Kildare's Dervla McGinn exuding confidence between the posts

The first exam is on Tuesday, when the Social Psychology module focuses on the environment and how stimulus in your environment affects your behaviour and mood.

It's a busy week for Dervla McGinn but the Kildare goalkeeper will look to claim her first piece of silverware with the county’s Intermediates tomorrow, before she focuses on her studies again.

Luckily, learning about psychology through science ensures she is always able to master her own mindset and stay on top of a busy schedule when her sport and college work collide.

Mindset has always been a key part of McGinn's makeup and it even allowed her to transition from playing outfield to goalkeeper with Kildare a few years ago.

"The management that we had at the time, Daniel Moynihan and Nioclas Mac Donnacha, they just asked me. They were like, you have this attribute and this attribute that are perfect for playing in goals, would you give it a go? I was like, why not, it’s a challenge," said McGinn.

"We had lost two of our goalkeepers, we were riddled with injuries on the goalkeeper front that year. So, I was like do you know what, I will. And I enjoyed it, I really liked it. The training was different, you had to approach it so differently to how an outfielder would but I just really enjoyed it.

"And then the following season came and Mary Hulgraine was back from taking a break and I felt I want to play outfield again. I played outfield for the subsequent season. Then last year I was approached again and asked if I would train as a goalkeeper and I did and I have been playing in goals since and I have been having a great time.

"I really love it, it's been very different."

The 22-year-old Rathcoffey native had safe hands, was good under a high ball and possessed an