Doesn’t it feel like your first Year 7 assembly was only a couple of weeks ago, where the idea of GCSEs, Prom and the future seemed like billions of years?

I am not going to sit here and tell you that that the next year isn’t going to be hard, or that you won’t want to bury your head underneath a pile of AQA revision guides. It will be difficult, it will be stressful and it will be quicker than you think.

I am going to tell you the survival tips I wish someone told me before I started Year 11.

Organisation is Crucial

I think all past Year 11s will agree with me when I say Year 11 is a busy year. There will be homework, coursework, mocks, revision as well as finding the perfect prom dress/suit! Having your time planned is important so that everything gets done. If you are forgetful, like me, set reminders on your phone for your work and its deadline so you can stay on top of things.

Use the holiday time wisely

Even though I love waking up late and watching Netflix until the early hours of the morning during the holiday, I wish I spent a little more time revising. If I could turn back time, I would go over the topics from each subject that I knew I would be studying in the next term. Just by writing a brief set of notes will be so helpful for the next term to come. This will give you a head start so when you go back to school you know exactly what you need work on.

Look After Yourself

The most important part of this whole year is you. If your physical and mental health are at 100% then you will feel like you can do anything (even if it’s Quantitative Chemistry!). If you’re stressed. Talk to someone. If you’re down. Talk to someone. It’s as simple as that. Only talking to someone will help you get through it all.

Perfection is not Practical

Please Remember this: you are not going to get everything right in every assessment! If someone next to you is getting the answer correct when you are not, then good for them. But you need to know that you have time learn from your and get the answer right in time.

Enjoy It

Now you know how to prepare for one of the most stressful school years, I hope that you know it is a really rewarding year where you fully have control over its outcome. Make sure you enjoy the highs and battle the lows, making sure that when you reach the end you know you have done the best you personally could do.