Having settled in as a small fish in a big pond, sixth form life has been intense and competitive but nonetheless, enjoyable. I have made new friends, tried new things that were not available to me in the past, and accepted opportunities that I never knew had even existed. Furthermore, the workload is not too unbearable I still have time to do extracurricular activities, and most importantly, the ones that are enjoyable and interesting to me – there is something available for every type of person.
However, time flies when you’re having fun; a very applicable saying to perfectly sum up my current predicament. Where did the autumn term go? How is it February already? Last week (in late January, might I add), I finally felt the excitement and anticipation for Christmas, only to be disappointed as I come to the realisation that it had already past…and all in the blink of an eye, it seems. Now, after all the festivities and celebrations, comes a time of unfamiliar excitement which makes it daunting at the same time. Time to start forming a decision: which university? What course? What do I actually want to do in the future? What am I actually interested in?! All these questions for which I do not have the answers for; it’s quite scary.
An exclusive interview brought to you by the
Journalism Club – an honest opinion, about settling into Sixth Form life, from
Esmae Badcock, Year 12:
“It is a lot easier than expected because, as a further mathematician, I have very few free periods and so a very similar timetable to year 11. I enjoy the freedom of being able to leave school in lunches to go to town. Also, I feel like teachers respect your opinion more and you are at the top of priority.
With regards to the end of year exams, I think they are a good idea with being after half term, but also not too late to give a good window for revision. They will probably be stressful, but teachers are preparing us in the right ways, so I do not feel too nervous about them.
As for University choosing, it is so difficult to decide, but I am looking at required grades, teaching quality and nightlife as big factors. On top of that, I feel like the school is really helping with Oxbridge applicants.
On the topic of future careers, I feel like the Biology Olympiad helps me to see what I am interested in for biology/chemistry and so helps me think about what I want to do career wise i.e. Biochemical masters and science job.
Workload is intense but manageable. It is often frustrating with the number of tests, but I can see in the long run that it is for our benefit.
Lastly, I feel like they provide lots of opportunities for help in the preps* and offer lots of activities such as music which helps to provide a break from academia.”
*(NB: homework)
Thank you to Esmae for that detailed and truthful response. I expect that there are a lot of us year 12s that resonate with her words and are having a great sixth form life so far – despite the many obstacles that we may have encountered, and the ones that we know are waiting for us in the future.
journalismnottshigh.com 