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I'm Too Old To Be The Family Disappointment - A Yr13 GYG Blog

Hi There!

After going to college after GCSEs in 2019 and realising that my wish to do catering was partly due to an inflated ego, the pandemic made me realise I hated college and so applied for sixth form. Long story short - here we are in Year 13 at my old secondary school.

As per my experience at GCSE - I seem to try my best and still be average. After feeling burned out during the important summer mocks (we don't do AS) I ended up with a C in English Language, C in History and an E in English Literature. Now I have to somehow get these up to my predicted grades of BBB - although I would love to get them higher to AAA [I know A*s arent happening].

So, hopefully, this blog will keep me accountable and help with burnout and procrastination - especially as we have mocks in November.

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Time to kick things off - today is Saturday 4th September and the first day back is Tuesday - however, unlike some of my classmates, I've done all of my summer homework. Coursework and revision on year 12 topics, not so much.

My (very ambitious) plan for revision is an hour each day for coursework, a New Topic (year 13 topic) and an Old Topic (year 12 topic) - how this will work practically I don't know.

Luckily, rather than the traditional 'get your timetable on the very first day', we can access it through the gateway app. And what a surprise - my timetable for this year is all over the place with only one possible day I could leave early. And something else - my teachers have changed (which I wasn't the first to discover as they were all freaking out about it in the group chat :biggrin:).

So to make everything more confusing I have a new teacher (LS) for English Language (I knew about this when my favourite teacher announced she was leaving but we were originally getting a teacher already at the school (BA) - who had been teaching me English Literature). And my other Language teacher (ME) is also teaching me English Literature (along with one of my original teachers (WL)).

And, for the first time ever, I have double lessons. Literally the day I go back (Tue W1) I'm meant to have English Language with LS period 1, English Language with ME period 2 and then English Literature with ME period four. Another day sees me with WL two lessons in a row :confused:

However! Unless the teacher decided suddenly to leave/retire over the summer - I am doing the EPQ too - which is unhelpfully not on the online timetable.
I know I've literally just made it and it's super long already so I'm going to end there for today. I leave you (and me) a list of all the topics of my A-Levels that I must memorise in order to pass exams next summer (and not be the family disappointment [although I have gotten further than my brother and parents - literally only one of my cousins has gone to uni and that was this year])

1) EPQ [Edexcel] ==> Year 13

2) History: [Edexcel]
Paper One - Stuart Britain ==> Year 12
Paper Two - Russia in Revolution ==> Year 12
Paper Three - The Witch Craze ==> Year 13
Coursework - The Holocaust ==> Year 13

3) English Language: [OCR]
Paper One - Language Under the Microscope, Topical Issue, and Comparing and Contrasting Texts ==> Year 12
Paper Two - Language int the Media, Language Change, and Child Language Acquisition ==> Year 13
Coursework - Comparing the language used in two children's books ==> Year 12/13

4) English Literature: [OCR]
Paper One - The Tempest [Year 12], Poetry of Christina Rossetti [Year 12/13], and A Doll's House [Year 13]
Paper Two - Unseen Gothic [Year 12/13], The Bloody Chamber [Year 12] and Frankenstein [Year 13]
Coursework - Task 1 on 'Eurynome' by Nikita Gill [Year 12] and Task Two on 'Carrie' by Stephen King and 'If We Were Birds' by Erin Shields

5) UCAS application (January Deadline)
University of Exeter - Flexible Combined Honours with Study Abroad (Meditteranean Studies and Religion)
University of Exeter - Liberal Arts with Study Abroad (Proposed major in Ancient History)
University of Kent - Liberal Arts
University of Durham - Liberal Arts (St Cuthberts)
University of Nottingham - Liberal Arts

Edit: Quick Side Note - does anyone have advice on doing study abroad vs employment experience (weirdly enough I don't like the combined Employment abroad option :dontknow:)
(edited 2 years ago)
So quick update preparing for school tomorrow (eek):

Decided already to not dothe Epq as I'm not sold on any one idea nor the amount of work it takes (as it is all three of my subjects have coursework)

Second: I am once again being indecisive about what to do in the future and am now considering set/exhibit design. Which means another year at home :s-smilie: as I need to do an art and design foundation diploma as I've not done art since year nine.

So we'll see how everything goes :dontknow:
Original post by Immortal-Reaper
So quick update preparing for school tomorrow (eek):

Decided already to not dothe Epq as I'm not sold on any one idea nor the amount of work it takes (as it is all three of my subjects have coursework)

Second: I am once again being indecisive about what to do in the future and am now considering set/exhibit design. Which means another year at home :s-smilie: as I need to do an art and design foundation diploma as I've not done art since year nine.

So we'll see how everything goes :dontknow:

It's totally fine to miss out the EPQ! I should've done more over the holidays, I think XD

That's okay! Sometimes you have to wait for the better future :biggrin: You've got this!
Hey, I'd love to follow along with your journey! Could you please tag me in your updates? I also have a GYG if you're interested. :smile:
Original post by sadforsadboys
Hey, I'd love to follow along with your jourheyney! Could you please tag me in your updates? I also have a GYG if you're interested. :smile:

Hi 🙂 of course @sadforsadboys
(edited 2 years ago)
So, first day back at school is OVER!

We had assembly first thing, which, as usual, was useless. They also talked about this 'enrichment' thing that they're doing with us - basically work experience/volunteering. BUT, I'm super lucky in that I have a lesson in the free that they'll be doing it in. And I do volunteering every other weekend anyway.

Moving on. Met my new teacher - she's lovely. It seems something drastic happened over summer with BA leaving because the teachers seem just as confused.

Homework that I got today:
Language -
Have the analysis finished by September 28th [started analysis already]
Hand In summer work (Topical Issue Research and LITM mindmaps) on Thursday [did the research over summer but not the mindmaps (did most of it today)]

Literature -
Write a short analysis on the poem 'Echo' due next Thursday [got a rough plan but we have another lesson tomorrow]

As per my first post, trialling only hwk at school and only revision at home. So today I've done Just over an hour and a half of poetry (NTTR - Echo + OTTR - Context). About to start on doing more Language coursework 🙃


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Original post by Immortal-Reaper
So, first day back at school is OVER!

We had assembly first thing, which, as usual, was useless. They also talked about this 'enrichment' thing that they're doing with us - basically work experience/volunteering. BUT, I'm super lucky in that I have a lesson in the free that they'll be doing it in. And I do volunteering every other weekend anyway.

Moving on. Met my new teacher - she's lovely. It seems something drastic happened over summer with BA leaving because the teachers seem just as confused.

Homework that I got today:
Language -
Have the analysis finished by September 28th [started analysis already]
Hand In summer work (Topical Issue Research and LITM mindmaps) on Thursday [did the research over summer but not the mindmaps (did most of it today)]

Literature -
Write a short analysis on the poem 'Echo' due next Thursday [got a rough plan but we have another lesson tomorrow]

As per my first post, trialling only hwk at school and only revision at home. So today I've done Just over an hour and a half of poetry (NTTR - Echo + OTTR - Context). About to start on doing more Language coursework 🙃


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Whoooo! You've been super productive today! So awesome! Well done :biggrin:

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So! Day two is done and dusted! :smile:


Before I begin - oh my god the year sevens are so adorable; they all seem terrified when you ask them if they need help finding rooms :dong:

Okay, so three lessons today and a free!
Period one was history with Z and he went over the coursework and it seems hard BUT super interesting [I'm doing: Historians disagree over the nature of Hitler's dictatorship. What is your view?]
Period two was lit with M where we finished the poem and began the homework.
Period three was study and so I finished the language summer homework and started the lit homework (which I'll hopefully finish in my free tomorrow).
Period four was English language with L where we did more Child Language Acquisition

After school, I did an hour of history coursework and 40 minutes of language revision (30 mins NTTR - CLA + 10 mins OTTR discourse and pragmatics)

UPDATE on uni: found a few different uni courses to read up more on that seem to be good combinations of art and history. [Unfourtunately Art History doesn't really interest me :s-smilie:]

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Goodbye day three! -- Short update today :smile:


SO! The Lit hwk is done, I just want to read over it again + we got a small bit from W for Monday where we're peer marking our first drafts of the coursework.

Did more reading into the history coursework which seems good - I've got two out of three of my main historians.
Didn't do any revision tonight (Oops. It's only day three :biggrin:) BUT I have two free periods tomorrow (and I can leave early) so I'm going to do the last bits of homework and then sort out the beginnings of the reading log for history coursework, and work on some more language coursework.

It's Friday tomorrow at least! :smile:

Also, they've changed our RE so now the one day I could have gone home - I have a lesson with the very religious semi-retired deputy head and not the more relaxed new teacher I had last year - and it now means I have a full day (including a double lesson)

UPDATE on Uni - currently looking into some interior architecture courses which seem great [My logic is that if I don't get any offers for an arty degree then it isn't really meant to be, especially as I'll possibly apply for the art diploma's too and so I'll probably apply to liberal arts through extra/clearing]
Hey! Well done for getting work done! You sound like you've been super productive! Keep up the good work! So are you deciding to do interior architecture for uni? :smile:
Original post by DownRangeLion
Hey! Well done for getting work done! You sound like you've been super productive! Keep up the good work! So are you deciding to do interior architecture for uni? :smile:

Hey! I have been productive but luckily we haven't had too much work! Actually... changed my mind again :s-smilie: I have found like twenty random theatre design type courses that I liked so going to look into them :smile:

Done the history work I got on Friday but HAVE to finish filling in the resource log for history coursework
And on Monday I have to talk to the head of sixth form about my RE lessons because everyone else only has one a fortnight and I seem to have two next week :confused:

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(edited 2 years ago)
Original post by Immortal-Reaper
Hey! I have been productive but luckily we haven't had too much work! Actually... changed my mind again :s-smilie: I have found like twenty random theatre design type courses that I liked so going to look into them :smile:

Done the history work I got on Friday but HAVE to finish filling in the resource log for history coursework
And on Monday I have to talk to the head of sixth form about my RE lessons because everyone else only has one a fortnight and I seem to have two next week :confused:

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Ooh, all your choices are so interesting! I'm sure you'll decide on the one you love the most! :smile: You'll be able to fill in the resource log, no problem! Maybe put on some nice chill music while you do so? :smile:

Huh, that's super weird. Maybe the RE department love you too much :lol:
Original post by Immortal-Reaper

And on Monday I have to talk to the head of sixth form about my RE lessons because everyone else only has one a fortnight and I seem to have two next week :confused:

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did u do it
Original post by sadforsadboys
did u do it

Yeah I did and sad news :frown: It's correct which means I have two full days now on this week :s-smilie: BUT the bright side is that there is at least one person in the class I get along with so unless he has a pre-made seating plan [which he probably does] I'll sit with them :smile:
OKAY so proper update time!

Gonna take inspiration from @DownRangeLion and write a list of all the things I'm meant to be doing. This won't be homework but rather a revision timetable :smile:

Monday:
CWK: History :cool: Did half-an-hour of reading
OTTR: The Bloody Chamber :cool: Did half-an-hour finding quotes
NTTR: Witchcraft :cool: Did 45 mins writing up some of the lessons


Tuesday:
CWK: Language
OTTR: The Tempest
NTTR: Language in the Media

Wednesday:
CWK: Literature
OTTR: Russian Revolution
NTTR: Language in the Media

Thursday:
CWK: History
OTTR: Language Paper One
NTTR: Witchcraft

Friday:
CWK: Language
OTTR: Unseen Gothic
NTTR: Witchcraft

ALSO: Figured out what I want to study at Uni! Found some amazing art history and visual culture courses [reality check resulted in admitting I suck at art :biggrin:]
Reply 17
I've moved your blog to the current year's forum

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Daily Update!

Had a full day today but due to the first two lessons being a double, the third being a coursework lesson and the last core RE, it was alright! :smile:

Tuesday:

CWK: Language :cool: Did 20 minutes working on the analysis section
OTTR: The Tempest :cool: Did 30 minutes making more flashcards on critics and productions
NTTR: Language in the Media :cool: Did 20 minutes writing up notes from the lessons


Tomorrow I have two study periods where I'll do my language homework and then work on a piece of coursework :smile:

Spoiler


It's halfway through the week! :biggrin:


Wednesday:
CWK: Literature :cool: Did half-an-hour working on changes
OTTR: Russian Revolution :cool: Did 25 minutes working on a master timeline
NTTR: Language in the Media :rolleyes: Didn't do this (because I forgot I put LITM down) BUT did 10 minutes of Child Language Acquisition revision instead


Upcoming coursework deadlines: :redface:
History - the first 200 words of the introduction and a plan for the rest of the introduction [Due: 22/9/21]
Literature - official marked draft of the first piece to be handed in [Due: 23/9/21]
Language - analysis and graphs should be finished [Due: 28/9/21]

That's all for today! :smile:

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