Martin Venus

My degree focussed on three areas; religion, history and educational theory. For religion, the work focussed on theology and the history of Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Christianity and Judaism. The assessment was a combination of both formative and summative, with several projects conducted. I always enjoyed the assignments that were in-person interviews with local religious leaders. For history, my bachelor studies focused on essay writing and classroom discussion on past historical events, with a particular emphasis on Ireland. My bachelor's course encouraged communication and networking with others to find common solutions. The class group was always encouraged to find creative solutions to problems. The final, and main part of my course was the study of educational theory. Here I studied different areas to become an effective teacher. Namely behavioural psychology, adolescent mental development and classroom strategies. It was here that I developed my appreciation and respect for honest and clear communication that allows two or more people to reach an amicable solution. Overall my time at DCU spark my ongoing interest in how people interact with one another and the symbiotic relationship between our behaviour and our local environment.

My time at Trinity College was an intellectually stimulating, challenging, and thought-provoking experience. It covered a wide range of topics in sociology, including social theory, research methods, social stratification, race and ethnicity, gender, sexuality, globalization, and social movements. All of this was enhanced by the dedicated team of college professors, assistants and other faculty who breathed life into my studies with their passion and encouragement. To compliment an engaging and fulfilling education experience was the hands-on research dissertation. The class group could pick any topic they could think of, and with the assistance of a professor, would write a compelling and thought-provoking piece relevant to contemporary Irish society. My dissertation focussed on how population demographics, such as age, gender, income and geography, influenced opinion. I discovered how opinion can morph and change based on locality. Interestingly, I think my dissertation was the reason I became captivated by copywriting as it showed me the true scope of our opinions and how they can be changed by any number of factors.