Harry Gribben
I didn’t always succeed at exams in my first two years at DCU, so I was determined to do things differently once third year arrived. I still maintained a balance of studying and social life, but changed the way I studied. I was much more focused on exam technique and questions, and less overwhelmed with every finite detail of lectures.
My INTRA placement at the Fraunhofer Project Centre provided a nice change of pace. I ended third year ranking 4th in my year, and happy with the progress I had made.
While I was delighted to achieve a 1.1 grade for my first semester exams, there was a setback looming. COVID restrictions meant I had to change my project entirely and work on a new project using Python [a programming language]. This was daunting as one of the three modules I had failed before was programming (with Python). I am delighted to say that in the end I got first class honours for the project and for my entire degree.
Failure can set you on the right track
On reflection, failing a module was the best thing that could have happened to me. I look back and am genuinely grateful for how that experience changed my mindset and approach to studying entirely. One of the most important lessons I learned from my time at DCU is that failure isn’t permanent. Rather, it can be used as a vessel that helps you succeed, so long as you let it fuel you and not bring you down.
Harry Gribben - Class of 2021