Starting Sixth Form

After spending nearly two weeks at sixth form, I thought it was about time that I wrote a blog post about making the difficult transition from somewhere like high school, to the much more mature, and independent freedom that comes with college. I've had a lot of challenges to face, as I'm sure will be the case for a lot of people. At sixth form you're really treated like an adult in an adult world, leaving behind the routine at high school, that I'm not ashamed to admit that I miss. Now I've been pushed into a new sense of routine; one that I make myself. It's difficult; it's taxing, but as I am sitting here writing this today, I feel much more comfortable, much more confident, and hopeful, about my next two years at sixth form. In this post I'm going to talk about my own experiences and struggles over the past couple of weeks, but I also want to try and give some advice to new college starters, and to let people know that they are not alone as they move forward to the next stage of their education, and essentially their lives.

As I'm fairly far away from my college, I use the college bus to and from sixth form every day, and it usually takes about 40 minutes. To start on a relatively positive note, I love being on the bus in the morning. At high school, I would get up as late as I could possibly leave it, and head to my form room, usually whilst being very cranky because I didn't want to talk to anyone (and there was me thinking that teenagers want to avoid any communication possible in the morning, but my form was uncharacteristically talkative!) Now, on the bus, I put my headphones on, listen to a new album, look out of the window, and wake myself up for the long day ahead. I don't talk to many people. In fact, I probably communicate with other students less than I did in high school. Two of my best friends went to a different college. That was perfectly fine with me. I've never been someone who will go and do something just because my friends are doing it. I'm independent and I always have been, which is something that really does suit me well in the college environment. I'm not ashamed to admit that I miss them though. Talking over text and calling occasionally is not the same as having them with me throughout the day, especially since they have both been extremely supportive this year when I have been going through difficult times. Our friendship group has come to an end; a friendship group that lasted throughout five brilliant years of high school, but unfortunately, it happens to all good things. I have a couple of friends that I see throughout the day at college and sit with at lunch, but sometimes I prefer to stick on my own. Last week, I never thought I would adapt to that, but I'm surprised at how well I have done. I'm embracing my new sense of full independence, whilst still asking for help from my friends, and my parents when I need it. I also got a surprise visit from my friends the other day, which was great, and I've come to believe that the breaking apart of our friendship group, in a way, has its positives, because it allows me to move towards a new era in my life, despite the difficult transition to get there.

My thoughts weren't as collected as this last week though. I had a couple of pretty difficult days. After spending my 11 week summer holiday recovering from GCSE's and personal issues, coming to Sixth Form felt like I was being hit with a train of emotions and thoughts all at once; I felt utterly overwhelmed, and part of me still does. I miss my friends dearly; I was extremely nervous about college life; and most surprisingly for me, I actually missed high school. Contrary to popular opinion, I really enjoyed high school. I made some of my best memories there, met some amazing people, and really embraced all the challenges that were placed in front of me. I suppose that when I started Sixth Form, I realised I still had those same challenges to overcome, but this time I felt more alone in having to deal with them. High school felt like a small, united community, but college felt extensive, and I felt like I was plodding along without a real sense of direction. All of this was not helped by the fact that I have to get up at 6:30 every day- an hour earlier than I would have gotten up for high school. After getting up at midday in the holidays, it certainly took a while to adapt to! It's rare that I talk much about negativity in my blogs, but I wanted to be honest about my experience for the past few weeks, by saying to anyone who is having similar feelings, or issues, that you're not alone. As I am currently, I am slowly getting there, as there are many things I've fully enjoyed about college so far.

Due to having free study periods, and a study day, the intensity of lesson after lesson is certainly easier than high school. For the past couple of weeks I haven't gotten much homework, so I tend to go to the library and draft my blog posts, write poetry, or album reviews. My newest album review of Ride, is now up on my page and I wrote that in between lessons last week. So that's something I definitely enjoy about college. The freedom suits me perfectly. If I don't have homework or revision, I can work on another piece of writing. The college also have study areas that are adapted well to suit everybody's needs which is great. The library is the quiet study area with separate desks, which is where I tend to go. I'm really focused on my study; as much as I was in high school. You could say that my lack of socialising is made up for in the effort I put into every piece of writing I do, and my commitment to my subjects. English Language is partially different from what I expected, yet I'm embracing it all the same. We start by studying the science of the English language, through terminology which we then apply to analysing a variety of different texts. Luckily, I will be able to apply my more creative side of writing to the college magazine that I will be joining after October half-term. At the moment, the magazine is where I can feel my passion heading towards, and it gives me something to really look forward to. I always enjoyed English Literature at high school, and I'm enjoying it just as much at college. At the moment, we're studying two of my favourite poets, Carol Ann Duffy, and Philip Larkin, two very cynical peas in a pod you might say! What's great about Literature though, is that you actually learn about the context and how life experience drove poets, play writers and authors, rather than just focusing purely on the language. I'd always wanted to take Media Studies as an option, but unfortunately it wasn't offered at my school for GCSEs. Media is a recommended subject to take if I want to get into journalism, and even more for me, as I'm considering taking a multimedia journalism course at university.

As part of the Excellence Programme, which I was enrolled onto at results day, the sixth form prepare us for the country's leading universities such as Oxford and Cambridge. As ambitious as I am, prestigious universities have never really caught my eye. I truly believe that success mainly comes from within, regardless of which university, high school, or college you attend. Of course, to be given the chance to study at Oxford or Cambridge would be an incredible opportunity, but if they don't offer the course I want for my career, then I will be looking elsewhere. I have my eyes quite set on Salford University, next to Media City. In terms of my career path, everything l need to achieve it will be right next door to me at Salford, and (after all) what better place to study than right outside Manchester! Taking part in the Excellence Programme will be worth it though. After the meeting next week, we get to start conducting our EPQ, which is an extended research project on a topic area of our choice. I mentioned in my results day blog that I would love to do that on music. I've also, surprisingly, applied to join the student council this year. It's never been something I've considered before, but the more opinionated side of me decided I really wanted to have the opportunity to make a difference and to have my voice heard. There are only 24 places, so there's no guarantee that I will get one, but I'm determined to make the most out of it if I do. This year, one of the topics they are most invested in is help regarding mental health and exam stress, which is a topic very close to me and one that I know I will be very passionate about. We are also in partnership with Blue Skies, a charity dedicated to enhancing patient care for Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust; another worthy cause. I've always wanted to try and give help and support to charities, as it's something I've never done before, but would love to get involved with.

To finish, I would like to try and give some advice to other new starters at college, or even for those that are starting college next year, as making the decision of which college to go to is quite a tricky one. I would naturally like to promote Blackpool Sixth, as in my first two weeks, all the staff members have been extremely welcoming and helpful with the transition period. All the teachers are really passionate about the subjects that they teach, and are always willing to offer any support and guidance, should you need it. I chose Blackpool Sixth because of this welcoming atmosphere; something I just didn't feel as strongly in other colleges. My advice would be to see where your feet are leading you. Sometimes it can be quite daunting, especially if not many of your friends are going to the college you have decided on, but making decisions like that will really set you up for life, and it's always an opportunity to meet new people. Go to the open evenings, attend as many taster sessions as you can, to really get a feel for what college life will be like. It will make you much more prepared for when you start in September. Embrace your subjects. Try and choose subjects that you enjoy, as well as choosing those that will help you in your future ventures. Most universities are very flexible, and allow multiple combinations of BTEC's and A-Levels. Put yourself out there. Take as many opportunities as you can. Now really is the time to do it. Why not try something new? You're reaching that time in your life where you're forming your identity, and coming to terms with who you are, and that process is all about trying out new things. Get your work done in your study times, and don't delay it! The more work you get done during these times, the less work you will have to do in the evenings and at the weekend, allowing you to free up your social calendar. My final bit of advice, and it's probably the most important thing I'm going to say in this blog is that once you start thinking about who you want to be, and where you want to get to- reach for it. Grab it and don't let go. Be as ambitious as you want. If you know what you want to achieve, there really is nothing that can stop you.

Starting college has been tough. It still is. But if there's anything I am confident about, it's the ambition I have to work hard over the next two years, and get to where I want to be. I might not have as many friends around me as I used to, and you might see me wandering down the corridors with my headphones on most of the time....trust me, I just love music. And I'm hoping that with time, the process will get easier, allowing me to really concentrate on my future.