Tips For Choosing Your A-levels

I remember when I had to choose my A-level options in year 11 and I had a fairly clear idea of what I wanted to do but I know it isn't that easy for everyone. It's a really important decision that could potentially have an impact on your future. But saying that, it's also important you don't let it overwhelm you.

 

These are some of the best tips I can give you for choosing your A-levels but it's also a good idea to get advice from those who know you, such as your parents or teachers.

 

1. Ask Lots Of Questions

It's really important that your choice is as informed as possible so that you know exactly what you're signing up for. Some important questions you could ask are: what topics will you be studying? What's the pass rate? What's the proportion of exams vs coursework?

 

2. Don't Be Afraid To Move

One of the greatest decisions I made when choosing my A-levels was the decision to move schools. Moving to a new place for my sixth form studies really re-sparked my joy for learning and I love school so much more now! Don't be afraid to do the same!

 

3. Pick Subjects For The Right Reasons

Of course, the subjects you choose are the most important thing so make sure you're picking them for the right reasons! Do you enjoy the subject? Are you good at it? Especially don't pick a subject because its easy - just because a course is less intense, doesn't mean it's necessarily better!

 

4. If You Can Manage It, Pick 4 Subjects Or An Extra AS-Level

Having 4 subjects instead of 3 has a number of benefits but the biggest benefit it brings is choice. Having 4 subjects means that should you want to drop one, the opportunity is there and this can be really beneficial if you're not enjoying a subject. Also, this gives you the opportunity to earn more UCAS points which will really help you to get into university

 

5. Consider BTECs With Caution

One thing I think people aren't made fully aware of is the implications of taking a BTEC subject as one of your options on your university choices. I don't recommend taking one as one of three but would recommend it as a fourth. This is because they're not for everyone and some universities favour normal A-levels over BTECs. Having said that, they can be great for upping your UCAS points, if you like doing coursework or if they're taken as an extra option.

 

6. Try To Think Of University

I know that university isn't for everyone but if you think it could be even a possible option then keep it in mind. If you do know what you want to study at uni, then it would be a great idea to look into what A-levels they prefer. If not, then it's also a good idea to choose at least one facilitating subject that can be applied to many different courses such as the sciences, English or maths.


I really hope you found these tips helpful. I'm in my second year of my A-levels now and they're the best tips I could give. Obviously, I'm no careers advisor so I would really recommend talking to others about your decision. And remember, you'll always have a little while to change your options if you change your mind later!

I wish you the best of luck in your A-levels and anything you do before.

I hope you have a great day and if it's your birthday, happy birthday!

The Best Apps For Passing The Time

 

I'm pretty sure everyone is guilty of having a game (or several) on their phone that they whip out in times of pure boredom. They're great boredom busters so why not? I thought I'd share with you all my favourite apps for passing the time, most of which are games!

 

The first app I wanted to share is 1010. I am admittedly addicted to this game and it is my go-to when I'm on the bus. Its sort of like Tetris where you place the different shapes into the 10 x 10 square and when you make a line, it disappears. The aim of the game is to get as many points as you can without 'dying' because the shapes you have don't fit on the board. It is so simple yet so addictive so I use it all the time when I've got nothing better to do!

 

 

Yes guys, I play Pokémon Go! Cool I know... But it is genuinely so fun! I'm level 19 at the moment and I just loving playing it whenever I walk anywhere really. It makes long and tedious journeys a lot more interesting. Me and my boyfriend are very competitive about it so I guess that does add to the entertainment value.

 

Now this game is for when I'm with a group of people and we have nothing better to do: Charades! One person chooses a category and holds the phone on their forehead. The other players then act/sing/describe whatever is on the screen and voila! Easy entertainment! This app came in so much handy when we were in the queue for the rides at Disneyland!

 

 

This is another game that I'm slightly addicted to because its also a great one for playing on the bus. You basically have to fill the square with red and blue squares but no column or row can be the same and you can't have 3 of the same colour in a row. It's a lot more fun than it sounds - promise!

 

 

Last but certainly not least - Pinterest! This is everyone's guilty pleasure and if its not... then it should be! You can honestly spend hours scrolling through it for beautiful crafts, photographs, gifts, motivation, inspiration. It's just the perfect app for passing the time!

What's your favourite app for passing the time away? Do you already have any of these? Let me know in the comments down below!

I hope you have a great day and if it's your birthday, happy birthday!

Last Week : A Reflection

So November is well underway and so is the new school term and to be perfectly honest with you guys, this month didn't start out too well for me... This isn't something I usually do on this blog but I thought I'd share with you how my week was and why I'm so glad it's finally over.

 

First off, I was feeling a lot pressure from school last week. I can't quite pinpoint what it was exactly but I was struggling with the content that we were covering in a some of my lessons, *cough* maths *cough* and I had a lot of work to get finished. This, coupled with some of those days where you are just feeling stressed and unmotivated, meant  that I was really struggling to make it through the week. There was even tears in one of lessons which says a lot!

 

So overall my productivity was low last week and I didn't get as much done as I would have liked to which is also quite frustrating in itself. On top of this, I had an extremely busy week with every evening being taken up with something except for one! So I was super busy!

 

My UCAS application was also getting me somewhat stressed because until last week, I was blissfully unaware that I had to pay £24 to apply! And it's me so of course I didn't have that money in my bank account! So take this as warning all you uni applicants: You have to pay!

 

Although the weekdays did seem to drag and they weren't all that fun, I did have an amazing, (and much needed,) weekend so I'm glad I made it through. On Friday I spent the evening with my closest girl friends and we went out for pizza and then to watch a school show called 'And Then There Were None'. The show was put on by A-level drama students and it was such an amazing show and an even better storyline - I was genuinely on the edge of my seat the whole time! I had no idea school plays could be so fun to watch! 

 

 

I also went on a date with my boyfriend on Saturday and that was much needed too after not seeing him for over week. We went to my favourite restaurant, Wagamamas and to Starbucks too and it was just such a great day! But to top off the great day I'd had, I also went to see a firework display which are one of my most favourite things in the world. My mum and I were ooing and ahhing the whole time!

 

On Sunday, I went to a really cute Christmas craft fair with my mum and it really put me in a christmassy mood! I bought a really cute treble clef ring (above) for only a fiver and I was just so chuffed about it!  I also watched an amazing, and touching movie called a girl like her and my goodness was it emotional. It's a film about bullying and I couldn't stop crying the whole way through! I would seriously recommend it to anyone - its on Netflix and its definitely worth the watch!

 

 

I guess the point of this post was just to give you an insight into my busy week and to offer an explanation as to why I didn't post at all last week, which I really apologise for! I also want to remind you that we all have stressful days and weeks and so I just want to say to anyone that is having one: You can get through it!

 

On the bright side of things, I did hatch a scyther on pokemon go! ...Oh how sad I am...

 

I hope you have a great day and if it's your birthday, happy birthday!