Choices: A University and Course(s)

Happy Wednesday!

Here's another instalment of TPYPF Choices series.

If you're in year 11, 12, or 13, you're probably thinking about what comes after college. Granted, university is by no means the only option available, but it's the one that I know most about, so that's what I'll be focussing on today. I'm currently looking into university myself, so I don't have as much knowledge on the actual life side of uni, but with regards to making plans, I'm pretty informed.

So, when begging in to look into further education, there's two routes you can go; courses by your favourite unis, or which unis do your favourite courses. Both are viable options, and I'm currently doing both. If you're interested, I'm looking into Theology/RS/Philosophy, and Drama. (so, very different subjects). The best ways I've found to narrow down my options is to only look at the Russel Group universities for the more academic subjects, and for specialised subjects like Drama, to simple google which are the best further education places for it. With Drama, you can go to uni, or a conservatoire, or a drama school, so it's little more complex than academic subjects.

If you're gonna go the subject choice then uni choice route, googling the top unis for your subject(s) is probably one of the best methods of narrowing down. Or if you're looking into a particular field, find successful people in that field and see where they went to uni. If you're heading for the other route, be prepared for some disappointments, because what seems to be the uni of your dreams may let you down when it comes to what courses are offered.

Other things to consider when looking into universities are:

• You don't have to only study one subject - you can do a 50/50 degree, or a 25/75 degree, or study one subject but do extra-curricular things in a totally different area - you needn't limit yourself
• Your country (whether that be England or not) isn't the only country! Although places like America and Canada are a lot more expensive when it come to tuition fees (especially for international students), they boast some of the best unis in the world, and have unique connections worldwide, in particular MIT, Yale, and CalTech - but remember, England's unis are pretty incredible too!
• Some further education providers don't work through UCAS, like conservatoires/drama schools/dance schools/non-UK unis/etc
• This is advantageous, because you can apply to more than just the 5 places allocated on your UCAS form
• This can be a bigger hassle, because you have potentially more rejection (let's not be pessimistic but still), and you have to spend more time applying directly
• Social life, including lodging - do you want to live on campus? what about catering? how many people do you want to share a bathroom/kitchen with?
• Where abouts you go - do you get homesick easily? Living closer to home might help if you need to come home for every holiday and give your parents a load of washing after each term

University Finder is a useful tool which can help you find universities which offer the course(s) you want and are aimed at your UCAS points range (which you can also calculate on the site).

UCAS also offer a similar service which is v v useful.

Good luck, and as always please feel free to contact me if you need any advice/help!

Evidence for the Existence of God

Hi guys!
Before we start, I'd just like to apologise for how late this post is - I've been ill lately and haven't had the time or the energy to do anything that doesn't involve sleeping. But I'm (nearly) all better now, so on with last Sunday's post!

A while ago, I stumbled across a lecture given by William Lane Craig, an American philosopher and theologian, at Imperial College detailing scientific and historical arguments for the existence of God. He defines the lecture as explaining 'seven features of the world around us that point beyond the world'. The lecture is kind of long, so I've watched it so that you don't have to. Here's my attempt at summarising some (admittedly difficult to get your head around) hypotheses.

Contingency Argument
In A Nutshell: Why does anything at all exist? Why is there something rather than nothing?
Explained: If you found something, it'd be bizarre to think it just randomly existed. Everything that exists has an explanation of it's existence, either in necessity (numbers, abstract objects, sets) or from a cause (people, mountains, planets, galaxies). The universe must have an explanation too, and it must be an external (the cause can't have been within the universe because it created the universe), transcendent (the cause created space and time, so it must be beyond both) cause. The cause must either be abstract like a number or an intelligent mind. The cause can't be abstract because abstract things have no effect on real life things (e.g. the number 7 cannot create or destroy anything, it has no effect on anything). Therefore, the cause of the universe must be an intelligent mind.
My Opinion: I like this argument, I think it's pretty solid. Everything is logical and not based on assumptions, but abstract ideas always confuse me so it isn't the most straightforward argument.


Cosmological Argument
In A Nutshell: Origin of the universe - does it have a beginning? Or does it just go back forever, eternal and uncaused?
Explained: The idea of an infinite past is problematic - the number of past events being infinite gets a little complex. Infinity minus infinity equals any number from zero to infinity, as inverse operations are impossible in infinite terms. The infinite is nowhere to be found in reality, it's role is solely that of an idea. There must be a finite number of past events, so the universe must have an absolute beginning of some sort a finite time ago. (This is confirmed by astronomy and astrophysics). Out of nothing, nothing comes. Whatever begins to exist must have a cause. So the universe must have a cause. This cause must be uncaused (can't have an infinite chain of causes), changeless, timeless (it created time), and immaterial (it created space) being. It must be a 'personal agent endowed with freedom of the will'.
My Opinion: This one got complicated, with infinities and minus-ing and many many causes. However, I still think it makes sense, and it seems more valid because part of it is 100% confirmed by scientists who are not necessarily theists.


Teleological Argument
In A Nutshell: The universe is perfectly fine-tuned for intelligent life.
Explained: Intelligent life depends upon a complex and delicate balance of initial conditions given in the big bang itself, it is balanced on a knife's edge of fineness to an incomprehensible degree. Were any of these qualities to be altered by the smallest possible degree, life wouldn't exist. This gives three possibilities:

1. Physical necessity - it had to be that way, there was no chance of the universe not being life permitting
1. Implausible - qualities of existence are independent of the laws of nature, so life isn't a certainty at all.
2. Chance - it was an accident and entirely due to chance that life exists
1. The odds against life are so incomprehensibly great, that this possibility can't be reasonably faced.
3. Design - rejects both other arguments, intelligent mind designing the universe and life within it
1. Therefore, this is the only other possibility

My Opinion: This is a massively plausible and logical argument form my point of view. Life is so finely balanced, just like gravity and the makeup of air and the way that rainforests/eyes/hearts work.


Moral Argument
In A Nutshell: Can objective moral values exist without God?
Explained: (Objective moral values = values that lie outside the individual's ethics - e.g. the actions of the Nazis would continue to be wrong even if they succeeded in brainwashing everyone, or winning the war. The idea that there is a definitive right and wrong). The death of God is the destruction of value in life, and without God there is no absolute right or wrong. Objective moral values and duties do exist, as some things are inherently good/bad, right/wrong. Therefore logically, God exists.
My Opinion: This makes sense to me, as I'm a firm believer that there are some things which are absolute wrongs, or are never acceptable. Plus, I agree that God is a sort of marker for these objective moral values.


Ontological Argument
In A Nutshell: Is it possible for God to exist?
Explained: (Possible world = used by philosophers to describe a way the world might have been, a description of reality that might have been true. Actual world = reality, true description). God is maximally great, He is the greatest conceivable being. If you pictured something greater than God, then that would be God. He is all-powerful, all-knowing, and therefore would be existing in every possible world. If a maximally great being exists in any possible world, He exists in all of them (that's what t means to be maximally great), so if God's existence is at all possible, He exists in any possible world, and therefore in the actual world.
My Opinion: Basically what this is saying, is if God's existence is even slightly possible in any conceivable world, then it is a certainty that He exists in the actual real world too.


The Resurrection of Jesus
In A Nutshell: Does the Resurrection of Jesus prove God's existence?
Explained: This is based on the historical facts of the story of Jesus of Nazareth's resurrection.

1. Empty tomb
1. Discovered by Jesus' female followers
2. Historically almost impossible to disprove
2. Jesus' postmortem appearances
1. Historical certainty that Peter and the disciples saw Jesus as the risen Christ
2. He was seen not only by believers, but also by sceptics, unbelievers, and even enemies of the early Christian movement
3. Origin of disciples' belief in Jesus' resurrection
1. They had a sudden and sincere belief in the resurrection of Jesus despite every predisposition to the contrary that they had been taught by the Jewish society 
2. They were willing to die for the truth of that belief

It's very hard to explain the fast rise of Christianity without the resurrection being fact. If God raised Jesus from the dead, then He must exist.

My Opinion: The resurrection is one of my favourite parts of the Gospel that people try to prove or disprove, and I think that it has many solid factual, historical, points that to me, directly prove the existence of a God.


The Immediate Experience of God
In A Nutshell: You can believe in God without arguments.
Explained: This isn't an argument, but an idea. You can personally experience God, knowing that He exists wholly without arguments (this is how people in the Old Testament knew God). God is not an idea adopted by the mind, but an experienced reality. The belief is formed in the context of certain experiences and is a natural formed, grounded belief. Could arguments distract us from knowing God personally?
My Opinion: I love this. I think it's so important that believers in God have faith in it's truest sense (not a blind faith, but a trust within themselves). Although it's imperative to question everything, sometimes you don't need to outright prove everything. Just believe.


If, after all this, you'd like to watch the video yourself to find out more, then just click here.

See you soon!

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)!

My Favourite Places

I have always been in awe of the world (it’s this fascination that is actually one of the main reasons for my faith in God). I love to look at the stars, I love to see sunsets and sunrises, I love to walk through a forest at any time of day or night, I love the set line of a horizon over the sea.

I’ve been lucky enough to travel quite a bit for my age, thanks to my dad’s job and his obsession with holiday-booking. I’d like to share with you my favourite places, and if you’d like to then please feel free to share yours with me! They could be in your house, in your country, or anywhere else in the world.

Goa, India

To kickstart this list, I’d like to share with you an experience that truly changed my life. It introduced me to Christianity, charity work, and the rich/poor divide, which was shown to me more clearly then than I had ever seen before, and have ever seen it since.
I won the trip of a lifetime to visit Goa, India in a business competition run by Faith and Football, a Christian charity. My team of 5 friends had to create a product, market it, and sell it to the public. We also had to create a business plan, which we put so much effort into that it won us the competition. The prize was a week in Goa to relax and see the sights, but more importantly to help the charity and try to spread some love and happiness. We visited old people’s homes and met some incredible people, who had nothing but were so content. The whole trip will stick with me forever, but the one highlighted memory for me was our last night in India, when we visited the orphanage we had been getting to know the boys from. Words can genuinely not even begin to express the emotions that filled the air that night. One man even spoke in tongues (which, honestly, is absolutely terrifying if you don’t know what it is) which was incredible looking back on it now, but very frightening for a bunch of 14 year olds who had no connection whatsoever to the Holy Spirit. Goa is such a beautiful place, and I so strongly urge anyone who has the chance to go there to do so. However, it’s also a very unequal place. There are rich people and rich areas of India, and then there are the poorest. There doesn’t seem to be much middle ground, which is also true of many other Asian countries and African countries. This level of inequality is one that we are very lucky not to have in England (although I’m definitely not saying that England has true equality, that’s for sure) and that needs to change so that everyone has a chance to not just survive, but thrive.

The Cows

Another of my favourite places is one a little closer to home. On my road, there’s only houses on one side, and on the other there is a big green area. It’s a sort of combination between forest and grassy space, and occasionally there’s horses grazing on the spaces. I love to take my guitar or a book or some song lyrics and just sit and be in the space, surrounded by trees and horses and fresh air. It’s like going to the country but without the smells. My family calls this space ‘The Cows’ because one time, roughly 18 years ago, there were a few cows grazing there when my mum took my brothers up to it. There haven’t been any cows there since, but I have always (and probably always will) see(n) this place as ‘The Cows’.

Orlando, Florida

Creds

My final favourite place of this list is one which I am very, very excited about. I’m excited because in April I’ll be lucky enough to visit once again! When I was a child, my parents took me and my two brothers to Florida relatively frequently, because we were so infatuated with princesses (me), Winnie the Pooh (my brother), and the magic of Disneyworld. I reckon Mickey Mouse has this magic about him that whenever someone sees him, internally they’re instantly seven years old again. But that’s just a theory. When I look back on the old times in Disney, the most prevalent memory is of eating at the Princess Castle, where you would be having dinner and look up to see Jasmine chatting to your mum, or Ariel hugging the kid next to you. It’s moments like these that I’ll remember forever, and even though now I’m a lot older (but no taller. Thanks puberty.) I still cannot wait to wear the Minnie Mouse ears and go on the rides and just experience the magic that (I believe) can only be found at Disney. Also, what can a vegan eat at Disney world? EDIT I’ve actually found a website with a BUNCH of food options for vegans at Disneyworld, if anyone’s interested (I sure am)!

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!

Pre-University Advice

If you're in year 12, like me, you're probably thinking about your plans after college. If you're considering further education, then there are a few things you can do right now to get you prepped and ahead of the game for applying to universities. As a disclaimer, because I am only in year 12, I haven't been to university yet. I'm hoping to after college, but I am therefore not an expert in university life. All I know is learned from my college careers advisors and my own research.

For example, Summer schools are a great way of experiencing both university life as well as lectures on the subject(s) of your choice. UNIQ has finished accepting applicants for this Summer, but you can still apply for future years when you are in year 12 (or the equivalent). UNIQ offers students a unique (funny) insight into life at Oxford university, one of the most prestigious universities in the world.
Sutton Trust is another very prestigious giver of Summer school opportunities. Applications for this year are still open, and give you the chance to study for a week at many different universities, including Cambridge, Warwick, Nottingham, and Imperial.

BOTH UNIQ AND SUTTON TRUST ARE COMPLETELY FREE!

Another option Summer school-wise if you already have an idea of where you'd like to go to uni, check out the uni's website, and see if they offer any Summer schools or courses. Many are free, but don't assume that they are unless they say so. You don't want to be landed with a massive unexpected fee!

If you aren't available for a Summer school (or would just like to do something extra) then look into taking courses or other extra-curricular things that relate to what you want to study. Universities are always looking for ways to select students that show a real enthusiasm for their subject and have genuine interest in it. This can't be shown by grades (which, don't get me wrong, are still very important), but instead is seen in things that you take upon yourself to do outside of school/college. This could be amateur dramatics if you want to study drama, going to lectures, playing a sport for a long time (this also shows commitment) if you want to study anything sport-related, attending daytime courses in your specified area, or anything else that could better your understanding and interest in your subject(s). Courses can be found on university websites, as well as venues that relate to your subject of choice.

Personal statements are sometimes needed to apply for Summer schools, but they needn't be daunting! Focus on showing your passion for your subject (but make sure to actually show it, don't just say 'I have a passion for this subject') and your commitment to studying and living it. Detail your academic success, but don't just list your qualifications; they'll have a list of them already. I'm not an expert, but I'd be more than happy to look over anyone's personal statement (or mini statement, as is usually asked of a Summer school) and offer my advice if you're feeling unconfident.

Good luck, and happy applying!

Top 3... Bands

To round off January's series of Top 3..., I'll be sharing with you my three favourite bands. Before we get into it, I have a bit of admin to do.
Firstly, I am so sorry that every post nowadays seems to be late! I've had a lot of college work to do and I just haven't had the time to organise my time. But now, that's gonna change. Wednesday's posts will actually be on Wednesdays, and Sunday's will be on Sundays. Secondly, as this is the final instalment of Top 3..., I'd like to reveal that February's series will be...

(drumroll please)

a continuation of The Pressures Young People Face! Everybody's favourite series. I started this series in October 2016 (my very first series) but because I didn't have the blog at the very start of October, I missed at least one Wednesday. Plus, (unfortunately) there are too many pressures faced by teenagers for just one month.

Anyway, onto Top 3... Bands! This was very hard for me to do, as I am a fan of literally every genre of music (yes, even country) and I don't think you can really compare two bands from different genres. But I've tried my best, so in a particular order:

1) Green Day.
Green Day has to be my favourite band of all time. All of their songs might sound the same, but they all sound pretty darn great. If I was forced to pick a favourite genre of music, it'd probably be pop-punk (I know, I'm awful). Green Day are the fathers, the kings, the origin of pop-punk, so it only seems fitting that they'd be my number one band. If I were to recommend something to listen to, it'd be Minority, Basket Case, Sex, Drugs & Violence, Good Riddance, and the entirety of the American Idiot album (especially 21 Guns). Phew. That was tough; choosing from a masterpiece of a discography.

2) Smashing Pumpkins.
The Smashing Pumpkins are hard to pin down to a genre. Wikipedia says they're 'alternative rock', but I don't think that does them justice. Honestly, I haven't found any other band that sounds slightly like them. Which is kind of annoying, because if they sounded like the Smashing Pumpkins, they's be great. I'd describe their sound as more indie chilled rock, with a few songs that are decidedly un-chill. My personal recommendations would be 1979, Beautiful (I genuinely cry overtime), Luna, and if you're into something a little rockier; Bullet With Butterfly Wings. Plus. as a little bonus fact; it looks as though the Smashing Pumpkins will be reuniting for a tour! Exciting stuff.

3) Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons.
To round off this array of musical talent, I decided to stray a little from the modern punk/rock area, and go to another artist (I guess not technically a band, per se, but a group) whom I love dearly; the Four Seasons. If you haven't heard of them, you'll definitely have heard at least one of their songs before. At large in the 60s and 70s the Four Seasons, fronted by Frankie Valli and his amazingly high voice, made instant hits such as Sherry, Big Girls Don't Cry (no, not the Fergie version), Walk Like A Man, Rag Doll (my personal fave), Bye Bye Baby, and December, 1963. I recommend you listen to snippets of them all, because you will 100% recognise a good proportion of them.

This was a hard post to write! Too many good artists, too many good songs! Not that I'm complaint, there could never be too much music in the world.