17. The past few days!

Hey, sorry for the lack of posts over the last few days!
A lot has happened over the past few days, well it seems like a lot...


20th of May was my last day at school- It was really strange signing every ones year book and shirts, year 11 has really flown by! But the other years dragged ;p they didn't keep me occupied in those years.

I was actually really excited on Friday to get the day over but when reality actually hit me i seemed to not want the day to end! I had a good time saying goodbye to people, even though i have seen them all today, lol. We had an exam today you see!
Also on Friday i went to the hospital just for a check up, i think its the last time i will be going, so that's great! =)


On Saturday and Sunday so the 21st and 22nd i was doing Chemistry revision which seemed never ending! I have a Chemistry exam on... TOMORROW... Its going to be horrible but at least its getting another exam out of the way!


On Monday i had the day off because we are now on Study Leave, this is when you don't have to go into school anymore... well only for the remaining exams and odd masterclass if you want to attend that is. To be quite honest i didn't do much on Monday, i really should have been revising for my English Lit exam which i had today (24th)


Finally today, i went into school in the morning well basically until lunchtime because i went to a Chemistry mastercass, today i had my English lit exam, its 1 hour 45 mins long and it was on "of mice and men" and also loads of poems! It was actually ALOT better than i thought it was going to be which was such a relief and yeah so... All my English exams are over forever! When i closed my paper at the end of the exam that's all i was thinking of! Its crazy to think i will never learn much else in English, but all you do from now on is learn writing skills and so on, as you can see they could come in handy ;p but i really don't like English as a whole.
At the moment i really should be revising for my Chemistry exam seen as its tomorrow so i shall be starting that soon, I'm really tired though so i think some coffee is needed!


Speak to you tomorrow!
Zara x


Wish me luck tomorrow! also good luck if you are taking the Chemistry as well!

Fact number 8- My favorite subject is Maths!

16. My fingers are crossed for you!

Just before i go to sleep i wanted to wish everyone a final good luck! Wish me good luck too! Sleep well, i really need to do well tomorrow =)... Think positive!

15. Practice for section B- Describe question

Describe the view from your bedroom window

Every morning as i reluctantly rise from my bed, i creep over to the bursts of light surrounding my shut blind. Squinting my eyes firmly i grasp the cord which separates me from the rest of world, not wanted to meet the day. Slowly pulling down the cord my Autumn picturesque back garden is revealed. As i expected the morning sun shoots directly into my squinted eyes causing me to shut them tightly. Allowing my eyes to adapt I gently open them to see my surroundings, tens of bare trees enter twined I spot in the near distance, already calling for spring. Rustic brown leaves cover the floor beneath my room like a textured bronze carpet, traveling as far as the eye can see. Rest assure the sights from my bedroom window have come as a pleasant surprise, a smile is set on my face as i am not ready to meet the day.

Cant get much done in the time! =S 
Goodluck if you have the exam tomorrow, i know i will need all the luck in the world =S
X

14. Practice paper 2 English exam

Compare the methods poets use to have an impact on their readers in ‘Limbo’ (page 5) and in
one other poem.


Planning--
Choose other poem which links well---- Blessing


Limbo
T- deprived
L- Song like, rythmic---- waves of the boat, continuous waves, repetative lives.
The word limbo itself makes reader think that this shouldnt be happeing as they arnt choosing to live this way... ect
word limbo remindes us of limbo stick used for the game, this symbolises the rowing paddels as they are the stick, i see this because knees spread wide
Lines are nearly repeted like 16-17 and 41 and 43 shows how nearly repetative the lives are, just rowing
S- waves in and out--- repative lives--- never changing.
Full stop at end eather shows stop of slavary or the emerging out of the boat.. free. Or the slaves being killed.
F- feelings of poet....
P- stand out words... gods are raising me, stick is the whip, drum stick knock


Blessing
T- deprived but blessed with water? 
L- simile skin cracks like a pod, lists, pots, brass, copper, aluminium shows francticness
Liquid sun
silver crashes to the ground metaphore
sudden rush of fourtune
religious aspect kindly god, blessing
S- full stop shows no more water
F-
P- stand out words.. fourtune, polished to perfection, silver crashes to the ground




The piece---
Both Poets, .... and ..... who constructed Limbo and Blessing have used a range of linguistic devices to create an impact of the reader. The language used helps the reader when visualizing
what the poet is trying to put across, this helps when the reader is coming to terms with the themes and ideas of the poem. One of the key themes both poems hold is deprived areas, water and also hope.

The structure of Limbo is very different to that of Blessing. Limbo's structure is set to represent the movement of the waves washing in and out, the poem is set at sea. Also i feel this symbolizes the repetitive
lives as a slave on the boat, rowing all day nothing ever changing. Also the repetitive 'chorus' "Limbo, limbo like me" also resembles the slaves reparative lives, as does the lack of punctuation
the single full stop at the end of the poem could have many meaning one being the end of slavery era or the slaves emerging out from the boat into freedom or even the death of the slaves. Unlike the short
standard washing of the waves in Limbo, Blessing's structure is set out to show the bursting of the pipe, this is shown through line length, as the pipe bursts the line length increases and when the water has
gone back to nothing the line length decreases like before the pipe bursts. the poet has done this to show how much the water means to the locals and how much water their must have been. Also like Limbo their
is a full stop at the end of the poem this is to show their is no more water.

The language used in each poem is the main method the poet can get across their thoughts which creates a big impact on the reader. .... in the poem limbo has used a variety of techniques to create
an impact on the reader one being the repetitive 'chorus' "limbo, limbo like me" is repeated thought the whole poem to represent the repleteness of each poem and also the waves as they are continuous.
The word Limbo itself is going to have a big effect on the reader as the phrase 'stuck in Limbo' is used often in everyday life, so the reader will already have an idea on what the poem is
based around which will draw the reader in as they want to find out what kind of Limbo. As well as this the reader will associate Limbo with a game which involves the player to bend backwards under
a wooden pole. The line "knees spread wide" reminds the reader of the game and also helps us imagine the cramped conditions of the boat as the slaves row with the 'limbo' stick.
I think the poet has used cheese words as the poem can relate to the reader meaning the poem is a more enjoyable and insiteful read. The poet has nearly repeated sentences "long dark deck and the water" and
"long dark deck and the silence" I think the poet has done this to show the little change in the slaves lives, repetitive lives. Also "dark deck" is mentioned a couple of times thought the poem
this gives a grungy closed environment to the boat. Overall in this poem i feel that there is allot of repetition and descriptive lines about the boat.

TIME UP

In contrast ...... who wrote Blessing uses allot more descriptive, emotive language in the poem. For example at the start of the poem the simile "skin cracks like a pod" leaves the reader imagining the hot, dry
conditions which the poem is set in. Also as the rush of water escapes the burst pipe a rush of description is also added this helps add to the frantic but yet exciting feel of the poem, lists are
used "pots, brass, copper, aluminum" also helps shows franticness of the village as they rush to catch the water. As well as similes, metaphors are also used, "silver crashes to the ground" this is
supposed to show how valuable the water is to the village as they link it with "silver". Also the quote "a sudden rush of fortune" helps impact on the readers thoughts and helps the reader imagine
how much this water means to them. the words "liquid sun" are used to emphasis the life giving qualities of water. Alliteration is used "polished to perfection" the poet has used this as it helps the image
of the sun stand out, which has a great impact of the reader.

there is a real difference in how each poet puts across their thoughts to the reader, as they both have different feeling and styles of writing. I can see from the words used in the poem Limbo that .... has such
strong views against the slave trade and also a sence of relief as the full stop at the end shows that its all over. Unlike ..., .... it seems that she has experienced this herself as she is able to describe the poem so
much, but by looking at the poet herself i see that she would have been on the other end of the spectrum to the featured characters in Blessing, she would have been where the pipe was travelling to

Personally out of the two poems i feel ... who wrote blessing had more of an impact on me, she has done this through her descriptive language methods, which helped me imagine more what it would be like to be in the
situation. By comparing both poems i can see that i have learnt how the poet tries to impact through different  language and structure methods on the reader. Both poems have made me realize how lucky i am
to not live in a third world country and have access to luxury in life, water, respect and freedom of peach unlike the slaves in Limbo. 

13. OH NO

As you can see from my practices im not good at english but i do try, lol. Well im not sure what else i can do apart from more practice.

I have to remember in section A of the paper one i need to use
PQA and try and be abit quicker when answering the questions.

And on section B of paper one i need to use
FLAPS and AFOREST

Lets see if i remember---

Point, quote and analysis.

Form, language, audience, purpose and structure

Alliteration or anecdote (story, own experience to back up point)
Facts
Opinion but for O organisation would be a good one
Rhetorical question
E..... Evidence? no oh god...
S- no.... Think!!!
Triplets (rule of 3)


Umm ok CHEAT
E- Emotive language
S- Superlative (over the top words)

Well that wasnt that bad only forgot 2....

Wish me luck tomorrow!!! =D xxx
Also good luck if you are also taking the exam, i bet you have prepared abit more than i have XD

12. Practicing again section A of paper one English

This time i will practice compating the presentational devices i can see in 2 media texts. This will also appear as one of the questions tomorrow, for about 4 questions on the we have an hour to answer, these questions are worth around 7 marks each so im guessing its around 7 points we have to make? Lol i should have done abit of research....
I have got the two medias infront of me and i am giving myself 15 mins to plan and write my responce.


How are presentational devices used in these two pieces of media to make the piece what it is?
you can tell i have made this question up haha


Planning-
I shall be using
P- Point
Q- Quote
A- Analysis

Presentational devises are a major part to consider when designing a news/media article. The devises help catch the readers attention and also help break down the piece to text, depending on what the article is about and aimed at determines the amount and Mons trophy of the presentational devices.  

By looking at each text I can see that text A has a considerable less amount of colour, range of text sizes and pictures. This helps me evaluate the piece well as from first sight I can see the piece is aimed at an older age range, compared to text B which has a large range of text sizes, big picture, less writing and use of effective colour.  

On both pieces colour has been used on text the author feels is important, on text A the main title “Ethical living” is coloured in a bright eco coloured green, this colour suggests to me the piece is about re using, recycling and being “ethical” Also on text B bright red text is used on the word “waste” in the sentence “The campaign against waste”. The red writing suggests and symbolises, danger which could occur in the world if the waste issue isn’t sorted out. Also the red text symbolises death, which could mean the death of the earth or the death of the human race if the issue isn’t sorted the effects could be deathly.

TIME UP

A coloured picture is presented on each piece, which helps break down the text also making the piece more eyes catching. I feel colour has been used as the topic each piece focuses on isn’t a one minded piece, change can actually be made. If the images where presented in black and white it gives a helpless and hopeless feel to the topic.  Both pictures link well with the piece, on text A the picture is of a woman looking at her clothes, she is holding up a sock and I feel she is thinking of how she can re use or recycle the sock making it into something she never would have dreamed of. The image is also small this could suggest that not many people these days recycle or “make- do and mend” what they already have. On text B there is a large photograph this may suggest the problem of waste is very troublesome. The photograph is of a Swede which is in shrink wrapping and has a label on which shows the price, barcode ect. The photograph links well with the piece of text as the text is talking about the un necessary packaging, the photograph shows this well as I am sure the image helps the reader to realise that waste packaging is a bigger problem than they thought and that it occurs on vegetables which are naturally grown not only processed manufactured foods, toys and electronics.

By doing this I can see that I cant get much done in a short time period, I don’t think that 7 points would be needed into get full marks just good vocab, varied sentence structure, good ideas, spelling, good evaluation… that kind of thing.

I would hope to have got 5/7 but I don’t know as the piece wasn’t that well thought out and planned.

11. Practice for my English PAPER 1 EXAM

I have the GCSE English Paper one exam tomorrow, which consists of  Media and non fiction text which we will recive two articels or something along the lines of an articel and we have to answer questions on them for an hour, mainly linguistic and presentational devices and for section B of the exam we have 45 mins to answer a questions eather to xplain, describe or inform.
Im not at all good at English so i will give it the best i have, here is alittle pactice question our teacher gave to to try, i will be trying out the Section B- Describe question.

Describe how you think you will feel when you finish your GCSE examinations.

Planning---

F- Description
L- AFOREST
A- People my age who are experiancing the same as me, or someone who wants to see in the eyes of a student.
P- To let people see how i am feeling
S- .....Paragraphs

A- Alliteration or anecdotes (you can back up something which your experiece a short story)
F- Facts (can be made up)
O- Opinions!!
R- Rhetorical Question
E- Emotive wording
S- Superlatives (over the top language)
T- Tipels (rule of three)

NEED TO REMEMBER THESE!!!

Examinations for any high school student should be the biggest milestone yet to be experienced, in our short academic careers. For me especially, someone who has tried hard thought their school career, the next few weeks will determine whether I attend college or be stuck on a dead end, minimal wage job. This may be a little extreme to some but for other students my age the same thoughts run through our mind day in, day out. The one thing we all really fear is, who knows what will happen?  

Five years it has taken to climb the high school food chain, It’s taken family, friends and teachers to make it. Being at the top isn’t exactly what I expected. The stress, deadlines and time consuming essays have made my social life none existent.  

Seeing the end of the line has changed my opinion on not only the past but the future, I can see the wasteful days I can spend just relaxing in the sun with friends talking about what happened during the examination process. And also how everything high school has taught me not only educational ways but experience with characters, i may have never been able to meet, will help me develop my way of thinking and attitude towards my life.

We all know that we cannot change the past, only make do and be the best we can  from the results we have achieved, which will later help us through the next stage of life.

Unlike my fellow students who will be exhilarated when the final minuet of the last exam approaches, I will be sad to see the past five years pass me by. The last time me, my friends and the class of 2011 will be together. Even though in exam conditions I am sure somewhere deep inside the others they will later realise the same as i have.

Time up, I feel I went off the question a little too much =S and I also could have used more advanced language, I can now see why I should have started revision before the day before the exam HAHA.

10. Breakdown

Me and crying are two words what do not go together. The last time i had a breakdown like this from what i can remember was in Year 9 on my first Duke of Edinburgh trek, and i hadn't worn my shoes in which caused both of my feet to be like 2 big blisters by the time i got to the second day, walking back. Yes i had to walk back with feet which were undoubtedly painful. some of the blisters had popped while i was walking so it was a gooey mess inside my shoes but the rest were flipping ridiculous, I'm surprised i wasn't crying all the way back home. I managed to hold it like a man and wait, when i got home i was in tears for hours my feet, well if you can call them feet, looks as dis formed as ET, it was horrible. Not only that on the trip me and my... arch enemy had a few disagreements which i was obviously correct about.


Anyway, so I'm here as sad as i am, with a toilet roll (tissues have ran out) and a cup of tea trying to get my feelings out.


Everything has got too much for me, i mean i am only in  year 11 and you could say i have allot worse to come but to be honest nothing can be worse than this. Exam stress may be a cause, only because i have so much pressure of my mum, dad and teachers, all pushing me. At school i am trying to block it out and forget them having a go at me but at home i cant get away from it all, i get calls from my dad asking if i am revising and my mum phoning the school every 10 minuets making things 10 times worse. At school i am called out of each lesson by teachers asking why shes phoning and get humiliated when teachers don't take me out and just say it in front of the whole class. I really have had enough of her, i know she wants the best for me but it really is getting beonde a joke.
I had the day off on Monday with a friend of mine as we thought we should have an 'art day' i was really ready to do some art and get it out of my system, i went around to hers seen as my mother still hasn't got me a printer, i can only use at weekends at dads. And my friend has got one so i went around hers, she put me off for the whole day she didn't even open her book , i wasn't going to let that get me down so i carried on and she wasn't happy, i swear she wants me to fail. And i did all my work on her laptop and it ended up her printer didn't work so i emailed my work to my mum but her coloured printer at work was broken, then the next day at school i tried to print them off and it wouldn't open because it wasn't compatible software. Everything was against me, so not i have shitty black and white ones which i wont get half the marks for because of a bloody printer. I spent all day on these sheets as well. I have had enough of it all. My friend pissing me off all day because she wanted to sit in the sun, she wanted this, she wanted that, i thought it was a flipping ART DAY, i could have stayed at home she was that little help to me. Would have been better off at home.
At school people are bugging me, i had this instant today which tomorrow i will most defiantly be called to see the head teacher, i am most likely to break down in front of him which wouldn't be a good start seen as he is new. I cant be bothered with the aggro because yes i am to blame and no one even cares anyway, the teachers will make a big deal over nothing.
My mum, today at the dinner table we were talking and i was telling her how i am so tired when i come home from school and how i am not going to be able to revise, she was like oh. And how i have had a bad day and i don't want her peeing me off anymore than she has already with another phone call, this time it was actually a confrontation with my friends mum, she told her everything and now all my friends know about shit happening in my life. I really cant be doing with this hell with 2 and a half weeks left, i want her to just shut up and leave my life alone for 2 weeks! how much can i really ask for.


Their is so much stuff which is piling up, little comments of people, mum, dad even my sister, my friends are actually really bad, exams n subjects i never want to do again i am being forced to do good in and yeah i will do alright in them but they don't all have to be hammering me about it every minuet of the day, all i want to do is to be left alone and get on with my work.


Also i have another incident my mum is freaking over is this girl has copied my ICT work and i need to change all of hers aswelll because she doesn't know how to do it and its bugging me, i am staying in every lunch an break time doing my own work never mind other peoples as well. Also my best friend pisses about for the whole year in ICT when i am working the same friend who wanted this non existent 'art day' says her mum will kill her if she doesn't get 2 gcse's in IT so when she was making a bit of an effort i was like i will help you once i have finished mine, and now shes pissing about again leaving it all for me, its so unfair, also i have her Chemistry home work to do because she is going to do me a favor well lets hope it actually materialises.


Everything is mounting up and i cant cope, i really am a strong person you could ask anyone i know but its the little things what really effect me, mean comments what were supposed to be jokes but were not that kind of thing.


Reading this i probably seem like i am this nerd who is a push over but I'm not i just have too much to handle and its getting close to dead lines and with other peoples work to do its getting allot for me.


Zara x

9. Its the first! ......EBay

White rabbits, white rabbits, white rabbits! 

Hello again =)


I'm not new to the whole EBay thing, as i am sure pretty much everyone has an account! But recently i have started to become... addicted.  I'm not a very materialistic person at all but the thought of getting something worth a lot more than i am paying seems to draws me in.


Being 15 years old i haven't actually got an account of my own, my dad has though, i mainly sell things trough his account not buy as its my only way to get a source of income (Well i could apply for a real job but this is a lot more fun), apart from Birthday and Christmas money of course.


I'm not addicted to buying things more addicted to searching and watching other people "bid fighting" in the remaining countdown. 
I would say i am pretty lucky when it comes to bidding, when i think about it.. everything i have ever wanted from EBay i have managed to get no matter how many people bid. (I hope i haven't just jinxed myself) 


Random fact number 7- I watch Dr Who, last nights episode was really good 2nd of the series.