School really isn't as glamorous as it seems...

School shouldn’t be a place of ridicule, a place of misery. It should be a place in which everyone has the right to be educated. They should become educated without actually realising it. Not only academically, but socially. They should be subtly socialised into the norms and values of society, in a way that they don’t actually realise that it is happening. They shouldn’t wish to retaliate, and wish to be deviant.

People don’t always realise the importance of school and education. They don’t realise that without school you wouldn’t be the person that you are today. Teachers may annoy you and may make you feel like a failure at times; but, at the end of the day, they are getting paid. So, why should they care? Personally, I find this viewpoint disgusting... if you don’t want to see students be successful, and you cannot be bothered to put the effort in... then those students WILL fail.

Is that really what you want?

There is so much pressure put on the students of today, that it can sometimes be the reason for their failure.  They work day in, day out and believe me, it doesn’t always pay off. Students put blood, sweat and tears into achieving their goals - and sometimes... it really isn't worth it. To me, this is horrific, it is evidence that meritocracy can be a complete and utter myth.

However, I do not believe that this should be the case.

I believe that students should be assessed throughout two years, from the moment they start year 12, until the moment that they finish year 13. Education should NOT be assessed based on academia alone, it should be based on attitude – on work ethic and on resilience.

Students only seem to get into university based on their grades. So, how about if a student is caring, generous, well-behaved, hard-working... they could work every single day for two years .... but just not quite get the grades that universities request. So, they just don’t get into university? Yet, there will be rude, arrogant, lazy students that just about scrape the grades and get in? This education system is completely unfair.

It really is about time that it was changed.

Students face stress every single day of their lives; sacrificing necessities such as sleep, in order to finish a piece of homework that their teacher will never even ask for. They cry on a regular basis, because the stress of school and a part-time job has just got too much... they suffer often just because a teacher has decided to make a joke about them... why? Why is it that teachers can ridicule students, but students cannot ridicule teachers? Yes... 'respect your elders'... but seriously... it's borderline cruel!?!

So, I am asking you – what is the point? Really? What is it?

Unjust schools...

School should be about solidarity, about creating a sense of community and belonging for students. It should be about supporting students from day one until the very end. It should be about allowing them to become young adults; yet still helping them with the difficult maturation process. It should be able teaching them in a way that they will actually remember information and still enjoy it.

School should be a place where a student feels safe, feels as if they should be there. School is supposed to be the best years of your life – but unfortunately, for many students – it isn’t. It’s a time that students are put until immense pressure – a time in which they suffer stress so badly that they breakdown that they cry, that they just want to give up. A levels cause students so much stress that they sometimes just drop out of school – not because they want to, but because they feel as if they have no other choice. Personally, I feel that this is completely unjust – I feel that we should enjoy working, and feel a sense of meritocracy. As if all of our hard work will actually be worth it in the end – sometimes, we just work so hard, for so long and still don’t get the grades we would like – still don’t feel satisfied with our achievements. How is this fair?

Students should not have to feel as if they are suffering at school, but as if they are striving – as if they are learning and achieving. Of course it won’t always be fun and easy, but right now – it is very rarely fun or easy. It is rare to see students enjoying their learning and being willing to stay after school to do work, or go to extra classes in order to improve their work.

Schools should be meritocratic and democratic. Students should get their say – after all, what’s a school without students? Schools should be run in a way that benefits students; too often nowadays, schools are run like businesses – for profit. Students are forced to work hard day in and day out in order for their teacher to get a pay rise – or to boost their school’s reputation in the odd ‘Marketization’ process that occurs in today’s society.

How can we enjoy school and be successful if school policies are pro-reputation and anti-child welfare? Schools should be run in a way that benefits students – in a way that creates equality of opportunity for students; in a way that will make them realise that school was worthwhile. Everything is about reputation nowadays, it’s about time the student voice was heard... schools should be democratic!

Teachers...

During your education, you don’t quite realise how important the role of a teacher is. They are there every lesson with you – whether you are in a great mood or a bad mood – they are there for one reason, and one reason alone... to teach. There is only one problem with this... why are they there?

It is extraordinarily rare nowadays to meet a teacher that is actually teaching for the greater good. Most of them are there for the holidays and the pension – however, they must have wanted to be a teacher once... so what has made them lose their motivation? School is hard... everyone knows that – but, it isn’t just hard for students; it is hard for teachers too – they spend all day with disruptive teenagers, attempting to teach them something that they will probably forget in about 10 minutes time. Attempting to get them through school in order to get them decent grades and a reasonable shot at life....

So why have so many teachers given up?

They have given up because of the horrific behaviour displayed in schools nowadays - from 11 year olds to 18 year olds – there will always be a few students that ruin it for everyone. Teachers, they have to sit there every day and attempt not to lose their cool because of that one insolent student that won’t keep their mouth shut. They have to suffer through trying to help others get good grades because of that student.

Despite this, some teachers – few teachers, still have that motivation and drive to make the world a better place; to improve the education and lives of the youth of today... these teachers are the best kind of teachers. They are teachers that are willing to come into school in the school holidays, weekends and after school in order to help students with work; they are teachers that plan their lessons in a way that allows them to cater equally to the needs of every single student in their class. They are the teachers that don’t continuously lose their temper with you – they are teachers that can simply look at you and it will feel like their eyes are burning straight through you because you have disappointed them.

These teachers are more than recognisable – they will be the teachers that offer to sit down with you and help you with your work or even just have a chat with you to make you feel better ... these teachers are sincerely respected within schools and it is extremely clear. They are one of a kind – so please; don’t take advantage of them – because they will be the ones that guide you through school into a better standard of living.

Just appreciate your teachers for once and treat them with the respect that they deserve!

Meritocracy... pfft, what a joke!

Is the education system really meritocratic? Do students really get rewarded for all of the work that they put in? Do they get  the grades that they deserve after staying up late to finish essays and revise; for going to those weekend/school holiday revision sessions and lessons after school? Do they get what the rewards that they have worked for after all that? Do they get repaid for all of the times that they have turned down days out and sacrificed their ever-so precious sleep? For me, the answer is no...

Some students revise every day, stay up every night to finish coursework, essays and revision – they stay up with a goal in their mind; a goal that they are working so hard to achieve ... a goal that eventually slips through their hands like butter. A goal that they have clung onto for ‘dear life’ – and for what? In their minds, they have had results day -  a day that many students like to call ‘ Judgement Day;’ the day that they find out whether they will be carrying onto year 13 or more importantly getting into the university of their choice. This day can decide their fate – via a piece of paper with 3-4 letters on... this day can make or break a student ... it can mean that all of their hard work has paid off... or in my case – hasn’t.

You know what has caused these students to suffer? There are a few things: the removal of January exams – the point of this was to prevent as many students achieving the highest grades ... the grades that they have worked their butts off for! The funny thing is ... to Michael Gove, this made sense – he clearly enjoyed watching students’ hearts break as they opened their results – to see that they just haven’t made the cut. How do you think that this makes students feel? You make it harder for us to get the grades that we deserve? WHAT ARE YOU DOING????? It is already hard, we already sacrifice so much – why are you making it worse for us?

Additionally, not only have you removed January exams; you have also moved grade boundaries up – up so high that they are just unrealistic ... how is this supposed to help us? Now, no one is going to get the grades that they deserve because you are too selfish – you are so wrapped up in how much you hated school ... that you are trying to make it worse for us? Why??? What can you possibly get out of making our lives miserable that is so rewarding? Oh yeah... a pay rise.

Well, at this rate – we won’t even be able to get jobs ... because the working world is so competitive already; and because of your brainless, selfish decisions – we are going to be left unemployed, unable to get a pay-rise because we have no jobs! The education system is not meritocratic – it is completely unfair ... and what is even worse, is  that to you – we mean nothing... we are just another number on a piece of paper – another statistic for you to look at contently, whilst in your dressing gown and slippers in your £1000 armchair in your heated living room, in your overpriced, luxury apartment somewhere in London. Whilst we are left sitting in our rooms, crying and thinking we are just not good enough for education – just not good enough to achieve deserved grades; even though we could have never done anymore work for our exams.

So why don’t you actually consider us when you arrange the education system – rather than being so selfish and thinking of just your pay rise and reputation... I tell you know, you reputation is getting rapidly worse – so please, sort yourself out before there is a revolution. Power in this country is so unevenly distributed – it is about time is it equalised and fair.

So, in conclusion – the education system is not meritocratic – and some people, like me; just don’t achieve the grades that they deserve because meritocracy within schools is a myth – and it is about time is it brought back into play.

 

Advice for Year 11s...

So there will be year 11s across the country receiving their GCSE results this Thursday; some will be extremely content with their results and will attend the sixth form of their choice... however, there will also be students that will have not done quite as well as they were hoping/expecting. Therefore, I thought that I would write a blog as a bit of advice for all year 11s that will be attending sixth form this September.

To start with, sixth form is not what you expect... many students expect it to be two of the best years of your life – especially your school life, which it is. However, it really isn’t as easy as people make it out to be. Although it will be fun and you will make potentially life-long friends; it is a LOT of hard work. It isn’t just the odd essay and piece of coursework that you will write once and hand in, hoping to get an A! It is a period of redrafting tens of times, staying up late at night on a school day to re-write an essay that you  have already written seventeen times. It is a time where you have to sacrifice so much: friends, sleep and even food at times. It is a time in your life where you will have to be completely focused if you want to achieve your ideal grades.

Subsequently, A levels are completely different to GCSEs – when you are studying GCSEs, you can revise the night before and still probably get an A or a B; if you do that in A levels, you will undoubtedly achieve an ungraded. I’m sorry if it sounds harsh, or if it sounds like you are not going to work – but, it is completely true... as someone that is currently experiencing the troubles of A levels, I can tell you that they are NOT easy; and they really aren’t for the light-hearted. If you are not 100% committed, you will not get the grades that you wish to, meaning that you most likely won’t get into the University that you want to. Yes, it is harsh and upfront – but it also incredibly true and realistic.

My best advice to you would be to make sure that you stay on top of your work from day one – it is extremely daunting to begin with, and you will feel like you have been thrown into the deep end; however, I can assure you that you will get used to it in no time at all. You will honestly feel like you have been studying this intensely for your whole life. Just make sure that if you do not understand something, you ask you teacher – because at the end of the day, that is what they are there for... it is their job! Moreover, make sure that you are studying the subjects that you wish to; the first couple of weeks of year 12 will be an induction; therefore, if you find that you are not enjoying your subjects or have a problem with one of them – make sure you tell someone, usually your head of year; because it is their job to make sure that you are happy and have everything that you need in order to be successful!

In addition, this is going to sound so harsh; but, make sure that you are friends with the right type of people – if you are friends with people that you know are quite harsh and disruptive; then you are not going to succeed. I apologise for being so abrupt, but it is true. If you ‘hang around’ with people that are not pro-education and are just there for the ‘banter’ or so to speak, then you are not going to succeed. You need to be around positive, supportive people – people that are going to help you achieve what you wish to, not people that are going to hold you back and cause you to underachieve because you are too busy ‘partying’ and going out with your friends.

Honestly, these next two years are going to be two of the most important years of your life; so, please, please do not ruin them. Work hard and make sure that you are receiving all of the help that you need and deserve – because you do NOT want to regret it on results day. Additionally, make sure that you have a goal in your head... whether it is results day or getting into a university of your choice – just make sure that you really want to achieve it and do your best to work towards it. You are going to have to make sacrifices, so make sure that your dream is going to be worth it in the end.

If you are unsure of anything at school, make sure you tell someone –whether it be someone else in sixth form, maybe the year above you; your teacher or one of your parents – just do not sit and suffer in silence... because if you want to achieve you are going to have to sacrifice blood, sweat and tears – but, I can assure you, if you work hard...it will definitely be worth it in the end!!!

Good luck and make sure you try to enjoy it – when times get tough; smile, breathe and think responsibly and in a mature manner. I hope that you all achieve the grades that you wish to and do whatever it is that you wish to do in the future.

“May the odds forever be in your favour.”

Judgement Day...

So today was results day... the day that every student dreads all year; the day that they work for, and the day that makes or breaks them. So many students work day in, day out for this day... they stay up late at night finishing work and revising; they decline invitations in order to finish their work - purely to achieve the grades that they wish to on results day.

For some people, results day is the day that makes them. It is the day that they achieve the grades that they wish to and get into the University that they would like to, to study the subject of their choice. However, no everyone is quite so lucky. Some students work their butts off all year, day in, day out... essay after essay, living and breathing school... but, they do not quite get the grades that they wished for.

These are the students that miss out on success... they may have put the work in and done every single little thing that they possibly could have - but, they still didn't achieve what they would have wished to. They may have missed out by a slither; however, they may have just not been good enough. These are the students that get bad press - from their grade sheet, it appears that they have not worked hard enough - or they are not clever. However, who says that they didn't spend that extra time working - just like the others? Who can say that they didn't just have an 'off day?' They may have been ill - or just not quite on point; and their grades have been decided because of that one and a half hour paper that they completed with a heavy cold two and a half months ago. Their future is all down to that one exam - is that really fair?

It now gets worse ... the decision after receiving their results is the difficult one! Do they resit the year? Do they resit some exams? What do they do? Because the rest of their lives are going to be based on this decision - and it for sure is not an easy one.

Students really do have complex lives... not everyone realises the struggles and pressure that they face on a daily basis. Expectations of them are impossibly high - not everyone can achieve top grades - such as As and A*s - some of us are just not good enough!

So please, spare a thought for the students like myself this results day ... the students that worked as hard as they possibly could have and just didn't get what they had hoped for... the students that have been left heartbroken after looking at that dreaded piece of paper - that essentially has their whole future concealed in that one centimetre squared letter sitting there looking up at them!

Patronisation is not an attractive trait...

Why is it that teachers feel the urge to patronise students at any given chance? They treat us as if we are four year old children! We are virtually adults; and it is teachers like them that make us want to leave school, because we continuously feel belittled and unworthy. Do they get a kick out of it or something? It is as if their ‘superiority’ has gone to their heads, and now they live off of giving us a hard time...

Dragging us around London, showing us up in public and treating us like little children is just wrong. That is the sort of behaviour that makes teachers ‘hated’ – when they act like you have no emotions and that you are just like a punch bag for them to let their anger out on. Well, you know what – we aren’t; we are students, students trying to get a decent education... however, it is not that simple once you get to year 12! It is more like trying to get through each day without having an emotional breakdown or committing mass genocide! Therefore, being treated like garbage by teachers is not helping...

You know what, it’s not fair! So please don’t treat us like we are inferior – yes, you have a duty of care towards us... so why don’t you show it? Why don’t you show your caring side? Instead of making us feel like a piece of dirt on the bottom of your shoe? It is rude and ignorant ... it’s not like we can retaliate either – because that would make us ‘disrespectful’ and ‘mischievous!’ When really, we are just trying to enjoy school and live our lives whilst we can!

Please don’t ask us to act like adults and then treat us like children... this system is just completely and utterly unfair – and you know what, it just isn’t working! Don’t expect us to do favours for you and treat you with ‘almighty respect,’ if you are just going to patronise us and make us feel absolutely minute!

Teachers wonder why we hate school, they wonder why we want to leave, and they wonder why we ‘hate’ them. They have been there... do they not realise the shear patronisation that they are portraying upon us?

Patronisation really isn’t an attractive trait – so get rid of it and start respecting us! Why should we respect your ‘legitimate authority’ when we are treated like toddlers all day? Treat us like adults and we may actually consider liking you!

Reputation, Reputation, Reputation...

Why is it that schools only care about their precious reputations? They treat certain students in particular ways in order to show themselves in a good light; for example, if they believe that a student will be successful publicly, then they treat them like royalty – show them off to the public and make them feel as if they actually care. However, that leaves the rest of us at a loose end; it leaves us feeling belittled and left out – it leaves us believing that we are not worthy, as if we are just not quite good enough.

Schools just focus all of their attention on the students that ‘need help;’ meaning that they end up ignoring those that they think will succeed – just to realise that those left alone are working their butts off, independently. Whereas, the ones that are receiving help are being spoon-fed information, so that they think that they have earned their grades … but have they? Really? Their teachers have essentially done the work for them; causing them to get good grades even though they haven’t actually done anything.

It is pathetic that schools only care about their reputations and not about the lives of their students… to them it is a job, they have an idea in their head, and they will do anything they can in order to achieve that idea. Meaning that us, as students are suffering for their benefit – the education system is completely messed up; the priorities of the education system are skewed and yet again, we are the ones struggling.

Teachers should actually care about their students; they shouldn’t just focus all of their attention on their reputation and allow others to suffer for their benefit. It is completely selfish! It is about time that they got over themselves and began to realign their priorities – providing all students with equal opportunities and promoting the idea of meritocracy. Students should have to work for their grades, they should not be handed good grades on a plate – it is completely unfair and quite frankly, pathetic.

Students deserve equality of opportunity and teachers that actually care about them and their futures; not teachers that ignore them and only pretend to pay any attention when they are under the pressure of OFSTED.

Teacher Expectations

Something that I have been meaning to write a blog about for a while is teacher expectations. They can have a colossal influence on you and your grades in the long-term; they can cause you to exceed your target grades and be incredibly successful, or they can shatter your dreams and make you feel belittled. Therefore, they really are something that massively contributes to your education and how well you do in the long-run.

Teacher expectations regularly go from one extreme to the other; some teachers will have high expectations, causing you to sort out your attitude so that you work hard, be resilient and achieve your target grades or above. However, they can be the complete opposite – teachers may expect you to fail, they may lower your self-esteem with negative, snide comments and make you feel like children via patronisation. This can cause you to be lazy and underachieve.

Despite this, it could be different; low expectations may make you want to ‘pick up your game’ and work hard. They could make you have a good work ethic and work your butt off in order to see the look on their smug faces when you prove them so very wrong.

Although, high expectations aren’t always positive either – if expectations are too high, it can make you very stressed; causing you to give up on work because you believe that you aren’t good enough – therefore, this can cause you to have a low self-esteem and a high level of self-doubt.

It is important for teachers to be supportive of us; they should care about us and stop worrying about their ‘precious’ reputations – this is our one and only shot at education, so they shouldn’t be ruining it for us. Although, teachers really can make a huge difference to us – they will be the ones that we remember when we look back at our time at school. Whether they are the ones that we remember as being really kind and supportive or the ones that we remember from putting us down – the ones that we want to prove wrong... they really do make a huge difference!

Teachers don’t always realise how much of an influence they have on our education – they see us day-in-day-out; they are there when we are happy and laughing with our friends. They are also there when we are stressed and upset, at our lowest points – they contribute to our education more than anyone quite realises. Their support can be the difference between success and failure; it’s about time we realised it...

No More Gove!

So now that Michael Gove has gone, the education system will hopefully be modernised and brought back to its original state. Gove has spent years making the education system outdated, and quite frankly, unfair. However, Nicky Morgan should be able to turn things around.

Fresh ideas from a fresh mind and a fresh governmental cabinet should create a modernised, fairer education system for all. David Cameron has made a fantastic decision – and it looks like he may have actually listened to the teacher strikes... for once!

Too many students are leaving school unsatisfied, desperate to get out of the place; however, I believe that this could be the start of something very worthwhile – something that may actually make a difference to students, teachers and everyone else involved in the crippling education system!

Personally, I believe that students should be praised for things they do – at the moment, the government don’t seem to care; this is causing students to be lazy, and making them want to quit; however, a little bit of praise would do the world of good – it certainly wouldn’t go a miss.

Sometimes tradition isn’t always best. Yes, in the 40s, this curriculum may have been effective in achieving high-quality results and making students enjoy school. However, it isn’t anymore... students deserve a curriculum that they enjoy, a curriculum that makes them want to learn and go on to be successful in the future. Not one that makes them believe that the ‘benefits life’ would be a much better, easier option. Right now, students are not leaving school with a good work ethic and a mature attitude; they are leaving with a sense of self-doubt and shear fatigue. They are desperate to leave school, purely so they can be independent and build their confidence one more.

The education system requires a pick-up, from someone who can bring in new ideas to create equality of opportunity and promote meritocracy. Too many students are attending school day-in-day-out and absolutely detesting it; it’s about time it was made fun again! It is about time we had an education secretary that actually cared about us, our views and our lives! Let’s hope Nicky Morgan is the woman for the job!

Exams are limiting students...

Why is it that students have to take all of their exams in one go? All exams are now being taken in the summer. Is that really fair? How can it thoroughly and correctly assess a student’s ability?

Students are put under continuous pressure from their parents, their teachers and even the government. They are put under colossal strain – the expectations of them are unrealistically high a lot of the time. Putting exams in the summer only, is just causing this pressure to be even more immense.

Students are forced to work from September to May – non-stop in order for them to get decent grades in the summer. They work all year, potentially achieving A grades every single time that they complete an assessment; however, on their summer exam day, they may be ill – or they may have a nose bleed, they may have had an argument with someone – or they exam paper could just be a tricky one. All of these things could cause a student to lose everything that they have worked for, just because they just happened to have had an off day. How can this possibly be fair?

How can it be fair that students have to work day-in-day-out for essentially no reason at all? Why should they have to put themselves through that? The education system really is unfair. The student life is not at all as ‘glamorous’ as it seems. Yes, students do get a lot of school holidays – but, they really do need them!

Every school holiday is simply like getting one step closer to the end of a very difficult, long journey – this journey is school life. Yes, you have fun at school sometimes, and you make friends that may be friends for life. Yet, it really is not what people think it is. Exams really are bad for students and their health; they can cause them to get stress-related illnesses and that can also cause them to underachieve in their exams – therefore, it should be obvious that the current education system isn’t helping students at all. The government would like a new, strong, healthy workforce; but, how are they going to get that when they put us under so much pressure that it makes us ill? It makes absolutely no sense at all!

Making students do all of their exams in the summer is just setting them up to fail... well, maybe that is what the government want. They are powerful and dominant over the subordinate members of society – the vulnerable, belittled members of society; therefore, they express their power in an unfair way – a way that makes students feel like giving up on everything every day. A way that causes students to cry every single day because they are stressed about their essay that is due in the next day. A way that creates a false hope for students, students that are struggling every single day of their lives – and what are they struggling for? Nothing. They are struggling by working their butts off all year; just for the topics that they have learnt to not come up in the exam. They are struggling so that they come out of their exams crying – partly with relief that it is all over; but, mainly because they have messed up their one and only chance, and now they are going to have to go through it all again – and for what? Because universities don’t accept failures... so what is the point? I mean, really?

Summer exams only, they are just a really unfair way of belittling students. They create false hope for students and crush their life-long dreams – they should bring back modular exams; at least give us a chance.

The student life really is unfair at times. When will Michael Gove finally learn this? I’ll tell you when... he’ll learn it when it’s too late... just you watch!

School isn't all it's cracked up to be...

School doesn’t teach you the important things in life; it doesn’t teach you how to pay bills or how to use a washing machine- it teaches you irrelevant information; information that you will spend a whole year learning, repeating and recalling for an exam. You will then get into that exam and you have to take a deep breath and open your exam paper- just to see that dreaded question, the question that you have been praying won’t come up. But it has. Your heart sinks and your face drops – you try to remember the lessons that you were taught it in, the evenings that you spent revising it. You close your eyes and attempt to recall it – but you can’t. So you do the thing that you never, ever want to have to do – you improvise; you try to remember anything, anything that may be even remotely relevant – and for what? A piece of paper at the end of the year, telling you that you didn’t do as well as you wanted to – telling you that you will not be going to the university that you want to – telling you that you wasted two whole years revising pointless information for pointless exams. Telling you that you just aren’t quite good enough, and that you will never be quite good enough. Yeah... it hurts.

90% of the information that we are taught in school is completely pointless; they don’t teach you important, worthy knowledge. They teach you how to pass an exam – nothing else. They don’t teach you how to cope with the disappointment of knowing that you have spent every night for six months revising the same irrelevant information for no reason – because you failed all four of your A levels. They don’t teach you that at school. They teach you how to annotate a poem and how earthquakes are caused – or how the sympathomedullary pathway is a biological process involved in the stress response. Information that may be interesting at the time; but, in 10 years time, are you really going to think about your A levels? The information that you have spent every day learning for the past two years; the information that you have now forgotten – the information that comes under such a complex topic title that you cannot actually remember it.

School is seen as a social institution that sets you up for the rest of your life – an institution in which you spend the ‘best’ years of your life. Well, I tell you now – if these are the best years of our lives, then we are in for a long, miserable journey. School really isn’t what it is made out to be. It isn’t the happy place that parents assume it is; it’s a place that you walk into everyday – a place in which everyone stares at you, and judges you. A place that you spend all day trying to get out of because it is miserable; it is a place that limits everything that you do and controls you more than you would ever believe.

School really isn’t what people think it is...

The Education System

Nowadays, people don’t seem to acknowledge the importance of the education system. As an agency of secondary socialisation; the education system is socialising us into society, by transmitting the norms and values of the wider society onto us. It is setting us up for the world of work in the only way that we know how – through school. Exam after exam, essay after essay, revision session after revision session; but it works does it not?

Although it regularly makes people upset, angry and frustrated; the education system is fantastically complex – it attempts to create equality, equality of opportunity and a sense of meritocracy; it allows people to perform deferred gratification for the greater good – by providing us with a goal, a goal that we will forever aspire to. A goal that will motivate us through the darkest of times, and out the other side again. A goal that makes us who we are today! Yes, it has its faults; but, what/who doesn’t? It’s a colossal agency that provides almost every child/adolescent with a sense of being worthy - unfortunately though, it isn’t exactly omnibenevolent.

Some people might say that the education system isn’t as glamorous as it seems. Students are exploited by the government; the very people that are supposed to be preparing them for the unpredictable world of work. They are regularly discouraged from studying certain subjects, because they are ‘stupid’ or the ‘wrong gender.’

Personally, I think that we, as students, should have a choice in what we do – we already have a limited say in the education system; so it’s about time we actually had our voices heard by authority.

We should have a say in the way that schools are run, what subjects we study and how we study them. The government are clueless, they are ‘children of their time;’ and cannot possibly relate to the 2014 education system, from the perspective of a student – whereas, we can!

Although, the government are doing something right; students are given opportunities, it’s whether they grasp them or not that creates the individual differences. Which is why certain students will stay at home for months on end, doing work – instead of having a ‘social life;’ they will pull ‘all-nighters’ in order to finish some coursework, or revise for an exam. They do it because they want to succeed; they want to obtain a high-quality job; a job that they will enjoy doing, day-in and day-out.

Whereas, some students don’t care; they’ll stroll into lesson half an hour late, with McDonalds in one hand, and their phone in the other – only to sit there, and complain about having to attend school; whilst having a chat about irrelevant ‘gossip’ and distract others from learning. They will get drunk every weekend and answer back to their teachers – and why? Because they have no motivation. They don’t see the point in attending school.

Although, at the end of the day, what they don’t realise is that learning ‘pointless’ information could get you straight As; which could then get you into a decent university; therefore, lead you on the right track to obtain your ‘dream job,’ earn a high wage and live financially stable life; a life in which you would be happy to raise a child or two, or more... a life where you are happy, and most of all - a life in which you look back and have no regrets. It is like a domino effect; the more you defer your gratification, the more you will be rewarded – it is meritocratic!

However, the unmotivated ones – they will look back and feel full of regret; whilst they are perched on their reclining armchair, in a council flat, living off of the state and working in a factory on the nightshift, as well as being a so-called ‘member’ or the ‘urban underclass’ – they will wish that they had tried harder in education when they had the chance.

Therefore, the education system is successful; although it has flaws, it does provide us with amazing opportunities to change our lives for the better, both short and long-term. This is why I am ‘Pro-Education.’

Get Gove Gone!

In the society of today, education is extremely important; and as a student I feel very passionately about it. Whether changes in the curriculum affect me or students in the future - I believe that as students, we should have a say in what happens. After all, we are the ones that are studying the syllabus ... no one else, especially not the ‘almighty’ Michael Gove.

Therefore, personally, I believe that it is so important that teenagers of today are taught an up-to-date curriculum. However, it is clear that they are being forced to learn one from the 1940s! Getting rid of spectacular American Literature; such as: Harper Lee’s: ‘To Kill a Mocking Bird’ and John Steinbeck’s:‘Of Mice and Men;’ is starving our younger generations of multiculturalism – something that nowadays, is a prominently precious aspect of everyday life in Britain.

It is incredibly important that in modern society, students are aware of differing cultures; so why isn’t Gove allowing this? Students adore American Literature; therefore, disallowing them the opportunity to study multicultural literature is famishing them of the aspects of the curriculum that they have actually learned to love. Studying tired, British literature will not improve grades –although, a modern, intriguing curriculum may well do so.

As students, we don’t have much say – but, I think that this is something that we should actually have a say in. We go to school for approximately 7 hours a day, 5 days a week – regularly learning irrelevant knowledge for a subject that we didn’t even want to do. In theory, we already have a limited syllabus – so why remove incredible American Literature... I mean, it’s actually bordering on racism.

Most of the time, school doesn’t teach you the knowledge that you require for the workplace, it teaches you how to pass an exam. No really... is that what we want? Do we really want to be able to pass an exam; well yes, but we also want to be able to achieve skills that will be needed in the future. Skills that will help us to get a job that we actually want, a job that we will enjoy and look forward to every morning. Not a tired, old job that we hate – a job that just about allows us to just about get by and pay for necessities.

Why should both students and teachers do so much work, for such little reward? Why? How can it possibly be fair... as members of the education system, we are clearly being exploited by authority – why do we put up with it? I say, you know what – it’s about time our opinions were heard, about time we had a say. After all, it’s our lives...

The curriculum is completely outdated... I mean, come on - this is not the 1940s, this is 2014.

Motivation...

Everyone will be motivated by different things; therefore, it is absolutely essential that you find something that motivates you... because, I can assure you now, that you do not want to be the one standing there on results day thinking: 'I could have done better; if I had done more work.' OR 'I only failed because I wasn't motivated...' because I am afraid, that isn't what is going to get you into University - and that most certainly will not get you a job.
 
Therefore, I cannot stress how important it is that you have something that motivates you - this is why my advice, would be to set yourself a goal. Whether it be getting into University, getting a particular job - or even something as simple as doing your family proud. This goal will help you maintain your motivation throughout this stressful exam period; as well throughout the entire school year, hopefully.

Everyone knows that A levels can be so stressful; but, you just have to remember that you are there for a reason - to get an education, only YOU can get the grades that you need to get into University, or to get that job that you so badly want.

Even if you don't know what you want to do in the future, it doesn't matter - just as long as you have something in the back of your mind that you are aiming for; something to get you out of bed on a cold, rainy Tuesday morning - or to get you to revise when your favourite programme is on TV.

I'm not saying that you won't lose your motivation every once in a while; because, believe me, EVERYONE loses it sometimes... even the most motivated people that you'll ever meet. It is just important that you set yourself a goal and try to stick to it; it doesn't matter if it changes a bit, just make sure that it is realistic and actually something that you want to achieve.

There is no point setting yourself and unrealistic goal - because this will just make you want to give up and not bother .. and start PROCRASTINATING!

All I can say about procrastination, is that it really is the thief of time - do not allow yourself to lose focus; especially when revising - if you feel yourself getting bored, tired or on the verge of giving up, TAKE A BREAK! Just take about 15 minutes to go for a walk, or get a drink - maybe listen to some music to help get yourself back into the mindset of wanting to succeed.

Just remember, at times - everyone wants to give up; but, the student life is all about motivation and resilience; there is no point thinking: 'I don't feel well, only have a cold - but I'll have a couple of days off...' because, I can assure you; the topic that you miss whilst you are 'ill' will be the one that comes  up in the exam - it always is. If you do have a day off, at least catch up on notes; or speak to your teacher about the work that you have missed.

Finally, just remember to make sure that your goals are realistic and achievable - because, you do not want to be the one that fails because they 'couldn't be bothered' or 'had other things on...' because those excuses just aren't good enough I'm afraid.

Stay motivated, and keep revising :)

The Student Life...

So this is my first blog; and I wanted to do something that is an accurate representation of my life. To be honest, the main thing that dominates my life at the moment is of course: EDUCATION.

I am currently a Year 12 student; which of course means AS!!!
As a year 12, I spend 7 hours at school each day, 5 days a week; this seems fine - just like any other school year... but, you know what, it isn't - not at all.
On top of my 7 hours a day at school; there is at least 2 hours of work when I get home; sometimes 3 or 4. Then, there is the weekends - a time that is supposed to be spent with family/friends; having fun in the sun (during our 2 day English summer)... as an A level student; my weekends no longer consist of 'laughs' and days out - they consist of homework, revision and essays.

ESSAY UPON ESSAY UPON ESSAY!

And as someone who is studying essay-based subjects; I can tell you - essays are dull after a while... and that is coming from someone who enjoys writing essays - I love writing and being creative (hints this blog); and it's a good job I do - because if I didn't, I sure wouldn't be doing A levels anymore!

Okay so, as I said - I am studying essay-based subjects; these are: English Literature, Psychology, Sociology and Geography.

Quite frankly, these subjects can be incredibly daunting and pressurised at times... especially when you have a week to write an essay for each subject! But, the key to tough subjects is remembering your goal - I cannot stress quite how important it is to have an ambition/aspiration; whether it be to get into University, get a certain job or just to achieve a personal target.

This target will really help you pull through sixth form and maintain the motivation that you need to be a successful, high-achieving student.

Happy Revising!