Time to Get Productive

Monday 21^st July; the first day of the first week of my summer holidays. Right now it feels as though the forty-nine days left until we start school again in September will go on forever, but after getting older and experiencing laid-back summers that flew by and the subsequent last week of panic to finish all my summer homework, I have realised that forty-nine days really isn’t that long a time. I need to get stuck into this school work now!

Image: All My Summer School Work

My summer to do list for school isn’t too ghastly this year, if I’m honest, but I still need to get it all done in good time to make more room for the fun stuff. Two parts of Travel & Tourism coursework need completing, which shouldn’t be too arduous a task, however it isn’t the most interesting and exciting part of my summer plans. For English Literature and English Language, on the other hand, I am tasked with what happens to be my favourite pass-time: reading. In Literature we are studying Tess of the d’Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy for our exam at the end of Year Thirteen, which I have already started and am thoroughly enjoying. I am currently part-way through Phase the Fifth of Tess, which means that I have two more phases to go before I reach the end of the book, which I will be both pleased yet sad about seen as it is such a good piece of literature.

Image: King Lear
by William Shakespeare

Image: Tess of the d'Urbervilles
by Thomas Hardy

Also for English Literature we are writing a coursework essay on King Lear by Shakespeare, which we will be linking to another text of our choice. Most of my fellow classmates have already picked and are currently reading their chosen texts, but I am indecisive. So my job over the holidays is to read a load of books from the list I have been recommended from my teacher, so that I can then make a more informed decision. When I told my family about my plan they accused me of doing this on purpose; giving myself the perfect excuse to just sit and read all holidays. I denied this but, I must be honest and say that it was a large factor in not coming to a firm decision sooner ;)

And then my summer prospects get even better as I have decided to base my English Language investigation coursework on seduction scenes in novels throughout time. This required me to gain further reading recommendations from the Driffield School English Department, making me extremely happy and excited to start reading. I can’t wait to jump in.

As well as these subjects however, I would also like to pick up another subject to study at AS level when I go back in September; Creative Writing. This course was not offered when I started Sixth Form last year, but now that it is, providing that I can fit the lessons into my timetable, I think I would enjoy it to no end. I also feel that it would benefit me a lot as I plan to do an English Literature with Creative Writing BA Honours course at University next year. I think this would be a good foot in the door. However, for this course I will obviously need to produce some of my own writing, so I thought that whilst I have these 6–7 weeks of freedom I might as well get started on some more of my own work. I already have some pieces I could use...

Image: Terror in the Woods
Written by Me :)

But this school work is all very well and good, but I also have other things I plan to do. Alongside working, doing things and going out with friends, and doing all my school work, I also have big plans for my internet life. I have great ideas for new blog posts that I hope will be entertaining and interesting for you guys, and that I will enjoy making. I also have a secret project that I am working on to help me show off another part of my life, so stay tuned if you want to find out more about that.

So summer for me is not just about having fun and relaxing after the school stress, it’s about using the spare time to get productive. And reducing the pressure of the last-week-of-summer rush! So, wish me luck guys, and to you I hope you have a great summer :)

If you enjoyed this type of post where I just tell you what’s going on and what my plans are, comment below. I would also like to hear your plans for summer.

Thanks for reading. Until next time.

Eleanor :)