I’m at that stage in life where you move on from sixth form and college, onto the next stage. This means researching my options, writing a personal statement and visiting universities. But not many people my age actually know what they want to do as a career, and so the aforementioned activities can become quite stressful, and difficult to complete. This weekend I went to a university open day, and it was really good. By far the best university I have visited. However, this was the second time I’ve visited this university purely because one: I couldn’t do all of what I had wanted too the first time, and second: I really liked the university. When you’re at an open day, there are key activities that you need to do, for example you need to go to your chosen course talk, or information stand, you need to go on a campus, and accommodation tour to get a feel for the university as a whole, and you need to see the facilities and activities they have to offer - especially if you have a main hobby! The thing is, timings clash. Your course talk may clash with the student life talk, and you might run out of time to see accommodation and everything can become quite stressful. I remember the first university I looked round, and at this point I didn’t know what I wanted to study, so I had four course talks to go to. In the end I had to sacrifice three because I didn't have time to get between the buildings to go to the talks and do everything else in between. That day was quite hectic, especially since it was a university that my family had never looked round before. It was hard to determine what activities were the most important because I didn’t know specifically what I wanted to look at; especially with the courses, so we received lots of information that day. One of the stands we went to, Forensic Science, helped me a lot because the professor there gave me advice to help determine which course I wanted. Unfortunately, my dream course isn’t at this university, but it was still helpful! All open days are designed to help us potential students, by providing lots of information from lively, friendly students and staff. Plus, you can get lots of freebies! The information you can get from an open day, is invaluable because you can get a feel for the university, and receive lots of information from people, who are actually working or studying there. This allows you to ask any question you have and potentially make contacts for the future! I know that this point in life is quite daunting, especially when you know people who have their life sorted out (not me!), and despite it being stressful, visiting universities is incredibly helpful because it can help you make up your mind. And so, it is okay if you don’t know what you want to do, but there are steps out there that can help you decide! Until next time ……

We’re in a time where more and more books are being published, whether that be fiction or non-fiction, but there are always books and plays that remain a classic and a page-turner, and one of these is Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire. I have just studied this play as part of my A Level, and I have to say that it wasn’t what I expected. From the title alone, I wasn’t sure what to anticipate with regards to the plot, but for one I didn’t think it would be the story of a woman, in search of an escape leading her to a cataclysmic battle between fantasy and reality. Blanche DuBois, portrayed by Vivien Leigh in the film, was a southern belle living a life of luxury and grandeur, but after a traumatic past, she takes a ride on the streetcar named Desire to Elysian Fields to stay with her sister Stella, and her brutish husband Stanley Kowalski. Blanche’s downfall is a consequence of her unpleasant and lonely past brought about her desire for companionship and security, which Stanley exploits without any regard to her fragile state of mind. The confrontation between Stanley’s lewdness and Blanche’s delicacy becomes the climax of the play. This play is beautifully crafted by Williams, with complex characters and an engaging plot that surprises you. One can never really determine the true protagonist of the play, or a clear antagonist, highlighting how the play isn’t a typical tragedy as one would expect; Williams has created realism within a tragedy as all characters, including sensitive Mitch, are both good and bad. There is a pull between good and bad, and reality and fantasy for the characters, creating the true calamitous plot. As the New Republic Magazine says the play’s fable is: “Beauty is shipwrecked on the rock of the world’s vulgarity”, and this adequately defines the play as one of beauty and poetry yet disaster and realism, and so Williams has created a work of art that demonstrates a realistic tragedy with a twist.

This Sunday saw the first results show of this season of Strictly Come Dancing. All 15 contestants took to the dance floor for the second time this year, with their scores from week 1 carried over. These combined scores saw Karim Zeroual and his professional partner, Amy Dowden, take first place with 63 points in total, whilst James Cracknell and Luba Mushtuk gained 13 points in week 2, which was added to his total from the first week, making him the lowest scoring celebrity this week with 24 points. Cracknell was only 3 points behind fellow sports star, David James, and his partner, Nadiya Bychkova. Both men were seen to compete in the dance off, but sadly it was a unanimous vote from the three judges, not including head judge Shirley, that David James had improved and deserved to stay. Whilst this week included pancake flipping, Anneka Rice wearing her first ballroom dress and Will Bayley succeeding brilliantly at lifts, next week is an eagerly anticipated week with the celebrities dancing to movies. The remaining 14 contestants have managed to audition well enough, to get another chance of dancing in the Strictly ballroom. Some of the movies that we will see are: Aladdin, a Disney classic by Dev Griffin, Kill Bill, by Anneka Rice, Downton Abbey, with Viscountess Emma Weymouth, and Mary Poppins Returns, with Emmerdale's Kelvin Fletcher. So grab your popcorn and your dancing shoes because this Saturday will be a real golden globe of dancing! Keep dancing! Until next time....

Week 3 of NFL is another success for the Dallas Cowboys as they continue a streak of being undefeated. Like many teams this week the Cowboys won their game, with a score of 31-6, against the Miami Dolphins. The Cowboys have gone from strength to strength since the departure of Tony Romo, but the loss of the great player didn’t stop their fight. Dak Prescott took the place of quarterback for America’s team, and what an amazing job he’s done! Just this season Prescott has achieved a rating of 128.0,  11.5 points higher than Brady. And his talent and leadership was shown in week 3 against the Dolphins. The Cowboys scored 31 points, with 10 of those being scored in the first quarter, whilst the Dolphins only scored 3 in the first quarter. Josh Rosen, quarterback of the Dolphins, was thrice sacked, in the second half, whereas Prescott scored 2 passing touchdowns over the course of the game and a rushing touchdown in the second half. Despite the good game the Dolphins put up, they continued their unfortunate losing streak of 0-3, which is the first time since 2011. Their kicker Sanders missed a 47-yard field goal, and Kenyan Drake fumbled inside the Cowboy’s 10. The Dolphins had opportunities in which they could have gained points against the Cowboys, however it just wasn’t meant to be for this game. The Cowboys were crowned the winners this time, with their fans victorious, hoping the boys can continue their victory into Week 4 when they go up against the New Orleans Saints. Good luck America’s Team! Until next time......

We all listen to music, whether it be from a movie or produced by an artist for the aim of being one of the greatest hits of all time, but we all know lyrics to a variety of songs. These lyrics can have a personal meaning for the artist, and the audience, or they could just be words randomly put together that happen to fit the rhythm – nevertheless lyrics all have an impact on the listener. Some people can listen to music, and when they hear a song they can’t tell you the name or the artist but they know some lyrics and start singing along! I know that happens to me – a lot lol! The lyrics within the song are impressive and memorable, that anyone can remember them when the song is played. There are a few songs out there, for example In My Mind by Dynoro and Gigi D’Agostino, that aren’t instrumental but the lyrics sung are the same throughout, and so those words are easier to remember; however some songs, rap songs for instance, have such a variety of lyrics that remembering them is considered really impressive – to me anyway. I can remember some lyrics from rap songs but not all them – except for Superbass by Nicki Minaj and Don’t by Ed Sheeran. Don’t by Ed Sheeran is telling a story and so the lyrics have meaning, but in the song The Riddle by Nik Kershaw the lyrics are random and so don’t have a personal meaning behind them, however they fit the tune and so make a great song – the name is quite apt for the song as it is quite literally a riddle! This shows the different types of lyrics that fit into music, but there is one genre that lyrics are incredibly important for. Musicals! In every musical, whether it be Mamma Mia, Hairspray or Joseph, all the lyrics are an essential part of the story-telling. I know that in Mamma Mia (the first film and the sequel) the songs used are Abba songs. Now these songs were not written for the purpose of being used within these films, they were purely songs produced for CDs so people can listen to them, however they are a big part of the movies. Each song helps tell the story of the characters and without them the story would be incomplete – Sam’s speech after getting married to Donna would not be the same if it were not part of the song When All Is Said and Done. And so, each musical tells a story through lyrics, and sometimes when listening to the music before seeing the production can be confusing – each song is part of the story, and by just listening to the song, you’re missing part of the narrative. Take Hamilton for instance: a world-renowned, multi-award winning musical that tells the story of American Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, amazingly written by Lin-Manuel Miranda. I haven’t seen Hamilton on stage, only a clip from the Olivier Awards 2018, and I have listened to the soundtrack profusely and I can already tell you some of what happens throughout the musical, purely through the lyrics, but I still don’t fully understand the whole story. Lin Manuel Miranda’s lyrics combined with the music, produce an effective soundtrack that has made me fall in love with the musical – and taught me information about Alexander Hamilton, and so the lyrics are really important! For me, lyrics are a massive part of music that make songs much more effective and personal, and I applaud songwriters for the brilliant job they do. Music is such a big aspect of my life, so much so that I probably listen to at least 1 hour of music per day, and without music some things would never be the same – Christmas music is a massive part of the holiday and without it, it simply wouldn’t be as holly or jolly! So, lyrics for me are better when meaningful and personal. How about you? Do you prefer meaningful, more personal lyrics, or random lyrics that don’t have a specific meaning? Until next time….

This year I had a girly holiday with my sister and a friend, before my sister went to Granada for her year abroad. We had an amazing time, and loved every second of it, however it was quite interesting. Whilst there I learnt a mixture of things, ranging from good to bad, wacky to helpful but in the end they are facts that I will keep with me....for future reference of course! So here are the 10 things I learnt whilst at Center Parcs: 1) Getting lost increases your daily steps - and if you're carrying a heavy bag, say for swimming, you use your arm muscles too! 2) Heading towards the hotel isn't always the right direction - you may end up with a longer walk, but it could be on a scenic route! 3) You're braver with bugs without your parents present - especially when it comes to spiders - but it may just be you, and not your sibling! 4) Always check if the oven is gas or electric, and wait for heat to be felt before calling Guest Services! 5) Odours of men and women don't mix well in changing rooms! 6) It is possible to get stuck in a torrent of water - and you can even go backwards in this torrent (It was on the rapids, so my friend had to come back down and give me a push!) 7) If you're a football fan, then the Sports Café is the place to go! 8) It's better to go out and eat, than to cook - especially if your parents are absent! 9) Earwigs don't like cucumber! 10) If you report a leaking toilet, don't leave it till the last minute (for reporting or contacting Guest Services back) because you might get something out of it - perhaps a voucher! These are some things we learnt, and I must say it was a really great trip at an amazing location - Elveden Forest. So if you fancy a short break away from work, and the hustle and bustle of everyday life then head to Center Parcs. Until next time....

Umbrellas around the pool, are they helpful or dangerous? I recently went on holiday to Majorca, and whilst I was there the weather was lovely; beautiful sunshine, heat with a bit of a breeze and a bright blue sky. It was perhaps the best hotel I have ever been to, it was incredibly clean, with amazing facilities. One of these was the pool. Now, the heat was scorching, so much so that umbrellas were used to shield us from the sun rays. Usually I am all about having a bit of shade, because well, I’m quite pale. And I don’t mean just a bit pale with a tad of colour. No, I mean Snow White pale with no colour. Because of this, I burn quite easily ... just ask me about my back on our first day! Not pretty! And so, I would prefer to be in the sun for a few hours and then the shade, but it was a dangerous game to play in Majorca. I’m just sitting by the pool, with my family, reading a book when it seems like hurricane season. The wind picks up out of nowhere and things start moving. Inflatables, ice cream signs, and the brollies. The wind was so strong, that the brollies, that were stuck in their stands, suddenly went for a fly. Some of the brollies were put up quite high, so it’s understandable that strong winds managed to move them, but the short ones? I don’t know, maybe they felt left out! These flying brollies do protect us from the sun, but what can protect us from them? My sister and a baby, peacefully sleeping, both nearly got skewered, on two different occasions, by these brollies, whilst my dad was playing catch the brolly. Thankfully, my sister took a visit to the pool toilets at that point and the baby was saved by their mum so no one was hurt. The only thing is the brollies went flying again the next day. So our choice was either put on loads of sun cream or risk becoming a brolly BBQ! Thankfully I didn’t become part of a BBQ but I didn’t tan much either! But I wasn’t too badly sunburnt or skewered, so that was a highlight of the holiday! Until next time......

Hi, I'm Abby! An A level student who is a bookworm, movie enthusiast and studentaholic! I wanted a place to share my thoughts and ideas and so here it is. Now I've never had a blog before, but I've always craved a creative outlet. When trying to write this post I couldn't think of a topic, and so decided to brainstorm. I came up with lots of topics but I thought the best one would be to tell you all a bit about myself. I am currently studying English Literature and Language, Biology and Spanish, whilst trying to juggle an EPQ as well. Stressful, I know! I don't have a definite aspiration or career goal in life, except to live a life that I enjoy. Three of my passions are writing, movies, and music. Learning new things also gives me enjoyment, but exams that come with studying are lower on the list of enjoyable things, however they are essential. In my free time I study, but I don't work all the time. Usually, you can find me with music playing, a book (or kindle) in my hand, or the TV on. Deciding on a favourite book is hard, as I have quite a few, but who doesn't? If I had to answer, I would have to name a few in each genre! Writing is a desire I have, that books help to fuel as well as television and film. Writing allows me to create a fantasy world that enables me to escape. I love all sorts of music ranging from pop, country, musicals, Christmas to rock - anything that has emotion and a good beat! TV and films are a big aspect of my life; evidence of this is that I have over 100 DVDs! Again, favourites are hard to name as I like many genres. Some of my favourite TV shows are: Greys Anatomy, Teen Wolf, Hart of Dixie, Friends, Lucifer and The 100....but of course there are many more! Movies that I like range over all genres from romance, to action. The Harry Potter franchise will forever be a favourite, as will the Fast and Furious franchise. I tend to have a particular taste in movies depending on my mood, for instance if I wanted a feel good musical then Mamma Mia or Descendants would have to be the films I watch. Yes, I know Descendants is from Disney Channel, but I think no one is ever too old for Disney! Now, they're my passions but here are some basic facts about me: My favourite season is winter, my favourite holiday is Christmas, I don't like popcorn, I prefer fruit over vegetables, I like cars and sport, I did want to be a doctor (but realised I was too squeamish, lol) my favourite cuisine is Italian, my favourite dessert is homemade cheesecake and my favourite animals are guinea pigs and dolphins. So there you have it. I hope you come back and visit my blog so I can share my thoughts and ideas. Until next time....