The A* Grade Challenge October Update: Gatsby, Fundamentalism and Motivation

Rather than rambling on and on, I'm going to go straight to the point.

I've decided to adapt to a specific structure. I'm not going to focus on every subject for all updates, I'm just going to pick out specific topics that I've learnt. Not only will it make it short and snappy- you won't lose interest in my everlasting sob stories either.

So this month, the novel that I've been focusing on in my English lessons is The Great Gatsby. It's pretty hard to believe that this novel wasn't a breakthrough when it was first published. It went to the extent that this work of Fitzgerald's wasn't even mentioned in his memoir. Now it's considered to be one of the most unparalleled pieces in American modern literature.

As you can probably guess, I absolutely loved the novel. Whether I enjoy writing essays about it is something else, but I'm getting there! Imagery and symbolism are in adundant supply which I think makes this novel simply amazing. I hope to watch the film so enough, probably during Chirstmas, and perhaps write a lot more [maybe?].

Another great topic that I studied [and still studying] is religious fundamentalism. This has always fascinated me. For those who don't know, fundamentalism is a term given to a concept/idea that expresses an extreme viewpoint regarding a religious matter. Truth is that fundamentalism isn't just about religion. You can be fundamentalist about anything, but nowadays its associated more with religious activity. This is quite a huge topic so there's lots to learn! But so far, I've focused on the origins and nature of fundamentalism and I was surprised to find out that the movement started when Darwin's very divisive theory of evolution came into prominence. It contradicted the theory of creationism stated in the Book of Genesis . It went to the extent that the State of Tennessee completely banned schools to teach evolution in science lessons- but of course, there will be that one person that's rather rebellious. If you're interested, then find out what happened here.

Apart from schoolwork, I've been focusing on increasing my motivation. I'm not going rewrite a sob story [I'm pretty sick about it], instead, I'm going to be positive [for the first time ever!].

Anyway, I've been finding some methods to help increase my motivation. After having a meeting with my Head of Year, I finally accepted the fact that failing ONE exam isn't the end of the world and actually, I finally acknowledge the fact that I'm extremely lucky to have a second chance to put things right. I've identified my mistakes and now it's all about moving on. So in response, I've created much of a wall.

Firstly, 100% credit goes to Amy who suggested this tactic to me! It's honestly helped so much and I can't express my gratitude enough. Just thank you. Thank you thank you thank you!

Also, this may work for some of you, but try to always think about results day. Think about how joyous you would be when you see your dream grades written on, what arguably is a very important sheet. This has motivated me so so much and it's made me pretty determined to get the grades I need/want. There's only one thing left though, hard work!

Rather than this being expression in August:

I want it to be like this:

   
Hopefully, positivity will prevail over the coming months!

The Hidden Face of Failure

Setbacks happen to everyone. Whether you've failed an exam, been made redundant, failed to make it to your first choice university and everything in between, you've probably rendered on the 'negative' side of failure.

Of course everyone tries to avoid failure, no one wants to fail. Failing at something can have a hugely gloom-ridden effect on someone. You might think that your 'not good enough', or that 'you don't see the point of trying anymore', but that really isn't what failure is about.

Failure is all about reflection. Reviewing your faults if you like. No one is perfect, and as much as you'd love for everything to fall strictly into place- that won't always happen. Something will inevitably go wrong for sure; but how will you react to it?

Will you cry all day thinking 'why is it always me?!' and 'what did I do to deserve this?'.

Or will you instead think yourself "Okay, what have I done wrong to make sure that I don't repeat the same mistake again." This is exactly what failure is about.

Once you've identified your problem, then you'll strive to improve it. This is what failure allows you to do. So there really isn't a need to be scared about it or to even avoid it. It happens. That's what life is all about.

So a note to all perfectionists (ahem...me most importantly), don't be so crestfallen if you fail at something. Pick yourself up, identify where you've went wrong, then strive for improvment. This way you'll succeed. You can't recognise your mistakes if you don't fail.

And lastly, by the words of JK Rowling, "It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all -  in which case, you fail by default." Wise words.

This post was inspired by this motivational video. Give it a clicky, it really is worth your time!

The 'A 100 Women Series': An Introduction

“A woman is like a teabag…” suggests Eleanor Roosevelt; “…you can’t tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water.” Ask yourself this question, how much have women been acknowledged for their successes and incredible triumphs? Not as much as men I would argue. Some feminists would go further by accentuating that there is a complete lack of female representation and voice through the writings of history, or the concept of ‘women’s history’ is non-existent. Additionally, when the discipline of history is closely examined, women have appeared as fictional characters in folk stories, some a negative portrayal. But is it all accurate? Does it denote the full contribution of women in history?

The answer is no. The contribution has been such that some of the effects are still engraved in today’s societies but we may not see them directly. Women have founded many institutions that are vital for today’s survival, yet, some of us my not recognise that achievement. It might have taken a long while for the emancipation of women to establish in many fields, but I strongly believe that their prime contribution to history should still be acknowledged on the same terms as men.

The aim of the ‘A 100 Women Series’ is to celebrate the indelible mark women have created, and their utter commitment to achieving what was right for both themselves and humanity. I will be exploring those who have broken the glass ceiling, defied conventions and for those who have fought tooth-and-nail to accomplish their goals. Women may take most of their rights for granted nowadays, but how much have you thanked those who struggled endlessly to make those dreams a reality? Those who have put their lives on the line, or have even died for their cause because they were convinced that it would serve humanity right? That it would break down the barriers of subjugation and build the solid walls of women empowerment.

I will be congratulating the pioneers, the political leaders, the social advocates, the academics, the educators, the believers, the thinkers and lastly, the dreamers. Those who flourished in the fields of science and technology. Those who have excelled in film and television. Those who have blossomed in the world of business. Those who have thrived in the domain of sports. I will be acknowledging them all.  

This is pretty much the herstory of history. Of course women have contributed and have, additionally, been recognised. But not all of them. Achievement isn’t all about winning awards either. Legacy is much more essential, vital in fact. If the legacy is long lived, that’s an achievement in itself. 

Visiting Royal Holloway

Back in June just after the completion of my exams, I attended the open day of Royal Holloway university in Surrey (just 40 minutes on the train from Waterloo) . Below are some of the pictures that I took of the amazing day and after visiting and finding out the Founders will be my accommodation, I'm definitely applying! 

Royal Holloway Chapel.

Statue of Queen Victoria, who opened the building.

View from the Dining Hall balcony.

Founders Building

I spent most of the day at the Picture Gallery (forgot to take a picture of that guys, sorry!) where most of the Arts and Humanities talks were held. After that, I took a trip to the McCrea building to find out more about the Classics and History course offered at the university. Some of the aspects which captured my interest was the fact that it isn't far from London (but the train tickets it too expensive!), the fact that you can walk on the grass (I know that's weird but you may know where I'm coming from) and the stunning scenery. They even have a Harry Potter society LIKE OMG! But apart from all that, the university has a great reputation for History- and even has a year abroad option where to you travel to either travel to Europe or Oceania, which is obviously great. Taking all these factors into consideration, I've decided that Royal Holloway will be one of my five university choices. It really wasn't hard at all, my first glimpse of Founders really cemented my interest.

The A* Grade Challenge Update: September

First months over…ALREADY!

If I was to summarise the state of my endeavour to discover the slippery terrains of the ‘A* grade challenge’ during September, it would have to be the one and only CLUELESS. Yep that word precisely. And here’s why.

I had a ridiculously long reading list to complete over the summer holidays and this is probably a BIG first *cue drum-roll*…I didn’t do it. Not one book, play or poem did I read. But it doesn’t matter though, and as you read on you’ll find out why.

OK- let’s focus on the positive things first.

To keep myself on track, I decided to stick all these fancy colourful posters up near the study area in my bedroom. The great thing with these is that when I become bored or I just cannot be asked to do any work, I can just stare that them rather than counting the amount of dots there are on the ceiling.

Also, I doubt this should be classified as a positive, but I missed three university open days this month due to travel issues and being ill (YES, my immune system crashed AGAIN!). I was planning to visit Oxbridge and KCL- but nicely enough, Newnham College, Cambridge sent me their prospectus through the post which I though was incredibly sweet of them actually. Entirely unexpected, but I can arrange an independent visit sometime during the year.

Now- the much dreaded negatives.

Firstly, it’s worth mentioning the fact that I absolutely DESPISE disorganisation. I cannot stand anything that isn’t organised properly- and over here, I am ranting about my lesson timetable (so please excuse the capital letters, I’m practically shouting).

Rather than using slang jargon to describe the disgusting state of it- it’s diabolical. I haven’t got enough lessons for THREE of my subjects, one of which I STILL haven’t got a teacher for (good ol’ History) and one where I have to start all over again- and that’s English. Doing the EPQ didn’t work out so I’m back with Biology since I did pass last year and RS is the ONLY subject I can see myself passing in.

Firstly, History. My schools sixth form is quite small, and since no one is interested in History (shockingly), it isn’t offered. This means that I have to teach myself and the AS is self-teachable. It’s heck of a lot harder than GCSE, but you can teach yourself. The A2 however, it’s tons more difficult and this time round, coursework is inserted into the lovely equation.  I don’t even know where to start. Unit 3 is going alright I suppose you can say. I’m studying the French Revolution and never before in my life did I think that the French could be so scandalous. Apart from executions using the guillotine and wealthy people avoiding tax- it’s incredibly entertaining and I’m just spurred on to find out more about the controversies that surround this period of French and early modern European history. If anything, this is the subject that I want to get an A* in the MOST since I’m planning to study it at university. But also, I have an incredible amount of passion for history; some people may find it strange and boring but I find it incredibly fascinating. But not having a teacher IS KILLING ME.

Now, English. I’m going to try to condense this tragic soliloquy because you’ll just be bored as hell by the end of it.

Ok, I didn’t do well at AS. I had (and I’m trying to think of the nicest way to say it) a useless teacher quite frankly. Once again, I had to self-teach. Although English is far easier than History, you NEED a teacher. You need someone to guide you along, particularly the essay technique. Anyway, after much hard work from my part, and zero from the teacher- I got a D. I did really well in the coursework- but FAILED the exam. Obviously, this was extremely gutting. I was just so so so devastated, and still am, but not as much. So we got a new teacher, and said that we have to do a new spec now FROM SCRATCH. In other words, do both AS and A2 in a year. I did AQA Lit A last year, and now I have to do Lit B.

So here’s my question for you English?

This isn’t my concern- I’m literally going to die in the end but it has to be done. The worst thing is the fact that I have ONLY 2 lessons of English a week?! Seriously. I’m not even kidding. You’re probably thinking OMG what the hell is going on, or even worse maybe. There’s more to this story but I really don’t want to go through it now, I’m just way too frustrated to even care. Watching Made In Chelsea isn’t making me feel better either. To all Lit B students out there, I may need your help if you don’t mind of course.

After all this, getting A*s in all my subjects seems impossible.As mentioned before on this blog, I’m taking a gap year. Having said that, three of the universities that I want to submit an application to require me to get A*AA. Quite possibly, the American dream.

But then again, this is just the start. After all, you can’t have a rainbow without a little bit of rain.

 

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