Spring reflections: revision, celebrations, and what comes next

The Spring term of Year 11 has simply whisked by, with GCSE final exams now only three weeks away. It’s a little bizarre to imagine that in just two months it will all be over.

Keeping pace with revision

The term started well, and I’ve kept pacing myself with revision. Perhaps it’s because our school has a whole second round of GCSE mock exams after the February half-term – the core subjects under full exam invigilation conditions – that I was able to stay motivated to revise over the Christmas holidays. At that point, the summer exams still felt ages away.

A special Tutors International celebration

The highlight of January was definitely being invited to a rather fancy party with Tutors International to celebrate their quadranscentennial in style. It was held at the beautifully decorated Art’Otel in London, on the regenerated Battersea Power Station development, with stunning views onto that iconic building.

I’m not normally a big eater, but I could have eaten the food all day long – the buffet was just incredible, and the staff were so lovely. It’s a cliché, but the beef really did just melt in your mouth.

Adam was, naturally, a gracious host and, despite having so many guests and tutors, was generous with his time – helping me to think through my options for the future with some inspiring ideas. I’m truly grateful to TI for everything they’ve done for me over the past five years – things that would never otherwise have been possible.

Study breaks and spring sunshine

Today hasn’t been quite as glamorous, as I’ve been deep in the middle of my revision timetable for those looming finals. However, it’s been beautifully sunny outdoors, and I’m just enjoying a little study break to write this blog post.

Ballet and balancing wellbeing

My regular ballet training continues – which has been another welcome distraction from the books and past exam papers – as I continue training in the advanced vocational syllabus. I recently did my Advanced Foundation ballet exam. It didn’t go quite as well as I’d hoped, but I still got a Merit, which I’m happy with. It was also really nice to dance at the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) headquarters in Battersea – although I have to say it did make the exam a little trickier. I’m looking forward to moving on to Advanced 1 and continuing to improve.

I was given a boost of confidence from my latest mock results: I maintained my 99 in Combined Science, and I managed to get a 9 for the first time in my English Literature exam!

Looking ahead to sixth form

I recently attended a sixth form orientation day for one of my two shortlisted sixth forms. This has reassured me that I’m happy with both of my choices. I’m content to decide closer to the start of the year, since I’ve already been accepted at both. While I could still be swayed towards other favourite subjects, presently my top three choices for A-levels are Maths, Biology, and Chemistry.

For now, though, it’s back to studying (naturally with the occasional treat of a nibble or two of Easter egg). Hopefully your Easter break holds a little more excitement!