Interview 1 Shauna Williams

Shauna Williams

Part 1 Indroduction

So a quick introduction?

So I’m Shauna Williams. I’m nineteen and I’m from Tipperary in Ireland. There’s nothing else too exciting about me.

Are you like any movie/TV character and why?

I don’t personally think I am. You know if you are watching stuff and you can relate to the characters depending on the situation but I don’t think I’m like anybody in particular.

Part 2 Main Topic

Why did you choose to study psychology?

Well in interested in other people and learning about them. I think it’s important especially these days to be aware of issues such as mental health. It needs to be spoken about and psychology is an important part of that. Especially if you feel you can’t talk to anybody else about things like depression, it’s tough. Knowing there are people out there that will sit and listen to you can make it easier for people.

Why did you choose psychology over something like nursing?

I wanted to do medicine or veterinary but in those you physically fix somebody. It’s short term somebody can come back again with a broken arm, but with psychology it works in the long run.  You are trying to help somebody long term and to help fix their cognition.

What inspired your interest in psychology?

Nothing really, you know your own mental health, looking at the people around you and their mental health. It’s nice thinking you could do something to help other people like them.

Part 3 My Own Topics

Sports

What do you make of the wages sports stars get? Is it any more justified from the obscene numbers musicians and actors get paid?

I think it’s all crazy anyway but that’s just society. There is always going to be people with more money than everybody else. Obviously they are professionals and they are getting money for what they do but some of them do give it to charity so it’s okay in that sense. It’s still crazy money.

What sports are better? Individual or team sports and why?

I think they are both important. I think Individual sports are important for those who have lots of self-determination and are able to push themselves on. Team sports the good for making friends, team work and to feel like you’re part of something, to do something worthwhile.

Religion

Do the actions of Isis put the Islamic faith under unfair scrutiny?

I think they do because that all Islam’s are like that. When I heard the question I thought of the Irish and the IRA bombings. People just assumed every Irish person was in the IRA.  That they were all going to bomb everybody. It’s tarring everybody with the same brush.

Should religion have a say in a government’s decisions for example gay marriage?

I don’t think so no. It really annoys me, religion depends on the person, it’s a personal thing and they shouldn’t be making the decisions for other people. Only for people within their church.

So you don’t think it’s fair that the majority should rule, or should it just be people within that religion?

It’s a personal thing you know, trying to impose on legal things decisions especially the whole legal marriage thing is really annoying because it’s nothing to do with them.

University Life

What advice would you give anybody entering university this year?

I think going to orientation is very important, I missed it and I felt I missed out on a lot. You really have to get in there in the first week because if you don’t your lost basically. I don’t mean to sound horrible but if you don’t make friends my then it’s hard. It is the same as secondary school in the sense groups are made very quickly. If you come with people you know it’s good to spread out from them but you know you have them at the same time.

Is it worth the effort of the leaving cert to get to University?

It depends, I think it’s good in the sense you have to push yourself and work to get your points but it’s not a fair system for everyone. For example people for are more practical orientated rather than written.

Part 4 Philosophical Questions

What is a best friend?

It’s somebody who is just there. My best friend now I have not seen for two months but we were on the phone last night for three hours, it’s doesn’t that way. She’s there and she will listen to you. It’s who you get on with best rather than who you see most often. We are just complete freaks for anybody who didn’t know us. They would be scared. She just knows what I’m like.

Do you think there’s any truth to zodiac signs and horoscopes?

I don’t really know. If they are in a paper I will read it. Sometimes you are like “oh yeah” but other times their just stupid. I’m really superstitious so it just depends on the person I think.