How I Survived A Level Exams

Since making my new year's resolution to blog every week, I have never missed a Sunday upload completely. Posts have been delayed, altered and compromised, but never missed... until last week. Last Sunday I had allowed myself a weekend off revision. I'd just sat 3 exams in the last week and my final exam being a week away, I'd let myself have a much needed break. So on Sunday night, as I relaxed into bed feeling rested and refreshed; I was suddenly shocked with the realisation that it was blog day. I debated grabbing my phone and quickly throwing something together but my head was crammed with Russian history facts and critical readings of The Duchess of Malfi, nothing creative could have come out of that. So, for the first time in about 6 months, I gave myself a week off blogging. 

 I hope you don't mind. 

 Today I thought I would commemorate the end of my A Levels by revealing my secrets to how I dealt with exams. This isn't my revision tips, it's not my methods or a lecture about the beauty of flashcards, I've had enough of all that. This is how I made my revision period as stress free as possible... which was tricky. 

 One thing I realised when going into my first exam was the mistakes I had already made in my revision process.

 My mood was odd that day, I didn't feel myself. And when meeting up with my classmates before our Russia exam I realised why; going to that exam was the first time I had left the house in about 5 days. 

 I wouldn't recommend doing that to anybody. Fresh air and clarity is so important and after that exam I tried to make sure I sat outside for a little while each day, even if just for twenty minutes or so. 

 My daily structure for revision would be pretty similar every day, depending what time I woke up. I didn't set alarms to wake up. If you're revising from home, there really isn't any need to. Your body will wake up when it's ready and the more rested you are, the better you will concentrate. If I woke up 'early,' so between 8-9:30, I would get dressed and washed, make a coffee and let myself have some TV/phone time until 10:30-11am. If I woke up later, so between 9-10:30, I would start a little later, 11:30-12. This might seem like a late start for some people considering the school day starts at 9am. 

 It's important to remember, you're not at school. Study leave is your time to figure out how you work best, ignore what people 'recommend' if that's not what's right for you, but be disciplined at the same time. 

 Once I'd started, I would spend the next 6 hours or so solidly in my new office working. I would break for lunch between 1:30 and 3, depending when I got hungry. I would let myself work until my parents got home and dinner was ready. Some days I could work 6-7 hours easily, some days I struggled to focus and if you have those days, it's important to let yourself stop. If you're not focused, nothing will go in anyway so forcing yourself to study is a waste of time. Lack of focus is your mind's way of telling you to take a break. 

 I would recommend working hard enough throughout the year and on your good days that you are able to have a day off if you need it without it being stressful. 

 In order to work for a full 6 hours a day, you need to have a relaxing environment and regular breaks. 

 Don't take breaks on your phone. 

 When taking breaks from revision, you need to keep your brain working. Watching TV or going on your phone will kill your focus. On my 'bad days' I had usually let myself watch a YouTube video or something while taking a break and from then on, I couldn't focus. On my 'good days,' I would have a break by reading a few chapters in my book or playing guitar for twenty minutes or so. This keeps your brain working so that when you go back to studying, you're able to get back into it. 

 I find that having scented candles burning helped me study a lot because I began to associate the smell with revising. That might sound a bit odd but the atmosphere in the room can affect your mood massively. Now when I go into my office and smell the caramel popcorn in the air, I feel like I should be sitting down to study; it was really effective to get me focused. 

 The most important thing is your environment. 

 I did all of my studying in one room which worked for me because I felt focused there. If your someone who needs a change of scenery, try setting up a work space in a couple of different rooms so that you can feel refreshed if you lose focus. 

 Don't revise with your phone in the same room; if you use revision apps, try to have self control or find a version of it on your computer instead. 

 Little things like keeping hydrated and having snacks is really important. Whilst I love coffee, too much would make my brain work too fast and stopped me focusing on one thing for too long. 

 If you lose motivation easily, try setting yourself little rewards. For instance, I let myself have my second cup of coffee once I'd filled my minimum goal of 5 hours per day. I also let myself have a little sweet after I'd finished a deck of flash cards or done a mock exam question. 

 It's also handy to have a big reward in mind for the end of the entire process. Before I moved house, I was going to book a holiday for the end of exams but having to leave my job killed that plan! Instead, I put together a shelf of books I have been dying to read so that I could tell myself, after exams, you get to read all of those books. 

 The promise of a great night out also works a treat! 

 As a kind of conclusion, the most important things are your motivation and your environment. If you struggle with revision but are thinking of going on to A Levels, try these methods out next exam season and see how it helps! Be creative with your revision process, it doesn't have to be awful. 

Books I'm Saving for the Summer

I'm in the thick of it with my A Level exams right now. I've taken a break from Angevin History revision to write a little post about the books I'm saving for when this is all over. My history teacher told us all that it helps to have little rewards planned for when exams are done to get you through revision. I've planned little days out, a shopping trip but most importantly, a great Summer reading list!

 Most of these I either got for Christmas or have bought over the last 6 months specifically for the summer. I'm hoping for some lovely weather so that I can just relax in my garden with a book and some iced coffee. I hope this inspires you to do some reading over the summer; if you've got your own summer reading list, I'd love to know what you've picked out! Let me know in the comments what you're excited to read over the next few months. 



 The first book on my list is Caraval by Stephanie Garber. 

I absolutely adored The Night Circus when I read it just before Christmas and I've been searching for similar books ever since. I've really rekindled my love for fantasy fiction over recent months and so when this came out, I knew it was one to save for Summer when I'd have nothing else to think about! I found this copy in Tesco and managed to grab it for only £5 which I was so excited about. It's been on my shelf ever since and I can't wait to cuddle up with it once I finish my exams. 

 I'm also saving Paula Hawkins' Into the Water. 

I read The Girl On The Train last summer in a couple of days and so I wanted to save this one for summer too so that I can really get into it. My boyfriend bought this one for me a few weeks ago because he thought I'd enjoy it. I've heard amazing things about it and it's been quite an awaited book for me. Thrillers are probably my second favourite to Fantasy fiction so I think I'm really going to enjoy this one. 

 I'm saving David Mitchell's The Bone Clocks having picked it up in a charity shop back in February.

 Both my English and History teachers have raved about this one to me. It had been on my list for a while so when I saw it in perfect condition in a charity shop I just had to grab it. It hasn't really jumped out at me to read though. I found Cloud Atlas really testing when I read that last summer so I'm a bit skeptical about this one. I've heard really good things about it and my History teacher told me to read it once exams are over so I'm looking forward to giving it a go very soon!

 Now for those of you who don't know, I love Alice in Wonderland. So when I received Alice by Christina Henry for Christmas, I knew I just had to save it for Summer so I could enjoy it fully. I also bought the sequel, Red Queen with a gift card after Christmas and I am looking forward to delving into them both. I love a good retelling of a classic and I can already tell I'm really going to love these. 

 I have also promised myself that I will reread The Night Circus this summer. As soon as I finished it, I was desperate to read it again. I cannot explain the feeling of magic when you read this book, it's everything I've ever wanted in a book. I know it's one I will read again and again but this Summer I want to reread it and appreciate every page.

 Lastly, I have saved Agatha Christie's Crooked House. 

I read my first Agatha Christie before Christmas and I loved it so much. I really want to read more of her books but being without a job at the minute has meant that everything I want to read is currently trapped on a list in the back of my blogging notebook. So I saved this one for the summer in the hope that once I finish it, I'll be in the position to buy myself more soon. Let me know what your favourite Agatha Christies are so that I can add them to my list!

I'll definitely be reading more books that this over the summer so make sure to follow me on Instagram, ChloeHanks23, to keep up with what I'm reading! I hope this inspires you to put together a great reading list for the summer! Thanks for reading, I'll see you next week!

Music is the Language of Love

I am about to sit down to watch the One Love Manchester benefit concert on TV. I've been looking forward to it all week and I wasn't sure, given the nature of things, whether or not it was moral to look forward to such an event. But I am so excited to see people coming together and using music to unite in love and compassion for what happened almost 2 weeks ago. 

 I don't want to talk too much about the terrorist attack. 

 I don't feel it's necessary at this point to create more attention to those that find pride in carrying out such heinous acts. This post today is to celebrate what music is and what it provides us with and to support tonight's event. 

 As a musician, I play gigs regularly and nothing can compare to the feeling of playing music for a crowd of people who share that passion for songs. I play acoustic music. My audiences are usually small and intimate. It's a connection I cannot explain, playing songs to people and seeing them enjoy it. I get to play songs that I have written and watch people connect with my lyrics. Music is a kind of language that isn't specific to any country, religion or race. Music is the one thing we have that connects everybody. 

 Music is art and vulnerability and growth and change. 

 I am so uplifted by the lineup for the concert tonight because I feel we have a lineup of artists who can convey this. 

 Miley Cyrus who has grown up before our eyes and just released the most beautiful song about finding yourself. Katy Perry who writes fun lyrics and has fun on stage no matter what people say about her. Niall Horan who has just departed from the biggest boy band in the world and has embraced the music he is passionate about rather than what would make the most money. And, of course, Ariana Grande who had one of the most traumatic events unfold at her concert and is going to brace the stage again to empower those who were affected. 

 I can only imagine what having a tragedy like that unfold at one of your performances would feel like, what it would take away from you. It would be so easy to never sing again for fear of making the wrong move. 

 All of the musicians I have mentioned are people I have listened to here and there but they haven't been a permanent artist on a playlist or records I have on my shelf; but the respect I have for them for what they do and their artistic integrity is infinite. 

 Tonight isn't just about raising money for the victims; although that should be a priority on everyone's list. Tonight is about refusing to step down. 

 Unfortunately, these people took daughters away from their mothers. They took excitement away from children at their first concert. But they can never take away what music does for us. Tonight is about defending our rights to sing, to dance to laugh and to perform. 

 Whether you connect with music by singing it, by writing it, by dancing to it or by drinking to it, music is yours and no one can ever take that away. 

 Tonight we stand up and we say that we wont let it be taken away.
 And tonight we restore the memories that those wonderful children should have taken away from the Ariana Grande concert that night. 

 I hope you all watch, even if just for a few minutes. My love is with everyone affected and my love is with Ariana for emerging stronger and bringing such joy to her fans this week; both those in hospital and those back home. 

 Donate if you can, but more importantly, keep singing. 

A Carnival in the Rain

"You said it was the perfect picture. I think it didn't fit the frame; a carnival in the rain" - Whispers, Orla Gartland.

 At 18 years old, I have just attended my first ever carnival. 

 I apologise that this post is a day late. I wanted to save this week's (last week's) post for something special which meant waiting until Monday. 

 Having recently moved house, we decided to use this Bank Holiday to get out and explore our new town. The Pershore Carnival is an event my mum used to attend regularly when she was growing up and we were all so excited to check it out. 



 I grew up in a town where people rarely gathered together. I never got to be a part of a display of efforts and passion aside from our yearly remembrance parade. What I realised today is that I would have loved carnivals as a kid had our town put one together. 

 The theme of Pershore carnival this year was Music Around the World. 

 It was so delightful to see. As a musician myself, nothing makes me happier than seeing people gather together to celebrate music. Seeing little ones having so much fun in their costumes and laughing on floats was so heartwarming, despite the worst rain shower of the year so far pelting down on us. 

 There were amazing food stalls and people selling their handmade products. 

 There was also a town council desk sat up where you could contribute your hopes and ideas for the future of the town. This was so lovely for me to see. They encouraged me and a young adult to step forward and give my ideas; I never saw this back where I grew up. The town council were always tucked away, you never saw them or got to contribute. 


 It was such an uplifting day. 

 We stopped for coffee after the procession to wait for the rain to pass and I felt so humbled in this new place I call home. We just seemed to fit there among the rain and the laughter. Despite not really knowing anybody, we were smiled at and made to feel welcome. 

 I wish I'd been able to be a part of a carnival procession when I was younger. I don't know if I'd have the same carefree confidence now. 

 It was a really lovely day. 

 I'm glad we went. 

Goodbye Stratford

It feels really strange to be writing a blog post about leaving Stratford College already.

 Two years ago, when I was leaving school, I went through the biggest transition of my life so far. I had been miserable at my school and I was desperate to have some sort of freedom to figure out who I was. I was in an extremely unhealthy relationship and I had to grow up very quickly. I was surrounded by people and adults who were trying to suppress me rather than giving me the space to flourish. I had to leave the few positive people I had in my life behind and just run as soon as I was given the chance. 

I am about to embark on my last week at college; my last week of a levels and my last week in Stratford full time. 

 I wrote a few blog posts about moving on from secondary school and it doesn't feel like time yet to be writing another post about leaving sixth form. 

 I set myself so many goals when I left school. 

 I needed to encourage myself and let myself heal and become a better person. 
 I needed to leave the negative people behind, however hard that was. 
 I needed to make the choices that would be the best for me and nobody else.

 I don't think I could ever do justice to what the last two years has meant for me and what I have achieved personally, regardless of what grades I pick up in August. 

 It's taken me two years to complete these goals. Many of them I've only fully embraced in the last few months; but I did it. I've learned so many lessons in the last two years, most of them the hard way; but I finally feel like I have become the person that my 16 year old self needed to be more than anything. 

 I break my own heart when I think back to the person I was when I came to this college. 

 I had let so many people take advantage of me, I had let people cause a lot of damage. I'm proud to know that the person I am now would never let that happen. I am a person that sticks up for herself. I speak out when people do me wrong. I make choices that are in my best interests. I have embraced the things that I love and I'm not afraid to succeed. 

 It took me a long time to realise that some of the people I was holding onto were just as toxic as the ones I had let go. I stopped forcing a lot of things: friendships, projects etc. and I embraced the things that felt right. 

 I am now surrounded by a few positive people. Although that is a very small few, I know that the ones I have are the ones I can rely on. 


 I've met amazing people studying in Stratford. I've had amazing opportunities. It doesn't feel right to be leaving. 

 Before, I couldn't wait to just run away at full speed and forget everything. 

 Now I'm not leaving behind pain, I'm leaving behind happiness and if anything, that's even more terrifying. 

I am I excited to go on to Uni next September but I am not excited to not be coming into Stratford every day. I have honestly had so much fun. A levels are stressful for everyone but I can only imagine the pressure I would be feeling had I stayed at my old school rather than coming here. The one thing I gained which is more important to me than anything is the ability to enjoy what I learn and to love learning things. 

 I have been able to rediscover so much of myself that had been buried under the unpleasantness of secondary school and I feel so ready to take on the next step now. 

One thing I do know about leaving Stratford is that I'm leaving behind all of my ties with my old life. I see the last two years as the period of dusting myself off and once I leave and go somewhere new, I can finally run at what I want to achieve. 

 Having moved house recently, I will be both living and studying completely away from everything that went wrong for me. I'll have no connections, no ties. It's exciting as well as hard, but this time I feel ready.




 If I could bear reading back through my old posts about where I was two years ago, if it wasn't for the trauma attached to it, I know that I have made that girl proud. 

 Thank you for everything, Stratford. 

My New Guitar

I remember the first time I went guitar shopping. I was 15. I'd just had my first working summer with the occasional shift at the hairdressers where my mum worked. I had been learning guitar on my Dad's electrics and this second hand Tanglewood he bought me online. It sounded pretty awful and I knew I wanted to start gigging locally, this meant I needed a new guitar. It was really important to me at the time that I bought it myself, I didn't expect my Dad to spend a penny on this guitar for me. 

 We went into Oxford one day after my orthodontist appointment and I played a few guitars. I fell in love with this Washburn. If I'm honest, it was mainly because it looked so similar to Taylor Swift's Grand Auditorium Taylor. Obviously my Dad knew that's why I wanted that one. He tried to get me to play others but I was so smitten. The guy in the shop handed me this small bodied acoustic which sounded incredible but the price was around £300. My Dad's said since that he would happily have helped me with the extra money so that I could have had a really good guitar but I was set in spending my own money. I ended up with the Washburn and don't get me wrong, I love it. 

 I can't explain the connection you make with your instrument as a musician. 

It's something you only understand if you play. I could never love a guitar the way I love my Washburn. I wrote the most raw, emotional songs of my life with that guitar. I played the best gigs and made friends with that guitar and she will always be my first guitar. 

 But it's been clear to me the last year or so that she just doesn't sound as good as other people's guitars when I'm playing gigs and performing. If my Dad does my sound, it's fine. He knows how to set up around her flaws; but that's not always the case when you play open mic set ups and festivals. I needed something with a cleaner sound for performing. 

 It's weird to say I feel almost guilty letting myself fall for another guitar. 

 But about 10 months ago I accepted I'd need to buy something better. Having saved the amount I would need for my car and insurance working at my local pub, I decided to work as much as I could up to my exams to see how much I could save for a new guitar. 

 People would often ask me as a student why I was working so much; I was pretty honest with people. I don't want to keep asking my parents for money, if I want something, I pay for it. I was chatting with a colleague about guitars and he recommended this brand called Faith. I'd never heard of them before but he explained that they're the most affordable brand of handmade guitars in the UK. I did some research and watched some reviews on YouTube over the course of a month and I just fell completely for these guitars. 

 At this point, I'd moved house and had to leave my job. I'd also had to dip a little into my savings to get myself sorted at the new house so I didn't have as much money as I originally hoped. I could afford the basic Faith range, the Naked. These are basically the budget guitars of the Faith range and they cost around £500. I was sure that these were the guitars I admired and so my Dad looked into it for me and we planned a trip to Worcester. 

 This shop in Worcester said they stocked the whole Faith range on their website; but when we got there they didn't have any at all except one in for repair. This was a Faith Naked Venus, the exact one I wanted but it had a huge dent in the middle and various scuffs around the edge. It sounded incredible; but obviously I couldn't buy that one. We went away a little dissapointed and tried a few guitars in another shop but nothing came close to what I knew I wanted. I was determined this time to not waste my money. 

 We had to go into Stratford to pick up my sister and so we decided to just check out the Stratford Music Shop and see what they had. 

 When we got there they had one Faith left: a Faith Natural Venus. This was the better quality version of the guitar I'd picked, and they retail at around £720. This is a lot more than I had. 

 However, their Faith had been on display for a while and so they had it at a discount price of £599, which I could afford. I was so happy. I tried out the guitar and it was just perfect. The body shape fitted me perfectly, it sounded beautiful and it was better than what I expected to go home with that day. I asked if they had any hard cases I could buy and the guy said it already came with one included in the price. 

 I think if it hadn't have been for that deal, I'd have let myself go home empty handed and bought a cheaper guitar at a later date; but I just couldn't walk away without that guitar. It was too perfect. 

 There was a Fender my Dad and I played in the shop that sounded awesome as well, and I could tell he wanted me to get that one. But the Faiths have this beautiful warm tone to them and I just love it. 

 I think Dad might be buying himself an acoustic very soon!

 In my new house, I took the two small bedrooms. My parents were planning on knocking the wall down so that me and my sisters would all get the same amount of space; but I decided to keep my room as two separate rooms so that I could have my bedroom in one, and my books and college stuff in another. My second room has also become a bit of a music room for me. All my instruments are set up now and I have such good acoustics in here! 

 It's a really good atmosphere in here too. This is my creative space; so when I revise in here I have this motivation that I just never had when I was writing on my bed. 

 I have already filmed a cover with my new guitar, follow this link if you'd like to check it out. 

Thank you so much for reading, I'll see you next week!

What I Eat As a Student

Although I am only in my second year of A Levels and still living at home, simple things like eating still prove a challenge on top of studying and so I wanted to throw a little post together full of quick and easy meals/snacks I regularly eat. Not only will this be useful for anyone thinking about going vegetarian to see what I eat in a week, but also, it proves just how simple fitting in regular meals can be when you've got 6+ exams to study for!

 I'll begin with my favourite breakfast. I usually have Weetabix with banana and honey for my breakfast in the week. I feel that this prepares me well for the day and takes a minute to prepare. I used to struggle to eat breakfast. I get bored very easily and so having the same cereal every day made me not want to eat at all in the mornings. Something like Weetabix is great because you're getting all the good stuff you need and you can throw almost anything on top of it to keep your morning meal fresh and original. If I'm not in the mood for bananas, I like to experiment with strawberries or even some nuts/seeds. It's important to change around what you eat in the mornings so that you can look forward to breakfast instead of finding it boring. I also like to make sure I have time to eat in the mornings and if I don't, I make sure to grab something to eat in the car. This could be anything: breakfast biscuits, fruit or a breakfast pastry. Whatever you have in the cupboards that's appropriate and will get you ready for the day. I have found since fitting in breakfast I feel much healthier and my daily digestion is much smoother. 

 I have two favourite lunch options. Both are fairy quick and easy; both are easily portable as well so you can prepare these to take with you to work/school. 

 I have fallen so in love with hummus. One of my favourite light lunches or afternoon snack is sliced up pitta breads with hummus. Again, there are many flavours of hummus so you can mix it up and not end up eating the same thing every day. I've never been a huge fan of sandwiches and so this is great for me. I try to eat whole grain pittas now instead of white because it's better for me and the hummus improves the taste a lot! 

 My second favourite lunch option is pesto pasta. I used to make this up to take into work with me but it's become a regular lunch time favourite. It tastes great just on its own or you can add things to make a pasta salad. I enjoy the Linda McCartney pulled chicken which I sometimes add as a meat free protein source; or various cheeses such as Paneer work really well with the pesto sauce. This is super easy to make and pretty fool proof; you just stir the pesto in. It's lovely heated up with melted cheese on top or it's perfect cold if you're preparing it the night before. 

 One thing I knew I would really miss when I went vegetarian was a good roast dinner. I have always loved a Sunday Roast and so I was thrilled when I realised that store bought gravy is vegetarian! 


 I have been really enjoy the Linda McCartney range. My favourite product is the Cheddar & Leak bakes. These work so well with a roast dinner platter and they taste incredible! I'm so glad I can still enjoy a roast dinner. 

 I am very excited by being vegetarian. It's opening me up to so many different food ideas and I enjoy eating a lot more now. I am excited to experiment even more with this diet. I want to learn to cook more of my favourite meals with alternative protein sources so expect more of this kind of post in the future! 

 See you next week!