Pupils are frantically revising

Hello! Firstly, welcome to this online diary (albeit a mini one) that will be following me through the next few months of my life as I finally leave school, sit my dreaded A-level exams, relax for a few minutes once it's all over and then panic right up to results day in August!

However, on the assumption that I survive this terrifying period of stress and pressure, by September you should be reading about my final holiday with 18 of my closest friends, followed by last-minute chaotic preparations as I set off to university.

Having mulled over how to start this for long enough, it seems easiest to begin with the basics: I am a typical 18-year-old, studying as a sixth form student at my local comprehensive school.

This summer I will be taking my A-levels in English literature, history and media studies as well as an AS-level in critical thinking and advanced extension awards (AEAs) in both English and history.

American adventure

Whilst studying three subjects all considered to be "essay based", it is somewhat surprising that I still manage to enjoy both writing and reading, even after two years of constant essay tasks and, to repeat what appears to have become every teacher's favourite phrase in recent months, "developed wider reading"'!

Not even this has been able to put me off wanting to study literature and provided I meet my conditional offer of BBB, I will be heading off to the University of East Anglia in late September to study American and English Literature, a four year course, the third year of which I will spend studying at a university in America.

Looking even further into the future however, I eventually hope to find a career in journalism, which I guess points to the fact that I could be stuck with essay writing for a long time yet!

I am feeling a great deal more nervous than I was this time a year ago Katie

Whilst the prospect of escaping to university is becoming more exciting and appealing by the day, I am becoming harassed and preoccupied with thoughts of exams looming ever closer, my first one beginning on 25 May and the final one, over a month later on 30 June.

I cannot deny that I am feeling a great deal more nervous than I was this time a year ago, as now there is no second chance to re-sit exams and gain extra marks simply because there is no "next time" to follow! Having finished my subject syllabuses and coursework in a major panic just before the Easter break, all lesson time since has been spent in the only way teachers deem practical writing practice essay after essay after essay!

R and R

Although it can be a useful form of exam technique revision, I'm now desperate for study leave to start so that I can begin the task of repetitive note taking, that is, forcing my brain to absorb everything it could ever possibly need to know!

Admittedly, I'm currently struggling to revise consistently and successfully simply because my teachers are continuing to set homework in such varying amounts it is impossible to plan a revision timetable before the night in question, by which time I have little motivation to do any more work than I have to!

However, with school finishing on 20 May I'm hoping that I will quickly settle down into a routine of both revision and relaxation, after a few days of which I will be able to happily say, bring on the exams!

Just a quick note to end on, I'd like to wish good luck to everyone taking their A-Level exams in the next two months, especially all my friends reading this!

I'm studying A-levels in French, government and politics, history and general studies at an all-girls grammar school.

I did English literature and critical thinking last year, as well as archaeology. This year I carried on doing the archaeology lessons but I'm not taking the exam as I don't feel capable! I felt kind of snowed-under during exam time last year when I did seven subjects and I never want to repeat that, although I still did well results-wise.

At the moment I am most concentrating on my French, as my spoken examination is on 20 May and it makes everything else seem much further away than it actually is!

I have been preparing my thoughts on the questions in the "general conversation" section and trying to read the French news to pick up on recent events and how I can work them in, as knowledge of society is the key thing to have in A-level French.

Procrastination

I'm a little worried though, as I currently have a very sore throat and am hoping it will go away in the next couple of weeks.

I am always ill during exams (with either a cold or hay fever depending on the season) so I have to look after myself.

I used to be the queen of procrastination at revision time, but I have turned over a new leaf since I started revising early for my January exams and found out that it actually works!

I have a lot of free time in school at the moment so I have been going over things then.

The exam panic is yet to set in and mostly I am feeling excited about going to university Amy

My main methods for revision are making huge posters with everything about a topic on them in the form of a spider diagram, and then condensing it down onto little revision cards (you can buy coloured index cards and use different colours for different subjects) that I carry around with me.

Having everything you need to know written down on a little pile of cards makes the information seem more manageable, and the posters help you to visualise all the different things associated with certain areas.

I took two of my A-level exams in January this year, one in history and one in politics, because one of my teachers for both these subjects left at Christmas and we had to rush through her modules before then.

It was good to get these out of the way as it has taken off some of the pressure now and I like that I already have some points racked up towards my grades.

I also had to re-sit my AS French writing paper as last year most of my class got U's in it. I don't understand how this was possible as my re-take got me an A, and I'm sure I did basically the same thing as before!

Things like that reduce your confidence in the marking, as I doubt that all of us deserved such a low mark the first time round, and I would have liked to find out what happened without having to pay for it.

'Good luck'

The exam panic is yet to set in and mostly I am feeling excited about going to university. The past two years have been leading up to this point and I can't believe that I am finally here.

My first choice for university is Manchester to do European studies with French, and my insurance is Newcastle for government and European studies.

I need ABB to get into Manchester and I'm predicted AAB, so hopefully all my plans will come together. I have no fear of forms now that I have done my UCAS application and accommodation stuff, but my finance ones are still sitting in their envelope waiting to be tackled!

I also just want to say good luck to everyone doing exams this summer- make sure you look after yourselves and don't stress!

Are school days really the "best days of your life"? I ask myself as the imminent examinations draw closer. I'm in the final year at school and on the brink of the big bad world.

This summer I will fearfully complete the last modules of my art, theatre studies and English literature A-level courses, leave school forever, and prepare myself for university.

I am at a public school on an arts scholarship and am dyslexic.

Next year I will study foundation art at Loughborough University, however, this was not my original intention.

Last September, I, like thousands of other candidates, began the stressful and emotional journey of university applications.

Rejection

I applied to six of the most prestigious universities in England to study drama and theatre arts; and was subsequently rejected from five of the six courses.

This rejection of myself was difficult to understand and come to terms with; not only because it was a personal rejection of me and I had no one else to blame for my failure, but also because I had no obvious reason to base my rejection on.

I had been predicted the necessary grades for entry (ABB), I am a good student, I participate in many extracurricular activities, "So why had I been rejected?"

I came to the conclusion that I would never know, and perhaps it didn't matter. Had I been accepted on to a drama degree course, I would not have spontaneously applied for the art foundation course at Loughborough University, which I will now attend in September.

Perhaps fate is sending me, via failure, in the right direction.

Therefore, I look to the forthcoming exams with a newly reignited determination, enthusiasm and sense of purpose.

My path is clear and I can see the light of the summer holidays at the end of the tunnel.