Holidays

Personally, I couldn't live without holidays. The time off school, just staying at home for the majority of the break is always much needed.

Some people go away every time the get the chance, jetting off to Spain or America or wherever they fancy. I, having not gone abroad since I was 5, don't know what this is like, but I think I'd prefer to stay at home anyway, maybe doing day trips out to places where it normally rains.

In the Summer, we do have a family holiday up north for a week, on the Eastern Coast normally, although this year we're going to Vancouver Island, Canada for 2 weeks. I'm really excited about this, as it's somewhere different and interesting, and it'll be amazing to meet family I've never seen before.

But that's not what I wanted to write about. I wanted to write about time off, and how much I appreciate it. Being anemic, I feel constantly tired and lethargic, and school can really wear me down. I always feel especially tired when I know the holidays are just around the corner, and I only have a few more days left before I have a few weeks off. I usually just eat and sleep and live on my laptop. There's not a lot else I need or want to do.

Some people complain they get bored during the holidays; the first week or so is fun, as they can chill with their friends and family, or sleep in for as long as they wish. Then they get bored because they have nothing else to do, besides school work which, lets face it, no one really wants to do.

This time, I've made a list of things I need to do, and I'm keeping it on my desk. This way, I know exactly what I have to do, and it doesn't escape me, because it's always there, and I know I'll have to do it all at some point. I'm sure my physics homework can wait a little while.

But when I have a list to work from, I find I get it done without procrastinating too much, as I always feel like the holidays are shorter than they really are. Either way, I think these are going to be a good 2 weeks off, as I don't have anything planned other than sleeping and sticking like glue to my laptop. Call me antisocial.

PS; Happy Easter Sunday!

School Heating

Schools temperature is something that affects pretty much everyone; in the winter it’s always like walking into a freezer in many cases, the Science and Language rooms some of the main culprits.

But it’s at break and lunchtime that we suffer the most. We do have 2 wet rooms, but they are nearly always closed for a number of (rubbish) reasons. Even when it’s snowing, we’re still locked out, standing round outside slowly freezing over.

So, a few of us have resorted to hunting down radiators round school, sitting on or standing next to them as a source of more than welcome heat. We’re not the only ones with this idea, however, with a few other students hogging the better radiators. It’s like the Hunger Games, but not as vicious, I suppose. We’re like little limpets, clinging on to the radiators like our lives depend on it.

But even then, sometimes we get kicked off the radiators, for no apparent reason. There’s one radiator outside PTL which we can only sit on for a limited amount of time, as one teacher likes to have it for himself. Whenever he comes along, and there’s a few of us sat on it or standing next to it, we’re forced outside again. Rude.

It’s the same story with one of the best radiators, at the top of the stairs in the Language block. It’s really long and really hot, all the time. It’s like a Mecca for many Year 10 students, and for other students who have their form rooms in the language blocks. Unfortunately we often get kicked off this one too, for ‘loitering in the corridor’.

So then we meander outside, wait until the coast is clear and return to the radiator, or track another one down elsewhere in school. It’s sad, I know. Sometimes, we do put up with the bitter wind and stand shivering outside whilst staff hide themselves away with cups of tea and coffee.

But, in all seriousness, I think there should be two or three rooms for each year to go to when it’s cold, windy or rainy outside. I understand that some students take these rooms for granted and mess around, causing the rooms to get locked. If we were given these ‘safe havens’, I’m sure a lot of people would let a teacher know about these rascals, so they get kicked out and the innocent get to stay nice and dry and warm.

I think this could work, as there are plenty of students who would appreciate these rooms and would stay sat down at all times, talking politely with their friends and not shouting across the room. Just saying.

So please, either let us stick to radiators like glue, or give us rooms to sit in. Simples.

Mr Worsley,

Thank you so much for going through my journalism uploads each week; I really appreciate you taking time to look through my work when I’m sure you have plenty of other more important thing you could or should be getting on with. So, again, thank you so much!

I’m coming to the end of my 6 months; I’m due to finish on 20^th April, as this I uploaded my first article on the 20^th October last year. I did think I had less time than this, but I’m glad I have a few more weeks left, as I don’t want this to end, to be honest!

Easter is just around the corner, which means 2 weeks away from school, and I wasn’t sure if I would get a chance to talk to you about what I could do over that period of time.

So I was wondering if there were any particular topics you would like me to cover, or if there were any particular features you would like to see in my last few pieces of work?

I think the easiest way for you to give me feedback is to comment below. You can do this by clicking on the title of this article, and then there should be a comment box underneath which I can see and read. You can comment anonymously as you don’t have an account and I think that would be the easiest option for you. 

Thank you, and Happy Easter!

Ruth :)

Under The Weather

It’s never nice being ill, as it usually induces a whole heap of problems, as well as feeling like the contents of a bin bag – rubbish.

I’ve had a cold this weekend, which I think was worsened by the fact my younger sister had a sleepover last night; the pair of them kept out of my way well enough, but her room is right next to mine and I could hear them chortling away to themselves at half past 1 in the morning.

Yes, I was feeling sorry for myself, and I still am; she was having fun and I was lying in bed trying to sleep with a head full of wool. I just wish my ears were blocked, and then I wouldn’t have been able to hear them.

But even when you don’t have two 12 year olds thrown in, being sick is still no fun, and I always blame the Cavemen for it; surely the thought to kill the guy with a runny nose crossed their undeveloped minds? Or maybe not. But still, maybe that way we wouldn’t have so many strains of illnesses today.

You feel drowsy and moody and tired and you just want to sleep all day. But, for most people, this is not an option, and we have to carry on doing everything we would normally do; going to school or to work, tidying, cleaning, hoovering and, of course, one of my biggest problems; bending over to pick up the things I drop. It’s like a death wish for you and your sinuses.

I think just feeling ‘full of it’ is what effects people the most; the unwillingness to do anything, no matter how big or small the task. We just want to sit on the sofa and watch quiet TV with a cup of Lemsip, or tea, whichever one you prefer.

When I’m ill, I normally feel headachy, irritable, tired and woolly-headed which are some pretty common symptoms of a cold. Being anaemic doesn’t really improve things either; I feel dizzy and tired on a day to day basis and having a cold just emphasises this. The anaemia is tolerable when it’s by itself, as I suppose I’m used to the feeling now, but having a cold too just leaves me wanting to curl up in the fetal position next to my cat with a mug of tea.

My Mum thinks this is just the comedown from last weekend; I was on such a high from the concert and now I’m back down to Earth, sat at my laptop again. I think this is very likely, as I was very excited and giddy last weekend, and now my body is just too tired to keep me working properly. I don’t blame it to be honest.

Yes, I do feel sorry for myself, which is why I’m writing this pointless article. I’m not even ashamed of myself. That’s how rubbish I feel. I need a cup of tea. 

One Direction: The Experience

(Please feel free to skip this article; this is mostly for me to look back on, but I thought I would upload it anyway.)

Put it this way: 16^th March 2013 is a day I will always remember. I waited over a year for Saturday, and the train down to Manchester was euphoric; I was finally the boys who I’ve only ever dreamed of seeing without a screen between us, be it my phone, my laptop or the TV.

The day on a whole was fantastic, despite the early start; I got to see my favourite boy band with 3 of my best friends… what more could I ask for?

  Once in Manchester, we got our bearings to make sure we knew where to get into the arena, bought rather a lot of merch, and then found somewhere to have lunch. We had originally planned to go to Nando’s, and fortunately The Printworks is close to the MEN. Nando’s didn’t open until 11.30, and we arrived just after 10, so we made our way to the Arndale Centre, which was also closer than I had anticipated. We wandered round for a bit, before heading back to The Printworks. After waiting 10 minutes for the restaurant to open, we were turned away as they didn’t open until 12 due to some staffing problems. So, we practically raced another group of girls to the Arndale which also had a Nando’s, it turned out. Upon arrival, Megan and I ordered straightaway; we had deliberated on what to order in advance, so we had an advantage over the ‘others’. It was, of course, lunchtime and the chain was very busy, so the food took it’s time to come, but we all agree that it was well worth the wait!

With full stomachs, the four of us headed back to the MEN, where a crowd was already gathering outside the steps up to the doors. Our bags were searched for food and other restricted items, and we were allowed through! The excitement within our group was insane; we’d been looking forward to this day for so long and now we were just a few hours away! We queued a little longer at the doors, tickets in hand before being let into the tunnel surrounding the arena. I’d never been to a concert before, so it was fun trying to determine which way to go; left, or right? We went right, and had to walk a considerable way round the tunnel before we found the right door. Walking through was so intense for me, knowing the next time I walked out, I would have seen the boys with my own eyes. I felt sick with anticipation. I gasped as I walked out into the seats, taking in the huge expanse of the dome. We all squealed as we took our seats, realising how close we were to the B Stage, as well as the excellent view of the main stage. We were some of the first in, and watching the arena slowly fill up was something else; the more people came in, the more excited I got. There were music videos playing on the jumbo screens, building up the atmosphere as people enjoyed the music; Single Ladies was played at one point, and this one lad got up and started dancing! The arena cheered him on and a lot of people filmed it too!

The concert wasn’t due to start until 2, but at about 1.50, the lights went out in a flash, and the whole arena screamed. The first support act came on, and to be honest, I didn’t like her at all. With a rather annoying American accent she introduced herself as Camryn, and everyone turned to one another in confusion; who was she? Either way, she got everyone going, ready for One Direction. But, 5 Seconds of Summer were next, and they were fantastic! They were clearly enjoying themselves and I definitely was too, singing along with the rest of the crowd.

Then, the time came. The moment I had been waiting for for so long. The first video played on the jumbo screens and the arena went wild, my ears popping with the noise. The screens went black, and the stage lit up as the boys came running out, greeted with the loudest combined noise I have ever heard humans make. For the first few seconds, I absolutely screamed my head off, and then I just started crying. Tears streamed down my face for the first song, and then I got myself together. The rolled through the songs so fast, I could barely keep up. But I enjoyed every second of it, cheering and screaming, singing and dancing, taking photos and waving at the stage. I was having the time of my life, and I felt like all my dreams had come true, all at once. Like a 5 year old on Christmas Day.

Flying out over the crowd

Soon, they were flying forwards, out to the B Stage, directly in front of us. I screamed so hard as Niall waved at me, and I jumped up and down like as I waved back, grinning like an idiot. But right then, I didn’t care, and I still don’t. Niall waved at me and that’s all the matters to me!

The boys sang 2 songs on the B Stage, dancing and fooling around, waving at fans and singing their hearts out. Then, they flew back to the main stage, where they did the rest of their set list. I think my favourite song of the night was ‘Teenage Dirtbag’. I know it’s not their song, but they sang it like it was, and had an ear to ear grin on my face the whole way through.

I cried through the last two songs; the first songs from their two albums. I made every second last as I took in the arena; lights flashing and confetti floating. It was definitely the best time of my life, and it’s going to take a lot to beat it. I would give anything to go back and see them, over and over. 

Towards the end of the show; I like the lighting here.

Plans

I consider myself a pretty organised person. I may not always come across as co-ordinated and orderly, but I do try to keep my life as well thought-out as possible. It just makes things easier, instead of being spontaneous and leaving things to chance, or to the last minute.

With homework, I do sometimes procrastinate and put it off; depending on the subject and the kind of work we have been given. For something like English, I usually do it the day I get it, as English is my favourite subject and we are usually given interesting assignments. I usually do my German homework within a quick timescale too, but this is more because I’m very likely to forget what we were doing in the lesson, and how to actually speak German properly.

But it’s not just with my school work that I prefer to be organised. It’s with pretty much everything else too! I know some people would really hate to live like that, but I don’t control my day to day life, sticking to a single, boring regime. I just prefer to know what’s happening and when.

On Saturday, I’m going to see One Direction in Manchester. Words cannot describe how excited I am (apart from maybe expletives and nonsense exclamations). But this has definitely got me into a planning frenzy; I want to get there and back home in once piece. I’ve never really had to bother with train times and station changes before; I’ve always travelled with either my mum or my dad, and my dad always sorts the tickets for us, as he’s a train driver and knows what he’s doing. It’s the same with train changes, as dad knows which train is going to be where, all the time, meaning we’re never lost and always on time.

This time it’s different; my dad is having nothing to do with my trip to see a ‘rubbish, manufactured boy band’. When I realised my mum wouldn’t sort the tickets, and neither would the friends I’m going with, I took to the internet to get cheap tickets for my friends; they seemed to expect to magically appear in Manchester, having seemingly made no travel arrangements for themselves. I don’t need tickets as my Mum is coming with, supervising, which means my travel exemption is valid – I have to have either my mum or dad with me, and my rail pass, to travel for free, thanks to Dad and his very handy discounts.

But this is an example of how I prefer things to be organised and arranged; if I hadn’t done it, no one else would have. If things are pre-arranged and sorted out before hand, it just makes the whole ordeal, or experience, a lot more pleasant and enjoyable, no matter what it is. It’s not about controlling every single detail and not allowing any leeway, not at all. It’s about having a basic guideline to follow, like a backup plan, and knowing what’s going on and when.

It’s just how I am, and I think it makes every day a bit easier. 

Work Experience Part 2

Day 1:

I was eager to see how today would go, and overall, I’m pretty happy with how it all went. Despite initial nervousness, the staff made me feel welcomed and comfortable, and gave me jobs I was more than happy to do.

It was exciting to learn how to use the till, which was something I’d never done before. It was also interesting seeing how the prescriptions work. I’m definitely looking forward to tomorrow!

Day 2:

Today was really good; I enjoyed walking round town with David, talking to him about the pharmacy as we visited the other pharmacies in Kendal to collect prescriptions. I did some of the same things as yesterday; working on the till and date checking stock. I also got the chance to observe the process in the dispensary which was really interesting, as I’ve always wondered about what goes on behind the counter, and how everything works. They had different coloured baskets so the staff knew which ones were waiting, which were then more urgent than call backs, or deliveries.

Day 3:

Today was another good day – I did a range of different jobs, and my new skills are improving as I use them more; using the till to serve customers is getting easier. I was also allowed to make up a prescription in the afternoon, which meant looking through the draws filled with prescription drugs, to try and find the right drug with the right quantity. It was pretty confusing, but one of the staff helped me to find the right draw when I got stuck.

Day 4:

Once again, a great day; I took and gave out prescriptions and I asked the staff a few questions about the pharmacy, and the dispensary. I used the till a few times, not just to serve customers but to order stock too. I did some more unpacking of deliveries too, which is a simple job, but I quite enjoy it; I find it pretty interesting seeing which drugs the pharmacy needs the most of, and what kind of effect they have. It’s always fun to try and say the ridiculously long names of the drugs too!

Day 5:

A really good final day in my placement -  I filed away some old exempt prescriptions and did some shredding, which was a sort of exciting new task! The shredder had a sensor down the slot where the paper goes, and it always made me jump when the shredder came to life each time I slotted some paper in! I also did more unpacking of stock; there was so much! But today was quieter, so it was nice to chat to Alison whilst we unpacked box after box. When I got back from my lunch, they gave me £10 pounds to go down to WH Smiths with to buy some paper wallets and a binder with. This made me happy, as it showed they trusted me to take their money and buy the right things.

I’ve really enjoyed my week at Rowlands Pharmacy, and Alison ordered me to write down my address and phone number, so that when I turn 16 I might be able to apply for a Saturday job with them. I’ve definitely learned a lot, and it’s been a fantastic experience.

-

Work experience has been really wonderful; I didn’t really know what to expect during last week and I was pleasantly surprised. I wasn’t sure what kind of jobs I would be doing, as I’m only 14 and obviously have none of the appropriate qualifications the pharmacist has, or the dispensary assistants. But I did get to make up one prescription, and I found my way around the shop fairly easily, after date checking a few of the stands, and merchandising stock too.

I think I was very lucky with my placement, as I know some people haven’t really enjoyed their experience, or were expecting to be doing something different. I’ve learnt a lot about the basics of being in a pharmacy, and working in a regular shop too. It’s definitely something to look into as a career when I’m finished with my GCSE’s and starting to think about my A-Levels.

Medicine is a very wide field and I think there are a lot of careers open to me that I would enjoy. It’s just a matter of finding which one!

Life Skills

So far, my work experience has gone really well, and I’ve really enjoyed it. With one day left, I’m exhausted and aching, but it’s been well worth it. Today, during a quiet moment at the pharmacy, I was talking to one of my supervisors about lessons at school, and whether I enjoy them or not.

I ended up ranting about Life Skills, and how pointless it really is. My basic argument was that we don’t get a GCSE out of it, and we do not learn any life skills.

To me, the definition of ‘life skill’ is a basic skill you’ll need at some point in later life. Be it setting up a bank account or buying a house or wiring up a TV. Most things like this are, in theory, fairly simple, but, when you have no idea where to go about it, it can be very hard indeed.

We were talking about this in English a little while ago; once we get out of school and move away, perhaps to university or to get a job, we have no idea how to live. We have to figure everything out for ourselves and hope we get it right first time.

I know we can ask our parents for help, or our friends, should we need assistance, but wouldn’t it be more practical to show us, in school, instead of going through all the hassle when the time comes? I think we all, as school students, definitely need to know basic financial skills, such as budgeting and managing various finance accounts.

So when it comes to lesson like Life Skills, surely they should be teaching us real life skills, as opposed to information we forget almost instantly and will almost certainly never need anyway. The same goes for Maths; we’re given worksheets to fill in, tables to copy, textbooks to work through, and they’re all filled with methods and information we’ll probably never use. Shouldn’t they consider teaching us things like working on a till, or the basics of accountancy? A lot of the skills we need are numerical, but not like the rubbish we endure each maths lesson.

Obviously most jobs will give you crash course on how to actually do your job, but a bit of background experience never hurt anyone. If someone did choose to be an accountant of some sort, if they had had some experience with the sort of work they might need to do thanks to school, surely their job will be much easier right from the start?

It’s just a thought, but I think more practical lessons would help a lot of young people for when the time comes. Simply because the time will come.

Work Experience Part 1

(The plan is that I’ll write this article on what I’m expecting to happen during next week and so on, and next Sunday, I’ll write about what happened, and whether it was as how I imagined.)

I’ve always known about work experience, and that I’ll have to do it at some point. Back in October, when we received the first letter about the whole scheme, I wasn’t really bothered; I still had 5 months or so. But those few months have flown by, and the 4^th of March has really crept up on me.

Everyone always asks me why I chose to go to a pharmacy, and to be honest, I’m not quite sure. I think it was because I’ve always aspired to have a medical career, and as a 14 year old, I’m not going to go straight into theatre. This experience will hopefully give me some of the background information I might need, should I choose to explore the field of medicine.

I always overthink things, and worry about everything possible. So a new, almost foreign experience, like this, has got me frenzied. I’ve never had a Saturday job or a paper round or anything like that, so I don’t know what it’s going to be like, working with customers, serving them and taking prescriptions. I also have no idea how to work a till. I’m pretty sure they’ll give me a crash course, going through the basic essentials I’ll need to know. But I’ve never had to handle cash, and give out change before. So a big worry of mine right now is counting out the wrong change, or even charging the customers too much or too little.

I have been in to meet a few members of staff over the half term just gone. They seemed very friendly and helpful, and one lady seemed pretty sarcastic, which instantly ticked a few of my social boxes. The pharmacy moved just before Christmas, into a newly refurbished building on Gillingate, so it’s quite modern and fresh, which should hopefully make me more comfortable; if I was holed up in some stuffy old shop for the day, I can guarantee you I would hate it. Straight away.

But that’s another thing; I’m not there all that long. The times I’ve been given are 9:30 until 3:00, which is about an hour less than I am at school for, and then I have my hour off for lunch too.

So, in theory, next week should be a great experience for me, but I think it’s up to me to make that happen. If I were to stand round all day, doing the bare minimum, I would be bored off my butt. But if I throw myself into the tasks I am given and grasp the opportunity with both hands, the week should be great.

I suppose only time will tell, although no doubt I’ll be panicking as I walk in tomorrow!