First week in the Underworld

So, what has gone on lately?

Sooo, sooo much.

First of all, my friend who lives in another country is coming on a plane, to England tomorrow. *squels* A cyber best friend is no good when all you want to do is fangirl and hug and cry together about all the shit in your fandom. *deep breath* But sooon we’ll have our time.

English. This is tough. I’m considering basing my whole future on this subject. And so far, I’m liking one teacher more than the other. I enjoy lessons about Victorian context, poetry, plays and novels – over Fingersmith our set text. O__O I know… It’s hard to get into the novel. I don’t know if it’s the writer, but I can read it, but I don’t particularly like it. It’s almost as if the writer is trying too hard? I miss Lady R, and most of all, I have had so much trouble deciding what to do with the Access to Bristol scheme chance. I know I’m just applying for it, and the chances of me even getting in are slim – but it’s something to consider beforehand. Missing lessons is a big deal for me, and even if it’s 2 English lit. lessons and 1 Biology lesson for 8 weeks (alternating) – it doesn’t sit well with me. Also, this idea of doing English as a career, taking it in uni? What will I do with English? Really become a teacher?! My ultimate goal of becoming a writer or anything remotely creative rests on only being a side job. *sighs*

Biology isn’t particularly anything really. Besides from the hardest subject – proteins (yes, I sound stupid, but the depth we’re going into now? It’s all about quaternary structures, α–helixes). And doing Biochemistry at uni is much like Law for me. It’s an idea but won’t go any further – probably. And as much as it sounds like Biomedical sciences, it’s not – but I would be researching medicine, I guess, if I took it.

Chemistry is all over the place. One teacher doesn’t really know what she does,  but is a good teacher regardless because she can engage the class and listen to our bad Chem jokes. But the other one? She’s old, deadpans and I don’t know what to make of her. And her face. Also, I’m not holding a grudge or anything, but I swear she rubbed me the wrong way too far when she talked about how she failed English because it was a useless subject anyway.

History – well, I can say I didn’t do too well for first impressions on homework. For some reason (I was ill and woozy, seriously I take so many drugs just to keep alive). But I’m better(ish) now! I mean, I’m still ill, but at least my liver won’t hate me so much for dosing up so much so I don’t come down with a fever or something.  I enjoy learning more about German and Anti-Semitism to an extent, before it becomes too repetitive. But Tsarist Russia? It’s hilariously worrying. What the heck was Alexander II thinking emancipating the serfs?! Oh, and of course, Hitler in Mein Kampf. Every revolutionary leader (well, different) is slightly wrong in the head, I swear.

All in all, I’m settling in more, for sure. And I’ve had lots to think about in terms of extra-curricular. I’m also doing Envision, for some debating and issue solving in and around our community. I’m taking up Japanese again (the hole is getting bigger) and then of course we’re back to Access to Bristol. Gosh damnit! I’m applying to do English. For sure. (Once I send the techies an email telling them how the online application is a massive fail and doesn’t work. Maybe volunteering for my Chinese school again. ALL FOR A CV.

I’ve also thought more about where I want to go for uni. Bristol, Birmingham and London are big city unis that are relatively close, so I’ll try them first. College wise, I guess Royal Holloway, and King’s for London. I’m not sure about Birmingham and Bristol though. Cambridge is a far away dream. A girl from Nishimiya went to Murray Edwards college there this year, and I’m obviously not going for Oxford, but I’ve got so many college ideas! St. Johns (Uncle Allan’s alma mater), King’s and Trinity Hall.

I have no words for what I’m feeling right now. Or what is going through my head 24/7 – except that it’s one big mess. *inner turmoil*

~ Persephone

One week in, still going strong

OK, so it’s been just over a week since starting my new school (should have done this on Saturday but nah), and so far it’s all going really well. Classes are hard, especially Maths and Law, but it’s a good kind of hard (hehe), challenging, which is what I’ve always wanted at school, so I’m having a whale of a time.

First off is Law which is very complex and mostly involves learning case after case after Latin phrase. The memorizing aside, it’s very interesting and the teacher is talkative and engaging, even though there are a lot of spelling and grammar errors in the handouts she gives us. I’m thinking about taking Latin GCSE in my spare time, I’m going to see the teacher on Wednesday to talk to him, but I’ve always secretly wanted to do it just to see what everyone is always on about and it’d be so helpful with my Law at the moment.

Secondly is Maths. I did a pre-AS test last Thursday which I needed to get 70% on, then I get one resit where I have to get 75% before I’m signed up for compulsory extra help. I’m getting the results tomorrow so I’ll know soon enough but it’s still quite scary seeing as none of the teachers even know my name, let alone my skill set. Otherwise Maths is going fine, not too bad, a little confusing at times, but I’m still getting used to new teaching styles.

Then there’s English. I’ve got a really nice table and we work really well together, but I’ve been put in a mixed group to work with one of my favorite people, Nike. Not looking forward to it, but as you said, there’s no point in holding grudges, so I will find common ground by talking about jazz music and hopefully we can produce a good project. I’m also reading 1984 for fun, which is absolutely amazing, just completely mind-blowing, the way Orwell contemplates the validity of absolutely everything, even our own thoughts, is fascinating, and sometimes scarily realistic.

Lastly, Computing. We’re starting work on binary code next lesson which is super super exciting and the other teacher is mostly doing boring standard old fact learning stuff. Sitting next to Mark who I think is my friend now, he keeps asking how I am, that is a friend thing right? Or do I look ill…

In response to your comments on a relaxed atmosphere, there are literally about five rules, and then they just trust you to use your common sense. It’s amazing, I fee like I’m finally growing up. The teachers always arrive late because they come all the way from main school then they just leave when they’re done with the lesson plan it’s great. I auditioned for West Side Story and it was terrifying, this woman just ran over this routine like twice then had us all perform it and my memory doesn’t work that quickly, so I basically just horrifically embarrassed myself in front of loads of people I don’t know. I’m going to join the Feminist Society, the French Society (yes I am still a Francophile I can’t turn it off), the rowing club (always secretly wanted to do that), the mooting society (pretend courts), and I’m volunteering my service to the KS3 English department.

So, life is looking up.
Also Glee.

On the Importance of Being in Sixth Form

So, the main point of this post is to tell the World just how busy both Lady R and I are. Seriously.

That meant the lack of time and energy to write anything substantial – besides having copious amounts of effort needed to type something out. However, I am determined not to let work overtake my life. So I’m going to just have to link school-life with… whatever this is…

In my school, sixth form is something different altogether. I’m not sure if Lady R is going to write a post about her school, but in all honestly, my school is much more structured and strict than hers. Our dress code, is what you would wear to an office, suits and heels (not for me, since I need to do lots of legwork – more about this later).

This new territory meant more freedom – however, in other fields. For example, I was now allowed nail polish, jewellery and my hair down. It’s a complete 360 degrees change from being in secondary school. Also, the way teachers now treated us as a whole. An example would be the hilarious Chemistry lesson I had just this Friday afternoon. All 10 (ish) of my classmates had arrived in the lab, expecting to see our teacher there. Only to find that she wasn’t, and moreover, after waiting for over 5 minutes. She was nowhere to be found. At this point, my friend pointed out how she had seen Mrs B going out for tea with some other teachers in our school. Had she forgotten about us?

Oh we wish. In a moment of complete idiocy, no one in the class had thought to look on the whiteboard for a sign of a message. Turns out. Mrs B left one. Work to do for the lesson, and a note telling us about a baseline assessment test in Chemistry next Monday. Followed by an ironically placed smiley face. Oh joy.

This hilarious (on our behalf for being so oblivious) but alarming incident made me think. Does being in sixth form really mean more independence and trust? Perhaps? Or even more work upon work and teachers caring less about us.

Legwork! Oh my goodness. I’m a book person. Not active till I need to be. My school has this newfound sadistic system of making sixth form students and teachers run from our main school building, to another one down the road. It’s a considerable distance if you include a 5 minute limit to travelling between lessons, and the signing in and out of all buildings slows this process down a lot. A lot, a lot. I was panicking all the time about being in time for all those lessons, and spent most of my lessons wondering about getting to the next one. Think again, school.

On another note, the décor in the new building is nice. We even have chandeliers in each room. And I’m not even joking. However, the tables are less than apt for subjects (all of them) which require us to lay out our notebooks, textbooks and notes in front of us. Lecture style tables are a no-no. I mean, we can’t even lay the tables straight! Proof? I put my pen down on it and it rolls off.

Classes are a little better now that I’ve settled in more. I think I will need to get used to the ‘wider reading’ part of my studies though. I like reading, but mostly leisure, so we’ll see how this goes. On the bright side, I get an excuse to buy lots of Classics and poetry collections – however, I may find I don’t like Rossetti or Wilde as much now. Pfft. Who am I kidding? I love them even more now!

Rant over, let’s just say this is a whole new experience for me. Despite this being the same school I’ve been to since Year 6, it’s a whole different world when teachers trust you alone in labs filled with various lab tech and equipment. Do you know I once put my finger in a Bunsen burner? There’s a trick, of course, to avoid getting burnt (ironically, taught to me by Mrs B) but still.

I am now going to do work. Like, homework. *sighs* But I shall finish my book first. I forgot how awesome I was, finishing a sizeable book in a day. (Yes, that’s my definition of awesome, unless you think it’s something like defeating Titans.)

~ Persephone

P.S. No, I won’t reveal this Bunsen burner trick on the Internet. Who knows what will happen. (For a reasonable brib- *coughs* No, no.)

First week of A-Levels

So, this week heralded the arrival of A-Levels- the fabled exams we have been dreaming of since year seven (that’s probably just me, I love exams, like the actual exams, not revision or lessons).  I’m finally beginning to feel a little bit proud of the work I’ve done (shh, I did do some work), over the last few years, instead of constantly putting myself down.  It’s all culminating in these two years, and then off to Uni we go, off to very nearly real life.  I haven’t had a lesson in all of my subjects yet, so I’ll do a quick summary of the ones I have, then let you know a bit about school life- which is super duper awesome by the way.

First off is Maths.  As you know, I’ve basically been fucked over by my old school in that I was left in a lower set way below my ability level, and then when they finally realized I could add, I was pushed up to the top set way too fast.  This has meant that I struggle with a lot of basic material, and I’m therefore easily frustrated.  Especially algebra. Why? Why, do we need to put letters in? It’s already ridiculous enough, and now we’ve got imaginary numbers that generally equal -1 or -(square root)9/4.  Just stop, Maths. Pause and think. If you have 50 melons, then x=50. Don’t over think it.

Secondly, Computing.  OK, so there’s about 20 people in the class, and only 3 girls, which is incredibly strange.  The material is pretty much what I did for theory at GCSE, except a lot more in depth, and some of it’s more practical- coding, etc etc.  I’m doing a group project with *gasp* three boys, and now I say that, I must email Mark with my contribution after this! Also paint my nails… I’m getting side-tracked. OK, focus, the teacher is a really lovely chatty, smiley lady who I walked into in the hallway earlier today- oops! I think I’m going to get along really well with her and the class in general.  Also current school (can you do the code name I’m too lazy) has a way better computer system than my old school, literally a thousand times better.

Lastly, English.  Well, I don’t know where to start.  I’ve only had one lesson, and I’m sat on a table with three other girls, and we all got along pretty well and bounces ideas around nicely.  The teacher (one of two), is quite chatty and relatively engaging, but he doesn’t have anything on the way Mrs G can talk about the most insignificant word! We’re doing Seamus Heaney first, and then comparing him to another poet who’s name I’ve forgotten.  Are you doing the same? We’re on WJEC, so I guess you are as well? If so, we must commence some form of study group.  I miss you.  My little dictionary sat on my desk, and I swear I heard it sniffling as it held back sobs of pain at your loss.  That’s not true, it was me crying, not the dictionary, it’s an inanimate object.

I haven’t had a Law lesson yet, but I will tell you all about it when I do.

OK, so I’m going to try and squeeze in as much as I can remember about the school. Here goes; I only register on Monday mornings (so the other days I don’t need to go in until 9), assembly is every other Thursday, on Fridays lessons end at 2.15, on normal days at 3.15, the common room is huge, almost always full of people, there’s an iPod dock and people were playing Abba and Busted but mostly it’s just normal background music, we have tutorials at least once a term, which is like target day I think, but more personal, less about just your grades, the library has those little dividers like in History Boys, and you can listen to music and she doesn’t seem to mind people eating sweets and stuff (I think it’s against the rules but she (the librarian) isn’t all that strict), also it’s always quiet, there’s a lot of boys, and I’ve made friends with one boy called Mark who is quite loud but not in an obnoxious way, also Matt, who is his friend and a bit aloof but so far nice, and on that note, I’ve been trying very very hard to be amicable to everybody, introducing myself lots and making jokes about the weather (in true British form), Agent Z had a bit of a panic moment today, but I had mine on Thursday, and after a weekend to calm down and process, I think we’re both going to be fine, I’m pretty sure I want to do that Access Bristol University thing, probably for English at this point, I’m going to join quite a few clubs/societies to meet people and pad out my personal statement, and disregarding the fact that this was the longest and most grammatically inaccurate sentence I’ve ever written (which is saying a lot), I hope this has given you some insight into my new and only slightly terrifying academic life.

I’m 100% positive I made the right choice in moving, and that’s all that matters.

~Lady Rainicorn

Almost First Day

So, today was my first day (mostly paperwork) of school without you, P. There are over 200 pupils in my year, and the whole building is stiflingly hot all the time.  Boys are not that scary, trust me, they are just normal people- ok, maybe except this one boy who has 13 GCSEs.

The teachers are all very helpful, talkative and nice, which is a change from the often quite scary staff at your school! I’ll find out more about clubs and teams tomorrow, but there seem to be lots of opportunities, so hopefully I’ll join some groups and make new friends *terrified face*.

I’ve also got a train pass, in which I look like an extra from the cast of the Walking Dead, so that’ll be lovely to wake up to every morning.

This was a vaguely pointless post, just wanted to let you know that everything went fine, and I’m finding out more about my one true love of Russian tomorrow.  Last but not least, I miss you so much, this is way too hard without the respite of our little lunch club, I think I might have to re-think my NYU plans so we can live together for uni….

~Lady Rainicorn

A-Levels for September

Okay, I guess I’ve never told anyone about my A-Levels, even though Lady R has. As it is now officially September, and school is looming on the horizon, I figured I’d write a bit about my coming year!

English Literature – Haha, this was the only definite in my choices. I could not imagine a future where I’m not doing anything remotely related to English. However, I just have to say that, although it is not my mother tongue, and I’m certainly not half bad at the subject, many people shy away from this, simply because of the ‘overanalysing’ of literature, which is true. It pains me to enjoy and loathe lessons so much because of the way we now have next to no time to read through the set texts!

History – Oh gosh, this was a hard decision. Originally, I wanted to do Classical Civilisation, but my school never ran it. I’m not really that disappointed, but I knew that doing History would mean remembering a lot of things… It’s not actually that bad? Because I could really be in Hong Kong, and trying to even remember the dynasties of Chinese history is tough for me. All 4000 years of it!

Biology – This kind of ties in with Chemistry, since my uncle had a PhD doing Biochemistry at university, amongst other research (which I’ve forgotten) but is based on traditional Chinese medicine and having been to the labs – is amazing. So I’m simply not ruling out the option of having a science-based career. And because I loved learning about DNA and Punnett squares. ^-^

Chemistry – Now, clearly I’m not as interested in Maths as Lady R. Neither do I have a particular interest in Physics. Shame really. Natural sciences? My 6th form at Nishimiya doesn’t have the variety of subjects at the school Lady R now attends, but I’m thinking it’s for the best. Specialising in anything too early cuts out lots of options. *cough* No offense?

All in all, I think I chose subjects that I’ll enjoy in the long run. I’m also looking to continue studying a little Japanese on the side, and who knows? Maybe I can find a career which ties all these things in? Obviously, I’d want a job related to my interests too, so… Uhh~ I don’t know… I’ll get to it when I get to it.

~ Persephone

P.S. Oh, and for future reference, since we’re doing as much of this blog as possible incognito, all you need to know is that I went (as did Lady R) to a girls’ school in England. Which will be known as Nishimiya Girls’ High School – from a manga which I would love if anyone realised the reference, but it’s okay if you don’t. Challenge time? Hint: it’s shojo, and has a colour in the name and here are the main characters~

Finalized A-Levels

I’ve finally decided on all of my subjects this year and I’m doing:

English Literature- possibly my favourite subject and definitely the most interesting, however I will be lost without you, P, and although your entries in my dictionary will keep me entertained, the void of your dry sense of humor will never be filled.

Law- I will never quite be able to shake the image of us both studying criminal law at King’s College, so I figure, why not keep the dream alive for a few more years? Also need to keep up with my fight for my rights.

Maths (statistics)- at my core I adore all things logical and number-related, and even though I cry when I don’t understand things, I have a feeling A-Level Maths is going to really challenge me and keep me on my toes this year!

Computing- as a total technology lover, and the daughter of a data analyst, computers have always felt like home to me, and now I can learn to do super awesome stuff like coding! We need to get started on that Raspberry Pi!

So,  I think I’ve picked four subjects I’m really passionate about, and hopefully I’m going to be able to take Russian in my free time, which will be absolutely beyond awesome as I feel Russian is a part of my soul now. Nobody can replace our beautiful Mr D, alas.

~Lady Rainicorn 

School: The Pros and Cons~

Going back to school soon 😦 so depressing. I have to get up early for a 8.35 start – why don’t we get night classes?

So I’m compiling a list of pros and cons of going to school to motivate me.

Pros:

1. You don’t become an illiterate idiot who doesn’t know the difference between ‘your’, ‘you’re’ and ‘its’ and ‘it’s’.

2. Seeing your friends… if you have any.

3. Learning about DNA and Punnett squares!

Cons:

1. Getting up early.

2. School dress code – go to hell.

3. Seeing people I don’t like and the teachers who you suspect may or may not be only 5 minutes older than you.

Conclusion:

I’m still going. Not willingly though.

~ Persephone

P.S. I’m going to miss you Lady R, especially in English classes where I would write entries in the back of your dictionary, or simply because you’re the only other person who actually reads.

Sleep? Who needs it?

I’m not quite sure how this site works yet, but I’m a quick learner and a total internet-obsessive, so I’m sure I’ll get the hang eventually!

In response to your previous post, yes, GCSE results were beyond fantastic (Yes, I am addicted to exclamation marks, no, I will not tone it down)! I’m known for being self-assured but I honestly had two of the worst years of my life and to come out of it with the super awesome results I did is nothing short of a miracle. It also proves that I am going to get my Nobel Prize, even if it kills me.

A big well done to you, P, your grades are beyond atmospherically good! That means they’re so good they’re beyond the atmosphere so they’re in space which is very good, trust me.  I’m a little scared of your general amazingness and future plans for world domination also we all know Asians will run everything and I’m already a quarter Nazi, so that’s a pretty bad start. Back to the point, you’re never getting rid of me, as I’m gonna stick around to document your rise to regent-like power.

On a Social Justice note, my mum found an article about amendment 28 being in our school’s (my old school’s) PSHE policies, and she has forwarded it to my Uncle Lee who is a barrister and as a member of the LGBT* community, a strong advocate for our rights.  She’s thinking about some kind of discrimination thingy, the details are sketchy still, but I’ll keep you updated on my crusade to destroy homophobia everywhere *wields sword above head and screams*!

~lady rainicorn

P.S. Nabbie’s not gonna happen again, so please stop with the obnoxious shipping merci.

GCSE Result Bonanza~

Today marks the day. A very special day. A day where tears can have very different meanings.

All in all. We got our results!

Which were ‘amaze balls’ (universally understood superlative of awesomeness) and means that we are on a road of future World domination and working for the man. Google, Aperture, the Doctor? Call us.

Or not, because that would be creepy.

*screams*