Brendan O'Reilly

Senior Transport Planner
Jaguar Land Rover
Warwickshire, United Kingdom
Engineering
Geography
BA (Geography)
2008

I enjoyed all three years of the undergrad at Maynooth. As part of the BA Geography programme, I got to travel on a week-long field trip to the north coast of Northern Ireland. We got to visit many interesting geological and historical sights and it gave me a great understanding of the field of Geomorphology. 

I was the treasurer for the Geography Society for the year 2007-2008. 

The campus location is steeped in history and the fact it is not in a big city gives a unique learning experience. The University benefits from being on the edge of Dublin too. Furthermore, at the time of my degree, I believe Maynooth University was the only BA in geography in Ireland. I now know that in the UK. a geography degree is often considered the most employable of degrees given the style of study and the transferable skills learnt on the course which has benefitted me since my graduation. 

I would say interpersonal skills and the ability to conduct indept research on my own or as part of team has really carried on throughout my career. In addtion, critical thinking is a skill often learnt at University which has had invaluable benefits to my own career path. 

I would recommend choosing Maynooth as a great place to study. I would advise that as Maynooth is a small town, the university experience is quieter but also unique. I would recommend getting a good understanding of research early on and focusing on time management skills within the first year in order to ensure that all deadlines are achieved on time. Maynooth is incredibly friendly and staff are accessible and due to its size, is a managable campus and an overall positive experience.