Saturday 19 August 2017

Results Reveal!

Ah, 19th August - over halfway through the month which, for those who had been impatiently waiting for A-level results day to arrive two days ago, has been long and tedious to say the least! Within the space of just over forty-eight hours, I feel as though all the days preceding 17th August are merely a fuzzy blur in my mind, like they never even existed. Saying that, I won't deny the fact that I've been in a daze of sorts since collecting and, of course, opening my results slip on Thursday morning, so it is perhaps unsurprising that I'm taking a while (such an ambiguous word - it could refer to eternity for all I care!) to process things. 

By 'things', I'm referring to what was indeed contained inside the envelope which would present either sheer delight or tear-inducing horror for me. If you have had the 'misfortune' of studying A-levels like myself (which nonetheless thousands of teenagers choose to do each year, even though we are supposedly 'aware' of the horrors ahead!), you might have experienced anxiety, stress or random moments of panic in the months, weeks and eventually days leading up to the third Thursday of August. Less than a week ago, my imagination decided to bless me with a beautiful nightmare in which the envelope containing my results went missing - as a self-confessed impatient teenager (luckily my parents made the sagacious decision to not call me 'Patience' which is actually a name!), it was the very last scenario that I wanted to dream about! 

To further reiterate how waiting for results day can truly mess with your mind, one of my recent dreams involved my getting an A in Computer Science... a subject that I don't even study! OK, I know how to turn on the Wi-Fi if one of my parents has disconnected laptops from it yet, asides from that, I wouldn't call myself an expert on computers! So that 'dream' only served to highlight how nervous I was feeling before finally reaching this Thursday, although I would've preferred to have not realised it!

Needless to say, the wait for results day is a nail-biting one (not that I'm encouraging you to bite your nails like some people over-pluck their eyebrows!) and I'm not going to waste time discussing the symptoms or the depth of panic that other people and myself have experienced before the Day of Doom eventually arrives. After having sent off four of my GCSEs for re-marks last year - of which only one changed - I suppose that my anxiety was heightened all the more because I didn't want to get my hopes up too much in case the same scenario reoccurred this year. Honestly, it is so difficult to establish a healthy quantity of self-confidence without becoming overly 'cocky' because, if you feel assured about your abilities, such a feeling gives you a tremendous boost when sitting your exams (alrhough hard work is far more important than how 'confident' you feel!). However, building confidence is easier said than done. As the 're-marking' business left me feeling apprehensive with regard to the exams I sat this year, I really didn't know what to expect with my results. 

At the end of the day, the very last thing I want is that others believe that I'm over-exaggerating or making a fuss over nothing about my GCSE re-marks. Overall, I achieved 4A* (including ECDL ICT which can only be listed as a 'pass' or 'fail' on my UCAS application - what was the point of hours of tedious revision?!), 4A and 2B last year; one of my re-marks for English Literature increased to an A* which, to this day, I am eternally grateful because it reaffirms my confidence in the subject that I want to study alongside French at uni next year! After a year of attending a grammar school, I'm more aware than ever of the shocking differences between this envirnonment - one more adapt to teaching in a more organised and efficient way - compared to my former comprehensive where I sat my GCSEs, so I suppose that I've become more proud of what I achieved a year ago because the majority of my peers fortunately never attended a school whose foundations seemed to be based on constant disruption, lower aspirations and aims solely for the purpose of surviving in the so-called 'league tables'. Nonetheless, the experience of applying for re-marks - one that I wouldn't wish upon anybody at GCSE or A-level - confirmed my then-philosophy of not getting my hopes too high up because, whatever happened this year, I couldn't bear to go through the emotional upset of getting re-marks or feeling disappointed in myself again. 

Everyone has different expectations of themselves and why should we not? Luckily, no one is the same which means that we can tailor our expectations to our exact needs and desires, hence why I have always based my beliefs on what I want. If someone is over the moon with getting C grades, we should support them in achieving their goals. Respect is a salient quality that I think people forget when it comes to tolerating the exam goals of others, as some may consider themselves to be utter failures if they don't achieve full marks in their exams while others are grateful for anything and vice versa. Therefore, I get quite angry when I read comments on some YouTube videos where people criticise vloggers who are disappointed in not getting A grades because none of us can expect others to lead the same lives and have identical aspirations. Alas, does anyone really have the right to label me as a 'whiny bitch' for lamenting my GCSE re-marking experience? I personally think not - the issue lies with gratitude. If you appreciate the effort that you have devoted to your studies, no one possesses the right to criticise you for aiming high! We shouldn't fear aspiration, but embrace it; sometimes, we may not get exactly what we want by pursuing these goals, but is it not better to try than do nothing at all or, worse still, criticise those who naturally have high expectations of themselves? 

Anyway, now that this mini rant is over (I would've exploded otherwise if I didn't get those words off my chest!), let's proceed to discussing my results! Unlike some valiant YouTubers who waited until they got home to open their results on camera, I was actually the first person in my year group to collect their AS results (my school released the results bang on 10am, no kidding!) and there was little way that I was going to wait a second longer than I had to before finding out what I got! In fact, I opened my friend's results before I got mine as I had to collect hers on her behalf, which only made me more anxious to obtain my own! 

Although AS-levels no longer count towards my final A-level grade thanks to the absolute mess of the exams system created by the former education minister Michael Gove created, I still wanted to do really well in my exams. My attitude is, if I'm sitting anything in the exam hall, I want to show the very best of my ability so that my results will hopefully be worth the months of stress, dedication and hard work that I've dedicated to those subjects! Otherwise, how will I cope at university and beyond in life? The only subject that does count is Media Studies, which I've previously listed a subject that I cannot wait to drop, more of which later. 

So... what were my results? Here goes: 4 As!!! Two days on, I still haven't fully taken this in because it seems too good to be true. In fact, I was convinced that a mistake was made with my English Literature grade because I was nowhere close to finishing a question worth 24 marks in one of the exam papers, which left me firmly believing throughout the summer that my hopes of even obtaining a B grade were next to fruitless. As for French, I feared that I would be penialised for writing hundreds of words above the advised word limit of 250 words, while I walked out of my speaking exam feeling as though I had messed it up because I didn't fully understand what the examiner send to me. Somehow, an angel or fortune itself has blessed me with results that I absolutely cherish and am so relieved to have; not for a second shall I take these grades for granted!

As a somewhat 'perfectionist', I suppose the only 'hiccup' with my results was that I scraped through with a B grade in my Media exam because of the essay question I chose to respond to, which somehow resulted in others in my class being penialised, too. That being said, I'm not worried about it because I'm going to drop the subject next year. If I had been in a position where I had to carry on with Media - let's say that I got a U grade in Sociology or something similar - I would definitely resit the AS Media exam to boost my overall A-level grade in Year 13, but fortunately I won't have face this scenario! It was my coursework which secured my overall A grade - a blessing in disguise considering that it was the bane of my life until it was finally sent off in May!

Whatever happens (or quoi qu'il en soit if you wish to use some fancy French!), I won't do four A2s next year in Year 13, even if I get asked to do so on the basis of my AS results. I'm already doing an EPQ which, as half an A-level, will equate to a whole A-level when taking my AS in Media into consideration - so why do I need to put myself under extra pressure when it isn't even necessary? Throughout Year 12, I've been (perhaps unwisely) looking forward to Year 13 so that I could benefit from extra free periods, which I wouldn't have if I continued with four subjects! And, thanks to acquiring a degree-level knowledge of coffee in my new job, I'd quite like to spend more time making drinks in the common room kitchen...

With several weeks left of the summer holidays, I'm aiming to relax as much as possible before starting Year 13, words of which sound so surreal to me. I can't really get my head around the fact that, this time next year, I'll be preparing to head off to university! In a way, I feel sad at the prospect of my school days coming to an end because, as Year 12 has proved, the weeks fly past so quickly that sixth form will be over before I even realise! In light of my results, I'm going to research more universities that I may list on my UCAS application, even though my heart is still set on the University of Nottingham which I completely fell in love with after going to an open day there earlier this year. 

I'm hoping that I will have an increased chance of being offered a place at Nottingham, which would absolutely mean the world to me because it would mean that I can stay at home during my studies and save thousands of pounds. Instead of spending a student loan on food and accommodation, I could use the money towards funding driving lessons and perhaps even purchasing a car of my own, which would further cement my independence! Anyway, I have never personally been interested in attending Oxbridge because the idea of sitting entrance exams as well as attending challenging interviews petrify me. If I did apply, it would most likely be so that I could 'brag' about it because Oxbridge is symbolic of prestige; I also wouldn't want to deprive someone who would love to go there of a place, which would be a selfish thing to do. Besides, I don't feel that I need to go to Oxbridge in order to obtain a world-class education, although I'm happy for those at my school who will be going there in the autumn because it is line with their aspirations. You see what I mean about respect

Overall, I couldn't be happier with my results, even though I will probably take more than a few days to completely accept that they are mine! I hope that anybody else sitting their AS or A-levels this summer achieved the grades that they wanted; while I was on cloud nine after finding out my results, I couldn't help but feel awful for some people in my year whose results disappointed them. I really don't want to come across as the flawless A grade student because, in my opinion, it is an illusion constructed by society which incite insecurities within ourselves - perfection does NOT exist! However, all I can say is that as long as you have tried your best, you have little reason to feel guilty about your results. I do believe that the 'uncoupling' of AS and A-levels has resulted in 'some' Year 12s (not all!) developing the attitude that they don't need to try in their AS-levels because 'they don't count', but everything you do during your tenure in sixth form matters. For one second I'm not suggesting that you should work like an exam machine 24/7, but you can't expect to be thrilled with your grades if you leave revision until the night before the exam... 

On that note, I'm going to have a break (although there are sadly no Kit Kats in the cupboards downstairs!) and breathe. It's something that I'm still working on, but practice makes 'perfect' or as close to meeting your expectations - as my results have mercifully done! 

Wednesday 2 August 2017

A-levels Chat Continued!

Ooh, several days have passed since my miraculous return to the blogging hemisphere - what a surprise that I have found the courage to come back less than a week since I had published my first post of 2017! Well, I had made a promise of sorts to continue delving into the already-dusty past of the 2016-2017 academic year with regard to my experience of Year 12 (and, of course, the abhorred 'A' word which I won't mention yet!), so I was hardly going to let you down, was I?

Anyway, I'm already running out of programmes to watch on Netflix - which, despite being absolutely indispensible in my life, is something that I can only really enjoy in small doses (otherwise, how can I find the energy to stay as enthusiastic as I was when I first subscribed to it a year ago?) - so blogging seems to be the most appropriate antidote to ennui, which always threatens to settle in the first week or so of August. I mean, the first proper week of the summer holidays sans getting up ridiculously early and panicking about what to bring as a packed lunch (as discovered this year, I can only tolerate eating vegetable soup for lunch a certain number of times, even though it is worth 2 of my 5 a day - yay!) is fun at first, but keeping myself as occupied as possible without descending into the dreaded boredom can be quite a challenge.

Anyway, after much job-hunting in nearby towns, cities and villages for weeks (this is not an exaggeration in the slightest - I even sacrificed one of my precious Friday afternoons off school to walk around a city so that I could drop my CV off at various shops in the hope of being offered work!), I have finally found a job at a cafe several villages away, as well as doing some tuition at a centre on several occasions. Therefore, I'm hoping that this summer will mark my official venture into the world of work, so my reliance on Netflix to keep me entertained ought to weaken over the coming weeks!

Nevertheless, let's get down to business before I confuse jobs and A-levels together, although I should remind you that, above all, your studies should be your main priority above getting a job. OK, I realise that getting a part-time job allows you to become more independent and gain a bit of money - cash which, quite frankly, can be used to buy books and essentials for your studies (over the course of the year, I've realised that a bursary does help to an extent, but it isn't always enough to cover everything!), in addition to meeting your other needs (such as clothes, anyone?) - but please don't fall into the trap where you feel like you have to work all the hours under the sun whilst juggling your schoolwork at the same time. At a time when I had been faced with constant rejection because, apparently, I don't 'fit in' with certain companies and therefore am 'unsuitable' for their vacancies, I will admit that I did encounter the Green-Eyed Monster upon hearing several of my classmates bragging about how much they earn each month - one of them has even found a second job (and they are a full-time student!!!) - because I have wanted to earn some extra money for ages, albeit not at the expense of my grades.

Consequently, my advice is this: if you want to, find a job, but make sure that a) it isn't a nightmare to travel to (or, in other words, travelling costs won't eat up an enormous amount of your salary, which would make it a waste of your valuable time!) and b) you won't be time-tabled to work a ridiculous number of hours per week. Not only do you want time to revise, do homework and consolidate on what you have learnt, but you also need time to relax and return to Planet Earth - otherwise, A-levels will quickly seem like a prison sentence, which isn't the attitude you want to have if you are trying to maintain your motivation over two years of study! Luckily, I will only be working on Saturdays in a cafe so, when considering my increased number of free periods in Year 13, shouldn't deprive me of time that I can devote to studying, while I feel that having a job will help me to develop my time better upon going to university (especially as I intend to get a part-time job while I'm an undergraduate, so it is never a bad idea to get used to working before I head off to uni!).

At the end of the day, A-levels can be summarised by using this single noun: balance. In order to achieve the best out of yourself, you need to dedicate enough time - and when I say 'time', I'm referring to quality over quantity (4 hours of supposedly 'reading' something is nowhere near as useful as spending 2 hours creating essay plans, which take on a far more active and productive approach to your learning) - to your studies which, as a full-time student, you must prioritise! However, life is more than just A-levels - we are only young once, so I doubt that we want to look back at this time in our lives in so many years' time, regretting that we didn't seize other opportunities when they were also available, such as part-time employment. As much as I relish the idea of earning some money for myself, a major reason why I want to work is so I can become more confident in the presence of others, a confidence of which I hope will also be reflected in my studies!

Therefore, just be wise - or at least sensible - with the responsibilities and roles you may choose to take on during sixth form. Honestly, having several of these will be worth it just for the sake of being overwhelmed with inspiration when you start to write your UCAS statement at the end of Year 12 but, as we sometimes have to remind ourselves, there are only 24 hours in a day!

Before I get even more distracted with what I'm trying to discuss today, let's just talk about my following A-level options:

Sociology

Often regarded as one of those A-levels that you needn't have studied prior to starting sixth form, Sociology tends to be quite popular among sixth formers. The reason for this? Without trying to portray myself as overly smug, Sociology is somewhat easy compared to other A-levels, such as ultra-hard ones including the Sciences and languages (specifically AQA French!).

OK, possibly not everyone in my Sociology class would argue with this view because, if essay-writing is not your strong point, Sociology will be the death of you - only joking! Provided that you hide a secret stash of chocolate for emergencies under your bed (like me, although I mainly do so because my brother is like the Cookie Monster - he'll devour anything remotely sweet!), no A-level should really be the 'death' of you! All jokes aside, Sociology does involve quite a lot of writing - even more so at A-level where two of the three exam papers feature questions worth 30 marks (so get ready for soaking your hands in arnica gel afterwards to ease the cramp!) - which, if you lack confidence over your essay-writing skills, can be quite daunting.

However, if you become familar with the number of marks in each question and command words used to structure the questions (e.g. 'evaluate' = assess your points but you propose an argument which partly agrees/disagrees with the question), Sociology is more than manageable. Nonetheless, like any other A-level, it does take a while before you feel familar - and more importantly, comfortable - with this knowledge when you first start but, if you enjoy/are good at writing and are interested in finding out how society is structured, Sociology is definitely for you!

As I had already studied Sociology at GCSE, I was already familar with quite a few of the topics that I would study in Year 12, such as Family, Education and, the beloved 'favourite' (I hope you've noticed that my apostrophes are used to convey my sarcasm!), Research Methods, so making the transition to A-level wasn't overly difficult. Of course, not many schools teach GCSE Sociology, so only a few A-level Sociology students enjoy this so-called 'advantage', but I personally believe that, if you have any common sense (e.g. you know what a family is and how the education system is structured to an extent), you shouldn't feel as though you are 'behind' in any way by having not studied it at GCSE level.

On the AQA spec, Education is a mandatory topic, while Family is optional (but, considering that families are common knowledge and relatively easy to understand, it makes sense to select that option, doesn't it?). Personally, I prefer Education to Family because it is somewhat easier to guess the kind of question you will be asked - for Education, this tends to usually relate to educational differences in achievement relating to social class, gender, factors, internal (school) and external (family/society) factors. Meanwhile, I think that Family is a bit more ambiguous, particularly if a question relates to family diversity, but by looking at previous exam questions and practising essay plans, it isn't too mind-boggling to deal with!

Nonetheless, I will admit that, for the first three or so months of studying A-level Sociology, I did feel a bit out of my depth because, unlike GCSE, you have to learn the name of so many sociologists! Needless to say, I was panicking quite a bit when I was approaching my mock exam in January because there are numerous sociologists to refer to on both the Family and Education papers - not exactly what I wanted to be thinking about during the Christmas holidays! Still, my advice is to simply try to remember the names of the sociologists and what they say as you go along so that their names can hopefully become stuck in your mind long before you sit the exam. How some people can cram the night before the exam and expect to remember millions of sociological theories (OK, not that much, but it can feel like a lot at times!) like one can speak a language fluently... In other words, don't cram!

In my opinion, I'm not a massive lover of questions relating to Functionalists/Marxists, etc. because I feel that other kinds of questions - e.g. childhood (which appeared as a 20 marker in my AS exams - an absolute gift!!!) or ethnic differences in educational achievement - are simply more interesting (albeit at the expense of my sanity because this typically means that I need to remember more sociologists, but there is always a price to pay for something, isn't there?). However, I know other people who always seize the opportunity to sink their teeth into Marxist debates, so it is a case of personal preference. Just don't worry if you aren't completely sure about Postmodernism because, in spite of covering it in my English and Media classes, I still don't really know how to define it!

Overall, I have absolutely enjoyed studying Sociology this year because it has made me even more self-aware of the society surrounding me, which has truly strengthened my beliefs and has provided immeasurable inspiration for debates. Although some people in my class weren't overly keen on the Education unit, I think that it has been extremely useful for making me even more opinionated about my beliefs relating to the education system (which, as a sixth former, obviously affects me), so I do feel that Sociology is one of those A-levels which has a use beyond the exam hall. I realise that it tends to be regarded as a 'soft' option - possibly a view also taken by my sixth form because I only receive four hours of teaching in it per week, which is an hour less compared to other subjects offered (possibly because there is less content to cover - I had finished the Family topic ages before the Easter holidays!) - but, as long you study at least two 'facilitating' subjects, Sociology shouldn't pose any problems if you aim to study at a Russell Group university.

Media

Oh Media, oh Media - where do I even begin? Like all love affairs, there have been highs and lows in my relationship with Media, although I must make it clear that I didn't choose to study Media thanks to my love for the subject; indeed, I was somewhat forced to. Thus, let me clarify that this was no love affair!

At my sixth form, all students are expected to study a minimum of 4 AS subjects - oh yes, several valiantly opted for five options, students whom I absolutely respect yet there is no way that I could cope with five subjects (and no free periods!). Compared to GCSEs, when you can study as many as eleven to twelve subjects, spreading myself across four at AS-level doesn't sound too much like a nightmare, does it? In fact, I never questioned my ability to manage studying 4 AS-levels - instead, the question was raised with regard to what I would select as my fourth option.

Regardless of what would happen, I would most definitely study English Lit, French and Sociology - no question about it! However, finding another option to fill in a gap in my timetable posed quite a challenge because, asides from Media (which I had briefly studied at GCSE level before moving to the school at which I completed my GCSEs), I didn't have a vague interest in them. I toyed with the idea of choosing Psychology, then shied away from pursuing it upon realising that Maths and Science would both be involved; as one who leans more towards Interpretivist ideas (which Sociologists embrace), I realised that Psychology, which uses more quantitative methods (like a Positivist), wouldn't really suit me. Business Studies briefly caught my attention, but the urge to swap Media to study it was as short-lived as an occasional craving for a bag of Jelly Babies: the initial desire was initially as strong as a cup of espresso coffee yet, once it had cooled down, so had my interest. I mean, I don't even care about how businesses are run, so how could I motivate myself to study Business for a whole year?

Consequently, I stuck with Media which has overall been a decision that I don't regret. Mercifully, I'm quite certain that I'll get a good grade out of it because, quite honestly, it isn't that hard. Biggest news of the 21st century - Media Studies is easy! In fact, partly why I felt uneasy about studying it was due to the fact that it is often heralded as a 'soft' subject, so I didn't want people to think that I am an 'idiot' for selecting it as one of my options when the likes of Chemistry and Maths are undoubtedly more challenging. However, just like Sociology, Media does indeed involve plenty of essay-writing - I vividly remember having to write like a horse galloping towards winning the Grand National (time-management is essential!) - so I suppose that it would be arguably harder for those who may not feel in their element when writing.

Although I have (fortunately) finished studying Media unscathed, completing the coursework unit - which accounts for 50% of my AS grade and 25% of the whole A-level should I wish to study it in Year 13 (for which I have only one answer: absolutely fucking not!!!) - was as tedious as trying to binge-watch a TV series on Netflix that I utterly cannot stand. As much as I detest and fear exams, at least they only last two hours, nearly two and a half at most, which isn't a ridiculous chunk of time in your life, is it? Meanwhile, completing my Media coursework took months, which stressed me out so much because it seemed relentless; I suppose that I'm one of those people who likes to get things done and out of the way so that they don't haunt me like ghosts. Well, Media was unsurprisingly my Casper the Ghost from December all the way until the coursework was finally sent off to the exam board in May - something which I truly don't want to re-experience in Year 13!

Besides, I'm not going to deny to myself that my strengths don't lie in film-making or creating media products which are as breath-taking as ad campaigns you see in glossy fashion magazines: they simply don't. From the moment I unearthed a video uploaded on YouTube which was based on an animated Christmas John Lewis-style ad which got an A2 Media student full marks in his coursework unit, I just knew that A2 Media would be too much for me. And to prove my point, I possess the drawing skills of a three year old!

Doing Media coursework at the same time as managing my English literature coursework (which is simply a dissertation on The Great Gatsby and Death of a Salesman) would personally be a step too far for me; I feel that I've gained as much as I've needed from studying Media this year, such as providing me with a head-start for the Media unit that I'm currently working on in Sociology. Thus, studying Media in Year 12 hasn't been a waste of time - it has certainly made me more aware of different media products and the messages that they are transmitting to their audiences - but I'm far more interested in the theoretical side, which the Media unit in Sociology would better satisfy (and meet my Uses and Gratifications!).

From what I understand, the new Media A-level being introduced this September still includes a coursework unit, but it has a reduced weighting on the overall grade compared to the specification I've studied this year, so maybe the new A-level course will focus more on theory instead of coursework. At the end of the day, each to their own - for those who are visually creative and wanted to find out the role that the media play (as well as watching videos and clips from adverts, film trailers and TV shows), Media is definitely ideal for helping you to express your creativity.

Nevertheless, I'm relieved that I'll be dropping it ahead of Year 13 because, unlike my other subjects, it doesn't evoke a fervent love, which I think is vital for staying motivated in your A2 studies (which are sadly harder than AS-levels - how I pity myself!). Until Results Day, though, I won't be throwing out my Media notes quite so soon because you just don't know what will happen...