#YEAR13PROBLEMS

Year 13 feels different

Usually when you go through school, you don’t feel any different. It only changes a little bit in Year 11 when you’re going to sit your GCSEs and then again in Year 12 when you start A Levels. I didn’t expect it to happen again in Year 13.

But it did.

It seems like everyone recognises that it’s their last year and all of a sudden it’s serious. Everyone is doing their best for themselves and slacking really doesn’t seem to be an option for lots of people. Year 13 for lots of people is like the realisation I had in Year 11: that, actually, school doesn’t last forever and what I do now impacts my forever, so I better do some work.

Another thing is the way you’re treated by teachers. I’ve always had a great relationship with most of my teachers and that didn’t really change in Year 12. This year, though, we’ve returned to school and they are actually treating us like real adults. They hadn’t treated us like children before, but this time the ‘barrier’ between teacher and student isn’t as strong as it was and everyone is just comfortable with everyone. It’s as if we’ve accepted something we don’t even know about yet.

The major change is the pressure, though. Previously the only pressure is the pressure you put on yourself. This time it’s as though everyone’s emphasising what comes next. And they add to the pressure. So far, it’s not a negative – I’m finally glad they’re realising it’s scarily important! But it’s external pressure which adds to the serious atmosphere that Year 13 brings.

This year has cut the crap and we’re basically all just here to ride the tidal waves of A Levels. It’s pretty cool to be honest.