.  A marvellous idea began to emerge. Stanton in collaboration with the school set up an online fundraiser to finance a class trip to Harvard every year. The aim of this was to create a culture where not only did every child feel they had the potential to succeed but were expected to succeed. At the end of his posts, Stanton asked the ‘Humans of New York’ followers to donate if they felt they could. In five days 34, 893 people donated from all over the world and gave over one million dollars. Ms Lopez received letters of congratulations and messages from people volunteering to mentor students from New Zealand, South Africa, England and a host of other countries.

Needless to say, this has forever changed the Brownsville community.

Social media gave this man the platform needed to shine the spotlight on a school brimming with potential but struggling without help and enabled a global community to unite and aid financially and personally the staff and students. As I write this a new trend has emerged, #SmearforSmear. Initiated by ‘Jo’s Cervical Trust’, it encourages women to post pictures of themselves on social media with their lipstick smudged across their face. The campaign hopes to emulate the success of the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge and the No Make-Up Selfie and to remind women to get regular smear tests to prevent cervical cancer. With celebrities such as Georgia May Jagger, Cara Delevingne and Rita Ora already involved, the hashtag looks set to hit the big time in the coming weeks.

These instances illustrate Social Media’s propensity not only to change people’s lives but to save them.

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