It’s the season to be jolly, merry and indulgent. We convince ourselves that we can ‘splurge’ on whatever we want as come January 1st, it’s the ‘new me’. There’s the build up of who is making what resolution and how long it will last. The usual ones surface; the get fit, the detox and the most important, the new me. The definition of which is a bit fluid. I’m not even sure that when we make that resolution that we fully understand what we mean and yet everyone responds with ‘Good on you, sure I’m the same.’
The new year’s resolution is similar to the ‘diet starts tomorrow’. Tomorrow never comes. There is always a reason to not undertake something new. Monday has been cursed as the day where diets and resolutions go to die. Life is tough and scarily short. There are always things to bring us down so why add to them? Give yourself a realistic expectation of what is achievable for you. It’s easy to get sucked into the frenzy of the masses but take a step back and think for yourself. It’s only you who will be disappointed if you don’t reach a goal. Nobody else will be thinking about your success or failure and no one else can contribute to it. You set your goals. You know your abilities and can gauge what will and will not work for you.
If you are someone who can say, for example, that you will lose ‘x’ amount of weight and you know you will obtain that goal then I take my hat off to you. If you are not that someone then I will say choose smaller time frames for goals. This make it easier to complete. Instead of, this year I will run a 20k marathon, start off small with walking a kilometre or two once or twice a week. Start with smaller tasks and they will add up to the larger task in the end. Resolutions can become a social pressure that weighs down on us and it can be dangerous to those who find this festive season difficult. Remember to be patient with people, always, but especially this time of year. We are all so unaware of what each other’s battles are and you don’t know how far a smile or ‘thank you’ will go.
New Year’s Eve can be a joyous time for people. Celebrating and rejoicing in holiday cheer. It’s the perfect time to get together with friends and drink and eat a bit too much. For others it’s just another day. There’s a morning, an afternoon and a night. Their day could have no difference from the one before or to the one ahead. Finally, more common than we’d like to admit, it’s a time of sadness. A reminder of what could have been, a memory of what didn’t happen or the lingering feeling of someone lost who you would have shared this day with.
The main thing I’d like to emphasise would to be kind and patient to everyone you meet but also to yourself. Give yourself a break. This season is tough for everyone, so take a breath. It’s inevitable that you will get swept up in the process of everyone’s festive frenzy at some point.
Whether this new year’s eve is a big deal, another day or a less than lovely reminder, remember that every day is a new chance to do with whatever you choose. Be safe, smile and prepare yourself for the ‘New Year, New Me.’
With only a few weeks to go until the New Year says hello, social media can start to pester us about a new year, a new you. Do you make New Years resolutions? The majority of us will answer yes. But here’s a trickier question. How many of you will actually stick to them?
This is the part where we hum and haw and say something like ”I do for a week, and then it all goes a bit meh”. Sound familiar? Don’t worry. I am one of them. So if you’re struggling over the idea of deciding what ‘the new you’ is going to achieve, here’s a few ideas.
Do something big like changing your hairstyle or treat yourself to something small that slightly changes up your appearance, like getting your eyebrows done.
This is one of the golden oldies that always seems to spiral downwards after a few weeks of ‘hitting the gym with those Xmas vouchers’. Don’t let it happen people. Set yourself an ACHIEVABLE goal, like participating in the Flora Women’s mini Marathon or The Dun Laoghaire Colour Run or even something easier, like working daily on your glutes and legs for that end of term night out. Buy a pretty notebook and write down every bit of activity that you do in a week. Feel the glow as it all adds up.
Take a minute to go through everything that is happening in your life right now, socially, work and at home. Are you surrounding yourself with positive people? If there is that one pessimistic friend that always seems to be moaning, back away. Harsh, but you’re not doing yourself any good trying to become a better person with people like that dragging you down. There is enough to worry about without worrying about other people’s problems.
Write down all the things that you hope to achieve in the near future. Once they are down in a journal you’ll feel way more inclined to do something. Make lists and tick things off as you go. Make a bucket list of places you would love to visit and hold onto ticket stubs and memorabilia from gigs.
The next time you find yourself 73 weeks deep into some random girls Insta feed, stop and remind yourself how much time you’re wasting. TRY to switch off your phone for a couple of hours at the weekend and actually TALK to your family, meet up with real friends etc. All in all, try and up your level of mindfulness. It’s actually pretty interesting, so read up about it.
Weight training is lifting heavy weights in different ways, to improve strength, fitness, and muscle tone. It’s a pretty popular activity for a lot of young people now, and does have some great benefits. However, it’s important to remember that you can seriously injure yourself lifting weights, so it’s really important to do so as safely as possible.
There are lots of different types of weight training. Some of them involve lifting weights, such as barbells or dumbbells, some of them involve lifting your own body weight, such as press ups and sit ups, and some of the involve using weight machines.
Examples of weight training exercises include:
The most common places for people to weight train are gyms. There are gyms all over the country, but costs can vary greatly. If you’re a college student, your campus may have a gym that you can use for free.
You can buy weights in some shops, and weight lift at home, which is a cheaper option than the gym. Check out some YouTube tutorials for information on what exercise you can do. Follow the instructions carefully however, to avoid hurting yourself.
The cheapest option is body weight exercises, such as push ups and crunches. These only require your own body, and you can do them anywhere. Check out this list of body weight exercises here.
Some people do weight training because they want their body to look a certain way, and to become more sculpted and toned. Some people do it to get stronger and improve their fitness. Some people do it because it’s fun and they enjoy a challenge.
Weight training can be a great way to get fit, but it involves a high risk of injury if you don’t do it safely. In order to stay as safe as possible, follow these steps:
Volleyball is a team sport, played with a ball and a net, by two teams of six players. It can be played indoors or outdoors.
Volleyball is played on a court, with a net dividing it down the middle. A player from one team hits the ball onto the other side of the court. The opposing team must hit it back over the net, without the ball touching the ground or being hit more than three times. If the ball hits the ground, the other team win a point.
There are four main differences between indoor volleyball and beach volleyball. Beach volleyball courts are smaller than indoor ones as running on sand is more difficult that running on solid ground. Indoor volleyballs are normally made of leather and are heavier than outdoor balls. Indoor volleyball is played with six per side, each with a specific position on the court that they rotate. Beach volleyball is normally played with only two players per side.
An indoor volleyball match consists of five sets, the team to reach 25 points wins the match. Three sets wins the match, and the fifth tiebreaker set, if necessary, is only played to 15 points. Teams switch sides after every game. In beach volleyball, a match consists of a series of best-of-three game, with each game played to 21 points. Two sets wins the match, and the third tiebreaker set, if necessary, is also played to 15 points.
To find out about joining a clud, you can contact Volleyball Ireland at [email protected] or visit their website. If you don’t want to join a club, you can buy a net and a ball pretty cheaply in many shops. Why not grab some friends and just play in the park or the beach?
Volleyball is a team sport that requires co-operation and communication, so would suit you if you like working with other people. You can play it outdoors or indoors so is suitable no matter what the weather. The rules are also quite simple, so it’s easy to take up for beginners.
Ultimate Frisbee (or Ultimate) is a fact paced, athletic and fun team sport, played using a Frisbee. It’s played on grass, on the beach or indoors. On grass, it’s 7 v 7, while indoors and on the beach it’s 5 v 5. There are three divisions in Ultimate: open, women’s and mixed. All three divisions are played across Ireland.
Ultimate Frisbee is played on a field similar to a rugby pitch, with an ‘endzone’ at each end. Teammates throw the Frisbee to each other, working their way up the pitch. A point is scored when someone catches the Frisbee while in their end zone. You cannot run while you have the Frisbee and you have 10 seconds to throw it. If the other team intercepts the Frisbee or forces you to throw it into the ground or out of bounds, that’s a “turn over” and that team will then get the Frisbee to try and score.
In Ultimate Frisbee, there are no referees and it’s a non-contact sport. There is an emphasis on fair play and treating all players with respect. This is called the Spirit of the Game.
You can find full instructions here.
Video credit – Conor Hogan, Hogi1091
There are plenty of opportunities to play Ultimate Frisbee across Ireland. Check out the Irish Flying Disc Association’s website and Facebook page for more information.
In Ireland, the majority of people start playing Frisbee when they go to college, with some people starting in secondary school. Because of this, everyone learns how to play and how to throw at an older age so there is no need to worry if you’ve never played before.
There are lots of leagues in Ireland throughout the year that are open to everyone, regardless of whether you have played before. A ful listing of the league is available here.
Contact the Irish Flying Disc Association for more information about ultimate near you. Or you can message the Ultimate Frisbee clubs in your college:
Dublin Institute of Technology
National University of Ireland, Galway
Roller Derby is a contact sport played by two teams. Players wear roller skates and it’s played on an indoor track.
There are two teams who skate counterclockwise around the track. On each team, there is a player known as a ‘jammer’. The jammer scores points by lapping members of the opposite team. The teams try to stop the opposing jammer, while helping their own. Each team has up to 14 members but only plays 5 members at a time. All the players other than the jammer are known as blockers. One of the blockers on the team is called the pivot, who is the team captain who makes the decisions for the team.
You can only score in roller derby during a period of time known as jams. These happen during both halves of the game and can last for up to two minutes. Points are scored during the jam when a team’s jammer laps members of the opposing team. To stop this from happening the other team will using blocking and body contact.The jammer scores a point for each member of the opposite team that they lap.
The team with the most points at the end of the match wins and there are no ties allowed. If there is a tie at the end of the match there is an overtime jam. If no team scores during the jam they will continue to play jams until someone does.
There are more and more clubs popping up around the country, and many will offer an introductory course to get you started. Find a list of roller derby leagues in Ireland here.
Roller Derby is really fast paced, so it suits people who want an exciting, energising sport. There are leagues for both men and women, but it is more commonly played by women. It’s a team sport, so a great opportunity to meet people.
Kayaking and canoeing are two different types of water sport, that involve rowing through water in small boats. Kayaking and canoeing are similar, but involve different types of boats, paddles, and techniques.
Both kayaking and canoeing involve rowing through water in a boat. You can do it in an indoor swimming pool, or in a lake, river or sea. It can be difficult to master at first, and can be dangerous if you don’t know how to do it right, so it’s important to get lessons from a trained instructor when you start out. Keep in mind, that these can be quite expensive.
You can find more information on safety here.
Both activities are similar in some ways, but involve different types of boats, oars, and technique.
A kayak is normally an “enclosed vessel”, with a hole in the middle that you can sit into, stretching your legs out in front of you. The long paddle has a blade on either end, so both ends of the paddle can be used to push you through the water.
Kayaking is a versatile sport, with lots of different activities to choose from. You can go sightseeing, go into the sea, visit waterfalls, and go kayaking on white water rapids if you’re looking for more of a thrill.
For some of the more adventurous activities like kayaking in rapids, you may need a helmet and nose plugs.
Whatever you’re into, kayaking can be a really fun way to get some exercise.
A canoe is different to a kayak because it is normally an “open vessel” that you sit or kneel in. The paddle is shorter with only one blade, and you switch from side to side while rowing to determine your direction.
Canoeing is great for paddling around slow-moving water like lakes or canals. Because of their open top design, some of the more intense activities you can do in a kayak (like white water kayaking) wouldn’t be possible in a traditional canoe, because too much water would get in. However, there are some canoes that are designed for white water rapids, so you could still fulfill your sense of adventure.
You can do it In lakes, rivers and seas all over the country. You can find information about training courses here.
Apart from swimwear, these should all be provided at your training course.
Kayaking is loads of fun and a chance for adventure, so if you’re looking to shake things up a bit, it’s perfect for you. It can be done outdoors, so is good for nature lovers, and can be quite relaxing.
A last minute amendment to Europe's Data Protection Regulation, says: “The processing of personal data of a child below the age of 16 years shall only be lawful if and to the extent that such consent is given or authorised by the holder of parental responsibility over the child.” Sites like Facebook already have restrictions on users under the age of 13 creating accounts. European lawmakers are discussing it this week with a view to voting on the amendment Thursday.
The EU is proposing a plan this week to create a more powerful Border control unit, which would encapsulate the current agency, Frontex, that look after this role. The proposed new body would have the power to march into a country — even against the wishes of the government — if it deems border protection there to be inadequate.
The European Commission’s investigation into Apple’s Irish tax situation is rolling into 2016 as the EC has looked for more information from the government. They are looking into whether the Irish government and Apple are subject to a ‘sweetheart’ tax deal.
The World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control secretariat, Vera Da Costa e Silva, expressed concern about the EU working with the four big tobacco companies on anti-smuggling reforms.
Politico have a cool quiz on Star Wars vs the EU here.
It is coming close to that time of year again. Those who are in 6th year can almost feel the build up of pressure within as the CAO , mocks and the dark morning and evenings begin to take their toll. I myself was in the same position this time last year and experienced similar turbulent emotions. The CAO is a huge aspect of leaving cert year and here are some early tips on how to approach it with the correct mindset. I also have to redo my CAO as I am currently on a gap year so I feel I have some valuable advice to offer. This is the same advice I will use myself to fill out my own CAO in the coming months. It is by no means an easy process and it is one that involves a lot of dedication, tough decisions and most importantly composure throughout.
It is often viewed as a cliche , however University open days are just as important as any study you will do. It is often the only place where lecturers and current students of a course will be present to answer your questions. When you go to any college in the country, you may often know whether or not it is for you within 10 minutes. You may just stumble across your true passion by spending two hours of your Saturday talking to a lecturer or third level student. It is of utmost importance that you use the materials published by individual courses and that you make full use of any videos, testimonials or course material that will benefit you. You would be surprised by how many students don’t know such simple details about their course such as entry requirements, modules covered and its careers prospects, details of which are all online. Whenever I had a spare few minutes, nearly every 2nd night I used websites such as Qualifax.ie, Careersportal.ie and GradIreland to aid my CAO decisions. These websites are great for breaking down course points history, content learned and contact details for course directors. GradIreland specifically aims at careers for those with degrees in their chosen subject i.e. jobs prospects for those with a science degree. Eunicas.com is another valuable tool for those who wish to pursue third level education in Europe.
When filling out your CAO, always choose your courses in order of preference. The CAO works by a system where once your are offered a course anything below it on your list becomes redundant. For example, if you are offered your fifth choice then you can only be offered anything above that in round two and after i.e. your 4th up to 1st choice. I stress how important this is, because in my own case I was offered my sixth choice pharmaceutical chemistry. If offered to me, I would have taken my seventh choice which was primary teaching but it was ruled out once I got offered my 6th. There are 20 choices for a reason, 10 for level 8’s and 10 for level 7 and each one deserves equal value and thought. Always choose preference over points, even if you’d prefer to do food science that is 400 over Dentistry which is nearly 600 points. There is no benefit to anyone if you are in a situation next August of being offered something you truly don’t want. This is why it is important that you choose wisely and that you don’t just set the sky as the limit. According to the Irish times on Tuesday June 16th, ‘Every year, more than 1,000 applicants to the CAO, with points scores over 500, don’t get any offer of a place because they didn’t list any course with less than 500 points.’ This is the last thing you want on your plate after a tough year of studying.
In the coming months you will hear people say to you ‘don’t study that course as there’s no jobs’ or ‘do this as you will earn lots of money’. When filling out your CAO it is important that you listen to yourself and stay true to what you know is for you. Yes, people such as guidance counsellors , parents and friends are all great advice however there comes a time where you must stay honest to your own convictions. Just because you are the smartest in your class doesn’t meant that you have to study actuary or medicine. Courses that are 300 points are nearly all just as good as those that are above 480. The amount of points mostly never determines the quality of a course, points are all driven by supply and demand. In my own case , Irish was my best subject in school however I didn’t put it down on my CAO as I almost believed that those who said it was useless were true, especially considering that I got above 500. Always follow your passion even if you may think you will have no job when you finish your degree. If you have the determination to do it in the first place then you will more than likely have the motivation to be the best you can and find a job after it. We all hear the stories of those who decide to do accountancy or pharmacy because there uncle or father is one but ask yourself this , do you think they really thought long and hard outside the box about what they wanted to put on their CAO? The main point is to apply for what you want and not what somebody else wants for you.
If you are struggling about what to put on your CAO then you can narrow it down by focusing on your weaknesses before your strengths. Fear not, there are thousands of students around the country who struggle about what they want to do, even myself at the second time of asking. We all love to talk about how good we are at certain things and rightly so, however focusing on your weaknesses can be advantageous in this case. For example, why would you put engineering on your CAO if you know that you never liked maths and that you never did DCG for leaving cert? For me, maths was my least favourite subject in school so I knew that I could discard courses such as physics, statistics and computer science easily enough. Once you eliminate the weaknesses, you can focus on your strengths and whatever is left in between is what will you decide is right or not for you in the next few months. If your strengths involve becoming a physiotherapist and you know that you can only achieve 400 points then it is maybe the time to look at the lower level 8 choices or 7 on your CAO. You could do Athletic therapy in Carlow or DCU before pursuing physiotherapy in Ireland or the UK after. Most degrees nowadays lead to an endless amount of jobs so it is almost impossible to know what a 17 or 18 year old wants to do. If you plan early before the rush of June then you are very much on the right path.
At the end of the day, it is the student who has to put in the work to achieve their first choice on their CAO. You must be the one who has the final say on what course you decide to put down and to work towards such goals. It’s good advice to use your teachers , guidance counsellors and friends wherever you feel necessary. Within the coming months you can turn your CAO from a distraction into an advantage. Use it as a motivator tool and there’s no reason as to why you can’t achieve the points you need if you work in tandem with what’s on your CAO. Use the subjects that you do in school as a guide or an indicator as for what you want in the future. My favourite subjects in school were Irish and German and it looks likely that I will be doing one if not both of them at University come next September. Remember that you are the one sitting the exams and it is your life so fill out your CAO to the best of your ability so no regrets are left behind. If all else fails then plc’s are a good option as many have progression routes to third level institutions. Have courage and make sure that the courses you apply for are there for you own interest. The CAO is a very important piece of paper, however it is only a piece of paper and perspective in life is everything. I’m taking a gap year after doing my leaving cert in June, I am already looking forward to College next September and I haven’t looked back since.
Looking back, the fear I had when I was considering coming out a little more than a two years ago seems stupid. What wasn’t stupid was the anxiety and pain that one small act brought upon myself. Panic attacks, low self confidence, sleepless nights and so much more I experienced when weighing up the decision to come out or not. To utter those three small words to someone was my biggest challenge.
Finally I plucked up the courage to tell one of my closest friends on the day before New Year’s Eve 2013. With one simple declaration from my friend all my fears evaporated away “its fine pal, it doesn’t make a difference to me”. Eventually I found my confidence grow and I began to tell more people. Like with everything in small town Ireland word got out and everyone knew.
I prepared for the worst but in reality I was met with kind words and open arms. It seemed that my fellow members of society accepted me without much distress. However I began finding myself coming up against a new challenge after coming out. People had questions, many of which I welcomed, however it was the ignorance and complete lack of understanding that really baffled me.
I welcome people to ask me questions. That is usually how most people learn, but there are some things that people should just have common sense for. I have thus made it my mission to break down many of the misconceptions and stereotypes surrounding gay people. So I’ve done all the hard work for you and made a list of all the do’s and don’ts that you can ask your gay friends and family members.
Check out SpunOut.ie's information on being gay and coming out
Gender equality is achieved when women and men enjoy the same rights and opportunities across all sectors of society, including economic participation and decision-making, and when the needs and aspirations of women and men are equally valued.
Gender equality is measured by looking at the representation of men and of women in a range of roles. There are a number of ways that Ireland compares their data with those of other countries in order to measure gender equality.
Despite many successes in empowering women, numerous issues still exist in our social, cultural, political, and economic life where women are not equally treated. These include but are not limited to
The European committee in charge of gender equality is known as FEMM and their aim is to mainstream gender into all EU policies The work of FEMM is wide reaching and they have responsibilities in the areas of:
You can check out the names of the committee members of FEMM here:
Some of the things currently being worked on by FEMM include:
It’s only natural to be worried about what might happen if you decide to quit smoking. So we’ve put together a step-by-step guide to give you a rough idea of the various stages you might go through when quitting.
You may go through some or all of these stages when you give up smoking or vaping, as both contain the addictive substance nicotine.
You know smoking is bad for you but you’re not sure whether to quit or not. Part of you feels that kicking your nicotine addiction is one of the best things you can do for your health but there’s another part of you that just can’t let the habit go because you enjoy smoking or vaping. It’s almost as though you’ve got a debate going on inside of your head.
At this stage you might consider drawing up a list of pros and cons to help you decide what to do next.
You’ve decided to listen to the little voice that’s telling you it’s time to quit smoking. You know what you need to do and now it’s time to get ready to give it a go.
You set the date during Stage Two and when the big day arrives you cut out smoking completely. This will be the most difficult part of the process because if there’s one thing your body will be screaming out for, it’s a cigarette.
Here are some things to expect…
You’re probably going to have withdrawal symptoms and cravings but if you just hang in there it’ll get easier after a few days.
Try the 4 Ds for dealing with cravings:
It’s not unusual to feel anxious and have trouble sleeping during the withdrawal period either. Eventually those feelings will wear off and you’ll go through something of a honeymoon period. You’ll feel a lot better as your mood improves, your energy returns and the cravings die down a little.
The second slump may hit just when you think you’re out of the woods. Sometimes it’ll bring flu-like symptoms with it and you might feel tired and irritable. Those cravings you thought were long gone may rear their ugly heads again so it’s important to stand your ground until things calm down.
While many people are able to quit on the first attempt, some smokers will have a relapse phase. It might take two or three quitting attempts to quit for good, but quitting is absolutely possible.
Be careful with risky situations such as being in a smoking area. Certain environments or triggers could bring on cravings once again. Get to know your triggers so you’ve got the best chance of staying on track.
If you can make it this far, things will stabilise and you’ll be well on the road to staying smoke free for good.
Congratulations! You’ve made it through the worst of the withdrawal and got a handle on your cravings.
Whatever you do during this stage, you must keep your guard up because you could become a bit complacent, forget just how hard it was to get here, and consider having “just the one”. If you do, all your hard work will be undone and you’ll be right back at the very beginning.
You’ve been doing great and every day you stay away from cigarettes is another day of success!
It’s time to celebrate because you’ve put an end to all those cravings and no longer rely on nicotine to get you through your day. You’ve probably figured out exactly what triggered your need to smoke in the first place and managed to find healthier ways to deal with the situation.
However, you can’t forget the fact that you’ve had a long-standing relationship with smoking and the temptation to go back will always be there in some shape or form. No matter how much time passes, taking just one puff of a cigarette could send you all the way back to a full blown smoking habit.
Some smokers quit successfully the first time but for many others it’ll take a few attempts before they manage to give the habit up for good. That might not be much consolation when you’re feeling disappointed but it’s well worth keeping it in the back of your mind.
Don’t allow the negative feelings to overwhelm you or start doubting yourself. Just take a look back, figure out what worked and what didn’t, and then get ready to give it a go again.
Disclaimer: There is more than one way to quit smoking. You may need to try a few different things to find what is right for you. For advice and support on quitting, visit SpunOut.ie/QUIT