Try it, test it, taste it | Grace O'Sullivan

As per usual, my endeavours to make the most of my final year of college life are well under way – here are some of things I’m “researching”:I have gone on the hunt for the best dessert in Cork (I haven’t found it yeah, but I’ll keep you posted – any suggestions can be sent to features@uccexpress.ie). I can genuinely say I am enjoying this one a lot – but the zip on my jeans aren’t.I also joined a team – yes an official UCC sports team. I can genuinely say the last time I “professionally” played a sport was with Dungarvan GAA under 12s – but by God did I revolutionise ladies football.  (Honestly I went along for the bag of Tayto, bottle of Cadet, and the banter.)I have also begun a couple of other little endeavours to do the mammy, and the parish proud – more of which will follow over the coming weeks.However, this issue’s column has been sparked by a television advertisement no less. I’m sure you’ve all heard it (unless you’re a shneaky studier – whatever works for you). It’s the one where the guy is like;

“Dear thirty year old me….”

This caused a bit of an alarm bell to go off in my head – this will be me in a few years. THIRTY, wha? At thirty the last generation were married, had careers, and kids and …. OH NO, responsibilities. To top it all off, I heard someone say that ten years ago wasn’t the 90s, it was 00s – make you feel old?After I had a tiny panic attack and calmed down (aka a cup of tea and a bun) I realised there’s way too much pressure on us to do everything before we reach a certain milestone – granted not the best argument to run with when it comes to my “Try it, Test it, Taste it”. However, it got me thinking about the pressure to reach certain goals, and establish oneself by a certain age.Well, my rational response to all this is: what difference does it make if you do something by the time you’re thirty or forty or fifty – if it’s meant to be it’ll be. Plans are for architects, and goals are for football. So here’s my mini guide of things NOT do before you’re thirty;

1. Don’t rush down the aisle – seriously what’s the hurry? Wait it out a few years. No one has a dowry anymore so you’re not gaining much. Minds change and so do people, so take it handy. Also, Orlando Bloom is recently on the market so you’d never know.
2. Children are best left to the adults – if you’re not ready to be an adult just yet, wait for a while to go having the kids. Put it off-spring for a while after the big 3-0. Live your life as much as you can – think of the wealth of stories you’ll have to tell the kids!
3. Do you really need to see the whole world? You’re going to make yourself miserable because you haven’t seen every continent by the time you’re thirty. Set a more realistic goal – try and see a few different places, or alternatively Google images the hell out of the main ones and pretend you’ve been there.
4. Know yourself – well, this really is the biggest farce ever. Seriously, why does everyone need to find themself these days? To be honest you’re only setting yourself up for a bit of a fall – who knows what you’ll find if you look hard enough.
5. Career and a car – these seem to be the driving force behind everyone these days. Listen if you have a job these days, you’re one of a lucky few and there’s always the bus.
6. Stop with labeling – does everything need to be defined? No you don’t need to be able to describe your style in three words. So what if you haven’t got a signature scent. All this time spent establishing yourself is a waste – why not enjoy the moment!

 By trying to make yourself do it a certain number of things, are you not boxing yourself in? Go out, stay in, listen, or talk – do whatever you want, as long as it makes you happy. Life is short and it can be taken away in a matter of moments – so avoid the pressures other people seem to put on you. Remember if people have the time to worrying about what you should be doing – they lead a very boring life. Don’t spend all your time pressurising yourself – enjoy the here and now. At least you can hang your head high and say “No” with pride when asked about your loyalty card. Being thirty won’t be too bad – the cake will have to be fairly big to hold all the candles.