Thursday 21 January 2016

Coping with Coursework

So we've been back at college for three weeks now and I'm looking forward to half term already! As I've mentioned a couple of times before, I do three essay-based subjects - all of which have a lot of coursework. So with deadlines fast approaching, I thought I'd share my top tips for dealing with coursework! But first, a quick disclaimer!

* By no means do I claim to be an expert: Juggling this amount of work has been a massive learning curve, and a lot of procrastination has been involved! These are just some things that I have come to realise, so thought I'd share *

1) It's gonna be hard, but it'll be worth it in the end...
My coursework is all worth 40% of my total A2 grade, so 20% of my A level. The way my teacher put it, if you don't put the effort into your coursework, it's like attending your exam and only writing your name. There's just no point!

2) Make the most of class time!
When you're in college/school, your teachers will probably give you quite a bit of time in lessons to do your coursework so I recommend making the most of it! It can be quite difficult to not get distracted while you're sat with your friends, but you have the teacher there with you in class - make the most of their expertise while its so readily available!

3) Accept that procrastination is inevitable
This is the hardest thing to do, especially when you have deadlines fast approaching and are a few words short of the minimum word count! I always sit down, determined to slave away until its done and then quickly print it off... Then I get distracted choosing a Spotify playlist, browsing social media, writing (but never finishing) a blog post, chatting to my sisters etc etc...
I look at the clock and its two hours later and I've only wrote 200 words! Once you accept that you're going to procrastinate, its a lot easier to put things in place to help...

4) Make a life as easy as possible for yourself
This kind of follows on from the previous - if you accept that you're going to get distracted, then you can try and help yourself. A great tip I learnt is to open two desktops on your laptop/computer. Have one open with all your work things on, then the other with your social media tabs and your music. Also, mute your chat notifications: It's so easy to get involved in a conversation when you're meant to be working! Set a timer for how long you're going to work and then have a quick break- get a drink, a snack, check your phone, change the music - whatever you want to do, get it over with then!

5) Most importantly, remember why you're doing it...
I know from my own experience how easy it is to get disheartened when your work is coming back draft after draft with seemingly endless corrections. It can be really frustrating, but the advantage of coursework over exams is that your teachers are there to help you make it perfect! They're going to do everything they can to help you get the best grade possible. Remember that end goal - whether it be that uni place, job, apprenticeship or whatever, remember why you are putting yourself through it. It'll be worth it in the end. We can do this!!

I hope you have enjoyed this post - its been nice writing something a little different! If you have any feedback or post suggestions, feel free to email me: annajordanucas@gmail.com. Also, if you'd like to vote for me as Blogger of the Month you can do that here! Thanks!

That's all from me for now, until next time :)

Anna x

Thursday 7 January 2016

Happy New Year!

The Christmas and New Year period is definitely my favourite time of year and this year has been no exception. After being back at college for just four days, I think I'll be ready for another break soon! This term is going to be jam-packed!

During the break it felt as if we weren't doing much, but looking back now I realise how much I managed to cram into two weeks! From a weekend away to a Christmas reunion meal, parties to days out, the last two weeks of the year were just so much fun!



Christmas this year was very quiet for my family and I, with it being just the five of us on Christmas and Boxing Day. This made it even more special because with us all being so busy, it's a rare occasion in our house that we can all just relax together without any distractions! We had such a lovely time, and I especially enjoyed my parents giving my sisters and I a classic film education! We watched The Holiday, Love Actually, Bridget Jones' Diary and From Russia with Love (which were all fab) along with many other films and Christmas TV specials! I'm not usually a massive watcher of films, but one of my favourite parts of the season is snuggling up on the couch with a good DVD and chocolate!

New Years Eve is always up there as one of my favourite days of the whole year. This year, I had no plans right up until the afternoon of the 31st when one of my friends invited a few of us for a little gathering at his. It was so special bringing in 2016 with my best friends, and I'm really looking forward to all the fun times we'll hopefully have this year! I'm so looking forward to everything 2016 will bring, and I'm determined to have fun despite whatever challenges life throws at me.



Going back to college on Monday was a massive reality check... You might have noticed that I didn't mention doing any college work in my post... In all honesty, I left it very last minute... As in Sunday afternoon kind of last minute! Looking back, this probably wasn't the best idea, however I am so glad that I was able to have two full weeks of relaxation because it was much needed! 


Before all the excitement begins, I have an absolute tonne of coursework that I really should be doing now...

If you want, you can vote for me here to be January's blogger of the month. Thank you!

I'll be back soon... When I've done my coursework!!

Anna x