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By En If you want to go to university, odds are you’ll have to do an interview to get in. Waiting to get an interview can take ages, (the longest I waited was 2 months), but that’s just the beginning. I remember worrying about what to wear, what to say, and how to impress the interviewers. After five interviews, I started to get the hang of it. Here are the things I learnt and what I feel worked out for me. These can all be transferred to any other interviews, but I’ve put these into the context of university!
Interviews are stressful. I don’t think that they’ll ever change. But one thing I had to keep reminding myself was that I couldn’t change anything. I did my best and I couldn’t change anything that I did. I met some really nice people at interviews and (even with a very, very bad one), I wouldn’t change anything about them. If you have a bad interview, take it with a pinch of salt. It doesn’t define who you are or the start of your uni life. It doesn’t mean every interview you have is going to be bad after it. My bad interview was two days before my first choice, so that amped my nerves up. What I had to take away from that though was that I could keep the ball rolling and that my worth isn’t defined by anyone other than myself. The waiting after the interview is probably one of the most stressful parts. I had one interview where I got had a reply from the next day; , the other I waited five months. Of course, with the impact of COVID-19, the whole process was delayed for three of my interviews. Though I was lucky enough to have them all in person, the delay in other interviews and UCAS pausing replies didn’t help. Apparently my waiting period what I waited for isn’t too far away from that of normal circumstances what normally happens, but take my waiting time with a pinch of salt. If you’re worried that they might be taking too long, it’s always worth emailing or phoning just to check when you’ll get a response. Interviews will always be scary. No matter how much advice you get, it’s normal for them to be scary. Interviewers know this. Chances are they’ve been in your position before, so they’ll be sympathetic. I had two interviews where the interviewers were really empathetic about it it, because they’d all said they’d been in that chair before and they remembered how scary it was. We’re all human. That’s something to remember. I hope that this has helped and if you’re reading this to prepare for an interview, good luck!! You’ve got this!
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By Lana Do you believe that you are good at reading people? While I would consider myself as a perceptive person that allows me to carefully notice how people act, I also realize that I come to conclusions pretty easily. Whenever you set your mind to how you view a person, it is hard to change your perception of them. When a person does something that we might not approve of, why do we automatically assume their whole personality rather than giving them the benefit of the doubt?
I recently learned about a term called the “fundamental attribution error.” This term is used in social psychology, and it describes how we tend to judge a person’s actions by their characteristics, rather than their circumstances. For example, if you are driving on the road and see another person driving fast and dangerously, you automatically believe that they are reckless. However, we dismiss their circumstances - what if they were running late to their work/school, or they had an urgent emergency? We do not validate a person’s experiences as we do for ourselves. If we automatically critique a person’s characteristics for their wrongdoings, how do we know if we are truly good people-readers? While judging people may be a normal and instinctual human quality, the fundamental attribution error puts things into perspective when we socialize with people. I consider myself as a person who thinks the worst of a situation. When I would talk to a friend and they seemed particularly snarky, I would automatically assume that I did something wrong to make them mad. I don’t consider their circumstances, such as them having a bad day that led to their mood. Sometimes, misreading a situation impacts how I act to fit my own assumptions, which creates a continuous cycle of misinterpretation between me and another person. However, learning about the fundamental attribution error has led me to be more open to understanding people’s experiences. I don’t jump to conclusions as fast as I used to, which ultimately minimized my stress when I socialize with others. As I had learned a lot from this, here are some tips that I can provide to you that may help as well: Give others the benefit of the doubt While it is easy to judge someone based on your first impressions of them, how you feel determines your overall impression of them in the future. Becoming aware of the fundamental attribution error allows you to assess your thought process about someone. It certainly eases thoughts for those who are overthinkers, such as myself. Considerately communicate your pet peeves Pet peeves may be considered as qualities that are irritable for most of us. For instance, eating food very loudly is a common pet peeve. However, we must be considerate of the person’s circumstances if they seem to be doing something considerate as a pet peeve. If they are a loud eater, it may be a cultural norm that they are accustomed to - rather than being ill-mannered. To communicate your concerns to others, it is best to be open-minded by their response and to not be too quick to judge. Be aware of comparing yourself to others We know ourselves the best, so this allows us to rationalize our mistakes whenever we experience them. However, when we subconsciously compare ourselves to the mistakes of others, regardless of how big or small their mistake is, we automatically feel as if we are better. Thus, we should be aware that just because we don’t know another person’s circumstances, we should not judge them for their mistakes. The fundamental attribution error is pretty helpful in these cases! These tips have allowed me to be aware of others, and have eased my overthinking as well! Being aware of the fundamental attribution error definitely opened up my eyes, making me more considerate of my actions when I am socializing with others. I hope that these tips will benefit you as well! By Arya Learning to prepare for exams is one of the most difficult tasks for students. Students have to dedicate themselves to understanding the topics of the exam, which if not done well results in bad scores. Personally, it has taken me years to figure out how to properly and efficiently study for exams to see the results I want to see.
There are many ways to learn to prepare for an exam effectively, such as:
Personally, I never had to study before high school. During both elementary school and middle school, I was able to get away without studying for any exams — school came easy to me. However, that all changed when I began high school. The workload, the content and the exams were a whole other level than what I was used to. This was a bit of a slap in the face to me, as school was never something I worried about too much. I was taking AP (Advanced Placement) Biology, in my first year of high school. This was the first college-level class I had ever taken, and I didn’t realize how much work and effort I needed to put into the class. I very quickly realized that I needed to learn how to study, which is kind of ironic — the fact that I needed to learn how to study. Learning to study was a long journey. At first, I would just read over my notes, which was completely useless and did not help me learn at all. I realized that I needed to practice more and that I needed to take notes on the topics I was learning about. When I began to do this, I realized my exam scores began to rise. From there, I began to learn how to study — by watching videos, making a plan to start studying days before the exam, taking notes, and doing a lot of practice problems. Over my two and a half years of high school, I have finally learned how to study correctly! Over the years, I have researched many ways to study more effectively, but not all of them will work for everyone — find what works for you. For me, only certain things work like:
I would encourage everyone to try out different methods of studying to figure out what works best for you! Preparing for exams requires the skill of time management. You can fit in everything if you space out your time and get things done on schedule. Depending on the last day before the exam to prepare is not going to work, due to the practice, repetition, and time our brain needs to learn. The last day is solely meant for revision and going through the major topics once again. And the most important thing before an exam is to have a good night of sleep so that your mind is fresh and energetic on the day of the exam. By Ve Learning a foreign language is incredibly rewarding. Following the recent pandemic, many- including myself- have turned to studying a new language to pass time. It can be a daunting process however and requires a mix of good studying habits along with using high yield learning material.
Currently, I’m learning two languages- Korean and Tagalog. Although I do not have a set study schedule, it is highly recommended as consistency is key. Nevertheless, as I am fairly fluent in them, I tend to be more carefree but still try my best to incorporate these languages into my daily life. As mentioned earlier, learning a new language can seem intimidating, especially if you don’t know where to start. Fear not however- the solution is simply to start from scratch. Rather than diving straight into reading complex novels like I tried to do, start with treading the water and gradually building up your skills. Every language has a basic process that I like to split into 4 different parts:
Choosing the right resources to learn with is crucial. Moreover, depending on your preferred learning style, you might have to experiment to find what suits you best. Here are some of the most effective materials and methods that I’ve used:
We saw the basics of learning a new language and established that starting from scratch is the best way to build up fluency. In addition, we saw some effective study materials and methods that cater to different types of learners. With this in mind, why not learn a new language? Apart from personal satisfaction, the rewards are endless and opens doors to new opportunities. What language are you interested in and why? Let us know in the comments!
During my recent visit to my school, after experiencing that environment all over again, I was taken down memory lane. It made me feel quite ecstatic about how life was in school and how it has shaped itself now that I am in college. This journey, when I look back, has been quite surreal, and I could not have asked for more.
Since change is the only constant in our lives, transition is an inevitable part of it. Transition serves the role of a bridge, facilitating our move from one phase of our lives to another. It involves leaving behind all your past routines and starting a fresh journey ahead. As battles are fought and won on the battlefield, similarly in life as well, heights of success are achieved when we get out of our comfort zones and strive hard to achieve any task. Transitions are all about stepping out of your comfort zone, as moving into a new phase presents new conditions and challenges. Therefore, it's important to adapt to them and flourish despite these obstacles. The first phase of this transition is the school, which, being our second home for years and where one spends their childhood, naturally creates an emotional bond with it. Thus, bidding adieu to our school and moving on to join college can be quite overwhelming. This transition from school to college reminds me of how the seeds in the form of white puffs in a dandelion flower disperse into the air and get settled at distant places to start a new journey ahead. The journey of school can be visualised as a common road where everyone follows the same path. However, in its end, there are various bifurcations—different career options, each leading to a unique destination. School life can also be envisioned as a bird confined to a cage, and with the commencement of college life, the bird is set free from that cage where it has spent its life so far, enabling it to fly high into the horizons of the sky. Transition takes place as there is a change from one phase of life to another. The roots of this transition from the school to the college were laid back in grade 11, where we all chose our streams with the career choices in our minds. In this academic transition, the previous one smoothly gives way to the newer one to take control, which in turn helps us to flourish further in our lives. As the school has given its portion of requisites to a child, it has shaped them to a certain extent by laying the foundation of their career. However, the role of the college is that of icing on the cake, which is so crucial as it proves to be game-changing in the whole scene. While being in school, one generally lives in a very protective environment provided by the school as well as by their family members back at home. However, by being in college, one becomes all the more independent in his/her respective life. This independence brings with it a host of responsibilities. Earlier in school, the decision-making power rested with our parents; however, now the ball lies in our court to make certain major calls relating to our lives, which affect us substantially. The second phase in this transition is the college or university, which is a crucial factor in one’s scholastic journey, as the learning and the experiences gained during this very pivotal phase of our lives will ultimately govern and determine where we’ll land in our future. Another important aspect of college life is that it teaches us the fine art of professionalism. This indispensable skill polishes our intellect, conduct, and behaviour in a way that our way of dealing with things becomes all the more refined, requisite, and ideal for the required job. Moreover, the camaraderie that one develops along with their journey is surely a lifelong longing. Our peers often end up in similar professions, which makes it easier for us to stay in touch even longer. Leaving behind the rat race of marks that we’ve all been through, college life provides the perfect platform, offering us the opportunity to master the vital skills that are prerequisites for our profession. Putting in extra effort over and above this certainly gives us an edge over the others and boosts our careers to the next level. Personally, being able to directly experience the university before going to college has been a wholesome experience altogether. The added advantage of studying in a university is that one gets to experience certain things that colleges are generally devoid of. The education that we gain and combine with the experiences of life plays the role of a stonemason in our lives. All this brings the best out of us, provided our way of looking at things is optimistic but not pessimistic. A failure would teach us something that even success cannot. The obstacles in our lives at every step are a testament to our character and how we respond and bounce back in such critical times. Looking forward, this new journey looks promising, as the learnings in this short period have been quite a few. Being humble in our attitude yet having that glaring attitude to conquer anything when the demand of the circumstances is such, we march ahead with a lot to experience, learn, and cherish forever. By Justice B Volunteering. It’s quite an intriguing concept: Helping people, animals, and businesses or organizations, voluntarily and without pay!
Some people see volunteering as a strange, unusual thing, but in reality, volunteering is a fascinating and beautiful experience! Not only is volunteering mentally, emotionally, and sometimes physically engaging, but it’s also something genuinely fun and pleasant to take part in. The big question is, “Why take part in something when it’s not required and you don’t get anything from it?” If you think about it, volunteering is actually beneficial for all parties! The party being helped by volunteers benefits from the help, and the volunteer(s) benefits from the experience, knowledge, and new skills gained, the large amount of new possibilities generated, and the happiness, sense of purpose, and confidence attained. I’ve been volunteering in some way or another since I was little. It’s something I’ve always loved, and as I’m getting older, I’m just growing to love it even more! I’ve helped out at senior centers and hospitals, led children's classes at a local church, hosted events with/for my school and community; the list is endless. You may not earn money from sincere volunteering, but money is no comparison to the wonderful things you learn and acquire, and the people you meet, while volunteering. Volunteering is unlike any unforgiving person, it doesn’t care what your past is, or what kind of person you are. Volunteering is accepting of all people, no matter their race, sexuality, or culture. If you haven’t volunteered before, and you haven’t experienced the joyous, sensational feeling of making people happy by doing good, it’s something immensely worth trying. You might find that you’re like me in the fact that making others happy is one of my favorite things in the entire world. There are many different ways you can volunteer in your community, your state and country, online, and even in other countries! I started to expand my volunteer pallet using a website called VolunteerMatch. VolunteerMatch helps you find volunteer opportunities that suit you and your passions! VolunteerMatch offers opportunities in 14 different countries and opportunities you can help with from home! Volunteering is the equivalent of a hot cup of cocoa on the coldest winter day; it makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside! Plus, you get to make others feel like they’re on top of the world! By Tabitha Congratulations! We did it! Right? It should feel like a great weight off our shoulders - graduation - yet sometimes it can make us feel emptier and more lost than how we were when we first started the course. No one tells you how life as a real adult is after graduation. The shift in your priorities, the endless job applications with disappointing results, the sudden realisation of the debt you carry. The day of graduation may be one of joy, however, if you're anything like me, you'll quickly find yourself spiralling into an anxious pit regarding your next step. Most university courses last 3-4 years and then you are left to fend for yourself in the real world. The understanding is, that you have all the tools to best prepare you for the career path you intend to follow. However, this is not always the case. A study says nearly 45% of students have changed their career paths after graduating since the start of the pandemic. More and more jobs require more years of experience before you can even start an entry-level role, and graduate roles are just as hard or competitive to get. It is not enough to only have a first class in your degree. Not only this, but there can be external pressures from your family or peers to quickly get a job, or at least continue studying as that is what they did. This, coupled with the pressure you put on yourself for not having experience or getting a role within the time you expected, can leave you feeling hopeless. As someone who just recently graduated, I found myself immediately in the anxious pit, wondering whether I'd ever get out of it. Honestly, there are days I still fall back. I graduated with a degree in Interior Architecture and Design, had a good foundation of work experience and took part in multiple extracurricular activities to make myself even more hirable. However, this still wasn't enough for the 150 applications I made to even give me a response. This left me defeated and distraught. There was nothing more I could do to update my CV or portfolio despite the various reviews I had from multiple different people. Nothing was lacking in the cover letters I wrote, nor much I could do to improve my CV, so I thought the only thing holding me back was my portfolio, but even then it was still a struggle to get a response. The truth is, that the average person has to go through 162 job applications before even receiving a job. The issue is, university never prepared you for that, and so you're left trying to understand what you're doing wrong. Luckily I didn't lose all hope. I ventured into the world of freelancing and picked up my side hustles as I tried to figure out where I wanted my career path to go. Another tip that I've learnt after graduating: you don't have to have it all figured out. The expectation to know exactly what you are going to do with the rest of your life is too much and that shouldn't weigh you down. Finding that one thing that will interest you for the rest of your working life could take a while, and it could even change halfway through so there's no pressure to stick to one thing. My freelancing took me down various avenues such as film and TV, editorials for magazines, interior design and even events. I was determined to explore and keep pushing myself to step out of my comfort zone so I could keep learning. If you're somewhat like me and you feel slightly lost about your next steps after graduating, here are some tips to help you start to figure yourself out:
Life after graduation can seem like a scary thing, however, look at it as the beginning of a new chapter in your life. It can also be exciting as you’re about to embark on experiences you’ve never had before. There will be challenges on the way but if there weren’t, I don’t think it would be as fun. Remember that there is more than one option out there and there is no pressure to have it all figured out immediately. Each journey is personal and it is up to you to decide the path that you’re most aligned with. By Meghna Revision. The mention of this word can send shivers down the spines of teenagers everywhere. It's that time of year when textbooks become our closest companions, and every spare moment is spent poring over notes and practice questions. But not to fear, your trusted advisor is here! Anyway, after that cringe line, I want to let you know that with the right approach, revision doesn't have to be a hard task. In this guide, I’ll help break down the revision process into easy-to-understand steps to help you navigate through this important period with ease.
STEP 1: The first step in any revision process is setting clear and achievable goals. Keyword: achievable. If you started early on your revision, good for you! But I know most of you haven't, so take your time and understand what is important and what you don’t need to review. Because although this task should be easy, you are in a time crunch. Now these goals can range from improving your grades, mastering a particular subject/topic, or simply feeling more assured in your knowledge, setting specific goals will give you a sense of direction. STEP 2: Now that you have your goals in mind, it's time to create a revision schedule that works for you. Consider your daily routine, extracurricular activities, and other commitments, and allocate dedicated study time accordingly. Whether you're a morning person or a night owl, find a study schedule that aligns with your preferences. STEP 2.5: Now the most important thing that everyone always forgets, when making this schedule, allocate time for breaks, for your mind to recharge, and process the material you just stuffed into it. Also, you might feel as though you don’t have time for breaks, but between every subject, try to stick a break in between, where you rest and relax, before you get up and start a new topic STEP 3: A cluttered study space can lead to a cluttered mind, so take some time to organize your study materials. This helps your mind to clear up, focus and concentrate on a task, allowing the transition to studying to become easier. This means gathering your notes, textbooks, and any other resources you'll need for your revision process. Keep this in mind: you can consider using folders, binders, or digital stuff to keep everything neat and accessible. STEP 4: To truly understand your topics, utilize active learning techniques that activate your brain. For example, try summarizing key concepts in your own words, teaching others what you've learned, or using flashcards to test your knowledge. Keep trying out new things until you see a positive reflection on your work, then you’ll know that you have found a study technique that works for you! STEP 5: Revision is not just about memorizing facts; it's about understanding and applying what you've learned. Regular review and practice are essential for reinforcing your knowledge. Now, for all the people who aren’t feeling that time crunch, set aside time each week/day to review previous material and test yourself with practice questions or quizzes. STEP 6: Don’t hesitate to reach out for help if you're struggling with a particular concept. Your teachers, peers, and online resources are valuable sources of guidance. Don't be afraid to ask questions or seek clarification when needed. Email them, if you don’t want to go in person, , because trust me, they only want the best for your education and future! Also, check out different online resources to help grow your knowledge to a broader field. Even if you are starting the week or a day before your test, the revision process is something that requires proper planning and dedication. I hope that, by breaking down this process, I helped you study for all those upcoming tests and exams. So, what are you doing? Get right to work now! By Kavy Welcome to the contradictory part of life. I believe that living life to the fullest is a myth created by fellow homo sapiens to make life seem easier when it actually isn't .
I used to "Live" life to the fullest according to what people made "the fullest", and to my surprise living isn't what we think it is. Living life does not refer to being happy all the time or being aware of your surroundings or whatever society taught you. Life is a rollercoaster, not only of emotions but everything you experience. Living life is experiencing everything without compromising yourself. This is what I believe. I sound very skeptical, and many of you would not agree with me but that's completely fine because not everyone has the same sense of "the fullest” My purpose of existing is different from yours, which makes our ideas of "living life to the fullest" different. And that is exactly my point believing what others say "LIVING LIFE TO THE FULLEST" is a myth but believing in your idea of living makes you unique. I am no saint or a life guru, this is what I believe and what I've learned so far in life. Life isn't just happiness and sadness, it's a whole bunch of emotions that make it worth living. Find your idea of living and live life your way. LIVE LIFE TO THE FULLEST and find your own FULLEST. Coming to terms with imperfection is a difficult task that often seems impossible. Thanks to the internet, social media, and celebrity culture, we live in a world where success, high achievement and perfection surround our daily lives in a way unparalleled in all of human history. Growing up, we are supposed to learn about ourselves and how to grow into a more mature being, but how can we do that when we are surrounded by unattainable standards and are constantly blaming ourselves for not living up to them? Ever since early childhood, I was always ahead of the curve in everything I did. I was top of my class in school, consistently excelled in dance exams and competitions (allowing me to be the youngest founding member of my dance studio’s pre-professional dance company), and quickly became one of the fastest swimmers in my swim team even though I never swam full time. I had college-level reading and writing by fifth grade, according to national standardized tests. My entire life I was constantly reminded of my potential for achievement: what I had done in the past and what I could do in the future so long as I kept working hard. I was a “gifted child” and I had no idea what to do with it. Life is a series of choices, and the opportunities missed will always be greater than the ones taken. The problem is, I always wanted to take every opportunity. I never focused on one thing at a time; I’ve always pursued multiple interests and never fully committed to one thing. That was fine for most of my life. Elementary was easy. Middle school was harder, but I decided to stop swimming and focus on ballet, and I went through those three years without anything lower than an A-. Then high school hit. Everything got harder, my mental health began to shake, and my body began to change. I kept hitting walls with ballet, unable to get more flexible or move in the way I had to. My grades started to fall as the standards for my performance in every aspect of my life grew with no sign of stopping. I kept wondering where I went wrong. I felt like I wasn’t living up to my past self; that I was letting the whole world down. I held such a high standard for myself and, when I couldn’t meet it, all I could see was the gap between me and perfection: that gap was what I perceived as failure. As my mental health deteriorated, I started to see I had completely lost focus on what matters in life and that I was beating myself up over things I could never control. I changed my life in my junior year. I decided to stop ballet at my studio and instead dance through my school and start swimming again. Overall, that gave me more time to focus on academics, less pressure for perfection in my extracurriculars, and a chance to better take care of my mental health. The difference came slowly, but it showed. The summer before my senior year, I went on a 26-day backpacking trip for my school (I went to a private school and we had some unique traditions), and halfway through I sprained my ankle. I almost went home, but I figured out how to tape my ankle in such a way as to support two more weeks of walking on it. I had to adjust: I couldn’t carry as much weight and, once we arrived at our campsites each night, I couldn’t help the way I had before. A year before I would’ve held these setbacks against myself but, instead, I remembered that my best will always look different depending on the day. I quickly found which chores I could do that would allow me to rest my ankle, and by the end of the trip some of my group mates had forgotten I was injured - not because they did not care, but because I learned how to get around it. Finding this mental acceptance is difficult, so hopefully some of the following suggestions can help:
I am a critical perfectionist by nature, so none of what I recommend comes easily to me. It’s alright to struggle, it’s alright to make mistakes, and it’s alright to mess up where in the past you’ve succeeded. We are constantly bombarded with standards that are far beyond our reach, not because we are not capable of greatness but because sometimes, we just want to live. So, do good, and live your life. -Chandler / Ina cHANDLER/INAIt’s important to be as eco-friendly as possible to preserve the world. At the moment, irreversible damage is being done so we must make the changes to save the planet. Things such as single-use plastic can be dangerous for the environment, but some products that don’t use that can be pretty pricey at first. As a student, I have a very strict budget but I’ve figured out some ways that work well for me, and hopefully, they’ll work for you too!
Those are my little tips for going eco-friendly on a budget! Hopefully, these can be of some use to you. These steps are important to take in order to preserve the planet. And they can help you feel so much better! There are so many different options you can take and it’s worth doing your own research on global warming and what steps we can take as individuals to do our part in preventing it. Though these might not work for everyone, they’re always worth a try. -En EnFiguring out how to best study and prepare yourself for assessments can be tedious and stressful. How are you supposed to study for a math test without any notes? How do you prepare for an essay whose prompt you don’t know yet? And, sometimes even more frustrating, how do you study for a test that is going to include multiple units? Finding how to study can be almost as stressful as the test itself, and if you don’t know where to start, it can seem overwhelming.
It took me a long time to figure out how best to study, especially for math which didn’t have the notes that the other classes had. Throughout middle school and the beginning of high school, I always struggled with how to study for my upcoming assessments. That stress did nothing to help my anxiety about the assessment itself, and I would always get overwhelmed when I would try to study. Usually, I would just end up rereading old notes or skimming through the study guide to see if there was anything that sounded unfamiliar. It was worse for math; I would only look over old problems before calling it quits. It wasn’t until my second year of high school that I sat myself down to really figure out how to study to give myself the best chance on my tests. I went through a lot of trial and error with different studying types before I finally figured out what works best for me. And the way I study varies for the different subjects, even different classes within the same subject. I still get anxious while studying and during the test, but I know going into my assessments that I’ve studied the best way I can. Here are studying tips that I stand by and that work the best for me:
Not all of these tips may work for you, but I’ve found that they work best for me. You may find that rewriting your notes is too tedious and frustrating, and in that case, you could try making a Quizlet out of your notes. I’ve also tried finding Kahoots or other online practice quizzes on the internet and playing those. Try new ways of testing yourself like explaining concepts to other friends who are in the class so that they can help correct you if you miss something, and give yourself the time needed to figure out what works the best for you. ~Madeline Procrastination is vilified endlessly in the media. It’s generalised to be a character trait to overcome - something which holds you back from success. I, however, don’t believe so. Sometimes procrastination has more root in an underlying fear than of simple laziness. Exam season is almost upon us and, as students, the thing we are most guilty of avoiding is revision... so I thought I would share a few tips!
Ultimately, everyone procrastinates. Guilt and anxiety will only make things worse. Instead, try and procrastinate by doing other kinda-sorta useful tasks that you need to do anyways. You’ll get through them quicker and will manage to tick a lot off of your to do list which is often all you need for a flurry of motivation. I promise you’re not alone - we’ll get through it together! Keerthi Any teen movie involving ‘prom night’ portrays it as a magical moment in one’s life, but is that really the case? I don’t know about you, but I simply cannot believe that just because you are wearing a pretty dress and a face full of makeup, your life suddenly becomes perfect.
Due to the coronavirus, I didn’t get a prom. Although this devastated some people in my year (probably those who’d already spent way too much on a dress for just one night), I wasn’t bothered. Did I like the idea of hanging out with my friends, making memories, and having a good time? Yes. But, did I want to do this surrounded by my teachers? Absolutely not. Here’s a few possible reasons why some teens love the idea of prom:
However, none of these reasons really appeal to me and this is probably why I have never liked the idea of prom. Of course, I don’t speak for everyone and if I’m going to be perfectly honest, had it been on, I was intending to go to my prom. I’d even bought a dress! Sure, I think it’s forced, but so is everything if you think too much about it. So, even if you are pessimistic like me, I’d suggest giving it a shot. Who knows, you might even end up enjoying it! Have a brilliant day :) - Chloë x It’s fair to say that I’ve had a hectic first term of Sixth Form and my A Level choices alone can show you this much. Starting off, we had a line up of English Literature, Biology, Chemistry and Drama. First, let’s just appreciate that I’ve never done any form of drama before in my life and, two weeks in, when asked to bark like a dog when my teacher took the register… I realised it wasn’t for me. Okay, one down and three left, I should’ve just left it like that, right?
Wrong. I then decided it would be smart to take up another subject I’d never tried before: Psychology. I would say ‘big mistake’, but it wasn’t. I mean, I hated the subject; I found it boring and dull and time-wasting, but it wasn't a mistake. If I hadn't taken it, I wouldn’t have known I hated it, and I would have spent the rest of my life wondering if I was secretly a Psychology genius. This leads me to my first, and probably most important, point when it comes to choosing your A Level subject. Do not do a subject you hate because you’re good at it. I faced a massive (well, massive relative to me) decision when I was taking Psychology. Grade wise, I was getting full marks in Psychology and Bs in Chemistry, BUT, I enjoyed Chemistry more. And, ultimately, that’s what won the battle: my love for the subject. I knew dropping Psychology would give me the time to focus more on a subject I actually enjoyed so I could boost that grade, rather than sit in misery every single Psychology lesson. Look, I know it’s difficult and feels really naive, but I am so much happier now than I was before, so I would like to stress the importance of doing what you enjoy. Cliche, I know, but this one’s from experience, so at least you know I’m telling the truth. As you can probably tell, I was indecisive about my choices (to say the least) and that’s totally fine! My school gave us an arguably long time before we had to fully commit (until November 2nd, if I remember rightly) which gave all of us ample time to change, switch, go back, and do it all again. It doesn’t matter if you're not feeling comfortable with your subjects; no one will judge or think differently of you if you simply realise that something isn't your cup of tea (in fact, some of my friends are jealous that I made the choice so quickly). Of course, there is ‘the future’ to consider (I know, I know, I don’t want to either but it’s better to be prepared). If you want to go to University, you do need to take a look at what A Level requirements they have (if any). I am hoping to attend Oxford to study English Literature and, surprise surprise, one of their requirements is English A Level. One thing I want to let you know, in case you also are looking at Oxbridge Universities, is that they prefer you to be taking the ‘traditional subjects’ (English, Maths, Science, History, Geography), and they probably won’t consider you if you are only doing one of these. It’s the harsh truth, I’m afraid. So, when choosing A Levels, I would recommend having Uni or whatever you want to do next in the back of your mind. It’s taken me a while (three months, to be exact) to feel comfortable with my A Level choices, but I don’t think this would have happened without the many obstacles I faced on the way. Just remember, A Levels are just another qualification, and it’s also important to do what you love outside of school as well. I hope this helped, Chloë College applications seem to loom in front of you for your entire high school career. They’re always there, waiting to stress you out with the work and time that you have to put into them. But they’re not as scary as one might think, and all it takes to get started is that first click. If you take the applications one step at a time and give yourself enough time to complete them, the stress and anxiety that surrounds the entire process isn’t as bad as you would think.
I’m currently a rising senior and will be graduating in the spring of 2021, so I’m in the midst of applications. However, I’ve been working towards these college applications for what seems like forever since I’ve been going on tours and worrying about my SAT score for over a year. It’s been a lot to keep track of, especially during the middle of a global pandemic, and college research and applications have taken up a lot of my summer. I’ve had a list of colleges that I was interested in for awhile now, but there’s still so much that I’ve had to do and still need to get done. I’ve also struggled with getting started on my writing because I don’t like talking about myself, so thinking about the things I’m going to share about myself in the different essays has been intimidating. I’m lucky enough though to have a great support system behind me, including my parents, my older sisters, and my college counselor. They’ve helped me to slow down and take everything one step at a time to avoid feeling overwhelmed with all of it. Now as I’m going into senior year and applications are starting to open, I feel a lot more at ease than I did at the beginning of the summer. I know what I need to get done and I know I can do it, and those are the two most important things to remember. Here are a few things to remember when you start the college process:
The college process can seem overwhelming, but if you take it one step at a time, it doesn’t have to be as stressful. Give yourself time to work through each part of your application, including research, and remind yourself that you can and will get through it. The future may seem scary but remember that you can do anything you set your mind to- including a few pesky college applications! ~Madeline Failure. It’s something that we all actively try to avoid. However, it still plays a significant part in our lives. Having to overcome and learn from it, when it continuously shows up unannounced, is something we all need to learn how to do. But this is no small feat. Failure is often accompanied by negative thoughts and emotions, making it even harder to try to get back on our feet.
The definition of failure is the state or condition of not meeting a desirable or intended objective, and it happens quite often. It follows us in our school grades, our relationships, our jobs, and some blows hit harder than others. We can feel drained and lost, confused about what step to take next, burned out, and burdened. I’ve had to deal with failure in many aspects of my life. But something that’s been riddled with it is my academics. Recently, I’ve been studying for the SATs (the college admission test for The US) for months, and each time I took a practice test, I kept getting lower and lower scores. I started to get scared, terrified of the fact that I’d get a horrible score on the actual exam. So I began to push myself harder. I’d spend more time practicing, take more practice tests, but I just kept getting worse. Even though these bad scores weren’t my actual results, it made me fearful of what the final score would be, which pushed me down even further. I thought the rest of my future was riding on this score. These results shut me down. I was reluctant to keep going. The fear and anxiety started to spill over into many other parts of my life, bringing them to a screeching halt. I wasn’t able to focus on school or study for exams. I wasn't able to keep up with my extracurriculars. All because of a stupid test score. After going through this experience, spiraling downward multiple times, I’ve been able to piece together a sort of routine to pull myself out. First, take a step back. When failure pops up again and again, our first impulse may be to immediately make up for it, trying to work harder. But many times, it can lead to burnout or feeling even more defeated than before, which could make the process of moving forward even harder. Let go of the thing that's causing you some trouble for a bit and try to focus on other things going on in life. This could be working on learning dance or a new song or even what's happening in a TV show that you're currently watching. Maybe try something that's the polar opposite of what you're having trouble with. After recuperating for a bit, try to find out why you're not getting your desired outcome. Analyze your mistakes to find out their source. Try to sit down with a mentor, by yourself, or even with a friend and discuss the mistakes you’ve made to see what could've gone better. From this, you can focus on the aspects that need more work. It may even help to start off from square one again, re-learning everything. But most importantly and the hardest: have faith in yourself. One reason we have trouble continuing in the face of failure is that we don’t believe we can go on anymore. We are scared that we may not get to where we want to be. It often helps to surround yourself with as much positivity as possible. Listen to upbeat music, dance like a maniac from time to time, read positive affirmations, and try to always tell yourself, ‘you can do it!’ The positivity will rub off on you, which can give you an extra boost in motivation and just make you feel better in general. Failure will never stop popping by, but it’s up to us whether we want to battle it or use it. It's always a hard journey, but keep pushing. For every little step you take, give yourself a pat on the back. Make sure you know that everything you are doing right now is what matters. Shine the limelight on the next step instead of the result. And always remember, even if something that you are doing or did is something you’d call a failure, you are never a failure. Keep pushing, and you’ll soon be in the stars. Jahannavi :) At some point in your life, you will want to go out and get a job for yourself. Sometimes it’ll be for money, to increase productivity, to get experience, or anything else really! One of the most requested items employers will ask for is a resume. So, what exactly is a resume?
A resume is a document that you will submit to your employer. It is a summary of your experience, contact information, skills, awards, references, and your goals for the job. The paper can usually be sent digitally or handed face to face, prior to interview or during the interview. In some situations, your employer may say that a resume is optional to turn in on the application you’re filling out. But should you still put a resume in? You probably should, as it shows you are prepared and they get to know your work ethic better. Next though, let’s go over more on what a resume includes. Please keep in mind this article will be going over a chronological resume, the most common and most preferred. Here are the four common things a resume consists of: Basic Profile – This is a big part of the resume, showing who you are and what you hope to achieve. Contact Information – How should people contact you? You can list your email, phone numbers, LinkedIn, and any other contacts you can think of. This is very important so that employers, managers, and fellow employees can contact you easily and don’t need to guess. Experience – What job or volunteer experience do you have behind you? This can be from your online moderation experience, any type of jobs, or anything that shows your responsibility. If you have extensive job history, put down the ones that are most related to the job you’re applying to. Skills – What can you do? This can be soft or hard skills, soft skills being skills like customer service, communication, teamwork, and more. Hard skills are skills like your typing speed, languages, and more. Just think of hard skills being able to be measured and soft skills being your character as an employee. AVOID using the linear points for this. Linear points are the items that say “3/10 with Microsoft Word”, and “1/5 with driving a truck” on resumes. Don’t use these as it doesn’t actually show how good you are at this skill and the employer doesn’t know how to measure it by. Are as an employee to increase the chances of getting the job, so contact your teachers and past co-workers (if you have any) to get a reference. So, a chronological resume will be mainly all of the key components up above, but how should you be writing this? 1) Don’t use bright colors but soft dim colors. You want your resume to be pleasant to the eye and not something that can make the eyes go sore. It’s more common to do a black and white essay, but you can use pops of colors as well (as long as they’re saturated). You can also do fully colored resumes, but make sure they’re saturated and balanced. 2) Be accurate and honest with your information. Make sure to put the dates of when you started and left past jobs, know what you did there and be truthful about what skills you have. If an employer finds out you’ve been lying, it can get you in trouble. 3) Be updated. Most likely you will use your resume multiple times, so make sure to update your information depending on the job, time period, and for your updated experience, education, and skills. This will show you’re on top of your responsibilities. 4) Don’t rush; make it neat. Make sure to not use Comic Sans but perhaps Time News Roman as a font. Use black or white text depending on your colors only and make sure it’s readable. Use columns to organize the resume to be more appealing and accurately name each section. Don’t forget to proofread it as well! 5) Be confident! Be confident in your experience and skills. Confidence is a huge plus because it shows how ready you are for the job and your overall mood about the job. If you act sluggish, they will get the wrong impression that you don’t want to be there. Show them that you do! Always feel free to look into resumes more and build on it by yourself. Try to make your own form of resume by testing out Word or Google Docs. Both programs are great for building them. You can also ask those around you such as teachers, parents, and friends. Now you know how to effectively write a resume, what’s included in a resume, and what to expect. Good luck out there! Emi Work experience can range from lots of different things and reactions, from excitement to dread and nerves to downright fear. Well, I’m here to shed a little light on work experience as a whole and to hopefully reassure you that it isn’t as scary as you may think. In the UK, a lot of schools designate a week(or more) to enable their students (usually those in Year 10 or 11) to go out and practice helping out in a real-life workplace. My school was a bit stingy and forced us to do everything for ourselves- which was very daunting- but, I think that most schools that enforce work experience tend to help you out along the way. The first thing I’d recommend to do is think about what you are interested in. It can even be something that you’re partially interested in and want to learn more about, even if it’s a career path you are 90% sure that you don’t want to go into, you still can’t allow yourself to disclude it entirely. This opportunity is less likely to show you the exact career path you’re meant for, but it’s still important to keep your options open, and with this, it can also give you an insight into what scenarios you hate, don’t mind, and enjoy! Secondly, If you’re interested, I would highly suggest checking to see if any local businesses offer work experience placements to students like yourself. With this stage, I would also recommend asking around to all associates and people that you are close with. They’ll likely know someone who works at a place you’d be interested in working for, and you may even get the placement easier because of knowing this person. I struggled to find a placement, even though I started searching for positions super early, I just couldn’t find a place I was truly invested in that was close enough for my parents to drive me back and for every day for a week. Luckily, when I told my form tutor this, he told me about a friend of his who worked at a vet, and from there, I managed to get a placement, even though they rarely take in students, simply due to this acquaintance. Connections are important when it comes to student occupations. If you still can’t find any student placements, use any online resources that are available to you. My school gave us the link to a website which listed loads of businesses that were open to having work-experience students, and yours may do the same. Although most of these were too far away from us to be realistic, doing this search gave me a good insight into the range of job prospects there are in the world, even if I didn't take much interest in any of them. So, by this stage of the process, you should have a list of around 5-10 possible placements that you are interested in. Before contacting these businesses, I would recommend you talk with your guardian/parent about each of them, and do your research on these businesses, verify that they are all commodious to you. It’s also important to know that you will need to be able to get transport there and back for the entirety of your placement, and this is something you should consider at this stage. After the researching of these businesses, you will have a remainder of about 3-6 companies, the next step is to send an email to them. This should include your name, the name of your school, dates you would like your placement for, description of why you would like the placement (I know this sounds bad, but you can lie here- just as long as you don’t pretend you have any qualifications- but even if you don’t want a career in science, it’s fine to say: ‘I am passionate about science and am considering a future career in this field.’). Make it short but sweet. Then, you wait. If you get multiple companies responding with “yes” then you need to think about which would be the most beneficial placement for you. Don’t feel bad if you need to send an email saying you’ve been offered another placement which you have decided to take instead. I promise it won’t affect them in the slightest. Overall, getting a work experience placement is nowhere near as daunting as it may first seem after trying these steps, which will allow you to get the best out of your placement and will hopefully aid you in the future when trying to decide your career. I hope this helped, - Non NonEveryone has that moment in their life when they are given some advice by someone who cares about them and then they completely ignore that advice, only to regret it months later when it turns out to be exactly what they needed. Lord knows I've been there. So I've decided to compile some of the most amazing advice I've ever been given (and may or may not have ignored) in the hopes that it might help some of you. No.1 - You can stop anytime. What I mean by this is that you are never bound to a situation for the rest of your life. You are free to change your mind, make new decisions or stop doing something that makes you unhappy. Giving yourself permission to stop and take a step back is important to see the bigger picture and make the right decision for you. Stopping is not failing. Quitting is not a weakness. You are the one in control here and you are free to stop whenever you feel the time is right. You haven’t failed because you have stopped, you have just stopped and stopping means that you may start up again when the time is right. But it can also mean that this chapter of your life is over and you have stopped for good - but that’s okay too. No.2 - The only way to guarantee failure is by not trying at all. Everyone's a little bit scared of failure. I know I am. One of the reasons I hated maths lessons in school was because I wasn't necessarily the best at it and so I was scared of getting the answer wrong, or failing. But one thing that I have learnt is that getting something wrong does not equal failure, but giving up and not even giving it a try does. If you don't try, then you are guaranteed to fail. If you at least give it a go, there is a chance that you will get it right and even if you don't, you tried and that is the most important thing. Don't let fear stop you from succeeding because there is always a chance as long as you try. No.3 - Don't stress about what you cannot change. I can tell you 100% that I am the worst person in the world when it comes to stressing myself out and panicking about things. Not only that, but I have a persistent habit of stressing about things which absolutely are not worth stressing about. This doesn't help anyone. You can't control everything so if you are going to stress about anything, you should only stress about things you can control and things you can change, rather than things you cannot. Don't stress about if it's going to rain on your friend's wedding day - if it rains, it's going to rain and you can't change the weather. Don't stress about if there is going to be traffic on the way to school - if you're worried, just set off a little earlier. The point is that stress is pointless if you can't control the thing which you're stressed about. It won't change anything and will only harm you in the end. The saying ‘keep calm and carry on’ truly does apply in this situation. Control what you can and carry on with what you can’t. No.4 - If people don't like you for you, don't change to make them like you. Every human has an insatiable need to fit in and be liked. I'm a total people pleaser so I avoid confrontation at all costs and lie about stupid things just so that I fit in. For example, I used to tell people that I watched shows like Coronation Street or Eastenders because everybody else did and I thought it would be weird if I didn't watch those shows too. Truth is, I hate Coronation Street and Eastenders with a passion and have never watched an episode in my life and would be more than happy to never watch an episode. I used to think that lying about these things would make people like me but these lies meant that they wouldn't have liked me, but instead liked the version of me that I had created and that's not fair. You should be able to surround yourself with people who like you for being the real you and allow you to be your most authentic self. If people don't like you because of who you are, then they aren't worth it. Don't change to fit other people's perfect view. You are a pretty perfect version of what you are already. No.5 - Celebrate even the smallest achievements. One thing that I have always struggled with is thinking that something I have achieved is insignificant and unimportant or not meaningful enough to deserve celebrations or congratulations. But the truth is that even the smallest achievements are worth celebrating if it is something you have done well or something that was difficult for you to do. For example, on my hardest days when I’m feeling really down and unmotivated, it can be almost impossible to do everyday things like get out of bed, brush my hair, clean my teeth etc. These seem like easy things to everyone else, but to me, on that day, they’re near impossible. Even doing little things like that deserves to be celebrated because it was difficult for me to do, and though they’re small to everyone else, they’re big things to me. Something doesn’t have to be huge or life-changing to be recognised and acknowledged as an achievement. Anything can deserve a commemoration if it is important to you. No.6 - Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass, it’s about learning to dance in the rain. I absolutely love this quote with every inch of my being, so much so that I have multiple plaques dotted around my house all saying the same thing; life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass, it’s about learning to dance in the rain. What this essentially means is that you can’t spend your life waiting for the right time or the perfect time to do something because you would be waiting forever. There is never a perfect time or a right time. However, there is value in making the most of a bad situation i.e. dancing in the rain. You need to learn to take the best from a bad situation and turn it around instead of waiting for everything to get better before moving on. Life is filled with challenges and always will be. When you are facing these challenges and these difficult decisions I want you to remember that, despite everything, you can still be happy and things can still be pretty good overall. If I wanted you to take one piece of advice from this article, I think this would be my recommended one because it has helped me throughout some of the hardest times in my life. No.7 - People are far more focused on themselves than they are on you. As humans, we have this notion that everyone around us is watching us all the time and are focused on what we are doing and what we are wearing and are scrutinising our every move. One thing to remember is that they are humans too and so they are thinking the exact same things that you are thinking but about you and about themselves. They generally don’t care what you’re wearing, they’re too busy focusing on what they’re wearing to take up brain space criticising and scrutinising your fashion sense and believe me, this goes for pretty much everything. In reality, most people do not really care for you on a deep and meaningful level. They care for themselves and how other people perceive them. Honestly, humans are fairly selfish beings, even if only on a minute scale. When you live a life truly on your own terms and know that no one really cares that much about what you are doing, you will be able to enjoy your life secure in the knowledge that what you are achieving is what is important to you regardless of what you once thought others were thinking. No.8 - You don't need to have a plan. I think that school and society have perpetuated this idea that you have to know what you want to do at 16 and that you have to have a plan for the rest of your life. Actually, I don’t think this is true at all. I don’t see how you can be expected to have a plan for everything and for your future when you are so young. I did and, to be blunt, my plan went completely pear-shaped and I am now doing something which is completely off-piste to that plan I had at 16 years old. A plan can be useful and necessary for some things, like a birthday party or what you’re going to cook for dinner, but you absolutely do not need a plan for everything and you should not be expected to have a plan for everything either. Sometimes, being spontaneous and just following the path that life takes you can be the best thing to do for your mental health and well-being. So let the river run. No.9 - Your best is all that you can do. Here we go with yet another cliche piece of advice. I promise that there is a reason that this advice is cliche though and that’s because it is 110% true and there is no way you can deny it. If you have done your best and there was absolutely nothing more you could have done or said, then that is all you can do and you can’t blame yourself for what happens afterwards. Recently, I had a job interview for a job that I was super excited about. I really really REALLY wanted this job - and I didn’t get it. However, when I had that interview, I gave it my all. I put my best foot forward, made it insanely obvious how passionate I was about the role, gave them an extensive list of all my skills, related everything I said to a specific experience in my life and made sure to interact as much as possible with the interviewers. There was nothing more I could have done in that interview that would have made them give me the job. I gave them everything I had and came out feeling positive and knowing that I couldn’t do any more and what will be will be. Sadly, what ended up was a rejection but as I say, I did all that I could. If you do all that you can, then that’s all that anybody can ask of you and you can hold your head up high regardless of what comes next. No.10 - Push your limits but not too far. It is important to push your limits and take yourself out of your comfort zone every now and again. You won’t progress if you stay comfortable because you won’t learn to cope with the things that you aren’t comfortable with and the things which challenge you and scare you. This is something that everyone always says. But a very wise person once added something to this well-known piece of advice. Make sure to take yourself out of your comfort zone but know your limits. Whilst it is great to move away from where you feel safe and comfortable, don’t push yourself so far that it is damaging to you. There is such a thing as going too far out of your comfort zone and when you get to that place, then it is a good time to stop and turn back before you hurt yourself and end up doing more damage and causing more pain than good. Keep an eye on yourself and your limits and don't burn out. I’m sure there are lots more pieces of helpful advice out there but these are just ten of the ones which I have found to help me the most. You are now free to do with them as you please. What is the best piece of advice you have ever been given? Please make sure to let us know in the comments and share your wisdom with the community. If it only helps one person, it’s worth it. ~ Kenzie KenzieHandling your finances is something I think isn’t taught enough, yet it’s the path to leading a comfortable life. Capitalism, as defined by ‘Investopedia’ - a financial education website - is the economic state whereby property and industries that have monetary value are controlled by private owners. This system can greatly disadvantage the working class, i.e. people like you and me - so I wanted to write about ways in which you make this capitalistic system work in your favour without compromising your values. I’ll start by writing about how to budget, and later delve into more complex financial topics like savings accounts and investing. I want to preface that I’m by no means an expert, this is just what I have researched, and would like to spread the knowledge - so please do your own research as well! Budgeting is described by ‘Investopedia’ as a plan regarding the income and expenses for a particular time frame. This process, while tedious, will allow you to see patterns in your spending, and control it better in order to ensure that you are always on top of your finances. Finances have been a thing that I have been taught to fear. I can’t actually say that I’ve ever been at a place where money has not been an issue, and so it’s developed lots of anxiety around spending, receiving monetary gifts or loans from others etc. There may be times I needed to pay someone back but couldn’t until later on. This created a mentality that working is the only way I can create a sufficient and comfortable lifestyle for myself. A mentality that I have to work to survive. But I’ve tried to challenge that by taking control of my finances, rather than enduring conditions I don’t like, in order to keep my head above water. One way I was able to do this was through budgeting; I recently received my first paycheck from my internship and was able to use a budgeting technique to split up my income between needs, wants, and unexpected situations. Here’s how I did it:
‘Money Under 30’, another financial education website, suggests a common budgeting technique to use is the 50/30/20 rule. In this, you save 50% of your income on essentials like groceries, rent etc., spend 30% of your income on what you want, and contribute the remaining 20% on your savings (including retirement) and investments. So, hypothetically, if you brought in £1000 (with the consideration of tax): Essentials - £500 Wants - £300 Savings - £200 Money Fit’s 50/30/20 online budget calculator can work this out quickly for you, however, there are many alternatives online also. An important thing to note is that this is completely customisable to your situation, you can change how much you allocate to each section, so it requires a lot of self-discipline and awareness to understand how much you can distribute to each part. To practice self-discipline you have to be honest with yourself - I usually ask myself how beneficial a certain spend would be in the long run; could I possibly use that spend on something that provides me more gratification in the future? Here are some more ways to practice discipline:
One way to learn how to be more aware of your budget is to keep a basic excel sheet that breaks down your income and expenses. The Balance, financial education website, also has a simple template that you can copy and paste into a document and adapt to your circumstances. Alternatively, there are other free templates online that help keep an eye on your finances without the hassle of creating the template yourself (unless that’s your thing). I personally use ‘Aspire’, which tracks transactions as they are made - it’s a little technical but they have a Reddit account that you can ask questions on, and detailed instructions to get you set up.
Now you may be lost on what the “Savings” section of the budgeting technique might be made up of. Savings would constitute your emergency fund (saving if you unexpectedly lose your job, or something breaks etc.), investments, and retirement fund. Because of this, it might be easier to put your savings into a savings account. So far this technique has taught me that finance is not something to fear - granted, I’m not going to say it's not stressful, but budgeting has given my finances a lot more structure. I understand there is more to learn, but it's not something that has to control you, more so, it's the other way around. I think understanding finances is something quite empowering, especially when there has been constant worry about where your finances would go. However, it’s important to remember that your finances don’t have to define your life experience, especially because I found myself unable to do things I wanted due to financial constraints, like attending paid events, going on holiday, or simply eating out. When I had the time I looked for free activities I could do, and any financial support I could find online like grants or scholarships during university. I learned that with or without financial constraints, it’s still important to let yourself live, rather than just survive. I’m still learning how to do this, but it’s about ensuring that your finances don’t control you - both by learning about finance and by living in spite of it as much as you can. Unfortunately, not everyone is equipped to find out more about this topic. Some may not know where to start with researching, or just don’t understand the admittedly complicated lingo in some of these sites. Weeks ago I didn’t know any of this information, so I don’t blame you for being unsure. Its absence in our education system means that we interpret finances as something that lacks priority, or at least, is too complicated for anyone to understand, let alone teach. I hope that this information gives you an idea about where to get started. Here are some sites which can help you with this a little more https://www.investopedia.com/financial-edge/1109/6-reasons-why-you-need-a-budget.aspx https://n26.com/en-eu/blog/50-30-20-rule#:~:text=The%20basic%20rule%20of%20thumb,money%20to%20work%20more%20efficiently. Stay Safe! - Rae References https://www.investopedia.com/terms/b/budget.asp https://www.moneyunder30.com/percentage-of-income-should-you-save-every-month#:~:text=Many%20sources%20recommend%20saving%2020,at%20least%2020%25%20for%20savings. https://moneyfit.org/50-30-20-budget-calculator https://www.thebalance.com/budget-worksheet-income-and-necessities-453596 Aspire Budgeting RaeFocusing is my weakness. I’m barely able to maintain focus, especially when it comes to tasks I know will take more than half an hour. This is something I’ve struggled with all my life, and only recently have I found a way to work on it. Throughout school, I never really focused on my work. I got it done, but half the time I’d miss everything that was said. It was an issue in college, but I could still get work done in phases. Now that I’m in uni and drowning in work, I’ve realised that I need systems in place to help myself. Something else that I have difficulties with is procrastination. Mixing that with a lack of focus and a bad memory, especially when teaching is all online? You could say it’s a recipe for disaster, but it’s been a time when I can experiment with different methods to help me focus and tackle my work as soon as I can. When educational facilities are in person, it’s estimated that 1 in 3 students have issues with focus, leading to procrastination. 80 - 95% of students procrastinate, 75% consider themselves procrastinators and 50% procrastinate frequently and consider it a problem. Personally, I procrastinate to the point that it’s a problem. On the bright side, while trying to do my sound work, I do normally end up with a lovely clean kitchen by procrastinating. It’s safe to say that I’m quite the procrastinator, and it has started to affect my education. Online, I’ve found that my focus is getting worse. While on Zoom, I’m often distracted by the road outside, social media, or even what type of coffee I want to pick up from the local shop. I miss so much from lessons, which is a massive issue when it comes to assessments. When it comes time to work, I end up mentally rearranging my room, or even making a ground plan to move furniture about on it. So what have I found that helps me focus?
If you’re having a lot of issues with focusing, it could be worth going to your GP / Doctors / anyone in your educational facility. It can be a sign of an underlying condition, so it’s best to be safe than sorry. Just remember that you’re not alone in this, and talking about it can help. It won’t be easy to overcome it, and what I’ve said might not help, but it’s all about finding things that work for you. It’s all about trial and error, but you’ll get there in the end. You’ve got this! ~ En ENFor the third time in some people’s university careers, lecturers and support staff at a number of UK universities are going on strike. They are striking due to issues around casualisation (a large percentage of staff are on zero-hour contracts, and are working second jobs to keep afloat), pension changes, low pay and high workload. Many students are against the strikes, as we miss out on contact hours, meetings, lectures, seminars and assignments that we technically pay for. First of all, what is a strike? A strike occurs when a workforce is unhappy with the way they are treated by an employer (in this case, the University itself), so they withdraw their labour, and stop working altogether in protest of conditions. The most famous strike is likely the miners strike of 1984, in which the miners union protested mass closures of mines. The miners withdrew their labour and threw the country into turmoil, as there was now no one mining for coal (which the country relied on at the time). A picket line is something commonly associated with a strike. A picket line is a physical line that staff will stand on (usually outside of their place of work), which they will not cross to go into work, and will encourage others to also not cross. It is important to remember that those who choose to strike don’t get paid for their time doing so, and many run the risk of damaging their careers, as employers obviously don’t care for people who strike. You might be thinking, why do strikes affect me? I’m not a miner, or a factory worker, or a lecturer! The thing is, strikes affect everyone. University staff striking affects the students who are missing out on contact hours, the families of the striking staff who are going without pay, the parents of students who are paying for university, the university itself and many other companies who work with the university to provide a service or run events. However, the most important thing about striking, in my opinion, is whether you support them or not. Here are some things you can do if you support the strikes:
And if you don’t support the strikes (which is completely within your rights, please don’t let another person shame you or put you down for not supporting something!):
KaitlynBecoming a member of the TWE team was really a lifesaving opportunity for me. I’ve been suffering from mental health issues for over a decade now, and I was finding it hard to see my worth in life and also finding it hard to focus on things too. This lovely girl called Emily, the founder of TWE, reached out to me on Twitter. I like to use Twitter to share my experience with mental health and love reaching out to others who need the support that I have now. Emily direct messaged me on Twitter saying that she had been reading a few of my tweets and she thought I could offer something special to TWE, and she had also seen that I loved to help people too. I was talking to Emily about what TWE was about and she was really informative so I agreed to join the team! The reason I agreed to join Teenagers With Experience was that I have spent my whole life helping people with tough situations and it makes me feel proud of myself. But my problem was that I never take my own advice, I love being a part of TWE because it gives me a chance to use my advice and experience to share with the world that they are not alone. No one should ever suffer in silence like I did when I was first getting bullied. After leaving high school I didn’t really have a reason to wake up, I never had a daily schedule to keep me busy. So that’s why TWE really was a lifesaving opportunity for me! Now, I do have a reason to wake up and I always have something to do when it comes to TWE. I’ve learnt so many new skills whilst I’ve been a part of the team, like how to use Google Drive properly to store articles that I write for the website, and also to schedule posts for our social media too. I’ve also gained more confidence in opening up about my past and accepting things that may have been bothering me. One of the main reasons why I think people should join our team at Teenagers With Experience is to gain new friends that are non-judgemental. We offer advice and support from our own experiences and also from our hearts. TWE is a loving and caring place where I feel safe!
MelAre you unsure what you want to do in the future?? It is okay, we’ve all been there. Maybe you’re really indecisive like me, maybe you have a vague idea or maybe you are just completely lost. No matter which one you relate to I’m here to help, by telling you about my experience.
So, I was certain after binge watching all of 'Gilmore Girls' plus the revival that I wanted to be a journalist, just like Rory (one of the main characters). Which is why I started my blog as a way to build up a portfolio of my writing. I even started up a school newspaper in my highschool and then later joined my college’s student magazine. I showed that much enthusiasm towards it that I am now in line to be the chief editor next year. But speaking of college, I even suited my chosen courses around this idea of being a journalist, I mean I chose English and media (two obvious ones but my favourites) and sociology which is what I wanted to be my niche. However, I recently had a review day where me and my teachers sat down to talk about how I’m getting on in their courses and how I can improve in advance of our summer progression tests. The grades we get in these tests decide if we continue our courses into the second year. In my meetings there was a unanimous trend that my writing wasn’t enough and that I wasn’t fully answering the exam questions. So, as a way to improve I was set the tasks of doing practice essays at home and attending an “Academic Writing Course” during my free periods in college. Then when I got back home from college I told my Dad, and that's when we came to the realisation that maybe journalism isn’t right for me. I mean there is one journalist apprenticeship in my local area.On top of that it is a highly competitive field and I am having to take an extra course to work on improving the main skill required for this job. Which is how I came to the conclusion that maybe college isn’t right for me. That’s okay, there is a lot of speculation around being a college drop out and it is certainly seen as inferior. But I realised that an apprenticeship could be a better option for me. My advice is to weigh up your options. Originally I thought that college was the only way and it is not. If you have any further questions I would love to help out, and if you have some advice why not help out?? Josh |
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Teenagers With Experience is an online organisation created to provide teenagers worldwide with an online platform to share their own experiences to be able to help, inform and educate others on a variety of different topics. We aim to provide a safe space to all young people. You can contact us via email, social media or our contact form.
Please note that the content on this website is created by teenagers. While we strive to provide accurate and helpful information, it is important to remember that we are not professional experts. If you are experiencing a crisis or need professional advice, please reach out to a qualified mental health professional or a helpline. |