#I started writing this to avoid studying for GCSEs

[sillygoofyqueer]

GASP. A YEAR AGO YESTERDAY, I POSTED THE FIRST CHAPTER OF LOSING HOPE. HOOOLY SHIT. The thing that started all of the FANFICTION WRITING. Jesus Christ almighty. How wild is that?!?? Scary. Anyway everyone should read Losing Hope because it is peak Wei Wuxian whump and that's a main part of all the AUs you sick fucks (/aff) are all interested in.

Going to make a quick separate post about this, because after some analysis I've found that pinned posts don't really appear on dashboards lmaoooo. ANYWAY!! Losing hope - Chapter 1 - I_cant_think_of_a_name_right_now_340 - 魔道祖师 - 墨香铜臭 | Módào Zǔshī - Mòxiāng Tóngxiù [Archive of Our Own] This is a fanfiction I've been working on (neglecting my exams for), and I can't say I'm not proud of this first chapter ahaha!! Please give it a read. If you want to know what this is ABOUT, the thought that started it is here

[wingstars]

So as of 2025, I've been regularly doing digital art for five years! I started in 2020, after around four years of an art drought caused by GCSE Art killing all the joy I ever got out of art. So this has been five years of rebuilding skills I'd forgotten, learning what I enjoy, experimenting, and above all prioritising fun over any sort of feeling of obligation to prevent burning out again.

That's why I post only every once in a blue moon and have no consistent style to speak of; I draw only when and what I want, and avoid it becoming a chore at all costs. And it's been working! I've made some pieces I'm really proud of, so I thought I'd make this lil post to reflect on the last five years, picking out some pieces and fondly critiquing some and giving myself permission to brag about others. Thank you lovely lovely people who follow this blog, even though I post so infrequently. <3

So! Starting with 2020, this was the first piece I ever did digitally:

TMA fanart, because TMA was the whole reason I started drawing again in the first place! I had trouble focusing on podcasts when I first started listening, so I needed something to do with my hands and there was only so much Mahjong I could play before I got bored. So I bought myself a tiny tiny drawing tablet (SO small, I didn't realise how much of a difference it made until I got a bigger one and suddenly everything was so much easier), and drew this.

It's cute! I remember having so much fun drawing all the little details - the books on the shelves all representing a fear each, the post-it notes (the phone number is for the Domino's nearest the Institute, haha), the little tape recorders - and I'm still quite fond of Jon's appearance. You can tell I had NO idea how lighting worked, or how to use lighting to create mood. But it's cute, and it's the one that started it all, haha.

Onto 2021, with a couple of my favourite pieces from that year:

I experimented a bunch that year!! The first image was for a Big Bang, and I think that's the piece I learned I really adore texture and I want it EVERYWHERE. A lot of my pieces that year were done entirely with the scratchiest brush I had, just for that lovely texture. That piece stretched me a lot, drawing two people's full bodies with a full background and so many different materials... woof! But I ended up so so happy with it, and I'm still very fond.

The other one was an experimental style which I ended up really liking. That year I'd challenged myself to draw at least one thing per month (with the caveat that I could quit at any time if it became too much like a chore) and I managed it! And it lead to a lot of very fun experiments and styles and outcomes that I probably wouldn't have done otherwise.

2022 was a very light year for art, but I still made something around once every two months. This was the year I was writing my dissertation though, so that's totally fine. But these two pieces, oohh I really love them. This year was a big year for learning how to use light and shadow effectively.

2023 was a great year for art. I learned a TON that year, and created pieces I'm still so damn proud of. That first image was the first real study sort of thing I'd ever done, and it was so much fun. It's based off Germanic Warrior Looking at a Roman Helmet by Osmar Schindler, and studying that painting triggered my hyperfocus sooo fast. I think I blinked like three times in the what, four months it took me to draw that. It was intoxicating and so much fun and I was sooo relieved when I finished and it was exactly how I wanted it to look. Still so proud of it, just unfortunate now what fandom it's in and what piece of shit author it's associated with.

The second piece I drew like, the day after I finished the first one. I needed something super chill and fun so it's just a screenshot study, but that sorta comic book-esque style with all the heavy black shadows just came out of nowhere and I haven't been able to recreate it since. But I looooove how this piece turned out. Also the rocks!!! The rocks turned out so good guys, they look so realistic and I have no idea how I did that.

2024 was also a pretty light year for art, but I made some of my favourite pieces ever. The first one was an art fight attack for my bestie @ninneko19 of his wonderful character I'm obsessed with, and I really like how it turned out. It was suuuuuch fun expression practice, and I love that guy. The hearts behind him are bc of ME, bc I'M obsessed w him. Mwah mwah.

The second piece is my beloved OC Juno. He's so sad all the time </3 so I got his permanent depressed face down p well, bless his heart. But I looove this piece, it's exactly what I picture Juno actually looking like. It took a billion years bc I tend to agonise over every single thing until it's perfect, but I love how it came out. Kissing him on the mouth and also crying abt him.

Finally 2025!! This is the only thing I've drawn so far this year, but I looooove it. Another study, this time of Fallen Angel by Alexandre Cabanel, featuring my dear boy Bash who suffers so much every day of his life. His hair, horns, eyes, etc etc are made of gold and silver and copper, so the metallic textures made me a little insane but in a good way. I LOVE rendering metal, which is good bc I give so many of my ocs random metallic body parts and features, lol. The background on this one is a little iffy, but hey. I'm not here for perfectionism I'm here for fun, and I gotta freaking remember that.

Hopefully I keep going another five years!! Planning to do art fight again this year and maybe try push myself a little with it (I usually draw one (1) singular piece during AF lol). Was also toying with the idea of opening commissions, maybe if I push myself during art fight and see how I actually fare when drawing multiple things under pressure for other people. We'll see! Thank you for reading this far if you did <33

[i-put-the-hyper-in-hyperfixated]

Rant.

TW: mention of sh, constant cursing

I hate today. Today fucking sucked. First, I get triggered by the main character of the play I’m studying - for my FUCKING GCSEs - because she cut open her fucking arms with a fucking carving knife so obviously that’s going to be very fucking triggering to the guy who has actually cut open his fucking arms before so I started fucking crying. And this was in 3rd period Drama class!! So I still had lunchtime and two other goddamn lessons - of English and Biology - to go before I could leave!! So I spent the rest of that goddamn lesson writing an au of my book - that I haven’t even fucking finished a damned draft of yet - and trying not to think about what fucking triggered me, in Student Services, yay.

Then I had lunchtime which was very very fucking fun because Someone took the last fucking muffin in the lunch queue and That One Homophobic And Transphobic Chavvy Christian Bitch In The Year Below Me was fucking pushing me in the stupid crowded as fuck lunch queue and laughing about it with her friend what the fuck kind of a basic bitch ass name is Tiffany anyways. Fuck you Tiffany, I did hear you counting down before pushing me because you’re not fucking subtle and fuck you Runa for telling me non binary people don’t exist when they have existed since long before your ‘God’ and will continue to do so long after he is dead. Both of you can go fuck yourselves because I doubt anyone else wants to, and I hope you fail whatever GCSEs you picked in two years time when you take them.

Then after lunch I spent periods 4 and 5 in Learning Support, huddled in the corner of the room and listening to music. I wasn’t even allowed to use my phone, yippee!! That was two hours of staring at the wall as I listened to a 3:10 hour playlist on repeat!!! Yay.

And then Guess Who Was There, Because Of Fucking Course They Were Both There Today At The Same Fucking Time.

1: The racist bitch who, four months ago, told my friend’s girlfriend at the time that he was cheating on her - when he very much was not - and then fucking scapegoated me for it!!! For three months!!! And my friend had believed it was me until we found out two weeks ago!!!!!

2: And!!!! Also the bitch who, when I was in hospital after attempting suicide, told her fuck ass boyfriend about it who then fucking texted me - while i was still on a fucking iv!!! - asking “did u try to kys”, and when i responded with yes because oh my god I was so tired of everything, he said “because that’s not good for you, you could’ve died”, yeah, no fucking shit MATTHEW. GO FUCK YOURSELF YOU FUCKING PRICK. Ugly ass motherfucker. And his bitch ass girlfriend who also told me - after two years of “friendship” - that she was never my friend and only ‘let’ me still hang around with the friend group because everyone felt bad for me so she can go fuck herself too.

And then the fucking highlight of my day. After I left school. I thought my day was finally, finally looking up. Yesterday I’d gone to a charity shop with my friend so he could buy a leather jacket he’d seen there. And I didn’t have my money, but I saw a blue hoody with a pattern of Stitch on it from Lilo and Stitch. My girlfriend loves Stitch and has Stitch merchandise, so of course I wanted to buy it for her!! Because I love giving her gifts. Gift-giving is my love language when it comes to her because I like showing her my affection by showing - or trying to show her - how well I know her. So I took £6, the amount I’d seen it costed on the label, into school with me today so I could buy the hoody after school. Speed-walked down the hill from my school once it ended. Hell, I even left five minutes early to avoid missing my bus. And when I got to the charity shop? Not only was it not where I’d seen it, when I asked a sales associate for help - we did not find the hoody - but I was referred to as “this young lady” and “she/her”. So That Fucking Sucked.

And that wasn’t even the end of it!!! Oh no, whatever spiteful forces are up there decided bad things have to come in SEVENS. Such a funny, funny coincidence considering my birth month is the seventh month!! So I spent some of the £6 I’d been going to use on the hoody on a mango-flavoured Monster Energy and a pack of chocolate pretzels. When I tried to pop the can tab off because I collect them? It ripped. How does a fucking can tab rip when you try to pop it off, you might ask me? Well, I’ll be frank with you. I haven’t the fucking faintest clue.

Now you might be thinking, hey Elliot, you said bad things come in sevens, but you only named six things! Well my dear reader, that’s because there was Yet Another Fucked Up Thing To Happen To Me Today, because the devil COULD reach me and used that power to its full extent.

I get on my bus. Hooray!! I didn’t miss it and have to take one into the town I live in, then take another one back to my tiny, boring-ass village!! Except for one tiny fucking fact. I always sit at the back of the bus. Due to timing from walking into town, I had to get on the bus three stops later than I always do! And there are These Girls. Who always sit at the back as well. For the most part we ignore each other but Of Fucking Course They’re Absolute Cunts. So what did they do? They took over the whole back row. There weren’t even enough of them to take up the whole thing but when I got on I saw them look at me and laugh then put their bags down in the empty spaces where they usually sit while they were sitting in my place that I’ve sat in for months!!!!!!!!!

Anyways. Rant concluded. Today was fucked. Hated it. Don’t want to go back into school again tomorrow.

[realsacred]

:: ‘ How to revise! ‘ ::

Aka better grades.

.　 . • ☆ . ° .• °:. *₊ ° . ☆

1. I recommend you take notes, no need to write every word down (unless you can quickly and fairly neatly). Instead write a summarised form. (I’ll talk about handwriting at the end).

2. When taking notes don’t use 30 different colours (more difficult to revise, memorise and make). Instead stick to using 1-2 colours, make sure the colours match. You can also use a similar or the same coloured pen to do small subtitles etc.

3. When do you revise see all the different methods that there are for studying / revising, then make sure you see / know which one works for you the best. (E.g blurting, Pomodoro..). Of course, different methods work better with different subjects (you won’t be able to use the same method for a lot of subjects!). Instead I recommend doing a bit of research (TikTok studytok helped me a lot!!).

4. When you are revising and have a goal for the grade you want (80% / A / 70% / B etc..) you put the effort needed for that grade (depends on your level of learning, how much you paid attention, how much you care about the result you’ll get..etc). Even if you fail to achieve your goal, there will be other chances (unless it’s a GCSE or A level..)

5. DONT STUDY ONE NIGHT BEFORE. (This only works for people who can understand everything easily / naturally smart. IN MY EXPERIENCE!!). Instead study 2-4 nights before (again depends on the level of knowledge).

6. Use your online resources, there are a lot of practice questions, games and other interactive or blunt ways you can study and test how well you know the topic online.

7. Try not to eat sugary snacks as that will give you a boost of energy for 10-15 minutes then you’ll feel tired / burnt out (More about avoiding burning out later). Instead try eating fruits you like (I love eating grapes or frozen grapes while studying or drinking a smoothie).

8. Don’t push yourself too hard. Unless you are capable/ used to it don’t study past 8 - 9 pm, since most people by then begin to start feeling tired etc. If you’re tired you can’t remember that well. (Although if you prefer studying at night you can just make sure you have enough lighting!). Instead reduce to studying between 4-5 pm - 6-7 pm (depends when your school ends and extra curriculars).

9. To fix your handwriting you can try printing off practice sheets, changing pens, changing the way you hold your pen (TikTok can also help, search handwriting / how to get neat handwriting!).

.　 . • ☆ . ° .• °:. *₊ ° . ☆

THESE MAY NOT APPLY TO EVERYONE + I HAVE NOT INCLUDED EVERYTHING THAT EXISTS OR IN DEPTH.!!

[greetings-inferiors]

Hey, I realize you do like maths. As someone who didnt go through highschool but got a highschool degree with only REALLY BASIC maths knowledge, I wanna ask: - Any advice or recommendations for someone who wants/needs to catch up/go from elementary to highschool maths ASAP many years after dropping the subject?

It seems to be an interesting subject but I had teachers that were so bad at teaching and so good at shaming and traumatizing that it blocked me and made me avoid maths like the plague, I do want to start over with maths and try again while making it a good experience this time, I need advice. Pls help. (anonymous cause embarrassed to admit I can barely get around with the basic 4 operations and begin getting lost when it goes into fractions, decimals, porcentages etc, and as a college student I should know advanced stuff like factoration and complex expressions by now)

I am incredibly blessed with the fact that I love maths, and had great teachers. I don’t really know how to get good at maths because by the time I was actually conscious about liking maths, I was already pretty good at it. I never had that thing of having to be better, because I’ve always just been good at it, and the things that I didn’t know I enjoyed learning so I just learnt them.

The problem with having to relearn something is that you FEEL like you’re better than you are. I stopped learning Japanese for a few months, and when I come back to it, I’ll have to go over basic kanji again, my brain tells me that I know it, but I don’t. I need to go over the basics, but before I learnt the basics with the spark of learning pushing me through. Now I’ve got to essentially revise something I forgot. It sucks.

What I’d recommend, is by jumping into the deep end. There are lots of maths videos on YouTube, and they’re really interesting, but you won’t understand anything. But that’s fine, because the things you don’t understand, you can watch videos about those. And the parts of those you don’t understand you can research into that. It may not be the most efficient way to learn, but eventually you will. Trial by fire and all that, and it might be more fun because you’re looking at stuff that interests you! You’ll find that the simple stuff actually has rather complex and interesting explanations, which I find really cool.

If you want to relearn quickly, then you just have to study. It sucks, but that’s just how it is. I don’t know what elementary school is, I assume it’s 11-14, and high school probably means gcse, which is 15-16.

Some basic tips:

Think of the operators as logically as possible. When you see 5x15, literally think of 15 added together 5 times. Think of 6/20 as 6 lots of 1/20 (which itself is 0.05. Maybe even think of it as 1/2 times 1/10.) basically just think of the operators as simply as possible until you’re able to think of them as their own thing. Then you can start introducing indices, square roots, etc.

Don’t be afraid of using a calculator (learning how to use a calculator effectively will massively boost your mathematical literacy).

write everything down (don’t rely on your mental maths. If you literally have to do every single equation on a piece of paper (assuming calculators aren’t allowed), do it. Never trust your mental maths until you’re certain that you’ve got good mental maths. Seriously, 90% of mistakes come from trying to make a shortcut in your head and messing up. Many people, my self included in the past, see writing down your working out as a sign of weakness, it isn’t.

Try to avoid the divisor symbol as much as possible, it isn’t actually an operator, it’s shorthand for fractions (the dots are placeholders for the things in front and behind). Honestly, you should prioritise getting comfortable with fractions. They’re really useful, especially in algebra.

If you get good at algebra, you’ll be good at almost everything maths can throw at you. Being able to rearrange equations is a skill that you will literally never not use. It also helps you with regular number equations because you can think of the numbers as variables. It sounds weird or as if you’re complicating it, but it can help.

(A/B)*C=(A*C)/B. It’s surprising how useful it is, and how often I’ll forget about it lmao

Look into geometry! Everything you do in maths can and has been described with shapes. And for some people that can help them visualise it! If shapes help you with maths, look into shapes! Geometry!

Factorisation is essentially just the reverse of multiplication. (2*5*7)=70, therefore the prime factors of 70 are 2,5, and 7. The same applies to algebra. Just think of what could be multiplied together to make x^2+3x+2. And hey, there’s a really handy formula for finding out the factors of quadratics that I highly recommend memorising if you think you’ll need it!

And most of all: try and have fun! Basic maths can be very tedious, but think of it like learning a language. Once you get the alphabet (numbers) and grammar (operators) out of the way, you’ll start to see all of the complex words and phrases you can create, and understand. And, best of all, you will NEVER stop learning, so you may as well start now!

[set-in-stardust]

Is it weird that I kinda wanna go through Mumbos videos and pick out elements I really like about them. I've been studying media since I was like 14 (our gcses, British btw, start when you're in year 9/10 so 14/15 basically.)

But like seeing him take that break makes me sad because I'm going to be doing a media production degree and seeing Mumbo get excited about projects has always made me happy. So hearing him feel anxious about posting cuz of pressures is just :(

oh not at all! i do that with concerts and music all the time (the amount of times ive listened to the patd live in denver 2006 concert is unhealthy at this point)

and i relate to him taking a break sm,,, i attempted to do content creation at one point and it was So Draining. u had to post every day and stream every other just to get a few people's attention. (i may pick it up again someday, but i think writing and music are much more creatively fulfilling for me :))

I'm glad he's avoiding the long-term burnout and taking care of himself, u don't really see that often with how fast-paced the internet is right now

[veralovemail]

Hi! I would love myself a matchup if it's ok 👉👈

I'm female and pan, I'd prefer one of the males tho, Survivors please!

So uhhhh I differ in my personality a lot depending on the situation! I'm more of a loner around strangers IRL— shy, quiet, I don't like interacting and prefer to stay by the sidelines since being in the middle makes me uncomfy.

I try to be as polite as I can, even keeping in my opinions and pain a lot as to not Hurt anyone. I also tend to blame myself a lot for bad situations I'm a part in unless I know I absolutely didn't do anything!

Also I'm quite hot headed and have a bad temper, though I'm working on it! I have quite the problem with guilt and it comes to me fairly quickly when I do something bad.

Ah yeah I'm really forgetful and also really impatient KNRKS

Now- online!!

I'm a lot more open and chaotic. I like to tease my friends and jokingly make fun of them, etc. I try and stop when they tell me to, but I might understand it as them just joking too if they write it that way in my eyes-

I try to look on the positive side for them and their situations and am always willing to make someone happy even without words since it makes me happy too. I'd say I'm caring to a fault- I don't let loose until they finally do something healthy that they've been avoiding and I do get rather angry if I'm not taken seriously with that, causing me to maybe lash out at someone unwillingly,,- and then guilt pops in like "hi there 😍" KDHDJDJ

Anyway,

I encourage anyone to vent, though I'm not the best at giving advice. I'm more of a person who likes to listen and give support if they need it. Oh yeah- my attention span is REALLY short (as short as me good ol' 5'1 me aNENSJJSJD) so I get distracted pretty easily and procrastinate then.

As for hobbies: I love to draw! (As you might know-)Music is my life (especially Jazz) and video games are, too. Though mostly singleplayer Games since I only really like multiplayer with friends-

What else can I write..

Maybe like- I'm an ISFP-T And I think it was 5w6 that I was given by another test

I also got Philophobia, the fear of falling in love because of bad experiences but I'm tryna work on it!!

I guess I can also write about my appearance? I've got short, curly but chaotic black hair that's p much swept to the side- I'm definitely not that skinny lmao- and as I've said before, I'm 5'1! I usually wear casual clothes (hoodies, e.g!! They're so comfy...) I also got brown eyes and glasses!

I think that should be it.. ah yeah! In your introduction, you should prolly add your ID for others to add you because name search doesn't work! :0

Ok that's really it now- take your time, don't rush yourself and stay safe and hydrated!! 💕💕 Hope your blog takes off!

Sorry for my English by the way- I'm German so I might've messed up on a few things!

OH MY LORD I DID NOT KNOW THAT I HAD TO PUT IN MY ID... oml... thank u for telling me that. and don't worry about it, i can see how it'd be difficult (i actually studied german for my gcses :], it was very fun) but anyways! tysm for sending in btw!! i loved writing this, i hope u enjoy - mod vera ♡

i match you with ... naib subedar!

he kinda takes on to your quiet personality, unlike some of the other people around the manor. it's relaxing to be around somebody who doesn't talk much.

you two most likely met when robbie came over to the survivors' side of the mansion, jokingly demanding sweets... but it most likely sounded authentic. and oh god, is that an axe-

you two accidentally locked eyes but you both had a " ah shit, here we go again " face. it just kinda went from there.

at first, he's a tough nut to crack, but if you try hard enough, within a month or so you gain his trust and he .. deems you a friend?

you both kinda start falling for eachother after a period of time, but naib is great at hiding it BUT SIKE, so are you! it's like a game of who can pine for the other in the most subtle way possible.

however, if you tell him about your own troubles with falling in love, he may just open up a little too about his own troubles.

it's takes a while for you two to build a relationship, but eventually (after a lot of rescues, late night hangouts and just being near eachother) you make it!

when he learns about your more chaotic side, naib tries to keep up with you as best he can, he may just need a little tug to do so.

he loves your smile, especially the one you have when you're talking about your passions.

he also tries to help with your temper, but he's just as bad as you are.

however, he's there whenever you have a bad day - he can almost instantly tell, even if you try keep it to yourself. it could be the way you look at him, try to smile or talk, he does notice the change in your aura.

since your shorter than him, he likes holding you. it makes him feel like he's just protecting you from anything and anything, especially on one of your bad days.

he likes your optimism, looking on the good side of every situation. he once saw you trying to comfort robbie when he started crying about not finding any sweets around and you told him "look on a brightside robbie! now we know for next time to stash some away for you before we eat it all!" AND OH GOD, IS THAT AN AXE?

naib gets frequent nightmares about his time being a hired merc, so sometimes you may get woken up at 3 am because he's a bit distressed and needs a bit of comfort.

other times, he just finds holding you while you're fast asleep enough to put him back in a coma for the next 2 hours.

naib also encourages you to talk to him about stuff. whether it be what made you mad, how much of a bitch vera can be, ect. he's there for you and that man is never gonna let you carry your burdens alone.

saying that, you also have to remind him that he can't carry his own burdens sometimes and when you encourage him to talk to you about what's upsetting him, he'll most likely tell, depending on how bad it is.

he also grounds you a lot!! if you tell him about your forgetfulness, he's most likely going to try and remind you.

" hey, [ name ], you did bring [ item ] into the match, right? "

" um... "

" goddamnit [ name ], i thought i reminded you "

naib takes it upon himself to rescue you, or keep you within his general vicinity if you're in a match with him. he does know you can kite very well though! he just wants you near him for a bit of reassurance.

he can be mean sometimes, but he means it in the most endearing way possible since most of it is sarcasm.

you two kinda have " stab as a warning " vibes so nobody really opposes the two of you. even norton. not even freddy dares to oppose you because the last time he did, aesop almost had to prepare his equipment to embalm the poor fella.

when you lash out at someone, naib is there almost immediately to take you away to calm down and comfort you when your guilt kicks the door down and goes " Hey girlie! Hold still 😎 "

sometimes you have to do the same for him because you both have a tendency to lash out.. but.. never at eachother? you two kinda agree on the same things, there isn't much to exactly disagree on.

please draw him!! watch him while he's training in the garden and draw him, or just a few silly doodles of him.

he likes looking at your drawings, it kinds boosts his ego knowing that he's worthy enough to be drawn.

if he finds out that you like music, he'll tell you about nepalese music, or at least what he knew of it - if you both get engrossed in it, he may try and get you some records to play.

teach him how to dance, if you can. it'd make listening to music together way more fun.

he's very content with you!! he likes kissing you out of nowhere, too. you could just be chilling and naib would come up to you, turn you around and give you a smooch outta nowhere. but only in private.

i feel like neither of you would be big on pda, you just stick to holding hands around the manor.

if this were in a modern setting, you two could probably play a game like phasmaphobia together just for funsies.

all in all, your relationship with naib is mutually beneficial and robbie has learned to never ask for sweets again.

i hope you enjoy this <3 it's my first time writing naib too so i apologise if it's not very good </3

[peachblossomstudy]

so i’m officially done with gcses! despite the unusual circumstances in which i received my grades, i think i’m somewhat qualified to offer some advice on how to succeed in year 11...

gather all your resources early

the end of year 11 really isn’t the time to be ordering textbooks and looking for revision guides, so if you haven’t already got the textbooks and revision resources you’ll need, then the start of year 11 is the time to get them.

keep making notes as you go along

in my post with advice for year 10 i mentioned making your notes as you go along, and this is something i cannot recommend enough for year 11 - when you get to easter and need to start revising for your actual exams it’s such a waste of time to still be writing revision notes instead of actively reviewing the content. making your notes and resources as you finish each topic means that you avoid a last minute rush when you could be using your revision time more productively.

revise for end of topic tests

on the topic of doing things as you go along, make sure go do at least a little revision for your end of topic tests - the more you revise topics throughout the year, the less you’ll have to learn when you start revising for the exams proper. because i kept revising for subject tests, end of topic tests, and mid-term tests, i already knew most of the year 9 and 10 content by the time i was revising in april.

revise for your mocks!

so this list of tips is basically just me telling you to keep revising a little throughout the whole year, but i cANNOT overstress how important it is to try and revise for your mocks. you don’t have to treat them exactly as if they’re the real thing, but revising thoroughly for your mocks means that you have much less to learn for the actual exams. given what happened to gcses this year, it’s also important to remember that your mocks are often used to determine your grades if you don’t get to take the exams, so getting the best grades you can in your mocks is important!

start early

i’m not talking about starting revising two months in advance, but something i wish i did, especially for mocks, is starting a little earlier. if you think you need a month to revise for mocks, then make it six weeks, and for the main exams start revising a little earlier than you think you need to as well. this means that you have more time to space out your work, with more breaks and less cramming. i’ll admit it, i was a little burnt out after cramming as much revision as i could into a month for mocks - start earlier so you can avoid burnout.

don’t sacrifice things you enjoy

doing sports, extracurriculars and other things you enjoy is really important for helping you to switch off and care for your mental health. while it’s crucial to make time for revision and not neglect your studies, you really need a balance of study and fun! while i might start cutting back on a few activities closer to your actual exams, make sure that you’re still doing some of the things you love.

talk to people if you need it

again, another reiteration from tips for year 10, but getting help if you need it is probably one of the most important tips i have. year 11 is going to be stressful, and there will be times when you feel worn out, upset and want to give up. talking to parents, friends, and even counsellors about your feelings, and seeking help when you need it will help get you through the stress.

you’ve got this!

it’s hard, but i know you’re going to smash it! work hard, have fun, take breaks when you need them and you’ll do amazingly - my ask box is always open for specific advice requests or if you just want to let me know how you’re doing.

[grubbyduck]

No Man’s Land - an essay on feminism and forgiveness

I have always proudly named myself a feminist, since I was a little girl and heard my mum proudly announcing herself as a feminist to anyone who would listen.

But I believe the word 'feminist' takes on a false identity in our collective imagination - it is seen as hard, as baked, severe, steadfast, stubborn and rooted. From a male perspective, it possibly means abrasive, or too loud, or intimidatingly intolerant of men. From a female perspective, though, these traits become revered by young feminists; the power of knowing what you think and never rolling over! My experience of being a feminist throughout my life has been anything but - it has been a strange and nebulous aspect of my identity; it has sparked the familiar fires of bravery, ambition, rage, sadness and choking inarticulacy at times, sure, but at other times it has inspired apathy, reactionary attitudes, bravado and dismissivness. And at other, transitive times, it caused me to rethink my entire outlook on the world. And then again. And then again.

In primary school, I read and re-read Sandi Toksvig’s book GIRLS ARE BEST, which takes the reader through the forgotten women of history. I didn’t feel angry - I felt awed that there were female pirates, women on the front line in the world wars, women at the forefront of invention, science and literature. I still remember one line, where it is revealed that NASA’s excuse for only hiring six women astronauts compared to hundreds of men was that they didn’t stock suits small enough. 

When I was 13, I tried to start a girl's rugby team at my school. I got together 15 girls who also wanted to form a team. We asked the coaches if they would coach us - their responses varied from 'maybes' to straight up 'no's. The boys in our year laughed at us publicly. We would find an old ball, look up the rules online, and practise ourselves in free periods - but the boys would always come over, make fun of us and take over the game until we all felt too insecure to carry on. I shouted at a lot of boys during that time, and got a reputation among them as someone who was habitually angry and a bit of a buzzkill. Couldn't take a joke - that kind of thing.

When I was around 16, I got my first boyfriend. He was two years older (in his last year of sixth form) and seemed ever so clever to me. He laughed about angry feminists, and I laughed too. He knew I classified myself as a feminist, but, you know, a cool one - who doesn't get annoyed, and doesn't correct their boyfriends' bulging intellects. And in any case, whenever I did argue with him about anything political or philosophical, he would just chant books at me, list off articles he'd read, mention Kant and say 'they teach that wrong at GCSE level'. So I put more effort into researching my opinions (My opinions being things like - Trump is a terrible person who should not be elected as President - oh yeah, it was 2016), but every time I cited an article, he would tell me why that article was wrong or unreliable. I couldn't win. He was a Trump supporter (semi-ironically, but that made it even worse somehow) and he voted Leave in the Brexit referendum. He also wouldn't let me get an IUD even though I had terrible anxiety about getting pregnant, because of his parents' Catholicism. He sulked if he ever got aroused and then I didn’t feel like having sex, because apparently it ‘hurts’ men physically. One time I refused sex and he sulked the whole way through the night, refusing to sleep. I was incensed, and felt sure that my moral and political instincts were right, but I had been slowly worn down into doubting the validity of my own opinions, and into cushioning his ego at every turn - especially when he wasn't accepted into Oxford.

When I was 17/18, I broke up with him, and got on with my A Levels. One of them was English Literature. I remember having essay questions drilled into us, all of which were fairly standard and uninspired, but there was one that I habitually avoided:

'Discuss the presentation of women in this extract'

It irritated me beyond belief to hear the way that our class were parroting phrases like 'commodification and dehumanisation of women' in order to get a good grade. It felt so phony, so oversimplified, and frankly quite insulting. I couldn't bear reading classic books with the intent of finding every instance that the author compares a woman to an animal. It made me so sad! I couldn't understand how the others could happily write about such things and be pleased with their A*. As a keen contributor to lessons, my teacher would often call on me to comment in class - and to her surprise, I think, my responses about 'women's issues' were always sullen and could be characterised by a shrug. I wanted to talk about macro psychology, about Machievellian villains, about Shakespreare's subversion of comic convention in the English Renaissance. I absolutely did not want to talk about womb imagery, about men’s fixation and sexualisation of their mothers or about docile wives. In my application for Cambridge, I wrote about landscape and the psyche in pastoral literature, and got an offer to study English there. I applied to a mixed college - me and my friends agreed that we’d rather not go if we got put into an all female college. 

When I was 19, I got a job as an actor in a touring show in my year out before starting at Cambridge. I was the youngest by a few years. One company member - a tall, handsome and very talented man in his mid-twenties - had the exact same job title as me, only he was being paid £100 more than me PER WEEK. I was the only company member who didn’t have an agent, so I called the producers myself to complain. They told me they sympathised, that there just wasn’t enough money in the budget to pay me more - and in the end, I managed to negotiate myself an extra £75 per week by taking on the job of sewing up/fixing any broken costumes and puppets. So I had more work, and was still being paid 25% less. The man in question was a feminist, and complained to his agent (although he fell through on his promise to demand that he lose £50 a week and divide it evenly between us). He was a feminist - and yet he commented on how me and the other woman in the company dressed, and told us what to wear. He was a feminist, only he slept with both of us on tour, and lied to us both about it. He was a feminist, only he pitted me against and isolated me from the only other woman in the company, the only person who may have been a mentor or a confidante. He was a feminist, only he put me down daily about my skills as a performer and made me doubt my intelligence, my talent and my worth. 

When I was 20, I started at Cambridge University, studying English Literature. Over the summer, I read Lundy Bancroft’s book ‘Why Does He Do That’ which is a study of abusers and ‘angry and controlling men’. It made me realise that I had not been given the tools to recognise coercive and controlling behaviour - I finally stopped blaming myself for attracting controlling men into my life. I also read ‘Equal’ by Carrie Gracie, about her fight to secure equal pay for equal work at the BBC in 2017-2019. It was reading that book that I fully appreciated that I had already experienced illegal pay discrimination in the workplace. Both made me cry in places, and it felt as though something had thawed in me. I realised that I was not the exception. That ‘women’s issues’ do apply to me. In my first term at Cambridge, I wrote some unorthodox essays. I wrote one on Virginia Woolf named ‘The Dogs Are Dancing’ which began with a page long ‘disclaimer for my womanly emotions’ that attempted to explain to my male supervisor how difficult it is for women to write dispassionately and objectively, as they start to see themselves as unfairly separate, excluded and outlined from the male literary consciousness. He didn’t really understand it, though he enjoyed the passion behind my prose. 

The ‘woman questions’ at undergraduate level suddenly didn’t seem as easy, as boring or as depressing as those I had encountered at A Level. I had to reconcile with the fact that I had only been exposed to a whitewashed version of feminism throughout my life. At University, I learned the word Intersectionality - and it made immediate and ferocious sense to me. I wrote an essay on Aphra Behn’s novella ‘Oroonoko’, which is about a Black prince and his pursuit of Imoinda, a Black princess. I had to get to grips with how a feminist author from the Renaissance period tackled issues of race. I had to examine how she dehumanised and sexualised Imionda in the same way that white women were used to being treated by men. I had to really question to what extent Aphra Behn was on Imionda’s side - examine the violent punishment of Oroonoko for mistreating her. I found myself really wanting to believe that Behn had done this purposefully as social commentary. I mentioned in my essay that I was aware of my own white female critical ingenuity. For the first time, I was writing about something I didn’t have any personal authority over in my life - I had to educate myself meticulously in order to speak boldly about race.

As I found myself surrounded by more women who were actively and unashamedly feminist, I realised just how many opinions exist within that bracket. I realised that I didn’t agree with a lot of other feminists about aspects of the movement. I started to only turn up to lectures by women. I started to only read literary criticism written by women - not even consciously; I just realised that I trusted their voices more intrinsically. I started to wish I had applied to an all female college. I realised that all female spaces weren’t uncool - that is an image that I had learned from men, and from trying to impress men. The idea that Black people, trans people, that non binary people could be excluded from feminism seemed completely absurd to me. I ended up in a mindset that was constructed to instinctively mistrust men. Not hate - just mistrust. I started to get fatigued by explaining basic feminist principles to sceptical men.

I watched the TV show Mrs America. It made my heart speed up with longing, with awe, with nerves, sorrow, anger - again, it showed me how diverse the word Feminism is. The longing I felt was for a time where feminist issues seemed by comparison clear-cut, and unifying. A time where it was good to be angry, where anger got stuff done. I am definitely angry. The problem is, the times that feminism has benefitted me and others the most in my life is when I use it forgivingly and patiently. When I sit in my anger, meditate on it, control it, and talk to those I don’t agree with on subjects relating to feminism with the active intent to understand their point of view. Listening to opinions that seemed so clearly wrong to me was the most difficult thing in the world - but it changed my life, and once again, it changed my definition of feminism. 

Feminism is listening to Black women berating white feminists, and rather than feeling defensive or exempt, asking questions about how I have contributed to a movement that excludes women of colour. Feminism is listening to my mother’s anxieties about trans women being included in all-female spaces, and asking her where those anxieties stem from. Feminism is understanding that listening to others who disagree with you doesn’t endanger your principles - you can walk away from that conversation and know what you know. Feminism is checking yourself when you undermine or universalise male emotion surrounding the subject. Feminism is allowing your mind to change, to evolve, to include those that you once didn’t consider - it is celebrating quotas, remembering important women, giving thanks for the fact that feminism is so complex, so diverse, so fraught and fought over. 

Feminism is common ground. It is no man’s land. It is the space between a Christian housewife and a liberated single trans woman. It is understanding women of other races, other cultures, other religions. It is disabled women, it is autistic women, it is trans men who have biologically female medical needs that are being ignored. It is forgiveness for our selfishness. It feels impossible.

The road to feminism is the road to enlightenment. It is the road to Intersectional equity. It is hard. It is a journey. No one does it perfectly. It is like the female orgasm - culturally ignored, not seen as necessary, a mystery even to a lot of women, many-layered, multitudinous, taboo, comes in waves. It is pleasure, and it is disappointment. 

All I know is that the hard-faced, warrior version of feminism that was my understanding only a few years ago reduced my allies and comrades in arms to a small group of people who were almost exaclty like me and so agreed with me on almost everything. Flexible, forgiving and inquisitive feminism has resulted in me loving all women, and fighting for all women consciously. And by fighting for all women, I also must fight for Black civil rights, for disabled rights, for Trans rights, for immigrant rights, for homeless rights, for gay rights, and for all human rights because women intersect every one of these minorities. My scoffing, know-it-all self doing my A Levels could never have felt this kind of love. My ironic jokes about feminists with my first boyfriend could never have made any woman feel loved. My frustration that my SPECIFIC experience of misogyny as a white, middle-class bisexual woman didn’t feel related to the other million female experiences could never have facilitated unity, common ground, or learning to understand women that existed completely out of my experience as a woman.

My feminism has lead me to becoming friends with some of those boys who mocked me for wanting to play rugby, and with the woman that was vying with me over that man in the acting company for 8 months. It is slowly melting my resentment towards all men - it is even allowing me to feel sorry for the men who have mistreated me in the past. 

I guess I want to express in this mammoth essay post that so far my feminist journey has lead me to the realisation that if your feminism isn’t growing you, you aren’t doing it right. Perhaps it will morph again in the future. But for now, Feminism is a love of humanity, rather than a hatred of it. That is all. 

[wilstudies]

Get a grade 9 in a language GCSE!

Please note:

1. These tips are almost entirely applicable to any AQA language at GCSE. 2. Modern Foreign Languages at GCSE Level is anywhere from A2 to B1 (dependant on the tier and grade) on the CEFR scale, but, there is no official equivalent.

In November 2018, whilst in Year 10, my teacher saw that I was excelling in French, with my extensive knowledge of tenses and idioms. So, she proposed that I’d do the January mocks, alongside Year 11, despite not knowing more than half of the subject content. Then we’d see where I’d go from there.

I followed the AQA exam board, higher paper. Specification. You can find the Kerboodle textbook I used, here.  

Here’s what I did:

Throughout the year, I was also studying the Year 10 content (Theme 1 - Identity and culture) in class.

In my own time, each month I’d cover one or two units, completing the more challenging activities on each page of the textbook. Luckily, each unit was only 4 double-page spreads long.

In January I completed my mocks. This was the first time I had ever sat in an exam hall, so it was really daunting to be doing it with a bunch of kids who were older than me, even though I knew I had enough knowledge. Overall, I got a secure grade 8, in my mocks, despite not knowing half of the course content.

I also did “pre-exam mocks”, two weeks before each exam. These consisted of specimen papers which are notoriously harder, so my results looked almost exactly the same as past papers, which was upsetting as I couldn’t see that I’d actually improved. But practice is practice!

MY ACTUAL GCSE RESULT: 

With a lot of work. I managed to achieve a grade 9 (the top mark, higher than an A*), which was insane. I’m so, so proud of myself, and grateful for all of the teachers that supported me!!!

^Edit from 25/08/2019.

LISTENING

In my opinion, listening is based purely on practice and knowing the exam technique that works for you.

To practice: 

frenchpod101 intermediate listening comprehension

Going through every specimen track and listening activity I could find - pausing it after each sentence, saying it once in French, then translating it into English. I’d do this in the shower, on the way to school, wherever.

Know your vocab!

My exam technique:

In the 5 minutes reading time: underline keywords and themes in the questions. This time goes very quickly, but I’d also try to jot down a few synonyms in the French section too.

Multiple choice questions: the process of elimination; key vocab; negative and positive tonality and opinion words - watch out for negative structures!

Completing the sentences: note down words said in French or translate each sentence into English in your head, then remember it when it comes to writing it down.

French section: fill each sentence with key French words that you hear. Don’t worry about accents, unless it helps you determine the word.

Remember each track plays twice.

READING

The January Mock: I didn’t know much of the course content, so I struggled with the translation. I also circled and placed a question mark near any words I didn’t know, as it was a mock and my teacher would be able to note down any translations for me. I think what boosted my grade, to a 9 for this paper, was knowledge of grammar.

T/F/NM questions are usually a gamble. Just look for explicit information and know your negative formations.

Texts change their minds often: look out for counter-arguments and opposing exclamations

Use the method of elimination for multiple choice: rule out if there’s no mention. Be wary that a text can mention an option, but say it wasn’t that.

Texts often refer to things mentioned prior.

If you know a certain type of texts are your kryptonite (it was the classical stories with dialogue, for me), then download as many of that genre as you can. Understand the way speech and dialogue works, and the structure, before you tackle the vocab.

Many say skim read and don’t read the whole thing, but I found it easier to translate big chunks in my head as I went along and lightly annotate each text, which just comes with practice.

WRITING

Top tip: don’t go any more than 10% over word limits!!!!!!! Teachers say they have to mark all of it - no they don’t. If you do double the word limit, your last few bullet points could come after the cut-off point, cutting off access to half of the marks!!! 

90 WORD - 99 words maximum! About 20-25 words per bullet point.

150 WORD - 165 words maximum! About 75 words per bullet point.

Which brings me to mention, that you must cover every bullet point: those are your content marks, which cover about half the marks of each question.

90 WORD Question (16 marks)

Content - 10 marks: Making sure your writing covers each bullet point enough.

Quality of Language - 6 marks: Using interesting vocabulary, such as “malheureusement”.

Stick to about one page.

If you’re giving an opinion, great, just stop there. If you explain it too much, you risk going over your word limit.

150 WORD Question (32 marks)

Content - 15 marks: Every. Bullet. Point. Detailed.

Range of Language - 12 marks: get in those adjectives, idioms and grammatical structures!

Accuracy - 5 marks: correct basic tense conjugations (present, past, future simple/future proche)

In order to hit all of these I came up with a mnemonic checklist, and it scored me full marks in a specimen paper I did for my teacher! And I made it into a cute phone background, so I’d start to remember it, I still can now, hehe! You can find it here. If that doesn’t work, then download it here.

SPEAKING

Know your question words! (x)

For the roleplay and photocard, my teacher printed off me a load of practice cards in bulk and annotated two or three every day, using the planning techniques mentioned below.

Roleplay - 2 minutes; can be any theme. 

When planning, try to avoid writing out answers, but just keywords and gaps for you to fill in with pronouns or articles etc.

Keep it brief, one sentence per bullet point, but cover each part of each bullet point. 

Photo card - 3 minutes (aim to speak for at least 2). 

Plan with a small spider-diagram of nouns, opinions, anecdotes etc. for each known question. 

Use one or two prepped anecdotes for the prepared questions - e.g. where you went last year, who with, what you did. 

For the unknown questions, keep it short and sweet and fill up any time with opinions and reasoning.

General conversation - 5-7 minutes. 

Lie and make up stories! Be creative and use the words and structures you know.

I was a little extra and I prepared every theme as flashcards. You can’t get away with only revising your chosen theme! 

I made flashcards that could cover several types of questions: I had bullet points of topics and keywords on one side and a sample paragraph on the other. 

Pretty sure I made about 80 flashcards oops.

I also went through the mark scheme and see which areas I could secure marks in and which areas I needed to improve.

VOCAB

Learning vocab is SO important!

I started by making spreadsheets of jumbled word lists from the specification and doing a colour-coded match up. 

You can access a pdf of all of the vocab grids here. There might be the odd word missing due to copy-pasting errors, but if so, don’t stress, just look it up in a dictionary and note it down - sorry in advance!!!

Then with the vocab that I had to look up in a dictionary, I added to a Quizlet and wrestled it into my noggin. 

You can find the Quizlet here.

Remember that:

sauf - except

puisque - since

presque - almost

GRAMMAR

To me, learning tenses was like learning formulae for maths. So find a way to learn rules like that, if it’s easier for you.

e.g. Conditional Tense = subject + (future/conditional stem + imperfect ending)*

*note that future stems are the same as conditional stems.

Know your DRMRSPVANDERTRAMP verbs, and their past participles. These verbs go with ÊTRE and always agree with the subject.

Know your auxiliary and irregular verbs.

MUST KNOW: avoir, être, aller, faire, vouloir

HELPFUL: devoir, pouvoir, vivre, boire, voir, dire, savoir

OTHERS: mettre, prendre, venir, écrire, lire, recevoir

I learnt these by making flashcards, and then brain dumping them on paper over and over again until they stuck - my teacher thought I was insane, madly scribbling away.

Memorise some key structures that can be used in writing and speaking. 

If you want 7+ structures, find them here.

MISC TIPS

Always write notes about improvements and errors in practice papers and mocks.

Find a native french internet friend.

In my opinion, music, movies and TV shows aren’t great for revision. However, if you begin to understand them, they are a great confidence boost.

I highly recommend the Skam France series, which you can find with and without les sous-titres (subtitles) here.

And here’s my french music playlist on Spotify.

MORE ASSISTANCE

I’m happy to offer my assistance to anybody who needs it, pop me a dm or an ask if you think others will find it useful too. 

Here’s some ways I could help:

Finding some resources about a certain topic (videos, worksheets, mindmaps) - I have them all backed up hehe

Sending you some of my past answers

Sending you pdf of my general conversation/irregular verb table flashcards

Marking practice answers

Talking to you in french

Etc. etc.

Thank you for reading! Please reblog to help any others that might find this useful. If any of the links are faulty, please pop me a dm, and I’ll get them sorted asap!! 🥐

-Wil x

[seafoodstickz]

There are nazis saluting Churchills statue as I write this. And I wish this was the start of a dystopian novel not the harsh reality.

I'm confused and overwhelmed; and that's okay. Its important we understand what's happening and stand up for the right people. But if you need a day to avoid media, breathe and ground yourself, that's okay too. We are not built to process this amount, our flight or fight systems were in overdrive before all of this because of the coronavirus.

Give yourself space.

But understand that this is happening right now, and we are the ones that will influence the flow of events and outcomes.

It feels like the worst history gcse question ever because the far rights are such hippocrytes and their actions and opinions change on what is relevant to them. They sit back and watch black people die, and even moan about those who are peacefully protesting for change. Yet they have the nerve to get off their arses and ve violent and do nazi salutes to "protect" a literal inanimate object.

I understand these statues are more than just objects, that's what the black people where trying to tell you just last week, but you laughed and mocked and said how "it's just a statue, stop causing a fuss, you are breaking social distancing and breaking property".

And now look at you.

Churchill was a racist, he is responsible for many deaths. He is also responsible for many survivers. You can't use one to diminish the other. A murderer wouldn't be let off a prison sentence because he also stopped a car that was about to hit someone.

Churchills actions are important, but even if we ignore the fact that statue is representative of something more look at the two scenarios.

The blm protests removed the statues and tried to remove Churchills, they were peaceful and attacked by police . They broke laws, but laws aren't always a good moral compass, (being gay was and in some places still is a crime.)

Now you right wings come along to protect the statue and you also use weapons to attack police.

One of these acts was done peacefully until police got involved. It was done to be a step forward in making a world not run by rasicts,or a society fueled by white privildege.

The other act was always intended to be violent, you brought your weapons and your nazi salutes. And what for? to protect a dead man's legacy?

Surely the lives of those around us are more important than legacy?

Churchill did good things, Hitler was a vegetarian, so what.

You people are still rasicts towards Germans.

It wasn't until all of this kicked off I learnt about Churchills actions.

I was ashamed to have not known and to have supported him before.

But its not your fault, this country feeds off of the fact that we are patriotic and defend England for its present and past actions.

We are not taught about how vile we are as a county. We weren't taught about colonialism, or the atrocities we caused.

We are so heavily effected by what we are told to think and you don't want to admit it because you think you're stonger and better and also scared to believe you can be manipulated.

I was naive to think it was because people were unaware and not taught. Sure, they that's a lot of people.

But those doing the nazi salutes, they know Churchills past. That's what is so disturbing and traumatic.

They understand they support murder, torture, killing innocent people, and children. And they feel comfortable showing it because there's stength in numbers

We were taught about hitler and ww1.

I studied how it happened and why it wasn't stopped.

And I can see it again now.

And I feel so powerless.

But what I have to remind myself and others is that as individuals we can make a difference. But as individuals together.

Think of the stonewall riots. Everyone involved was an individual. If they all thought "I can't do anything, I'm just one person" we would not have gay rights. You can be the person throwing the brick but you don't have to be at the forefront.

Our words are the most powerful thing in earth.

By speaking out about what you believe in, you might change someone's opinion, but for me it's not about that. If just one person who shares my views sees this and is given to courage to call one person out on their racism, or feels they can educate someone or to not be silent, then that's what counts.

And it will snowball and we will fight back. Because I truly belive most humans are good in their souls, and even if the bad ones are louder, there is stength in numbers.

The nice people and the good people are made to keep quiet, so we say, no more. We we will shout from rooftops if it will make us heard. You are not in control, you don't have the power, we are not your puppets.

And when good people are angry, that's when change happens.

[lessfamiliarsouls]

GCSE tips

(and i guess exam tips in general)

So I finished GCSEs a few weeks ago and now that I’ve had some time to come back to my senses and take a step back I feel like this might be the best time to write about them as they’re still fairly clear in my head. So, if you’re going into Year 11, here are some things I kinda wish I’d knew more ? I guess?

1. Do NOT prioritise your studies over your mental health. Honestly. It takes a massive toll and it is hard but you cannot push yourself to sit at a desk for hours every day on study leave because you WILL burn out! Even just taking the time for 5 mins of music or stretching or taking a short walk around ur area is worth it, just to let your brain have a bit of a break.

2. that being said, don’t use your breaks to go on your phone. Before you know it, the whole day will have gone by - seriously. Using screentime limits or Study Timer (on App Store, it’s basically an app for the pomodoro method - you do 25mins of work and get 5 mins to have a break, p simple) is a good way to avoid just lounging around your phone

3. don’t beat yourself up! you ARE good at your subjects, you DO know your stuff. It feels like you’re faking everything but don’t worry because everyone, even if they’ve revised for hours and hours, feels like they’re improvising. Sometimes the best thing is not to compare how much revision you’ve done: I remember after I came back from Easter holidays I had a breakdown in almost every lesson because I felt like everyone had done more than me. The truth was, I had focused more time on other subjects, and they’d done ones I hadn’t got onto studying as much yet. Everyone works at different paces, as long as you feel confident when you’re working by yourself at home, it’ll be okay!

4. ofc the regular tips: DO PRACTICE PAPERS! seriously, they’re the best help you can get. ask your teachers to mark extra essays or at least help you plan them. utilise school resources! trade revision resources w friends!

5. speaking of friends, don’t revise w them! I know someone who had an awful easter break (revision wise) bc she thought she could revise w friends. She’d go to the same library half the year went to and none of then ended up doing work. Don’t do that! Obviously, once you’ve learnt the content, you can do quickfire Q&A stuff but spending more than a short amount of time means you will get distracted and won’t be efficient in your revision

6. when you’re timetabling, make sure you leave large blanks bc sometimes there are gonna be days when you can’t force anything into your head and if you’re on a super cramped timetable, you’re gonna fall behind very quickly. sometimes, instead of a full timetable, it’s good to just work in to do lists.

7. try not to get addicted to a tv show. like, many people do, but honestly speaking from experience don’t recommend

8. start getting a good sleeping pattern earlier in the year! it will help you come exam time!! & don’t pull all nighters, it DOESNT help. Trust me! It’s literally been proven scientifically that an hour of sleep compared to an hour of revision before an exam can help you retain more information. If you’re sleepy, you’re not going to be at peak performance

9. as soon as the exam is done, PUT IT OUT OF YOUR HEAD! that’s it! nothing can be done! if it was awful, don’t worry, you have time for the second paper & if it was hard, i’m sure lots of other people found it hard too

10. don’t compare your grades to others. everyone is working to their own goals. just because you’re not great at maths and your friend is predicted an A* grade doesn’t mean you should be judging yourself for it! Everyone has their own strengths! Also, if someone is complaining about a lot of pressure being put onto then because of high predicted grades, don’t get angry bc “they shouldn’t be complaining, their predicted grades are high” - everyone has different standards and different pressures so it’s unfair of you to judge them for their goals just as it’s unfair of them to judge you for yours.

[eabhaalynn]

Your Local A-Level Survival Guide

If you’re reading this, I’m sorry.

It probably means you’re doing a-levels. That is… unfortunate.

Everyone has a different experience of their a-level years. For me, they were the most enjoyable two years of my school career. I found some of the best friends in the world and honestly learned so much, both in and out of school. However even I have to say that the exams were the WORST. There were too many tears, tantrums and existential crisis’ to count.

And yet, I survived them. And I have so many friends who survived them too. And if I can get through them in one piece, anyone can.

So; here’s a little advice on how to survive the stresses of sixth form, both in school and out, and maybe even get a few a-levels along the way. I’ve split them into revision tips, school life and social life because this post is a fairly hefty read. (sorry again!)

STU(DYING) 

1.    Make notes as you go along.

You will LOVE yourself for this in June. A-Level content isn’t anything close to GCSE content, and you simply will not have time to start writing notes and learn them all around exam time.

Try to keep within a day of your class with your own notes and if you fall behind during the week, try to get caught up that weekend.

Find a note-taking style that fits how you learn. I personally realised in my upper sixth year – just a tiny bit late - that I loved making and learning off of summary posters. Trying out different ways of note taking will do no harm.

2.    Ask if you need help

Your teachers and friends are all on your side. You are not a burden for asking them to explain an idea to you again, or to reword something. Your teachers are literally being paid to help you, and your mates are in exactly the same position you are. Ask them for help if you need it, because a-levels really are very hard – and they only get harder if you try to go it alone.

3.    Find somewhere you can bare to study in

In school, if you have a choice of study rooms, spend your free time in ones you like – okay, maybe tolerate – being in. At GCSE we only had one study and I hated it, but at A-Level I had the choice of two, with a definite favourite, and it really makes the difference.

Make friends with your study supervisors, they have the power to make or break your a-level years.

At home, study where you’re comfortable. But not too comfortable. Your leavers hoodie will become your wearable hug over study leave and I also highly recommend investing in comfy tracksuit bottoms. You get used to looking like a tent most of the time

My favourite places to study were the public library and various coffee shops around the town I studied in. They were less strict than school, but still required more discipline than trying to study in my bedroom. Just try not to develop a caffeine dependency over the next two years because I certainly did.

4.  Don’t compare yourself to others.

You are not your friends. You are different people, you probably have different ways of making your tea, and you almost certainly will have different ways of studying.

 I remember around repeat season seeing my friend sit and do a booklet of twelve past papers all day. To her credit, she did them all. I, on the other hand, did a total of one past paper over three repeat exams. We put the same hours in. We got the same grades in the end.

Other peoples work doesn't invalidate your own. Everyone is working with their own skills and capabilities.

5.  Repeat everything you need to.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with repeating modules in upper sixth. There’s also absolutely nothing wrong with repeating upper or lower sixth.

The extended exam period (seven (!!) weeks) is awful; it is genuinely very difficult to avoid burnout, but your understanding of modules is so much better second time around and repeats almost always pay off.

You will meet a whole new group of friends through repeating modules, purely because it is so difficult that you have no choice but to cling on to the people that are going through it with you

6.    Don’t do an unnecessary hard one

All A-Levels are hard. Some a-levels (chemistry and biology for me, also twitter tells me further maths) are very hard. Unless your Uni course requires those traditional, exceptionally hard subjects, don’t do them.

Pick your subjects around your interests, because your whole life is going to revolve around them for two years. Two years of interesting impossible exams beat two years of boring impossible exams any day.

No matter how much you love that fourth subject, don’t take it – and don’t keep it on – unless you absolutely have to. Your grades may suffer, your already limited free time will suffer, and there are very few cases where you will ever need it. I loved AS History with every fibre of my being, but for my course I didn’t need four subjects past AS and so it would have been unsustainable and unnecessary to keep on yet another academically challenging subject

7.  Make use of the resources available to you.

Ask your older friends for their notes, borrow and buy textbooks, read relevant articles online.

 My school was especially good for this, if you like making notes on a certain kind of paper (like A3 or squared for example) ask your teachers to get you some.

Use the free printing credits your school gives you! The internet is full of additional notes and papers and worksheets that are free and quite literally a click away.

SKOOL LIFE

1.    You are the most important

No a-level is more important than you and your wellbeing. Take care of your mental and physical health throughout your studies. Nothing in this world is more important than that.

If you are suffering, tell someone! A-Levels can feel so lonely and sixth form can be a very high-pressure environment, but every adult in your school has a duty of care over you, and there is always someone to help you through it all; be it a friend, family member, teacher or youth worker.

2.    Be nice!

-      Schools are inherently toxic environments. Everyone is loaded with hormones and there are few things in this world scarier than a building full of stressed teenagers.Be nice to everyone you come across, no one loves a levels and most will really struggle through them. You only ever know a tiny bit of what is going on in someones life, so do try not to make anyone’s life any harder.

3.    Take every opportunity that comes to you

-      Take part in any extra curricular you can. You probably will learn more from them than you do in class, and you get the chance to make friends with people you’d never come across otherwise. I did debate, public speaking and the rotary award during my sixth form, and they all helped me so much to develop the soft skills and time management that eventually got me into my degree.

4.    Set aside time for careers/admin

-      It might not be a-level important, but you’ll find yourself with a lot of sorting out of your life to do throughout sixth form – especially if you’re applying to medicine or similar courses that require multi-step application processes.

5.    There’s no right or wrong way to do sixth form

-      A-Levels aren’t a one-way street. You may have to change subjects, you may have to take time out, you may end up sitting your courses at two different schools, over one or two or three years, and that is all okay. No matter what way you do it, you’re doing alright.

6.    UCAS will ruin your life.

-      UCAS is the sixth form version of the wee guy on the bus who would pick on you incessantly, and even though he was never that important, he’d always be there and never do anything worthwhile for your life.

-      It’s not the worst thing in the world, but it is another thing to worry about, when you really don’t need it to be.

-      Try to keep on top of it and get your application over with early. The emails from track will keep giving you the fear forever, even after you’ve had 3 straight up rejections, missed an offer, declined two different offers and confirmed your place.

SOCIAL LIFE (trust me it does exist)

1.    Balance is everything

It is not normal to have your life be so centred around one place as much as it is during a-levels. As well as this, being 16 – 18 is literally the best time to be alive and make memories in your whole life. Spend lots of time on schoolwork, but not all of it.

2. You’re not going out too much

You work so unbelievably hard all week. You do deserve to go out sometimes.

My upper sixth was framed by panicking and feeling wracked with guilt every time I left my house or went on any night out. This is no way to feel There is more to life than a-levels and upper sixth is the last time in your life where all your school mates will be all together all the time. Make the most of it! (Just, also make notes)

3.    Take a day off

Like literally, take a day off a week

I took Sundays off schoolwork in upper sixth, when I usually worked in the afternoon, had the morning to myself and the evening as a time to rest. This will keep you sane.

4.    Make time for the friends you don’t see everyday

You won’t have a lot of free time, but if you make a conscious effort to see your far away friends every couple of weeks it always gives you something to look forward to.

5.    Don’t give in to peer pressure

I promise it is so much fun to go out and not drink excessively. Don’t do hard drugs, don’t drink more than you can handle, especially not over term time. It’s just not worth it. Showing up to school hungover is not a good look, or any fun at all – no matter what your mates say. A-Levels are a stressful enough two years without losing all this extra time to hangovers and come downs.

6.    Make good habits

 If you have a spare evening during the week, go for a walk. Take the bus and walk one day a week instead of driving. Maybe even join a gym. As well as a distraction, exercise and a generally healthy lifestyle will get your endorphins flowing and you will notice a huge difference to your stress levels within a few weeks.

You’re going to need comfort food – trust me on that one. But if you’re going to substitute a healthy lunch for a chicken box and squashies, at least have a banana for breakfast. And never skip breakfast, it will make you a hangry, hanxious, horrible person.

Congratulations! You made it to the end. I really hope you’ve found at least some of this advice helpful, and that you get through sixth form with all of your sanity intact. 

(I’d like to thank Julia Anusiak, Alexandra Rosbotham, Aoife Donaghy, Maeve Denver, Gabrielle Carland, Caitriona Fitzpatrick, Grace Craig and Jack Worrall for their contributions to this blog post)

[lovefrompeterparker]

Efficient Studying

How to take notes

How to annotate

How to annotate a novel

How to mind map

Homework help

Make your flashcards better

Guide to reading and research 

101 studying tips

Writing an essay with 5 paragraphs

Grade Saver (Literature study guides)

How to get the best grades in English

Last minute revision tips

Making a stress free exam study plan

Handling Mathematics

Productive ways of studying for an exam

Studying tips for procrastinators

Tips for writing an introduction

Resources

List of free academic resources 

More lists of free online courses (not just academic)

Cafe music

Thinking of dropping out

Email tips

10 hours of background rainfall

Cram (app - flashcards)

My Study Life (app / online - online planner)

Evernote (app - note taking)

Headspace (app - calming + mindfulness)

14 apps to help with anxiety 

Citation

Free Textbooks: i, ii, iii

Typing your personal statement for Uni application: i, ii

Writing a cover letter

Learning a language tips

Starting Uni

Blog with advice for freshman’s/first years

How to prepare over the summer

What to bring with you to Uni (moving)

How to make the most out of your first week 

Tips for living on campus

4 easy ways to make small talk

Advice for College / Uni life

Student discounts (UniDays , Studentbeans , Amazon Prime)

Health / Wellbeing

How to make stress your friend 

What to do on a bad day

How to love yourself 

Healthy and soothing drinks you can make

5 minutes of epic motivation

30 relaxing activities

How to take the perfect nap

How to avoid education burnout

Tips for self-management 

how to manage stress & plan ahead for studies

Aloe Bud (app - self care)

Tips for surviving day-today at school 

Types of study-breaks for every situation

How to tackle dreadful classes

How to stay productive

8 ways to improve the start of your day

Tips for incoming high school freshman

How to become a morning person

How to stay healthy during the year

Life hacks for lazy / forgetful students

How not to panic before an exam

How to take care of yourself when you’re sick

How to be more confident

12 shocking habits of a successful people 

Staying organised

45 tips to staying organised

Organised notes

How to study as a busy students

Going from GCSE to A-levels

Some of my own advice

How to start a new semester/school the right way

Printables

Daily planner: i, ii, iii

Weekly planner

2018 monthly calendars 

Weekly schedule for studying

Back to school 

Novel notes

Study sessions

Formula List (by Eintsein)

Project tracker

Water log / pomodoro planner / habit tracker 

Blank monthly calendars 

Handwriting practice guides

10 bits of advice:

1. You’re not alone. A lot of people feel the way you do, but dont choose to hide it. Talk to someone about how you feel.

2. Be patient with yourself.

3. If your friend or classmate is weak in an area of study that you understand, help them. Explaining the topic strengthens your memory in it too.

4. Do things early. Do not pile you work up, it will only add to the stress.

5. Try to sleep early, your body needs to re-energise. Give it it’s time.

6. Speak to teachers, tutors or lecturers. Communication is great.

7. Friendships come and go. Don’t stress about it. Introduce yourself to someone and if that doesn’t work out don’t let that stop you from getting to know other people.

8. If you see something wrong stand up against it and report it. You might be the only person to have witnessed it.

9. If you don’t understand something don’t give up, ask a teacher, find a book, watch a YouTube explanation. knowledge is all around.

10. Be creative. You can get the same grade as someone else, but if your piece of work or character stands out, you’ll go further. In essence, know that what makes you stand out is a plus not a pullback.

[jobs-in-dubai-uae]

Dubai, UAE: Students in the UAE will have to write their final year examinations this year, while fasting over 10 hours. While this may stress out many of the students, some of them have adopted a few techniques to help them through their finals. Aya Abu Ahmad will be taking five exams during the month; however, she does not believe it will affect her performance. She plans to study ahead of Ramadan to ensure that the amount of memorising she has to do while fasting is reduced. "I do not believe it will affect my performance, since I will make sure that I am well prepared bef-orehand. I will ensure to study for all my exams before Ramadan. So, that will lessen the amount of work I have to do while fasting. I will also wake up to have Suhoor, ensuring I have enough energy for the tests," she said. Grade-10 student Jana El Khatib will also be fasting during five of her exams. "I am in the middle of taking my final IGCSE examinations. Due to an overlap between Ramadan and the exam schedule, I will be fasting during five exams. I don't believe this will affect my results to a great extent, since fasting does not tire me that much. I have also started studying for these exams in advance and that should hopefully ease any strain during the fasting period," she said. Meanwhile, Grade 12-student Noura Emara will also be taking her end-of-year exams in Ramadan. She plans to revise during the non-fasting hours to ensure she is ready to take the exams while fasting. "I will be fasting while taking my end-of-year exams; however, for my final GCSE English examination, I might not fast for one day," Emara said. "I have started revision to make sure that when Ramadan comes, I will just be reviewing the topics since I will be tired then. Also, the non-fasting hours is when most of my revision will take place. So I hope to get good results." A humanitarian organisation, International SOS, is raising awareness among students, teachers and parents in the UAE, as most students will take their final exams during Ramadan this year. Dr Issam Badaoui, medical director at International SOS in Dubai, said: "Though Ramadan has fallen during the school term over the past few years, this year most students will be preparing end-of-year projects and taking final exams before the Eid Al Fitr break in mid-June. So, we are dedicating our annual awareness efforts to the education sector, to help ensure a smooth and successful end-of-term period for students, staff and parents alike. Dr Badaoui notes that residents are fortunate to live in a country where shorter school and work hours are permitted for those fasting. "That is why I like to remind people of all ages and lifestyles that they can use Ramadan as an opportunity to get their health and wellbeing back on track. In reality, most of the medical advice we offer should be applied throughout the year, as part of a balanced, beneficial lifestyle." He also pointed out that younger generations now seem to be taking a greater interest in nutrition and exercise. "At International SOS, we are keen to champion wellness and ultimately contribute to the prevention of avoidable, lifestyle-related noncommunicable diseases such as Type 2 diabetes," he said. © Khaleej Times via Edarabia.com

[elizabethenroute-blog]

“I believe in luck: how else can you explain the success of those you dislike?” — Jean Cocteau

I apologise again for the huge expanse of time I’ve left between this update and my previous one.

My only excuse is that it was a particularly dreary February with snow that did not want to shift, meanwhile I’ve actually had to do some uni work (see, it’s not just a holiday).

Ahead of my 21st birthday this week, I went to Salzburg with a couple of the other assistants for an explore and a break from South Tyrol.

We had a gorgeous weekend, stuffing ourselves with Mozartkugeln and Sachertorte, as well as the occasional Radler.

However, it struck me on the train home, gazing out over one of the many lakes between Bavaria and Salzburg, that I couldn’t believe how I’d got myself to that point.

There I was, sat on a train with two people I didn’t know 6 and 1/2 months ago, rocketing past one of the most beautiful landscapes in the world, pretty confident in three languages at the age of 20, and completely content.

One thing that people often say to me, and have said to me pretty much since I started uni, is the phrase “wow, aren’t you lucky?”, and to be honest, it really annoys me. 

The thing is, (you may want to sit down) there’s no such thing as luck. Doesn’t exist. It is not a real thing. Fake news.

There are two factors that have got me to this point in my life, and they are privilege, and hard work.

Let’s start with hard work.

I’m the one who got myself here. I’m the one who sat the A Levels and the GCSEs, the one who spent hours scrutinising my personal statement, who poured over German grammar books for hours on end and got myself my unconditional offer from Birmingham.

I’m the one who managed to get my Italian to the same level as my German in a fraction of the years it took to learn that first language. I’m the one who made the decision to apply for an assistantship in South Tyrol, even though I was advised that there were only a few places, and the chances of me getting one were next to none.

These are all things that I did by putting my nose to the ground and just persevering. Luck doesn’t come into it.

What does come into it, however, is a very underestimated factor called privilege. It would be completely naïve of me to suggest that all of the factors that got me to this point were things under my control.

I am privileged by the fact that I am white, middle-class, and I was born into a family who spoke English as their mother tongue.

I am privileged by the fact that my parents were married at the time, and are still married, and I had a stable, warm home to go to every night after school.

I am privileged by the fact that those very same parents did not need me to help out with the household finances, and I could spend my time reading books and studying rather than having to get a part time job.

I am privileged by the fact that when I did get a part time job in sixth form, that was my choice, and I did not have to share my earnings with my parents.

I am privileged by the fact that, as a female, my parents supported my education, and encouraged me to shoot for the stars.

I am privileged by the fact that I have had innumerable strong, female role models to look up to my whole life.

I am privileged by the fact that I adore my colleagues on my year abroad, and do not have any issues or conflicts to deal with.

It is the combination of my hard work and my privileges in life which brought me to that point on an Austrian train on the edge of 21.

Now I do appreciate that the line which defines the differences between luck and privilege is a little blurry. You could argue that there really isn’t a difference between them. However, in my opinion, you would be wrong. 

According to google, luck is “success or failure apparently brought by chance rather than through one's own actions.”

Privilege, on the other hand, is “a special right, advantage, or immunity granted or available only to a particular person or group.”

There is no success or failure when it comes to privilege, only advantages and disadvantages, a leg up or a few extra stairs to climb. Luck is some power from the gods, a series of fortunate lightning bolts striking down at random. Privilege is a calculated set of rules, which determine the opportunities available to certain individuals before they are even born. Luck is folklore, privilege is reality.

The next time somebody remarks at how lucky you are, I don’t expect you to give them a long speech about how luck is a myth, I am British after all, and the fact is that I would probably smile sweetly and agree in the same situation just to avoid conflict.

Just remember that whenever you do achieve something, whether it’s buying your own house, passing an exam or learning a new language, luck didn’t do any of it for you.

Until next time,

Beth ❤️

n.b. some people have expressed concern about the fact that I consider having married parents to be a privilege. Stability comes in many forms, and is not purely a side effect of a nuclear family, however I still stand by my view that this stability in itself is indeed a privilege. My opinion is something also expressed in this video which I think perfectly displays the whole concept of privilege: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIJqtWUiUCs 

I shouldn’t have to write a disclaimer, but this blog is purely a hobby, and nothing written on it should be carved in stone.