Student Jobs

I have been looking into getting a job this summer, to help me save up for Uni. However, based on what my friends have told me, and what is often written in the advertisements, getting one that doesn't take advantage of you is easier said than done.

Many involve working quite long hours, more than the college recommends. Others though, say 5 or 6 hours, and then say "must be able to work longer when busy at no notice", which would suggest you just have to work whenever they want you to. This would make planning when you are going to do college work difficult, as well as not being able to know when you are or aren't free to do fun stuff. One of our teachers even said she has known students being expected to work when they have college! Others are 0 hours contracts. And of course, the few that are a reasonable number of set hours have a lot of people applying for them!

Personally, I think that if companies want loyal workers, they need to stop messing us about! Just because we are young doesn't mean we should be expected to drop everything and work with no notice. They are taking advantage of the fact that students really want the money and have a restricted choice of jobs. Have you got a part time job? Or have you been put off like I have?

Football Fever

Well, my new plan to post every day has not got off to a great start so far. But hopefully, I can do better over the next week. If I am not too distracted by the World Cup, that is!

Up until now, I have not been a huge fan of football. I pay attention to where Southampton are in the leagues, but that was mostly so I could chat to the boys at school without looking stupid! But this year, I have got properly into the World Cup. It all started when I watched our first game against Tunisia. I was horrified when they scored on a penalty, and caught in suspense for the rest of the game to see if we could win against them. The final goal left me elated.

Since then, I have watched every single England game. I have become a Harry Kane fan, as he is a really good striker and didn't get angry when the other players kept fouling him. I hope he gets the golden boot! I can't wait to see how we get on tomorrow against Columbia to see if we can make the quarter finals. Hopefully, we might actually do well this year! Have you been following the football?

I Am Back!

As I am sure you have noticed, I have not been blogging for over a month. I needed a break from it as I was enjoying it less, and had other things going on in my life. Now though, I have started to miss it, and with the summer holidays soon approaching I should have no excuses, and will hopefully be back to regular service! I am going to try and write a post every day from now until we go back in September, so watch this space!

One thing I have not been busy doing though, is watching Love Island! My parents are hooked, but I hate it! I get enough boyfriend/girlfriend drama at college, I don't want more of it! I'm also not keen on how extremely image focused the show is. I think we are exposed to enough images of what we should look like as it is. I will admit though, that if you are just looking for eye candy, it is perfect!Have you been watching Love Island?

We Got Snow!

We did get lots of snow as promised! I had two whole days off college, and managed to go down the park for a snowball fight with my friends. I ended up with quite a lot of snow down my neck, but managed to get them back for it! It has all melted away now, so business as usual Monday. Shame.

I can't wait for this evening though. I have been watching call the midwife lately, because I love the character Trixie. The last episode has a really dramatic ending, with one of the Midwives Barbara being rushed into hospital with a serious illness that she might not recover from, and I have been in suspense all week. I hope she is ok, she is one of the nicest ones! I guess this is why people binge watch a series all at once, they don't have this problem! Do you watch programs as they come out, or do you like to watch them all at once?

Valentines Day

In only a couple of days it will be valentines day. This can be a difficult one for teenagers, as many of the things adults do cost too much money or involve having the house to yourself. You can't go to an expensive restaurant, buy posh jewellery or even champagne. So I have compiled a list of things students can do on valentines day, for a variety of budgets. Whether you have no money whatsoever, quite a bit to spend or somewhere in between, there is plenty of inspiration below.

Try out a new café - often more cosy and interesting than your standard Starbucks, an independent café makes a good place for teens to hang out anytime, especially valentines day. They often have a nice secluded sofa near the back!

Go to the cinema - this classic date is affordable and suitable for all ages. Better reserve that back row! 

Go for a walk along the beach - as long as it doesn't pour with rain on valentines day, this will be a perfect opportunity to find some space to be alone. You can always warm up with a bag of hot chips!

Go to a theme park - as it is out of season, you should not have to queue for hours, and it is definitely a more fun filled way of spending a day together.

Go Ice Skating - if you are feeling active, try some skating. You can huddle up together in the café afterwards. If there is a fairy lit outdoor one near you, even better! 

Have a night in - If you are lucky enough to have the house to yourselves, you don't need to go anywhere. Have a movie/boxset marathon, You could try making your own popcorn, or maybe share a chocolate fondue. If you are feeling really brave, try cooking! Or a takeaway is cool if it all goes wrong.

Half Term Plans

I am on holiday for half term! And I do not have too much work to do unlike at Christmas, which is great. I have plenty of time to see my friends from my old school, who I don't often see in term time. We are going to see the Death Cure, which is the last in the Maze Runner trilogy. Although I have read the books, I still don't know what is going to happen as the previous film was so very different from the original storyline, so there is still some suspense. I am a bit upset though, as one of my best friends who I saw the first two films with now lives in another part of the country, so won't be able to come with us. She is going to watch it too though, so we can still obsess over it afterwards.

Here is The Death Cure trailer. It looks brilliant:

Are you a fan of the Maze Runner? Have you seen it yet?

Surviving The First Week Back

I have survived block week! My psychology mock was only 45 minutes long. I think her "The world will end if you don't pass this impossible exam" speech was just to scare us into actually doing some work. I find it a little annoying that they mislead us on purpose! Although it had a limited effect, so I think we may get death threats next time. At least I know to take it with a pinch of salt.

After that, I had a couple of days off, so I went shopping for the day and bought a very nice black lacy off the shoulder top and a new eyeliner with some Christmas present money. Next time there is a college band night I am ready!

Then it was back to college for a day of Graphics where we had to create our final piece (scary) and a more chilled out day of Photography where we worked on our digital sketchbook. Monday is back to normal, which is a shame, because I liked having a 3 day week!

Do you ever have teachers implying a test will be harder or more important than it is?

Christmas Eve

For once, I am scarily organised this Christmas Eve, with cards written and most of my presents wrapped.  My Christmas nails are done and I even know what I am wearing tomorrow. The only slight disappointment is I have no party to go to on New Years Eve.

Still, the rest of my Christmas plans are pretty exciting. For the first time ever, we are having Christmas lunch with my Gran and Grandad, which means we will all be given more food than we can possibly eat. Then we have boxing day at my Grandma's house, bubble and squeak here we come! On the 27th, we have a family tradition called Pyjama day, were we stay home and play all the games we have received that year. A few days later, we will go up to Somerset to visit my cousins and aunty. How are you spending Christmas?

Disorganised this Christmas!

I am so disorganised this Christmas! At my old school, I would have finished for the term last week, so would have plenty of time to do present wrapping and other preparations, but at this college, I don't break up until Thursday! And to make it worse, I have mocks to revise for in January. Luckily, where I only do one academic subject, I have less than some people, but I still have to learn 5 case studies and research methods.

On top of that, I have plenty of Graphics and Photography to do. However, I am happy to do that kind of homework, as it is just sketching ideas and a photoshoot. But still, it is more things to do! So you can imagine how much I panicked when they told us that if we did not pass our mocks we would not be allowed to progress to the next year of study! However, passing just means scoring grade E or above! Although that does still mean getting 40%, but as I have got Bs and Cs in everything so far for psychology, I am ok with it.

I am still far less worried than when we had our year 11 mocks! Do you have mocks after this Christmas?

Plenty Of Perfume

This year, I have been celebrating December with an unusual advent calendar and it is lovely. So far I have had perfumes in a variety of fragrances, from fruity ones such as pink grapefruit, to flowery citrus blossom and even chocolate!!! And for when summer finally comes, I have a tropical coconut and peach so I can pretend I am on holiday in the Caribbean, even if I am quite clearly not.

However, I do have a festive disappointment. At my previous school, we had nice long Christmas holidays, but this year my last day is on the 21st! I only have 3 days off before Christmas! No longer can I leave all my Christmas shopping and think, "oh, I'll do that when school is over." I need to get organised!

Even worse, here in the south we are the only part of the county to not have any snow! Apart from a little sleet yesterday, we have had no sign of the white stuff. Such a shame, I could do with a few days off college! Have you had any snow?

10 Things To Get You In The Christmas Spirit

It's December today! Woohoo! I have opened my new advent calendar! I had no idea what was in it because my mum covered the back over with Christmas wrapping paper. Today's treat was a mini bottle of perfume. I am not sure if they are all perfume or a mix of things. I will tell you when I open some more doors and find out.

By this time of year, many people will be getting really excited about Christmas. But not all of us will be feeling Christmassy. If you are struggling to get in the mood, try these 10 ways to get in the Christmas Spirit.

1. Put up your decorations - apparently this has been proven to make you happier!
2. Do some Christmas baking. Last year I got particularly ambitious and attempted a gingerbread house, but simple gingerbread biscuits could be an easier option.
3. Write your Christmas cards, or make them if you really want to feel festive.
4. Go Christmas jumper shopping. If you are now at college, you could wear one every day!
5. Listen to some Christmas music. Or, if you are musical, you can learn to play some Christmas music.
6. Light a Christmas Candle. I love the Yankee gingerbread fragrance. Perhaps to simulate the baking if that is not something you are good at!
7. Watch a Christmas film. My favourite is the Polar Express, but there is always Love Actually if you want to be grown up.
8. Watch some old Christmas specials. You'll find everything from Doctor Who to Call The Midwife.
9. Wrap your presents - it has to be done at some point.
10. And finally, as we have some chance of snow this week (YAAAAYYYYYYY), build a snowman!!!

Do you have any ideas? Post them below in the comments.

Halloween Fun

Although most of you reading this will be a bit grown up for trick or treating, that does not mean you can't celebrate Halloween. Whether you prefer a spooky sleepover or a full on house party, here are some ideas for Halloween fun.

Costumes:
For more grown up costumes, try a simple black dress with a witches hat, cloak and dark make-up for a sexy witch or fake blood and ripped clothes for a scary zombie look.

Movies:
If you haven't seen IT yet, Halloween is the perfect night. If not, there are plenty of others to choose from. The Visit is one of the milder ones, if you want to make sure you can sleep that night! For a classic that is more scary, try A Nightmare on Elm Street.

Decorations:
For an all out Halloween party, decorations are a must. The Range has some amazing larger feature pieces, including life size zombies and skeletons, as well as giant clown faces. For smaller items, pound land has many cheap decorations such as themed plates, lights, window stickers and small accessories.


What are you doing for Halloween?

iPhone X - Just Why?

Apple have made an announcement that unveiled the new iPhone X. Now I have had a look at this phone, and not only does the screen reach the very edge of the phone, but the back is glass too. As if iPhones were not already easy enough to break! And to make it worse, they cost £1149, which is very expensive for an item that will probably be smashed in a few weeks. A ploy so Apple make more money from screen replacements, perhaps?

Ok, so I will admit the face recognition is pretty cool, but judging by how different I look when crawling out of bed in the morning compared to when I am all made up for a night out, I am not sure how that will work.

Although it does look pretty cool, I am going to be 17 next year, and I think I would rather spend £1000 on a second hand car for me to crash than a fancy phone that will go out of date in 5 minutes. What about you?

 

Bumble The Music Critic

As many of you already know, I have a beautiful cat called Bumble. He is very clever and has very good taste in music!

I like playing keyboard, and often when I am playing Bumble is in the room. Today he was sitting in his favourite chair when I started playing. The first song I played was Just The Way You Are by Bruno Mars, and he laid down and listened to it happily. The next song, Price Tag by Jessie Jay made him sit up and look very grumpy, even slapping me with his paw when I tried to stroke him. But when I played Lily Allen's version of Somewhere Only We Know, he laid down, shut his eyes and looked very happy. He always does, I think that is his favourite song. However, Budapest had him sitting back up and scowling at me!

Bumble reacting to the music I play is a regular thing. Once when I sung along whilst I played Frozen's Let It Go he meowed like he was in pain, and when I rushed to see what the matter was, he gave me a look of "Thank God That Is Over", before asking to go out. He loves Lily Allen but can't stand Frozen - this cat has taste!

Do your pets react when you play music?

Adventures In Cornwall

Last week, I was on holiday in Cornwall with my parents. Like when I went to Wales last year, I have been a bit adventurous. On our first night we went for a walk along a river estuary, which was very quiet compared to where I live! Then the next day, we hit the beach to do some body boarding. I had done a little bit of body boarding before, but this was the first time I went out far enough from the shore to catch some bigger waves. I stayed in the water for 2 hours, and loved it! There were a lot of other teens doing it too. The perfect activity to escape your parents and do something exciting when on holiday!

The next day, we explored the town of Falmouth and did a bit of shopping. I bought a pink cord bracelet, a pair of earrings and a semi precious stone that is supposed to enhance your creative energy. I also had a go at some photography, as I am studying that as an A-level from September. The last morning, we explored some coves and coastal paths, which were beautiful, so different from the stony beaches back home!

Have you had an adventurous summer?

Where Has The Summer Gone?

Looking out my window right now, I am finding it hard to believe it is the middle of August. Based on the amount of rain we have had today, you would think it was January. It is too cold to wear any of my new clothes I have bought this holiday, and too rainy to risk wearing my new shoes anywhere. I am hoping it will cheer up soon!

Meanwhile, I have plenty of time to read the books for my A level English Literature class. As we have to study several texts, we have been given a list of the ones we are doing in year 1 to have a look at over the holidays. So far I have read A Thousand Splendid Suns, and I am part way through the Poetry anthology. As these are both modern texts, I have actually liked reading them. However, I am not so sure I will find the Victorian novel so easy to get though! I might leave that one until I have a teacher to help me understand it. My 4th text, a play called a Street Car Named Desire looks good though, and is very short, so I should be able to read that one easy enough.

College is approaching far to quickly for my liking. As my other two A levels are art subjects, I have not been given any work for those, but some of my friends who study sciences have been given actual homework. Between college work and the rain, it is hard to believe this is the summer holidays!
Have you been given any college work over the summer?

5 Surprises About The Summer After My GCSEs!

This summer is my longest one ever, as I have finished my GCSEs but do not have to start college until September. However, it came with a few surprises. Here are 5 things I did not know about this summer.

1. No matter how long it is, it still goes quicker than you expect. I am already over half way through my holiday and it does not feel like it!

2. I have not been able to see my friends as often as I wanted, due to them being on family holidays and adventure camps. I thought that a longer holiday would mean they were at home more, but it just meant most of them went away more!

3. Although school is finished, the looming of results day and the fact that everyone keeps asking how you think you did in your exams means you can't quite forget about it.

4. Although you don't have any homework to do, there is still reading for college and the sorting out of new college stuff.

5. Everyone seemed to think I would be bored with 10 weeks off, but between doing things with friends and family, reading, music, doing arty stuff, enjoying the weather and writing this blog, I have not been bored at all. If anything I haven't had enough time to do want I wanted! Good job I still have another 4 weeks off!

Even if it hasn't turned out quite how I expected it to, I am still having a great summer. How is your summer going?

Blind Date With A Book

A little while ago, I spotted these brown paper wrapped books on the shelves of Waitrose. They had no title, author or picture, just 5 words or phases to help you decide whether or not you want to buy the book. There were several books with different clues, and they intrigued me. My mum saw me looking at these and has bought me this one.

The book inside turned out to be "Britt-Marie Was Here", a book that I would not normally choose, but then I guess that is kind of the point! It looks interesting though. I will tell you more about it when I have read it!

On the 9th of August, it is Book Lovers Day, when many local libraries are holding events. Perhaps this is the perfect day to go on a blind date with a book? Have you every tried one?

International Tiger Day

A couple of days ago, it was International Tiger Day. As Tigers are my favourite wild animal, I thought I would celebrate this with you. There are now under 4000 tigers left in the world, making them rarer than ever. I think they are very beautiful, and love watching them with their cubs.

Meanwhile, my resident tiger Bumble has been trying to get in our fridge. He knows there is lots of leftover roast chicken in there, his favourite. He has already had some for his tea and wants more, so he is giving us the sad eyes.

Do you have a love for cats, both big and small?

A New Discovery

I have a close friend who often introduces me to new and unusual music. She has recently got me into an Indie band called Seafret. Their songs are quite calm and stripped back with really good lyrics. It is the sort of music I like to have on when I am drawing. They make a refreshing change from all the pop stuff played on the radio.

My favourite of their songs is a love song called Wildfire. It is really beautiful and I love the lyrics. The music video is based on a psychological experiment on how to make strangers fall in love.

Some of their other songs I like include:
Oceans
Atlantis
Give Me Something
Be There

Do you like Seafret? Or are there any other Indie bands you like?