Confessions of an A-level Student
Tuesday, October 04, 2016I'm currently on my third year of being in college, there are lot of things people expect to happen when you get to college. Here are some of my thoughts and confessions about college life.
1. You openly hate your teachers.
This happened to me in my first year, you think your teachers are against you and they give you too much work. I loathed my media teacher in the first year (coursework problems) then I got over it, all my coursework problems were my own fault. My teacher can't change the spec, no teacher has control. They're doing what they can to benefit you. Now this teacher is my fave and I'm not even in his lesson anymore.
2. You don't love every lesson.
Naive little Beckie thought she'd love all her lessons. I got to pick the ones I wanted, sort of like options but solely doing only what you wanted to do. English Lit, Media, Sociology and Art were my choices. I disliked art because I realised compared to the new people I'd met I was horrendous at art- I had no ideas of my own and found I had to copy something. Sociology I didn't really try, I had a stand in teacher who made the lesson a laugh. Media, this was the lesson mentioned in number 1; I just couldn't stand it 80-90% of time. English Lit was the only one I truly enjoyed and even then there were times when I questioned why I'd taken it.
3. The work gets harder.
Everyone thinks they know how much of a step up A-levels are, they don't. At first you're like 'yeah this is cool' but every lesson is different. Everything you knew is flipped upside down and you nit pick at it until you get to the roots.
4. Be prepared to lose your friends.
Hold on, don't get scared. I don't mean all of your mates, ones you're really close to probably fine otherwise it's a guessing game. When I started college with all my friends we were great, got our spot in the canteen, had a laugh, ate lunch everyday. Then things started to fall apart, people made new friends or were doing new things. We argued didn't get on and this was mostly in the second year. You'll know who you're good mates are, you'll see them out of college and it won't matter whether you see each other in it either. Even the new friends, you'll make them, lose them and then rekindle again.
5. Sometimes you're in a soap.
You thought there was drama in high school, you've seen nothing. Whether it involves you or doesn't you can't escape it. Everyone knows, most likely due to the raging hormones, relationship drama, friends, bitching etc etc etc. Just try and keep your mouth shut.
6. Revising is not your number one priority.
Take me, before summer I vowed to make cue cards, write essays, start coursework early, do this and that. Nothing. It came down to me starting my coursework research two days before being sent via email. You care about spending time with your mates, going to festival, work, binge watching several series. Getting back into college it's pretty much the same, you say you will but you don't. This is me. I try to do everything I can to get a balance and just can't.
7. Life becomes a roller coaster.
As good old Ronan Keating says, life is a roller coaster and you've just gotta ride it. Although in college it feels like it will never stop. Like I was talking about finding balance in number six, if you don't this is a key factor to being on the college coaster. YOU HAVE NO CONTROL.
8. Hate everyone and everything.
I hate everyone when I'm in college. I hate year twelves, teachers, plants, doors, windows- except the rare few, you know who you are *wink wink*. This year for example year twelves are the SLOWEST people I've ever know. So slow it hurts my soul.
9. Threatening to jump off your college balcony (or putting yourself in danger of any other bodily harm) is a regular occurrence.
If you're me anyway. Sometimes I just go off the rails and into a complete miserable mood courtesy of college life. Before exams are the high time.
10. Emailing your teacher in a frantic mess.
I am a top ambassador of this. My tutor gets emails at say two in the morning off me saying things like: 'Hi, don't make me go into the exam. I'm considering throwing myself under the 56.' To which I just get told to breathe, take a moment and calm the heck down.
11. Things change when you get to your third year.
I feel like this year I'm taking a step back. Being a tad more calm, I've got this. We're good. It's definitely because I feel like the oldest in the college and I just lack a little motivation.
12. Referring to teachers as your best mates.
This includes a number of teachers, I'm no longer in their class so technically not a student. Here's me saying 'We're best friends aren't we ____?'
13. Just wanting to sit or sleep.
College becomes monotonous and the idea of just sitting in the LRC all day pretending you have nothing to do seems a brilliant one.
14. Vending Machine Vendetta
At first the temptation the vending machine is a treat, just a bar of chocolate or a pack of crisp on the sly but suddenly as things get harder the machine is your source of happiness.
15. As it comes to an end you dread leaving.
I'm scared to leave college, not just because I'm scared of uni. Being grown up, doing a lot more independent work. It's a familiar place, with friends and teachers I've known for 3 years. Part of me wishes I could stay in college forever. That's not the way things work, onward and upwards we go.
Hold on, don't get scared. I don't mean all of your mates, ones you're really close to probably fine otherwise it's a guessing game. When I started college with all my friends we were great, got our spot in the canteen, had a laugh, ate lunch everyday. Then things started to fall apart, people made new friends or were doing new things. We argued didn't get on and this was mostly in the second year. You'll know who you're good mates are, you'll see them out of college and it won't matter whether you see each other in it either. Even the new friends, you'll make them, lose them and then rekindle again.
5. Sometimes you're in a soap.
You thought there was drama in high school, you've seen nothing. Whether it involves you or doesn't you can't escape it. Everyone knows, most likely due to the raging hormones, relationship drama, friends, bitching etc etc etc. Just try and keep your mouth shut.
6. Revising is not your number one priority.
Take me, before summer I vowed to make cue cards, write essays, start coursework early, do this and that. Nothing. It came down to me starting my coursework research two days before being sent via email. You care about spending time with your mates, going to festival, work, binge watching several series. Getting back into college it's pretty much the same, you say you will but you don't. This is me. I try to do everything I can to get a balance and just can't.
7. Life becomes a roller coaster.
As good old Ronan Keating says, life is a roller coaster and you've just gotta ride it. Although in college it feels like it will never stop. Like I was talking about finding balance in number six, if you don't this is a key factor to being on the college coaster. YOU HAVE NO CONTROL.
8. Hate everyone and everything.
I hate everyone when I'm in college. I hate year twelves, teachers, plants, doors, windows- except the rare few, you know who you are *wink wink*. This year for example year twelves are the SLOWEST people I've ever know. So slow it hurts my soul.
9. Threatening to jump off your college balcony (or putting yourself in danger of any other bodily harm) is a regular occurrence.
If you're me anyway. Sometimes I just go off the rails and into a complete miserable mood courtesy of college life. Before exams are the high time.
10. Emailing your teacher in a frantic mess.
I am a top ambassador of this. My tutor gets emails at say two in the morning off me saying things like: 'Hi, don't make me go into the exam. I'm considering throwing myself under the 56.' To which I just get told to breathe, take a moment and calm the heck down.
11. Things change when you get to your third year.
I feel like this year I'm taking a step back. Being a tad more calm, I've got this. We're good. It's definitely because I feel like the oldest in the college and I just lack a little motivation.
12. Referring to teachers as your best mates.
This includes a number of teachers, I'm no longer in their class so technically not a student. Here's me saying 'We're best friends aren't we ____?'
13. Just wanting to sit or sleep.
College becomes monotonous and the idea of just sitting in the LRC all day pretending you have nothing to do seems a brilliant one.
14. Vending Machine Vendetta
At first the temptation the vending machine is a treat, just a bar of chocolate or a pack of crisp on the sly but suddenly as things get harder the machine is your source of happiness.
15. As it comes to an end you dread leaving.
I'm scared to leave college, not just because I'm scared of uni. Being grown up, doing a lot more independent work. It's a familiar place, with friends and teachers I've known for 3 years. Part of me wishes I could stay in college forever. That's not the way things work, onward and upwards we go.
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