Irish Apale
Looking on LinkedIn influenced Irish Apale when it came to the best choice for her third level education.
“I wanted to do Applied Physics and anywhere else I looked was offering pure physics. I searched on LinkedIn and saw that graduates with Applied Physics were working in the world of technology, in Intel, in AIB and other really interesting areas.”
“It reinforced for me that a degree in Applied Physics came with good job prospects.”
As part of her four year degree, Irish did an INTRA placement in third year.
From the words ‘INtegrated TRAining’, INTRA is DCU’s internship programme. INTRA is an accredited and highly valued part of student learning and is a compulsory part of many degree programmes.
It provides real world experience, helps students to develop transferable skills and, ultimately, enhance their employability.
During her INTRA year, COVID-19 restrictions saw her opt for a research project with Professor John Costello who, in addition to being a Full Professor of Physics, is a member of the School of Physics (Physical Sciences) and is a founding member of the National Centre for Plasma Science and Technology.
“The project I worked on during my INTRA, I brought with me as my final year project and in the Summer, in between third and fourth year, I did a software engineering internship with Twilio.”
Irish really enjoyed the practical work in the labs and is currently doing a Masters’ in Medical Physics; her final year had included a module in this area.
“On a day to day basis, I learnt so much in DCU. From a practical point of view, we did a lot of presentations in third year and now, in my Masters’, we do a lot of them too. When it comes to finding employment, I had a number of job offers before I decided to start my Masters so I am confident about my future career prospects.”
From Navan, County Meath, Irish said, “my overall experience in DCU was great to be honest. The classes were small and it felt like a close knit university. I made some very close friends and I felt the Professors and other staff were nice and always available to help you.”