Why I chose an apprenticeship

So, at current a lot of people will preparing to go to uni and others are looking for their first job out of college a good percentage of which very well might be an apprenticeship. I might have touched previously on the fact I was one of the latter but in this post I'm going to talk through my decision.

Firstly, I went through the entirety of my A Levels intending to go to uni. My courses were generally picked with criminology/forensics in mind as that was my end goal. I absolutely loved my college courses and gained so much from them regardless of the outcomes so even though I picked them to get into my uni course, I don't feel I wasted my time having done any of them.
I got good enough grades to build up enough UCAS points to get into the course/uni I applied to and I was buzzing but then the closer and closer it got, the more I felt terrified about the whole scenario. It literally got to my registration day and I was like, NAH. Now, I know most people will read that and be like, you're not the only one Hayley, we all felt like that but carried on. For some reason, I just couldn't. That same day, I emailed my tutor at uni and told her I wasn't going to go and I re-did my CV and got applying for jobs. Before long, I realised without little experience, no where that I wanted to be would take me on which quickly drove me to the apprenticeships website. The thing that attracted me most to apprenticeships was the whole idea that not only did you get the experience in the role, you have a qualification at the end to prove you have that experience too and of course you get paid as you do it! I have both my level 2 and 3 in business admin which I completed at 2 different jobs and if you didn't know level 2 equates to a GCSE level and 3 equates to an A Level. I'm still at the job where I completed my level 3 and I'm really happy in my role and the workplace itself.

Another part of the reason I was happy to give up the idea of university so easily was that I can go back to it at any point, just because it wasn't for me back when I was 18, it doesn't mean that in time I wont decide to do a course via the open university or anything like that, it's always something I'll be open to revisiting when I'm ready, I may wear the mortarboard and gown one day!

To summarise - I decided late in the game I wanted to do an apprenticeship because you gain experience, a viable qualification and money to do so in one. I'd never not advocate uni though, if/when I have kids, I'd hope they would like to go to uni and I wouldn't be like well I didn't go so you don't need to, uni will always be the first path they should head to until they decide otherwise for themselves just like it was for me! Never think that there is only one way to get where you want to be in life or that there is a set timeline to do so... there is always more than one way to make a mai-tai and it is ALWAYS 5 o'clock somewhere x

Hayl xo

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Memory Lane Monday!

In the last few weeks of year 11 like most people in the same year around the UK - I had a leavers book for everyone to sign (like a year book but better). I didn't fill the book so I decided I'd write a letter to myself in the future. It's been about 3/4 years since writing it and I decided I'd type it up and see what's changed since then (it's a lot). I think it's quite cringey but it's a nice thing to do because looking back at it, it helps me remember everything both before and around that time.

Dear Hayley, 

Right now you're 15, 16 soon!! It's the 2nd of june and yesterday you left school and cried for an hour literally 'probably more though'. You've just read through your leavers book and cried again. Today your listening to the radio which makes a change because you're always watching some crap on TV 'no change there then'. You go to NCS soon and your really excited because it's with your bestfriend nicole 'after a huge argument (entirely my fault) and a year of not talking we're not bestfriends anymore but we're still friends. NCS was extremely good though'. Well you did it, you survived secondary school, one thats filled with idiots and bullies.. obviously ignorance is bliss 'told you it was cringy'. 

When you're older you want: 

♥An old pink mini 'Changed to a new mint green soft top mini'

♥two children, a girl called Liberty-Skye and a boy called Niall 'Still true - I wonder where I got the boys name from'  

♥a job in the police force 'cause you're offit'. 'Now I just want a job in admin'

Right now, your hair is ginger, you've been:

♥Brown

♥Browny-red

♥red

♥purple

♥Black 'I can now add blonde to that'

and you've dip dyed it twice three times now! You're really scared for college and your probably reading this thinking 'wtf.. it was a doddle!' 'not quite hayley, not quite' I don't doubt it was but you're pooing yourself for it now anyway! Last night was good at the leavers campout, it was hilarious Jane* shouting at everyone for being half seshes and then she went at like 10. You, col, liam, char and jamie stayed til midnight cause you's are offit. Ash and Neil* stayed all night bless them. The fire was nice too, you don't like Neil because he called you fat.. your not arsed anymore but you still don't like him. Oh god, the leavers assembly was cute as, there were a tonne of old photos that you didn't even remember being taken. The photo of Mr Miller made you and Holl cry the most cause it was just him. Shocking that he still isn't back isn't it, well he might be when your reading this. 'Sadly Mr miller isnt back and will not be back ever - he was sacked and more and more teachers have left' All I know is the best teacher you've ever had, all his little stories and everything!

Everyones written in here about your happiness and your always doing your best to smile when youd rather not . You'd be weird without your smile by the sounds of it! OMG your braces, I assume you'll have them off by now? Are they nice, are you looking after your teeth properly now? You can't wait to see! 'they are off but not in the conventional way (I took them off myself because im terrified of the orthadontist)'

You can be such a freak, do you know that? If you read some of the messages in here like the people you're close to, their hilarious! You were a stalker, an alcho, a fattie and a genuine weirdo! I hope you havent changed, here's all your favourite things: 

Colours - 

♥Reddy-Pink

♥Purple

♥Bluey Green 'All still true'

Films -

♥Starstruck

♥Diary of a Wimpy Kid

♥any Harry Potter

♥Cat in the Hat

♥John Tucker Must Die

♥4321

♥Mean Girls

♥Step Brothers

♥Catch me if you can 'I haven't watched half of these in ages, starstruck is still my fave though'

food - 

♥Ready Salted Crisps

♥McDonalds

♥tomatoes

♥Spag Bol

♥Pizza

♥Freddos

♥Poptarts 'All still true'

books - 

♥Angus Thongs and Perfect Snogging 1-7

♥ All Harry Potters

♥True Story books

♥the twilight saga 'I now love tfios and if I stay too and tonnes more but im not sure'

Aw Hayley, I hope you've done well in school/college and go far 'I'd say I did well, I passed everything and got into uni.. I just didn't go'! In case you forget how offit you were, here is a picture to show you! At Teeside Uni, people were asked to do an experiment so you (thinking others from your school would) shot your hand up, turns out it was just you and creeps from teeside high, well done midge! Good luck and stay offit!

The photo mentioned

Wow what a long bloody letter that was! in case you're wondering, the names jane and neil are names that have been changed because I don't think I should keep their real names in but every one elses are real! also if you cant tell, the bits in the letter that arent in italics are me now so I've annotated it sort of. Like I said, its a really nice thing to do if like me you really like to hold onto memories, if your in your last year of school I definitely suggest you write a little letter to yourself for a few years time it's like a non-buried time capsule.   

Im thinking of doing more 'memory lane monday' posts so if you have any ideas they would be more than welcome. I hope you enjoy my posts as much as I enjoy writing them, I mean I don't mind if you don't, I'm mainly writing them for me anyway but, it'd be v nice if more than just myself enjoyed reading them. 

Hayl xo 

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Surviving Sixth Form

I went to a sixth form college and really enjoyed it and I feel that this was down to my friends and other experiences so I felt that it would be a good idea for me to write a post with advice and ideas to get you through those two years that can only be described as marmite - you either love it or hate it!

Friendship 

One reason I enjoyed college was because I had good friends throughout the two years I was there. On my first day I already knew people that had come from my school and although I wasn't close to them at the time I attached myself to the group and thus had friends at college. Now that's all good and dandy to have people at break and dinner to sit with and have a laugh with but you will most likely need to make friends in classes (unless your friends are in your classes too) which isn't always easy. most teachers will force you to move from the seat you chose and sit next to someone you don't know and although this is nerve racking, you will certainly make friends by doing this because you're all in the same boat and have to talk to each other. If this doesn't happen which it most likely will, you can always find someone when having to do a partner project. Even if it doesn't happen straight away, you will make friends in your class!

Sticking to deadlines 

This is actually quite hypocritical of me as I didn't always manage it and your only human, when doing 4 almost brand new subjects you wont always be able to stick to deadlines but at least trying to will make your life easier. The best way to do this is to start the assignment as soon as you can and plan the assignment out. Like I said I didn't always stick to the deadline but I was always honest with my teachers, if it was close to a deadline and I didn't think I would be able to make it, I would hang back after class and explain to the teacher why I was unable to complete it for the deadline and they were always supportive and gave any help they could. Never rush something to get it in on time, you could lose valuable marks from your coursework

Pick something you're interested in 

My law teacher always said people are generally happier in college because they aren't being forced to do the subject, they are doing it out of interest. If you enjoy the subject you're more likely to get good grades in it and in the first few weeks of college your allowed to change your subjects so if you don't like something, don't stick in it because your friends do it or because your parents want you to, find something that you'll enjoy but will still help in your future. 

Use your free periods wisely

I know that you don't always want to sit and work through all of your free periods but it'll help in the long run. If you have work that isn't computer based then great, go and sit with your new found friends in the common room or wherever you want and do your work just make sure you make time to do it all. 

Revision

So this sounds like such a teacher-ish thing to say but honestly you can never revise enough, even more so when January exams have been eliminated! When I first started college my history teacher asked me to set a personal target and it was to revise from the start and she said I wouldn't need to, I wish I had though! I still actually stick by that too, when you finish a topic in college, make some notes, revise it and try and remember it, don't spend too long on it because you have to learn other stuff but you'll be glad you did when it gets to exam season and you'll find it less stressful!

So this is my first proper post and I'm not sure whether it'll be liked that much or if anyone will even read it (cue Bridget Jones singing 'all by myself') but if you are someone who has read this, please give me feedback, it's really helpful for me and it's just something for me to do really 

Hayley xo

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