College Road Trip...

So I have been MIA for the past 2 weeks... yes scold me! Its just I have been so busy... I mean I was meant to have 3 tests today.. so been revising for those! By 'meant' one got cancelled, postponed till next Thursday! The second one: economics.. don't get me started I thought this would be my chance to shine and get 100% I was wrong.. last time I got 2 marks off of 100%.. annoyed yes I was!

But now back onto the point of this blog, I do that often don't I go off on a tangent.. ha tangent I also had a maths test today.. here I go again! I'll stop I promise!

So onto my college road trip.. WOW! It was fantastic!
You all knew due to the fact I told you in my last post I had two storms to face: Hurricane Sandy and Frankenstorm. But this only altered our plans a little: Here was the altered timetable of our week:

Saturday 27th October: Flew to Washington stayed there that night
28th- Drove 2 hours to Charlotesville, Virginia
29th- Visited University of Virginia (UVA)
30th- drove to Chapel Hill, North Carolina, had evening there
31st- HALLOWEEN: Vistied University of North Carolina (UNC)
1st- travelled all day to ohio
2nd- Visited Ohio State University
3rd- Drove to Washington.. travelled home!

So we basically did a triangle on a map as shown below:

Now onto each individual university...
Lets start with UVA.
Now UVA didn't really get a fair chance due to the fact that as the storm was so close to them they had cancelled all classes and tours and all the students were told to stay inside!
So when we got there.. no one was around.. the weather awful!
I was NOT impressed! moreover I was a bit disappointed!

As tours were all cancelled we went by (my family and I) the dean of students which was open compared to the dean of admissions and we got a meeting with the dean of admissions to answer all my questions and a private tour by the senior associate of the Dean of Admissions.
So in actual fact we got alot of benefits to no tour being on!! The way they spoke about campus convinced me it is somewhere I definitely want to apply to.. so thats staying on the list!

The only drawback: the area of charlottesville, especially downtown I was not impressed with the shops.. I am kind of a city girl but the city of charlottesville was basically the UVA campus!
So maybe not my first choice! But it did provide me with alot of information that I needed and wanted!!

UNC
I have a friend 4 years my senior who left my school to attend UNC on one of the best scholarships in the world: The Morehead Cain, more will be on this in my scholarship post! So when we got there we made plans and she invited me to spend the evening with her. I got to see nightlife of a university and I LOVED IT! I REPEAT, LOVED IT! I met all her friends, who were (gorgeous- the guys and the girls!) and incredibly friendly and welcoming. She showed me the stadium, dorms all they don't show on the main tour!!
I was in heaven.. I could totally picture myself going there.

The next day we had a tour and session booked.. suprise suprise at the session I was the only international student.. in fact the ONLY student not from North Carolina.. out of about 50!!!
The tour was fantastic, our tour guide was y a sophmore and senior student who never hesistated when I asked a question, provided such a huge amount of information! I would love to do that when I get to university!
I just couldn't get over the amount of study spaces there were.. you could study everywhere... everywhere!!
The librarys huge.. facilites amazing.. student organisations something out of a movie!
Plus.. the sorority houses as one picture below.. were just like out of a movie!!!...

However still with this university, there may have been a large town and 2 shopping centres (large) just down the road still Chapel Hill was mainly UNC.. but I did love UNC!

As you can see from my timetable I was at UNC on Halloween.. that meant everything including the frozen yoghurt was pumpkin themed... I love pumpkin so this was a real plus for me! (The fro yo was amazing!) .. wow I'm running out of adjectives...!
There is a tradition that every halloween in Chapel Hill on Franklin street (one of the main streets on the campus) 30,000people go there all dressed up to just walk around. The street is closed from 9-12PM and someone told me they hire $200,000 worth of police just for that night!! We stayed till 10.. I had seen enough.. that was exactly the type of thing i wanted to be doing on campus!!

Now onto OHIO
The truth was I didn't have high hopes for Ohio.. it was in columbus, a big industrial city much like London.. with 55,000 people in it.
When we got there we went out for dinner at a part near the campus.. not realising it was literally a road away.. I didn't see any students, well I didn't think I did!

Now onto the good news.. I went onto campus the next day.. and when I got on and saw all the students walking around and happy just like in UNC (more so in UNC though) and I feel in love.. again! We went to the student centre and picked up a map due to the fact no tours were running that day.

But fate was good to us again like in UVA.. we mistakenly fell upon a 'honors and scholars program' for american students and was told we could happily join their 2.30 tour!
Our tour guide was amazing, she was a 5yr nursing student and she like the other guides spoke with such confidence and gave me so much information!
We got to see the dorms, the gym, libraries!
Bigger than UNC.. but not too big that I felt isolated!!
I loved it... and the best part of it was the street I ate on the previous night is a 2min walk from campus, theres places to eat on campus and off.. the city where internships are in there many.. right around the corner! The biggest shopping centre I have ever been to 25 min drive.. wow.. wow!!!

As it was bigger it offered less study abroad programs.. I will do a whole blogpost dedicated to what that is and what uni's said to me about it.. but I am definitly undertaken sometime abroad.. abroad!!

At all UVA, UNC and Ohio there was a central hub of students,
UVA: THE CORNER
UNC: THE PIT
Ohio: THE OVAL
Mainly just for the bottom two.. due to the weather these areas were just like a movie you had students holding up boards 'vote for sam for student boy president'
'run a 5K for cancer'
'sponser a rower'
.. It was something out of a dream..
And this is what I feel you would miss in an English university
The word 'keen' doesn't exist there.. eveyone is passionate about something and is not afraid to show it.. isn't that just amazing!
Doing extra-cirriculars doesn't separate you into jocks,... etc eveyones still together.. a big family as they called it!
And that is why I want to go to an american university....

Overall all the 3 univerisities offered me something different:
they all offered me though what I wanted a campus university, with student life!
UVA + UNC: as they were smaller they could offer the more focused attention.. more study places I felt.
Ohio: could offer me the city.. shopping, nighlife other than on my campus...
Such a hard decision.. hopefully I'll have that choice to make if I get into all 3...

So some top tips for what you should think about if planning a college roadtrip:
-Don't go when theres a natural disaster
-Only go to a maximum of 4.. too much information to take in otherwise.. my bag of brochures and information is taller than me!
-Visit different types of universities so you know what you want- small/big, rural/city??
-Drive everywhere don't fly
-Try to book your places around tour dates.. they are free and worth all the time
-make a meeting to talk to the admissions people especially if you are an international student
-HAVE FUN ON THE TRIP:
              -make a college road trip cd
              -Or bring lots of revision to do as I DID, for the long journeys!!
-Look on college boards tips for college visits for more advice!


Hope this was all helpful
Much love
S xxx

BTW: IT WAS ELECTION CRAZY EVERYWHERE..I LOVE THAT.. In 4 yrs when this happens again. I will be a college student!

At the airport...

So I'm right now sitting on a computer blogging in the lounge of Terminal 5 Heathrow airport..
can I get a woop woop???

So excited for my college road trip (believe me an advice blog will be coming up soon!)

So basically if you are so very lovely and concerned for me knowing that as I am going to be visiting

-Washington DC

-Virginia

-North Carolina

-Ohio

You will be worried and will know all about the Hurricane Sandy.. yes their on the S part of the alphabet!

Looking at this picture below its forecast is basically everywhere we are going...

GREAT!

So a few very few minor changes have been made in order to keep us out of trouble especially during the long college drives!

-Well, we may not make it to Ohio but will wait and see! It doesn't seem fair does it, that after planning for months on end... it could all be ruined by a tiny hurricane well actually a big one.. otherwise it wouldn't be causing all this mess!!

Now I've seriously been loving and I mean loving Taylor swift's new album RED..
This morning I ran to it and it really kept me going... I managed to do my 5K in much less time than normal!

So you're all coming along with me on the really FIRST STAGE of the rest of my life...
COLLEGE here I come...
You never know the next time I am on my way may be in 3 years time when I am actually going to my university to study!!
How very very very exciting
Much love
P.s. I noticed a large number for the amount of views of my blog..
I love you guys...
S xxxxxx

Getting in the festive spirit...

So the festival that I am getting in the spirit for is...
YOU GUESSED IT...
CHRISTMAS..
NO, not really its Halloween! I love halloween... but I hate being scared, watching scary movies, dressing up to look like anythign scary... basically the whole idea of halloween!

But I love the festiveness, the pumpkins, the fun disney movies (did anyone say.. Halloweentown!) and all the chocolate and sweets!

Wikipedia says:
Halloween or Hallowe'en (a contraction of its original title "All Hallows' Evening"),^[5] also known as All Hallows' Eve,^[6] is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Hallows. Most scholars believe that All Hallows' Eve was originally influenced by western European harvest festivals and festivals of the dead with pagan roots, particularly the Celtic Samhain.^[6][7][8] Others maintain that it originated independently of Samhain.^[9]
Typical festive Halloween activities include trick-or-treating (also known as "guising"), attending costume parties, carving pumpkins into jack-o'-lanterns, lighting bonfires, apple bobbing, visiting haunted attractions, playing pranks, telling scary stories, and watching horror films.

... so interesting ahem* not really!
So what are you going to be this halloween.. well I wish I were here for it, on second thought no I DON'T.. I AM GOING ON... a college road trip!! (BTW: there will be a blog post on this!)
ROAD TRIP
ROAD TRIP... just like in the movie with 'That's so raven girl!
Trailer here:

My dads.. nothing like that, thank God!! xxx


But even though i actually won't be in London, but in UNC, North Carolina I still have decorated my room.. with blow up ghosts and pumpkins, candles adn a big glow in teh dark pumpkin: (pictured below!)

But going to the US means one thing... Bath and body works Autumn candles
- LEAVES!!!

How exciting I have been waiting for wht feels like years for the 2 for £20 sale!!!
MY FAVOURTIE FALL SCENT!!

So this all brings me onto how you have decorated your room/dorm room or even house for this season... is it pumpkin fantasia land or candles everywhere or lets scare the beejebas out of everyone because we can!!
What are you doing on the 31st..
1. Haunted Hayride
2. Haunted corn maze
3. Haunted house
4. Trick 'o' treating!!

So whatevery you're doing.. please have fun! AND STAY SAFE.... in more ways than one... from (what you're thinking I meant) to just being carefull on your night out!!

Much love
Enjoy the week, will be back soon!
S xxxx

Bullying....

As mentioned in my above post I am one of my year groups anti-bullying rep.
No I am not doing it for my green badge on my blazer, or ucas points but instead because I love helping people.. I get this thrill when I see that I have made someones day or they have decided to smile!!

So OCTOBER IS national bullying month... and in honour of this there has been a large variety of campaigns everywhere in order to remind us and the world of all the reasons why bullying needs to stop!

I bet we have all see the video of Amanda Todd:
Due to its subject matter I don't want to include a link here... if you guys understand!
The way she was treated by people that were meant to be her friends... its disgusting and that is the whole point of why Bullying is wrong. Calling people names won't make you feel better in the long run.
I feel that bullying really only gets attention when someone has killed themselves because of it but for the idea of bullying to get so so bad, that a person feels they only way to stop the pain is to kill themselves... its just awful!!
Their are many different forms of bullying:
-Physical
-Mental
-Cyber
-Verbal
...to name just a few...
The truth is they are all just as bad as eachother...
As girls lets admit it.. we all WE ALL BITCH!! okay done.. but why? does it make us feel better to call someone names or to talk about them..

To quote an amazing girl called 'Megan Parken' (meganheartsmakeup on youtube)

Even these girls that we respect and look up to are torn down my 'haters' who go onto their videos or blogs on purpose to write hateful comments about the person!!
And then to quote another movie
"calling someone fat doesn't make you any skinnier,
calling someone stupid doesn't make you any smarter"
(This should be there aswell... calling someone ugly doesn't make you any prettier")

Its true!


All bullying is as bad as eachother whether the scars are on the head or on the heart! If your 13 or 30.. or any age above or below bullying can still have its effects, so why not try to just be NICE.. keep that comment inside your head... keep that anger inside... stop before you type that word... think what effect your action is going to have on the victim... NO ONE LIKES A BULLY so why would you want to be one!!

Why do some people bully?
There are a lot of reasons why some people bully.
-They may see it as a way of being popular, or making themselves look tough and in charge.
-Some people bully to get attention or things, or to make other people afraid of them. Others might be jealous of the person they are bullying. They may be being bullied themselves.
-Some bullies are being bullied themselves, often by an older person, most often in their family.
-Some bullies may not even understand how wrong their behavior is and how it makes the person being bullied feel.
(http://www.safenetwork.org/Bully_Prevention_In_Schools.htm)


There is a very good song by the amazing artists Megan and Liz called
'Are you happy now?'
Its message is just.. exactly the point of anti-bullying teams!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Lq3iagZzloU

Our Anti-bullying week is coming up on the 14th of November, and we are doing a variety of different fundraisers and activities to get everyone involved in stopping BULLYING at our school!
Themed assemblies...

A bake sale...

Selling 'Anti-bullying week 2012' wristbands...

Quiz...

Talent show....

These are just a few of the things we are planning to do... we also have just recently done a poster competition and the winner had their poster about 'anitbullying' put in every form room!
So if you want to do something to stand up against bullying join your Anti-bullying team or create one if you school doesn't have one!
Good luck
And may we all do well in this never ending battle against bullying
Much love
S xxxx

P.S. If you are being bullied or know someone who is... please don't waste time... talk to someone, parent, teacher.. someone you trust before its too late!! If you need some more advice below are a couple of helpful links:

Careline

Provides telephone counseling for those being bullied or facing any other problems
020 8514 1177

Anti-Bullying Campaign (ABC):
Helpline that provides advice for both victims and bullies who want to change.
(Term time: Mon-Fri 10.00-16.00)
020 7378 1446

 Bullying online:

www.bullying.co.uk
help@bullying.co.uk
(you can email someone for support and advice 24/7)

 Childline

www.chlidline.orguk/bullying.asp
helpline: 0800 1111

Life Choices...

You know what.. someone up there doesn't want me to have a good week!
Do you ever feel like that???
You've tried and succeed in having a great start to your week (Mon-Thu and Friday morning) and literally it all just comes crashing I mean CRASHING down... friday afternoon and saturday!
Those who are at my school will know about Friday afternoon but lets just say it involved alot of shouting and disappointment on peoples part!! (More on this later)
Besides the point this post is about life choices!

This morning I went for another run.. a life choice
I have decided to train for a 10K.. life choice

But when you reach Year 11 you have another life choice: A-levels
What to take? What not to take?.. should you stay on? Should you not!!

I know in my mind what subjects I want to take but then I am being pulled this way and that by basically my teachers who want me to do their subject..
Don't please don't get me wrong.. its nice to feel 'loved' to the extent your teachers want you to take a subject.. but the truth is the more they do that, the more guilty I feel saying 'No'
So right now due to my nature I have agreed to 'think' about the following AS levels:
-English literature
-Economics
-French
-Biology

I don't know what to do??
My definites are
-History and -Economics
Because I enjoy them and well because there just subjects I love learning and studying and revising adn also my school offers great teachers for both subjects!!

I also enjoy english literature so that is quite high up the list and I think I should take maths..
But then theres people saying
'Take a language, it looks better at A* level!' What makes them so sure I am going to get the A*
'Take a science it would be good for univeristy especially the US'

Its difficult, everytime I think I have decided I go back on myself and question every move!
What am I going to say when my teachers ask 'so you thought about it??' I don't want to let anyone down!!!

The truth is I am normally the one giving you advice.. now I need it from you... not just from family, teachers, friends... people I don't know....
Thanks

Now back to my 'bad' but 'good' week.. basically had some bad news this morning and it lowered my selfesteem a bit.. no it wasn't a break up!! But I guess (now for some advice) I'm gonna be knockered down so many times.. as you will be but the important thing to remember is that person knocking you down whether it be a friend or parent or even a teacher... in a couple of years when you are far away living the life you want, they'll still be here, wishing they never said it!
I guess that sounds a bit like .. well bullying if you ask me.. I wonder if you guys have seen this video all about the news presenter who recieved the letter about her 'weight'

When I heard I was appalled... I am an anti-bullying rep (On wednesday I will do a blogpost talking about that)... what gives someone else the right to belittle another human being and make them feel like nothing!! NO ONE!
The man who wrote the letter has since apologised but yes he is entitiled to his own opinions but why does he have to write them down.....
Another mention of bullying was on the most viewed page of youtube about the girl Amber Todd....her life story; upsettting, awful.. that people would want to hurt someone that badly be it physically or mentally!
So my next blogpost will be all about Bullying I feel so strongly about it.. (theres are reason and you can guess it!)

Thanks for listening guys
You don't know how much this helps just getting it all out!!
Much love
S xxxx

Making choices....

The next part of my University series is going to be.. about choosing the right university!

This is one of the most important parts of the whole process for obvious reasons... it is where you will spend 4 years of your life being educated!
To start with you need to write a list of dealbreakers:

-2 year or 4year... just trust me.. for an international student 4 year is easier!!!

-Large, medium or small??
So large, over 15,000 people- this is for those of you (like me) that want to still be able to meet someone new in your year on your last day of senior year! And for those of you who don't like everyone to know who you're dating or to know you!
Medium (between 6,000-15,000), this is smaller than large... obviously... but I guess this is for those of you who like meeting new people but would like to recognise a familiar face at least twice a day!
Small (below 6,000)
The smallest university I know has 600 people... so if you want a school smaller than your highschool where everyone knows one another and you know everyone too. This is the one for you!
Of course in each section there are extremes ranging from those with 600 people to those with 70,000 people!

-Public or private?
Normally the main difference is price however for an international student fees are what we call 'out of state' and are expensive for either one... shouldn't determine your choice!

-What campus setting? Urban, suburban or town???
This below website explains the differences...
https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/find-colleges/how-to-find-your-college-fit/campus-setting-rural-suburban-urban
which fits your bill?????

-Single sex or co-ed??
I'm a flirt so this was easy for me... co-ed! If you were at a single-sex high school maybe branch out and try something new....!!!

-Residential campus or commuters??
This basically means would you rather have all your friends stay at your uni to sleep and the weekend or to go home... bearing in mind unless you are living off campus... campus may be quite empty over the weekend!!

-Does the school offer one or some of the majors you may want to take?
YOU ARE GOING TO UNIVERSITY NOT JUST FOR THE EXPERIENCE BUT ALSO FOR THE EDUCATION: DO NOT i repeat DO NOT go somewhere where in your last 2 years you can't major in the subject you need for the carrer you want... I think thats called career suicide!!- WAIT.. you can't lose something you never had!

-SAT scores?
How do you measure up... could you actually get in??

-Price?
Is money an issue then you  need to find a university that will I repeat again.. WILL offer financial aid to you... specifically to YOU, the INTERNATIONAL student!!!

AND THE MOST IMPORTANT...
DO THEY ACTUALLY TAKE INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS????

So now you have a list of your dealbreaks.. so you won't look at any of those universites that don't fit that:

You can now add some other secondary dealbreakers such as:
-Greek system (more to come)
-Student publication (newspaper or TV or radio station)
-Certain sports- WILL BE A DEAL BREAKER IF WANTING TO GO FOR TEAM OR SPORTS SCHOLARSHIP!
-Other extra-cirricular activities..

But fear not instead of searching through the entire almost 4,000 universites.. there is a quick and easy method developed by the amazing collegeboard: a search for universities depending on the choices you put in...

SO WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR:
https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/college-search
-type your options but start with only your absolute dealbreaks... then keep getting more specific until you feel you are left with a nice amount (between 15-30) that you can go through and by process of elimination pick the ones you want to apply for!! (but thats not till later...!!!)

Good luck
Please leave any questions below as comments.. happy to help
Much love
S xxx

Weekend.. I need you

So basically if you can guess by my slightly depressing title, its been a long week.. not longer than any other but felt long! There was quite alot of bad news and not so much of the good
Did'nt help really!

I guess Wednesday, Yom Kippur was fun and I wore a pretty cool outfit I'd say..
anyone say bow tie woohoo!!
Heres a photo of my cuzs and I in the car... after shul!

BTW: just so you don't say nah ah no fair you got Wednesday off.. I 'd much prefer to be in school learning about Covalent bonding and unit of elasticity.. but no I had to go to shul and fast! YAY!!!
- HOPE YOU GOT the sarcasm there!!!
So this post an update... next week I promise more on US colleges and all that jazz!! I cross my heart!!
A list:
I have been revising (yeh I know 4 weeks in....)
-Biology for my SATs especially
-Physics (due to my love the Big Bang Theory... it is boderline obsessive

-Buisness (I have coursework on monday- 25%)

Now just lets stop for the moment...I normally try to memorise coursework... (don't worry that is allowed, as long as I don't bring my home-done work.. that I have done myself in control conditions in the time period.. with me) sounds a bit stupid doesn't it... coursework nowaday is a bloody memory test... WOW... blogging really helps get it all just out of my system doesn't it!!!
So due to having a bad week.. I am finding it for the first time impossible to learn my coursework I have done evertything
- listened to it while falling asleep
-making up a song
-reading it repeatedly
-acting it
-writing in repeatedly
NOTHING I REPEAT... NOTHING is working!!!

What I have to learnt... turned on its head.. literally!!

 

But maybe tomorrow everything will be ok!! I hope...
And maybe the bad thing in my bad week will improve... pray with me please!!! xxxx

So onto my obsession with the Big Bang Theory... I am sure you all feel this way when you watch it

... need I say more....

I love you SHELDON!!!

On Thursday it was my schools open evening so well obviously me being me helped by showing potential parents and their kids round our school I got some pretty good comment slips back...

So another silver lining.. I guess!

So otherwise..theres nothing else to report!
Tonight I am with my bestie Grace... yeh you've met her.. the mad girl with the video camera!!
We're having a relaxing girly evening movie and chocolate fest...
I need it so badly!!
Any ideas on movies... clueless or I dunno.. which one??? xxxx

But one more thing......
Today my dad and I went running again just a 6K, around my area.. we are training for a 10K... may not get that far may only do 5K but I found that once I had ran I was in a much better mood... well
exercise releases endorphines,
endorphines make you happy and...
Happy people just don't shoot their husbands..... they just don't!

(Legally blonde)

Much Love
Hope you all had a better week than me

S xxxx