Books I'm Loving This Month

1. If I Stay - Gayle Foreman

There are very few books that I can sit down with and read cover to cover in one sitting. With this book, I could never not. Honestly, there are no words to describe the emotion this novel put me through, and reading it was a pleasure, although it didn’t feel like it at the time. It’s rare for me to be rooting for the characters in a novel at all, let alone as hard as I was (and am still) rooting for Mia, and even for Adam. 100% recommended for everyone, and I’m very much looking forward to watching the film adaptation (and reading the sequel!).

2. Looking For Alaska - John Green
When I first read this book about 4 years ago, I hated it. I didn’t connect with any of the characters, and frankly, I hated Alaska (the character, the place is lovely I’m sure). This did not make for an enjoyable read, but after re-reading recently, I’m in love. Being this little bit older than I was, I found it so much easier to relate to the protagonists, and the story just really resonated with me in a way that it hadn’t before. However, Looking For Alaska still isn’t as life-changing as Green’s other novels.

3. One Of Us Is Lying - Karen McManus
I picked this up by chance in one of my much-too-frequent Waterstones impulse buys, and I am so so glad that I did. A riveting plot, developed yet still guilty-pleasure-esque stereotypical characters, and a deep underlying moral lesson, this novel is so unique and a fresh take on a too-overly-done genre.. So fresh, in fact, that you don’t realise the trope until you come to the big revelation (of which, of course, my lips are sealed).

4. Just Like Fate - Cat Patrick and Suzanne Young
Every single one of Patrick’s novels are incredible. Every single one, no exaggeration. I first fell in love with Forgotten, then Revived, then The Originals (all 100% recommended), and now her collaboration with Suzanne Young. I’m not normally a sucker for romances (not reflected by this list) but I really was for Just Like Fate. Both Patrick’s and Young's writing styles are so comprehensive yet evoke so much emotion, it’s impossible to not adore their characters.

5. What Light - Jay Asher

Okay so I realise I've gone completely romantic on y'all, which wasn't the plan, but I guess that's what I've been reading recently! Jay Asher (author of the incredible novel 13 Reasons Why) is one of my favourite authors of all time, even though I've only read two of his books (both of which are absolute masterpieces). So cheesy, so Christmas-y, so much less dark than 13RW, such a fun read that still really makes you think. 

TV I'm Loving This Month

Here are 5 TV shows that I'm Loving This Month!

1. Pretty Little Liars
Omgggggggg!!!! I am literally watching the latest episode while I'm writing this... SO good!

2. Victorious
Don't judge. I rediscovered Victorious on Netflix recently because I was trying to remember the name of a song sung on the show (it was Beggin' On Your Knees by Victoria Justice if you're interested) and I've just been watching ep after ep ever since.

3. LOST
My family and I were pretty late to the party with regards to LOST, only discovering it a few years ago. We have the first 4/5 seasons on DVD and I've been rewatching slowly over the past few months. I'm still not over so many of the deaths, although I've been told to series ending is very disappointing...

4. Peppa Pig
Okay hear me out... I'm taking A Level French, and it's really helpful to be able to hear someone speaking the language but relatively slowly, so you get used to the sounds (and learn some new vocab). That's my reasoning for watching Peppa Pig (in French, of course), and ngl I'm actually kind of enjoying it.

5. American Horror Story
Again, I was way late on the AHS bandwagon, but now I'm on it I love it so much. I've almost finished season 3 (Coven) and am super excited to watch the rest!

What are you loving on TV right now?

Films I'm Loving This Month

Here are 5 of the films that I'm Loving This Month!

1. Moana
Yep, I'm still in love with it! I mean, the soundtrack alone is enough to make Moana an instant classic. That iconic 'I am Moana' yaaaassssssss!!!

2. Hacksaw Ridge
I saw this a couple of months ago when it was first released, and (I kid you not) I literally cried from the opening scene until way after the credits. For me, the main character was so relatable even though his circumstances weren't, which I thought was a lovely parallel. I must rewatch, but I'll remember to bring the tissues this time!

3. St Trinian's
Having adored this movie (and it's sequel) for many, many years, I was thrilled to catch it on TV the other day. I still laugh, I'll be honest.

4. Kick-Ass 2
Both Kick-Ass movies are such feel-good guilty pleasures of mine. The characters are wonderful, the plot is hilarious, and yet there are still some gut-and-heart-wrenching scenes and themes. 10/10 would recommend.

5. Zero Day
Do you really expect a best-films list of mine to not contain Zero Day???? It's nearly 15 years since this masterpiece was released in 2003, and it's still just as relevant and just as fantastic. My love.

Music I'm Loving This Month

Happy Wednesday! This month brings a brand new series: Loving This Month! Each week I'll be sharing with you 5 of my top things for this month. This week is Music!

This is supposed to be a list of June favourites, but it's barely June (it's June 7th, by my watch). Therefore, this is what I'm loving currently, but who knows, it'll probably change throughout the rest of June. You can also listen to my June Playlist, which will be constantly added to as we go through the month, or check out the rest of My Spotify :).

1. blackbear
Chateau was my favourite song last month, and it's no different this month! The entire digital druglord album is incredible (and Help is pretty darn great too), and all blackbear's songs have such a great beat.

2. Bird Set Free - Sia
I never really jumped on the Sia bandwagon when she first became popular, but somehow I've only just discovered Bird Set Free, which has quickly become one of my favourite songs. I mean cmon, those damn VOCALS. GIRL.

3. The Eagles
Hotel California is both a classic song and a classic album. Both greatly loved by me atm. (My favourite song from the album is New Kid in Town.)

4. Wait - M83
I only found out about this song because (of all things) it's on the Skins soundtrack. Amazing show, amazing song. I'm listening to it right now and it's honestly making me emotional even writing this what I cant take it.

5. R5
I'm ashamed. I thought I was way out of my boyband phase, but R5 seem to combine the sweet boyband (yes, I know they're not a boyband) look of pretty-boy Ross Lynch and co with an edgier tone, and their album Sometime Last Night just seems to make you feel good. Very Summer. Much Love. (Also i am STOKED to see Ross in My Friend Dahmer; if only they'd release a trailer... Or a release date...)

Happy Birthday Walt Whitman

Hiya! Today is the birthday of one of my favourite poets of all time: Walt Whitman!

Walt Whitman

Born: 31 May 1819, New York, USA

Died: 26 March 1892, New Jersey, USA (age 72)

Nationality: American

Fame: Poet, essayist, and journalist. Dubbed the 'father of free verse'.

Why I chose them: Leaves of Grass is my favourite and most annotated poetry book in my collection. His work was very controversial in the 1800s, and he was one of the first to explore the gap between realism and transcendentalism (which is too long a word IMO), making him one of the most influential poets of all time. Also, his views on religion and the soul are fascinating to me, making him the subject of today's post!

Happy Birthday Queen Victoria

Hi guys! Happy Thursday - sorry this post is late!

Queen Victoria

Born: 24 May 1819 (Alexandrina Victoria), London

Died: 22 January 1901, Isle of Wight

Nationality: British

Fame: Longest-ruling British monarch until Queen Elizabeth II, Empress of India.

Why I chose them: After becoming Queen at 18 and ruling for almost 64 years over the United Kingdom, and 25 over India, anyone's going to have made a big contribution to modern society. Queen Victoria and her generation are responsible for bringing Christmas trees and Christmas cards to the UK, which I'm sure a lot of us are very grateful for. Victoria 'ushered in the modern monarchy', redefining both ruling and working class peoples' lives. Coming to power in a very tough social time (see A Christmas Carol et al for details), Victoria had an uphill struggle to overcome by bettering the lives of all classes of people, which she came out very much on top of. In short, without Queen Victoria our society today would be very, very different.
Happy Birthday (for yesterday), Victoria! 

Happy Birthday Trent Reznor

Hi everyone! Today is May 17th, which means it's Trent Reznor's birthday! Here's a little bit about him:

Trent Reznor

Born: 17 May 1965 (Michael Trent Reznor), Pennsylvania

Died: Still alive, aged 52

Nationality: American

Fame: Frontman of industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails and member of experimental band How To Destroy Angels, as well as a successful businessman

Why I chose them: NIN have been one of my favourite bands for a long time, and Trent Reznor himself to me is so inspiring. In the 1990s, he struggled with grief, depression, and social anxiety disorder, which turned him to the abuse of alcohol and drugs (mainly cocaine). This trail of self-destruction is documented in the 1994 album The Downward Spiral (which ends with the original NIN version of Hurt, which you may recognise from the Johnny Cash cover). Despite this, Reznor completed rehab in 2001, making the choice to lay off music and stressful life, instead favouring recovery and salt-care, which I believe is an incredibly wise choice that is not usually made by rockstars such as Trent Reznor.
"Instead of always working, I took a couple of years off, just to figure out who I was"
Happy Birthday, Trent Reznor. I hope you're happy. :) 

Happy Birthday John Wilkes Booth

Happy Wednesday! - and Happy Birthday, John Wilkes Booth!

John Wilkes Booth

Born: 10 May 1838 Maryland, US

Died: 26 April 1865 (aged 26) Virginia, US. Shot as he fled from the theatre where he assassinated Lincoln.

Nationality: American

Fame: Actor, but most famous for the assassination of Abraham Lincoln

Why I chose them: You may be thinking 'weird choice'. And you're right, why should we put a murderer up on a pedestal? I'm not saying that he was justified in what he did at all; he wasn't! But you must admit that had he not killed the 16th President of the United States, history would look rather different. Booth's actions led to Andrew Jackson becoming president, and could've led to the end of the US Civil War a month after Lincoln was killed. 

Happy Birthday Frankie Valli

Hi guys - Happy May! This month's series is unlike any that I've done before. What I'll be doing this month is creating a profile for someone who was born on that day (each of the days in May that, this month, fall on Wednesdays). Today's is Frankie Valli.

Frankie Valli

Born: 3 May 1934 (Francesco Stephen Castelluccio), New Jersey

Died: Still alive, aged 83

Nationality: American

Fame: Primarily a singer, frontman of The Four Seasons, but also an actor

Why I chose them: I love The Four Seasons, and Frankie Valli's unmistakably powerful high falsetto voice is absolutely mesmerising. I'm sure you'll recognise songs such as Sherry, Rag Doll, Walk Like A Man, and December, 1963 (Oh What A Night), among many other instant hits. The Four Seasons' music has spanned many generations and is clearly still extremely popular today. Hence, why I think Frankie Valli deserves a place in this series. Happy Birthday, Frankie Valli!

Christmas Explained

Happy Wednesday! Hope everyone's settling back into routine after Spring/Easter break! Today will round off April's series of Explained with the most recognised holiday: Christmas! Also, why not check out the rest of the series?

When?
Every year Christmas is celebrated on December 25th, with Christmas Eve on December 24th and Boxing Day on December 26th.

What? 
Christmas is definitely the most well-known Christian holiday, both in the sense of the number of people having heard of it and celebrating it, and of how many people who know what it represents religiously. Christmas is a time for Christians to celebrate the birth of Jesus, as told in the 'nativity' story. (You can find this in Matthew chapters 1-2 and Luke chapters 1-2.) Christians celebrate on this day with presents and cards and Christmas trees like many non-Christians, and traditionally with carol singing and midnight mass, which is a service with communion at midnight between Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Pentecost Explained

Hiya! Today I'll be explaining Pentecost and it's significance to the Christian church. Also, if you don't already know, Pretty Little Liars final season aired yesterday, and is on UK Netflix from today! I'm so excited to watch it!

When?
This year, Pentecost is celebrated on June 4th. It's normally different in the East to the West, but this year it's the same!

What? 
Pentecost, sometimes called Whitsun, is a Christian festival celebrating the God-given gift of the Holy Spirit. Originally, it stems from Shavuot, a Jewish harvest festival. In the Bible, the apostles were celebrating this festival when they received the Holy Spirit. They began to speak in tongues, which is when somebody suddenly speaks in a foreign language as a gift from God. Pentecost represents this event, as well as the birthday of the church, and the beginning of the Christian mission. It is celebrated by wearing red and singing Holy Spirit-inspired hymns, and is symbolised by fire, wind, and doves.

Easter Explained

Man I've lit had this written for so long and I still manage to post it late... Sorry!

Happy Wednesday! Today we'll be learning about Easter in Christianity.

When?
Easter mainly consists of Good Friday (April 14th), Easter Sunday (April 16th), and Easter Monday (April 17th).  It's dates change every year, but these are correct for 2017.

What? 
Easter is arguably the most important Christian holiday, because it pays tribute to the resurrection of Jesus, which is obviously very important in Christianity. Jesus was crucified on the cross on Good Friday, then rose from the dead three days later on Easter Sunday, when his grave was found empty. He was seen again by his disciples on that same day, and this resurrection gives Christians a hope of their own resurrection and a certainty of what they believe.

Lent Explained

Hi guys! :)
Today is the first Wednesday of April, meaning it's the first day of April's series! This month's series is called Explained, in which I'll be briefly explaining what different holidays mean to Christians, starting with Lent (which we are currently in the middle of).

When?
Lent this year began on March 1st, and will end on April 13th.

What? 
So, Lent. Lent occurs once every year and lasts for 40 days (plus Sundays). It comes before Easter and just after Shrove (Pancake) Tuesday. For Christians, Lent is a time of prayer, preparation, and reflection; to think about the time leading up to Easter, and what Easter means to Christians (which you'll find out next week!).
Some people (not just Christians) give up something for Lent; normally something 'bad' like chocolate/alcohol/smoking/etc. This represents when Jesus fasted from food in the wilderness for 40 days.

Meet... England

Hi guys! This week marks the final week of Meet The United Kingdom! To round off the series, it's time to meet my homeland: England.

England

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Capital: London

Anthem: 'God Save The Queen' (English), although others have been proposed

Motto: 'Dieu Et Mon Droit' (French) 'God And My Right' (English)

Population: 53 million (2011 census) (by the 2015 census, this had risen to 54.8 million!)

Official Language: English

Patron Saint: St George (23rd April)

My Favourite English...

Band/Artist: Queen/The Gorillaz (this was SO HARD.)

Actor: Alan Rickman

Blogger: Becky (both her blog aesthetic and her sons are beautiful)

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Meet... Scotland

Happy Wednesday!! Today is part 3/4 of the Meet the United Kingdom series! Today it's time to Meet... Scotland.

Scotland

Alba

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Capital: Edinburgh

Anthem: Various, but 'Flower of Scotland' (English) is widely used

Motto: 'In My Defens God Me Defend' (Scots) 'In My Defence God Me Defend' (?? Apparently this is good English)

Population: 5.3 million (2011 census)

Official Language: English, Scots, Scottish Gaelic

Patron Saint: St Andrew (November 30th)

My Favourite Scottish...

Band/Artist: Capercaillie (hello Edexcel GCSE Music), and Emily Sandé

Actor: James McAvoy

Blogger: Charlotte (what a great name!)

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*AN* I've just heard about the tragic terrorist attack today in London, and would like to express my sorrow and mourning for those killed in the attack. My heart, thoughts, and prayers go out to the loved ones of all affected by this crisis. The terrorists will not divide us.

Meet... Ireland

This week's series post is the anomaly: Ireland. Although Ireland isn't in the United Kingdom, Northern Ireland is, and I figured that mainland Ireland (Republic of Ireland) is big enough and close enough to the UK to be included in this series. So, let's Meet the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland!

Republic of Ireland // Northern Ireland 

Éire // Tuaisceart Éireann

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Capital: Dublin // Belfast

Anthem: 'Amhrán na bhFiann' (Irish) 'The Soldiers' Song' (English) // 'God Save The Queen' (also England's national anthem)

Motto: No official motto, but 'Éire go Deo' (Irish), 'Ireland is Forever' (English) is often used // 'Quis separabit?' (Latin) 'Who will separate us?' (English)

Population: 4.5 million (2011 census) // 1.8 million (2011 census)

Official Language: Irish, English // English, Irish

Patron Saint: St Patrick (March 17th - on Friday!) // St Patrick (March 17th - on Friday!)

My Favourite (Northern) Irish...

Band/Artist: The Corrs // Van Morrison

Actor: Aidan Turner or Andrew Scott // Kenneth Branagh

Blogger: Eleanor // Lauren

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Meet... Wales

Hi guys! This week marks the start of the Meet The United Kingdom (plus Ireland) series. This week, it's Wales!

Wales

Cymru

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Capital: Cardiff

Anthem: 'Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau' (Welsh) 'Land Of My Fathers' (English)

Motto: 'Cymru am byth' (Welsh) 'Wales Forever/Long Live Wales' (English)

Population: 3 million (2011 census)

Official Language: Welsh, English

Patron Saint: St David (March 1st)

My Favourite Welsh...

Band/Artist: Tom Jones

Actor: Anthony Hopkins

Blogger: Jemima

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Choices: Influences

Happy St David's Day! (Confession: I thought that February had 29 days this year as opposed to only 28, so I scheduled today's post as being the final Wednesday of Feb's series... Sorry!!! However, [spoiler alert] March's series, which'll start next Wednesday, is called Meet The United Kingdom (Plus Ireland). Each week I'll do a profile of one country in the UK+Ireland, as it's both St David's Day (Wales) and St Patrick's Day (Ireland) this month.)

Anyways, ignoring my poor counting/planning, on with February's final post! Today's is all about choosing influences in your life.



Rachel's Challenge (which I've mentioned a few times before) is a set of five personal 'challenges' for you to undertake. My favourite of these is number three: Choose Positive Influences. In our lives, we are influenced by an endless list of things; news, friends, the internet, social conventions, etc to name just a few. We don't choose whether or not we see some of these things in our lives, but we can choose how they affect us.

I personally think that taking time to reflect on your life and the things that make it up is essential. We need to analyse what's going on in your lives so that we can keep the good stuff, and better/remove the bad. One big aspect of this which can be very difficult is friendships. Some friendships are harmful and toxic, and may be changing you for the worse or withholding you from being the best you can be. It's a cliché, I know, but there's a reason for that - it's true. If you have someone in your life who you don't wanting your life, then remove yourself from them. If they're holding you back or changing you into something you don't want to be, then your'e under no obligation to keep spending time with them.

My personal influences that I choose everyday are Rachel herself, my best friends, and God. I take inspiration and instruction from the people who I keep myself around, and sources that I trust and have been proven to be what I want them to be. These choices help to form my ethics and moral code, as well as guide me in dictating how I live every single day. They've helped me more than I can express, and I've changed so much as a person over the past few months that I'm hard recognisable - and I couldn't be happier. Imagine yourself trading places with your current idol - whether that be a celebrity, a friend, or an image you have of yourself. Are you happy? Happier than you are now? Happier than you would be without those influences? Are you making other people happy? If the answer to any of these questions is no, then you may want to rethink your idols.

My challenge to you is to consider your personal influences, and if you feel you should, then change them. Remove yourself from the lives of people who put you down. Reach out to people you want to help, or can help you. Stop doing that one thing you hate about yourself. Start doing something productive, something constructive, something good. And be proud of yourself.

Choices: A College and Courses

Happy Wednesday! Here’s the second instalment of the Choosing series. This week we’ll be focusing in on choosing the right college for you, and making sure you do the right courses at said college. So, if you’re current year 11 or 10 and thinking about college, this is the post for you. As always, if anyone who’s already in college disagrees with me or knows I’ve given misinformation, please contact me and I’ll be happy to put it right!

So, the first step to finding the right college for you is to do your research. Choose 5 or 6 colleges that are relatively close by and acquire a prospectus from each of them - either from a careers day at your school, or by emailing/the website of the colleges. Go through each prospectus of courses and highlight the courses that sound a little interesting to you - create a list of options.

Once you have a relative idea of what you want to do, research more into each subject; if you know someone who’s done it or something similar then talk to them! Also, if you’re looking into a Humanities or a Science, I recommend checking out the posts on Another Ranting Reader and Not A Typical Teenager for advice and clearing up misconceptions. If you can’t find anyone who’s experienced the subjects you’re looking into, then don’t worry! Current students will be on hand at Open Evenings for precisely this purpose. (Also, if you’re looking into studying History/Film/Drama/Language then feel free to let me know, and I’ll help you out!)

On that note, make sure you attend Open Evenings! They’re a unique chance to see the college building, meet the teachers, and speak to current students who are in the exact same situation you will be in soon. Come prepared, with a list of queries or questions about the subjects/teachers/college life. And be confident - the students aren’t that scary!

After the Open Evenings, you should have a rough idea of what you want to do and where you want to go. I only applied to one college, but you can apply to as many as you want, if you’re looking to keep your options open. The application process is very simple: online form(s), interview, acceptance. Some colleges’ process may differ, but this is the standard. Again, if you’re feeling worried for any reason then feel free to contact me and I’ll do whatever I can to help.

Once you’ve been through the application process, all that’s left is to get your results. (Don’t worry about this either - worrying won’t make results better or worse, it’ll just cause you grief.

Some final tips:

Take into account which college your friends are going to, but don’t think about which courses they’re taking. The courses you choose to do matter so much more than which college you go to.

If none of your friends are going to the same college as you, don’t worry! Trust me, you’ll make so many new friends and a few weeks in you won’t have any inkling left of that worry.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions; to me, to former/current students, via email to the college, or if I don’t do any subjects you’re interested in, I’ll be more than happy to pass on your questions to my friends who do do the subject(s).

Finally, just don’t fret! I was so so terrified about starting college, but genuinely it’s so much better than school, and it’s not at al like I thought it’d be.


Tune in on Sunday for a summary of 7 reasons to believe in God, and next Wednesday for help on choosing a university and university course(s)!

Choices: GCSE Options

Happy February! New month; new series. Or is it? This month I’ll be continuing October’s series (The Pressures Young People Face) but with a twist: this month I’ll be focussing on the decisions a young person has to make. Each week will be a new stage in a young person’s life, and a new choice that they have to make.

Today’s choice is GCSE options. This choice is one you make normally in year 9, but it can be earlier or later. I made the choice in year 9, and I chose to do Spanish, Music, and History. At my school, everyone had to do a humanity (Geography, History, or RE) but in most schools this isn’t the case.

If you’re in the midst of choosing which subjects to carry forward to GCSE here is my advice; choose subjects that you enjoy. Don’t focus on what you’re good at, because as long as you get 5 A*-Cs then you may as well enjoy your time at secondary school too. Choose subjects that you will hate the least when you’re cramming the night before an exam, and that you won’t groan too much at when you see it on a revision timetable. I’m gonna be a little controversial here and say that if you want to, take into account what your friends are gonna study too. You shouldn’t do this for college or uni, but those are two whole other posts. For GCSE, I think it’s more important to have a little fun and still get decent grades than to get slightly better grades but hate every day of learning. 

Choosing a language is always a good idea; if you’re a natural linguist then you won’t even have to try, and if you have a good memory then the exams are pretty darn easy (you just have to worry about the Reading and Listening). 

I really really really recommend taking a humanities subject (even if your school doesn’t require it), because they give you such unique life and exam skills like essay writing and general knowledge of the world, in addition to a highly regarded qualification and a newfound love for said subject.

If you’re arty or somewhat interested in art, then by all means take an art! Either classic Art, Textiles, Music, Drama, or any other creative subject can really balance out an academically-based set of exams, and is really useful as proof that you’re more than just scores on a page. However, if you don’t enjoy arty subjects, then don’t take them. It’s really that simple. Having a creative subject is a help, but not having one isn’t a hindrance. 

I was selected to do Triple Science (Biology, Chemistry, and Physics) in my school, as opposed to the normal Double Science (Science and Additional Science). When I discovered this, I was very very opposed to the idea. (Like, I literally cried to the Head of Science. How embarrassing). But that was not a justified feeling. I revised a lot for Science, and ended up getting results that I was very proud of. Triple Science is a workload, granted, but if your school thinks you’re a hard enough worker, then go for it! As long as you apply yourself you’ll do fine, trust me. On that note, take any chances that you’re given to do extra GCSEs, or any extra qualifications at all, one day they might come in handy. And if not, then you’ll still have learned something!

I hope this has helped you if you’re currently in this situation, and if you ever need any help with revision prep, revision, or exam help then let me know! I’ll be more than happy to try and help you. Also, if you’ve already been through GCSEs and disagree with anything I’ve said, then please shoot me a message! All my contact details are on this page, or you could just drop a comment below.

Thanks, and good luck!