The Sprout

How To Survive Sixth Form

Posted by dirty from Cardiff - Published on 20/10/2011 at 13:25
3 comments » - Tagged as Education, Topical

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Autumn’s upon us and some may even say winter; we’re getting into the swing of the academic year.

Early October’s seemingly endless feeling of the Indian summer has gone and given place to nearly-frozen mornings, gusts of cold wind and unwelcome rain.

Days are getting shorter and giving way to even longer nights and evenings and cravings for chocolate go along with them. The kaleidoscope-esque change of days and their lengths plays havoc with our bodies; you’d think after a couple of million years, we’d be used to it. And we are, to some extent, but the demands of college, university, school and work haven’t been hardwired into us in the way. I (accidentally) keep some of the most anti-social hours known to man and still manage good attendance at college. Here’s a ‘How to Survive College’ guide, because I don’t think that theSprout has had one yet! [Sub-Ed Note: After a frantic search this is probably the closest we've come!]

1. The Realisation That College Isn’t Like Skins

I thought it would be, too. Nobody is that good looking in real life; as teenagers, there’s more bad skin, more meaningless drama and people actually have to do work in the real world of sixth form and college. Nobody dresses that well, either; I made the effort for the first few months of college and now I’m lucky if I wake up on time and iron my clothes. This was a biggie for me.

2. Food

If you don’t eat enough food, your energy levels will drop dramatically, you won’t learn well, and your concentration levels hugely drop. College doesn’t have the luxury of staffed canteens, so you’re at the mercy of the area around you, and their prices too. High school food is subsidised by the government, which is how someone can afford to eat lunch on £2 a day and still have dessert, so if you’re in a sixth form at a high school, make the most of it. I miss the days where I could get a chocolate ringed donut for 45p and not catch food poisoning.

Some sixth forms and colleges run classes in the evenings; if this is the case, you get a 20 minute or so break halfway through. Take a packed lunch full of protein, carbohydrates and plenty of water; you’ll absorb more from your lesson and not feel the need to eat an excess of junk food at the end of the lesson. You will save so much money doing this. As tempting as it is, stay away from the energy drinks; they’re lovely, but lethal. Sort of like that woman in that film where she steals the man’s bunny rabbit and boils it.

3. Time Management

I use Palgrave Student Planner for my time management. The college I go to, Cardiff and the Vale, doesn’t make its own planners in the way that high schools do, and years of using one made my life fall apart without one. This planner has bits on spelling, maths, science, washing, cooking, to-do lists, grade targets, how many units is in each drink and so on, and so forth. I wholeheartedly recommend this for general academic management; who wants homework, when do they want it by, and what to look up.

My biggest demons when it comes to work are the internet and television. It’s all about priorities. The convenience of Catch Up TV means that you can watch any show on Virgin Media up to 7 days after its original broadcast, and if you’re a Sky+ customer, you can 'Sky+' your show to watch a later date. There’s also the option of 4oD and of course, BBC iPlayer which is available online.

Allocate an hour or so each week to each of your subjects to do your homework; it shouldn’t take you more time than this, unless you’re doing lots of essays. If so, split the essays; most essays, especially History and Religious Studies ones come in two parts, "A" and "B", so perhaps focus 45 minutes on "A", and 30 on "B", with a short break in between the two

If you get stuck, do not be afraid to ask for help; it’s better to ask for help now than a few weeks before the exam. This way, the knowledge has a longer time to sink into your brain and you’ll understand it a lot better. School and college libraries should stock all your textbooks and anything that goes with them e.g. revision guides and dictionaries, especially if you’re a languages student. If they haven’t got what you need, you can order it in and put a hold on the book. If your school doesn’t offer this (and it should, by the way), Cardiff Library Service definitely offers this.

4. Organisation

Loose sheets get lost. It’s as simple as that; organise your folder to the best of your abilities. As a language student, I organise my French file into syllabus, class work (and then subdivided into topics), past papers, grammar and homework. I organise my History folder into classwork (subdivided into topics), source work, homework and mindmaps. Mindmaps are an invaluable tool if you have a lot of dates and facts to learn quickly, I also recommend flashcards. The mind works well with different colours; don’t be afraid to crack out some highlighters or fine liners once in a while!

5. Work & School Balance

A-Levels are demanding. Very, very, demanding. But this doesn’t mean that they should run your life. Sure, they should factor into it e.g. going out on the lash with a 9am start the next morning isn’t a great idea, but by no means rule it. So many people drop out because they burn out; make sure you're not one of them. Have fun, remember that. If you’re not having fun when you’re in sixth form, then you’re definitely doing something wrong.

News Categories Education

Organisations Cardiff Libraries

Organisations Cardiff and Vale College

Info Education Post 16 Education College

IMAGE: The Geocacher by [martin]

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