#uni math is so much easier than school bc of it

[glacialheart]

BOO!!

[fandom-fae]

so tomorrow i have the second to last exam (its a verbal exam) before like graduating and like. i started studying only a few days ago bc i can‘t rly fail it anymore but suddenly for the first time ever i got ambitious about a math grade (or like. THE math grade) and i haven‘t done much other than studying today and my brain is fried and i don’t understand how anyone could ever possibly decide to study a lot out of their own free will more than once lol

[posallys]

taylor!! if you don’t mind me asking, how do you study for your stem classes?? bc u are eating up these tests like ur being paid. especially chemistry 😭 i am out here, any tips would be appreciated. ty <3

A lot of hoping and praying!!! Lol for chem specifically I don't have very many tips my prof is literally an angel she's perfect she's the loml....she gives us a fuck ton of study material, she grades everything so meticulously so you always know exactly what went wrong and exactly how to fix it for next time, she gives practice exams (a.k.a. the previous year's exam), and she will do anything and everything to make sure you understand....safe to say that it works, so i really don't do any of my "own" studying for chem

I don't have to take math or physics in uni because I got credit for them through IB, and med school is not on my radar, so no tips there other than YouTube is your bestie <3

Bio!!! Oh bio ily <3 big thing here is to know your vocab because if you can pick words (and prefixes/suffixes) out, that's half of the battle. Knowing definitions makes it much easier to logic your way through things, even if your understanding of the concepts is shaky. Also, I got really good at predicting test questions, which definitely helps. It usually takes me until the first exam with a prof to really get a feel for it, but after that first exam you get to see their question styles + how the material on the exam was presented in lecture (for example, my micro prof's slides were pretty bare, and he would elaborate A LOT just from memory, so paying attention to the things he said during lecture was absolutely essential.....on the other hand, one of my intro profs had very organized meticulous slides, and all of her questions came almost directly from the slides, so making questions based on that was so useful!!! My lowest exam grade that semester was a 98% because nearly every question on the exam I had made for myself while studying!)

I'll give an example here from my very first uni bio class <33:

And for micro here:

And last but not least, I do not study if I'm tired lol. You're not learning anything if you're tired. I actually don't mind getting up early so if I need to study more (like if I have an 8 exam), I just get up at like....4 and will study before hand, but I neverrr stay up at night if I start to get sleepy bc it really is pointless!! Like last week for my micro exam I got up at 6 and the exam wasn't until 2, but I went to bed at 10pm because I could feel myself getting sleepy and knew that nothing after that point was being retained. But I also know getting up early to study is not everyone's thing---I just operate better that way

(Also a lot of getting lucky and winging it <3)

[aizawa-needs-coffee]

Hi!! Could I have a matchup please? I'm 18, pronouns she/her, I'm fine w any gender though I have a preference for males

If its of any relevance, physically I'm about 5'8 tall and on the chubby side, green eyes, brown hair (with blonde streaks) and I wear glasses

If you're into astrology/ mbti, I am a Sagittarius w both moon and rising in Cancer and I'm INFP

So I'm quite emotional lol. Usually very in touch with my emotions and quite perceptive of other's feelings as well. I have a huge saviours complex especially when it comes to feelings (i love helping others figure out their feelings, being a shoulder to cry on or even offering comforting hugs) but I try my best to keep it control cause I don't wanna be suffocating

On the outside I'd say I'm fairly organized, I keep my room clean and all of that, I'm a lil bit of a perfectionist but mentally I'm all over the place. I tend to get carried away by thoughts and emotions and end up procrastinating a lot; anxiety makes it all worse. In short, I suck at time management

To most people I may seem quiet and reserved but I actually really enjoy talking to people; I'm really insecure about not being funny or interesting enough tho. Around my friends I'm more relaxed but still have moments of self doubt

I can also be quite obsessive. If something really catches my interest I won't stop until I search all there is to know about it. For example I watched bnha, read the manga, the spin offs etc all in less than a month and now I'm indulging in fanart and fanfics because I need m o r e c o n t e n t hsbsb. I'm also that kind of person that listens to a new song they like on repeat until they hate it. Speaking of music, I can't say I have a taste lol. My fave genres are rock, pop and indie but I hear smth I like, I listen to it, whether its "high quality" music, basic or weird. Lately I've been listening to a lot of epicore which is literally the type of music thats used in fantasy and sci fi movies askfkdk

I like expressing myself through writing, singing and dancing but I really can't say I'm talented at either of those, it's all in good fun. I also enjoy reading (fiction, non-fic books bore me like hell; my fave genres are fantasy, sci fi and crime) but I haaate literature in school. I'm actually a bit of a math nerd and this year I'm starting uni, studying computer science!! Oh! I've also taken drama classes for 2 years (despite the fear I loved being on stage and plan on starting again once I'm done w the baccalaureate), I love playing D&D and while I woulnd't quite call myself a gamer, I love role playing video games. I'm also almost always down for any kind of multiplayer video games w friends although I have no experience

I'm not a sportive person, I go on walks or do a few exercises every now and then at home but I'm willing to try stuff out like a new sport or going to the gym w an s/o. I do plan on starting self defense classes soon and maybe taking up sword fighting (I love swords hehe)

Tbh I've never been in a relationship so I'm not really sure how I would act w an s/o, nor what I'm exactly looking for. I best express my affection through physical touch tho and that includes my friends so I'd like someone who isn't bothered or can get used to that (s/o would still receive the most hugs/ cuddles etc). I'm not that comfortable w the other love languages for friends and family, but I think I'd be a lot more eager to express my love through them for s/o. If I'm on the receiving end, my weakness is still physical touch :)) but I also need words of affirmation every now and then cause insecurities 🌠 and while I wouldn't ask for anything, especially objects, I am a hoarder and I'd keep any kind of gift like its a national treasure simply bc its from someone I love.

In addition, it doesn't really matter if s/o is more on the emotional or rational side a long as they dont invalidate my feelings; it angers me a lot and makes me feel even more insecure. I tend to isolate when I'm really really upset about something so I need a lil bit of pushing to talk abt it; I'm open to talk abt my feelings but I need the verbal confirmation that they care and wanna help, its not just cause they're being nice

Wow that is a lot of rambling jeez ajsjsjs sorry. Thank you so much if you've read throught that all and ty for the match up!!

Me and my wife literally having a ten minute debate on who we’d pair you with before I made my choice. Thanks for all the details and I hope you enjoy the match up!

I match you with Sero

I feel he’s outgoing and extroverted enough to help you with your anxiety and always reassure you that you are good at things and he does love you, he’s also so chill and laid back that even if you were clingy he’d not mind, he’d embrace it, his chill nature would help balance you. He would help you feel grounded and have a ‘you don’t have to do it all now’ attitude but would happily help you out. You need help going to the store? He remembers the list you wrote, having trouble fitting in lunch while you study? He’ll come to your door with pizza.

He’s determined and outgoing but isn’t aggressively positive and loud either which I think is why I picked him over Kirishima for you.

+++

“Hey babe, whatcha reading?” Sero asked sitting next to you on the sofa, he handed you a soda which you gratefully took, not looking up from your laptop screen.

As soon as he was sat down comfortably your hand grabbed his, clasping your fingers together as you managed to tear your gaze away from the Wikipedia page which was still open. You blinked up at him and shook your head.

“Oh just something I learned about today and wanted to do some.. extra reading” you explained.

He nodded his head and drank his soda watching as your face lit up as you started to ramble about the topic, he didn’t really know much about it but the way you told him about everything, the way you happily expressed your interest towards the topic made him happy. He gave you his big grin when you finished.

“Sorry, I rambled..” You felt bad, you always felt nervous when you info dumped on people.

“Nah, it’s cool, I didn’t mind at all” he brought your hand up to his face and gave it a kiss, your face flushed at the gentle gesture which caused Sero to laugh playfully.

“Well, if your sure… I just wanted something to take my mind off chores”.

“It’s the weekend, you don’t have to rush anyway.. and if you don’t feel better by tomorrow I can help, you can wash the dishes and I’ll dry?” he suggested still peppering kisses on the back of your hand before you set your laptop down and crawled closer to him.

You nodded softly, that sounded a lot more manageable, you felt your anxiety settle down from a raging nagging feeling to something easier to tolerate. He was such a good influence on you. Sero set down his drink and wrapped his arm around you, pulling you closer to his chest.

“The guys want to come over and say hi later, maybe get pizza… but I can tell them not tonight if you aren’t feeling it… maybe you can play that new game you got? I liked watching you play the other night” He suggested as he nuzzled your head, enjoying how your hair felt on his face.

“Maybe… can I give you an answer later?”

“Yeah, no rush babe”

You smiled softly feeling the lanky boy kiss the side of your head and listened as you carried on talking about the trivia of your current interest.

[bhaalspawntaven]

Ok so it’s 7am and I haven’t slept and all I know is I am A SUCKER for modern aus and specifically hs aus so here we are. A shitty post with my hs au headcanons... Note this is based on my experience in the Scottish hs system so if that’s why it seems weird then yeah (I think it’d be based in the uk bcs none of them are from there so it’s like... even u know? Idk + bias because I live here it’s just easier for me ANYWAYS) They’re all meant to be around like 18 here and I’ll give them like 4 or 5 classes I think they’d have and just some other stuff! Sorry some are longer than others (can u tell i love Tank and Nik? ;^^)

Starting with big boy Tank I suppose...

Would definetly say he’s in PE and History, PE because dude definetly loves his sports and I can see him really liking history! Other than that I think he’d be in like computing purely because Nik took it and he wants to be with his friend and hmm maybe one of the sciences? Or if there was a debate class he’d fuckinf love that shit anything he can be loud

His real name is Thomas but he got the nickname Tank for being buff as shit and his playing in sports! I was thinking rugby would be a big one for him, same with football/soccer!

He seem’s like a stereotypical jock but he’s a huge softie and a sweetheart to his friends and would never hurt anyone who didn’t deserve it. He doesn’t mind getting some action and is kinda popular with the girls but he would never like cheat on anyone because he’s not a fuckin asshole

Probably got banned from taking English again for his last year because him and Nik were in the same class and did not take anything seriously and just caused pure havoc. He enjoyed it purely for that and hated the subject itself.

Onto Nik!

He actually mostly keeps to himself and his group of friends- he probably got teased before for his accent and being quite standoffish so he mostly kept to himself. Him and Tank moved in the same year so they bonded over being the new kids and became really good friends

Good at maths but awful at english, so he takes the former and dropped the latter as soon as he could. Also really likes computing who Tank took just so they could be together for more classes, and he just lets Tank copy his work. Also let Tank copy his homework when they were younger because the others wouldn’t let him.

Takes art too! Likes getting some time to himself to draw and is really chill with all the art teachers. He doesn’t have much time outside of school for hobbies so he crams some of that into art class too.

Also takes PE mostly because he needed something else and wanted to chose something Tank was in so PE it was! He doesn’t really care too much for it but will sometimes get a little competitive.

Probably has snuck in vodka in a water bottle in more than one occasion.

Samantha!

Probably the therapist of the group and her along with Takeo are really the only ones that have their shit together.

Takes Psycology, English, Music (she plays the violin!) and Physics! Her and Ed work together on their physics work and all that! She’ll sometimes goof around a little in class but is still a good student and works really hard.

She’s really good at reading her friends. Uncannily good. It gets annoying sometimes but everyone knows she just wants to help them

Is Ed’s big sister (both in height and age) and also becomes a big sister to Nik, who is disconnected from his family. Will definetly fight anyone that hurts her friends, like no questions asked would break someone’s leg if they dared touch any of her little brothers.

Always studies super hard for exams and wants to do her best so she can get into a good uni for psycology- she wants to become a therapist when she’s older.

Takeo!!

Probably takes Home Ec, Maths, English and psycology! He’s an amazing cook and is the only one of them that knows how to make proper meals that aren’t like grilled cheese or pasta. He isn’t too sure what he wants to do job wise yet but he thinks it’ll be something related to that!

Generally a really hard worker and his teachers think he is an Angel. Very rarely gets into trouble unless he’s roped into it by one or more of his dumb friends (mainly Tank and/or Nik doing some stupid shit)

Scolds Nik for letting Tank copy his homework because ‘he’ll never learn’ but he knows that neither of them care so he has given up with his attempts to actually help either of them with their work

Actually quite popular! He’s on good terms with a lot of people because of his kind nature is people generally like him.

And lastly Ed!

I think he would take physics, biology, chemistry and maths! He’s super smart and used to get teased for it but now that he’s older and in higher level classes people are much kinder too him. He’ll offer help to anyone that asks and isn’t rude to him.

Also studies really hard- he wants to become a doctor and he knows there’s a lot of work involved but he is getting there! Really close with Sam and those two help eachother with anything they can.

Probably has some soft of beef with Nik, and they come close to brawling it out fairly regularly. Everyone else has given up on trying to sort out their beef.

[yioh]

hi yura, im the one who procrastinated by watching (several) movie(s),, the movie was not really good but also not too bad and exactly right for procrastinating,, i had my exam today and i think (or am 99% sure) that i failed, i dont feel too good right now bc i know it's my fault and i'm angry at myself and idk i dont want to think about it too much but even though i dont think i would just drop out of uni bc i just started i really wanna just drop out.

also im just thinking about how i only got in bc i was lucky, my gpa was way too bad for pharmacy and i only got in through the succession procedure (i hope thats the english word) i know i wont drop out bc then i have to search for a job and my anxiety is already too stressed out but i just, idk i feel weird and like i want to cry but also cant. i realized this got kinda negative so im sorry if this was too much, you dont have to answer this, i think i just wanted to write out my thoughts (2/3)

in english bc it is less scarier to me than in the language im fluent in,, sending you lots of love!<3 im really really sorry for all the negativity i just realized that this was not the best way, im regretting writing this now, i hope youre not mad (3/3)

ok first of all . LEMME GIVE U A BIG BIG BIG HUG . i'm 10000000% not mad at all and in fact, im so so so glad u sent this :) because, god i relate so freaking hard i can not express this enough... throughout my exams in school i always performed either terribly or average on math & physics and somehow i got lucky and got a decent grade in my finals (like once) and now that im at uni im struggling so insanely and i can barely finish any of my work by myself and all i can think of is that im too dumb for this and that i should've never been accepted in the first place ...... so bro, from the bottom of my heart i understand u so much . all i want is to drop out and stop studying a course im shit at and hate anyways but im 2 years in and idk what else i would do and its so freaking complicated and fills me with anxiety the more i think abt it and like fkjsksn yeah ... somehow its comforting to know that im not the only person whose struggling.... i hope u feel the same <3

as for advice, why don't you take it one step at a time? maybe tell ur loved ones that ur struggling first, and maybe test how u feel abt ur degree some more, and if u still feel horrible, reach out to someone in ur department maybe? usually they are more than willing to help figure something out to make it easier !! but i also know how hard it is because i haven't got the guts to do it either kdhdlshshkahjfkc ,, if anything, please prioritise ur mental health and don't let everything overwhelm you. its not your fault at all. life is so so long and it's inevitable that you will find ur way, and ur place, u just have to trust the process and go with the flow :) im sure everything will work out in the end, don't worry at all <3 i love u, take care of urself !!

[katherinewilliams221b]

I'm going to shoot some soldifying Qs at you as well, t'was my main intention to lure you on for a reblog at least 😂 Please choose anyone you feel like, Kate or Charlie or both...1 (bc K's father gives me some kinda vibes), 4 (bc BOTH grandpas are so different, and also her parents...), 5&6 (your Charlie??), 24 (!), 32 and 35. And 41 to cap it off. I'd ask every single one of them, so sorry abt it 🙏

Aaaaaaaa okay, okay, here it is! I've been out of business for a while, taking exams and such. Uni takes all my strength away. Thank you for asking💜💜💜😍 and OF COURSE I'm going to make you participate in every ask possible 😌🤷‍♀️😍

---

1. How does your character think of their father? What do they hate and love about him? What influence - literal or imagined - did the father have?

Joseph Williams is an interesting piece; he is the youngest son of Nicholas and Aurora Williams (for another conversation). He has two siblings: Evira (stop calling her Elvira or else), the oldest, and Erick, in the middle. He was raised in a typical purist family and it’s a miracle that he didn’t turn out like his father and grandfather.

The loss of Jacob shook him to the core, but his stoic demeanour never showed it. This is something that Kate demands of him, that he could show a little more emotion or at least share his opinions. The man just talks with facts.

Another thing that truly exasperates Kate is the fact that, seemingly, he doesn’t stand up to his father. What she doesn’t know, but will learn later in her life, is that her father is the only one of the three siblings that broke a lot, if not every, rule his father had. One of them: marrying a girl with mixed blood. Nicholas is a man with a plan, probably having a member of his blood in every important position that could exist. Kate’s father probably wouldn’t have chosen a Ministry career, but at the time, he thought he didn’t have much of a choice when he found out that his father arranged it all. He insisted in dragging Jacob and Kate along, both refusing fervently and, when his father started arranging their lives, he finally put an end to the situation. This made him somewhat of an outcast, no one messes with Nicholas Williams. He is a truly terrifying man. Although aware of her grandfather’s severity, Kate didn’t know he had made plans for her and that her father was opposed to the idea.

He is hard-working, tenacious and has a way with words that help him in his job (He works at Dpt. International Magical cooperation) and that Kate also admires. She knows that you must be very careful if you talk to him, for he could be manipulative if that makes him accomplish a purpose.

Probably the most interesting thing that Kate could have learnt from him is crisis management (see #35 for more info). She does not agree with his “the end justifies the means” policy that was the cause of many arguments, but she tries to be more pragmatic and keep a cool head when a new problem arises.

4. What type of discipline was your character subjected to at home? Strict? Lenient?

5. Were they overprotected as a child? Sheltered?

6. Did they feel rejection or affection as a child?

(I felt like these were together)

Kate was homeschooled before Hogwarts. Numerous tutors with the best qualifications were selected to prepare Jacob and Kate for school.

Jacob described the process as 'unnecessarily tough and strict', not very keen to rules, Jacob used to skip classes and wander around the grounds of the house.

Both siblings were extraordinarily brilliant and it was reflected in their studies, nevertheless, little Katie showed interest in learning new things, unlike her brother. Their schooling never included anything that had to do with learning magic. They were instructed in basic math, english, french (Kate doesn't remember much of it), music, biology and introduction to what muggles would call botanics. Kate was supposed to learn piano, but they had trouble finding a good teacher that was willing to go to the house. It is a bit scary.

There were strict rules that Kate had to follow; her grandparents respective studios were forbidden as well as the kitchen and the guest area and Kate never dared to go to the basement. Her room was situated on the far end of the house and although it had a decent size it lacked personality, it was just decorated with dark colours that suited the house but not her.

The remain space for living was the grounds of the place, big enough to explore at leisure and maybe find a hidden spot to spend the afternoon. Usually the siblings were allowed to disappear for hours without a word if that meant that they didn't annoy the family or the guests.

Kate remembers her only contact with magic before Hogwarts days, happening two times a week, when she was brought to Diagon Alley to play.

Kate remembers a lonely but happy childhood. Her parents lived in the house as well, petition of her father, that wanted to protect her half blood wife, Natalia. He used all the family name power to shelter her and her parents (Natalia's mother was a muggle and at the time, Voldemort killed and tortured muggles, probably half bloods and as well as blood traitors). The name of the family was never questioned because of all the influence they had in the Ministry, but the chances of a visit to her  grandparents were limited and very controlled.

She does not blame her parents for being away all the time, or her grandparents for ignoring her. She was happy just learning, playing and exploring.

24. What social groups and activities does your character attend? What role do they like to play? What role do they actually play, usually?

-At Hogwarts, Kate participated in the Hogwarts gobstones club and she was very much like her grandfather Bernard when he plays chess. She rarely lost a game and she was known for her lack of compassion when playing. She quit after Hogwarts and its unusual to see her play.

- At the same time, she was a member of the Duelling Club, where she excelled. Flitwick said to Harry Potter that she could be the best duellist of the century. The club dissolved to be re-founded again several years later, but she managed to be one of the leaders for a year. A picture of her hangs in the duelling room.

- Later in her life, she takes French and Spanish classes, the last accompanied by her mother. She is not very fluid with languages but after a while, she starts to enjoy the bonding moments with her mother.

- As a mediwizard, she attends multiple conferences and symposiums, she usually goes as a guest. Later she would participate more actively, giving talks about the importance of international techniques around the world, promoting communication, sharing perspectives and open-minded politics.

Regarding medicine, she founds a small association of healers in St Mungo’s, that teaches basic healing magic and procedures when facing an emergency situation to children, teenagers and also adults.

Kate claims she is not a leader, probably out of modesty or lack of confidence. However, she likes to take the initiative in her projects and she eventually learns how to make herself respected. She finds that, after all, she likes taking the lead.

-Kate and Charlie made an effort to go to dancing classes, to spend some quality time together. Being both very private creatures, they hated it. Not wanting to hurt each other’s feelings they didn’t mention anything about it and kept going to class. After a year they became very elegant, not only in their dancing, but in their stance as well. Needless to say, they are the focus of all stares in whichever event they attend to.

After some years, they would reveal and laugh about how they despised those classes, and how they prefered to dance alone at home. They do not regret it.

32. How does your character react to stress situations? Defensively? Aggressively? Evasively?

Kate is a well balanced combination of all three.

If one thinks about stress because of work or studies, she doesn’t fear hard work she is very assertive with her goals.

While working for the Order, she was forced to face whoever wanted to hurt her, ad although she prefers the ‘run’ option, she knows how to stand and fight if necessary. While duelling, she prefers defense spells, which give her time to know her opponent and think of a strategy according to them.

Arguing with her can be difficult and oftentimes it ends in both parts hurt. She matures considerably in that aspect and learns that some things, even if they are true, are better left unsaid.

35. Do they always rationalize errors? How do they accept disasters and failures?

Kate’s father had a lot to do with her discipline in front of failure. He feared that her grandfather’s hard education would make Kate afraid of taking the wrong direction or ever scared of making decisions Through the years he taught her how to face mistakes, work around them and accept that one can’t change the past. Easier said than done, she is only human, and from time to time she needs reassurance that she is doing the right thing. She knows that she can count on her friends to help her fix any errors and give her support when needed.

This chances the day she loses a patient for the first time, and she has to reorganize her thoughts. It was a very philosophical and exhausting day.

41. Is your character aware of who they are? Strengths? Weaknesses? Idiosyncrasies? Capable of self-irony?

She knows perfectly who she is, thanks to long talks with Charlie about everything. She is not afraid to change an opinion if she realizes she is wrong. Kate’s way of living is an state of evolutiotion; she is not only hungry for academic knowledge, she likes to discover herself and others everyday. Talking with Charlie is somewhat therapeutic and she values how he is patient enough with her to participate in those deep conversations she loves to get lost into.

She is not scared to be herself because she knows that to be loved for who you are is more precious than pretending to be someone smarter, fancier or cooler.

Bill, Tonks and Charlie like to pick on her, of course without malice, because they enjoy the friendly banter that always follows.

[morganapengdragon]

An English guide to fanfic 1

So I've read a lot of fic set in England lately, by writers who don't have anyone to 'brit pick' what they've written. But everyone deserves to be able to write stuff set in this hellhole of a country so if you don't have/want a brit picker but still want some general advice I'm gonna make a series of posts which might help with making your fic sound a little more natural. I'm gonna start with education because that's the one I've seen people have most problems with.

This is a long post so be warned

Education

There are 3 main parts of the school system (for comprehensive schools in England, I know it's different for rich people and people in Scotland/Ireland/Wales).

Primary school:

Primary school spans ages 4-11 and the years are

Reception: ages 4-5

Year 1: ages 5-6

Year 2: ages 6-7 (some schools make a split after this point, with the younger years referred to as 'infant' school and the older years referred to as 'junior' school)

Year 3: 7-8

Year 4: 8-9

Year 5: 9-10

Year 6: 10-11

A couple of information tidbits:

A lot of schools teach sex education in year 5 and 6. They tell you what sex is and what periods are. The year is split into boys and girls. They don't really talk about gay people, trans people or contraception.

It's not very common now but some schools will do a SATS exam in year 6. The grades go from 1-5 with 5 being the highest. They mean nothing but we all used to get stressed about them anyway.

Kids can also choose to do an 11+ exam if they want to go to grammar school. I never did it so I can't help you there. Some places in the country put more emphasis on the importance of grammar school than others (looking @@@ Kent) and some places don't have any grammar school at all.

Hard hitting insults when I was a kid were things like 'nerd' and 'weird'. We don't really use 'geek' much. 'Damn' and 'hell' aren't swear words here and kids will sometimes say them.

Most primary schools have uniforms

Secondary school:

Secondary school ages are 11-16 and the years are

Year 7: 11-12

Year 8: 12-13

Year 9: 13-14

Year 10: 14-15

Year 11: 15-16

There are 4 MAIN types of secondary school (afaik)

Comprehensive schools (like the one I went to) are your standard school. You just kind of have to live close to it to get in.

Grammar schools work kind of like comps but you have to pass the 11+ exam. Not everyone takes this exam (I never did, my closest grammar school is fuck off miles away). Apparently you get a better education there or something. Idk man but they like to make fun of the local comprehensives.

Private/public school. You have to pay to go to these types of school. I don't really know the ACTUAL difference between private and public but from what I can tell, public is more expensive and fancier. I think their version of primary school is called prep school?? All of the years work differently and every time a public school kid tries to tell me something about their education its gets more confusing. Rich people.

Boarding school. This is basically a private school but you live there and it costs more money than all of my possessions put together. There are quite a few, with some of the most famous being Eton, Harrow, Winchester etc. They are usually either all boys or all girls schools (those three are all boys schools). Rich people.

More detailed infos:

Year 7-9 is referred to as 'lower school' with 10 and 11 being 'upper school'

The exams taken in year 11 are usually GCSEs. These used to be called O-levels for some reason and lots of older people will sometimes call them that by mistake.

Kids choose which GCSEs they want to do at the end of year 9, and start learning the material in year 10.

Maths, science and English are all compulsory and make up 5/6 GCSEs (one maths, two English, two or three science).

Most people do about 10 and can pick from all of the other subjects what they want to do.

We don't really have a 'locker room' culture????

It's quite common for people to go to all girls or all boys schools.

Schools here are nowhere near as big as American schools. We probably won't have high budget theaters or particularly large sports areas.

I've never heard anyone talk about 'funding'???? Just assume nothing is funded, arts and sports alike. We do lots of fundraisers for anything expensive like rugby tours or school productions.

We still have that weird culture thing where like if you're smart then you can't be popular or play sports???? Strange.

Sitting at a specific table at lunch time isn't really a thing. Actually most people brought lunch from home and then would just sit somewhere outside. A lot of the buildings would be closed during breaks.

Not many people really drive to school.

Sixth form/college

After you finish secondary school most people go into either college or sixth form (or a sixth form college). Years are

Age 16-17: sometimes called year 12, sometimes called lower sixth, sometimes called first year

Age 17-18: year 13, upper sixth, second year

Sixth form:

Some schools have an attached sixth form. A variation of the school uniform is often worn, or students will be asked to wear smart clothing or something

There are also sixth form colleges which are a bit more informal, less of a school environment. Students usually tend to wear their own clothes and call teachers by their first names. They're usually viewed as well.

The qualifications earned at the end of year 12 are called AS levels. They count partially towards your final A level grade. Students usually do 4 and drop one at the end of the year. You can do more if you want tho (I did five and died). You can do whatever subjects you want. Like. Literally nothing is compulsory. You wanna do art, music, dance and anthropology? Fuck it why not?

The highest AS grade is an A. B and C is a pass. D and E are fail marks. U stands for ungradable i.e you got so few marks that your exam isn't even worth a grade.

At the end of year 13 you do A levels. You need 3 to get into uni. Some people do 4. They always regret it.

Grades for A levels are the same as AS but they go up to an A*.

Some schools do a thing called the International baccalaureate. I don't understand what it is and frankly it scares me. I don't know how it's graded or what you need for uni. It's a mystery.

Sixth forms can be comp/grammar/Private/boarding same as secondary school.

College:

You can do a bunch of different types of qualifications. Most popular are usually B-Techs and Diplomas.

You usually only study one subject as opposed to four.

From what I gather, the point in doing a B tech is it's more practical and less theoretical and aims to help you get the skills necessary to go straight into the work force.

Unis kind of have to evaluate B-techs fairly, but they don't like them.

Nobody thinks very highly of B-Techs unfortunately bc they're considered to be less academic and easier. Idk if that's the case but there you go. People will sometimes refer to shit versions of other things as 'B-Tech'. For example, Pepsi is just B-Tech Coca Cola. Boris Johnson is a B-Tech Donald Trump.

I know nothing about the grading system for either of these qualifications im sorry.

In a sixth form college there will be people doing A levels and also people doing B techs all in the same building.

University:

I won't go too much into detail but basically you get a degree at the end of it and degrees usually take 3 years to complete. Years are first year, second year, third year etc.

Some courses are longer and some people will do a year in industry in their third year, making their overall degree time 4 years.

Tuition is currently £9,250 per year. I have never met anyone who hasn't gotten a loan for this.

Most people also apply for a maintenance loan. You get money proportional to your family income. The highest is about £8,500 per year. Idk what the lowest is. Some people choose not to take out this loan and their parents give them financial support instead.

The pay back plan for these loans is super lenient, doesn't affect your credit score and is wiped clean after 35 years. Most students think of their loan as more of a tax than a debt (tho we all still cry about it).

People don't live in dorms. We call them halls of residence (or halls for short).

Most people don't live in halls after first year, they leave and find shared housing.

Most halls aren't catered.

Most halls don't have shared rooms.

Because we study so few subjects at A level, we do have this system in the UK where you take a bunch of different unrelated subjects in your first year and then decide on your major later. Instead you apply for a programme already knowing your major. So when I applied to university I applied to the BA French and German Linguistic Studies course at a number of universities.

Different courses have different entry requirements. So it's easier to get into uni to study History than it is to study Maths.

Each 'class' is referred to as a module, and all of your modules are usually related to your main degree title.

Stereotypically STEM students think that humanities students are dumb. Humanities students think STEM students are arseholes who don't know how to read so if you wanna have that kinda jock/nerd type rivalry but in uni then humanities/STEM is quite a good one.

We call all of our lecturers by their first names. Sometimes we go to the pub with them. I watched a documentary about gay porn with one of them. It's chill.

I've never seen anyone show up to a lecture in pyjamas. People would think it's weird.

We refer to clubs as 'societies'. I love being part of the Musical Theatre Society. It's sounds so much more impressive than club.

The English version of Ivy League is Russel Group. The most prestigious Unis outside of Oxford and Cambridge tend to be: Durham, St Andrews (Scotland), Imperial, LSE and Warwick.

Slang and Groups

We don't really use the word 'jock'. In my school we called those guys the 'Rugby Lads' because they all played rugby.

We don't really use the word preppy/peppy whatever because I literally don't know anybody who is like that.

Try 'Drama kids' instead of Theater kids.

The kids who do drugs and don't come to school are called road men. Even the girls. To do road is to deal drugs but you don't really hear people say that much.

If we can't be bothered to say a teachers full title we will usually call them 'sir' or 'miss' but not really ma'am.

'Hall Pass' isn't a thing.

Our school did have prefects but fuck if I know who they were. They didn't really have any extra responsibility or power.

School uniforms are a thing in most schools. The things people did to make themselves seem cool were things like rolling their skirts up super short, wearing the rugby ties on match days, trying to get away with shoes that don't TECHNICALLY break the rules but are deffo not allowed, wearing as much make up as they could get away with, without teachers noticing. Our school was p strict on uniform tho in comparison with a lot of schools in my area.

If your accent doesn't fit the standard for your area it will affect you in some way (depending on your accent).

Homeroom is called registration

Gym is sometimes called the sports hall

People don't really go to school matches unless they're dating sb bc we don't have bleachers.

Home ecenomics was called Food Tech and Textiles in my school

Woodshop or whatever is called DT (design and technology)

People don't get as involved in extracurriculars in school (but they do at uni).

We DO have houses and we get points given to out houses like in Harry Potter but unlike Harry Potter literally nobody gives a fuck. In my school they added a whole new house and moved everyone into new houses and literally nobody noticed and nothing changed.

There is a BIG difference between comp schools and all of the other kinds in terms of culture. I didn't know this until I went to uni and started joking about the time some kid started throwing chairs in RE (religious education) or when so and so tried to set our French teacher on fire and literally all of the grammar school kids were like O.O WTF.

Slang and school culture will also vary a lot depending on where you live. I live in East London which is not a very well off area but it IS in london so my experiences would match with that.

Everything is completely different in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland so like.... Sorry.

[cardshcrp]

Don't take this the wrong way, but wouldn't med school still be worse? What were you studying before?

none taken - i don’t think so. not for me, personally. i enjoyed it more, definitely, i was doing what i wanted to do and cared about, it’s just that i got discouraged about it bc what i wanted to do would take many years of study i wasn’t sure i could afford / the typical overhype about being pre-med and how everyone goes ‘that’s gonna be horrible to complete.’ but i also think i was more innately suited for what i was doing before rather than this? compsci has been a massive struggle for me bc it involves a lot of math and algorithmic thinking, and while chemistry maths is one thing that’s hard enough computer maths are another animal and i’ve found it much worse. but i also can’t really afford swapping majors again given scholarship constraints, so i basically messed up trying to go for something easier and couldn’t fix my mistake after it was made. which isn’t to say it’s all bad, there’s definitely been really interesting stuff and i still like computers a lot, i just don’t think it was the correct focus even within computing for me as my uni defines it.

i was previously studying biochemistry & molecular biology aiming for a special focus on lethal incurables as that’s what i wanted to work with. (unwise? yes. persistent fascination? also yes.)

[revisingpotato]

haven’t been studyblr-ing a lot as actual studying kept me busy (･ω･｀三´･ω･)

i know i’m tagging this as #shitpost (heck i cbf to use proper grammar and wording here and there so forgive me...) but today was the exact opposite of what you’d call shitty, to be completely honest.

a part of me is still in disbelief as i’m typing this but,,

earlier in the afternoon was awards day at my school. for the past four years i’ve honestly just sat down as an audience and clapped at ppl lol. i literally have no expectations for someone like me to be called.

for one thing, there’s only two awards per subject per grade level: excellence and most improved. you either be really REALLY genius at a particular subject or be really meh at the beginning of the year then work your way up. i’m neither. i’m honestly someone who tries to maintain mediocre > good grades ever since. but being good won’t cut it. i think we all know that.

a lot happened since i entered IB but the classes are smaller (and with HL/SL distinctions the chances really are greater), and i’m studying the subjects i really like, so it became easier to steadily improve, i think?? even then i’m really pessimistic and i don’t want to disappoint myself further by hoping too much so....

at least that’s what i thought until tHEY CALLED MY NAME FOR SOCIAL SCIENCES JADGDSKJF so long story short, i earned an award for excellence in IB Business Management HL ;;;;; i’m aware that i’ve been doing great in the class but i can’t even?!?! when my former business teacher handed me the award and shook my hand he was like, “finally, you deserve this” and i’m just..... lies down do i really......

AND THEN I GOT CALLED AGAIN SJKAFJ it was just minutes after i received the above and then i was bestowed the award for excellence in IB Economics HL -- unlike business i felt that i was struggling with this subject. i frantically made my own notes after class because the lectures doesn’t just “get” to me. i was always behind 1-2 topics than what the class was discussing. for my econ finals, i came over to a friend’s house bc i felt the need to do practice questions and almost had a breakdown myself because i was just so scared hahah.

but it was worth it.

and when my econ teacher held me briefly to congratulate, she told me good luck for year 2 and thank you. i was like no NO THANK YOU?? to be honest i couldn’t get her teaching style (hence why i’m behind and i have to make my own notes...) but then again i’d make sure to do all my work and.... i just ahsdjsd thank you for recognizing my efforts this past year (actually 2 years since IGCSE economics) -- suddenly i’m kinda sad she’s moving for the next schoolyear

i also received an award for excellence in IB Math Studies SL ;;; i’ve always sucked at math ngl so my weak ass took studies and i know this subject gets a lot of side eye because “it’s so easy you don’t have to study” -- guess what there ARE ppl who still have to because it’s not something they can grasp easily (me lol) and well, labor does bear fruits in the end i guess. ; v ;

i don’t know if this counts as a /personal/ achievement, but the booth i was in during school’s entrepreneurship days won some awards T v T we won best business plan, best presentation and the best business in overall asjksdfjkj i got to keep the business plan award because i was the assistant general manager and the general manager was like,, “it should be in your hands because you were a great help” いやああ皆のお陰で大成功だよ！！

maybe my groupmates don’t think the same way but i really enjoyed that whole experience and everyone (save for a few? l o l) pitched in to make it a success. \o/ ngl i want to experience it again next year even though it’ll be a stressful senior year. (it’ll be my last year already.... omg where did time go)

near the end of the program, they announced the A-Listers for this semester which i kinda wasn’t expecting since we’re going to get our report cards next week still.... and SWEATS HOW DID I EVEN DO THIS SEMESTER.... i was lowkey crumbling that i won’t be called but i did _(:”3」∠)_ am able to maintain my position - don’t know how much points i got, but my goal is the dreamy 40+ ahahah why do i pressure myself like this

just like what one of the teachers said before the awarding, that while us awardees should celebrate for our achievements, it should also be a new standard for us to keep reaching higher and higher. (i know that feeling too well) (これからも頑張らないとな)

i’m sorry but also not if this post comes off as braggy or anything.... sjaskj let me bask in the light for a moment.... i’ve never received anything. nada. for the past 4 years i just clapped for everyone else. and now i could stand in front, honestly it felt overwhelming and compelling at the same time?? this meant a lot for me, you have no idea.

another thought from the day: i clapped so much because one of the juniors i tutored (for IGCSE business) received SO much awards and there’s nothing more than genuine happiness and also pride from my own heart that she’s achieving all these things ;; v ;; we stood on stage together a few times and congratulated each other jakjdjs

well, that’s about it i guess. what a day. (✿´ω` )

... or not lmao

sticking my summer to-do list here:

work on your IAs!!!

gather sources for your EE and make the outline

finish practicing N4/N5 jlpt questions, then start on N3!

shortlist unis i want to apply for in yr 12 (yikes)

ha ha have you forgotten TOK essays

actually enjoy your last summer in high school wtf

also i’ve been accepted to an ivy league summer program so... i’ll do my best on that too!! T__T)9

and IB2 goals (for now)?

compile IB1 notes for the actual external exams

be active in environmental/social issues club (秘書として頑張れちゃうさ)

start up the creative arts club

FINISH YO DAMN CAS REQUIREMENTS BY THE END OF 2017

continue to improve in my academics (...40+ points leggo)

and non-academics... do i even have any (i think jlpt counts? uh) (in any way, good luck @ me trying to balance IB and ~650 kanji + ~3750 vocab for N3)

SPEAKING OF JLPT, REGISTER FOR N3 EARLY DEAR LORD HELP ME

^^srsly i was gonna take N4 this summer but i’m dumb and i missed the registration deadlines...

in the end this really is shitpost after all....

i don’t even think anyone reads this but if you do,, well

have a nice day. _(´ω`_)⌒)_

[gudetama-studies]

hey!! i really need help in transitioning from secondary school to JC1 and its really stressing me out 😭😭 ANY TIPS PLSS

I typed this out once and then the page refreshed and I was so >___ 

 1) keep in contact with old friends For me, starting uni was quite isolating bc I didn’t know anyone who went to the same school as me, and my school largely consisted of people from the IP program. Whilst I made friends (and you should!) it’s important to keep in touch with your friends from secondary school, and possibly primary school, as you will probably fall back on your old support system. it’s easy to lose touch now you’ve all moved onto different things, and are experiencing different environments but those bonds are the strongest, after all, it’s four years or more and those friendships were valuable to me even as continued to forge new ones2) get to know your teachers (and try to get along with them) I’ll be frank. There weren’t many jc teachers that I liked, and a student’s favourite past time is to criticise their teacher. But you should definitely get to know them, or at least let them get to know you, because you need letters of recommendation eventually, and if they don’t know you, they might refuse to write them for you (though I doubt they will, they’ll probably just be vague enough to suggest to the uni that they’re just making up half truths but yeah!) also if you’re the type of person who enjoys consults and need clarification getting to know them is a must! Half of what makes a subject interesting is the teacher! 3) get on top of work! Subjects can seem very daunting when jc comes around, since you’re studying them in more depth than before, and the sudden intensity can be shocking for some. I won’t really comment on the exact subject since I don’t really know what you’re planning to take, but having a strong foundation would definitely be a bonus! if possible, you could look through some of your secondary school stuff relating to the subjects you’re taking before you head off to Jc! AND DONT THROW YOUR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUFF AWAY I regretted that so much because there were things I wanted to reference back to, but I had already tossed the textbooks in the trash. When I started uni we had a few tests early on, just to see where our standard was. nothing major, and no one expects you to study for them, because that’s just what they are for– to see where your standard is currently, so don’t stress about those! Just make sure you still have an inkling of what you learned in secondary school as it can be VERY helpful. If you’re planning on taking H2 math, until you’re an engineer, you shouldn’t. H1 math is definitely much easier to score in, and you barely use H2 math anyway. Trust me, it was not worth the struggle, and I was always so envious of the H1 math kids As for GP, I feel like it’s very similar to english, so if you still remember those skills it’s fine. Keeping up to date with the happenings around the world is definitely a bonus to include in essays and those short answer questions they have at the back of comprehensions (i cannot for the life of me remember what these are called) 4) look into unis ( if you’re planning to continue with your studies )and you’re like what??? I just got into jc what uni but 2 years are honestly so short and by the time you sit down and feel ready to even address unis the tide called a level comes to wash over you haha honestly it’s v different from applying to secondary school because you just have so much choice, whether you’re applying to local unis or overseas unis It’s good to pick a few you like, and keep those goals in mind so you have something to work towards.5) Don’t be too hard on yourself, and just give it your all ! ! !  ! !! !  ! 1 ENJOY IT Everyone says this and it’s true. your grades will drop. O levels are o levels- ordinary levels, for a reason and a levels are just that haha advanced. Not only that, but you’re adjusting to a new environment, with new friends, and you’ll have a lot on your plate about your future, etc etc. So you shouldn’t be too hard on yourself. It’s very easy to think of Jc as simply a transition period between secondary school and uni, maybe you’ll hate it, and will be eager to leave for uni, or to join the workforce but to be honest, jc can be quite a free time. Not in terms of the hours you have, but with the things you study. There are so many subjects I wish I could have looked at more in depth bc they were just so interesting but uni has a much more singular focus. Never be disheartened, says the girl who pulled her grade of E in prelims to B in a levels, you can do it!!!Hope this was helpful in some way  and good luck at jc!!! Have a great time at your new school and I hope you meet plenty of friends

[captain-oblivious]

Dear past me

from this

oh gosh, brace yourself, this is def gonna get heavy. putting it under a cut. also beware that it has the usual obligatory I’m Pissed At My Ex rant in it, i apologize in advance, it got very long, feel free to just skip that whole paragraph

dear past me,

get yourself to a goddamn psychiatrist. you need one. you’re not lazy, you’re not being overdramatic, you’re not blowing things out of proportion, this isn’t in your imagination, you are literally mentally ill. for fuck’s sake you spent literally a whole day crying because you got a c in grade 11. that is not normal.

don’t bother trying to be catholic, it’ll only cause you pain in the long run. playing at being religious won’t get you any more accepted in your catholic middle school anyway. don’t bother trying to be emotionless, either, it’ll only fuck you up and it also won’t make you any more popular in middle school. you’re not abnormal for not wanting to date anyone in middle school, or in high school for that matter.

your high school friends genuinely care about you despite what your brain and your parents may be telling you. don’t listen to your mother when she says that friends don’t compare to family. don’t let her convince you that your friends are just taking advantage of you. they aren’t.

save yourself the trouble and take the easier math courses in uni, you’ll be a lot less stressed. uni will kick your ass. people told you that you’re smart but you’re just a drop of water in an ocean of people much more brilliant than you.

talk to more people in science camp, don’t isolate yourself because you have a crush on that cute guy and don’t know what to do with yourself bc it confuses you and scares you a bit. the cute guy would have totally hung out with you even if he wasn’t gay himself; he did go out of his way to hang out with you a few times.

that guy you meet in uni and develop a massive crush on will be open to dating you despite him identifying as straight. don’t let yourself be flattered by this, it’s a trap. he’s not a terrible person, but being with him will eventually start making you feel worse about yourself because you’ll become his emotional crutch, and frankly, you don’t have the mental resources to do that. save yourself the pain; you’re just smitten because senpai noticed you. you’ll never change his views on social issues because he doesn’t really take your opinions on these sorts of things seriously. he’d rather be dating a girl anyway, and his reasoning behind why he is okay with dating you despite you being a guy is because he ‘can’t relate to girls, you know?’ which is hella sketchy because he’s lowkey misogynistic. as it turns out he read a pick-up artist manual and said that it changed his dating life and improved it greatly. he’ll shamelessly recommend it to you as if it’s a good read. you’ll read this manual to figure out if it’s as bad you think it is and be disgusted because it’s not just bad, it’s worse than you’d imagined, and then he won’t stand down when you confront him about it because somehow he doesn’t realize how gross the whole thing is??? and you’ll try to argue but he’ll just dismiss anything you say because apparently you don’t know ‘the struggle’ because you have female friends, but, uh, the reason why you have female friends in the first place is bc you, believe it or not, see them as people??? and because you’re able to see why the whole pick-up mentality is gross and also horrifying??? what the fuck??? and this despite you also being attracted to women but ofc he completely dismisses that bc you’re ace. eventually everything will just become too much and you’ll hem and haw for a few months before finally deciding to break up with him (after which point you’ll regret having been indecisive about it for so long). and then you’ll be so bitter about the whole thing that even half a year afterwards you’ll still type long-ass rants about it on the internet. UGH.

anyway, yeah, don’t date that dude and everything else will immediately be a lot less bad by comparison. hang in there, dude.

- future me

PS: January 21st 2017′s 6/49 lottery numbers are 08 22 23 36 40 42. regardless of whether or not you believe this it’s like $2 so just buy a damn ticket for once in your life