Shopping it Back To School

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As I'm writing this, I am nearly half way through my Summer break, whilst other people are already back in school. Every year again, I get more exited about buying new stationary bits for school than anything. I also love seeing people's hauls, and I'm probably not the only one, so I thought I would tell you all about the stuff that I got. I apologize if this ends up being totally boring...you won't seen any other one's for another year from now on haha :)

Now that it's time for the year before I do my A-levels, there's obviously going to be a lot more important stuff happening that we need to keep, especially in our advanced courses, which is why I got myself a new big folder for all of my stuff. All my other ones are literally full, so I guess it was kinda necessary...and I loved the cherry red colour as well to be honest :D.

Then I got myself a lined exercise book, though I will probably have to get a few other ones. I will try my best to put all of the stuff for the books we're going to read inside these things. I only got one for now, as so far I am only having to read To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.

Next is a divider - I hope that is the actual translation - as I feel like they are a lot better than having to go through tons and tons of pages that are the same length and height until you find the subject you're looking for. Might have to get a second one though...too many subjects..:D

I also got a little A5 ring binder notebook. Not because I need it, but because I really like writing important stuff and ideas down in one place, but my school's homework planner doesn't really have enough space, even for my homework. I thought this would be a nice idea, as I needed a new notebook anyway.

According to my translater there is no actual translation in English - I would basically call it a vocabulary book. I got two of these - one for English, one for Spanish. I wouldn't usually get one for English, but as we are going to learn a lot more and harder vocabs in the next two years in the advanced course, I thought it would make sense to get one this year.

Next some neon coloured sticky notes. I've been loving to use them over the past year, especially for To-Do-Lists - Germany also doesn't sell a lot of pretty stationary bits like that anyway, so I had to get something else.

What I've found to be an essential over the past year, is a pocket hole punch - YES, thinks like that actually exist! I find nothing more frustrating than trying to be organized for the first few months in school and teachers just keep on giving you papers without holes, ready to be put into your folder. This is a life saver - sorry, I get a little nerdy from time to time :D.

Last but not least, A5 sized index cards, as I usually get them a size smaller which can be quite annoying when you've got bigger topics from time to time.

I also got a few new  pens, as I can be a little picky with the way they write, as well as one that you can erase (best thing ever!). As my yellow highlighters are all black after the past few months, I also got a new one of those.

I love using glittery pens when decorating DIY presents or writing cards, but recently my ones had grown so old and dead, it was time to get a new package. I told my mum to get that set at Lidl, and she literally came back with 30 pens haha. Well, now I've got 30 instead of 10 - not going to complain though :D.

I also had to get a few other bits, just like disinfaction spray - another essential at our school, especially when it comes to the girl's toilets. You know the struggle of dissapearing hair ties, so it was time to get a new one of that as well. Last but not least, a new waterproof mascara. I usually don't buy from L'oreal, for a few reasons, but Ms Danielle Peazer has been talking about it for the past few weeks, so I thought I'd give it a go, as my other mascaras are used up anyway hehehehe :D.

Last but not least, my homework which I only just finished last night, as I am writing this - To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, including Annotations and Additional Background Material. I really liked it, even if it's a school related book, and I'm glad I finally got round to reading it. I'll soon have another book related post going up, featuring a small review, so watch out for that. ;)

I'm going to be redecorating the boring front pages in the next few weeks before school starts, and I'm thinking about showing you the finished products. Let me know if you would like to see that, as I absolutely love doing that, instead of sitting around with the same boring folders and notebooks as everyone else.

Don't forget to let me know, what you are most exited about, if you are going back to school? Yes, I know, it's kind of boring and annoying, but I am pretty sure all of us got a reason why it ain't as bad as we always say. :)

Have a great day ♥

Love, Jacqueline Xx

Chatting: Following Your Own Path at School

Welcome to a new post!

Yesterday we were sat down in our school's gathering place to talk about the second half of year 11. It is quite an important one as you have to make your decisions for your A Levels and your marks at the end of it will decide wether you'll make it to the next phase and year on the way towards your A levels.

I've been thinking about which subjects to take for my exams and higher courses for quite a while, years even, and I still am not sure what I am going to decide on. I have to choose two, and since I love English that is already settled, but what will be my other choice, and what else will I have to write an exam about.

I feel like many people at this point decide to choose a subject that most of their friends choose out of confidence, not really out of their own choice. Some even choose certain subjects because they feel like they are not good anything, which they say is the reason why they choose a subject that a lot of their friends do.
But guys, let's be honest - it is not going to work that way, not always at least. Yes that subject might end up as the best choice you could've ever made, but if you've chosen it, there's no going back if you are absolutely hating it after a few weeks. It is important to have a good working background, but what people tend to forget is that you have to think about what you personally want to do, not what would be the easiest choice. Sure, your friends might be able to help you if you struggle in that subject, but in the end it's you that has to write the exams and raise your hand to say something, not them.

You have to work for yourself, so you also have to think about yourself when you make an important choice like that. That doesn't even have to be in school, it could even be about other things like going out or doing a certain thing for someone's birthday.

Be special, be different, and do what YOU want to do, not what others tell you to. It's your life and your choices, not theirs, so you are the one that gets to decide where your path will lead.

I personally am currently deciding wether I will take German, Chemistry, History or maybe even Biology as my second higher course. I like things about all of these subjects but I also hate quite a few parts in each on of them, and in neither of them I am a genius, but they are still what I have in mind to study further.

Some people have told me to not choose German because 'You will have to write an exam in it anyway, it doesn't make sense.'. But to be honest, that isn't true. It does make sense, even if I will have to write an exam in that subject anyway. If I like German, I will choose German, that is my own choice to make, not someone else's. I think you should always be open for advice, but don't let anyone tell what you have to do. Maybe you want to be challanged a bit, and maybe that will actually help you and make you happier. Maybe these people that have told you those things will end up coming to you, telling you they wish they would have chosen that subject.

If you already know what area you want to work in after your school time, but aren't sure what subjects to decide on, go and do some research on the subjects that could maybe help you in that job. Please don't think that you aren't good at anything, just because you aren't writing straight A*'s in every subject. There is always something you are good at, you only have to aknowledge it.

I suggest you make a list of all of your subjects, and write down all of the marks that you have gotten in this year so far. And then think about which subjects you enjoyed. Write down all of the themes that you enjoyed talking about, and that you enjoy in your freetime as well. Take some time to think, and you will find something.

I personally made this myself, only in a version that is only on my mind, but I still have it. I do enjoy Maths, but only when I get the topic, and if I end up writing a good mark for my level in that subject. But since that doesn't happen as often, I had crossed that out from the very beginning (I miss the times when you were able to stop studying maths before your A levels *sigh*). 

However I do quite enjoy History, especially the French Revolution and the World Wars. I have always been interested in certain topics, even though I don't find everything interesting that you talk about. But I still enjoy it, and I might actually end up deciding on it, even if that means I will have to learn pages and pages of dates. I love a challenge, so maybe I will end up choosing it - who knows. Or maybe I will end up choosing Chemistry, German, Biology or I will suprise myself and choose Physics or something like that. 

Don't cross out everything, only because you aren't able to get A*s on the tests in that subject. Do something that you genuenly enjoy and would enjoy talking more about. Don't let others tell you what you are supposed to do, and not only in school. Just because a higher Maths course might look quite nice on your certificate, that is no reason to choose it. If you have a bad mark because you did not enjoy it at all, it isn't going to make it better. I can't stress this enough - do things that make you happy, not because it is going to make someone else happy! It is your life, so you get to decide where the path will guide you.

If you need advice - go and ask for it. Let the opinion influence you and make you think. Do some research on Google or by asking other people that were in the same position before. But then decide what you want to do, something you are going to enjoy talking and thinking about.
Your friends might all end up doing Chemistry, but you hate that and you would rather enjoy Sports, but also don't want to let them down and be 'alone' in that new course. Don't let that influence your decision. FOMO is not something you should think about in this moment. Sure they might make amazing expierences together without you and make new friends, but you will too! Don't put pressure on yourself because of your friends, I beg you! It might be harder to start in a completely new course with new people, but as long as you are open and nice to them, and don't isolate yourself from them, you will soon make new friends that you can spend time with, when your other friends aren't around. There is not much to worry about. Don't put yourself under too much pressure. 

I'm sorry this has been all about A levels and choosing subjects mainly, but it is a situation that me and my classmates and friends are currently dealing with, and I felt like I had to spit this out, because we won't be the only ones expierencing something like that.

There always new decisions to make in life. From throwing away an old and very loved lipstick or not, to the decision of wether you are going to marry that person or not, and so on. We all have to remember to think about other people when we make decisions, but we also have to remember to think of ourselves. These decisions might follow you forever, and will even sometimes throw your life around completely. They have to made, wether you want to or not, so make sure to choose wisely.

I hope I didn't bore the hell our of you with this post. Let me know your thoughts about this topic down below, if you feel like it. 

Have a good day.

Love, Jacqueline Xx