The biggest difference between GCSE and A-level is the amount of subjects you do. A-level limits you to three, sometimes four. Choosing the right subjects can be hard and as much as I like to tell you to choose whatever you like, this is not the case.
1. Think ahead
It’s never too early to start thinking about your university course. You should have a vague idea at least. Almost all universities have subject requirements and they are not something to ignore. You might have a passion for French and a love for history but they will not get you into a medicine course. Checking a university website for subject and grade requirements is easier if you have a specific course in mind.
2. Self-reflection
Say, you know what you want to study. Medicine. This is an extreme example, but some universities do look at your GCSE grades and for a course like Medicine or Dentistry they are requiring 5 A’s or more at GCSE level. Even colleges and sixth forms have grade requirements when choosing A-levels. Then again, they vary per college and at this stage you should be able to do the A-levels you want.
But what if a subject that you are not particularly good at is required, like chemistry.
If they let you do the A-level then you can surely do it but you have to work hard and give it 101%. A-levels require 3 hours study per week on top of homework and there is no point choosing a subject if you are not willing to put those hours in. Especially if it is not your strongest subject.
3. I don’t know what to do?
It’s not the end of the world if you still don’t know what you want to do at university. It is also not the only option after your A-levels but it is something that many do. If you are planning to go to university without a course in mind have a look at facilitating subjects. These are subjects that are mostly required by universities and they can open many doors. They are also a good third or fourth subject. Russell Group Universities (these are top universities) define them as:
• Biology
• Chemistry
• English literature
• Geography
• History
• Physics
• Modern and classical languages
• Maths and further maths
4. What does this mean?
You might think, “Where does the word fun fit in all of this?” These are A-levels and they should be taking seriously. Looking at university requirements does not mean that you are only choosing subjects you hate. The A-levels you choose based on what you want to do later are linked. You should never choose something because of family or friends, it is strange to want to study Medicine when you hate biology. It is your A-level and you are the one sitting those exams after two years.
Amandeep & Saiba: T'is the season to...
... Catch up with revision?!?
Everyone loves the idea of Christmas! Delightful smiles, warm hearted mortals and a ravishing atmosphere. Best of all, two splendid weeks off college.
Currently we’re half way into our college year, whether you’re a GCSE student, AS/A2 – you’re half way through your academic year!
Exciting right? You roughly have about five months until your end of year exams. Are you ready for them?!
As much as you want to spend your holidays doing nothing, it’s important to spend some of your time preparing for them exams. By preparing we don’t mean going all out and revising 24/7! We mean doing small things to get you on track for the next 5 months. Here are a few things we recommend for you to try during the holidays to kick start your revision! They’re not big tasks and are hardly time consuming so you can still 'chillax' without the guilty conscious of avoiding your work.
1. Make a revision timetable!
A revision timetable is a very good way to plan your time so that you don’t waste it. It doesn’t have to be overly detailed however if you just planned your time it will get you into a routine of revision so that when it gets closer to exam time, the idea of revising won’t come as a shock to you, it will be natural! As well as this, you’ll actually be revising meaning that you’ll be on top of your revision. It’s a win, win!
2. Catching up on classwork
Everyone has that one off day they miss due to being ill or maybe you just didn’t understand a bit of work one lesson; takes these holidays as an opportunity! An opportunity to catch up and go over notes and class work so that you know it, after all you DO need to know that stuff for your exams!
3. Buy revision guides!
Revision guides are brilliant. The CGP ones in particular, if you don’t already we recommend you going online and buy revision books for your subjects. An alternative can also be to go to the library, Birmingham central library especially; it’s full of revision guides and other revision material.
4. Create a checklist
All subjects have a vast amount of topics to cover. You need to know all of those topics! All the context. How to do it? Create a checklist. The checklist should have a list of the topics to cover so that when you’ve revised the topic you just tick it off and move onto the next one. If your teacher hasn’t given you one then we suggest you make one.
_
In summary, you need to get a move on with your revision! Starting early as possible is the key. Make sure you don’t neglect your studies! However, it is the Christmas break so make sure you do give yourself time to kick back and catch up on your sleep.
Everyone loves the idea of Christmas! Delightful smiles, warm hearted mortals and a ravishing atmosphere. Best of all, two splendid weeks off college.
Currently we’re half way into our college year, whether you’re a GCSE student, AS/A2 – you’re half way through your academic year!
Exciting right? You roughly have about five months until your end of year exams. Are you ready for them?!
As much as you want to spend your holidays doing nothing, it’s important to spend some of your time preparing for them exams. By preparing we don’t mean going all out and revising 24/7! We mean doing small things to get you on track for the next 5 months. Here are a few things we recommend for you to try during the holidays to kick start your revision! They’re not big tasks and are hardly time consuming so you can still 'chillax' without the guilty conscious of avoiding your work.
1. Make a revision timetable!
A revision timetable is a very good way to plan your time so that you don’t waste it. It doesn’t have to be overly detailed however if you just planned your time it will get you into a routine of revision so that when it gets closer to exam time, the idea of revising won’t come as a shock to you, it will be natural! As well as this, you’ll actually be revising meaning that you’ll be on top of your revision. It’s a win, win!
2. Catching up on classwork
Everyone has that one off day they miss due to being ill or maybe you just didn’t understand a bit of work one lesson; takes these holidays as an opportunity! An opportunity to catch up and go over notes and class work so that you know it, after all you DO need to know that stuff for your exams!
3. Buy revision guides!
Revision guides are brilliant. The CGP ones in particular, if you don’t already we recommend you going online and buy revision books for your subjects. An alternative can also be to go to the library, Birmingham central library especially; it’s full of revision guides and other revision material.
4. Create a checklist
All subjects have a vast amount of topics to cover. You need to know all of those topics! All the context. How to do it? Create a checklist. The checklist should have a list of the topics to cover so that when you’ve revised the topic you just tick it off and move onto the next one. If your teacher hasn’t given you one then we suggest you make one.
_
In summary, you need to get a move on with your revision! Starting early as possible is the key. Make sure you don’t neglect your studies! However, it is the Christmas break so make sure you do give yourself time to kick back and catch up on your sleep.
We wish you a very peaceful break a Merry Christmas and a very happy new year! Until next time…
Isobel: December and Digital Arts
Hi everyone,
December seems to have come around incredibly quickly – we’re at the end of our first term already! I have to admit though; this is my favourite time of year, so I’m definitely not complaining!
But, similar to last month, I thought I’d use this blog post to talk about another subject that I am particularly enjoying at the moment: Digital Arts.
Digital Arts is a BTEC course, something I wasn’t all that familiar with when I started college. This means that our course is 100% coursework, which personally I really enjoy. Many people think that BTECs aren’t as worthy as A-Levels or that they don’t require as much work, but it’s like anything – you only get out what you put in. I have the same amount of work for this subject as I do for my others, but it is very different to my other subjects as it is computer-based. I strongly believe that studying a range of subjects that you enjoy makes your time in education a lot more fun and interesting.
With one of my other subjects, Geography, it is exam based; studying from textbooks and doing written work. With Textiles, it is creative and analytical; creating things using a range of methods and analysing my work as I go. With Digital Arts, it is also creative and there are elements of written work, but it is done in a very different way.
We have a digital sketchbook instead of a physical one where we present all of our work. The first project we are doing revolves around creating a logo for a fictional company. We have almost finished this project, but it has been so much fun! I’ve learned a huge amount of new skills, including how to use Photoshop and how to explore and take inspiration from artist’s and designer’s work. I was a little bit apprehensive about starting this course at first as I didn’t take a digital arts subject at GCSE and I had never used Photoshop before. However, the support has been amazing and we’ve had multiple tutorials on how to use the software. This has been a great help, and the majority of my class started out on the same level so we’re all learning these new things and progressing together.
If you enjoy creative subjects and are considering studying some here at Cadbury, then I would highly recommend that you research digital arts as it allows you develop your computer, photography, drawing and creative skills too. I think it is an amazing subject and I am so happy to be on the course.
On that note, I will finish off here, saying a goodbye to you and to 2015. I hope you all have a wonderful holiday and new year, and I will be back in 2016 with a new post!
Bye for now,
Isobel
December seems to have come around incredibly quickly – we’re at the end of our first term already! I have to admit though; this is my favourite time of year, so I’m definitely not complaining!
But, similar to last month, I thought I’d use this blog post to talk about another subject that I am particularly enjoying at the moment: Digital Arts.
Digital Arts is a BTEC course, something I wasn’t all that familiar with when I started college. This means that our course is 100% coursework, which personally I really enjoy. Many people think that BTECs aren’t as worthy as A-Levels or that they don’t require as much work, but it’s like anything – you only get out what you put in. I have the same amount of work for this subject as I do for my others, but it is very different to my other subjects as it is computer-based. I strongly believe that studying a range of subjects that you enjoy makes your time in education a lot more fun and interesting.
With one of my other subjects, Geography, it is exam based; studying from textbooks and doing written work. With Textiles, it is creative and analytical; creating things using a range of methods and analysing my work as I go. With Digital Arts, it is also creative and there are elements of written work, but it is done in a very different way.
We have a digital sketchbook instead of a physical one where we present all of our work. The first project we are doing revolves around creating a logo for a fictional company. We have almost finished this project, but it has been so much fun! I’ve learned a huge amount of new skills, including how to use Photoshop and how to explore and take inspiration from artist’s and designer’s work. I was a little bit apprehensive about starting this course at first as I didn’t take a digital arts subject at GCSE and I had never used Photoshop before. However, the support has been amazing and we’ve had multiple tutorials on how to use the software. This has been a great help, and the majority of my class started out on the same level so we’re all learning these new things and progressing together.
If you enjoy creative subjects and are considering studying some here at Cadbury, then I would highly recommend that you research digital arts as it allows you develop your computer, photography, drawing and creative skills too. I think it is an amazing subject and I am so happy to be on the course.
On that note, I will finish off here, saying a goodbye to you and to 2015. I hope you all have a wonderful holiday and new year, and I will be back in 2016 with a new post!
Bye for now,
Isobel
Kamal: Revision Tips
Hello everyone, again. It’s my fourth blog already - Can you believe it? Merry Christmas to you all.
With the first term nearly over, you would think that you have plenty time left until the summer where the majority of us will be sitting our exams. You would be right, but also wrong. I’m here at my first year at Cadbury but last year with GCSE’s to be honest I thought the same thing. It ended up alright nevertheless I could have done so much better only from deciding to work sooner and harder.
The point I am trying to get across is simply that the upcoming holiday is your chance to really start revising, in which I have a couple tips here that some you may know of and maybe a few new ones:
Thank you for reading and good luck.
With the first term nearly over, you would think that you have plenty time left until the summer where the majority of us will be sitting our exams. You would be right, but also wrong. I’m here at my first year at Cadbury but last year with GCSE’s to be honest I thought the same thing. It ended up alright nevertheless I could have done so much better only from deciding to work sooner and harder.
The point I am trying to get across is simply that the upcoming holiday is your chance to really start revising, in which I have a couple tips here that some you may know of and maybe a few new ones:
- Create a checklist and/or schedule so you know when to revise and what for
- Find a time slot everyday (mine would be 8-11) this will help get into a flow of revising
- Find something to listen to, not any music, anything without lyrics but instrumentals of good songs would do but I prefer simplistic classics or just a piano playing softly
- Personally I listen to this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CcsUYu0PVxY
- Remove all DISTRACTIONS, trust me on this one, your phone playing the notification sound is almost an automatic response with your hand leaning over to get it
- This point needs to be covered twice - Turn off your Phone
- Figure out which way you learn things the fastest whether it’s listening or repletion find it and stick to
- Work independently get used to working by yourself the habit is good to get into instead of relying on a teacher or a buddy
- Don’t sit in your room all day or don’t revise 8 hours a day, that’s unhealthy
- Work in 25 to 45 minute chunks, it’s proven to be most effective and also so you don’t fall asleep
- Finally reward yourself after and not before perhaps with a snack or to check your Phone
Thank you for reading and good luck.
Jasmine: 2016 Academic New Year’s Resolutions!
I wanted to do another quick blog update wishing everyone Merry Christmas, and if you don’t celebrate Christmas, happy holidays and I hope you enjoy your well-deserved break!!!
I’m literally going to be spending the first week sitting in my house, binge-watching TV shows I have missed out on and staring at Youtube videos until the early hours of the morning (Thatcherjoe and Caspar Lee - I am looking at you both).
To be fair, the second week will be more revision based, but not as heavy as it has been the last few months, because it’s Christmas! I love Christmas time!
Does anyone have any New Year’s Resolutions? My ones are mainly based on academia (Geek alert is blaring loudly here).
My first one is just to keep up with my revision timetable, to make sure I don’t freak myself out around exam times and make sure everything goes smooth and well. It’s easy revision though, nothing too stressful.
My second one is to achieve my dream grades to make sure I get into the University I want to get into. (These resolutions are SO BORING; I can totally see that, I’m sorry). It kind of links into the first resolution really, by me just making sure I am prepared for exams well in advance and making sure my revision is done early, and thoroughly.
And then my third one is not academic at all, but it’s to start my own Youtube channel (Gasp, I know! I’m terrified!).
What a random blog post.
See ya!
To be fair, the second week will be more revision based, but not as heavy as it has been the last few months, because it’s Christmas! I love Christmas time!
Does anyone have any New Year’s Resolutions? My ones are mainly based on academia (Geek alert is blaring loudly here).
My first one is just to keep up with my revision timetable, to make sure I don’t freak myself out around exam times and make sure everything goes smooth and well. It’s easy revision though, nothing too stressful.
My second one is to achieve my dream grades to make sure I get into the University I want to get into. (These resolutions are SO BORING; I can totally see that, I’m sorry). It kind of links into the first resolution really, by me just making sure I am prepared for exams well in advance and making sure my revision is done early, and thoroughly.
And then my third one is not academic at all, but it’s to start my own Youtube channel (Gasp, I know! I’m terrified!).
What a random blog post.
See ya!
Jasmine: The GCSE Re-sit Programme low-down
Hello!
This blog is another important blog entry about information people may be wondering about: What if my GCSE grades don't allow me onto A-level courses? I feel like this blog post can be aimed at both people who are genuinely wondering about the re-sit programme or students that are currently on the re-sit programme.
When I was 16, I actually thought it was game over. I didn't get the GCSE grades I needed to get onto A-levels at first, and not to sound like a weirdo, but Cadbury kind of did save the day. On enrolment (the interview you have with a member of staff here at college who puts you on the courses you want), I was advised to go onto the GCSE re-sit programme, as I was only one GCSE grade down from the usual requirements, and had to re-do my science GCSEs as well.
At the time I felt sad, and in all honesty, slightly annoyed with myself. I didn't want to be on this programme, I wanted to go onto A-levels and stay with my year group. Going into the GCSE programme, I was going to be older than everyone else when I eventually did move onto A-levels, and already being one of the oldest kids in my year (since I was born at the beginning of September), I didn't like that idea WHATSOEVER!
But, from day one, I realised this was the right choice. Going onto the GCSE re-sit programme showed that maybe I wasn't ready for the A-level courses just yet, and I just needed another year to nurture into someone who was.
I did Sociology, Geography and Double Science on the programme. Frankly, the only reason I'm here writing on this blog as a second year student is because my teachers managed to get me through that! Doing the GCSE re-sit programme made me realise how much I enjoyed Sociology as a subject as well, having never done it before. A two year course being studied in one year, I found it so interesting that I ended up getting an A grade at the end (All thanks to my teacher on that one!). My GCSE sociology teacher even ended up as my A2 sociology teacher, which leads me onto another advantage of doing the re-sit programme: I knew my way around college. I knew staff members and it wasn't as scary as being a brand new A-level student with other people who didn't know their way around. I became one of those students who, at first, unofficially helped people around at the start of my AS year, and then officially became a student representative to help out on open days and parents evenings (I’m planning to do a whole other blog post about that, so I’ll just keep it short and sweet here!).
The GCSE re-sit programme isn’t easy, though, whatever people may think. Commitment is needed to the highest level and you have to be totally determined to do your best. This is your second chance, make the most of it!
All in all, don’t be ashamed of the GCSE re-sit programme. It’s there to help and support people who maybe did not get the support they needed during their actual GCSE year. It’s going to be a period of your life that you’ll look back at and will feel proud about (at least that’s how I feel when I look back at it). I’m a different person now than who I was back then, maybe more of a grown up I'd say!
Taha: University: Is it worth it?
Many of you reading this will be facing a big decision is your life in regards to your career. In amidst of all that is one very important question that has many benefits and arguably some disadvantages. That question is do you want to continue your studies by going to university? The truth is you do not have to go to university. Some people just do not like the idea of continuing education and would rather be working or have an apprenticeship. Others would have decided they would like to take a gap year either to travel or to figure out the important decisions in regards to career and life in general. So in order to help you with your decision I decided to sate three of the main dilemmas you may face with going to university and advise you on how to conquer them.
Yes the maximum fee for university is £9,000 but student loans and bursaries can help you to cope with this:
Student Loans
When many people hear 'student loans' they become scared of a life time of debt. They do not want to be in a debt at such a young stage of their lives. However, don't forget that you only start to repay the loan when you earn £21,000 a year, and after 30 years, the loan is wiped off!
Bursaries
A bursary is a special grant that is given to students whose family/household income is less than £25,000. Here are some key bursary facts:
I respect the decision if you want to work but if you are stuck on whether you should enter the working world or stay in education here are my suggestions:
Apprenticeships
An apprenticeship is when you learn the important details about your job while working. It basically focuses on experience and preparation for work rather than just learning. A key website that is very beneficial for finding out about apprenticeships is http://www.notgoingtouni.co.uk/ which I suggest you visit if you want to work rather than stay in education.
Part time university course
A part time university course is basically when you spend some part of your week studying at University, leaving the rest of the week for you to work and earn some money and experience. Courses do generally take longer to complete this way. Its is marketed by universities as a great way to balance your life and can develop time management skills.
Here are some key facts which Birmingham City University state about their part time courses:
http://www.bcu.ac.uk/student-info/types-of-study/part-time
Placement Year
While a traditional university course is likely to be three years long a placement year course is in fact four years. The extra year is in the middle of the course and is a work experience/placement year in which the student is paid for their work.
Aston University state:
“75% of Aston students take on graduate level job while studying, making them better prepared for industry and the professions.”
I am actually applying to an Aston University placement year course myself as I believe the work experience element of the course will help support my future (like it has done to my cousin) this is because it is very likely the work experience provider will take you on for a fully paid job after university and if not you will have the advantage of work experience and will be more desirable to recruiters in comparison to graduates who have little or none.
Why not consider these options:
Foundation year
A foundation year is basically when you take an extra year before your course which is the equivalent to your A levels. Basically this extra year prepares you for the university course assessing your knowledge on the course. It takes dedication and hard work to get on the actual course via the foundation year. A lot of universities offer foundation years including Wolverhampton University who states “FDs combine the teaching of an undergraduate degree with practical, work-based learning, and show you how theory applies to the realities of business. That means what you study is always relevant to your day-to-day operations.”
A2B scheme
The access to Birmingham University scheme is a way of helping local low income families from areas with less access to higher education get into to The University of Birmingham by lowering the grade boundaries dependent on the applicant (I can assure you though that a typical offer may be AAB or BBB etc.)
The University of Birmingham state “The Access to Birmingham (A2B) scheme is designed to help students from families and communities in the West Midlands who have little or no experience of Higher Education find out about what studying at university involves. ”
In conclusion I recommend that you at least think about these options and hopefully you will find the path way for you.
- Dilemma 1
- “University is too expensive - I do not want to have a life time of debt.”
Yes the maximum fee for university is £9,000 but student loans and bursaries can help you to cope with this:
Student Loans
When many people hear 'student loans' they become scared of a life time of debt. They do not want to be in a debt at such a young stage of their lives. However, don't forget that you only start to repay the loan when you earn £21,000 a year, and after 30 years, the loan is wiped off!
Bursaries
A bursary is a special grant that is given to students whose family/household income is less than £25,000. Here are some key bursary facts:
- Bursaries are free
- Bursaries given to the entitled student each year
- Some universities pay much more than others. Sometimes £3,000 a year
- Bursaries don’t affect eligibility for state support such as maintenance grants and loans for tuition fees and living costs
- Eligible students are entitled to receive bursaries as well as any scholarships they are offered
- Dilemma 2
- “I want to start working straight away”
I respect the decision if you want to work but if you are stuck on whether you should enter the working world or stay in education here are my suggestions:
Apprenticeships
An apprenticeship is when you learn the important details about your job while working. It basically focuses on experience and preparation for work rather than just learning. A key website that is very beneficial for finding out about apprenticeships is http://www.notgoingtouni.co.uk/ which I suggest you visit if you want to work rather than stay in education.
Part time university course
A part time university course is basically when you spend some part of your week studying at University, leaving the rest of the week for you to work and earn some money and experience. Courses do generally take longer to complete this way. Its is marketed by universities as a great way to balance your life and can develop time management skills.
Here are some key facts which Birmingham City University state about their part time courses:
- same course and qualification as full-time study
- work while you study
- balance your studies with other commitments
- employers may contribute to your tuition fees
- same great levels of student support and facilities
- study can fit in around family and work commitments
- potential to progress in your career
- large group of like-minded people
http://www.bcu.ac.uk/student-info/types-of-study/part-time
Placement Year
While a traditional university course is likely to be three years long a placement year course is in fact four years. The extra year is in the middle of the course and is a work experience/placement year in which the student is paid for their work.
Aston University state:
“75% of Aston students take on graduate level job while studying, making them better prepared for industry and the professions.”
I am actually applying to an Aston University placement year course myself as I believe the work experience element of the course will help support my future (like it has done to my cousin) this is because it is very likely the work experience provider will take you on for a fully paid job after university and if not you will have the advantage of work experience and will be more desirable to recruiters in comparison to graduates who have little or none.
- Dilemma 3
- “I do not think I have the grades for the course I want.”
Why not consider these options:
Foundation year
A foundation year is basically when you take an extra year before your course which is the equivalent to your A levels. Basically this extra year prepares you for the university course assessing your knowledge on the course. It takes dedication and hard work to get on the actual course via the foundation year. A lot of universities offer foundation years including Wolverhampton University who states “FDs combine the teaching of an undergraduate degree with practical, work-based learning, and show you how theory applies to the realities of business. That means what you study is always relevant to your day-to-day operations.”
A2B scheme
The access to Birmingham University scheme is a way of helping local low income families from areas with less access to higher education get into to The University of Birmingham by lowering the grade boundaries dependent on the applicant (I can assure you though that a typical offer may be AAB or BBB etc.)
The University of Birmingham state “The Access to Birmingham (A2B) scheme is designed to help students from families and communities in the West Midlands who have little or no experience of Higher Education find out about what studying at university involves. ”
In conclusion I recommend that you at least think about these options and hopefully you will find the path way for you.
Kamal: The Skills Show
This blog is dedicated to The Skills Show which took place from 19-21 November in the NEC located by the Birmingham Airport.
The NEC hosts UK’s largest events from releasing new products to hosting events such as the Comic-Con. Whatever big event happens, it happens here at The NEC Birmingham.
People from around the UK and other countries come to explore and find out new things; I was lucky enough to go to both the Skills Show and the Comic-Con events on the same weekend.
In my previous blog I used a quote on opportunity and when using quotes you should be able to use them in the real world and simply not just know them.
The Skills Show is an event to help young people find something like their career path to a small part-time job - mostly focusing on apprenticeships and traineeships.
However both the Comic-Con and the Skills Show will not be held in NEC for another year at least.
Life is about figuring out what you enjoy and/or are good at. “You can’t score without a goal”.
I hope you like the photos I took on the day and I hope I never write a blog shorter than this one, ever.
Thanks for reading! :-)
The NEC hosts UK’s largest events from releasing new products to hosting events such as the Comic-Con. Whatever big event happens, it happens here at The NEC Birmingham.
People from around the UK and other countries come to explore and find out new things; I was lucky enough to go to both the Skills Show and the Comic-Con events on the same weekend.
In my previous blog I used a quote on opportunity and when using quotes you should be able to use them in the real world and simply not just know them.
The Skills Show is an event to help young people find something like their career path to a small part-time job - mostly focusing on apprenticeships and traineeships.
However both the Comic-Con and the Skills Show will not be held in NEC for another year at least.
Life is about figuring out what you enjoy and/or are good at. “You can’t score without a goal”.
I hope you like the photos I took on the day and I hope I never write a blog shorter than this one, ever.
Thanks for reading! :-)
Maisie: The Stats of Future Students
Hi all,
As you may be aware, the college held an Open Day on Saturday 17th October, to which many young people attended hoping to get a taster of college life at Cadbury.
During the day, I supported the college and represented the student body by acting as a "journalist" for the day, making the most of my student blogger role. I interviewed 30 randomly selected visitors to find out what it is about Cadbury that students are most interested in, and what we are doing, and can do, to spread the word and promote our college.
Below are my results.
The above clearly indicates that our connections with schools across Birmingham play a huge part in attracting year elevens, and our positive reputation means young people help promote us within their social groups.
From the results, it is clear that our number of courses and range of choice is recognised across Birmingham. I myself first visited Cadbury because it offers Further Mathematics. However, the majority of visitors attended the Open Day to browse, and compare it to other colleges they may have visited. This is why our Open Day is so important. The day gave us a chance to show off our assets to the public, and present ourselves in a positive light to the young people thinking about applying to the college.
I attempted to speak to possible applicants around the college on Open Day, in order to speak to a range of people with different interests for a fair test, however my results still seem slightly bias.
Regardless, Cadbury attracts many students who aim for a more academic set of qualifications due to our reputation with sciences, as the results above clearly indicate. Nearly all students who were interested in Maths also wanted to study a Science. Those who wanted a more creative set of results chose either Psychology or Sociology along with artistic courses.
It is important for us to take note of the volume of young people interested in our courses, so we are able to continue facilitating and supporting our students with their decisions.
I asked our visitors how interested they were in applying to Cadbury College, and 50% said they were extremely interested, and loved the college so far! Of the 30 people I spoke to, only one said they were not interested in applying to the college, and that was only because said visitor had their heart set on a place closer to home.
Looking at the above, and the overall results of the interviews, I would say we had a very positive Open Day, with a huge number of visitors and possible applicants taking a shine to the college.
I would like to thank all of the visitors that took part in my little experiment, and I hope to see you again in September!
Regards,
MT
As you may be aware, the college held an Open Day on Saturday 17th October, to which many young people attended hoping to get a taster of college life at Cadbury.
During the day, I supported the college and represented the student body by acting as a "journalist" for the day, making the most of my student blogger role. I interviewed 30 randomly selected visitors to find out what it is about Cadbury that students are most interested in, and what we are doing, and can do, to spread the word and promote our college.
Below are my results.
From the results, it is clear that our number of courses and range of choice is recognised across Birmingham. I myself first visited Cadbury because it offers Further Mathematics. However, the majority of visitors attended the Open Day to browse, and compare it to other colleges they may have visited. This is why our Open Day is so important. The day gave us a chance to show off our assets to the public, and present ourselves in a positive light to the young people thinking about applying to the college.
I attempted to speak to possible applicants around the college on Open Day, in order to speak to a range of people with different interests for a fair test, however my results still seem slightly bias.
Regardless, Cadbury attracts many students who aim for a more academic set of qualifications due to our reputation with sciences, as the results above clearly indicate. Nearly all students who were interested in Maths also wanted to study a Science. Those who wanted a more creative set of results chose either Psychology or Sociology along with artistic courses.
It is important for us to take note of the volume of young people interested in our courses, so we are able to continue facilitating and supporting our students with their decisions.
I asked our visitors how interested they were in applying to Cadbury College, and 50% said they were extremely interested, and loved the college so far! Of the 30 people I spoke to, only one said they were not interested in applying to the college, and that was only because said visitor had their heart set on a place closer to home.
Looking at the above, and the overall results of the interviews, I would say we had a very positive Open Day, with a huge number of visitors and possible applicants taking a shine to the college.
I would like to thank all of the visitors that took part in my little experiment, and I hope to see you again in September!
Regards,
MT
Maisie: How to handle "Assessment Hell"
Hi all,
Current Cadbury students will be fully aware that the week before our blissful break was the dreaded assessment week. During assessment week, we are, you guessed it, assessed in all of our subjects to ensure that we are able to succeed in our chosen courses.
Some will be ecstatic with their results, and I congratulate those who achieved their targets. Among us, though, will be those who are disappointed with their results.
I will admit, I have been incredibly disappointed in myself due to underachieving in the past, but the trick is bouncing back. I have witnessed fellow students cave in on themselves after disappointment, and they began to form negative patterns which only ended in more disappointment.
My advice is to use that unpleasant feeling, and transform it into motivation. When it comes to challenges, I live by the four P’s.
It is all in the preparation. We are past the stage where we can say “it’s fine, I’ll just blag it,” and manage to scrape a B. The time has come for some serious study schedules.
Those who plan on going to university may need to think about the effect poor preparation WILL have on their future. If you have big dreams, which have qualification requirements, you have two choices. You can either settle for another career, or get your act together and fight for what you ultimately want. It’s a hard long fight, but it’s possible.
Current Cadbury students will be fully aware that the week before our blissful break was the dreaded assessment week. During assessment week, we are, you guessed it, assessed in all of our subjects to ensure that we are able to succeed in our chosen courses.
Some will be ecstatic with their results, and I congratulate those who achieved their targets. Among us, though, will be those who are disappointed with their results.
I will admit, I have been incredibly disappointed in myself due to underachieving in the past, but the trick is bouncing back. I have witnessed fellow students cave in on themselves after disappointment, and they began to form negative patterns which only ended in more disappointment.
My advice is to use that unpleasant feeling, and transform it into motivation. When it comes to challenges, I live by the four P’s.
Preparation Prevents Poor Performance
It is all in the preparation. We are past the stage where we can say “it’s fine, I’ll just blag it,” and manage to scrape a B. The time has come for some serious study schedules.
Those who plan on going to university may need to think about the effect poor preparation WILL have on their future. If you have big dreams, which have qualification requirements, you have two choices. You can either settle for another career, or get your act together and fight for what you ultimately want. It’s a hard long fight, but it’s possible.
Alya: 5 apps to help you study
Many people will tell you to bury your phone in a soundproof box 6 feet underground when studying, but your phone can actually be quite helpful. It fully depends on how you are using it. Here are some ways I use my phone to get the most of my revision.
The Pomodoro technique is great and if you’re not using it already I would recommend you to do so. It is a time management technique developed by Franceso Cirillo. Pomodoro means tomato in Italian and references the tomato shaped timer he used when studying as an uni student. The idea is simple, but it can improve your study habits immensely.
Time management is one of the key things for better grades. TimeTune allows you to plan your day and to schedule in anything, including study sessions. It has a clear simple interface and it notifies you when you need to do something. It also has a statistics section that shows you how you have spent your day.
Everyone loves an old fashioned dictionary, right? But a digital version can be a little bit quicker sometimes. This app in particular is great because it has both an offline thesaurus and dictionary for English.
This app is also a timer. It works with 30 minutes intervals and the moment you start the timer you are given a tree. If you try to leave the app, i.e. the moment you are distracted by your phone it gives you a warning that says, “This will kill your little, cute tree”. Believe me, the tree is cute and if you have any morals you don’t want to kill it. After 30 minutes you get golden coins in the app. You can use these to buy bigger, blossoming trees. The more you use it, the prettier your forest gets.
It is free in the Android play store, but 79p in the Apple App store.
Happy studying!
- Pomodoro
The Pomodoro technique is great and if you’re not using it already I would recommend you to do so. It is a time management technique developed by Franceso Cirillo. Pomodoro means tomato in Italian and references the tomato shaped timer he used when studying as an uni student. The idea is simple, but it can improve your study habits immensely.
First, break a big task into small task and write them down. Do the first task and time yourself for 25 minutes. After 25 minutes, you take a 5 minute break and then do the second task, and so on. After four Pomodoro’s you take a 15 minute break. Working in short intense sessions while taking short breaks improves your concentration and the way your brain retains and processes information. For both Android and the Apple Store, simply search for "Pomodoro".
I use ClearFocus on Android. Its simple design and its ringing tune that is not annoying makes it my favourite app. Also, it blocks your WiFi during the 25 minutes and when the 5 minute breaks comes up it shows a green screen that ticks 5 minutes; enough to grab yourself a snack or make yourself some tea!
This app proves that I’m not the only one who finds the sound of rain strangely calming. I use it whenever I’m studying in a crowded place such as the library. Having rain as a background noise helps me to improve my concentration because music with lyrics can be distracting.I use ClearFocus on Android. Its simple design and its ringing tune that is not annoying makes it my favourite app. Also, it blocks your WiFi during the 25 minutes and when the 5 minute breaks comes up it shows a green screen that ticks 5 minutes; enough to grab yourself a snack or make yourself some tea!
- Rain Sounds (Android)
- Rain Sounds HQ (App Store)
- TimeTune Schedule Planner (Android)
Time management is one of the key things for better grades. TimeTune allows you to plan your day and to schedule in anything, including study sessions. It has a clear simple interface and it notifies you when you need to do something. It also has a statistics section that shows you how you have spent your day.
- Free dictionary (Android)
Everyone loves an old fashioned dictionary, right? But a digital version can be a little bit quicker sometimes. This app in particular is great because it has both an offline thesaurus and dictionary for English.
- Forest: Stay Focused (Android/App Store)
This app is also a timer. It works with 30 minutes intervals and the moment you start the timer you are given a tree. If you try to leave the app, i.e. the moment you are distracted by your phone it gives you a warning that says, “This will kill your little, cute tree”. Believe me, the tree is cute and if you have any morals you don’t want to kill it. After 30 minutes you get golden coins in the app. You can use these to buy bigger, blossoming trees. The more you use it, the prettier your forest gets.
It is free in the Android play store, but 79p in the Apple App store.
Happy studying!
Amandeep & Saiba: UCAS Advice!
As the UCAS deadline is fast approaching, we thought for this month's blog, we'd share our overall top tips on dealing with it all.
1) Research!
Most uni courses are for a couple of years so you're going to be doing the course for quite a while. Make sure you've researched your course to see if it's suited to you and if it's something you're capable of completing. Don't just go for a course because of its social status or because your friends are picking it - make sure it suits you!
2) Referee connection
Make sure your referee is on your side! Make sure you have had some sort of discussion with your referee and that they have a good idea of who you are as a person! That way they have loads to write about you.
3) WoWinG PS
Your personal statement needs to WOOOOOW the uni! Really go for it and express yourself, make yourself sound exciting! There's loads of advice on the UCAS website on how to write the perfect statement.
4) Be sure to check out the course you wish to apply to online or through an up to date prospectus, for the reason being, old prospectuses may give you the wrong UCAS code/information, or the university may not offer that course any more! So be sure to check out an up to date prospectus!
5) Visit university open days, as they are very useful because you get an overall feel of the campus, and you'll also have a chance to speak to the lecturers personally and have a much clearer approach in regards to what course you'll like to pursue at university.
We hope our advice has helped you in some shape or form!
Until next time... :)
1) Research!
Most uni courses are for a couple of years so you're going to be doing the course for quite a while. Make sure you've researched your course to see if it's suited to you and if it's something you're capable of completing. Don't just go for a course because of its social status or because your friends are picking it - make sure it suits you!
2) Referee connection
Make sure your referee is on your side! Make sure you have had some sort of discussion with your referee and that they have a good idea of who you are as a person! That way they have loads to write about you.
3) WoWinG PS
Your personal statement needs to WOOOOOW the uni! Really go for it and express yourself, make yourself sound exciting! There's loads of advice on the UCAS website on how to write the perfect statement.
4) Be sure to check out the course you wish to apply to online or through an up to date prospectus, for the reason being, old prospectuses may give you the wrong UCAS code/information, or the university may not offer that course any more! So be sure to check out an up to date prospectus!
5) Visit university open days, as they are very useful because you get an overall feel of the campus, and you'll also have a chance to speak to the lecturers personally and have a much clearer approach in regards to what course you'll like to pursue at university.
We hope our advice has helped you in some shape or form!
Until next time... :)
Kamal: Blog No.2
Time draws near for a second blog to be published. Enjoy the last one?
Last time, I discussed my college experiences with a quick overview on the transition from school to Cadbury Sixth Form College.
Everyone should be settled in by now and realised whose friends groups they fit into and so on.
We finished our first half term with mini-mocks, so we could practice our exam technique and prepare ourselves for the summer term!
There is a detailed insight on our report. Perhaps that C in English and B in Maths suggests you can “work harder/revise more” in English and so forth.
What’s happening in Cadbury?
Coming in early December is the Cadbury talent performance held in the Bob Michell theatre and tickets are only £2 each. Something to check out. I am attending and will be reviewing it next month I hope. As long as you pay attention to your emails you should be updated with what’s happening when - like an online notice board. From small notices speaking about lunch menus to trips such as Thorpe Park and Spain.
Last month the Open Day at Cadbury was a success and should have shown some students what Cadbury life is like. More details are on the Cadbury Twitter page. Try to participate in anything you get the chance to!
'Seize the moment because some opportunities don’t come twice’
I took a couple of still shots to represent College life; the first being a bus, which shows how most of us get to college, the second being the closest McDonalds to illustrate work. Perhaps looking for work now is a good idea? Some extra spending money is always nice and you could even save up for something your heart desires.
P.S. Thanks for reading the monthly blog, and if you ever need to speak to me, feel free to do so.
Last time, I discussed my college experiences with a quick overview on the transition from school to Cadbury Sixth Form College.
Everyone should be settled in by now and realised whose friends groups they fit into and so on.
We finished our first half term with mini-mocks, so we could practice our exam technique and prepare ourselves for the summer term!
There is a detailed insight on our report. Perhaps that C in English and B in Maths suggests you can “work harder/revise more” in English and so forth.
What’s happening in Cadbury?
Coming in early December is the Cadbury talent performance held in the Bob Michell theatre and tickets are only £2 each. Something to check out. I am attending and will be reviewing it next month I hope. As long as you pay attention to your emails you should be updated with what’s happening when - like an online notice board. From small notices speaking about lunch menus to trips such as Thorpe Park and Spain.
Last month the Open Day at Cadbury was a success and should have shown some students what Cadbury life is like. More details are on the Cadbury Twitter page. Try to participate in anything you get the chance to!
'Seize the moment because some opportunities don’t come twice’
I took a couple of still shots to represent College life; the first being a bus, which shows how most of us get to college, the second being the closest McDonalds to illustrate work. Perhaps looking for work now is a good idea? Some extra spending money is always nice and you could even save up for something your heart desires.
P.S. Thanks for reading the monthly blog, and if you ever need to speak to me, feel free to do so.
Isobel: Exploring Textiles
Hi everyone,
November is upon us already! Last month I wrote about starting college and dealing with the switch into a brand new environment. But now, after spending many more hours here at Cadbury, I want to tell you all about a subject that I am really enjoying at the moment; Textiles.
I want to talk about textiles in particular because, for those who are interested in the subject, knowing a little bit about the opportunities and facilities on the course may be helpful. There’s so much that I love about the course, so I hope you consider choosing it as an option if you study at Cadbury and you have a passion for creative subjects.
I didn’t take textiles at GCSE because I felt as though the course was too structured and limiting and wouldn’t enable me to develop my own creativity. The most important thing about a creative course is being able to experiment, make mistakes, follow your instincts and have freedom of expression with your work. With A-Level, that’s what you get. Yes, you’re given guidance and the teaching is excellent, but it is important to have your own individuality and personal chance to explore textiles and design.
You start the course with an empty sketchbook, every page plain and bland. But even over first few weeks and months, these pages soon become plastered in photographs, annotations, sketches, textiles samples and so much more. We were given the theme Savaged Beauty: Beauty and Decay for our work. It is now our role to interpret this how we wish, create samples inspired by our ideas and we will eventually create a final piece. The final piece can be almost anything you wish, whether it be a fashion garment, a home furnishing, an installation, a display board, and that’s just to name a few.
At the moment we are practicing a range of techniques such as batik, embroidery, screen printing and pleating. We are taught the basics of each technique then it is our role to expand on these with our own creativity, making our knowledge even greater through the use of experimenting by ourselves. My favourite technique so far has definitely been screen printing. The facilities at college are fantastic. We have access to professional silk screens, proper screen printing tables, a screen-washing room and a huge array of coloured dyes to print with. I'm incredibly happy with the results of my screen prints. Here’s a photo of my favourite sample:
I’m enjoying my textiles course so much that I have been researching undergraduate degrees at university for textiles and interior design courses. I visited a textiles talk at Birmingham City University a few weekends ago, and it was so exciting to see all of the equipment and facilities they have on offer there. The work produced by their students is outstanding and very inspiring for my own work. I learned that the creative field is incredibly competitive, with loads of people working to be the best. That’s why it’s so important to put all of your efforts into your work now so you can reach those top grades in your subjects, then you will be well on your way to being the best in whatever you want to do, whether it be creative or not.
Here's a photograph of some of the work on display at Birmingham City University:
If you need any guidance with choosing the right courses for you at Cadbury, then visit us at one of our open days, or contact a member of staff who will be happy to help.
Thank you for reading my second blog post, I’ll see you next month!
Who can believe the year is nearly over?!
Bye for now,
Isobel
November is upon us already! Last month I wrote about starting college and dealing with the switch into a brand new environment. But now, after spending many more hours here at Cadbury, I want to tell you all about a subject that I am really enjoying at the moment; Textiles.
I want to talk about textiles in particular because, for those who are interested in the subject, knowing a little bit about the opportunities and facilities on the course may be helpful. There’s so much that I love about the course, so I hope you consider choosing it as an option if you study at Cadbury and you have a passion for creative subjects.
I didn’t take textiles at GCSE because I felt as though the course was too structured and limiting and wouldn’t enable me to develop my own creativity. The most important thing about a creative course is being able to experiment, make mistakes, follow your instincts and have freedom of expression with your work. With A-Level, that’s what you get. Yes, you’re given guidance and the teaching is excellent, but it is important to have your own individuality and personal chance to explore textiles and design.
You start the course with an empty sketchbook, every page plain and bland. But even over first few weeks and months, these pages soon become plastered in photographs, annotations, sketches, textiles samples and so much more. We were given the theme Savaged Beauty: Beauty and Decay for our work. It is now our role to interpret this how we wish, create samples inspired by our ideas and we will eventually create a final piece. The final piece can be almost anything you wish, whether it be a fashion garment, a home furnishing, an installation, a display board, and that’s just to name a few.
At the moment we are practicing a range of techniques such as batik, embroidery, screen printing and pleating. We are taught the basics of each technique then it is our role to expand on these with our own creativity, making our knowledge even greater through the use of experimenting by ourselves. My favourite technique so far has definitely been screen printing. The facilities at college are fantastic. We have access to professional silk screens, proper screen printing tables, a screen-washing room and a huge array of coloured dyes to print with. I'm incredibly happy with the results of my screen prints. Here’s a photo of my favourite sample:
I’m enjoying my textiles course so much that I have been researching undergraduate degrees at university for textiles and interior design courses. I visited a textiles talk at Birmingham City University a few weekends ago, and it was so exciting to see all of the equipment and facilities they have on offer there. The work produced by their students is outstanding and very inspiring for my own work. I learned that the creative field is incredibly competitive, with loads of people working to be the best. That’s why it’s so important to put all of your efforts into your work now so you can reach those top grades in your subjects, then you will be well on your way to being the best in whatever you want to do, whether it be creative or not.
Here's a photograph of some of the work on display at Birmingham City University:
If you need any guidance with choosing the right courses for you at Cadbury, then visit us at one of our open days, or contact a member of staff who will be happy to help.
Thank you for reading my second blog post, I’ll see you next month!
Who can believe the year is nearly over?!
Bye for now,
Isobel
Dorottya: How to manage exam stress
I think we all know the feeling when we’re a bit more stressed than usual because an assessment or an exam is coming up. Now, a little bit of stress isn't harmful; it can motivate you to work harder. However when you get to the point that it distracts you and messes up your daily routine, you need to tackle the problem.
Here are 7 ways you can reduce exam stress:
These are the few little things you can do to avoid too much stressing before exams and most of these things benefit your brain in multiple different ways.
Other than that, researchers concluded that the most common reasons for exam stress are:
If you watch out for these things and do everything to reduce your stress levels, you should be fine for your exam!
Good luck!
Here are 7 ways you can reduce exam stress:
- Listen to the old classics… I mean really old classics
- Listening to classical music makes you more productive by elevating your mood and encouraging you to study more and the more you study the more you know and the more you know the less you stress
- Pop those Bubbles
- I don’t think I have to explain how satisfying it is to pop the bubbles on the bubble wrap. It just feels good and relieves stress as you concentrate on popping instead of stressing.
- Go to bed… and get some SLEEP!
- Sleeping isn't only great because we all love it, but it helps your brain to save the new knowledge into the long-term memory so that you’ll remember what you learned on the day of the exam.
- Chocolate, DARK Chocolate
- Good news chocolate lovers, eating dark chocolate which is over 70% cocoa helps your brain to fight stress hormones and has an overall relaxing effect on your body which means it reduces stress.
- Don’t let any distraction distract you
- When you need to study, make sure you’re not wasting your precious time on social media or on funny cat videos. Concentration is essential for efficient work which is important if you don’t want to be stressing on whether you studied efficiently enough or not.
These are the few little things you can do to avoid too much stressing before exams and most of these things benefit your brain in multiple different ways.
Other than that, researchers concluded that the most common reasons for exam stress are:
- Low motivation levels
- Lack of preparation and planning
- High expectations from others
If you watch out for these things and do everything to reduce your stress levels, you should be fine for your exam!
Good luck!
Dorottya: Making a start at Cadbury College
This year, hundreds of new students joined Cadbury College. Getting into an entirely different environment can be difficult sometimes, however fitting into Cadbury isn't hard. Besides having a great variety of subjects to choose from, the college also has awesome societies that we can join and meet people who have similar interests to us. There are a lot of people with different styles, personalities and backgrounds, which makes it easy for everyone to fit in and make friends. The new students at Cadbury didn't only do well in fitting in, but they also made a great start academically. Most students are able to keep up with their work and get fairly good grades on their assessments right at the start of the year. This is probably partly because of the very supportive teachers we have at Cadbury who are ready to help us out whenever we need it. It doesn't only help our grades, but it also makes the college a friendly environment as well. We also have plenty of opportunities to express ourselves in the college outside of the lessons. There are societies such as; The Law Society, The Chess Society, The LGBT Society, The Anime Society, The Glee Club and of course, there are lot of sporting facilities as well. However, if you haven’t found a society that you would like to join, you can create your own! There are lot of great opportunities at Cadbury College and students tend to seize them, which means I can honestly say that we made a great start this year at Cadbury both academically and socially.
Jasmine: 5 Tips for success during A-levels
Hello again!
I thought I would do a quick little update on the old 'blogosphere'. I got inspired for this particular blog post whilst sitting in the LRC (The Learning Resource Centre, as it is officially known as, but it's just "The Library" to you and me!)
However! It isn't "just" a library, it's a LIBRARY. Its set up to imitate one you would find at University, just on a smaller scale. (I know this because I volunteered as a student guide during my first year). Cadbury College is making a Uni student out of us all from the get go! It's arranged with the Dewey decimal system, something that all Universities do. It may sound all complicated, but don't worry, once you get used to it, it's a doddle!
Anyway, that was a slight detour from what I was going to blog about…
Considering as I am a second year student, I like to think I have mastered the whole "knowing what to do to pass" – Maybe be true for my first year, but I'm still getting there for my second year.
So, as many of you reading this are either first year or are in your GCSE year, or even if you're younger and just wondering what A-level and college is like, here are my 5 top tips for a successful first year!
1) Revise as you go along.
This maybe the most important one, hence why I put it at number one! You cannot, without a shadow of a doubt, revise weeks before the exam. There is no way that that is going to end well, for anyone! (Wow, sounds scary. I don't mean it to be scary, I promise!)
You probably got away with revising 2 weeks or so before your GCSE exams, and ended up with an awesome grade (I personally wouldn't like to admit that myself, mainly because my teachers would be HORRIFIED!), but for A-levels, a 2 week revision wouldn't even cover a single topic, let alone the entire first year of your course.
Revising as you go along and making the most of the end of topic assessments you'll have in college - you'll thank yourself for it. You have to do this for the top grades!
And I don't even mean hard-core revision. Even just going over the notes again after class, maybe writing them up again, looking at them and taking everything in. If you revise as you go along, there isn't going to be that sudden rush towards the end of the year, right before your exams when you're staying up late into the night, revising for the exam the next day, freaking out.
2) Do a revision timetable.
My favourite thing to do, ever! Mainly because organising and colour coordinating things is my dream job.
Making sure you have a timetable makes you revise (at least that's what happens with me, anyway). This way, you can timetable in things you like away from revision as well (You can't give up your social life, that's hard to deal with).
A general rule in college for first year students is 3 hours of revision per subject, per week. Personally for me, I wouldn't revise a subject/topic for more than 45 minutes per session. Small chunks of information are much better than huge chunks of information you're forcing into your head, because it'll just go through one ear and out of the other.
Make sure you go over things again and again. Just because you've revised topic 1, don't leave that until exam time to go over again.
My revision timetable changes every term, so then I can change it up, and not get bored of it! Boredom is what makes people not want to revise. Make it fun for yourself!
And make sure you reward yourself after your hard work! I make sure after I revise, I watch a few episodes of a show I'm currently watching, or read a book, or write a chapter of a novel I'm currently writing (wow, it's suddenly turned into a 'what does Jasmine do with her spare time?' blog).
3) Take extra notes!
College issue you with textbooks for a reason. It isn't just what you go over in class. If you do extra notes, condense them down and rearrange it into your original notes. If you're unsure, ask a teacher! They're extremely helpful.
4) Take mock exams seriously!
I know so many people who felt like mock exams didn't mean anything, but then realise towards exam season how important they truly were. It isn't just a chance for teachers to see who may need extra help with certain things, but it's also a chance to practice exam technique, which is massively important at A-level.
Especially at second year, as mock exams are an important factor for your teachers to decide your predicted grades which get put onto your UCAS application for Universities to see.
And last, but definitely not least…
5) Get a good night’s sleep before any exams.
You’re probably like “That sounds really out of place in a list of tips on how to deal with A-levels”, but it’s really true. A sleepy, tired student doesn't equal a top grade student.
WOW! This blog was EXTREMELY long. Sorry about that. But I do hope they help you with your studies here at Cadbury, or wherever you’re studying.
See ya!
I thought I would do a quick little update on the old 'blogosphere'. I got inspired for this particular blog post whilst sitting in the LRC (The Learning Resource Centre, as it is officially known as, but it's just "The Library" to you and me!)
However! It isn't "just" a library, it's a LIBRARY. Its set up to imitate one you would find at University, just on a smaller scale. (I know this because I volunteered as a student guide during my first year). Cadbury College is making a Uni student out of us all from the get go! It's arranged with the Dewey decimal system, something that all Universities do. It may sound all complicated, but don't worry, once you get used to it, it's a doddle!
Anyway, that was a slight detour from what I was going to blog about…
Considering as I am a second year student, I like to think I have mastered the whole "knowing what to do to pass" – Maybe be true for my first year, but I'm still getting there for my second year.
So, as many of you reading this are either first year or are in your GCSE year, or even if you're younger and just wondering what A-level and college is like, here are my 5 top tips for a successful first year!
1) Revise as you go along.
This maybe the most important one, hence why I put it at number one! You cannot, without a shadow of a doubt, revise weeks before the exam. There is no way that that is going to end well, for anyone! (Wow, sounds scary. I don't mean it to be scary, I promise!)
You probably got away with revising 2 weeks or so before your GCSE exams, and ended up with an awesome grade (I personally wouldn't like to admit that myself, mainly because my teachers would be HORRIFIED!), but for A-levels, a 2 week revision wouldn't even cover a single topic, let alone the entire first year of your course.
Revising as you go along and making the most of the end of topic assessments you'll have in college - you'll thank yourself for it. You have to do this for the top grades!
And I don't even mean hard-core revision. Even just going over the notes again after class, maybe writing them up again, looking at them and taking everything in. If you revise as you go along, there isn't going to be that sudden rush towards the end of the year, right before your exams when you're staying up late into the night, revising for the exam the next day, freaking out.
2) Do a revision timetable.
My favourite thing to do, ever! Mainly because organising and colour coordinating things is my dream job.
Making sure you have a timetable makes you revise (at least that's what happens with me, anyway). This way, you can timetable in things you like away from revision as well (You can't give up your social life, that's hard to deal with).
A general rule in college for first year students is 3 hours of revision per subject, per week. Personally for me, I wouldn't revise a subject/topic for more than 45 minutes per session. Small chunks of information are much better than huge chunks of information you're forcing into your head, because it'll just go through one ear and out of the other.
Make sure you go over things again and again. Just because you've revised topic 1, don't leave that until exam time to go over again.
My revision timetable changes every term, so then I can change it up, and not get bored of it! Boredom is what makes people not want to revise. Make it fun for yourself!
And make sure you reward yourself after your hard work! I make sure after I revise, I watch a few episodes of a show I'm currently watching, or read a book, or write a chapter of a novel I'm currently writing (wow, it's suddenly turned into a 'what does Jasmine do with her spare time?' blog).
3) Take extra notes!
College issue you with textbooks for a reason. It isn't just what you go over in class. If you do extra notes, condense them down and rearrange it into your original notes. If you're unsure, ask a teacher! They're extremely helpful.
4) Take mock exams seriously!
I know so many people who felt like mock exams didn't mean anything, but then realise towards exam season how important they truly were. It isn't just a chance for teachers to see who may need extra help with certain things, but it's also a chance to practice exam technique, which is massively important at A-level.
Especially at second year, as mock exams are an important factor for your teachers to decide your predicted grades which get put onto your UCAS application for Universities to see.
And last, but definitely not least…
5) Get a good night’s sleep before any exams.
You’re probably like “That sounds really out of place in a list of tips on how to deal with A-levels”, but it’s really true. A sleepy, tired student doesn't equal a top grade student.
WOW! This blog was EXTREMELY long. Sorry about that. But I do hope they help you with your studies here at Cadbury, or wherever you’re studying.
See ya!
Alya: First Blog Post!
Hello everyone!
I'm Alya, a 17-year old AS Cadbury student doing Biology, Chemistry, Maths and Creative Writing.
I enjoy reading and writing and have a passion for psychology, poetry and baking.
In 2014, I came to the UK from the Netherlands so I had to do my GCSEs first. This was pretty new to me, especially in a college environment in a city as big as Birmingham.
I've prepared myself for the worst after having read about A-Level students who went to big colleges with big classes where the teachers don't care about you because there are already thirty other people in the class. Also, making friends seemed almost impossible in an environment like that.
But I was (pleasantly) surprised!
The teachers in Cadbury College were amazing and passionate about their subjects and they genuinely wanted you to succeed. Even the classes were perfectly sized and settling in was much easier than I thought. Luckily I didn't get lost and if I wasn't sure about where I was going both staff and students were ready to help.
Cadbury College is a sixth form college, and a relatively small college that really reminded me of how it was in the Netherlands where 1000 students is usually the maximum. So, being in the UK in a big city as Birmingham didn't give me much of a culture shock after all.
Even now, in my AS year, the different teachers still have the same passion for their subject whether it is Chemistry or Creative Writing.
So far my college experience has been pretty good and it had taught me that all colleges are different and that it is really helpful to attend open days or taster sessions to get a feel for the College you are choosing. Alternatively, you could always read a blog post ;-)
Alya
I'm Alya, a 17-year old AS Cadbury student doing Biology, Chemistry, Maths and Creative Writing.
This is my second year in Cadbury College because I did my GCSEs here.
I enjoy reading and writing and have a passion for psychology, poetry and baking.
In 2014, I came to the UK from the Netherlands so I had to do my GCSEs first. This was pretty new to me, especially in a college environment in a city as big as Birmingham.
I've prepared myself for the worst after having read about A-Level students who went to big colleges with big classes where the teachers don't care about you because there are already thirty other people in the class. Also, making friends seemed almost impossible in an environment like that.
But I was (pleasantly) surprised!
The teachers in Cadbury College were amazing and passionate about their subjects and they genuinely wanted you to succeed. Even the classes were perfectly sized and settling in was much easier than I thought. Luckily I didn't get lost and if I wasn't sure about where I was going both staff and students were ready to help.
Cadbury College is a sixth form college, and a relatively small college that really reminded me of how it was in the Netherlands where 1000 students is usually the maximum. So, being in the UK in a big city as Birmingham didn't give me much of a culture shock after all.
Even now, in my AS year, the different teachers still have the same passion for their subject whether it is Chemistry or Creative Writing.
So far my college experience has been pretty good and it had taught me that all colleges are different and that it is really helpful to attend open days or taster sessions to get a feel for the College you are choosing. Alternatively, you could always read a blog post ;-)
Alya
Taha: My College Experience and What I Have Learnt
At the start of my First Year at Cadbury Sixth Form College things were complicated; it seemed that the skills I learnt from Oldbury Academy were not enough to prepare me for the transition to college life. As such, it took me quite a while to adapt.
Eventually I got used to the idea of doing independent learning (revision) every week rather than a week or two before my exam (which I did during my GCSE's). During the first few months of college I found out that I have dyslexia which was a major shock to me as I did not really suspect that I had a so called "learning difficulty", but eventually things like not having the best memory or spelling started to make sense. I was granted extra time during exams to accommodate my dyslexia. Despite being granted extra time, I decided that I had to put in more effort and work harder (a concept that took some getting used to considering my lazy habits and love of procrastination...!).
The thing that I look forward to the most about college is learning. I am a curious individual with a genuine interest in my subjects. The thing you need to take advantage of when at college is the freedom and the independence. By this I mean the freedom to choose any subject you want to study, choose what coursework topic you will focus on, choose an enrichment activity that you are interested in and choose what societies and extra-curricular activities you will get involved in. If you are interested in what you do, you will tend to work harder and therefore should achieve the grade you want and deserve.
During college I have learnt to ask teachers questions whenever I can. It's a privilege to be able to learn and develop in small classes, so it is important to make the most of this while you can. The importance of independent research is something I also see as important during college and will become more important during university.
The thing that I look forward to the most about college is learning. I am a curious individual with a genuine interest in my subjects. The thing you need to take advantage of when at college is the freedom and the independence. By this I mean the freedom to choose any subject you want to study, choose what coursework topic you will focus on, choose an enrichment activity that you are interested in and choose what societies and extra-curricular activities you will get involved in. If you are interested in what you do, you will tend to work harder and therefore should achieve the grade you want and deserve.
During college I have learnt to ask teachers questions whenever I can. It's a privilege to be able to learn and develop in small classes, so it is important to make the most of this while you can. The importance of independent research is something I also see as important during college and will become more important during university.
Jasmine: Transition from 1st year to 2nd year
Hello again, it’s Jasmine!
Decided my first “official” blog post - to say- should be about how I've been finding my A2 year (2nd year of a-levels). All I can say right now is… My WORD there a lot of work! A lot of hard work!
It’s not just revision, and end of topic tests, and mock assessments that really contribute to all this “hard work”, it’s more to do with all the other responsibilities that are involved. For example, in second year you've got UCAS applications, predicted grades, personal statement writing, University offers, and so much more!
But don’t let that put you off, and don’t be scared! What’s so awesome about college is that there is SO MUCH SUPPORT to do with all of this. Everyone here wants to see you succeed, and they’ll stop at nothing to make sure everything is right for you. Recently I've been shown so much more support that I need to do all this, all available in college. When I felt down, or anxious, or felt overwhelmed with everything University related, one word to my tutor and everything was made okay again.
One thing you have to realise, even in your 1st year, is that if you need help, you need to ask! I found myself not asking for help in my first few years because I always thought I was a burden, which I regret doing because all staff at college, whoever you talk to, are so helpful, lovely and kind (and I’m not just saying that to try and get into their good books!). You’re never a burden to anyone in college. If you have a concern, speak up! The college tries to make sure your experience studying for your qualifications here, whether it be GCSE, A-level or BTECs, is one of the best experiences of your life, and one that you look back on with a huge smile!
So that’s me done then! I’ll try and update soon with another blog post, fingers crossed it isn't as boring as this one!
-Jasmine
Decided my first “official” blog post - to say- should be about how I've been finding my A2 year (2nd year of a-levels). All I can say right now is… My WORD there a lot of work! A lot of hard work!
It’s not just revision, and end of topic tests, and mock assessments that really contribute to all this “hard work”, it’s more to do with all the other responsibilities that are involved. For example, in second year you've got UCAS applications, predicted grades, personal statement writing, University offers, and so much more!
But don’t let that put you off, and don’t be scared! What’s so awesome about college is that there is SO MUCH SUPPORT to do with all of this. Everyone here wants to see you succeed, and they’ll stop at nothing to make sure everything is right for you. Recently I've been shown so much more support that I need to do all this, all available in college. When I felt down, or anxious, or felt overwhelmed with everything University related, one word to my tutor and everything was made okay again.
One thing you have to realise, even in your 1st year, is that if you need help, you need to ask! I found myself not asking for help in my first few years because I always thought I was a burden, which I regret doing because all staff at college, whoever you talk to, are so helpful, lovely and kind (and I’m not just saying that to try and get into their good books!). You’re never a burden to anyone in college. If you have a concern, speak up! The college tries to make sure your experience studying for your qualifications here, whether it be GCSE, A-level or BTECs, is one of the best experiences of your life, and one that you look back on with a huge smile!
So that’s me done then! I’ll try and update soon with another blog post, fingers crossed it isn't as boring as this one!
-Jasmine
Jasmine: First Blog Post!
Hello everybody! It’s Jasmine here!
Since you may not know who on Earth I am, let me take this opportunity to introduce myself properly. I’m a second year student here at Cadbury, studying Biology, Psychology and Sociology, as well as being an academic mentor, student representative and now student blogger! I’m so excited to start blogging for college now! The idea of blogging seems like so much fun, I just hope I don’t seem like a bore!
So, let me talk about my experiences of college so far (There’s almost three years’ worth of material here, so bear with me!). I started college in September 2013 on the GCSE re-sit programme, studying Double Science, Geography and Sociology. Previous to this, I was home educated, so that in itself is very different from most other people in college, as I have now found out. If you thought moving from school to college was hard, imagine moving from being at home for 5 years to attending classes with other people! I was ABSOLUTELY terrified.
BUT! I’m still here 2 years later, and that just shows how AWESOME the college is with dealing with every individual circumstance that students may have. I was made to feel welcome, and everyone made sure I was comfortable since it was such a big transition for me. So, if they managed that for a home educated child, just imagine the amount of support and help there is for secondary school children moving from school to college. I am SO GLAD I chose this college to attend. Every lesson I attended I enjoyed and every teacher I had was fully supportive. College is such a relaxed atmosphere, and a grown up one at that. You’re no longer treated as a child here at college, you’re young adults. That’s one of the things I like about college. I felt like I’ve been able to grow a lot since starting (not physically, I am 19 now so I don’t think I’m going to be getting any taller anytime soon!); grow into the person that I am now, and how I’m going to be in the future.
I’m not just gaining qualifications here at college, but so much more! This is the beginning of the rest of my life! And when I leave (I can’t even bare to think about the fact I’m leaving next year! No!), I’m always going to think about Cadbury as being the beginning of the rest of my life.
Long intro, I know, I write too much! But I just wanted to say hi! Hopefully I can show you a good insight into student life here at Cadbury College. This place is incredible (and I’m not just saying that to get into the good books around here; I genuinely think it!), and I hope any prospective students who are thinking of attending here take my words into consideration. Hopefully will update you all soon!
From Jasmine!
Since you may not know who on Earth I am, let me take this opportunity to introduce myself properly. I’m a second year student here at Cadbury, studying Biology, Psychology and Sociology, as well as being an academic mentor, student representative and now student blogger! I’m so excited to start blogging for college now! The idea of blogging seems like so much fun, I just hope I don’t seem like a bore!
So, let me talk about my experiences of college so far (There’s almost three years’ worth of material here, so bear with me!). I started college in September 2013 on the GCSE re-sit programme, studying Double Science, Geography and Sociology. Previous to this, I was home educated, so that in itself is very different from most other people in college, as I have now found out. If you thought moving from school to college was hard, imagine moving from being at home for 5 years to attending classes with other people! I was ABSOLUTELY terrified.
BUT! I’m still here 2 years later, and that just shows how AWESOME the college is with dealing with every individual circumstance that students may have. I was made to feel welcome, and everyone made sure I was comfortable since it was such a big transition for me. So, if they managed that for a home educated child, just imagine the amount of support and help there is for secondary school children moving from school to college. I am SO GLAD I chose this college to attend. Every lesson I attended I enjoyed and every teacher I had was fully supportive. College is such a relaxed atmosphere, and a grown up one at that. You’re no longer treated as a child here at college, you’re young adults. That’s one of the things I like about college. I felt like I’ve been able to grow a lot since starting (not physically, I am 19 now so I don’t think I’m going to be getting any taller anytime soon!); grow into the person that I am now, and how I’m going to be in the future.
I’m not just gaining qualifications here at college, but so much more! This is the beginning of the rest of my life! And when I leave (I can’t even bare to think about the fact I’m leaving next year! No!), I’m always going to think about Cadbury as being the beginning of the rest of my life.
Long intro, I know, I write too much! But I just wanted to say hi! Hopefully I can show you a good insight into student life here at Cadbury College. This place is incredible (and I’m not just saying that to get into the good books around here; I genuinely think it!), and I hope any prospective students who are thinking of attending here take my words into consideration. Hopefully will update you all soon!
From Jasmine!
Amandeep & Saiba: Open Day
It’s the seventeenth of October, where is the place to be? Cadbury College Open Day! We spent our day at the college's Open Day taking a look at the stalls, helping out and also talking to any prospective students who are looking to come to Cadbury.
Our role during Cadbury's Open Day was full of qualities such as co-operation, work skills, socialisation, etiquette and punctuality. During the Open Day we were the 'Cadbury Student Bloggers' hence the alarming orange t-shirt we wore proudly (!). Throughout the Open Day, during the first 2 hours we had the chance to show fellow future Cadbury students around. We showed them around to the subjects they felt most passionate about, as this gave them an overview of what they were to expect in the future from their chosen course.
Our guests had asked us about our own experience during our time at Cadbury College and we gladly shared our positive and (most importantly) genuine thoughts, of which we had many to talk about. Furthermore, within our last 2 hours of the open day, we showed off our skills of being a true journalist as we took numerous pictures of each teacher passionately talking about the subject they happily teach. Also we spoke to our guests about how their experience at Cadbury College benefited them, and they too gladly expressed how the helpfulness and positive attitude which Cadbury College presented them with went a long and fortunate way.
The main purpose of the Cadbury College Open Day was for future students to get an insight on what their preferred courses at college will be like. Every guest got a chance to explore the deeper knowledge of their chosen subjects and this was the time to put any queries forward about their future courses. Cadbury College catered for the needs of these students answering any questions of which the brief online explanation of the preferred course was lacking. It was also a chance for the future students to come face to face with the teachers and ask all that they needed to know. The Open Day was held to satisfy future students and their needs, and it also gave them a chance to apply to the college beforehand.
During our time at the Open Day, we felt that it would be rather intriguing to ask visitors about their opinion of the college. Overall the response from both parents and students was terrific! We received responses such as “Cadbury College is defiantly going to be my first choice!” Comments were also made about the staff. “The staff were very helpful and welcoming.” When asking about applying to Cadbury: “I’m applying as soon as I get home.” We got a lot of feedback which stated that guests found the college better than what they had imagined it to be. “I didn't expect the college to be so cool”.
To finish off this blog, we personally think that Cadbury College Open Day was quite a success!
We hope you enjoyed reading our first blog.
We will be posting monthly so look out for our next blog!
Until next time - Hasta la Vista!
Our role during Cadbury's Open Day was full of qualities such as co-operation, work skills, socialisation, etiquette and punctuality. During the Open Day we were the 'Cadbury Student Bloggers' hence the alarming orange t-shirt we wore proudly (!). Throughout the Open Day, during the first 2 hours we had the chance to show fellow future Cadbury students around. We showed them around to the subjects they felt most passionate about, as this gave them an overview of what they were to expect in the future from their chosen course.
Our guests had asked us about our own experience during our time at Cadbury College and we gladly shared our positive and (most importantly) genuine thoughts, of which we had many to talk about. Furthermore, within our last 2 hours of the open day, we showed off our skills of being a true journalist as we took numerous pictures of each teacher passionately talking about the subject they happily teach. Also we spoke to our guests about how their experience at Cadbury College benefited them, and they too gladly expressed how the helpfulness and positive attitude which Cadbury College presented them with went a long and fortunate way.
The main purpose of the Cadbury College Open Day was for future students to get an insight on what their preferred courses at college will be like. Every guest got a chance to explore the deeper knowledge of their chosen subjects and this was the time to put any queries forward about their future courses. Cadbury College catered for the needs of these students answering any questions of which the brief online explanation of the preferred course was lacking. It was also a chance for the future students to come face to face with the teachers and ask all that they needed to know. The Open Day was held to satisfy future students and their needs, and it also gave them a chance to apply to the college beforehand.
During our time at the Open Day, we felt that it would be rather intriguing to ask visitors about their opinion of the college. Overall the response from both parents and students was terrific! We received responses such as “Cadbury College is defiantly going to be my first choice!” Comments were also made about the staff. “The staff were very helpful and welcoming.” When asking about applying to Cadbury: “I’m applying as soon as I get home.” We got a lot of feedback which stated that guests found the college better than what they had imagined it to be. “I didn't expect the college to be so cool”.
To finish off this blog, we personally think that Cadbury College Open Day was quite a success!
We hope you enjoyed reading our first blog.
We will be posting monthly so look out for our next blog!
Until next time - Hasta la Vista!
Isobel: A New Beginning
Hi everyone,
Let me start by introducing myself; my name is Isobel and this is my first post as a student blogger. I started at Cadbury Sixth Form College in September 2015, and so far, things have been going really well. I studied GCSEs at Hall Green Secondary School, and although I loved my time there, I was so excited to start college life.
Along with wanting to document and remember my journey over these next two years, I wanted to help make the transition for prospective students easier by allowing you to read about my own experiences. I cannot wait to see where this path leads me, so why not come along with me?
I am studying A-Level Geography and Textiles, and BTEC Digital Arts. I switched one of my original courses a few weeks after starting college as I decided it wasn’t right for me. It is incredibly important to know that if you are doing something that you don’t completely love and don’t feel as though you can put all of your effort into it, then go out of your way to make a difference about it. The sooner you do it, the better it will be. Therefore, it’s okay if you realise that you made the wrong decision with your courses. As long as there is the ability to do so and the decision is practical, staff here are incredibly supportive of the choices you make. These two years are all about you and helping you head in the right direction for your future.
Why Cadbury?
Isobel
Let me start by introducing myself; my name is Isobel and this is my first post as a student blogger. I started at Cadbury Sixth Form College in September 2015, and so far, things have been going really well. I studied GCSEs at Hall Green Secondary School, and although I loved my time there, I was so excited to start college life.
Along with wanting to document and remember my journey over these next two years, I wanted to help make the transition for prospective students easier by allowing you to read about my own experiences. I cannot wait to see where this path leads me, so why not come along with me?
I am studying A-Level Geography and Textiles, and BTEC Digital Arts. I switched one of my original courses a few weeks after starting college as I decided it wasn’t right for me. It is incredibly important to know that if you are doing something that you don’t completely love and don’t feel as though you can put all of your effort into it, then go out of your way to make a difference about it. The sooner you do it, the better it will be. Therefore, it’s okay if you realise that you made the wrong decision with your courses. As long as there is the ability to do so and the decision is practical, staff here are incredibly supportive of the choices you make. These two years are all about you and helping you head in the right direction for your future.
Why Cadbury?
Out of all of the colleges and sixth forms that I looked at in year 11, none of them made me feel as welcomed as Cadbury. Staff and students respect each other and I love how you are finally treated like an adult. You have the freedom to choose how you spend your free time (even if you are told it should be for studying – you’ve got to have some fun meeting new people and with your friends, right?!). But it’s about finding the balance, using all the time you have effectively and efficiently. Staying organised and on-top of everything is the key to making sure that you get the best out of your College life, and it will definitely make you feel less stressed.
Starting in a new environment can be scary and exciting at the same time. I was unsure where I’d fit in, whether I’d be able to cope with the work and whether I’d miss my old school too much. But, if I’m completely honest, I’ve had the best start possible. It almost feels as though I’ve been here for months. Also, making new friends can be daunting. But over time you learn more about people, find out your similarities and differences and you’ll hopefully find friendships that you’ll want to keep forever.
I didn’t think that I’d be going on trips already with college, but on Wednesday 14th October I went on a trip for my Textiles course to the Tate Modern in London. We visited an exhibition called The World Goes Pop – it was brilliant and inspirational. It has definitely helped me with my work, but more than anything it was great to spend the day with new people from college that I’ve never spoken to before.
Starting in a new environment can be scary and exciting at the same time. I was unsure where I’d fit in, whether I’d be able to cope with the work and whether I’d miss my old school too much. But, if I’m completely honest, I’ve had the best start possible. It almost feels as though I’ve been here for months. Also, making new friends can be daunting. But over time you learn more about people, find out your similarities and differences and you’ll hopefully find friendships that you’ll want to keep forever.
I didn’t think that I’d be going on trips already with college, but on Wednesday 14th October I went on a trip for my Textiles course to the Tate Modern in London. We visited an exhibition called The World Goes Pop – it was brilliant and inspirational. It has definitely helped me with my work, but more than anything it was great to spend the day with new people from college that I’ve never spoken to before.
Thank you for reading my first blog post. I hope you enjoyed it and fingers crossed I’ve managed to put some things about starting college into perspective. I’ll be back next month with another post!
Bye for now,
Bye for now,
Isobel
Maisie: About Me
Hi All!
I’m Maisie Truman, and I'm at Cadbury to study Mathematics, Further Mathematics and Physics. I know, crazy right?!
So far, my time at Cadbury has been great; the friendly atmosphere and teaching has exceeded expectations, and I am very excited for all that is to come.
Unlike other educational institutes, Cadbury embraces my want to be involved in as many extra-curriculum events and activities as possible, and the support to do so is phenomenal. Being 'Sergeant Truman' in the Army Cadet Force, a musician, a writer (with my first book nearly finished), a motorbike fanatic and a lover of Mathematics, Cadbury offers me the support and facilities I need to succeed and enjoy all of the above, as well as achieving in my chosen subjects.
So, there's a little bit about me, but stay tuned for more entries and feel free to ask questions and suggest topics you would like me to discuss. I would love to hear your feedback!
MT
MT
Kamal: Le First Blog
Hello there.
If you haven’t yet noticed, I’m pretty
new to this whole ‘blogging’ business - but I hope I do well to entertain and even captivate a few of you out there.
To
begin allow me to introduce myself. My name is Kamal and I’m currently studying
my first year here at Cadbury; Psychology, Sociology and Business were my
choices for A-levels. I hope to excel in Psychology as well as my blogging. I
had always wanted to blog or vlog, but really didn’t know what to speak about - so
when the opportunity hit me, how could have I said no?!
Being my first blog lets speak about the whole “College Life”.
Many students find the
transition from secondary school to college overwhelming, yet some find it thrilling.
I enjoyed the whole change overall to be completely honest and I find that
change is something to prepare for in life. Making new friends may possibly be
a challenge for some and for others a blast. Nevertheless in today’s world, meeting and getting along with new people is a skill you should be prepare to
gain.
What am I most looking forward to in college?
I'm looking forward to the personal challenge that Cadbury College will offer me; the exciting new atmosphere, the transition from Moseley School to a Sixth Form College, and finding the time ti study and make the most of my "free" periods.
I only started a month ago, but so far I think the most enjoyable
aspect in college is the respect given to you - you're treated like an adult. This allows you to make
your own decisions (beneficial or not!) leading to appropriate consequences, which is
quite awesome. To re-phrase that as an example: studying during breaks and
lunches should greatly influence what you achieve in that subject positively
and would probably impress the teacher if you had already studied what is going
to be taught next lesson.
I hope you enjoyed my initial blog
of many to come and please take a quick read whenever you can - you can find out about my experiences at college so you know what to expect when you join next September!
Thank you for reading until the end; loyalty is never over-looked.
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