Work Experience

I've been recording my Work Experience through diary entries....

My first Work Experience placement was in the Chemistry Department at NUI Maynooth. I had a fabulous time, read all about it below.

Day 1

I left my house at 8:30am for my first work experience placement. Nervous is an understatement of how I felt that morning. My Mam dropped me to the college. As the weather was terrible, traffic was also terrible in the town so it took us over 30 minutes to make it to Maynooth college.

My employer Ken gave me a tour of the campus. I was really impressed, and excited for college in a few years. When we arrived back at the Chemistry department, one of the chemistry lecturers was holding a bake sale in aid of a local hospice. So, for the rest of the morning up to lunch time I helped with the bake sale. Overall, we raised 700 euro. A morning well spent!

Lunch was held from 1pm until 2pm. I sat in the lunch room with the lecturers. After lunch Ken and I went down to the chemical store room and moved bottles of acetone from the chemistry department to the safe shed in another building. At half three Ken brought me to the other side of the college beside Manor Mills and showed me around. My Mam then collected me at four.

I had a great day and it really showed me a true insight into what college life is like. It had most definitely inspired me to work harder for college and I was excited for my future. I was looking forward to the next few Wednesdays and I was glad that I chose NUI Maynooth for one of my work experience placements.

Day 2

As last week was so successful, I was looking forward to work experience this Wednesday. I woke up at the usual time I do for school each morning. My Father dropped me to Maynooth College. That morning I worked in the labs with Walter and set them up for the first year labs that afternoon. I learnt a lot about the names of types of equipment used in the experiments. To my surprise, the first year college students were doing an experiment that I was familar with :) 

  I had break from 11 until half, then it was back to work. My employer requested me to laminate 300 sheets of paper.. it was quite boring to be honest! I got the job done after two hours.

Lunch time was from one until two. That afternoon we went around the chemistry department and fixed locks. Sadly, Ken broke one of them.. I then sent post from the college and collected the post. It was then home time :)

Work Experience is quite good, I feel that ten placements may be a bit long..

Day 3

I can't believe its my third week of Work Experience already! My Father gave me a lift to Maynooth College, and I was there five minutes before nine. From nine until eleven that morning I helped the first year Science lecturers to set up the science labs. I cleaned the benches and set out the apparatus needed for the lab that day. I had a coffee break from eleven until half eleven. After that, I shadowed my employer Ken and helped him to move chemicals. I also had to write six letters for him to send to other Transition Years who requested Work Experience in Maynooth College. As Ken had to leave early for an auction, I had an extra long lunch break - a hour and a half! I spent the time eating my lunch and reading magazines in the staff room. After lunch, I helped Ria, another lecturer to cut out stickers. I was finished at four. It was a pretty good day.

Day 4

I arrived at the labs at nine o'clock. From nine in the morning until our coffee break I helped Walter and Anne to set up the labs for the first year experiments that afternoon. I had done the same procedure previous weeks so I knew what to do. After my coffee break, a kind woman who also works in the Chemistry Department showed me an "SEM" machine. It was fascinating and it's on the leaving cert course for Chemistry. I then had my break from one until two. For the rest of the day I helped Ken (my employer) to file in his office.

Day 5
Today Ken took me to the first labs and did a Chemistry Blitz with me and told me about the main aspects of Leaving Cert Chemistry. It was so interesting and I'm seriously considering Chemistry for leaving cert. Its supposed to be really hard, I('m sure at the end of my Work Experience I'll have a clear idea on whether I want to do Chemistry for Leaving Cert!

Day 6
Second year labs were on Thursday so I spent the majority of the day setting up the labs. Six graduated cylinders, bunsen burners and hot plates were placed on each bench. I helped to clean up the test tubes from the day before and I sweeped the floors. I did an experiment called "Thin Layer Chromatography". It's very similar to chromatography which we did in the Junior Cert Science course. I also spent the afternoon cutting out "TLC" plates for the second years.

Day 7
As science week was this week, NUI Maynooth Science department are holding a science night this Friday (the 16th of November). We were up to a lot of busy work and it was hectic as we had a lot to have done.             In the morning I helped to empty the steam baths full of water which took quite a while. The radio was playing so I wasn't bored. After break time I had to fill up test tubes half way full with Sodium Bicarbonate as the kids corner were making volcanoes.     After that task was done, Walter took me into the prep. room and he we did a super fun experiment. We got sodium iodide grains, and put it into a 1000ml graduated cylinder. We then squirted some washing up liquid over the chips. Then we poured some Hydrogen Peroxide over it and Foam went everywhere. It also gave out heat as it was an exothermic reaction. It was so cool and I really enjoyed it. I also did a thin layer chromotography experiment with TLC plates. After break I cut up filter paper so the children could use it for the kids corner experiments. Overall, I had a great day

Day 8
Today we were preparing for science night so we had to buy loads of baking soda and set up all the stalls it was hard work. Unfortunately I can't make it on Friday for science night so I hope it goes well :)

Day 9
Today we were cleaning up after Science night and we didn't really have much work to do so we did a lot of fun experiments such as the iodine snake. We messed with liquid nitrogen then after break we helped Ken clean his office. Fun fun fun :)

Day 10
It was my last Work Experience placement today. In the morning I did the usual, and helped to set up the labs for the third year labs that day. After break time, I printed out hundreds of sheets of paper and then counted them. It was energy draining! Then I had my lunch from one until two (as usual). It was so sweet, as my Work Experience emloyer had bought me cakes to celebrate my last day. It was such a kind gesture. After lunch I had to staple paper sheets and it flew by. Ken got me to sign his book and I wrote him a lovely long message thanking him for taking me for work experience! Overall I had a fabulous time and I'm so grateful