18 things I learned by 18

In my short life I have learnt a few things. Here are some of them:

1. cutting people out of your life to make you happier does not make you a bad person
2. if your shoes get wet in the rain, stuffing them with newspaper will make them dry quicker
3. things happen and people make mistakes but that doesn't always mean they are bad people
4. life is easier when you're on good terms with people - always try to make amends
5. brushing your teeth will always make you feel better
6. getting smashed the day before a job interview will not be "fine". IT WON'T
7. surround yourself with people who make you happy but also people that make you question things and challenge you when you need challenging
8. there are few greater joys in life than going to bed while it's still light outside
9. nothing is as important as your mental and physical health, no matter how it seems sometimes
10. be kind to people! there is no reason to not be open-minded and welcoming of all people wherever you go
11. it's okay to change how you act a bit around different people - different people bring out different parts of you
12. everything is much funnier when you narrate the thought process of that seagull over there
13. get a haircut. it's fun and refreshing
14. spend time with your family, no matter how much you don't want to sometimes
15. no one is inherently better than you, and similarly you are not inherently better than anyone else. get to know people
16. exams are shit and do not indicate what you're like as an actual human being
17. put your pyjamas on the radiator while you're in the bath
18. always put time aside for yourself, there's only so much you can do if you haven't taken care of yourself first

yes i'm gay, no you can't watch

Yes
I am gay
No
That does not mean you can ask me
The hows or whys or whats
That does not mean you can use me
To fulfill yourself because another woman
does not want to feel your clawing hands
and your sweaty touch
Yes
I am gay
But that doesn't mean that you can tell me
"I hate gay men but I love lesbians"
It doesn't mean you can pretend to be interested
When all you want is images, material, fantasies
Yes
I'm gay
But that doesn't give you the right
To use me as your alibi
To use me as your proof
"I'm not homophobic, I love lesbians"
Yes
You love lesbians when you're watching their perfectly groomed bodies
Perfectly pitched nosies coming out of their mouths
You love lesbians when they're actors
Pandering to your fantasies and ideas
You do not love gay women when they are walking down the street
Fat women, black women, trans women, old women
Holding hands
Kissing in front of you
You do not love gay women unless they are all
for
you
Yes
I am gay
No
I am not gay for your benefit
Yes
I am gay
No
You can't watch

Standardised Testing? hmm no thanks

Hello! It has been some time since I last posted on here, for some reason I couldn't log in :(((

Tomorrow is my first AS level exam, and I have some MAJOR ISSUES with the concept of standardised testing.
Firstly, and most obviously, it seems absolutely absurd to me that exams done from the age of around 15 should more or less determine our path in life, at least for the few years following. It does not make even the slightest bit of sense to me that what I wrote on one exam paper on one day aged 14 is still having an effect, albeit a small one, on the path of my education.
If the sheer stupidity of basing life-paths on a couple of exam papers isn't reason enough for me to hate standardised testing, why don't we talk about the fact that e v e r y b o d y  i s  d i f f e r e n t. To ask every single child to take the same test to measure intelligence, is like asking a fish and a monkey to climb a tree. Not everybody has the same skill set and therefore asking everyone to take the same test is bizarre and pointless.
There are children and teenagers who are fantastically kind, or who have a great sense of humour, or who help their Mum look after their Gran, or who have an incredible aptitude for dance, or who love to bake, but none of this can ever be shown through exams and tests. One GCSE Maths exam will show you two things: who is good at Maths, and who isn't.
Finally, any situational factors in the child's life are, unless specifically addressed, completely ignored. For example, I took every one of my GCSE exams, and will be taking my A Level exams, with a mental health disorder. I also happen to know that this had a hugely detrimental effect on the outcome of my exams. However, this was, in the eyes of the exam board, ignored, and my exam results were put next to those of some pupils who maybe have not had the same issues. It is not fair to treat every student as if they all live identical lives to one another (hint: they don't).
If we flip this on its head, it's fairly apparent (to me, anyway) that standardised testing and mental health issues are not mutually exclusive. The constant focus on exam results and coursework and qualifications throughout school cannot be having a healthy effect on most children, and while I clearly don't want to make any sweeping generalisations, it seems to me that the current schooling system (in the UK) is hugely debilitating to the mental health of school pupils.
The whole concept of standardised testing just seems to be so unproductive, pointless, and demeaning to school children's self-confidence.
That being said, I hope my exam goes well tomorrow.

Menna x

Roaccutane: 6 Months On

Hello!
A few months ago, I wrote a post on how I had cleared my skin of fairly bad acne (which you can view here).
In it, I explained that I had been prescribed a strong medication that had a range of difficult and severe side effects, including dry skin, dry lips, and aching muscles.
It has now been around 6 months since I finished taking my course of Roaccutane, and I thought some people may find it helpful to know how I have found the first 6 months.

The Chop!

Summer

With only one exam left, summer 2015 is quickly creeping up on me.
My last ever (!!) GCSE exam is English Language Unit 2 on Tuesday, and then I am free forever (until September). I am, once again, taking part in my school's annual production, so I'll be in school for a week or two after exams finish.
On June 23rd I'm going to London with school to see Matilda and Wicked in the West End. The London trip is always one of my favourite things of the year and I can't wait go to again.
At the end of July I'm flying to Portugal with my family, which I am so excited about as we haven't been on holiday in a few years, and it's always fun when we do.
The prospect of having a 12-week-long summer is both exciting and daunting to me, as I am looking forward to having a lot of spare time to relax, see friends and family, and (of course), catch up on TV shows, but I worry that I won't be able to fill the time and I'll get bored.
Leaving school is a very odd concept to me, and it's safe to say that I'm extremely nervous about starting a new college in September. However, I know that I will hopefully enjoy it once I'm there, and I'm going to make the most of this summer.
Just a short one,
Menna

May in photos

Bucket List

Hello,

When I was 13/14 I wrote a bucket list of 145 things, that I still like to look back on and tick things off. Although there are many things on the list that I would still like to do, it's pretty evident that my aspirations have changed a lot. I came across this list again the other night, and I thought I would write a more updated (more realistic?) bucket list.

Bucket List 11/4/15

March In Photos

Hello!
Sorry I haven't been posting recently, in all honesty I've been completely out of ideas. March came and went so quickly, I can hardly believe we're almost a quarter of the way through this year. March definitely had its ups and downs, so here is my month in photos!

The Versatile Blogger Award

Hello!
I was nominated to do the Versatile Blogger award by Elerin, whose blog is Nighttime Birdie. Being nominated for this was a huge surprise as I have only recently got properly into blogging, and I didn't think anyone actually read it, so thank you so much for the nomination Elerin!

How I Cleared My Skin

Hello everyone!

From the age of around 11 or 12 I have struggled with bad skin. What began as a few 'teenage spots' on my face when I was younger, eventually became bad acne covering my face and back/chest by the time I was 14/15.

February Favourites

Hello all!

I can't believe it's already March! I've never done a favourites post before, but you've got to start somewhere! Here are my February favourites.

Birthday Wishlist

Hello!
In a few weeks it's my 16th birthday, and a few days ago my mum asked me to compile a list of what I wanted, so I thought I'd share a couple of the things with you.

About a Boy - Nick Hornby review

As I said in my 'Books to Read in 2015' post, I wanted to finish reading About a Boy by Nick Hornby.
I finally finished reading it this evening, so I thought I would write a short review sharing what I thought of it!

Quick Update

Hello!
I haven't posted in a week or so now due to a number of things, but I just wanted to let you all know that I'm alive, and planning to do some posts soon! I've had a lot of stuff on recently which has meant I've been feeling quite stressed and overwhelmed so I've struggled to think of things to write about recently, but I think I've finally thought of few things that might be good.

Thanks for reading, I'll be back with something better soon!
Menna

Relaxation Techniques and Tips

Hello everyone!
As I've mentioned before, I often have trouble staying calm and relaxing, and I don't allow myself much time to wind down and not think about anything, so I thought I'd write a post on ways to stay relaxed and calm, in case anybody struggles with a similar thing!

5 Books to Read in 2015

Good evening!

One of my resolutions for this year was to read 20 books. I know that this doesn't sound like a lot, and it isn't really, but I didn't read nearly enough books in 2014. When I was younger, I used to read every night before I went to bed, and at lunchtimes at school. However, since I've had more schoolwork (and access to the internet), I don't read anywhere near as much as I'd like to.

Daily Make-up !?

Hello everyone!
I haven't posted in about two weeks as I've had January exams in the sciences and English, so that's been my priority for the past couple of weeks! However, January exams are (thank god) over, and now I don't have any exams until May.

Panic Attacks

I've spoken in a previous post a bit about anxiety, but I thought today I would talk more about panic attacks, and what I have found is helpful in these situations.
The dictionary definition for a panic attack is:
'A sudden overwhelming feeling of acute and disabling anxiety'.

Favourite Music of 2014

I know that we're almost a week into this year now, but I really wanted to talk about some music that I enjoyed in 2014. As I've mentioned before, music is an enormous part of my life, and I managed to find some albums and artists that I really liked last year.