Books and snow.

It snowed again today!! I'm not in college this week because of half term so I don't mind it! The flakes were massive so it looked really pretty outside!  I managed to catch one on my hoodie sleeve but it melted before I could take a picture of it!
I've managed to do quite a lot of work today which I'm really happy about, only Ancient history and English lit work to go! Well, and reading, but I don't really count that as work because it's fun and I enjoy it. I've also wanted to read Jane Eyre since I did it in play form at secondary school, my Grandma bought me a gorgeous version of the with really nice thick pages and such a pretty cover but sadly I never got time to read the whole thing! Luckily I'm getting to read it now and it's fantastic!
I've managed to fill my iPhone up, I've had to start taking songs and apps off my phone! :(
I'm seeing my old school friends tomorrow, I'm visiting when they're still in school which will be fun! More on that tomorrow!
Jess xx

Fruit Pastilles

It snowed again today which is annoying because I liked being back at college again and seeing all of my friends! I have to do a performance of a section of 'Agamemnon' in classics on Thursday though which could be interesting!

On another note, I really hate it when people only talk to you when they want something or feel down. It's like they only think you're good for sorting out problems or doing them favours and it really annoys me how people think that's okay. Why would someone want to help you if you aren't good friends and don't talk to them when you're in a good mood? It makes me for one not want to help as much because seeming to only be in a bad mood when talking to me makes me feel like the person only finds them interesting or helpful if there's something to help with, not someone who they can talk to and just have a good conversation with. I don't really have to say much about people that only talk when they want something; that's just rude and selfish. For both, it's taking advantage of the person's kindness and friendship. Anyway, rant over!

I'm sorting out my driving license application as well which is exciting and scary too! I have to get it sorted out by the doctors though which will take ages so mine provisional probably won't be sorted for few months yet.

We were learning about amino acids in biology today and my teacher who was absent last week got us to make amino acids in groups from cocktail sticks and fruit pastilles! It was so good because our group did it well and then we got to eat the fruit pastilles afterwards! A whole big bag between 3 of us!! It was a great start back to college!


The awesome fruit pastille amino acid!

Sorry my posts have been a bit random and jumpy recently, I haven't had much to say! Hopefully it'll improve soon!
Jess xx


Coffee shops and swing dresses

I've realised that yesterday is the only day I didn't post during this entire week! I'm sticking to my goals pretty well!
I spent all of Friday watching films and managed to get through Notting Hill, The Holiday, The Proposal and Love Actually.
I watched My week with Marilyn on Saturday, it's about Marilyn Monroe and it's an amazing film, I really love it. Today I watched the real Marilyn in Some like it Hot, it was fantastic, if you haven't seen it, a full version is on YouTube, it's well worth the watch!
It's reinforced my love for Marilyn and the 40s/50s style. I've always loved how pretty and feminine the clothes were for women in the 40s and 50s, I wish it was fine to wear swing dresses nowadays, they're so pretty!
I always like thinking about what the 50s in New York would be like, just sitting around in a coffee shop, I don't know why but I really like the idea of it! Just the thought of sitting around with jazz playing in the background too...it would be amazing.

I love Marilyn Monroe though. We had to research her for history last year and I found her story so interesting but tragic. She was such a good actress and singer, plus she was beautiful and not a stick like most celebrities today. She wasn't perfect and she got where she did because of her talent. I really love her because even though she had all of the problems, she was still amazing.

I have the day off college again tomorrow so I get a 4 day weekend which is pretty cool! I think tomorrow will be a Disney film day...
Jess xx

Snow days and university!

So college texted everyone last night to say it was cancelled today because of a severe snow warning; boy were they right!

I got a lie in today for the first time in ages, I definitely needed it! When I woke up it was white outside!! I don't usually like snow because it disrupts everything, but because college was cancelled anyway, it's awesome! I've decided that I'm spending the day in my pjs, in bed with my laptop and phone with hot chocolate, lion cereal and a film! Perfect day if I do say so myself! I do wish I had someone to cuddle with though, that would be nice. I miss cuddles though tbh, the one cruddy thing about being single D:

 

The view from my bedroom window, you can barely tell the pavement from the road!!!

My amazing Gingerbread hot chocolate with cinnamon and chocolate
 in my Starbucks mug that I got for Christmas, its so good!!!
 

I just got an email from UCL saying that I've got a place on the taster day that they've got on 13th February!!!!!!! I'm actually beyond excited because the course is Ancient worlds/Classics which is the course I want to apply for at UCL when I have to choose my Unis next year!!! So if it goes well I'll know if I want to go or not!!! I had to choose from 3 workshops so I decided to pick one where I get to study Greek writing and books, and seeing what the papyrus say about culture and society of ancient civilisations which is amazing and so interesting! Today has just turned out AMAZING!!

I'm off to snuggle in my duvet, eat cereal and watch Notting Hill, I'll probably write another post later!
Jess xx

Stupid snow

So it snowed again today! Yay. I don't really like snow much if I'm honest. It's so pretty when its actually snowing, but the second it hits the floor it's nothing but trouble and its horrible. It was really thick on the grass outside the classroom window and when we got out of our lesson, the ground was slushy and there were people throwing snowballs. I hate idiots that throw them at anyone, they're just being stupid because snowballs can actually hurt quite a lot. Fair enough if you're playing with friends, but don't get everyone involved. I love having fun in the snow as much as the next person, but I prefer it when it's not at risk of trapping me at college and stopping lessons, and it messes up the transport systems so it's hard to get anywhere because of traffic and delays. Plus it makes it super dangerous to walk anywhere so it's hard to go anywhere! Anyway! Rant over.

I GOT AN A IN MY ANCIENT HISTORY ESSAY I DID AGES AGO! I'm beyond happy! I worked really hard on it so it was hoping it was going to be good! This is the 2nd A I've got and 1st for Ancient History so I'm really happy that I've shown that I'm capable of getting As at A level! Yay!

I got a late Christmas present from my parents today too, it's the cutest pair of pyjamas! The top has a beagle on it! I have a beagle so I'm super happy because they're so cute! The bottoms are like lounge trousers but they're fleecy and so warm, and they're stripy which is so cool! :')
Jess xx

There's no business like snow business!

It snowed today! First snow of this year! Yay! It's officially christmas time!
I've been struggling recently with concentrating on my work so yesterday I tried something new...turning off the internet. Shock horror! And funnily enough, it actually worked!!! :D I managed to do my Classics essay in under 2 hours because of that! But to work properly, I always have to be comfortable. In college today, we were talking about this and I've come up with a few ideas to figure out my best working conditions.
So here we go; Jess's ultimate working tips!

1. Turn off the internet/social networking sites. If you still have to use the internet, try to do as much work at school where you can't access any distracting websites, I've only just realised this, but they're blocked for a reason. If you can't do work at school, restrain yourself from going on Facebook; set yourself a time period that you will work in without going off topic, and if you do this, give yourself a little break to check your timeline! Or get your parents to block social networking sites until you've finished the work! It can be annoying at the beginning but it's actually very useful!
2. Clear your workspace of any distractions. Trust me, when you're procrastinating, ANYTHING can distract you. Make sure you only have what you need around you. Have anything that will motivate you to work around, just make sure you don't have fun things around! It'll help in the long run!
3. Make sure you're relaxed and your head is clear. Trying to work when you're stressed and distracted by other thoughts is possibly one of the hardest things to do like, ever. If you need to, just watch a bit of TV or read before you start work. Just get relaxed and motivated to work, focus on it and concentrate. 
4. Get a drink and snacks to keep you going throughout the work period. Make sure you keep hydrated when you're working or your mind will drift and you won't concentrate or work to you fullest potential. Set yourself mini goals and when you complete one, have a little snack! Be it sweets or a biscuit or an apple, anything you enjoy and will want to work towards! It's actually quite a good way to stay on track of work because you actually want to work to get the treat at the end of the section you're doing!
5. Wear something comfortable. Tight or annoying clothes will stop you focussing on your work fully. I always change in to my lounge trousers/jogging bottoms when I do work at my desk because they're super soft, warm and baggy so I can sit any way I want to without them being tight and awkward. My thoughts are basically the slobbier the better! Baggy and comfortable is the best thing because you don't have awkward buttons or zips digging in to your sides or tummy when you're working! 
6. Make a plan/to do list. For the last week or so, I've been making to do lists for each day. It makes it easy to organise and see what needs to be done each day, plus it gives you an extra bit of satisfaction when you cross something off! If you have to write an essay, make a plan. Honestly, over the last week or so, I've been set 3 essays and every time I've written an essay plan for it. It makes it easier to decide what to write as you can set out your main points, write out the quotes you want to use so you don't have to search for them (MASSIVE time saver!) and you can also move points around before you start writing it so it makes more sense! So much simpler! If you've never done it, try it. It will make such a difference to the amount of time you spend writing essays. It also allows you to basically write your essay in note form, get it checked by the teacher and only have to add in a few extra words to make it in to proper sentences! It doesn't have to be super detailed, but it also doesn't have to be sparse and barely any use at all! Writing out your main points, the quotes and the basic outline to the analysis makes essays so much easier. But remember, you don't have to stick fully to the plan, so if you come up with an awesome idea, don't forget to add it in! 
7. Give yourself little, manageable targets to work towards. If you set tasks for you to do, it can make it easier to organise your revision/work. Cutting a mountain of work in to bite size chunks will help massively. Maybe you have a huge essay to do or a lot of research? Say that you'll write 2 paragraphs/points and then have a break, or find out 5 pieces of information then get a snack? YOu can tailor it to you, it's your work!
8. Finally, DO WHAT'S BEST FOR YOU. If you already have a good way of working, ignore me and carry on! If you don't and like me, you get severely distracted a lot of the time, take note and try a few of these ideas out! They won't all work for everyone, some will work better and others will fail miserably. But if you don't try, you'll never know what works and what doesn't!

Hope this has been a massive help to anyone that's struggling with their work/revision skills :)

My perfect work set: Gingerbread latte, a few sweets and an essay plan!

Baggy lounge trousers and my cute dog slippers; how adorable are they?!

Jess xx