Why I Took A Break From Blogging

Hey guys!

So it has been almost four months since I last posted on Sparkle of Pink. While I remained kind of active on social media, I really just focused on final semester and was also working through some life setbacks over the past few months.

I needed to take some time to focus on myself and what I see myself doing in the future.

As many of you guys know, I have aspired to be a solicitor (lawyer) since my early teens and even though my undergraduate degree is in Economics, Politics and International Relations, my career aspirations firmly remained in the legal profession over the past few years.

Last summer I was on an internship in The CAMPUS in Portugal so this summer I decided to go for internships in law firms, but only applied to one or two in Dublin. What I learnt very quickly is that your Leaving Certificate results still count when going for internships like this but also that I seriously needed to invest in some office attire!

When I didn't get an internship in the law firm I really wanted to be in, I was crushed. I knew I had to pick myself up and move on but the interview feedback really stumped me. I was hearing feedback  that baffled me and I couldn't understand how the impression I gave off was completely opposite to what I will achieve in life. I was essentially told to look at different fields because law was not for me and to hear that was like the end of the world for me.

It took me a few weeks to digest the feedback and quite a lot of tears fell but looking back now, I needed a wake-up call like that. I have since secured an internship in a law firm this summer and hope to gain some invaluable experience during my month there!

I've also finished my undergraduate degree (with final results coming this Friday!) and have been provisionally accepted to a Masters course in UCD. It took a lot of thought and research but as I still want to pursue a legal career, I have decided to study for a Masters of Common Law (MCL) in UCD for the next two years, beginning in September 2019!

I needed to take a break to fully figure out what it is I see myself doing with the rest of my life and if further study was what I needed in order to achieve this. I do plan on continuing with Sparkle of Pink throughout the summer and over the next two years but I will take some time off every now and then to focus on my studies as well as my general well-being.

My attitude completely changed after some of the feedback I received after interviews and I am more determined than ever to go out there and get what I know I want. I may not have gotten 600+ points in a series of memory-focused exams three years ago (I still don't even understand why my Leaving Cert points would have any relevance post-college degree...) nor is Law my primary degree but give me the knowledge and starting point and I will excel in any situation I am placed in. 

It is going to take me a year longer than any undergraduate law student to get to the FE1s but I will get there and this year's setback will really be the platform for my future career.

As always, leave a comment below if you've ever experienced a setback like this yourself!

I'll be posting my NYC haul in the coming weeks and after that, maybe a haul from Cannes, as I'm going there next week!

Ciara,

xoxo.

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Back to College Guide

Hey guys!

So this post is a little late because I only got my laptop back yesterday! I don't mind though because it is fixed (Thank you TechHelp!), much faster and I have so much more space on it for pictures and college work now!

I went back to college on Monday and as I'm entering my second semester of year two, I decided I would share some of my hints and tips on how to survive the semester with you guys!

Exam Results

I'm lucky enough to have my year semesterised so I have exams before Christmas and in May. My results came out today and I know how daunting it is to wait for your results. 

The thoughts that are running through your mind before the results go online are the worst part of it all, in my opinion. The best advice I can give anyone waiting on exam results is to get some form of rescue remedy if anxiety is an issue for you (I get the gummy stars because I am a total child at heart) and to seek out your tutors or lecturers if you have an issue with a result or would like some feedback.

While failing an exam will have financial repercussions, it is not the end of the world! You will be able to continue in your degree and there are numerous supports available in colleges if you need help!

Check out your SU's websites for the supports available to you, should you need them.

Reading Lists

We all know the drill, you promise yourself you'll stay on top of your readings and by week two you're already behind. While the volume of readings you need to do for each module can be daunting, setting aside a half hour, once or twice a week, for each module, is completely doable and you will stay on top of everything and actually know what your lecturer is talking about!

If you don't want to buy the books because they are really expensive, go to the library and get the book out, it's a lot easier (albeit time consuming) to photocopy the relevant chapters you need for each module or search for a free pdf version online!

Stay Alert

Although your day may not be as long as it was in secondary school, it can still be tiring! Be sure to eat and drink between lectures so you can actually pay attention in each one!

Grab a coffee, water or a snack from an SU or campus shop between lectures and you won't regret it!

Go to your Lectures!

Okay so this may sound incredibly obvious but you'd be surprised how fast a room full of people drop like flies after the first week or two. 

It is so important to attend your lectures, tutorials and labs! You're there to learn, you've paid to learn and if you want to do well in a module, you'll actually have to go to lectures!

Get Involved

A lot of colleges run a 'Refreshers Week' towards the start of the second semester and it is the perfect time to join a club or society that you regret not joining in September. 

Have a look at their social media and see what the society or club does, how you can get involved and if you already know anyone in the society/club. It is a great way to make new friends and fully immerse yourself in college life!

Go on Class Trips

I went on a society trip last year and had such a good time! This year I'm hoping to go on one of my class trips during our spring break. It's such a unique opportunity to go away with a bunch of people you don't know very well (I always make sure to go with at least one friend as well) and discover a new city!

Society or class trips are usually inexpensive and they try to be accessible for everyone within the group, most run on a first-come, first-served basis but it's definitely a college experience you don't want to miss out on!

Make Use of What's on Offer

If you're lucky enough to have access to a gym, pool, other sporting facilities or even a cinema (yes, UCD has one...) be sure to actually use them! Most colleges that have an on-campus gym also include some form of a membership in your fees.

If you have access to facilities like these, make sure to use them!

Have Fun!

Whether it's cocktails with your crew or a pizza night with your pals, don't forget to have fun as well! College isn't supposed to be pure work, there's room for fun too!

Go on a few nights out, head to the local bar or just stay in and catch up with everyone!

Avail of Student Discounts

While flashing your student card in some stores will get you that handy discount, having a student leap card will get you even more discounts (10% off in Boots, how bad!).

Download apps like Unidays and sign up for student discounts, if you're unsure if a shop has a student discount, just ask!

It's literally saving you money, just for being a student!

Good luck to everyone going back to college, or already back in college for the semester ahead!

Ciara,

xoxo.

Twitter: twitter.com/ciarakittyk

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UCD SU President Impeachment Referendum

Hey guys!

This post is going to be a little different to what you would normally see on Sparkle of Pink. As a politics student in UCD, I felt like I had to post about the current SU situation in UCD before the election is held tomorrow.

As some of you may know, tomorrow and Thursday, the student body in UCD will be voting on whether or not to impeach our SU President, Katie Ascough. The movement began after some of Ascough's actions during the summer and at the start of the academic year became campus-wide knowledge and her actions did not sit well with some students.

I did not vote for Katie during the elections last year but I was ready to accept her as my SU President based on  her mandate that was shared during the election. While we do not share some views, I never held this against her as she is entitled to her opinion, just like everyone else.

During the run-up to the referendum, I have read posts and listened to campaigners on both sides. While Katie has run with the bullying that she has experienced since the petition was brought about, as her main tactic, the Yes side of the campaign has exposed the undemocratic and sneaky actions Katie has taken since becoming our President. Firstly, I do not think Katie has experienced bullying at all, the Yes side of the campaign has taken the democratic, and only route available to them as UCD students, to impeach a President who they believe has wholly manipulated them and broken her election promises since the beginning. This was not set out to be an attack on Katie as a person, it was to remove a President they saw as unfit to carry out the role of the UCD SU President,  without letting her personal views get in the way of the UCD SU mandate.

During her election campaign, Katie promised to delegate issues regarding abortion as her personal views clashed with the democratically voted pro-choice stance of the SU. However, since beginning her role as President, Katie has failed to do this.

Barry Murphy, our Campaigns and Communications officer shed some light on what went on behind closed doors last night, ahead of the election. During the summer, Katie tried to manipulate him into reducing the budget spent on the repeal campaign, while trying to increase other spending. While I understand a repeal campaign is something Katie does not personally believe in, she knew, while running for election, that if she won, she would be representing an SU that had adopted a pro-choice stance and she could not change this. Why then, did she attempt to reduce the budget for the campaign with the referendum looming on us?

The Winging It handbook is an SU book that is given to UCD freshers at the beginning of the year. I loved it last year and as a peer mentor this year, I was excited to see what my mentees thought of it. I was shocked to discover that the information on abortion was removed from the book while other, somewhat controversial but humorous information was left in. Within a few weeks, it became known that Katie was the one who removed this information. While she was uncomfortable with the information on the page, it was left in and sent to print before the deadline. However, weeks later, Katie told the other SU officers that the books had to be reprinted as, after consultation  with the SU lawyer, she discovered that the information was illegal.  This 'discovery' baffled me as the SU officers were all present for training where they were told the abortion information in the book was illegal but also something the student body needed to know and last year's SU was proud of distributing.

 The book ended up being scrapped and the SU, led and decided by Katie, ended up reprinting the handbook, incurring costs of €7000. This leads me to question was Katie ever really concerned with a budget? Was she just censoring information? How likely was a legal case, especially with the referendum being next year? I understand Katie's concern but the fine WOULD HAVE been less than the €7000 spent on reprinting and she should have given the other officers access to the SU lawyer and ended up redrafting the page herself (breaking her delegation promise), not showing it to the lawyer before sending it to print and the page still contains illegal information.

Katie has taken further undemocratic actions towards the UCD for Choice group and pro-choice class representatives since the Winging It controversy. Katie has the right to be pro-life. That is not the issue here. The issue is that she has repeatedly taken actions to prevent the SU for representing the pro-choice stance my college and peers voted for. It is a stance the majority voted for and Katie knew when taking on the role that she was expected to adopt the pro-choice mandate while carrying out her role SU President, Katie was not naive when she knew this was expected of her.

The majority of her fellow SU officers have lost confidence in her, those who work with her each day, no longer believe she is fit to carry out her role. Katie has broken her own campaign promises again and again and I believe she will do so again. Her personal views are getting in the way of her public role and has broken student body confidence in the SU. 

Tomorrow, I will be voting to impeach my SU President. Not because she is pro-life,  not because of her views on marriage equality, but because of her broken promises and actions taken against the UCD SU mandate. A mandate she promised to uphold when she won the SU election last year.

Ciara,

xoxo.

Twitter: twitter.com/ciarakittyk

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2017 Goals and Resolutions

Hey  guys!

After beating my winter sickness and finally getting back to the grind, I finally had time to sit down and thing about what I want to do and achieve in 2017.

2016 was a busy and important year for me. I finished school, started college, left some people behind and sort of found myself.  I grew into myself when I started college in September and finally realised I was one of those people who were born to go to college. I'm in my element and have met so many fab people that I love.

For 2017, there are so many things I want to do and cannot wait to get started on achieving some of my goals.

Blog Goals

10,000 Instagram Followers

My Instagram account (@CiaraKittyK) grew so much in 2016 and this year I hope to reach 10K. It is definitely ambitious as I am just over 3,000 followers now but I am hoping to improve my content and post my regularly to gain more follower engagement and maybe even some collaborations with brands along the way.

Stick to a Schedule

2016 was a bit all over the place with my posting schedule. I tried to stick to two posts a week but with my exams in June and settling into college, time just flew away from me. I have so many post ideas and won't be as tied up with commitments and study this year as I was last, so the plan is to make a schedule and stick to it. I'm hoping for at least a weekly post and two if time allows it.

Take Better Pictures

My pictures can really be hit or miss but this year I plan on sticking to editing and taking good quality pictures, with a camera or my phone. 

Collab with Other Bloggers

I have done collaboration posts before but would love to do more this year. It's so fun and a great way to make new blogging friends! If you're interested in collaborating, feel free to email me or comment on the post!

Life Goals

Stay Organised

Anyone who knows me, knows I'm an organised person in general. This year however, I bought a planner and am fully committed to keeping track of what I do, what I need to do and decorating it with stickers.

FINALLY Take My Theory Test

I have been saying I'll do my theory test for a good two years now and haven't gotten a chance to do it yet. I want to have it done by June at the latest and will definitely get my hands of the CD or book to start soon.

Be Happy

A very broad statement but something I really want to be this year. I am a worrier and anxiety struggles are real, but this year I want to focus on me and feeling happier overall. Whether this happens through pampering myself, spending more time with friends and family or just taking a break every now and then, I am fully committed to this goal because I think being happy is life's ultimate goal.

Travel More

I want to visit more countries this year and go on spontaneous breaks with friends. I'm kicking 2017 off by visiting London next week with a group from college and I cannot wait! I'm also hoping to go on a J1 this summer and work in a summer camp. There are so many countries and cities that I cannot wait to see and this year I'll be ticking some off my list.

Say Yes to More Opportunities

Saying 'Yes' to opportunities is a great way of meeting new people and experiencing unforgettable things. I plan on saying 'yes' to more opportunities and challenges this year because life is more fun if you don't overthink things (something I do basically always).

Exercise More and Drink Lots of Water

I do exercise regularly but I want to walk more and go to the gym on a more regular basis this year. I have some fab new workout gear and cannot wait to try it out! I drink about a litre of water a day but I want to try and drink about 2 litres a day this year so I can stay hydrated, have clearer skin and hopefully curve some snack cravings!

Some of my goals/resolutions are ambitious but I am a determined person and hope to achieve all of them this year!

What are your goals for 2017?

Let me know in the comments below!

Ciara,

xoxo.

Twitter: twitter.com/ciarakittyk

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