5 Tips for Surviving Sixth Form

Hey!

I am in my final months of Sixth Form now (thank goodness!) so I've decided now I have had pretty much the full experience I would now pass on some tips to you on how to survive Sixth Form (which can also account for college). Going to Sixth Form can be exciting when you realise you'll finally be leaving secondary school and feel a bit more like an adult but it can also be a super stressful time. 

1. Keep a folder for each subject right from the start. One of the mistakes I made in my first year was not having a folder prepared for my subjects. Then when I did, I kept forgetting to keep up with it and would end up with months and months worth of paperwork on my desk not organised into folders. Have a folder prepared and put your work in their daily or weekly.
2. Find a space in your house, whether in an office or your bedroom, where you can do your work quietly and keep everything organised. I don't mean to scare you but you will have a hell of a lot of work and essays to keep up with throughout Sixth Form! Having an office to store all your work and a desk to do your work at with all your necessary textbooks and stationery would be ideal but if that isn't possible then having a desk in your room will be good. It will make things a lot more difficult just doing work on your bed when you have books and paper everywhere.
3. Don't let anyone pressure you in to going to university. One of the main things that really angered me about Sixth Form, or maybe just my one in particular, was the immense amount of pressure to go to university. My Sixth Form always went on at us to go to University and barely gave us any information on other routes such as going straight to work or taking an apprenticeship. This is your life and you can what the hell you want with it. If going straight to work or doing an apprenticeship is what's best for what you want to do then do it- don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Not going to University isn't going to make you 'fail' or whatnot like some Sixth Forms give the impression of and it's just as good to do other things in life.
4. Don't stress about mock exams. I have witnessed everyone in Sixth Form stressing about mock exams and I just don't understand why! To me it seems unnecessary stress to put yourself under and it doesn't represent how well you will do in your actual exams. Use the time to relax, do any coursework if you do coursework subjects and make the most of the time you have before real exams. I got E's and U's in my mock exams because I didn't want to stress myself out for no reason but I still did as well as I wanted to in my real exams. Mock exams do not represent reality. 
5. Make time for yourself and for socialising. It can be so easy to get caught up in your work and you'll wonder where on earth you'll ever find the time to just relax. Through all the stress you need to remember to just be you and do things that you enjoy like watching YouTube videos, going out with friends and just getting outside in general. You don't want to spend all your time cooped up inside studying- go out and get some fresh air! You don't want to lose you.

My whole Sixth Form experience was a mix of things for me. I absolutely hated secondary school and I was glad to do something new, do subjects I enjoy and feel more like an adult. I wanted more freedom, free periods and to think about my future. However, it has also been the most stressful thing I have been through. Sixth Form forces you t o think about your career and make decisions for yourself which will affect the rest of your life. Sixth Form can get so caught up in grades, numbers and statistics so it is important to remember to just be you and take decision-making one step at a time.

What are you tips for getting through education? Let me know!