Teenagers With Experience - Elle's Articles

Teenagers With Experience

results day

30/8/2017

Results day: One of the most stressful days for you which AREN'T exams. It's something we all have to go through, where it be through the post or with all of your school mates. But the day doesn't have to be that scary. After all, nobody is going to ask you what result you got in Spanish 30 years down the line!

The best thing to do is to think over how you actually did in your exams. Did it go the way you wanted? Was it difficult or easier? What do you want from your results? What can you expect to receive, given how the exams went? The main thing is to not be disappointed with the result in an exam where you know you didn't revise, or that you messed up in one way or another.

Another thing to keep in mind is your expected grades. Don't always believe what others want you to achieve, but keep in mind what you are able to do and don't get bogged down when seeing others grades: you can only do as well as you are able to!

Make sure to focus on the positive side of things when receiving your results, such as going out for a celebratory meal or going for a shopping spree. You've got to give yourself a pat on the back for all the hard work (hopefully) you put in to revision and exams! I will also collect my results this year, and I've already planned a celebration with my immediate family, as then I have something to look forward too instead of only concentrating on the results!

Don't panic! You can retake English and maths in college if it doesn't quite go your way this time!

-Elle x

preparing for your college interview

30/8/2017

Another important step in the journey to adulthood is college/ sixth form. As most people know, there are the next step to a career or university, and it is now required that we stay in full time education until we are 18. Saying that, applying for a college/ sixth form can be daunting, especially if you don't know what to study. Once you have applied, you will be invited to an interview, where they will ask you all a about your study choices etc. In order to be prepared, here are a few of the tips I've coke up with after attending my interviews:

Bring along with you your latest school report, punctuality and attendance certificates, and any school achievements you are proud of. This will let the interviewer see what kind of person you are in and around school, and allow them to decide as to whether you would fit in well at the college/ sixth form.
Make a list of questions to ask. This may seem silly, but when you are in that room, you will most likely forget to ask things! Good questions may be about coursework, uniform/ clothing rules, timetables, equipment etc. Ask these things sooner rather than later!
Remember that your interviewer just wants to make sure that you have chosen the right a-levels or BTECs for your future plans- it is more of a discussion than an interview. Wait until uni for the real interviews!
Relax!

99% of the time, everything will be fine and you will have a lovely interviewer. Be confident in yourself and make sure to find out all the information you want!

-Elle x

I'll give you the sun

17/8/2017

I'll give you the Sun by Jandy Nelson

And here I am again, reviewing yet another book, but this time my all time favourite novel. This is a book which many people haven't heard about, but it is called 'I'll give you the Sun' by Jandy Nelson. Here is the blurb before I go into any more detail:

"Jude and her twin brother, Noah, are incredibly close. At thirteen, isolated Noah draws constantly and is falling in love with the charismatic boy next door, while daredevil Jude cliff-dives and wears red-red lipstick and does the talking for both of them. But three years later, Jude and Noah are barely speaking. Something has happened to wreck the twins in different and dramatic ways... until Jude meets a cocky, broken, beautiful boy, as well as someone else-an even more unpredictable new force in her life. The early years are Noah's story to tell. The later years are Jude's. What the twins don't realize is that they each have only half the story, and if they could just find their way back to one another, they'd have a chance to remake their world."

Even though this blurb might sound like a typical young adult novel, it is far from that. The artsy twins both tell the story from different times: one in the past, one in present time. The story is of their teenage years and their struggle with precisely that. The story is a book of love: both familial and romantic.

It is a beautifully written book about heartbreak, love, art, growing up and death. I would definitely recommend this book- I could not put it down! It deals with many issues people suffer throughout life in a very special way; the events throughout the book capture you and teach you lessons without being blatantly obvious.

I would rate this book 5/5 and would recommend to anybody over the age of 13 as some more older teenager topics are mentioned throughout the book. I hope you read and enjoy!

Elle :))

Preparation for exams

12/1/2017

I'm in my final year of secondary school and I'm slowly preparing for the dreaded exams after Easter. I know I'm not the only one who struggles with revision, but I'm slowly trying to work out how to keep on top of work! There are many different ways that you can revise and it is best to work it out yourself for what types work best for you; some people write cue cards, tell someone the information, repeat it in your head... the possibilities are endless! Here are some tips I have for getting started on revising for your exams.

Create a revision timetable- perhaps a two week rotation to keep things interesting. Fill in all of the subjects you study and make sure to timetable breaks in so that your brain can have a rest. I would suggest up to an hour and a half's revision per night.

make a list of topics in each subject area you know you need to focus on. This is a good way to make sure you feel confident with the things now so that you don't panic when it comes to the day before the exams and you still don't know everything!

Use all resources your teachers give you and any guides and workbooks you have purchased- they're expensive, but worth it! Also always remember that your teachers should run revision classes and be happy to help you on anything you're struggling with- they don't want you to fail!

Remember that as long as you revise and do the best you can, the results will be a true image of how good you are- if you try hard, you're already one step closer to winning.

I hope these steps help you in some way to be in the right mindset for revision, no matter which school year you are in. Remember to start revising earlier rather than later!

-Elle xx

Making friends at a new school

27/8/2016

Joining a new school can be intimidating and scary, but everyone is in the same boat! Some people might be lucky enough to go to a new school with previous friends, but many teens are all starting afresh, just like you. It's worrying to start off with, but after a couple of months people will settle down and find others who they click well with, and so will you. And always remember, friendship groups change all the time, so don't worry if friends come and go!

There are so many ways that you can make friends, but you have to remember just to be yourself and not change for others. There will be plenty of like-minded people for you to socialise with and it is important to immerse yourself with a large variety of classmates so that you can get a flavour for everyone, and make a decision on who you fit best with.

Here are some good ways that you can create a good first impression and make friends:

- Be assertive and go and talk to people who you would like to be friends with- I'm sure everyone will make conversation with you. You have to make the effort, so just introduce yourself and make small talk and soon you'll have yourself a new friend.

- Don't worry about your appearance and how you look to others- as long as you are happy in your skin then that's all that matters. In the end, everyone will be fretting about what they look like, and rarely in others so don't worry too much!

- Join lots of clubs that appeal to you and you will find people who share similar interests- this is always a good starting place for friendships. I have a passion for music so it helped when I joined lots of music clubs, and then joined a Saturday music school- you find tons of people who have same hobbies and passions, and this makes it easier to have conversations with them.

- Talk to people in your classes- many of them will be just as scared as you are, and will be thankful to have a conversation with you. After all, we all end up talking to the people next to us about school work, and friendship will bloom from then on!

- Just be yourself and people will want to be friends with you for who you are, not who you pretend to be. Confidence is always key to gaining friends so as long as you look open and friendly, you will be fine!

-Elle x

positive atmosphere = positive mind

21/8/2016

A positive atmosphere is one of the most vital things to set you on track for a positive mindset. It helps you start to cope better with things in every day life, and makes you feel better about yourself and your surroundings. After all, if you're living in an unhappy place, it gets very difficult to feel good about everyday affairs, and we all have the ability to fix things and create a warm, comforting area where nothing but you and how you feel matters.

I find that whenever I have my bad days, I think about things that could have started it off, such as an argument with my friends, feeling like I look bad, or I couldn't find something important I really needed. Most of the time, it boils down to the fact that something in my "atmosphere" was negative, and lots of things I can do to help cope with these things when it happens again. Here are some things that I think will drastically improve your health by improving your atmosphere, one by one:

Tidy your room. I know this is something everybody hates doing, but trust me, it works. You want your room to be uncluttered, just as you want your mind. Keep everything neat and in places, and put everything back once it's used, including clothes! It's so easy to create a floordrobe, but then it's a minefield trying to navigate your room and in the end it will get all smelly.
Keep the leisure and the work separate. It's important for us to be able to distinguish the difference between work and play, so organise a space for yourself for work- a certain place where the work will go, and stay. This allows you to be able to keep that in a different place and create a clear line between what is fun, and what is not- so you won't be feeling like you're doing work when in fact you are trying to have fun.
Eliminate toxic friendships. A positive atmosphere means friends too. If a "friend" is forever putting you down and giving off unhappy vibes, then this is a problem. After all, we can't be happy when we are criticized and hated all the time, so cut these people out of your life, and find yourself some lovely positive people who will help you to be happy.
Cut out the negative thoughts. Every time you have a negative thought, try and replace it with something positive. Look in the mirror and try to find as many things you love about yourself, instead of finding the things you hate.
Smile and tell yourself that you're happy. This sounds stupid, I know, but if you say it, you will believe it. Every morning, look in the mirror, smile and say "I'm happy, and nobody can change that" and soon it will reinforce a positive mindset, and give you a good boost to start off the day!
Invest in some plants and things you enjoy in. Relaxation is so important and plants are great for this- all the oxygen is healthy. They also give a distraction and something to care for, and this is one of my favourite ways to make my atmosphere, and then my mind feel happy. Books, films, bath bombs... Anything you enjoy, you should use as this is a great way to feel in a happier place.

I hope you find these tips a helpful way to start having a place where bad emotions do not come out to play, but a happy, relaxing place where you can enjoy your time :)
-Elle x

choosing subjects

21/8/2016

Choosing subjects for college/ sixth form

We all know the pain of having to choose our GCSE options from a block of subjects where we are only allowed to carry on with 3 or 4 subjects we love. Unfortunately, we have to narrow down what we want to study even further when we leave year 11, and it can be difficult to work out exactly what you want to do.

As it comes up to the time to fill in your college/ sixth form applications, you will have to choose 4 subjects to study from a vast array of lessons you have never even heard of! It can be a difficult choice because choosing the right options is key to ensuring you can study the course you want at university. Now, this might sound daunting, especially if you do not know what you want to study when you continue into further education, but it is a lot easier than it seems. My school has started to ask us about what we wish to study and a lot of us have no clue! The local colleges near me offer so many courses, a lot of which I don't understand yet, but there are many ways for me to get help with choosing what I wish to study. For example, I really enjoy lessons such as Geography and German, so I already have two ideas for what I could study when I apply to college/ sixth form.

Here are some good tips I used to help me make the right choices and I thought I would share them with you!

🌸 Think about lessons that you really enjoy at GCSE level, and whether you might want to carry them on later in life.
🌸 If you have plans for future careers you may want to pursue, look up different universities and see what A levels they expect you to have taken.
🌸 Ask your school for careers advice, and they will talk it through with you and help you to decide what is best to do.
🌸 Research some of the courses offered that you have never heard of- things such as anthropology for example- I had no clue what this was at first!
🌸 Attend any open evenings at local colleges/ sixth forms near you and don't be afraid to ask about the subjects!
🌸 You are allowed to apply to more than one college/sixth form, so if you cannot make your mind up, apply to many and choose nearer the time!
🌸 And finally, remember that you can change your mind before you start college/sixth form, and some even allow you a couple of weeks once lessons have started to change your mind!

I hope this helps you in deciding your A level courses!

-Elle

parents splitting up

21/8/2016

It can be a really hard time when your parents decide to split up or get a divorce, especially when it is an angry break up. But you are not alone. This generation of children has the highest divorce rate, and plenty of others know exactly what you are going through.

Parents splitting up can mean a variety of different things. You may have to sell your house and move into a new, potentially smaller one. You might not see one parent every day as you used to. It's very upsetting to see two people who were once in love to dislike each other, and it's even worse if you didn't even know it was coming. For me it was pretty clear for a couple of years that things weren't going too well, but I never realised the extent of it and when they told me I burst into tears. Even though it's a sad time, we cannot let it affect us too badly, because things will soon be much better.

If your parents have told you that they are splitting up, it's ok to be upset, but it is good to talk it through with them to see exactly what is going to happen.

- If you want to know why, you can ask but be prepared for it to be upsetting and negative
- Ask whether you will be moving house, and perhaps whether you could help to find new accommodation (this really helped me because it gave me something positive to look forward too when I was feeling sad)
- Talk about who you wish to stay with permanently, and if you will be able to visit the other parent (which you should be able to, unless you do not want to, nobody is forcing you to!)
- Take time to think about how good and happy things should be after, and relax in the evenings so you can sleep and not be worrying. Take a hot bath, read a good book or watch a film you love.
- If it is negatively impacting you very strongly, talk to other people about it like friends or counsellors as these people can help you feel better.

Staying happy is the most important things to do. Try to think about the happy things that are coming out of this negative one. The fact that I was going to get a bigger bedroom made me very happy! And if your parents are strange, like mine, and move close together then be thankful that you can see them often!
Elle

Sexuality

21/8/2016

As we grow up from children to teenagers and discover the Internet and social medias, we find out about different sexualities. Who even knew there were so many labels we can apply to ourselves?

I like to think of sexuality as a spectrum, or like a number line. At the two ends, heterosexuality (attracted to the opposite sex), and homosexuality (attracted to the same sex). The ends can be exclusive; only attracted to opposite or same sex. In between there is a whole host of other things you can be. A while ago, people thought that bisexuality was when you liked both the opposite sex and same sex equally, 50-50%.Bisexuality is the attraction to both sexes, but it can be more like 75-25%, or even mostly attracted to one and occasionally the other. It is a label which can apply to ANYTHING in between, however feeling slightly attracted to the same/ opposite sex does not mean you have to call yourself bisexual. The important thing is to not feel as if you have to label yourself. As we mature as young people, we can feel attracted to many different people, and it is totally ok to experiment. We are only teenagers once, so why not do the reckless things now rather than later! There are a variety of other sexualities which you can also label yourself as, such as asexual, demisexual, and pansexual- again, these are all parts of the spectrum.

It is also absolutely fine to be unsure as to what categories you fit into, we are young and free and are allowed to be who we wish. Some people know from when they were little their sexuality, others take a while to realise, and that is all perfectly normal. I'm still trying to figure myself out, but there is no need to conform to labels, just accept and be yourself and people will love you as who you are.

If you have any questions about sexualities or are not quite sure about your own feelings, feel free to comment or ask on any of our social medias and we will help you out. Sexuality is nothing to be ashamed of, so go out there, experiment and discover yourself!
-Elle ^-^ x

The difference between bisexuality and pansexuality

21/8/2016

Slowly throughout time, we have come to use different terms in order to identify our own types of sexuality. Now, many of them are pretty self-explanatory, such as heterosexual and homosexual which are two well known categories people place themselves into. However, there are many more we can choose to label ourselves with, and it can get very confusing when it comes to distinguishing the difference between some of them as they are very similar, but with significant differences. In this article, we're talking about bisexuality and pansexuality: two very important words which can make a whole lot of difference to many people.

Bisexuality is a sexual attraction to both males and females. However, it can also be defined as an attraction to only two genders.

Pansexuality is a sexual attraction to anyone, regardless of a persons biological sex or gender identity. Some pansexuals refer to themselves as 'genderblind', which means that they do not distinguish people by gender, as this is insignificant to them, but more by their personality and other things.

Neither of these sexualities mean that there is an equal attraction between each different gender, as you could be more attracted to one gender than others, but this term can still apply to you if you want it to. Some people who suspect they may be bisexual may decide to label themselves as bi curious before they stick to the bisexual label, as it can get confusing if you have slight attractions to the opposite gender to yourself.

If you have attractions to people of different genders and don't know how you feel about it you can also be labelled as 'questioning', as this is you exploring the different labels. I think I would put myself in the bi curious/ questioning category, because in reality I'm not actually sure- who knows how my views will change through the years! Sure, all these sexualities can be confusing, especially if you've not have any prior experience to give you any directions.

I still get confused sometimes with the difference between them both and as to what I feel I might identify with (I'm really confused, ok!) as I've never experienced being with anyone who is not cisgender (same gender as their biological sex) or the same sex, but I do get attracted to other people who aren't and this is what really confuses me. I still haven't worked it out but hopefully one day I will. As always there's not need to conform or feel tied to any of your labels, they are what you make them and as long as you are happy, then there is no problem!

-Elle ^-^