Year 13 – David

14 June

3 down, 3 to go. Nothing will make me happier than knowing I will not have to be crammed behind a desk for a whole 2 months. The insanity of sitting in the same place, looking over the same material while not being able to travel too far from home is the worst. The revision is helping of course but it feels like years since I last had time to relax. But 4 more days of revision will not kill me.

After achieving my goal for the amount of money I have to fundraise, buying all the necessities and receiving all the correct injections, my trip to Africa is coming all too real. Reading up on the place I shall be staying I discovered that it is newly built and looks like an African utopia. Log cabins, swimming pools and jungle animals right at your doorstep is something I have dreamed since I was young.

7 June

Having a full week off from any exams gave me a chance to tie up any loose ends that I may have missed over the past few months. It was nowhere near the most enjoyable week of my life but I did get a lot done and it did give me a chance to start preparing for summer. The excitement for summer has been slowly growing from Easter and knowing it is only a week and a half away is just so enriching to think about.

A week and a half, with 6 exams. It seems a dread but getting them done will feel a million times better. The reason I started revising as early as I did was for this exact reason when the pressure is high, but I already have it under control. I appreciate the decision from past me. I can only imagine what it would have been like if I hadn’t started when I did.

31 May

Getting my maths exams out of the way still does not release any pressure on me. I still have 6 more exams and each one takes a sufficient amount of time to prepare for. I now have a week off so taking a day per exam will help me cover everything I will need to. That takes me to Sunday which will be used to go over anything before my first exam of the bunch. I have just reached the home straight with just under 3 weeks left.

As I like to take breaks when I can afford them, I went to a concert yesterday. Acts such as The Stripes, Kaiser Chiefs and Hozier were playing. These were just the warm up acts, making way for the main event of Foo Fighters. The atmosphere was surreal and I couldn’t ask for a better concert. 80,000 people in one venue listening to their favourite band sent shivers down my spine.

24 May

My daily timetable consists of getting up around 8:30, getting breakfast and watching TV for a while then getting showed, dressed, etc. I would start revision at 10:00. Most of the time I would do it in stints, before lunch, after lunch and after dinner. This would give me a few breaks and make sure I would be working for a good 5 hours. Most of the time, using this way, the time flies and I would get a lot done.

Sometimes for some variation, and mainly just to get out of the house, I would go into the school library to study. Usually there would be little people there so I wouldn’t get distracted. Doing this means I get a full school day of revision and it helps to split up my day. The problems come when your friends are in, very rarely will you get even nearly as much done.

There would be some people who would perceive that you should just not be having a social life while on study leave but I feel that it is important to still have fun outside of the house. It will clear your head and relieve stress meaning that when you go back to studying you will put in more effort.

10 May

Tensions were high before my chemistry practical. I was fairly relaxed as I knew what to expect but others went into distress mode which upset the balance of moods beforehand. The part of the practical in which we were doing was an observation part, therefore I felt composed entering the chemistry room. Everything seemed to go fine, as straightforward instructions were given throughout. This was my first AS assessment and paved the way for what’s to come these next few weeks.

Being on crutches while in school is probably one of the most annoying experiences of my life. Not only are you tired from just moving from one classroom to another but when there isn’t anyone around to help you, even going through doors is a burden. Although, everyone in the school does help me in any way they can and I very much appreciate that.

4 May

Public speaking is something that most people dread. I know when people are asked to give a speech, even when it was only for a GCSE English assignment, they will stand up shaking and getting themselves worked up. As the Year 14s were leaving, I was asked to give a few words of farewell to them. This turned out to be speech to a hall filled with people in the year above me, plus teachers and the senior teachers. I do not necessarily enjoy giving speeches but I can bring myself to that mentality of giving an engaging speech that won’t result in me losing my way. I decide on points in my head and hold them there, I then take each point individually and discuss it. The constant thinking of what the points are takes away from the pressure from the crowd.

The realism of being the oldest in the school is slowly sinking in. The responsibility of the runnings of the school are now placed on our shoulders. Everything that we have learnt from 6 years of school (ie. the internal workings and systems) must be used to ensure the school runs smoothly. I’m hoping that I can find a way to keep it all the same and make sure everyone is doing their part.

26 April

 I’m sure like most schools; around this time the year 14’s begin to get ready to leave school meaning they want themselves to be remembered. Annually this takes the form of pranks. Compared to most years this year has been tame but I wouldn’t hold my breath. School bags getting cabled tied, clocks stolen, teachers becoming more and more angered. It’s the same every year. I just hope this year they will not get too carried away (ie. destroying property or mass offence) as it never ends well.

 Last week I noticed that my ankle became increasingly sore as the week went on. I thought nothing of it, but I was limping. After a full week I decided that I have to go to the hospital. I went only to find that I have chipped a bone. How? Could not tell you. But I have now been placed in a cast and on crutches. These next few weeks are going to be very awkward for me. I will be stuck in the house more.

19 April

Our principle is all for planning and preparation. He comes across as very organised and is constantly looking towards the future. Therefore he has requested that the Head Girl and I be ‘broke into’ our new roles within the school. This means that we have had to attend meetings with our year above Senior Prefects who are soon to leave. We also had the opportunity to do a meet and greet with principles from different schools around the country. It was a great experience which has shown me what I am to expect next year.

For any course at university, you have to show a genuine enthusiasm towards that subject. This can mean reading deeper into the topics or even just doing very well at it in secondary education. For me, I attended a Medical Symposium. This consisted of many other students from different schools sitting in a lecture theatre listen to doctors’ talk about their field and their experiences. It really opened my eyes to the realistic side of Medicine but in no way has it put me off.

12 April

I’m sure everyone can agree that when the weather takes the turn for the good, the motivation to do any work turns to zero. The sun has come out not at the correct time as I need to engage myself with school work. The work has been getting done but I know there are other activities I’d rather be doing.

It has only been one week and I already see the importance of fuel consumption. I need to restrict my time driving as my wallet is taking its toll. I feel when school starts back I’ll be more responsible with how I spend my time and money.

5 April

The newest definitive milestone has been met. Forever on, I shall associate 31st March as the day I passed my driving test. I only received 2 minors and was over the moon even after the hours of practice that was put into passing the test, especially as the test date grew near. On the day I was very nervous as I sat in the test centre but I was soon eased into the practical bit as my inner driving instincts turn on. The freedom has been unbelievable and I’m now thankful that I do not have to keep persuading my parents for lifts everywhere, all our lives have changed.

As I have been ‘running the roads’ this week, work has taken a back seat. I have been filling in times between going places for revising but it is mainly very narrow slots. I know that this week I’ll have to pull my socks up. I had a revision day in school for chemistry which was a big help towards my Chemistry Practical exam and I hope there will be more provided.

29 March

The finals came and went, and one final was won. The final for the seconds was won 2-0. The team played well and we all got behind each other. Everyone was of course in high spirits as the cup was lifted and this was shown when we all went for a meal that night to celebrate. This gave me the incentive for the next final a few days after. Unfortunately this did not play out like the other. The match was so close and the shoreline reflected that at 2-2 going into the last 30 seconds. But unluckily for us the ball found its way through the defence and tapped in back post. Heartbreaking for everyone. This now gives me a drive to win it next year.

To add more excitement into the week, I was given the position of Head Boy of my school. This is the biggest honour for me, a school boy. Knowing that teachers and pupils are getting behind you to represent the school. I’ll make sure to live up to expectations. My head girl, deputy heads and prefects were also given their roles. Knowing that I have a great team to work with for the oncoming year makes me hopeful for a great year ahead. Obviously I have to be a representative for the school so now everything must be done perfectly in terms of behaviour, work and organisation. I feel I will be up to it.

22 March

 Nothing comes close to the adrenaline rush that comes with a sport final. The fans are screaming, waving flags, their painted faces a blur. This is what is in store for me this coming week. I not only have one final but two that I am taking part in, this fires me up. I love the atmosphere about the day and nothing comes close to when that final whistle blows and you know you have won. It’s an honour to represent the school. The whole school gets behind you and everyone gets involved, even if it is just to wish you luck as you walk through the corridors. I’m hoping to not disappoint and play to the best of my ability and bring the cup to the school following in some if the previous greats of the school.

Because I have been out so much for sports or talks or such, I have had to catch up. This is never too bad, but what is bad is that at this time of year I’m missing so much work in class and having to do it all at home. But since I am barely at home for one reason or another it is difficult to get it done. It’s a constant cycle. Thankfully Easter is right around the corner and I can settle down and get up to date, all while getting revision fitted in.

15 March

Only two things have been on my mind, quiz sheets and Duke of Edinburgh. I have chosen to sell quiz sheets in order to fundraise for my trip to Tanzania in the summer. This took a lot of planning but I have put in the effort. I had to make senior teachers and the charity committee aware of my intentions and they have been nothing but supportive for me. I have sold over 100 in my first week and hope to keep going. I recommend this for anyone else looking to fundraiser as some people just like to donate without buying something so it is all about getting you and your cause known to people.

My first Duke of Ed practice expedition happened and it was a great experience. We arrived at a site to camp where we learnt the basics for setting up a tent and cooking. Everyone was in high spirits but very tired. After a 9 hour sleep I rose to a cold morning, which lead to our 15km walk. This part was my favourite as I got to see beautiful countryside alongside my best friends who made everything that little bit better.

8 March

One of my best friends was in a production of the Great Gatsby in a high end venue. He was Nick Carraway (one of the main characters). It was a production put on by people of my age or below meaning the ages ranged from 12-18. You would think based on these factors that it would have amateur written all over it but it could not be far from the point. Every character was expertly portrayed and the sets and costumes were something from a high West End musical. I was very very impressed and hope this will lead the way for him into the world of acting, as I know he has the potential to go far.

Finally after much delay the quarter final of our cup happened this week. After having the dates messed around by the opposition finally we had the chance to prove ourselves. And we delivered: winning 9-0 against a fairly top team. I hope other teams will now be feeling uneasy about coming up against us. Only two more rounds of our best performances to go and we can have the double in our back pockets.

2 March

This year I decided to join St Johns ambulance. It is an organisation that helps with patient transfer to hospital and is a first response unit. My motives for joining were to boost my personal statement, learn basic treatments of patients but most importantly to gain valuable experience on helping others. Recently I completed my first aid course and can now assist on duties. Duties may include sporting matches such as rugby, hockey, football matches or events such as concerts or parades. I’m hoping to complete as many courses as possible in order to have a broader understanding of health care and first response.

As my mum works as a nurse, I have signed up to volunteer at her work. This is not as intensive as treating patients but I do help out where I can, for example, keeping patients occupied, changing clothes/ bed sheets or transferring them from different parts of the hospital. It is upsetting to see the condition of some of the patients but I get satisfaction out of making their day, even if I’m just playing a game of cards with them.

22 February

The past Wednesday and Thursday was our years designated days for work experience. Everyone had to suddenly become independent as everything had to be sorted out by the pupil. The panic started as, of course, students left it to the last minute to ring around companies to see if they could join them for two days. Some even ended up going into a placement in which they had no interest in, which is leaving them with a huge disadvantage when writing their personal statement.

I have already gone on a work experience a while back in a hospital where I spent a week in different departments seeing the typical duties of a Doctor. I have also got others lined up, for example, volunteering at my mum’s brain injury clinic and my trip to an African hospital will give me an insight into the real world of Medicine.

I got to take Wednesday to myself as school was off so I took the time to catch up on notes and read up on new advances in the medical world. Thursday I went into school, where there were at most twenty people from my year and I sat in study, again catching up on notes and even getting a head start in my Biology controlled assessment.

15 February

Our schools open night is a time for the potential Primary 7s’ to see the facilities within the school and base a decision on where they want to go after primary school. As the purpose of the night is to convince pupils on coming to our school everything had to be exactly on point. My role of the night was to dress up as Henry VIII and ask people to participate in a history quiz. This was my perfect position as I love talking to strangers and I had to chance to ask the future generation of the school what they thought. Unfortunately I was wearing a dress which received a few compliments but mainly a lot of dirty looks were given.

The second formal of the school year, SU formal, was this week. This gave me a chance to again dress up in my formal attire and sport my favourite dinner suit. A lot of fun was had by all and everyone came out having danced for over 3 hours, even the teachers. The event wasn’t over until late so I was properly exhausted the next day and felt that my brain would never work again but half term is on its way so I have recovery time.

Our new Principle is all for making our school a better place. This is why he has issued a questionnaire to every pupil and parent. This will then move the school forward in terms of results and general school life. I feel this is a brilliant idea.

8 February

A couple of weeks ago I was entered into the running to be elected for School Council. After doing a speech and the voting papers collected in, I came second overall. I didn’t win but I was very pleased and surprised. I could not have been able to attend the regular meetings due to hockey commitments and the voters knew this and continued to vote for me. If you ask me it was a waste of a vote but I feel privileged that so many people would vote for me even under the circumstances. I ended up only 2 votes behind first place.

Sporting events have started back up again around school after the icy cold weather hit our region. The level of intensity in hockey practices have been stepped up as cup season is upon us. Our first game we won 5-1. I do admit the other team’s goal was my doing but I feel you can’t dwindle on this too much and move forward hoping to prevent the same thing from happening next game.

Fundraising in school is a great way to raise awareness for a chosen charity or cause. I am preparing my own fundraising ideas for within school. I have typed out draft copies of quiz sheets that hopefully, with expert persuasion, I can sell around school. I will just need to ask the correct people for permission to do this.

25 January

The school council consists of 2 people from each year group coming together with the Head Teachers to discuss possible changes for the school. Recently water coolers have been placed in the school which was brought about by the school council. I decided to put myself forward for it. I had to write a 2 minute speech on why I would want to take this role. I felt my speech which addressed issues that I would like sorted out (ie. Possible tuck shop or new clubs) went surprisingly well. My other competitors also had fine speeches so I cannot tell which way it will go. I will find out in the proceeding weeks who has got the position.

Getting my result back is always a scary time as the panic of a possible fail grades loom. But it all worked out fine. I passed all of my exams with an A in all of them and I couldn’t be happier as this shows my targets on how I will do in June. I hope to maintain my results and try and improve on them as I feel I can.

18 January

I always love that feeling after exams. The freedom you feel after your final test has been collected in. I only had four exams to do this time around and I feel they went quite well. Revision turned out to be worthwhile and I studied effectively. The notes that I write (revision notes) are completely tailered for me. Only I end up understanding them, so teachers and other students will get frustrated trying to understand them but it works for me.

Because exams are now finished I can now get into other activities. I think I will have to start to think about my Personal Statement as this will be very important for medicine. But I also want to focus on things I enjoy before I have to begin revision again for the real exams. I’ll socialise with my friends, book holiday and concert tickets and most importantly just enjoy myself. Hopefully during this time I can pass my driving test.

4 January

New Year was very quiet for me, I was not feeling my best so decided to have a chilled night at a friend’s house. All my friends were away to parties but there was no way I could have went out anywhere. The year 2016 got me thinking that I only have a year and a half left of school and that makes me depressed. I know I complain about school being draining and boring but I still don’t want to leave because it’s such a massive part of my life. I would love to stay but that’s the way life goes, sometimes as you get older your whole life just changes.

My guitar teacher texted me saying that I had past my guitar exam with 75%! I was indifferent about how it was on the day but all worries are over. I just hope I can keep on going and possibly try to finish the grades.

On Friday night I organised my first fundraiser for my trip to Africa. It was mainly for my Boys Brigade Company but I asked others to come along for a bit of fun. I planned an all night football tournament where teams played in order to win. There were other activities for the other teams that weren’t playing though, for instance, Xbox, DVDs and table tennis. Most people stayed up all night and it was a great success as I raised close to £500 through donations. I really enjoyed organising the event and it ran very smoothly. I hope to do more events in the coming months.

28 December

Christmas has been and gone but the Festive fever is still lingering. The motivation to do work is just not there. I’m slowly trying to work my way into it but I doubt much will be done until the New Year. Christmas was brilliant, I got some presents and met with my family and friends which is what made it special. It is always a Christmas tradition to have a board game day at my Granny’s house on Boxing Day so me, my sister and my cousins spent the majority of the day working tactics and arguing.

I fear going back to hockey in the New Year as the amount I have eaten has taken its toll. Overall 4 Christmas Dinners, a mountain of sweets and a lot of Christmas pudding will make it a struggle when I am doing fitness, all worth it of course.

My sister is home from Winchester for the holidays and as soon as she comes home the whole house goes into meltdown. Too many times I have woken up to her parading around the landing with music bursting. The shower schedule has also changed as she takes close to the whole morning for a shower. How did I cope when she wasn’t at University?

21 December 

Christmas wind down has begun and I am glad. Traditionally the last week of school is relaxed. Work still has to be done but you can tell that everyone’s full effort is not in it. Thursday was the designated day for a house quiz, where teams from different houses within the school compete in a table quiz for house points, just like in Harry Potter I guess. My team came out winners so it was worth my time along with being good fun and a good way to end off the term.

I’m a big Christmas person, from a young age I have enjoyed everything to do with Christmas. The decorations, presents, movies and music all make me feel so good even though to weather is cold. But the best part for me has to be the food. As soon as December starts I’m always on the look for restaurants that sell Christmas dinner. I may be far older but I still have a lot of Christmas spirit.

14 December

I am officially exhausted. The past week has taken all my energy. But I don’t mind. I may be ready to drop but it has all been worth it. The McCullough Cup was brought back to the school along with a lot of pride and joy. The match was very tense but we saw our opponents off with a 2-1 win. We had a lot of supporters down including our current and new Principle. It was a heartfelt moment as we dedicated the win to our departing principle.

The next day saw us being treated like celebrities around the school with pupils and staff congratulating us for a tremendous win. We made an appearance in junior assembly to show off our triumph. Then at break time we were invited into the principal’s office for tea and buns as a well done. It was the first time I had entered the principal’s office and was relieved that it was for something rewarding rather than a telling off.

I also completed my Grade 6 guitar exam. I have been working on the grade for a long time as I have had to keep pushing back the date. I finally took the exam and I had mixed opinions on my performance. It is depending on the mood of the examiner if I have to re-sit the exam which would not be ideal.

7 December

Too many times I have had to decide between going to two or more different places. For example, on Saturday I had to choose between going to a hockey match, playing a concert at school or playing a gig for a Christmas light switch on. Fortunately, it worked out I could go to all of them. Safe to say that it was a busy day. But it made me realise that I had to give something up. This led me to take an exit from my band. It was the best move as I felt more part time than an actual band member.

Sports fever is in the air as the McCullough Cup semi-final was played this week and we won 5-2, sending us to the final. Supports are welcome down so the team had to create sign-up sheets and collect money to order to gain a significant crowd. The final training session is taking place on Monday where an all-day session shall certainly prepare us for the final ahead.

This summer I am heading to Tanzania with an organisation called Gap Medics, where I shall gain valuable experience working in an overseas hospital. This will obviously cost quite a lot of money so I am going to fundraise the majority of the cost. I have a few ideas on what I can do but just need to contact the correct people to make it happen. I hope to do fundraisers in school in the near future and hope the school gives me it’s full support.

30 November

For me the most important meal is lunch. I have realised that when I take a well sized lunch I perform better inside and outside of the classroom. Taking a packed lunch makes it a lot easier to obtain a good well balanced lunch but if you choose to take lunches from the canteen then you will need to budget your money and make sure you are eating healthily every day. This can then really affect your work and really make a difference come exam time.

Every pupil dreads tests, for every subject. It doesn’t matter what it is, you become worried about it. You spend the night before revising like crazy just to get over a certain mark and it leads me to think “is it worth it?” I had the unlucky week of having two in one day. This became very stressful for me, as I had to balance my time amongst my after school activities and then revision for the two tests and also the addition of homework. It all worked out fine in the end but I can definitely see why students’ anxiety levels are always on the rise.

23 November

My aspirations for a job in medicine were further established. During this week I had my work experience in a hospital. I was very excited beforehand because I had never really experienced the life within a hospital surrounding so it was a complete mystery for me. It did not disappoint as the week was informative but enjoyable at the same time.

Each day I was assigned a different doctor to shadow in a different department. For example, one day I was in theatre watching a hip surgery and the next I was in Paediatrics Accident and Emergency. It was surreal to be right into the heart of the fast pace of a hospital and seeing what happens behind the scenes. Each day brought a whole new experience which increased my confidence as well as helping me to work in a team.

I had a feedback meeting at the very end of the program and it had a doctor asking questions and seeing how much we had learnt, enjoyed and gained from the week. However, being out from school for the whole week does mean I have even more work to do when I get back but thankfully I have been organised about the work I missed and have caught the majority of it.

16 November

The organisation ‘Love for life’ came to my school. They deal with topics appropriate to teenage life and talk about it with confidence and were very informative. The name of the talk was called ‘Dating and Mating’. Going into the talk everyone was a little bit uneasy and awkward but the people from Love for Life soon encouraged everyone to participate. Overall I learnt a lot and have definitely taken points away from it.

Remembrance Day was also this week so of course a special assembly was organised in aid of the day. It was a simple service, similar to what it is every year that was respected by everyone. The senior teachers and prefects were sat on stage with the pupils down in the floor listening attentively as we gave a time of silence for the fallen.

As of January, my school will have a new principle. The current principle has decided to retired. He is a well-known name and everyone is deeply saddened by his departure. The new principle has been around school this past number of weeks just to see the structure of the school. Hopefully when he comes into power he will not change too much as I feel the school is working great the way it is.

9 November

A big change when entering this year was the decrease in the number of subjects that I am doing. Going down to four means I am spending most of my time in the same four classrooms. This school year seems to be going quite fast and this is probably because, since I have so many of the same subjects per week, we are getting through the course very quickly.

Studies break up long stretches of class work but I feel that I never become settled in study as I have my study periods spaced out. I always plan out what I will get done in study periods but I rarely complete it as it takes me a while to settle down into my work. At the maximum I have two consecutive periods of study but I think more than two would work out better for me.

The loss of subjects is also a brilliant part of this year. There are subjects such as English or French that are compulsory in my school that I can’t stand. I had always found them tedious to learn but now I can fully concentrate on the subjects I feel most comfortable learning, and I can do it to the best of my ability.

2 November

I always feel that half term holidays are over too quickly, probably because you are always so busy during this time. Rest is obviously the main purpose of the break but trying to fit in rest over the time spent sorting things out is nearly impossible therefore leaving you just as tired as when you are at school.

I have noticed recently when I am trying to get work done that I’m drawn towards distractions around the room. For example, a TV or games console that is nearby. But the main offender by far is my mobile. Since it is so portable and can be set anywhere, gives easy access for me when I have work and have lost concentration and motivation. I need to learn to leave my phone in another room or turn it off.

As I am thinking of going to university after I have finished school, I have been doing research on different universities around the UK looking at information that will help me to choose the right town to study. In ways of subjects I am not 100% sure but I would like it to involve science and be related to medicine. Medicine seems the most popular choice amongst students but I am not positive that it is for me.

26 October 

Being away from school means that I had an extension on my half term holidays. I was representing the school at the All Ireland’s School Hockey Championships, which I know is a huge honour and responsibility. Staying at a 4 star hotel means we had to be on our best behaviour. Unfortunately we did not win but we did make our school proud.

Now time to take the rest that is intended for the half term holidays. I have been given a lot of work to do over this time but I’m making sure to not leave it to the last minute. I’m going over to England to see family and have been force to bring work with me. Having a controlled assessment to prepare for and a few tracking tests I think this is the right option.

19 October

 As part of your final grade (from GCSE to A Level) you have to complete controlled assessments. For me, it is for Biology right now. We began planning for it this week and we have to complete the written sections for a time after half term. I, unfortunately, will not be in school this upcoming week so completing the controlled assessment will be up to me working very hard.

The controlled assessments should be easy marks for you, as long as you follow the instructions of the teacher. Gaining a good mark for this part of the course will mean a higher chance of a higher grade, so a lot of effort must be put into these.

Because I will not be in school from Tuesday to Friday, I had to update my teachers. I also asked about work that will be given while I am not there. This usually makes the whole situation about not being there a little better. Obviously the best circumstance is to be in school as much as possible, especially when working towards AS levels.

12 October

On Wednesday evenings, I help coach Under 13 girl’s hockey team. Seeing as I do not get paid to coach, it is said to be volunteering. Having volunteering down on your personal statement for universities (or for your CV) looks very good and can boost your chances of success. Not only have this but joining new organisations creates contacts which then lead to more opportunities. From the coaching I have now joined to do a first aid program and I am now umpiring hockey matches.

Study periods are your friends, use them wisely. Just because you aren’t in an actual class doesn’t mean that you should stop working. You can catch up on homeworks or read ahead into your text books if you don’t want to do actual studying. I personally would use these study periods to read over my notes and then create new, personalised notes for myself.

This week I have signed up for the Duke of Edinburgh award scheme which the school is hosting. There was a meeting on the Friday after school. The turnout for it was worrying as there are only 30 spaces. We were told of the commitment and dedication that would have to be shown in order to get the prestigious Gold award. Because the competition for places was so tight we’re being asked to write a letter of application which is always monotonous but this course is something I have been interested in doing for some time.

5 October 

From the start of this week I already knew it was going to be an eventful one. On Monday a window was broken and this caused a disruption throughout the school the whole day as gossip spread and the story became exaggerated more and more. Thankfully no one was hurt but the situation could have had a bad consequence on another day. It showed me how careful you really have to be.

On Wednesday I had a hockey match. This called on me to ‘ask out’ of the necessary classes. Teachers are understanding when it is necessary get out of class, as long as you ask properly and catch up on the work the next day. Unfortunately we lost the match but we are still aiming to win all the possible cups.

As I passed my driving theory test I am currently learning to drive. This is another thing that is taking up my free time. I have had no lessons yet but I am booked in for one soon. My dad and I have went out driving many times now so I should be more than ready for my lesson. I feel that passing your driving test is all about having the confidence to drive. This comes with experience rather than actual driving lessons. I hope to have my test by November/December time. Being able to drive will take a lot of pressure off my parents.

28 September

I had a couple of tracking tests this week and seemed to cope with them quite well. These tests are a good way to indicate to you, your teacher and your parents about how you are doing and to see if you need to put in a few more extra hours with the books.

The teachers seem to be a great help for whatever you may feel worried about. If you don’t feel that you’re up to the subject, ask your teacher and they will reassure you on what to do. Most of my teachers have said that they can help you but you need to speak up and not be too scared to do so. They will understand because they are teachers at the end of the day they are trained to help.

I also highly recommend that when you do have free time; take it because if you’re like me, you don’t know when your next one might come.

21 September

 This week, I decided to relax, as the past few weeks had taken its toll on my mental strength. Everyone should have a week like this every month or two just to recharge the batteries and to make sure that you do not wear yourself out too much to the point of sickness.

I am now understanding why teachers are suggesting to do a little bit of revision each night because I know that I would be left behind very quickly. With tracking tests arriving this week I will need to get my head down in the books for a few hours to make sure that I’m up to speed with where I should be at.

14 September

The pressure is slowly starting to build on my school work especially since I take part in a lot of extracurricular activities inside and out school. Right now, I seem to cope but my free time is becoming less and less each day. I’ll just have to stay calm and if worse comes to worst then I’ll have to be prepared to possibly drop some of my activities that wouldn’t be deemed “substantial” towards Universities or what I’m enjoying the least.

Some of my friends who are taking 3 AS levels or not taking the same subjects as me (Triple Science and Maths) seem to have more free time than myself. I guess I’m slightly jealous but who said these exams would be easy?

7 September

Starting back seemed to come naturally on Monday morning, even though the break had got me into the routine of late nights into late mornings. Walking through the school’s front doors seemed strange as the crowds of first years had arrived. Each year doing this I feel older and older.

Being in Lower Sixth now makes me feel old and means that I will have more responsibility, which in some ways makes me scared. I’m going to have to come to turns with this fast if I want to survive this year the way I want.

Classes have been intense from the start with teachers doing their usual speech set every year about the “Added work” and “How mature you have to be”. I haven’t been put off any by this because I know what was in store before I signed up. Some seem to have taken the information hard. Trust me, the work will be hard but the results at the end of it will be worth it.

31 August 

The week leading up to school has been long. It has stretched out but I’m not complaining. The sport focused week has taken my mind off the upcoming term even though it is so close.

I am feeling quite nervous for this year for obvious reasons (this being my AS year) but my main concern at this moment is about the new pupils that will enter into our year.  The mystery of having pupils that you have known for the 5 years of secondary school, being replaced by completely new class mates is something that will take getting used to. The tactic is to make friends quickly.

However, with the nervousness comes excitement and I look forward to see what happens this year. I hope to go at it hard and to try get involved with as many things as possible because, let’s face it; I’m not going to be in school much longer.