Growing Up | Lifestyle

Last Year

Yesterday a year ago was my prom.
On the 26th June 2015 I attended my sixth form prom and had a pretty good time.
But this post isn't about my prom, it's about the fact that time goes by so quickly, and in such a short amount of time so many things can happen and change.

Me and my friends spent a small part of yesterday texting each other about how much things have changed in such a short amount of time. We also talked about how it feels like we finished sixth form years ago when in reality it's only been like a year.
It's so weird to me that we finished sixth form more than a year ago because it honestly feels like we finished our last exam years ago.
I guess, when I started uni, I used it as a "new chapter in my book" and I started fresh (so fresh and so clean clean). I created new friendships and made new memories with those friends. We've laughed and cried and I honestly love all my friends from university.

Towards the end of sixth form, certain things happened which made some of my friendships with people fizzle out and come to an end, including friendships that I've had for like 4 or even 7 years. At the beginning of this year I realised that I missed some of those friendships and I started regaining contact with those friends, and I'm so glad I did.
I've kept in contact with a few other friends throughout my time at uni so it wasn't like I didn't have any friends from school, but I am so grateful I have stayed in contact and re-connected with them all.
I love reminiscing on memories from sixth form with my friends and I'm so glad we can keep making new memories together.

Although I'm still friends with people from sixth form, there have been quite a few friendships that haven't been successful and have fizzled away. In the new year I realised that most of the bad stuff that happened at the end of sixth form was quite ridiculous and when I think about it now it makes me laugh. So if any of my old friends who know what I'm talking about are reading this I would just like to say - I'm sorry for how things ended, I'm not even sure 100% sure how and why the problem happened but I still like you and if you ever see me please stop and say hi :)

This Year

Growing up is a scary thought and when I was younger I thought I would wake up one morning and be an adult, but now I realise that's not how it works. You have to work at it and really debate with yourself if certain things are really worth holding a grudge over because ain't no one got time for that.
A year after prom I realised some of the things that happened were stupid and it was just us being teenagers, and I'm glad that most of my old friends feel the same way.

What I'm trying to say within this 'story' is, although growing up seems quite scary it does you a favour within your life and your relationships with people. If you're having an argument or a problem with friends at this moment in time, just know that in a year or two years time it won't matter. You'll either be friends again or you'll be old friends that ended on, hopefully, a good note.
Although the bad memories usually out weigh the good, it's very important that you keep note of the  good memories because no one likes looking back on bad memories.


I'm sorry this is so long, but it's something that's been on my mind a lot recently and I just had to let it out.

BINGE ~ Tyler Oakley | Book Review

As a massive fan of YouTube and a massive fan of reading, I thought it was a good idea to read a well-known YouTuber's book. I have read a couple other YouTuber's books (Girl Online by Zoe Sugg [zoella] and All I Know Now by Carrie Fletcher [itswaypastmybedtime], and I've enjoyed them quite a lot, but I wasn't overly sure on YouTuber's autobiography books. Carrie Fletcher's book could be classed as an autobiography, but I saw it more as an advice book rather than a description of her life.

I like reading autobiographies of celebrities that are well-known like Ant & Dec or McFly, but I wasn't so sure if I would enjoy reading a YouTuber's autobiography. I've watched Tyler Oakley for quite a long time, but I wouldn't say I'm a massive fan of his - I watch some of his videos, and he's hilarious, but I don't watch him religiously. So I wasn't sure how much I would enjoy this book, but I was curious due to the reviews I had read previously.

 

When reading the 'BINGE' by Tyler Oakley,

I realised that there was a lot I didn't know about the YouTuber that has been on my computer screen quite a few times. There are quite a few surprises in this book, including Tyler's actual birth name, but there's a lot about his past that was quite unexpected. I never knew the struggles he had been through so it was interesting to read about that, but also it was fun to read about the amazing things he has done due to YouTube.

Not only is the book insightful and interesting, it's also hilarious. His humour is definitely carried throughout the whole book, and there are certain parts in the book that you will read with a grin upon your face. My mum read one of the first chapters and found it hilarious, so it's good for all ages (maybe not for young readers though).

I really enjoyed reading this book due to the humour and the background of the YouTubers life. I may have to look into some of my other favourite YouTuber's books. I  would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is a big fan of Tyler Oakley and also anyone who is a big fan of YouTube. There is so much you don't know about people you watch online and it's quite interesting to see what they've been through. Some people, like myself, can relate to some of the things Tyler went through, which makes me like him even more.

 

Overall I enjoyed this book and if you watch YouTube, then this is definitely a book for you.

Lunch Date Lipgloss | Beauty Review

My favourite lip look at the moment is pink nude tones. The only nude toned lip product I own is a nude lipstick but there isn't any pink undertones to it. Due to my pink nude lip obsession I decided I needed to purchase something that I could wear on a pretty much daily basis. The product I found and later purchased is a Tanya Burr lipgloss n the colour 'Lunch Date'.

Lunch Date

Product

From the first look of the product, I must say, it looks very glam and quite sophisticated which I LOVE. When Tanya Burr first came out with her lipgloss beauty products, the look of the product wasn't terrible but it was quite basic for a lipgloss. I'm glad she re-vamped the look of the products as I think they're definitely more eye-catching and pleasing to the eye.

The colour of the product is amazing. It's definitely a pink nude tone which makes me very happy, and it's fair to say I wear it every day. I find, with lipglosses, you have to re-apply every hour or so, but with this product you really don't. It stays on for a good amount of time, and although I have to re-apply for the glossy effect, the colour stays on your lips the whole time.
The product looks great for an everyday make-up look as it's a very natural colour, but also it works really well on top of lip liners and lipsticks. If you wear it with a lip liner, it definitely adds to the nude lip look which I personally love, but don't let this put you off. As I said it's a lovely natural colour and definitely would work on any skin tone and really any make-up look.

I'm going to rate this product a 9/10.
I definitely recommend this brand and colour of lipstick.

The Ship of Brides ~ Jojo Moyes | Book Review

As a fan of books, I thought it was only right to start writing short(ish) reviews on the books that I have read and enjoyed.

From word of mouth, I heard about the author Jojo Moyes and wanted to read some of her stuff to vary my reading and add to my book selection. The first Moyes' book I read was called 'Sheltering Rain'. I really enjoyed the story as well as her writing style which obviously led me into reading more of her books. Which leads me, nicely, onto this book review.

The Ship of Brides

This story is based around the non-fictional story of 655 Australian war brides being 'shipped' to Plymouth in the UK. Here is some information on this event (URL: http://www.plymouth.gov.uk/warbrides)

During the Second World War, many British sailors, that were serving in the Pacific and Asian theatres, married Australian women who they met when taking shore leave. After the war, the sailors came home to Britain on board their ships, leaving their brides on the other side of the world. In July 1946, the British authorities and Royal Navy decided to reunite the husbands with their wives by giving the wives the chance to board the aircraft carrier HMS Victorious, which was set to arrive in Plymouth in early August.

Even though the book is based around a true event, the story itself is fictional, and quite romantic.Without giving away any spoilers, you start to develop an attachment to many different characters in the book. Mainly to 4 of the brides that share a room, all from very different backgrounds, and 2 of the workers on deck - one being the captain and the other being a marine.

The book is separated into 3 different parts after the prologue, which introduces the story, in a more recent time period, and in an unexpected but very effective way.

Part 1: Going back in time, you are introduced to 3 of the main characters. At this point I felt inclined to pick my favourite character out of the three, but as I carried on reading the book, my perspective changed.
Part 2: You are brought into the main part of the story, which is the brides being on the boat. This section is where the story goes into full swing, and things start to get interesting.
Part 3: After being left on a happy but also disappointing note at the end of part 2, you are brought back to the same time frame as the prologue. This part is my favourite because you have an inkling of how the characters, at the start, fit into the story, and the best news, that made me giddy inside, is revealed to us at the very end of the book.


It's fair to say, that once I had finished reading the last page and closed the book, I was a mess of emotions. I wasn't crying, because the ending wasn't sad, I was smiling so big my jaw began to hurt.  I even ran down the stairs and jumped up and down in my kitchen while telling my mum what had happened and how happy I was. It was a very good ending to a very good story.

Due to the relationships and bonds you make with the characters in the book, you begin to feel empathy for them and don't wish anything horrible upon them - except for the characters that aren't so nice. In a way, you begin to see the story through their point of view, even if it isn't written in first person. Or even, you feel like a fly on the wall, watching into their lives and learning things about them.

Overall, I'm really pleased with the ending of the book, and the story as a whole was gripping, interesting and enjoyable.
Definitely a must read.

Urban Decay Bronzer & Highlighter | Beauty Review

Recently, I received the Urban Decay Beached Bronzer and the Urban Decay Afterglow Powder Highlighter. Since I love make-up and I love talking about make-up, I thought I would do a review on these two products.

Firstly I want to say that this is just my own opinion, and I am not being paid to review these products, it's purely for my own entertainment. :)

Beached Bronzer

Packaging

The product comes in a square, silver, shimmery box with palm trees overlapping the brand name. The colour of this product is called "SUN-KISSED".
When you open the box up and take the actual product out, you can see that it is the shape of a circle. The top of the bronzer has the same design as the box it came in, but instead of a silver colour, it's more of a mint green. The bottom of the product is a rose-gold colour, which I am obsessed with at the moment, and on the back it has a sticker with the brand and product name.
When you open the bronzer, straight away you see the actual product, and on the opposing side there is a mirror. This makes it a good product to take out and about with you as the mirror can come in handy.

Product

From first look, I think the colour of this product is beautiful. It's a matte bronzer, and has a slight peachy tone making it perfect for a natural tanned look. At first I thought it might be a little bit too orange for my skin tone, but when I put it on I realised it was a perfect match. It looks amazing on the skin and definitely gives you a healthy tanned look.

It defines your cheek bones, without any contour product, and it makes you look 10x better. You could 100% use this product with just foundation and concealer, as it's a natural colour, but you could also use it for a fuller face of make-up.
If you like to contour, like myself, then you can use your contour product on top and it will obviously define your cheek bones a lot more. But if you're looking for a little bit of natural contour, then this product is perfect for just that. It defines your cheek bones while also keeping it natural and not too OTT.

I love this product and I will definitely be using it throughout the summer and while I'm away on holiday. You could probably get away with wearing just a light brush of this product which is great when on holiday, as you don't want to over do it on the make-up front.

I'm going to rate this product 8/10.

Afterglow Powder Highlighter

Packaging

The product comes in a pinkish coral, shiny, square box, with a lens flair like pattern on it. The colour of this product is called "SIN".
When you open the box up and take the actual product out, you can see that it is the shape of a square, similar to the box. The outside of the product is all silver and in the centre is the brand name, with product name below. On the back, it has the usual sticker with the brand and product name.
When you open the bronzer, straight away you see the actual product, and on the opposing side is a caged like pattern, which you can see through the brand name on the outside.

Product

From first look, I thought the colour was a bit to dark for me, but when I first used it I thought it was beautiful. It has a slight gold tone which is what worried me at first as I usual wear pink highlighters, but when it's on the skin the gold tone isn't too noticeable. It looks amazing on the skin and when the light hits it, the shine of the product is to die for.

It emphasises the definition of your cheek bones, without over powering the contour. It definitely gives a kick to your make-up making it look 10x better.
If you like to use highlight to highlight certain parts of your face, like myself, then you can definitely use this product. I only usual highlight the top of my cheek bone, but I'm sure you can use this on your nose, cupids bow, and even on your brow bone if you're going for a goldy eyeshadow look.

I love this product and I will definitely be using it on special occasions and meals out with my friends or family. You could probably brush it onto the face very lightly to give your face a little bit more of a glow, and I think I might have to try this when I'm away on holiday.

I'm going to rate this product 7/10.

Here is a quick photo I took to show the bronzer and the highlighter on my face.

 

On my face:

* Seventeen: Photo Flawless Skin Primer

* Clinique: Superbalanced Make-Up Teint Equilibre Parfait (02 Fair)

* L'Oréal Paris: True Match La Touche Magique (Ivory Beige)

* Urban Decay: Beached Bronzer (Sun-Kissed)

* Sleek: Contouring and Blush Palette (Medium 374)

* Tony Moly: Cristal Blusher (11)

* Rimmel London: Stay Matte Powder (001 Transparent)

* Urban Decay: Afterglow 8-hour Powder Highlighter (Sin)

On my brows:

* Laval: Eyebrow Pencil (Blonde)

* Maybelline New York: Brow Drama (Transparent)

On my eyes:

* Urban Decay: Eyeshadow Primer Potion (Original)

* Urban Decay: Naked Palette (Naked, Darkhorse)

* Urban Decay: Naked 2 Palette (Bootycall, Snakebite)

* Urban Decay: Naked Smoky Palette (Whiskey, Radar, Combust)

* Urban Decay: Naked Basics Palette (Crave)

* Clinique: Quick Liner for Eyes Intense (01 Intense Black0

* L'Oréal Paris: Miss Manga Mega Volume (Black/Noir)

* Clinique: High Impact Mascara (01 Black)

On my lips:

* YSL: Volupte Sheer Candy (3)

* Rimmel London: Lasting Finish by Kate Lipstick (101)

* Maybelline New York: Colorsensational Shine Gloss (137 Fabulous Pink)

I have got another contour product on top, so it's not a clear representation of how it looks, but I didn't use too much of that product, so you can still see the Bronzer. Also, the highlighter is quite prominent and helps give a nice healthy glow to the face.

Overall, I really like both of these products. Although they may be a bit expensive, they are definitely worth the buy if you like bronzing and highlighting.

The Disney Tag | Questions

Because I am a MASSIVE Disney fanatic, I thought I would do a Disney Tag post so you can find out a little bit more about me and my Disney obsession.

SIDE NOTE: These questions were taken from several different Disney Tag's already online.

1. A scene in any Disney movie you wish you could experience?

I would definitely have to say the 'I See The Light' scene in Tangled. It's so romantic and cute, and I can imagine the beauty of the lanterns in the air with it reflecting along the river. I've thought about this way too much clearly.

 

2. When was the first time you went to a Disney park?

The first time I must have been about 4 or 5 or maybe even 6. I had the biggest fear of people dressed up, which was great, so I didn't meet any of the characters.
I then went a second time when I was 8, I think, and I was a little braver but I still didn't want to meet any of the characters.
I'm going in August of this year, and I'm pretty sure my fear of people dressed up has been conquered. So hopefully I'll get to meet Mickey and/or Minnie mouse and any other characters.

 

3. Walt Disney World or Disneyland?

I've only ever been to Disneyland Paris, so I'm going to say that. But I would LOVE to go the Disney World. Definitely on my bucket list.

 

4. If you could choose any of the characters to be your best friend who would you choose?

At the moment, probably Baloo from The Jungle Book. He's so cute and cuddly and funny.
I also think either Pascal from Tangled or, of course, Olaf and Sven from Frozen would be great friends.

 

5. Who is your favourite Disney princess?

Either Cinderella or Rapunzel. I love both of them equally.

 

6. Favourite princess dress/outfit?

I actually really love Tiana's dress from The Princess and the Frog, which is quite odd for me to say as I don't like the colour Green too much.

 

7. Who is your favourite Disney prince?

When I was younger it was definitely Prince Eric from The Little Mermaid, but now I think it has to be Flynn Rider (Eugene Fitzherbet) from Tangled.

 

8. Who is your favourite Disney character in general?

This is a VERY hard one for me, but I think
I'm going to have to say Thumper. He's adorable and very much like me in many ways.

 

9. Flounder, Sebastian or Scuttle?

Scuttle. All the way.

 

10. Genie, Abu, Carpet, Iago or Rajah?

The Genie. RIP

 

11. Lumiere, Mrs. Potts, Cogsworth or Chip?

I love Mrs. Potts, I think Chip is adorable, and I feel like I can relate to Cogsworth quite a lot. But I have this weird obsession (I use this term lightly) with Lumiere, and I always have. So it's going to have to be Lumiere.

 

12. Mickey Mouse or Donald Duck?

Always, Mickey Mouse.

 

13. The first Disney movie you remember seeing at the cinema?

I'm pretty sure it was Tarzan.

 

14. Name a scene/moment in any Disney movie that never fails to make you cry?

There are so many!
SPOILER: I cry when Flynn Rider is dying in Tangled. I cry when Andy gives away his toys in Toy Story 3. I cry when Bing Bong gets left with the dead memories in Inside Out.
I cry a lot.

 

15. Best Disney kiss?

100% Rapunzel and Flynn Rider in Tangled. They are definitely my OTP.

 

16. What is your favourite Disney movie?

This is also VERY hard for me to answer. I have a decreased the number down to 6:
Cinderella, Tangled, Mary Poppins, The Aristocats, The Emperor's New Groove, and Basil the Great Mouse Detective.

 

17. Overrated Disney?

I'm probably going to get a lot of hate for this but The Lion King and Frozen.

 18. Underrated Disney?

I definitely think Basil the Great Mouse Detective isn't talked about enough and maybe The Fox and the Hound.

 

19. Favourite Disney song?

Another VERY hard question. Either 'Reflection' from Mulan, 'I See The Light' from Tangled, or 'Belle' from Beauty and the Beast.

 

20. Least Favourite Disney movie?

Probably Atlantis The Lost Empire, it's not my favourite.

 

21. If you could live in any world from a Disney movie, which would you choose?

Definitely the world from Tangled.

 

22. What type of Disney item do you collect the most?

Tsum Tsum's mainly, but I do own a lot of Disney mugs.

 

23. Favourite Disney villain?

Ursula. She's so sassy which is why I love her.

 

24. Favourite classic Disney & favourite modern Disney?

My favourite classic Disney movie is probably either Cinderella or Peter Pan.
My favourite modern Disney movie is either Tangled (if you class that as modern) or Meet the Robinsons. I love that film.

 

25. Favourite Disney Soundtrack?

I love the Tarzan soundtrack. Phil Collins is pretty good.

 26. Favourite live action Disney film?

I loved the newish Cinderella film, but more recently I have been in love with the new Jungle Book film. I watched it and fell in love resulting in new Jungle Book socks and pyjamas.

 

27. Didn't like as a kid, like now?

I used to be so scared of Sleeping Beauty but I love it now. However, the part where she follows the light of the spinning needle thing still freaks me out.

 

28. Are you the only one obsessed with Disney in your family?

I think I'm the most obsessed, but my sister and other relatives love it too.



There you have it. Feel free to use these questions for yourself and I hope you enjoyed finding out a little bit more about me.

Kew Gardens | Out & About

To start my long summer break, my parents took me on a day out to Kew Gardens, located in London. They had been there once before, but this was my first time visiting and I really enjoyed it. If you're someone who doesn't like walking around, doesn't like flowers or greenery, and also someone who doesn't like to relax, then this might not be the place for you. But for me, this place was a dream.

 

There's a little café that sells tea and cake, there are several ice cream shops/carts/vans and everywhere you looked there was a beautiful photograph opportunity. If there were Disney songs playing 24/7 and multiple Zac Efron's walking around then it would have been 10x better, but maybe next time.

 

Since it was my first time going I didn't really know what to expect. I had heard a few things from my parents but, pretty much, most things you imagine in your head don't actually match the real thing. For example; I imagined this location to be fairly average sized, and maybe a few flowers growing from the ground, but boy was I wrong.

The gardens are massive, they have several conservatories, a house where a past King used to live, and great amounts of different plant and flower types sprawled around the grounds.

It's an incredible sight.

Here are some of the pictures that I took on my day out:

 

 

 

 

 

As you can tell, I like photography a lot.

I really enjoyed my time at Kew Gardens. I took a lot of photos that I am really happy with, and we ended the day with ice cream and Starbucks which added to the enjoyment of the day.
I would definitely recommend visiting this place if you love photography, and also if you like going on long walks, because this place is huge.
It's definitely a place to take the family.

Hello, It's Me | UPDATE

It's hard to believe that a year and a half ago I posted a blog about whether or not I was going to go to university. The course I said I was going to apply for was Television Production and I am glad to say that I have officially finished my first year of that course. But first, let's look back at my last blog post, and uncover the reason why I have been M.I.A.

 

January - June [2015]

 

Top of the Rocks Building | New York

I spent these 5/6 months studying for my A2 levels - the last year of sixth form - and completing coursework for the courses I was taking. Going back to school, after the Christmas holidays, was so stressful and time consuming that I found no time to blog for enjoyment. I had a blog for my media course, but that was classed as coursework and not something I would usually do in my spare time. I also went on a trip to New York in February, so I spent a lot of time preparing for it, but also remembering my memories from that week.

Year 13 was one of the most stressful school years of my life. I had stress from the vast amount of work we had to complete, and nearer to the end of the year I had struggles with other things going on at school but not at all work related. I was so happy and relieved the day I signed off all of my coursework and the day I walked out of the exam hall for the last time. It felt like a lot of weight had been lifted off my shoulders.

 

June - September [2015]

 

Prom

My somewhat long summer holiday was filled with laughter, day trips out with friends, drinking with friends, and a heck of a lot of sleeping. Over that summer I got back into my hobby of reading and I learnt a lot more songs on the ukulele, which I like to think I have perfected by now. Prom was a blast, and results day was a laugh - mainly at the end of the day when me and my friends took a trip down to the pub. [I would like to mention that at the time I was 18 years old so I was allowed to drink...responsibly.] I was very happy with my results and I wasn't more contented with the achievement of getting into my first university choice. I was overjoyed.

Over the summer, after getting accepted into uni, I was given the task to create a 'Summer Project'. This was to introduce me as a person, so when I started uni everyone would watch it and get a glimpse as to what my persona is like. Also, at the same sort of time of creating this video, I was travelling through the euro tunnel, into France  - basically my second home. When I got back, I had one week to prepare for my first week of uni and it is fair to say that I was petrified.

 

September - May [2015-Now]

 

One of the Studios at Maidstone TV Studios

Obviously my first day of uni was scary, but I really enjoyed it. I enjoyed it more, of course, when I started doing the work and I had created friendships with most people on the course. Now that the first year is over I feel like I've talked to everyone in my year and I've created some sort of bond with everyone.

We had three units that were completed during three terms - one unit for each term:

• 1st Term - Storytelling (1st Unit)

• 2nd Term - Directions (2nd Unit)

• 3rd Term - Documentary (3rd Unit)

On top of those units, we also had a contextual studies essay to complete which is basically the theory behind our course topic. Throughout all three units, and even the units to come in the next two years, we have a blog. This blog gets marked as put of our course, and we basically upload posts on our research, our pre-production for the unit and out post-production.

Obviously, where I've been spending most of my time keeping up to date with my uni blog, I've had no spare time to catch up with my personal blog.

But here I am.

I've decided that I want to blog a lot more, now that I have 4 months off for the summer. I'm going to post about places that I've visited, make-up products that I've bought and tried, new songs or albums that have been released, new films or TV series that have been aired and anything else that comes to mind. This is going to be a place where I can talk about anything, let my mind run free, while hopeful entertaining someone. Kind of like my YouTube channel [ https://www.youtube.com/user/beccaabennettt ] but in a reading form.

I hope you find some enjoyment out of these posts, and the next one won't be as long as this. I promise.

Christmas is Coming.

It is now December.

Winter is here, and Christmas is coming.

But along with that, everyone is moaning for different reasons because of Winter and Christmas.

It's the norm in England, or at least in my household.

 

Every December I start moaning about the cold weather, and the fact I don't want it to snow. I basically become a scrooge when it comes to snow or ice. It just doesn't take my fancy, and I wish it wouldn't fall on the floor. It can snow when I'm not at school, but when school does come it needs to rain. My mother will moan about not having enough food, or having too much food, and she'll also worry about having spent too much money which makes my dad moan to my mother about the fact that she shouldn't worry about it. Above all of the moaning during December, it's usually a very fun month. We spend time with family, play games, laugh with each other, and stuff our faces until the button pops on our jeans. I love Christmas for all of those reasons. Except for the button popping, that's annoying and untrue. 

 

The only thing that is disappointing about December, is that fact that we are still sat at school working our butts off. I am counting down the days until I can leave school for Christmas, because I cannot wait to have like a 10 hour lie in. Ok, I'm exaggerating. A 5 hour lie in. Trust me, I need one of those. School is so stressful and tiring that we're all getting through each week with no energy. I have a photography deadline at the end of this week, so I'm currently stressed about that. I like counting down to Christmas and the break, but I also dislike it due to the deadlines that need to be met during the next three weeks. Also I have a university interview this week which I am so nervous for, so counting down for the break doesn't fill me with ease. Although I have a lot of work to do and a lot of stress to get over, I personally cannot wait for Christmas.

 

I hope you have been enjoying my December photo challenge so far. 8 days in and I'm still going strong. Give me time and I'll forget sooner or later. Trust me. Two more weeks and then I'm off for the Christmas holidays. I will be posting more posts whenever I can about Christmas and stuff - so keep your eyes peeled.

Can you wait for Christmas?

I know I can't. 

:)

University.

University. 

YES or NO?

This is the question that has been circling around mine and others in my year groups head for the past year. It's a pain in the backside. 

During the last few years at school (11-13) you have to make some of the biggest decisions of your life. Well. They may not be the biggest in the long run, but in the present day they certainly seem like it. 

Year 11 - You have to decide whether you want to go to college for further education or go to sixth form (either in your own school or another). 

Year 12 - You have to think about what type of career you want in the future, and you have to decide what courses you want to look at for apprenticeships and/or uni's. 

Year 13 - You have to finalize the courses at apprenticeships and/or uni and apply. But you also have the dreaded decision. 

Go to uni?

Not go to uni?

That is the question.

Literally. 

As a child I always thought I would go to secondary school, go to sixth form and then go to uni. Well that was my second thought. My first one, well, that's another story. 

But this thought changed when it actually came to making the decision of whether I wanted to go to uni or not.

When your young you don't realize how many courses and uni's there are in the world, until they send things to your house with your name on it - which makes me feel bad since I didn't know they existed but they knew I did. 

I have had a mountain of leaflets, booklets and letters come through my door from different uni's around the world offering different courses and inviting me to their open days. It's so strange. I feel wanted. But then I realize that pretty much everyone I know my age has had the same paperwork come through their doors. Which makes me feel one of many. Which I suppose isn't a bad thing. 

When making decisions I always think back to what my siblings decided to do. Not so I could copy them. Just so I could get some inspiration and some ideas. 

My brother chose to go to uni, after attending his schools sixth form, to do a degree in IT I think. I'm not sure. I just know that he went or I should say goes to uni. He chose a 4 year course. First 2 years at uni, 1 year in industry and the last year back at uni. He's currently on his last year and I think he enjoys it. It has opened him up to different opportunities and skills that makes him who he is today. 

My sister chose to go to college instead of sixth form and do a childcare course. This was over a period of 2 years and after education she found a job at a day nursery through one of her placements. She decided to stick with the job and not go to uni. Every so often she'll think about uni, but whether she goes or not is another thing.

I am currently attending my schools sixth form and hoping to get into uni. I literally sent off my application a few days ago. I followed my thoughts as a young girl of going to uni and I applied. 

As I said before I had always thought about going to uni, but that hasn't always been the case. I went through a stage in my life where I didn't know what I wanted to do. I wanted to music, cause I love performing. But it's such a hard industry to get into and also to get in any of the courses that do music you need a grade in an instrument or singing. I don't have a grade as I never had any singing exams. After wanting to do music I was stuck. I had planned out that I was going to go to uni to do music and then work my way into the industry. But that failed. So I had to think again. I went through a stage where I said to my friend that I just want to be a mother. I want to get married, get a house, start a family and be a stay at home mum. My friend didn't like that idea. She told me, I can be all of that but I can also have a career. If I wanted to get anywhere in life I need to make good decisions. And just being a mother wasn't one of them. Yes I will be a mother in the future, but first I need to get a job. What that job is yet, I'm not sure. 

So after the stage of 'wanting to be a mother' I decided that I wanted to do English at uni. I was set on it. I looked at loads of English courses and went to open days for them. The only reason why I wanted to do an English degree was so I could get into a media career. I still wasn't sure what type of career in media. I just knew I wanted to work in media.

After getting my as level results, I decided that I wanted to keep looking at courses. But delve more into media. I had received better grades in media than I did in English. Which is why I kept looking. Until I found it. The course for me. 

Television Production. 

Yep. That course has got my name written all over it. We went to an open day for it and I fell in love. Well, metaphorically I fell in love. I've applied and hopefully I'll get accepted. I just keep refreshing my emails. 

And that was my deciding on uni story. 

So, are you deciding on uni or not?

My advice to you before you make your decision is to look at all the options that are being offered to you. 

Do you want to take a gap year?

Do you want to do an apprenticeship?

Do you want to go to uni? 

It's completely up to you. Don't let anyone influence your decision. It's your life and you're the one who will be living it. 

 

University. 

YES or NO?

:)

Concerts.

I've only been to a few concerts in my life - Demi Lovato, McBusted & Steps.
I know, I'm so cool for going to a Steps concert.
 But having to a perform at a concert, even if only a few people do turn up is quite terrifying. But also quite enjoyable.

So, for two of my A-Level Music units I have had to organize and perform at a concert attended by family and friends. At first my class were happy because we love to perform, but as the date got closer we were dreading it.
We organized the first concert in June/July time as one of the units was the class organizing the concert and performing at it. We were rubbish organizers. Our teacher basically told us what to, how to do, and sometimes he would do it for us.
I should probably clear up that my music class only has like 4 people in it. So it's a small but nice class. However, when we started organizing this unit's concert we had 5 people, but she left a few weeks before the concert - she still performed at the concert so it wasn't much of a problem.

For the first concert we all decided to perform 2 solos each and perform 2 ensembles songs together. We didn't want the concert to be to long as we didn't really want the audience to get bored and walk out half way through it. I know professionals perform more songs at their concerts, but we definitely aren't professionals - and it wasn't that kind of concert.
As well as us 5 performing we invited our Glee club at school, that we had been running for like a term, to perform one of their songs after the interval. They sung their rendition of 'Rolling In The Deep' by Adele, and they did really well. 

For the concert I sung 'Wide Open Spaces' by Dixie Chicks to show my Country roots...not that I really have any. I just love Country music, and I loved the song.
I also sung 'Strong' by London Grammar who are recently becoming well-known to the public. I must admit, I had never heard of them before I performed their song. My music teacher showed me the song, and at first I wasn't really feeling it, but I decided it was out of my comfort zone and I should give it a shoot. That, and my teacher practically forced me to sing it.
I didn't have a choice.

Here is the video of me performing the song at the first concert that was put together.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l46qqrKpi90&list=UUUkalk_p75EeEbfCkfgOlKA

For another unit we started at the start of this term at school, we didn't have to organize a concert but we did have to perform 3 solo songs and at least 1 ensemble song. We decided we would do 2 ensemble songs that were technically challenging, as well as performing 3 technically challenging solo songs.
My teacher would always stress that the songs HAD to be technically challenging. This meant it took us a while to find songs that were classed as 'technically challenging'.

For this concert I sang 'Hollywood' by Michael Buble.
TECHNICALLY CHALLENGING - It was very VERY low.
'When The Right One Comes Along' by Clare Bowen - from the TV series 'Nashville'.
TECHNICALLY CHALLENGING - The timings were hard and the harmonies that I previously recorded were also very difficult.
And 'On My Own' from the west end show 'Les Miserables'.
TECHNICALLY CHALLENGING - The song is just generally difficult. High notes. Difficult timings. Emotional.
It was a very difficult song to sing, but I think/I hope I did it justice.

Give it a listen and tell me what you think.

Even though both of these concerts can't really be classed as 'concerts', they were still really fun and I can't wait to perform at out next one.
If there is a next one.

:)

Sixth Form.

 Sixth Form.

The most stressful source of education.

When you are attending school you have to balance out your time nicely so you have a fair amount of time for homework, family time, friend time, hobby time and time for yourself. 

However, things are little different when you are attending sixth form. You have to make time for your homework, your revision, your research on different university's or apprenticeships, filling out your UCAS profile and completing your personal statement to go onto your UCAS profile.

This means you have no time for family, friends, hobbies or yourself.

Having a social life is completely out of the question if you don't want to fail.

I laugh at all of the year 11's who think sixth form is great because really it is a big load of stress.

I have put together some statements that year 11's might say (or year 11 Becca might say) about sixth form, and corrected the statements.

Sixth Form

You get free periods to chill on your phones and hang out with friends.

No. You get study periods. Not free periods. This means you do work during those periods. Chilling, going on your phone or hanging out with friends are definitely out of the question.

You are studying your favourite subjects and not the ones you hate.

Give it a week and you'll start hating your favourite subjects too. Trust me.

You get to leave school whenever you want.

No you don't. You get to leave school once a week. For an hour. During the first hour of school or the last hour. But not during school hours. Don't be silly.

We're basically the top of the school so no one can be rude to us.

Ha. Try telling that to the younger years. They don't care who you are. They'll still be as rude and disrespectful to you as they are to everyone.

We get to wear our own clothes. 

 Ha. Not anymore. (My school have changed the clothing of the sixth form from casual to business wear)

We'll be treated as adults by all the teachers.

Ha.

 Welcome to Sixth Form Year 11's...welcome to Sixth Form.

Don't say I didn't warn you.

Even though sixth form is really stressful and a lot of hard work, it is very helpful. It's helpful when applying to university but it's also helpful by boosting your confidence and discovering new skills that you probably didn't even know you had.

If you are currently deciding whether to attend sixth form or college, I would definitely choose sixth form. Especially if you don't know what you want to do with your life. I think college is for people who know what they want to do as a career, where as sixth form is for people who don't know what they want as a career and it helps you decide.

If you are joining sixth form in September you need to know that it's not easy. The transition between year 11 and year 12 is harsh. But you'll get over that in a years time. Time goes so quickly so you have to use your time wisely. Don't slack, don't be annoying, work as hard as you can, and do what is expected of you. If you follow this advice I'm sure you won't fail, and you'll enjoy yourself a little more. Just a little. Not a lot.

:)

I'm Back?!

Hello.

I guess you could say I'm back. But probably not for very long. I'm not very good at this blogging thing. I'm that person that will start something and get bored and never finish it. But I am making a change...lets hope this is a permanent change.

So, where have I been?

Somewhere nice? No.
Somewhere fun? No.
Somewhere relaxing? 100% no.

I've been at school, and at home. So the last time I posted a blog was in April and since then I have turned 17, I have taken my AS Level exams, I have finished Year 12 and moved onto Year 13, I have been on my summer holidays and I have recently received my results back from my AS exams.
So It's fair to say I've been quite busy (and stressed).

I wanted to start this blog up again, but I always struggle with thinking of new interesting content.

I just wanted to inform you of what I've been doing and just letting you all know that I am still alive and well

I'm probably going to be posting a lot about results and sixth form, so if you are becoming a Year 12 student, look out for those posts. I'm still on my summer holidays so hopefully I will be posting more regularly than I have been.

I'm going to go.

See you soon.

 

:)

My Nan's Birthday Meal.

It's my Nan's 70th birthday today, and I can honestly say she looks great for a 70 year old.

I would show you a picture but I don't know whether she would appreciate me doing that...so I won't.

Yesterday, my mum's side of the family went out to dinner to celebrate Nan turning 70.

Me, my parents and my siblings attended. My uncle and auntie and my cousins attended. My other uncle and his girlfriend attended. And of course, my grandparents attended.

We went to a beefeater restaurant called the Malta Inn, which is in Maidstone.  We've been there before for some family meals and we have never had a problem with the place. And this time we still didn't have any problems. The waitress that served us was very friendly, and was very grateful for the tip we gave her. Or I should say my grandad and my dad gave her.

I played it safe and had some garlic bread for starter, I had rump steak for main meal, for dessert I had a rocky road sundae and for drink I had some WKD. I am allowed it. I'm 16 - 17 in a week - and there were adults there. I was allowed a glass of WKD. Blue WKD to be specific.

For my Grandads 70th Birthday last year, we went out for a meal and gave him a little book full of memories and pictures. Me, the siblings and the cousins wrote little memories of Grandad over the years and add them to the book. Well we did a similar thing for Nan this year. Instead of giving her a memory book, we gave her a memory box. My Auntie had us all write little memories of Nan over the years and she placed them in the box along with a few photos.

I thought it was a great idea to do a memory box or a memory book for people on their birthday as it isn't expensive to do if you do it yourself, and also it's nice to reminisce on old memories.

This little idea made me realise how many amazing memories we have all had together. It's always great to laugh back on old memories with friends, but personally, I think it's better to laugh back on old memories with family.

I had a great time at the meal.

Still stuffed after the great food that I consumed.

I hope that my friends/family make me a memory book or box for my 70th birthday.

I would be internally grateful if they did.

But I've got a while to go yet.

:)

Games Night.

I love playing games. 

Whether it be board games, computer games, electronic games, thinking games, physical games etc.

I love them all. 

During the weekend I attended a games night hosted by brother. A bunch of friends turned up and it was great to catch up and just have fun with them. I played Dobble - which is an awesome card game that involves a lot of thinking - Mario Kart Wii - I win all the time except when I play with my brother - Twister - my bones suffered - Table Tennis and Charades. Oh, and there was also food. Can't forget that!

What was the best part about the games night?
Well, to be honest, I think the company. I loved playing the games and having fun, but the parts that I enjoyed the most was the socializing with people I hadn't seen in ages.
Everyone had someone to talk to or play a game with. No one was on their own. Me and my two friends ended up sitting down by the food - not intentional - after playing some games and just talked for the rest of the night. We talked about what we had been up to, how each of us were, and everything else girls talk about.
It was nice just to look around and see everyone either socializing through playing a game or socializing through actual talking.

I didn't get many pictures from the games night but I did happen to get this one of me and my friend Micaiah taking bathroom selfies. I'm on the right and Micaiah is on the left.

Don't judge. We weren't being serious. My hand also looks demented. Oh well.

I enjoyed the games night, and I think everyone else did too.
It was nice to catch up on how everyone was and what they had been doing.
I hope to attend more events like this one.

:)

Spring Holidays.

Today was the first day of freedom.

Well, the first day of the spring holidays over here in England.

 

Yesterday morning at school the sixth formers were told that we didn't have to come into school. The only people that did were the ones that had an assessment or the ones who had to hand in coursework. I was lucky. I didn't have to go in. The rest of the school had to go in, except for us sixth formers. Oh, how I love being in the sixth form.

 

So, how did I spend my first day of the spring holidays?

Well, I did what any normal teenager would do. Have a lie in. Firstly I woke up at 10 to 8 but then I went back to bed and woke up at half past 8. Not the longest lie in, but still a lie in nevertheless, considering I usually wake up at 7. Then I got up, had breakfast and watched 'The Little Mermaid 2'. Yes, I know, it's a great film. Once the film was over I got ready for the day and walked to the shops with my Mother. We had some mother-daughter bonding time. I wanted to buy a few things for my birthday. Well I wanted my mum to buy a few things that she could give me on my birthday as presents. Basically we were buying my birthday presents from my parents. Then when we got back I just watched some TV and did some Media work. Oh, and I started this blog.

 

Spring break in America is completely different to the Spring holidays here in England. The stereotypical Spring break in America is going to the beach, attending a lot of parties, possibly getting drunk, hooking up with boys etc. Whereas the realistic Spring holidays in England is going to bed early, going to the beach in long shorts and a jacket, catching up on TV and also doing homework. You can never get away from school can you? My Spring holiday is quite packed actually, but I assure you I will definitely have some days when I just lounge around in my Pyjamas and do nothing. Hopefully on those days I can write a few blog posts and upload them.

 

I'd say my first day of freedom, uh I mean first day of my spring holidays, has been a very successful and productive day. Lets hope everyday can be as a productive as this one. It probably won't be, but we'll wait and see.

 

:)

Hello.

Hi, I'm Becca and this is my blog...obviously.

I'm 16 years old but I'm turning 17 in 10 days.

I'm starting this blog because I just want a place where I can rant, moan and tell little stories without having to worry about people listening or not. This is just my own little place where I can express myself without getting criticized or judged.

I'm basically going to be posting random things onto this blog for my own enjoyment, and if other people enjoy it then great.

Ok.

Well..

I'm going to go.

See you in my next post.

Bye.