My Final Year University Experience: Accommodation

This is the final post within my university experience series! If you haven't read my previous three (Academia, Social Life and Finances), click the links, which will take you straight to them. This final post will be short and sweet once again, focusing on my living situation during my final year. 

My Final Year University Experience: Academia

Today we kickstart the long awaited final year university experience posts. I thought I would start with the academic aspect this year, since it has been the most prominent. If you've not read my previous sets from First and Second year, the way that this series works is that I share my annual experience in separate posts, focusing on Academia, Social life, Finances and Accommodation. I studied Bsc English Language at Aston University, in Birmingham. 

In this post, I will be discussing my thoughts around online content, share a breakdown of each module and the grades achieved, as well as my plans for the near future. Grab your snacks because this is going to be a long one. If you want to know how my year has been, just keep reading. 

January Academic Goals 2021

YAY! Happy New Year guys! This is my first post of the year and I am super excited for the posts that are to come. Today we are kick starting with January academic goals. I'm lucky to have no exams this year but that obviously means that all my marks come from written assignments. I have a couple goals I want to meet before semester B starts, so if you want to know what they are, just keep reading.

December Academic Goals

Welcome or welcome back! It has been a long time since I last published an academic goals post. With second year ending abruptly, and final year being non-stop work, I decided to focus on achieving the goals and wait to share them when things settled down. Luckily, I have one week left of term 1, so I actually had some time to share my goals for the month. I will try to share my goals for the second term, as I know these type of posts do really well, so you guys must enjoy them. Bare with me though, as navigating my final year during a pandemic has not been an easy adjustment. 

Anyway, enough of the waffle - here are my goals!

(Disclaimer: Some of these goals will have been completed by the time this is live)

January Academic Goals 2020

It's the first month of academic goals! This month I have had what feels like an endless supply of work to do, but honestly that's probably my own fault. I definitely thought I had more time than I do. I only have a couple goals for the month of January (yet it consumes most my time). I don't want to waffle too much, so here we go!

N E W S   M E D I A   A S S I G N M E N T

In first semester I took a module called language in the news media. I actually really enjoyed it but I'm not enjoying the assignment as much. Not because I don't find it interesting, but because I left it last minute and gave myself a week to get it done. Submission day is Monday 13th 2020 and as I'm writing this, it's looking pretty good. I'm hoping to get it sent off tomorrow YAY. I've been making daily trips to the library and it's really helped me centre my focus. I work really well on my own, so as much as I want to have study days with friends, I think to get my work in on time, going alone is exactly what I need. 

L I T E R A T U R E   C A S E  S T U D Y

I took a literature module this year, which I really enjoyed and actually chose another literature module for second semester too. The assignment is a 3000 word empirical case study. AND BOY HAS IT BEEN STRESSFUL. We had the choice between a naturalistic or empirical study, and me being the one to love a good challenge, I chose the hardest one. Seemed like a good idea at the time but it's caused me a lot of stress at times. Thankfully all the data has been completely collected and recorded; all  that is left is to implement it into my essay and get it all written. I'm so ready to send this off soon and never see it again. It's taken up so much of my time! Hopefully I get a good grade and it all becomes worth it. Not only has it been demanding but it includes one of the things I hate writing the most.......literature reviews. Ew. 

G E T  A  N E W   U N I  P L A N N E R

This is quite a small goal for January, but before the semester begins on the 27th, I want to get a new uni planner. This is not the sort of planner you may be thinking of. I already have my diary planner and it has been saving my life as usual. I like to have a notebook where I am able to plan out my assignments and make notes before I begin coursework. I'm someone who cannot just type from nothing, to begin with. I like to come up with some sort of structure or ideas to go off. Having a notebook specifically for that is super helpful and I'm due to purchase another. I carried on using my previous planner book from first year and now the pages are getting limited, so what better time to get a new one than the beginning of the year and before second semester. 

I decided to document the process of meeting my academic goals, on my Instagram stories. If you want to see me achieve these goals and get a gist of what my day looks like as a uni student, follow me @chelle._babes

So these are my goals for the month! 

Thanks for reading,

Have a great day x

A Week In My Life: Uni

I was originally going to do this for reading week, however I totally forgot to make note of everything I did each day, so when it came to putting the post together, it was quite frankly not possible. So instead I'm going to share a random uni week in my life. ENJOY

November Academic Goals

I've had a couple requests to bring these posts back and of course I am all up for that. I wasn't able to have any goals for September/October because the semester just began but I have lots of goals for the month of November. Lets get straight into it!

S E N D   M Y  A S S I G N M E N T   P R O P O S A L S

I have three assignment proposals to write and send to my lecturers this month. I have a couple ideas but I need to choose some final options and get them approved before I can start. I'm actually looking forward to 2/3 of my assignments as they're all analytical and those are my favourite type of assignments to do. I find the analytical side of English fascinating.

S T A R T  G A T H E R I N G   A S S I G N M E N T   D A T A

After my proposals are hopefully accepted, one of the most important stages of my assignment is analysing data, but for that I need to actually have texts.
My goal is to collect all the data I need for my assignments so I can get started with the analysis.

P R E P A R E   F O R   G R O U P   P R E S E N T A T I O N

We have 2 group presentations this month. I'm not a fan of group presentations but what can you do ay? I have already started working on them with the group but we still have lots to do. Wish us luck.


P S Y C H O L O G Y   E X A M    P R E P

My first exam of the year is in a few weeks and I couldn't feel any less prepared for it. There is SO much content and I have no idea how I am going to remember it all for this exam but we'll make it work. I'm probably going to end up in the library everyday for a week just making flashcards. We'll cross that bridge when we get to it.

So these are my November goals! Let's pray I achieve them.

What are your goals for the month?
Let me know in the comments.

Thanks for reading,
Have a great day x

My First Year University Experience: Academic

I wanted to share my first year of university experience, to not only summarize how the year went, but to hopefully help people out who will be starting their First Year in September, or the near future. This first post will be focused on the academic side. This will be helpful for those who are looking to study English Language, as I will be going into detail about this particular course.

I study English Language at Aston University. It is a 3 year course and you can do a placement year as an option. I thought about doing a placement year but with the career I want to follow, I don't think it's worth it. I would LOVE to study abroad, but there are too many barriers. Perhaps this may become a possibility, but for now the plan is just to do three consecutive years at Aston. God works in mysterious ways so I'm not ruling anything out.

This is going to be a long post, so grab a drink and a snack!

C O U R S E   I N F O R M A T I O N

I chose to study English Language, as I took the subject for my A-levels and LOVED it. I have always loved English, and when I was in secondary school I thought I would take the literature route. After doing language at sixth form, I knew that I definitely wanted to carry it on as an undergraduate course. English Language is a social science and is a very broad subject to study. It covers aspects of History, Science, Business, Politics, Sociology etc.

If you are a very analytical person who enjoys paying attention to detail, it is a great course to take on. There is a lot of analysis involved....and I mean a lot.

M O D U L E S

This year I took 5 modules. I'm going to give a brief description of what each module entailed, and my experience with them.

1) English Across Time and Space 
- This module was more humanities based and I found it really interesting. The module was broken up into two but the grades are combined as it is one module. The 'Time' aspect of the module focused on the development of English as a language and the changes that have occurred over the years. We looked into internal and external factors, including Accent and Dialect, the invention of technology, the impact war had on language change etc. On the other hand, the 'Space' aspect of the module focused on different varieties of English around the world, as well as language policy. This included English Only Policies in the workplace, Pidgins and Creoles, as well as Globalisation of English.

2) Discourse Analysis 
- Discourse Analysis was my favourite module from the year. Not only because I had my favourite lecturer, but because it was so fun and fascinating. Discourse Analysis looks into how meaning is created beyond words or the sentence we are given. This means paying attention to details including colour, shape, layout and lexis (word choices). For example in advertisements, memes, conversations and symbols. There are many different forms of discourse analysis and I'm excited to explore them deeper in the future. I really enjoyed the assignment for this module (I'll talk about that a bit later), and it has definitely swayed me to make advertisement a backup career plan.

3) Linguistics 
- This was one of my least favourite modules but it was fairly interesting regardless. Linguistics is a lot more science based, which is probably why it wasn't my favourite. Linguistics focuses more on sounds, how they are created and grammar. We studied anatomy, the IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet), transcription and Word Classes. If you want to go down the career path of speech therapy, it is a very useful module. I enjoyed learning about the different parts of the body that contribute to everyday speech and sound, however it's a very technical module, so I definitely had to cover my desk in post it notes and flashcards.

4) Language and Society
- This is the module I thought I would enjoy the most, however the style of teaching wasn't my favourite. I struggled to engage in the lectures, so the module wasn't as fascinating as it could have been. Sociolinguistics is the study of language within society. It focuses on language change as well as language variety depending on age, gender, sexuality and culture. This module includes lots of case studies and data. For example, we looked at whether there was a pattern when it came to using swear words and offensive language. Is it used more by a particular gender? Is there a common age where it increases? Are certain words deemed as less or more offensive compared to 10 years ago?
I did enjoy the actual content of the module, I just wish the lectures and assignment were more interesting.

5) Practical Application of Language Description 
- This module focused around three areas. These were business, education and memory. The business side of the module focused on language within the workplace, the importance of communication within a business, and the importance of non-verbal communication. Doing this part of the module helped me to understand how body language and gestures convey meaning or show hierarchy.
We also studied the effects of memory and language. We looked at instructions, short term and long term memory, as well as concentration and information retention. The final area of the module was an introduction to teaching, including TESOL. We studied the impact of teacher talk and teacher feedback. As an aspiring teacher, I found this part of the module most helpful.

Overall, I really enjoyed the modules this year. I definitely gained a lot of knowledge and it was nice to explore so many different areas of English.

L E C T U R E S

I actually attended MOST of my lectures this year, which I'm proud of. I probably missed 4 or 5 altogether. My student ID was broken the whole year though, so even when I scanned myself in, my attendance would never record. In the first term it claimed that I had 6% attendance, when I only missed two lectures and the second term recorded 21%. Most of us had this problem though, and many of my lecturers also had paper copies, so I won't have to explain to future employers that I wasn't skiving uni all year.
Most of my lectures were 1-2 hours long. I didn't mind many of them as they were quite interactive, but goodness those 9ams were a killer. I used to always wonder why so many students moaned about 9am lectures when pretty much every school started around 8:30am/9:00am.......I now understand. The worst part is, that I had a 9am every Friday. BRUTAL. It's one of those things that you have to go through to relate to. God help me in second year when I have to commute everyday.

I'm so thankful for Aston Replay and Blackboard, because I swear lecturers put themselves on a timer to switch the slide. I started writing my notes before or after a lecturer, because I couldn't keep up. Everyone has had that one lecturer that leaves about 3 seconds for note-taking.

A S S I G N M E N T S

Before starting uni, one of my worries was whether the assignments were going to be significantly harder than my A-level assignments. As a whole, it was about the same in terms of difficulty. The workload was definitely more, but the actual tasks themselves were doable. I actually enjoyed a couple of them.
Here is a breakdown of each module assignment:

English Across Time and Space- Portfolio of essays x 6
Discourse Analysis- 1000 word Literature Review & 3 Analysis' + 3 essays
Linguistics- Exams x 2
Language and Society- Portfolio of essays x3
Practical Application of Language Description- 2000 word Case Study & Exam

I really enjoyed the Analysis assignments for Discourse Analysis. It required creativity and attention to detail, which is one of my favourite aspects of the course. Out of all the modules, this is where I did best, in terms of grades. We had a few presentations too, but they weren't graded. They were mainly to help us with our written assignments and for some practice.

We don't get our overall grade until August, but in terms of individual grades, I am very happy with how things went. There is one exam I wish I could re-do, but it doesn't affect my degree at all, with it being first year. I had 2:1's and Firsts all year, which is great! I thank God for helping me get through the year.

S E C O N D   Y E A R ?

So, what's the plan for second year? We have to pick our modules for 2019/20 by mid August I believe. I went to a meeting where the Dean and other department leaders spoke to us about each module, which was super helpful. I have an idea of a couple I definitely want to go ahead with, but I'm still deciding on the final choices. There are some really interesting looking modules, so I am excited about second year. The pressure is on, with this year counting to my final degree. eeek. Bring on the challenge.

I hope this post was helpful to those who are thinking about studying English at Aston University. I would have really appreciated this post back in year 13. And if you've ever wondered what English Language is like, then I hope you enjoyed reading a bit about it.

Look out for the next part of my First Year Experience series.

Thanks for reading,
Have a great day x

How to manage your time as a student

First year is almost over and it's bittersweet. Although I'm super excited for a long summer, I've been told by so many people that second year is so much more intense than first, so I'm low-key holding onto it for as long as I can. Before I actually started university I didn't realize how busy it can be. I don't know if it was just me being naive but I definitely thought I would be less busy at uni than I was at sixth form. In some ways that is true but time at uni is honestly so different. It's quite strange.

Anyway, I had a lot going on particularly last month, which is what gave me the idea to do this blog post. I thought I would share how I got through a jam packed month and give some advice for anyone at/going to university. This can be applied for any students of any level but I wish I had these tips before I started my degree. Hopefully this will help any freshers starting this year.

Disclaimer: I definitely don't have it all together and I'm in no way saying I have the secret formula for time management. I had my stresses and panics this semester like all students do. It is inevitable to fall behind sometimes and it's perfectly OK. This is just what works for me and hopefully it will work for you too. The best way to find what keeps you organised is through trial and error. Remember that everyone is in the same boat. Don't be afraid to ask for help if things get too much. 

March Academic Goals

March is a BUSY month for me. Towards the end of February I had a bit of a panic because I had all these deadlines floating around my head. I wrote everything down, in order of priority at the end of February and that definitely took away some weight. Being able to visually see your tasks really helps to stay calm. Free life lesson there.

This month we have a decent amount of things to do, so I thought I would share my goals for March. I didn't have enough goals in February to write a post but this busy month makes up for it. Great for you guys, possibly not so much for me. Haha send help.

Anyway, here are my March Academic Goals!

May Academic Goals

Oh boy, it's time. Exam season. I have my first exam this month and that is so crazy. Where has the time gone? I know I say that in like every monthly goals post, but it really does baffle me. This is going to be my last academic goals post until September! June is exams, exams, exams so there really are no other goals but that. Don't worry though, I have loads of content planned for this summer, including uni stuff.

So, for the very last time (until September), here are my academic goals!

1. Actually apply for Student Finance

The only reason this isn't done, is because of some personal issues. It's not that I have left it until last minute or have been putting it off, but it's simply just some complicated stuff. I am aware that the deadline is this month, so I have put it on the very top of my list.

2. Apply for Acccomodation

I actually can't do this until I have done my finance. I need to know roughly what I will be getting in loan, in order to choose the accommodation with the best rent price possible.This is all a bit of a difficult situation to be in, however by God's grace, all will be well.

3. Full Exam Practise

Of course all year I have done exam practise, however I want to do a bunch of past papers and essay questions, in time conditions with simply a desk, paper and a pen. Practise makes perfect.

4. Get my coursework grades

Coursework is done but I always like to know what I am going into the exam with. If I know that my coursework grade is strong, it relieves the stress. If I know it could be better, I can go into the exam hall ready to really tackle that paper.

So these are my goals for the month. MAY they be met, in Jesus name (amen)

Thanks for reading,

Have a great day x

April Academic Goals

It is that time of the month, where I share my academic goals with you all. I can't believe we have made it to the final term! It's crazy how quickly it has actually gone, despite it feeling like forever some days. Only one more term of sixth form left and my A-level journey will come to an end. I don't have many goals this month, however I thought I would share what I have anyway.

1) Send Off All My Coursework

I FINALLY finished my EPQ last month, hurraaaay! It's been a long time coming. My English coursework is done, but my teacher said she is happy to give me little improvements before it gets sent off, which I am totally cool with. History is nearly there, however I just need to do all my referencing and fine tuning. Hopefully by the end of April, it will be sent off and I can focus on examinations.

2) Make Final Flash Cards for Subject Content

I am in the process of making the final flashcards for History and Politics. I plan to finish them this month and spend a little bit of time each day, reading through them. Exams for both History and A2  Politics are in June, so giving a month and a bit, everyday to really absorb the information (alongside essay writing of course), will be beneficial.

3) Write essays for P1 Politics

I decided to resit P1 Politics this year as I wasn't happy with my AS results. I started revision about a month ago, which is probably way too late, however it slipped my mind that I decided to resit, until we got the exam dates at the end of Feb. It is safe to say, it has been intense, trying to cram it into my schedule. I plan to write a bunch of practise essays over the month. The exam is in May, which is so crazy but I am confident it can go better the second time around. I have already done revision and practise for 5/10 mark questions, however this month I need to ensure I have gotten the 25 mark questions down.

These are my goals for the month of April. Of course I will be continuing to study for all my subjects as much as possible, as usual.

What are your goals for April?

Thanks for reading,
Have a great day x

How To Have A Study Day

Happy Easter!! Whether you're like me and celebrate Easter for its true meaning or you just spend the day as you usually would, we can all appreciate the glorious day off. Even better, if you're a student, you can appreciate a glorious 2 weeks off. Although it is VERY important that you spend time for yourself and relax, it is also a good idea to study, for those exams that are quickly creeping up on us *shivers*. Pretty much every other day, I get asked "How do you study so much?", "How long do you study for?", "Where do you find the motivation to study for hours?". I have done a fair few study posts, however I haven't talked in detail about study days. If you know me, then you will know that I can spend up to 8 hours studying in a day, and gain a lot out of it. Since I get the questions above so often (usually on a study day too), and we have 2 weeks off, I thought I would share with you, HOW to have a study day.

Step 1: The first step to a successful and productive study day is to write out a To-do list or list of priorities. It can be very easy to plan a day of studying and have no idea where to start or know what needs to be done. Spend some time writing out the things you want to get done, so that you can visually see your tasks. I like to write a massive list of things to do and then allocate days for each task. This may intimidate some people, so the other option is to only write out tasks for that particular day.

Ideas for your list may be:

- Go through flashcards and get someone to test you
- Write a practise essay
- Highlight class notes
-Fill in gaps for class notes/catch up on missed lessons 
-Mind map a certain module

PRO TIP: Choose your focus subject wisely. Time is falling between our fingers like sand and its doing it pretty quickly. Spend time working on areas that you are weaker at. Of course you shouldn't neglect the areas you are strong at, because you should have a balance, however there is no point spending hours on something you already understand well. Figure out the areas and subjects you are struggling with, and work on that.

Step 2: Speaking of areas, find an area you can work well in. Your environment is very important, and it is essential that you pick a location right for you. I know people who can work well with noise, and people like me who can't. I don't always work in the library, as I get distracted by other people, however I know many people love the library. Its all about where you enjoy working. I tend to work in my room or the dining room.

PRO TIP: Make sure whatever room you work in is well lit, to avoid you getting too cosy and falling asleep (speaking from experience).

Step 3: Have the essentials with you. Before you actually start studying, make sure you have all your resources in the room with you. If you keep forgetting things and leaving the room to get them, not only do you lose time, but motivation to actually start. If you have to write a list of things needed and check it before beginning, then do so. You should also make sure things are prepared. One thing I always forget to do is charge my tablet or laptop in advance. I would recommend you do this.

Examples of resources you may need:

- Pencil Case 
- Laptop
- Flashcards
- Memory Stick
- Planner
- Earphones 

PRO TIP: Try to mainly use printed materials, if you get easily distracted on the internet/with a laptop. Print past papers and mark schemes in advance, use textbooks etc.

Step 4: Plan out your time. What I mean by this is decide how long you want to spend studying that day. BE REALISTIC. I can do up to 8 hours, however if revision is not something you usually do, don't decide you're going to study for 12 hours. You have to be realistic, based on how well you focus, how long your list is, what other things you have to do that day etc. If I know I have work the evening that I choose to have a study day, I wake up earlier, do at least 3-4 hours of study and then leave about 2-3 hours of free time/ time to get ready for work. Whether you just make a general time plan for the day or individual time frames for every task you do, map it out effectively. Schedule in breaks too. When I work for 3 hours, I don't have a break as I know I am capable of doing it without one, however 6/8 hour days, I always schedule at least an hour to chill.

PRO TIP: Begin your study day with your highest priority as this is when you're the most alert and awake. If you don't get to tick everything off your list, at least the most significant things are done, right?

Step 5: Get to work! Here are a few ideas of things you could do.

- Make Flashcards
- Go over Flashcards
- Re-write notes
- Watch Online Lectures/Videos
- Further reading
- Past Papers/Essay Questions
(Try them timed and in exam conditions)

PRO TIP: Do things catered to the type of learner you are. There is no point writing out notes and highlighting them if you don't work well this way. Play games if you learn this way, watch videos, read. Do whatever works for you. It doesn't have to be the conventional way.

These are my steps to having a study day! I hope it has helped. If you need tips on motivation and productivity, check out my other blog posts!

6 Ways To Get Motivated To Study: https://chellebelle2016.blogspot.co.uk/2017/11/6-ways-to-get-motivated-to-study.html

How To Be Productive: https://chellebelle2016.blogspot.co.uk/2017/03/how-to-be-productive-study-edition.html

Thanks for reading,
Have a great day x

March Academic Goals

We are 3 months into 2018 people...wow. I skipped February because I didn't actually have any goals for the month. My only goal was pretty much just to carry on with organising class notes, doing coursework and revision, which really wasn't much different to January. Don't worry though because I am back to share my academic goals for the month of March!

1) FINALLY do my EPQ Presentation

I was supposed to do this back in December but something has always gotten in the way of it actually happening. In December we had a Snow Day, in January I caught the flu, the week of the presentation and had a full week off and February was already booked in with other things, so March 1st, is when I finally get it over with. Let's all pray I actually get to do it because I am so ready to get it done. I'm usually pretty good with presentations, so lets just hope it goes well.

2) MOCK EXAM WEEK

I hate mock exams. The same anxiety and stress, without the real result, however I appreciate the purpose of them. Mock week is set from Monday 12th to Friday 17th and that means I have a week to finish revision and prep. I've been working hard for them over the half-term and I've been staying back late at sixth form to fit in extra hours. Lets hope they go to plan because I did really well last mock week and I only want to grow.

3) Writing essays/doing mock questions

Despite mock week this month, I want to start writing essays or doing mock questions every other day to get marked and looked over. I've found that the best way I learn is by practising and then getting feedback. My teachers are probably going to get so sick of me but its getting closer and closer to the real deal. I want to have everything completely down and go into the exam hall in May with confidence. I want to focus on structure, language and hitting the criteria's.

These are my top 3 goals for the month of March!!

Thanks for reading,

Have a great day x

January Academic Goals

HAPPY NEW YEAR! First month of the year and I'm feeling good. I hope you are too!
It's been great to take it easy and have a bit of a break during holiday season, but now it is time to get back into work mode. Today, I bring to you, my academic goals for the month of January. If you are unaware of this "series", it's something that I started in September 2017 (mainly to hold myself to account), where I share my educational goals with you all. Basically things I need to get done or want to get done by the end of each month. Check out the ones I did last year under the Life category and also make sure to follow me here so you don't miss future months.

OK, let me just get on with it!

1) Finish English Coursework

I finished my investigation piece and it was graded (which I was extremely proud of) and I have now written my original writing piece. All I have left to do is my commentary piece and then get everything graded. Unless you do or teach English Language A-level, you're probably not going to know what in the world I am talking about but just know I am almost at the end haha. I am so ready to have my grade and be able to focus on exam content, once I am done.

2) Completely finish EPQ

I actually should have completed all of this during December but due to the weather conditions, we had two snow days and one of them fell the day before my presentation. Due to this, our mentors cancelled all presentations for that day and rearranged them for January. Once I am done with the presentation....NO MORE EPQ! WOOP WOOP. It's not that I hated doing it, it just took so much of my time and I am very pleased to be almost finished with it. I hope it was all worth it and I get a good mark.

3) To finish my first book of the year

I have made it a goal of mine to read more this year. I only managed to read 4 or 5 books in 2017 (I know, really bad), and I want to try and read a book per month this year. It's going to be a task because as an English Student, I already get assigned with things I have to read and research, so finding time to do personal reading is tight, but I want to try. The first book I would like to read hasn't arrived yet, but as soon as it comes, I'm getting straight into it. It sounds amazing and I can see myself finishing it fairly quickly. Fingers crossed.

4) Start to convert some of my notes into neater versions

I have so many notes that it isn't possible to do this for them all but for my notes that I have taken in lessons, which are quite rushed or messy, I want to spend time re-writing them. I learn well when my notes are neatly constructed and concise, so I would like to make sure all my notes look good. I specifically want to do this for history since there are loads of stats and dates, that I want to be clear.

6 Ways To Get Motivated To Study

This is a question that I get asked a lot, so I thought I would write a blog post on it. Mock season is coming up for everyone so I thought it would be appropriate to write it now. For me it is this upcoming week but I know that most colleges do it before the Christmas break.
Just like everyone else, I have days where I feel super unmotivated and lazy, and it is perfectly OK to feel that way sometimes. Believe it or not, I am not studying 24/7 and when I feel super unmotivated, I give myself a break. However there are days where I feel out of it but I know I need to give myself a kick up the butt and hit the books. These are just a few of the things I do in order to get motivated to study.

1) Remember my goals

For me, goals are a huge attribute when it comes to my work ethic. I believe in setting myself goals, whether it be daily, weekly, monthly or even annually. I make sure to document them somewhere and refer back to them whenever I need to. In fact, I document my monthly goals here on my blog, which you should definitely read if you haven't already. Goals not only hold you to account but when you reach them, you feel so good about yourself. I love the feeling of working towards something and being able to meet it. Big or small, goals are important. I may set small goals that will help me reach my larger goals. For example, my BIG goal this year is to get into my first choice university, so I may make smaller goals like getting a certain grade in coursework or to write a certain amount of essays in the week, which ultimately contributes to meeting the larger goal.

TASK: Purchase or find a Journal/Notebook that you can document your goals in. Not only will it actually keep you organised but in the future you can look back at it and see how far you've come.

2) Follow Study Grams

This is something I discovered only a few months ago. It actually motivates me so much. You're probably thinking, what in the world is a study gram? A study gram is basically a community on Instagram dedicated to studies. It may sound stupid to some but for someone like me who loves academia, it is the most inspiring thing ever. It features a bunch of accounts and feeds created by actual students around the world. They include amazing looking notes (seriously, I get so jealous at some people's handwriting), pretty stationery, coffee and teas etc. I always feel the urge to actually study whenever I see them on my feed, its so weird how it helps me. Anytime I find myself being lazy and scrolling through Instagram when I should be studying, I see at least one in my feed and instantly open a book. Type into Instagram #studygram, #studyinspo or #studynotes to know exactly what I mean. It is so addictive, following all these accounts. I followed at least 10, the first day I ever knew of its existence.

My favourites:

@sherstudy
@studylustre
@study.relief
@studycationery
@emmastudies
@mylittlejournalblog

These are just a few that I love, I have soooo many more. I can even do another "Instagram feeds you NEED to follow" but study edition. Some of them are studying specific and others are associated, so they may be planning ones (because I love a good planner) or bullet journaling etc.

3) Buy new stationery!

My "favourite" thing about going back to school after the summer time is being able to use all new stationery. Yeah I know, what a nerd, but its true. Its actually sad how much staplers and notebooks make me happy. I feel like once my pencil case or bag starts to lack, so does my motivation to study. I've found that I make nicer notes and generally try harder when I treat myself to new stationery. Whether it be buying new pens, new highlighters or a new pencil case, once I get them, I feel so much more motivated to study, since I get to use them. I tend to get all new stuff for every term.

4) Study with a friend

I find it so much easier to study when I study with people (unless they're really distracting). You can help each other out on topics you're unsure of, test each other on exam questions, rant to each other about how much you hate exams (@charlotte loool). It is so much easier to study when you have someone with you who is in the same boat as you. Around exam season, I love going on little study dates at the library or a coffee shop because it gets you out and socialising, whilst doing what you have to do.

5) REWARD YOURSELF

I'm still learning to listen to this one but It really is important. Its so easy to complete something and then move on to the next task without actually paying attention to your achievements. You're far more likely to feel unmotivated to revise if you're constantly going through the list of things to do all day, everyday but not rewarding yourself for it. Take a break, go out with some friends, buy yourself something nice. If you treat studying like your own little competition, its not as boring. Once you've met your deadlines for the week, treat yourself to the weekend off or buy yourself a pizza, because why not? Acknowledge your hard work and you'll feel encouraged to keep working hard.

6) Just forget it Kid

Sometimes, you try so hard to study but its just not going to happen. You try your best and you don't succeeeeed. You try everything you can but its just not going to happen. Sometimes I am so tired that I don't even want to think about picking up a pen, so I don't. Take care of your physical and mental health. Don't push too far. I have had to learn this the hard way so take it from me and just forget it kid!

So these are ways that I have learnt to get motivated to study. There are so many other methods. I'm sure there are people with much better ideas than me but these are just some things I do. I hope they are somewhat helpful.

Thanks for reading,
Have a great day x

November Academic Goals

I can't believe that we are almost done with the year! It's the second to last month of 2017 and I'm so ready for Christmas. But before I can fully get festive, I have to work out my goals for this month, so here we go!

1) Prepare for Mocks

Ew. So this month are our first set of mock exams for our subjects. I hate mock week but I definitely think I need them, considering I have no idea where I'm at. I have already started some of my revision but I do need to amp them up a bit and keep up the momentum. Luckily mocks are the final week of the month so I have time.

2) Finish my first draft for English Coursework

I am so close to finishing my first draft. As I write this, I have about 500 words left which isn't much. Once I'm done with my first draft, its just about getting feedback and adapting it until I hit that A grade.

3) Start my second piece of English Coursework

So far, we have done the 2000 word piece but I still have another two 750 word pieces to do, which won't be as time consuming hopefully. I really want to start planning it in the next week or so and start at least a chunk of it this month.

4) Start typing up History Coursework

Clearly it is a super coursework based month! I am pretty much ready to kick start my history coursework in the next week or two. I am very close to finishing my research and planning process and as soon as that is complete, I can attempt to write the first section. Even if it is only the introduction, I would like to have something written.

5) Start a New Book

I haven't got a book to read this month and I didn't have one in October either so I am hopefully going to buy a  new book to read this week, that I can read this month. I really enjoy reading and I finished my last book during the first week of October. I haven't had a novel to read since then. I'm making it a goal to start another book this month because its always good to read books you actual WANT to read, rather than just readings for class.

These are my goals for November! What are some of your goals? Let me know.
I hope you've had a great week!

Thanks for reading,
Have a great day x

October Academic Goals

This post is coming a bit late considering its the second week of October already, which is quite frankly insane. We're getting so close to the end of the year now. My September goals went down pretty well in terms of interest so I thought I would carry on this series. It is now October so I'm going to share with you my goals for this month.

FYI: A few of my goals from September will also transfer to this month.

1) Make my Title Page and Contents for EPQ

I've finished my content and I now need to create my title page and contents page to go with it. This should not take too long as it is quite a simple task, but it does need to be completed.

2) Make sure my EPQ References are correct

I have made sure to reference my work throughout and I have my bibliography, however I need to make sure that they're accurate and laid out well.

3) Start History Coursework

I've chosen my topic and question and I've been researching for 2 weeks but now I want to have finished researching and start an introduction. By taking it step by step, I won't overdo anything and maintain somewhat a balance with everything else I have to do.

4) Start my flashcards

I honestly would have started it from day one except in my area, no shops seem to have any stock but I'm going to go back to ASDA next Friday to see if they have some now and once I get some, I'll start making my flashcards. It will save me so much time if I start now and I can start to learn content this half term

So these are my goals for this month. Hopefully I can complete them. I did really well in September so fingers crossed!

Thanks for reading,
Have a great day x

My After School Routine

Sixth form has completely turned my life upside down and I've only been back for 2 weeks. If you knew the workload and deadlines that I'm currently facing, my goodness! Since this is my life currently, I thought it would only be appropriate to give you a glimpse of it. Today I am going to share with you my after school routine.

The first thing that happens after sixth form is that I get the bus home. Sometimes I walk down to the bus stop and literally watch it drive away before I get to the door which is so frustrating. I have to wait another 10 minutes for the next one, with heavy bags (which includes my backpack and the ones under my eyes).

Once I get home, I say hi to my family, ask about their day and then change into more comfy clothes. At our sixth form we wear formal/business wear so I prefer not to stay in them when I'm at home. I usually wear leggings and a t-shirt or pyjamas.

I'm usually super hungry when I get home because I haven't eaten since lunch, so I get a snack and chill for about half an hour before doing some more work. I prefer to have a break before going straight into more work when I've just come back from sixth form.

Before I get into the work, I actually need to know what I'm doing so I always review my school planner or to do list for the week and decide on what to do. I may do several things or if I have something big due like EPQ or coursework, I'll just do that for a couple hours.
I make sure to do any homework I've been set first before my own revision or further reading. Most the time I end up having no time to do my own revision because of deadlines.

Sometimes I like to do some reading because it allows me to do something for myself that has nothing to do with my sixth form. I may do this before dinner or before bed, it depends on how I'm feeling that day.

Whilst I'm reading or working, I get called down for dinner. I sit and have dinner with my family. This is my time to actually socialise with my siblings as I'm always occupied with work in my room.

At the end of the day I Iron my clothes for sixth form ready for the next day. It takes the pressure off me in the morning and gives me more time in the morning. Sometimes I make my lunch too. If its something that takes more time to make or prepare, then I do it in the evening, otherwise if its something like a ham sandwich, I do it in the morning.

The rest of my evening usually consists of winding down and being relaxed. I take my makeup off, braid my hair (I always sleep in braids) and watch YouTube or do something to relax and take my mind off school.

So that is my after school routine. I hope you enjoyed hearing about it.

Thanks for reading,
Have a great day x

September Academic Goals

I started back at sixth form on Monday and it's super crazy to me that this time next year I'll be getting ready to move out and go to university. Year 12 was a bit of a rollercoaster (in positive and negative ways) but it has also taught me a lot. The mistakes I made, I've learnt from and I'm ready for a good year.

Today I thought I'd tell you my goals for this academic month . Goals keep us focused and striving so I wanted to make sure I know exactly what I am aiming for. I thought I could make this into some sort of series because not only does it help me to visually see my aspirations but it can also be interesting for you guys to read.

1) Keep on top of workload

I've only been back at school for a week and we've already been given a bunch of deadlines to meet this term. I want to make sure that I keep on top of everything as much as possible. I definitely need to get back into the swing of things as I've been feeling super tired after school and my pace when working after school has been a lot slower because of it.

2) Finalise my personal statement

Our personal statements are all due to be finished and uploaded to UCAS by the end of this month and I want to make sure that it is done. I've been back and fourth with my mentor getting improvements and feedback. I can't wait until it finally gets the complete stamp of approval and I can upload it.

3) Finish my first draft for English coursework

My first piece is due in October so I want to get my first draft some what finished by the end of this month. I've created a plan and its just a case of putting it into action.

4) Adapt to my EPQ

I finished the overall draft of my EPQ last year, however I need to make some improvements and start my presentation this term. Our complete deadline is the end of term one, so I don't have much time. I want to start the improvements as soon as I can.

5) Create my UCAS account

We haven't created our accounts yet as there is certain information we are waiting to receive, however this month my account will be all ready and set up for the year.

6) Buy a Planner

Last year we were given planners by our sixth form and it came in much better use than the one that I bought, so I didn't buy one this year, thinking we would get another from our sixth form. However we won't be receiving one this year, so I need to purchase one ASAP.

So those are my goals for September. Hopefully I can be successful. Do you have any goals for the month?

I hope you enjoyed reading.

Thanks for reading,

Have a great day x