Differences Between Year 11 In The Past vs. Year 11 Now

Some differences are that previously, Year 11s would not have to catch up with lots of work, would not have certain restrictions around school and also have to retake exams. Now in Year 11, my school has been focusing on doing catch-up lessons for some subjects and also there are hand sanitisers around the building. Also, we have to wear face masks outside of the classroom. For some subjects, some students are retaking exams. We also have to take our tests seriously as it may contribute to our GCSE grade if public exams get cancelled.

In my school, we are also taking mocks in January.

Workload

I have been getting a bit more work than Year 10 but it isn’t a really big difference. As there are tests that should be taken seriously, there is revision to do. The teachers are quite helpful with the work.

Social Life

My friends and I have been chatting at break times and lunchtimes and sometimes in classes and via text. When it comes to family, I do chat with my family, and they have been quite supportive in terms of helping me adjust to this new routine.

Obviously due to the COVID-19 pandemic I don’t really go too far and I am quite busy on the weekends. I have found alternatives to have fun such as working on extracurriculars and self-care. I think the holidays are a good time to really go out.

New Habits

Some new habits that I have incorporated into my life is: using my phone less, drinking more water and EXERCISE! These habits have helped me quite a lot.

Some Other Highlights

I finished my Drama Component 1 performance that my class was supposed to do months ago but due to the lockdown, we couldn’t do it earlier.

I also have finished a few tests and I am quite happy so far with the work.

We have also received our mock timetable and some people may be taking their education a bit more seriously now.

I have incorporated some things into my life as part of my self-growth journey.

Extra-Curriculars

I have nearly consistently been posting website articles on this website and also posted on my podcast ‘The Chat Library’. These have helped me to manage my time. Fun fact: a lot of people in my school know about these and some people are quite rude, while others are supportive. Just ignore the hate and look at the positives! :)))

Stress

I have dealt with some stress due to personal reasons, a bit of academia and other things. But it’s absolutely fine, everyone has low days and it is good to accept it. I am grateful for everything that I have as I do live a privileged life.

Thank you so much for clicking on this article. This was a bit of a glimpse into my life. Please remember to share this article.  

Please check out my other articles relating to Islamic content, My Experiences, Teenage Advice, Book Reviews and Poetry.

Thank you for reading, and have a lovely day!

And you may intend for this holiday to be productive.

What does it mean to have a productive holiday? Can you really do everything that you want to do during the holidays? And most importantly, how can you be productive this holiday?

In this article, I will be answering all those questions so make sure you scroll down and read the secret steps to success.

What Does It Mean To Have A ‘Productive’ Holiday?

Productive – achieving a significant amount or result. (By Google)

When you have a productive holiday, it doesn’t mean that you are working at your desk 24/7. It means that you are doing things that will add value to your life. Some of the things that I like to do in my holidays which makes me feel productive are focusing on academia, extracurriculars but also on self-care and relaxation.

Can You Really Be ‘Productive’ During The Holidays?

Of course you can. The key to being able to achieve your goals during the holiday and stay productive is time management. If you can manage your time, you can get it all done.

How Can You Be Productive During The Holidays?

Create A Holiday Plan

On your first day of the holiday or the night before, take a piece of paper and create different mind maps. For me, I like to make mind maps respectively for ‘Homework’ ‘Revision’ ‘Free Time’ and ‘Extracurriculars’. This can vary from holiday to holiday. Make all these mind maps in one sheet of paper and write down all the tasks on each mind map. This helps you to visualise what you want to get done this holiday.

Create Daily To Do Lists

After creating your holiday plan, you should know now what you have to do. Now, every single day, pick out a few tasks from each mind map and add them to your daily to do list. By having a variety of tasks, you are less likely to get bored and more likely to get them done. Make sure to follow those to do lists and you will realise some progress happening.

Work And Have Fun At Your Optimum Times

If you are a night owl, you may realise that during the holidays, you are getting academic work mostly in the night. Try to use your optimum times to your advantage. If you like doing academia in the morning, extracurriculars in the afternoon and fun activities in the evening then follow that.

Try To Wake Up And Sleep Around The Same Time

Now that you know which times you work best at, try to also wake up and sleep at around the same time. For instance, if you are a night owl, perhaps, you may wake up at 10am and sleep at around 11:30pm. Make sure it fits you.

Reward Yourself

Please remember to reward yourself as the holidays are a time for relaxation. Relaxation can also sometimes be productive if done in limits. If you have a 10 day holiday, maybe you spend 6-7 days of that holiday staying at home and then the remaining 3-4 days may be spent lazing around fully. Do what works best for you.

These were some of the tips on how to be productive during the holidays. Comment below any tips that you have in order to stay productive in the holidays. Also, don’t forget to share this website article with your family and friends.

Please check out my other articles relating to Islamic content, My Experiences, Teenage Advice, Book Reviews and Poetry.

Thank you for reading, and have a lovely day!

But now that I have finished my first week of Year 11, I wanted to compare my first week of Year 10 when there was no COVID-19 and I was starting my GCSE course, to now when it is quite different. 

Disclaimer: This is just my own personal experiences that I had, but it may not be similar to other GCSE students and other schools all over the UK as everyone has different lives. Please check and confirm certain details with your own school and do not rely on this article for information about your school.

Feelings:

• Before I started Year 10, I had some mixed feelings for many reasons. Some reasons on why I may have felt excited is because I would finally get to start the GCSE course and know how it feels like but I was also nervous for some reasons such as being able to bond and feel comfortable in my new classes.
• Before I started Year 11, I also had some mixed feelings. I may have felt elated to see everyone after 6 months of lockdown and get back into the school routine but also, I may have felt nervous for reasons like if I have really changed this lockdown.

Timetable Changes:

• For Year 10, my timetable did change quite a lot in comparison to Year 9. I only had my GCSE subjects, PSHE and PE while in Year 9, I was doing all the subjects. This means that I would have to focus more on each of my subjects and for some of the subjects, there were more lessons in the week for it. I also did not have to attend extra Triple Science classes after school as they were incorporated into my Year 10 timetable.
• For Year 11, my timetable also changed but because of COVID-19, everyone’s timings changed. School started and ended in different times so it was staggered. But I had a similar number of lessons for each of my subjects overall when comparing it to Year 10, so it wasn’t really a big jump.

Jumps:

• The jump from Year 9 to Year 10 was quite a big jump.
• The jump from Year 10 to Year 11 was not so big.

School:

• Because there was no COVID-19 when I was going into Year 10, there were no face coverings and big restrictions around school.
• Now in my first week of Year 11, there are some specific restrictions in my school. We are not allowed to wear face coverings inside the classroom but we are allowed to wear it in corridors and communal areas. However, not many people wear them in school. There are also hand sanitisers around the school building, and there are bubbles. For example, Year 11s are in a bubble with Year 10, Year 11 students and teachers. On the other hand, Year 7s, Year 8s and Year 9s have their own bubbles respectively. For books to be marked by teachers, they have to be quarantined for 3 days. There are some social distancing stickers. Of course, there are also staggered times, with form time being the last class I go to in the day.

Friends + Teachers + Seating Plans:

• In Year 10, friends and teachers were pretty good but the seating plans for most of the classes were quite fixed and chosen by the teacher.
• For Year 11, it is quite similar to Year 10 but I feel that for some of the classes, teachers have allowed us to choose our seats and then we have to stick to them probably.

Workload:

• As I said, the jump from Year 9 to Year 10 was quite big and the workload gradually increased, as there was more focus on each subject.
• When it comes to the workload in Year 11, it has been pretty okay so far but I think keeping on top of your work and starting from Day 1 is the best way to go forward.

Preparation:

• In the first week of Year 10, I was pretty productive and made a vague outline of my routine before and after school.
• In the first week of Year 11, I have also been quite productive and I have made quite a detailed revision timetable, a weekly list and I also created a website articles plan.

Those were some of the key highlights of school in Year 10 vs. Year 11 for me. I really hope you have enjoyed reading my article and I hope it gave you an insight into how it has been so far for me.

What year are you in and which country do you live in? Comment down below.

Check out my other articles, relating to Islamic content, My Experiences, Teenage Advice, Book Reviews and Poetry.

Thank you for reading, and have a lovely day!