Back-To-School Pressures

I'm not ashamed to say I struggled at school academically and socially. During my first year of secondary school I spent most of the time crying and wanting to go home as I didn't like the change between primary to secondary school.

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So this is why I came up with the idea for this post and also as it is close or for some already the summer holidays. Some of you may be worried about returning or starting at school so if you believe you may struggle with this change hopefully this post will be some help to you.

I found a website that created a survey which 600 people took about their worries on returning to school.

32% said they worry about school work issues the most. This is only a natural feeling as you are now going to be studying at a higher level than you are used too but this doesn't necessarily mean you will find it difficult. Ensure you manage your time efficiently in order to make progress, stressing about it won't make a difference unless you act upon it. To avoid any trouble always start projects the day you get them so you are not trying to complete them last minute.

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3% of people who took the survey were worried about extracurricular activities. This worry means you'll have to manage your time. However, if you are more worried about the social aspect of extracurricular activities there is no need to worry! From my own experiences school extracurricular activities is were you can make friends as they share your interest in that particular activity.

Another high percentage was 30% where people said they worry about social issues. You are not alone if this is where you believe you'll struggle, everyone will be put in the same situation as you. Whether you want to belong to a smaller or larger group of people, make sure you feel comfortable with the people you surround yourself with. The people you surround yourself with will be the people who support you through the ups and downs of school.

25% of people said they worry about appearance issues at school . This is also closely linked to social issues by needing to fit in and be accepted. Never try to hard to fit in, be yourself. In a school full of many people be yourself and not everybody else. The remaining 10% said they weren't worried about anything (lucky).

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Everybody will experience back-to-school anxiety but I can speak from experience that it is never as back as you think. Don't over analyse, everyday will be different and take everyday as it comes.

Hopefully you found this post beneficial. Don't be a stranger, comment below if you have any opinions on back-to-school pressures. Thanks so much for reading!

Like always you can contact me on agirlwithablog16@gmail.com.

Sam x

Pro's and Con's of University

If you had asked my teachers in secondary school if I would make it to university they would have probably laughed in your face and said "You need to get a C in English and Maths first". Education was always a struggle for me but I managed to make it to university. Moving into my third year and I am still yet to decide at the age of 21 what to actually do with my life.

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I've had friends who went to university and some who haven't and honestly we have all ended up the same apart from those of us who went to university have money to pay back. This post is based on the pro's and con's of going to university, you need to remember that university isn't for everyone and it's perfectly fine to go down another path if you know university isn't for you.

Pro's:

1. University can give you independence and helps you develop life skills to prepare for the real world if you are living away from home for the first time. Even if you go to university and decide to stay at home traveling in everyday this allows you to gain these skills as traveling can develop skills to organise your time wisely between traveling, assignments and revision.
2. Once you have your degree it is believed that qualified employees are paid more than non qualified colleagues. Now this doesn't mean you have to go to university just to earn more money, I have a few friends who have done perfectly fine without university and are now managers or have had a few promotions in their careers so this one is just up to your opinion whether you think university is for you.
3. In my personal opinion, the main reason people do not go to university is because of the amount it costs. The truth is you only begin to pay back your student loans when you are earning over a certain amount which is £21,000. Student Finance helps towards all student payments which is based on your parents income and what you may be entitled to receive from them.
4. University and the social life is what you make it out to be, not everyone is a drinker but this shouldn't be one of the reason not to go to university. If you aren't much of a drinker that's fine but if you are then university is definitely for you. You make plenty of friends at university and they are the ones you are likely to keep for a life time.

Con's:

1. Some people can choose the wrong degree. Unfortunately it does happen. You could start your degree and later decide that you are no longer interested in a career in that field. There would be no point wasting 3 years of your life doing a degree that you are uninterested in and don't see a future.
2. Another issue could be a decline in the careers available in the topic you are interested in, this is obviously something you will not be aware of when you start.
3. The hidden costs that go with university like technology (buying a printer, ink or even a laptop if you don't have one), stationary (notepads, pens or even sticky notes), books for your course for research and revision, travel and even household bills if you live in a student house.
4. University is difficult and very different compared to doing A-Levels so some people may find the new workload tricky to maintain but that doesn't mean it isn't rewarding or 'fun' to research and learn new things about the topic you are most interested in.
5. And finally the last negative is home sickness. Some students I know struggle with the distance apart from their families. But I feel this is part of developing independence and establishing who you want to be.

It is said that university can be the most stressful but fun years of your life. I hope these pro's and con's help you to make this important decision on whether university is for you.

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If you do decide to go to university or not, either way you have a lot to look forward too! These years give you the chance to try new things, follow your dreams and prepare for a lifetime.

Feel free to ask any questions in the comments I will answer them all and share this if you'd like.

Thank you so much for reading, you can contact me also via email: agirlwithablog16@gmail.com.

Sam x