I hate the cold.

Can I just say that I hate the cold? I HATE it. Always have, always will. I was never the child who went outside in the snow and made snowmen, I would much rather just sit inside in the warmth and laugh at the people who fall over (I live on a hill and when its icy outside, all I hear is people screaming as they fall over).

Now I must admit that I am looking forward to Christmas (regardless of the fact that it's only November) but I am not excited for winter. Its already starting to get colder so I've had to invest in a new winter coat before I freeze to death on the way to school (it was actually a Christmas present from my mom but she said that I could have it now because of the weather). I already know that if it starts snowing, there is no way that I'm going to school because the walk is already an hour long and can you imagine trying to get there through the ice and snowy gates of hell? Oh, I shudder to think. I've already fell over once and that was because I have to walk across a field and it'd been raining all night. Ughh. I hurt both my knee and my ankle so that was just fab. I'm also getting a sore throat so woo.

I hate being in school because its either freezing and the school doesn't have the heating on or you're unluckily enough to find a seat that's right next to the radiator and you get too hot. You see my dilemma? I just need school to not exist for the winter months. I mean, that would just be perfect, wouldn't it?

Dr Seuss, what a wonderful man.

"Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You." - Dr. Seuss

This recently became one of my favourite quotes just because it sounds beautiful. The message makes you feel special for being you which I think is what everybody wants: Acceptance. Now, I like this quote for a few reasons: 1) because its way better than saying YOLO which even to this day, people STILL say. I just hate it. Especially when you hear little children say it, like no. Just no. The second reason is that I've sort of suddenly become fascinated with Dr Seuss. I know children in the US read his books a lot more whereas here children tend to read Jacqueline Wilson and Roald Dahl, I know I did.

I found the quote and just immediately loved it so I had to find out more about the man who wrote it. I found that he was very particular with his books, he kept them for YEARS without publishing them just to make sure they were perfect and I kind of understand that. I'm not saying that I'm on any level of him, he was one of the greatest writers of all time. I just know what its like to want everything that you produce, whether it be musically or academically or whatever, to be just right.

I don't think there's anything wrong with that even though people have told me that I can get a bit obsessive. I don't think of it as that though, I think of it as taking pride in whatever you've done. Everything you produce is a reflection of you. Every piece of work I hand into school, I have the highest standards of, re-reading it before handing it in to make sure that its the very best I can do. It's like this blog, I have loads of posts that I haven't published just because I don't think they're my best work. I think that you should have that attitude towards everything in life. Today in Maths, I was so close to giving up because I'd tried to do the equation 4 times and I just couldn't do it. I tried once more and I got it right. Perseverance is Power. 

Probably the last reason why I love the quote is because its not telling you to change or be something you're not; its okay to be different or 'strange'- God knows I've been called both. But I'm starting to accept that being a little bit weird is fine, I was called crazy a few days ago by some boy who I hardly know but do I care? NOPE. Because I am crazy. And that's just me. So you should take advantage of what makes you great, that's all the craziness and weirdness and everything in between. Just be You, okay?

REVIEW: 'Story of My Life' by One Direction

I wouldn't call myself a 'fan-girl' but One Direction have just released a brand new single called the Story of My Life and I just LOVE it. Its so gooooooooooood (can I just say that Harry's vocals in the song sound amazing? He will always be my favourite). Its probably the best song One Direction have ever done, it sounds so much more mature since What Makes You Beautiful and I kind of like that.
The lyrics so beautiful because you can really see how much they've improved in the quality of their song-writing since they started. I think that Ben Winston, the director, really made the music video the best it could possibly be and I'm not afraid to admit it but I did cry.. more than once. I mean, it was just so beautiful. I remember watching them on the X Factor in 2010 and I loved them then. The plot of the video as well is just perfect, it really suits the song and whoever came up with that idea deserves a round of applause.

There was a whole thing on Twitter with 'Directioners' trying to take the Vevo record of the Most Watched Video in 24 hours from Miley Cyrus for Wrecking Ball (you can read that review here) but I don't think they did, or there was some sort of problem with the counting, I don't know. Anyways, I just wanted to write this post because the song has been out officially for 4 days and I really love it; its almost got 21 million views and it's only going to get better for them. They're literally one of the most famous bands in the ENTIRE world with probably the most loyal fan base ever.
 If the Story of My Life is any reflection on the songs on Midnight Memories then I think its going to be a good end of year for the boys. Well done, guys; the song was brilliant.

It took all of my will power to not just post pictures of Harry Styles.. We all saw his Halloween costume.. How ironic.

You can watch the video yourself here.

UPDATE NOVEMBER 2013

It's November. Like how? Just how? I mean, this year has gone so quick and I'm about to go back Sixth Form to start my second half term tomorrow, boo. I just don't want to go back. I woke up today at half 11 and immediately regretted it since I need to wake FIVE, yes FIVE HOURS, earlier tomorrow. I don't know how I'm going to cope. Luckily, I've done all my work and haven't left it to the last minute like some of my friends so I can relax for the rest of the day.

I want to apologise firstly for not writing a post in a few weeks, my laptop charger has suddenly broke so I haven't been able to do anything. I started a post on Halloween but didn't get to finish it because of said laptop charger. My mom ordered me a new one but until then, I'm just going to have use hers to do my work.

Now, when I started this blog, I posted pretty much twice a week because it was before I started Sixth Form and I had plenty of free time. Then, when I did start finally started, I was basically only writing a post once a week because I was getting so busy. It started becoming a thing where I would leave it longer and longer between each posts and I really hated that. I want to make sure that I do write once a week at LEAST because its something that I do enjoy doing. I want to try and manage my workload a lot better in these next few weeks, not just so I can write on this blog but for the sake of my own sanity I think. There's nothing better than having the satisfaction of being about to relax knowing that everything you need to do is DONE. So lets have the rest of the day to ourselves and RELAX...

Autumn

I think this one is my favourite, it looks amazing, aw

I don't know what's happened to the weather in the UK; it was so sunny and warm and lovely until like a week or two ago. Now, its just bleh (as an A-Level English student, my use of descriptive language is just baffling) It's been cold and rainy these few days and its been an absolute nightmare trying to get to school. But today, it was a sort of perfect end to the half-term. It was quite cold in the morning but on the way home, it was just amazing and sunny. The leaves were blowing in the wind and it just made me feel really happy. I walk that way everyday, seeing the exact same thing everyday but never noticed it until now. I took a few photos to prove just how beautiful it was.

Something about a bright blue sky with white fluffy clouds makes me smile so much.


I love the colours of Autumn, like when the leaves change from green to orange; it looks like something from a film. Everything just looks sharper and just God damn beautiful.

Is it just me or do you love the sound when you step on a leaf and it makes that
really satisfying crunch? Oh, I love it.

The wind came just as I took the photo
but it actually turned out really good.

It's so great when the colours change because that's when you know its one step closer to Halloween. And before you know it, its Christmas and we've already done a whole term. Its funny how fast time goes when you get back to school or work, and I really think that this year is going to go so quick. Gee, how time flies...

The Future

Recently I watched a video by a YouTuber called Bertie Gilbert and he pretty much summed up everything that I've been thinking recently. He's the same age as me and he had the same worries about the future. I felt like I could relate because even though I'm only 16 as well, I have no idea what I'm going to do with my life. It sort of scares me that there's a whole world of possibilities and I still can't pick which one I want to spend my life doing. People say that you should do things you enjoy doing but I enjoy loads of things. How can I pick one? At Sixth Form, we've already had an assembly about university and it panicked me. How am I supposed to pick a uni when I don't know what I want to do?

For years, I wanted to be a translator because it provides you with amazing travel opportunities and I really loved doing languages; even though I loved learning Spanish, it was hard work and I wasn't prepared to do it A-Level. Then I wanted to be a Clinical Psychologist because I loved Psychology at GCSE. I remember my teacher asking me and she seemed absolutely delighted with the idea because that's what she had wanted to do but had gotten into teaching
Psychology instead. I honestly thought about doing this for my career and even looked into universities that specialized in Psychology degrees. However, when I started doing it A-Level, it just wasn't how I thought it was going to be. I was seriously considering dropping it but decided to keep it in case I change my mind. Another career option I've thought about is something to do with English, I've always loved it and that's why I started this blog. I thought it would be a good experience that helps me to develop my vocabulary and sentence structure. I also like being in charge of something that's mine, I control everything on here and it makes me feel happy that I can create something like this all by myself.

The last time I thought about my future career I wanted to be a journalist but now I'm not so sure. The media is slated so much and to be honest, I'm not sure if I could cope with that. I'm so confused with what's going to happen. Soon, I'll have to choose a degree to study and what if what I want to do, I haven't chosen the right A-Levels for. What if I have to start the whole year again with different choices? Or what if I go to uni and decide that I don't want to do that? How much of my life will I have wasted before I realize? That scares me.

My Maths teacher at GCSE was so passionate about his job, he would talk about how 'Maths was the foundation to everything' and how 'we wouldn't be here without Maths'. Loads of people thought he was totally insane but I knew that he just loved his job. He loved Maths and what's wrong with that? I want that (whether that's with Maths or with anything). I just want to be happy with my life. I want a job that makes me happy. I want to be able to walk into work every day and know that I'm doing something good, you know?

If anyone feels like that, let me know or you can watch Bertie's video here.

High School VS. Sixth Form

This isn't even half of my books and folders, hm..

UPDATE: I've officially completed 4 weeks of Sixth Form and I'm still glad I made the choice to go there. I'm really enjoying my A-Levels so far (I started the first week on the 3rd of September). I've met all my teachers and I know where all my class rooms are apart from General Studies (we're in different rooms every lesson and its frustrating walking around desperately trying to find where we are). I've had 35 pieces of homework and fortunately I've handed them all in before the deadline which is good. In every one of my classes I've got a friend who I can sit next to so PRAISE THE LORD.

(I decided to write this post on a few differences I've noticed between my high school and my Sixth Form, this is completely subjective and your experiences might be a little different but I wanted to write this anyway- enjoy!)

Tutor:

Something that my Sixth Form does though that I hate is called "Personal Tutor Time" where you spend 25 minutes every morning with a group of people from Year 7 to Year 13. Since my high school didn't have a Sixth Form, we only had Year 7's to Year 11's; we had tutor twice a day and didn't really do anything in that time. But in Sixth Form, we have "challenges" to complete which I hate and we have to sit in "families". This means that we sit in groups with one person from each year and are supposed to "socialize". We don't. Not only do I not know who they are or their names but some of them are only 11 years old and its weird. I really miss my old tutor from my school because I knew everyone there and we were ACTUALLY like a family. We had quarrels and arguments and I liked it; we were also allowed to sit where we want rather than being forced to sit with kids we don't know.

People there also call this time "Tute" which sounds so gross. Me and my friends have promised to never call it this; it will always be TUTOR.

Lunch:

Just two of my many early alarms, boo

In my high school, lunch was from 12:35 to 1:10 so we quickly had to get our lunch and eat whereas at Sixth Form, its 50 minutes long. Urgh. Me and my friends eat our lunch within 20 minutes then just have to sit there for what feels like the longest time ever. Its just so boring. Its probably the only time in the history of the world that anyone has ever said "I really wish lessons would start"...

The walk to school:
So, I have to leave my house at half 7 to get to school for half 8; that's right, you heard me, it takes me an hour to walk to school. Urgh. Luckily, the actual walk itself isn't bad, there's only 2 or 3 little hills which isn't too bad. However, its sooooo looonnnnngggggg- me and my friends get to school and we're an absolute mess: frizzy hair, red cheeks and sweat. Attractive huh? It's worse when it rains, trust me. I walked into Maths 10 minutes late, literally DRIPPING. My makeup was slowing sliding down my face, my WHITE collared top was practically see-through (I was wearing a woolly jumper on top that kept sticking to me but I couldn't take it off because I was wearing a black bra underneath, I'm a fool, I know). It was terrible, just terrible. This is when I wish we had Tutor in the morning so you could sort yourself out before lessons.

General Studies:
I've spoken to a few people in my classes and none of them like General Studies which is strange because I really enjoy it. At the start, I was a little bit iffy because I was told that most universities don't really count it as an A-Level but once we got into lessons and into the swing of things, I began to like it. My teacher is so good, he likes to say a statement at the start of a lesson (usually about something controversial) and then just lets us argue with him about whether we agree or not. It's very rare that we even write anything down, he gives us homework every few lessons and we don't actually have to do it. It's basically like research for the next lesson and he just asks us what we think about it rather than getting us to write an essay and hand it in to be marked.

There's this one particular girl in my class who lets just say is very... opinionated. She's very articulate in the way she explains things that a 16 year old should not even care about but she does. Now, I thought I was argumentative but compared to her, I'm basically a pushover. You can guarantee that if our teacher says something, even if its just for a reaction from the class, she'll be the one to talk.

I'm not sure if I'll do it for the full 2 years yet but so far, its cool. I like talking about things like social change and feminism (I'm such a crap teenager, its unreal). Anyway...

My Timetable:
My timetable is awful. I hate it. I have to be in school every single day at half 8 whereas some of my friends get a 2 or 3 hour lie in, damn. I only have one day in the 2 week timetable (we have Week A and Week B which is something else we didn't have that in my old school and now I keep thinking I have a lesson when I have a free because I look at the wrong week) where I leave school at 12:10. This is because all of my frees are either Period 3 or 4 and so I have a lesson after lunch whereas everyone else has frees Period 5 so they can go home at the start of lunch or Period 1 so they don't have to come in until half 9, make sense? Probably not. However, the only good side of my timetable being like this is that I usually get given homework from my teachers then have a free straight after so I use the Study Centre to do the work and hand it immediately. This basically means that I give work in a week early and don't have to do it at home (YAY FOR BEING A NERD).

Now apart from that, there isn't as much change as I thought there would be- the work doesn't feel a million times harder like all my high school teachers said it would (I may have just tempted fate). I think it might be because its a school AND a Sixth Form together which is why it doesn't feel that weird, I guess. Hm. Anyway, that's my thoughts so far on Sixth Form and how it compares to high school, hope you enjoyed it :)

September Favourites 2013

I've been thinking about doing this for a few weeks and that is a blog series dedicated to my monthly favourites. I've seen a lot of people do this and I think its a really cool idea. I've been loving a few things this month and I thought that this series might encourage me to try new things because I can be very set in my ways (oh wow, I sound like I'm 100 years old, yay). These posts aren't just going to be my beauty favourites but a mixture of all the lovely items I have been enjoying this month. So sit back, have a cup of tea and enjoy! :)

Makeup Products:

• Rimmel London Scandal Eyes Retro Glam Mascara: now I'm not usually a mascara person; I actually have naturally long black eyelashes (that was not a humble brag, I promise) so I didn't really care about what mascara I wore. I never really paid much attention to the mascara that I bought but I was given this one as a present for my birthday- you can read that post HERE. Now, I found that the wand is so easy to use on your top eyelashes and it gives them a really strong bold look which I like. It also looks really good on the bottom eyelashes because it opens up your eyes, especially when paired with some eyeliner.

• Rimmel London Scandal Eyes Thick and Thin Eyeliner: the main makeup essential that I have always wore is eyeliner because I think it just looks good on most people. It opens my eyes and I have been desperately looking for the best eyeliner (I shall be writing a post on my findings in the next few weeks so "keep your eyes peeled"- lovely pun there, anyone? ... Nope. I'll let myself out.)

• Rimmel London Lasting Finish Mineral Powder Foundation: I swear I'm not being sponsored by Rimmel, I'm just really getting into their makeup products right now. Since I have a pretty long walk to school (about an hour, urgh), I sometimes get a bit sweaty so the powder is good as a way of touching up your makeup when you get to school. It gives a soft matte look which I think looks really nice. I'm also trying to reduce the amount of liquid foundation I wear to improve my skin so a powder foundation is a lot better. It gives you a slight coverage when your skin isn't the best which I like as well. I have this in the colour 100 Ivory even though I am a lot darker than that; it doesn't make me look too pale. It just gives a less shinier look which I find is really irritating.

• Real Techniques Makeup Brushes: these brushes are an absolute God-send, if you ever get a chance to buy them, don't even hesitate. They're just brilliant. I have the core collection and starter set which are for your face and eyes respectively. On a daily basis, I use the Brow Brush for my eyebrows, the Buffing Brush for my powder, the Pointed Foundation Brush for my foundation (which I'm now using as a concealer as I have run out, boo) and the Contour Brush for, you guessed it, contouring.

Face Products:

• Soap and Glory 3 in 1 Daily Detox Vitamin C Facial Wash: I can't even remember how long I've had this but I've only started using it recently. I use it in the morning and at night if I can remember. It's really good at just washing away dirt that's been on your skin all day; it sort of takes away the feeling of grease I guess and it makes your face feel all plump and lovely. It can also be used as a gentle exfoliant as it has teeny tiny pink grains in the mixture which wash away all that nastiness. It smells yummy as well- an important part of a face wash you agree?; I use this before I moisturize because it just wakes me up before my makeup routine.

TV:

• Criminal Minds: I am absolutely OBSESSED. I watch as many episodes as I can a day; I'm currently on season 7, watching it as I write, because I just love it. It's just so good; I'm not usually into this sort of show but for some reason I can't get enough. I love the relationship between Penelope Garcia and Derek Morgan because its so flirty and I definitely 'ship' it. I also like Derek and Spencer's relationship because they're like brothers and its so sweet how Reid is such a nerd. I could write about it for a year and a half but I must digress..

(I use this website to watch the show and I've found that pretty much all of the episodes work and you only have to wait a few seconds for them to load:

http://stream-tv.me/watch-criminal-minds-online/)

Food:

• Vegetarian Macaroni Cheese Bakes from Asda: they are like the cheapest best food ever. They're shaped in triangles of bread crumbs I think with macaroni cheese inside. Its just the best food ever. Now I'm so sorry for the rest of the world who might not be able to get this because its from Asda which is a supermarket-wallmart thing that my mom now goes to. The only reason she bought them was because they were on offer so she bought like 5 packets, YAY. They're so frickin' yummy, I could eat them all day.

So that's the end of my first 'Favourites' post, I hope you all like it! xx

REVIEW: 'Wrecking Ball' by Miley Cyrus

Miley, not even you can pull this off.

I decided to write a post today about Miley Cyrus' new song "Wrecking Ball" which was released just over a week ago and broke all kinds of crazy records on VEVO; now as you know, I have no shame when it comes to music so I'll admit it: I LIKE THE SONG. I really do. The rhythm is catchy and upbeat and very 'pop-y' if that's a word and I enjoy that. I don't think the song is the reason why she's been causing a lot of controversy: its the delightful music video that accompanies it.
I'm going to be honest, I didn't really see the attention around it just because she's naked. We get it. She is nude, we KNOW. Now, I did think it was really strange that she was licking a hammer or lying on a pile of concrete (ouchy); it made no sense at all. So Miley, a word of advice - don't do that again. We're all uncomfortable..
  Most of the actual video was really good though; I understood the metaphor of the 'wrecking ball' and everything. I thought her makeup was quite simple but understated (I don't know if it was just me but it really annoyed me how she had a string of spit between her teeth at the start, ew). I thought her voice sounded sooooo good compared to her other songs; I like the fact that it showcases her talent a bit more as a song should.


I think the only reason she's caused so much debate on social media since its release is because of who she was. She WAS Hannah Montana, for me and a whole generation of young kids. She was the girl that people wanted to be; we wanted to live the double life that Miley lead. She was so successful on Disney channel, her concert movies and the Hannah Montana merchandise; I understand wanting to separate yourself from the person you were back then. I've heard a lot of people say "I miss the old Miley" but how can you? You didn't know her when she was "America's sweetheart", she might always have been like this but we didn't know because all we saw was that young girl singing in a blonde wig then being a normal teenager when she took it off (what's up with that anyway? Surely people would have guessed... I'm side-tracking...). Look, we have to accept who she wants to be, like it or not. And I do, so there.

Hannah Montana 2007

Miley Cyrus 2013

A whole paragraph on defending Miley Cyrus, wow my standards have dropped. Oh well.

You can watch it here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=My2FRPA3Gf8

Top 10 Tips to Survive High School

As social outcasts, my friend and I often discussed how unpopular we were and how much we hated everyone, and by everyone I mean, we liked a handful of people, tolerated a dozen and the rest can go fuck themselves. Now we always talked about the best tactics to avoid people whether that’s in the classroom, at lunchtime or just in general. We compiled a list of tips (long before I even started this blog); so for all those unfortunately awkward folks out there, this post is definitely for you...

Number 1) FORM FRIENDSHIP GROUPS EARLY – now this one sounds very simple and it is but you have to remember that when making friends at the start of high school, you pick the people you like and won’t mind spending every single day with them. Make sure whoever you pick has the same sense of humor as you so you can laugh at how “great” high school is. It’s also good to have a whole group of friends so that it doesn't matter what class you’re in, you always have someone to sit next to.

Number 2) UNDERSTAND WHERE YOUR TEACHERS AND CLASSES ARE – this one is sorted out in the first few weeks of school but I still think it’s important because its so embarrassing walking into the wrong classroom, especially when you’re already 15 minutes late. This has happened to me many a time and it’s absolutely awful. Not only because you’re now the stupid-idiot-who-couldn't-find-the-room-and-was-aimlessly-walking-around-the-entire-school-like-an-idiot, but because everyone has probably already partnered up and you've either got to sit with someone who don’t know or on your own. If it ever gets to this point, always choose to sit on your own; it’s the safe option, trust me.

Number 3) ALWAYS BE PREPARED – this one applies to all aspects of life but in school it’s an important one. Now, this could be with stationary (don’t be that one douche-bag who turns up to an exam with no pen) or just general supplies. I always carried my mirror, a bit of makeup and deodorant. I’d also suggest investing in some hand gel because even if you don’t use the school toilets, someone around you HAS and will always want to touch your hands, ew. However, I would say you don’t need the super size family pack of something, mini travel size things will do – I’m speaking to all those secret hairspray hoarders…

Lucky my high school was never THAT bad.. oh wait, it was.

Number 4) TRY TO STAY OUT OF THE WAY OF POPULAR PEOPLE – this one is probably the most important thing you will ever hear EVER. Its one me and my friend have mastered to a T and even though I could probably write a book on it, I’ll try to keep it short. Now, if there are some popular people in your classes, I’d try to avoid ‘group work’ with those particular people. Limit the amount of interaction you have with them and they will eventually see you as invisible. This probably doesn't seem like a good thing but it honestly is. If they don’t SEE you, they don’t say anything and everyone lives happily ever after... If only. The hallways are a disaster zone both before and after lessons. Try to leave class quickly to avoid the mayhem those hooligans love. It’s very easy to become embroiled in 2 boys fight where they push each other from wall to wall but be careful, BITCHES BE CRAZY, as Sheldon would say. Also dining rooms or cafeterias are an absolute no-no. I mean, enter at your own risk, just saying.

Number 5) ESTABLISH A ‘SAFE PLACE’ – this could be in a particular classroom like your tutor group if you have that, or a just a place where you and your friends stand at break or lunch. Now you have to think practical when trying to decide a place of safety. My friends and I adopted a small corner of a particular English corridor that was enough out of sight for people to walk past and not even notice we were there. It also had a lovely table where we could rest our bags and a radiator where we would stand pressed against in the winter months. It was basically perfect; it was made even better because in our last year, the teachers on duty would tell everyone else to go into the dining hall or outside whereas we would be allowed to stand in the warm. I’m telling you: invisibility is our strength.

Number 6) USE YOUR TIME WISELY – the last year of high school is hard if you aren't prepared for the amount of work you have to do. It always seems like you have too many essays to write, assignments to complete and exams to study in so little time. But the truth is, you just have to plan your schedule really well. This should be done throughout the 5 years there but is especially important in the last year. You need to make sure all pieces of homework are handed in on the right day or else you could be looking at a long spell of detention. Luckily, most of my teachers gave us a warning if you didn't bring it in but had to be done before the next lesson. It can feel like everything is snowballing out of your control if you just wait till the day before to get it done and fortunately for me, I’m actually not one of those people. I like to make sure I've got it done the day I’m given it so I can have the rest of the week to myself without having to worry about it. Just try to do as soon as, it’s a lot easier I think.

This film gave an unrealistic portrayal of a actual high school prom.
Disney, I am disappointed in you.

Number 7) YEAR 11 – not only do you have to think about the work you have to do and the exams but one thing that our school did was PROM. I’m not sure if many schools in the UK have prom cause it’s obviously an American thing but we did and the night was really good. The preparation however, was not. I actually had to buy a new dress because one of the girls from my school had the same one, but it all worked out in the end because I liked my new dress so much better, so that was lucky. I left a lot of shopping until the last week or so which I don’t recommend. It was a desperate panic to find a bag but I eventually found a beautiful clutch that I loved. I also wish I had had more time on the day of prom because unfortunately, I had 2 Spanish exams on the day. They were scheduled in the afternoon which meant we were let out hours later than everyone else. I got home in such an absolute panic that nothing was going to go right; I also had to go into town to get my makeup done and get the bus back because my mom was still at work (I looked way too overdone in my casual clothes and fake eyelashes and people kept giving me funny looks). My mom did my hair and before I knew it, my uncle came in his beautiful car to take me and my friend there. I had to do my nails in the car and they actually fell off before I even put my bag on the table in the event hall. I danced with my friends all night and had an amazing time; it was worth the stress, I’m telling you.

Another thing we did in year 11 was actually a House Meal. I don’t know if other schools have ‘School Houses’, basically we had 5 houses which the entire school was split into: Churchill, Pankhurst, Nightingale, Brunel and my house Shakespeare. So the idea of the meal was to unite people from your year in your house for the last time before we finished school. Now I was really debating going because apart from a handful of people who I like, I’m not a fan of any of the others. Also, the teachers in my house always seem to argue with me, especially my head of house and deputy head of house. I only decided to go because I was bombarded by that particular handful of lovely people who really wanted me to go. I did and in the end, I was happy I went. I sat on the table with my friends in my house and we had a good time.

Number 8) EXAM PREPARATION – this could simply be making sure you know what the exam is going to be about, but also know how long the exam is, what day its on and where it is. Luckily for us, we were given exam timetables because a few of the later exams were after we had had our last day of school. This meant that we had to come into school to do study sessions if we hadn't done that particular subjects exam. Some of those lessons helped but some of them really don’t. I went into school for my Psychology study sessions because I knew many of my class wouldn't so I could focus more with a smaller group; however, I didn't go in for my Physics study sessions because they didn't help me. I found that it was easier for me to study Physics at home where it was quieter and I could use my revision book and the Internet to focus on the topics that I didn't understand properly. I know that if I had gone into school, and then I would have been doing practice exam papers which really don’t help me. This sort of links back to Number 6; you know how you learn best.

Number 9) GCSE RESULTS DAY – now I think the best way to approach this one is just to not expect much; sometimes you can be too overconfident and fail or you can be super nervous and do better than you thought you were going to. I think it’s so much better to have slightly lower expectations than be disappointed because at the end of the day, they don’t really define your life.

Number 10) ENJOY LEAVING – I know a lot of people reading this might actually LIKE high school but for me and a lot of my friends, it wasn't a good experience, especially at my school. I am so glad I have left because to be honest, the lessons were fine, the teachers were fine but the vast majority of people were not the nicest. They were rude bullies and thankfully, none of them are going to my Sixth Form so I think I’ll have a much better time. It’s really difficult while you’re in year 9 or 10 and you’ve got a few years left before you can leave which absolutely sucks but hold on to the thought that every day that goes by, is another day closer to leaving. You're welcome.