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!