What To Know About Going Into Year 11 (Fourth Year)!

What To Know About Going Into Year 11 (Fourth Year)!

Hallo! Long time no post! I do apologise that I haven't posted in a while, but this may explain why.

You may or may not know that I'm in fourth year. If not then now you know! I also happen to be starting in to my GCSE courses. Now, I knew GCSEs weren't going to be a walk in the park, but I didn't expect them to be like this. Suddenly, I don't understand Maths (I do fast track Maths so my teacher doesn't really explain it), I've started failing tests for once in my life in subjects that I thought I was good at! It all a bit of a whirlwind of madness - and let me tell you I was not ready for it!

I went into fourth year oblivious to the amount of work that I was going to be doing. Due to this I have been overwhelmed by what each subject had 'thrown at me'. Therefore, I have compiled a list of things I feel you should be aware of when going into fourth year:

* Start your notes as soon as possible - I'm not saying you have to learn them immediately, but when exam time comes around your not stressing about not even having your notes done, never mind learning them!
*   Ask for help if you don't understand - speak to your teacher or a parent. With Maths I was a bit confused with quadratics, now we have moved on to a different topic that involves quadratics and I was so confused at the start of it because I didn't understand quadratics.
* Stop procrastinating - as they say, "procrastination is the thief of time." Click here to find out how I stop myself procrastinating!
* Understand the importance of it all - Year 11 (fourth year) doesn't seem like a big deal, but it is. This is the year you start your GCSE courses. What you learn this year will be vital foundations for your GCSEs!
* Enjoy it - it all gets harder from here! Enjoy it while it lasts. Because while it may seem like hard work now when you look back on it a few years later you'll wish things were still as easy.

I'm sorry for not posting regularly like I promised I've just been consumed by assessments at the moment. Hopefully I can try and post a little more often though!

-El x

How To Stop Procrastinating Now!

Procrastination 

procrastination

prə(ʊ)ˌkrastɪˈneɪʃ(ə)n/

noun

1. the action of delaying or postponing something.

   "your first tip is to avoid procrastination"

   synonyms:

   dithering, delaying tactics, dilatoriness, stalling, temporizing, hesitation, vacillation

This explains everything, why I'm up at 11pm finishing homework, why I seem to never complete things on time, why occasionally I won't post on my blog...
I am a procrastinator! Not even going to deny it. I put everything off for as long as possible, usually because I'm just not in the mood to do it or I feel that my time would be spent better elsewhere instead of doing homework. When they say, "Procrastination is the thief of time," they are not wrong. If I'm not in the mood to do something or I'm too lazy to do it then I will find some way, shape, or form of distraction to prevent doing it for as long as possible. Since I'm in fourth year and am starting into GCSEs and all that great stuff... Anyway my point is the last thing I need right now are distractions. However, the problem is they are every where! The way to stop procrastinating is to eliminate all distractions. I have decided to compile a list of how to eliminate distractions and ultimately stop procrastinating:

1. Put that phone away; personally my biggest distraction is my phone. After getting home from school I would allow myself 30 mins on my phone. I have an alarm set to ring after those 30 mins. Once the alarm rings I have to put my phone down (preferably in another room so that it's not sitting there in front of me as a distraction) and commence homework.

2. Set a deadline; make this realistic and achievable. If you know that homework is due for tomorrow then you are more likely to do it than if it is for next week. This can be great for studying. Tell yourself that you have 3 weeks to write out all your physics notes, you may find yourself working much harder and more frequently.

3. Reward yourself; set yourself targets and reward yourself once you meet them. You could say that once you have finished your English essay you will be allowed to eat some of your favourite snack. Or when you finish your history questions you are allowed 5 or 10 mins on your phone (don't allow yourself more than 15 mins or it will spiral out of control, set an alarm to remind you to go back to your homework after your time is up).

4. Stop the excuses; results matter, excuses don't. Get what you need done done. Stop all thoughts you might have of procrastination.


If you find that none of this is working I have one last tip that may just do the trick. I call it the 'last hope.'


5. The last hope; think about the very worst that could possibly happen if you don't complete this. If you have to revise for a test  but aren't feeling motivated then this too may just save your life and end your procrastination. Think how important this test is and if you fail it how annoyed your parents will be, also how you will ultimately fail all your exams because you're bad at revising, how you will not be able to go to university and will have no qualifications, which means no job which means you will have no money and it is all your own fault because you didn't revise for that test. Sounds overly dramatic and very extreme, but you may find the results to be surprising (unless you really don't care about any of that, I'd like to hope that wouldn't be the case).


Well, that's all my tips! Although these work for me they may not be as successful for you, you will have to give them a try to find out. However, please don't criticise me if you find that they don't work because everyone is different and what works for me may not work for you!
Hope you all have a lovely day and I'll post soon! Bye!

-El x 

How To Choose The Right Subjects For YOU To Do At GCSE!

How To Choose The Right Subjects For YOU To Do At GCSE!

Hi! So it's currently September which means I have gone back to school. However, I have noticed that all the teachers have talked about since I have gone back is GCSEs. I am starting mine this year having chosen the subjects I want to do last year. There are those of you who probably haven't chosen your subjects yet, but may be doing that this year. If that is the case and you want a bit of help with making the right choices then I have compiled a list of ways to help you make the right choice:

As I have relatively recently done this myself I can say that this can be very challenging, especially if you have no idea what job you want to do when your older. I'm going to try and explain how to choose which subjects are right for you. The first thing you want to do is establish what job you want to do when you are older. This step is not completely necessary, but it can prove to be useful when narrowing down your options.


If you know what job you want to do:
If you have a rough idea about the line of profession that you want to go into then you can use this to your advantage. The first thing to do is research. As boring as this sounds it will be really useful to you. Not only will you be learning a bit more about that particular job, but you will also be able to find out what GCSEs are essential to that job. For example, if you want to do medicine you must study all three sciences at GCSE this means that you have to do these subjects if you want to get a job in this profession.

I now recommend putting your subjects into three lists. The first list should be the subjects that you have to do because they are required for the job you want to do. The second list should be subjects you enjoy doing, and the third should be subjects that you don't enjoy as much. If you don't like a particular subject I recommend not doing it for GCSE because you tend to perform better in subjects you enjoy. Unless it is required for the job you want to do I recommend not doing any subjects from the list which has the subjects you don't enjoy in it.

You are left with two lists now, the subjects you have to do for a particular profession and the subjects you like. Prioritise the subjects that you have to do. Then look at the list of subjects you like doing. Rank them in order by putting what you are good at the top and what you are not so good at the bottom. I recommend choosing the subjects in which you are best at from this list.

You should now have the list of subjects that would best suit you for GCSE. However, before you make the final decision discuss these choices with your parents, you Careers teacher or even an adult who does the job that you are interested in.


If you don't know what job you want to do:

To begin with you must be aware that you should keep all your options open. By doing this you are keeping as many career options open as possible. Start by categorizing your subjects into two groups, ones you enjoy doing and ones you don't enjoy as much. You will want to end up choosing as many as possible from the ones you enjoy list.

Now have a look at which list the sciences are in, they will be important because if you do not do them for GCSE then you shut down any option of doing medicine in the future. If they are in the list of subjects you like then choose them. If not then put an asterisks beside them and consider this carefully. Then do the same with subjects like English and Maths. Although in my school English and Maths are compulsory for GCSE they may not be in your school, so if they aren't then it doesn't matter whether you like or hate them, put them top of the list of the subjects you are going to be choosing. A final subject that a really recommend doing so that you are not knocking out any options is a language. I know languages aren't everyone's cup of tea, but they can be extremely important when it comes to getting a job. Also Reed Recruitment have said, "Graduates with foreign language skills can expect to earn at least 10% more than those without."

General Tips:

• Try to choose a language. The Personnel Director of Volkswagen has said, "We would now not recruit graduates who have not spent a period of time in another country." Also a survey in Professional Manager Journal says, "70% of British companies conduct business in other countries."
• Choose subjects you are good at and/or that you enjoy.
• Choose a wide range so you are keeping your career options open.
• Discuss your choices with a parent and/or your careers teacher. However, you must remember that you will be doing the subjects not them so do not let them force you to do subjects you really don't like.

I hope this helped you come to a decision about the subjects you would like to do for GCSE. If you have any questions then leave a comment or even email me.

I am not an expert when it comes to this and I recommend you consult with your teachers and parents before making your final choice. However, always remember that it is you who will be doing the subjects for GCSE not your parents or teachers, therefore choose the subjects that you are best at and enjoy.

Good luck and may the odds be ever in your favour!

-El x