GCSE's: I can do it, I will do it

Today is Thursday the 5th of September 2013, the very first day of year eleven, the year that came around much quicker than I had ever imagined. It only seems like yesterday I was starting secondary school as a scared and worried 11 year old. Back then, year eleven seemed like a million years away and I just enjoyed all the time that I spent meeting new friends, getting to know my teachers and having a good time participating in the fun activities in each lesson. Since those days life has been a whirlwind, some things have been great, others not so much, there's been smiles, sadness, tears and tantrums but I've always made sure I work the best that I possibly can. However, time has suddenly been moving very fast and all those exams that I didn't need to worry about have suddenly hit me in the face and reality has started kicking in.

Blank lined paper has turned into a bunch of notes for upcoming exams, the books sat on the shelf in WHSmith have become personal revision guides that contain all the facts I need for me to pass, school has changed from colouring to coursework and the random letters of the alphabet have become GCSE grades. Everything is changing, quicker than I ever thought it would, I don't know if its for good or for the bad but this is the year I need to make it count.

Many people may disagree with me about how much GCSE's matter but I need to work very hard to get into the courses that I want to do in college. What worries me the most is that I have no plan B; I know what college I want to go to and what A levels I will do, after that I know which university I would like a placement in as well. I fear that if I don't get the requirements I need for A levels it could affect my future a whole lot more and I won't get that dream job that I want but in fact have to go down a completely different career path.

I need to make sure that I put my head down this year, study as much as I can and reach those grades that I need. I know what my aims are, I can see the future but I need success, I need to overcome the hurdles in my way, work my way up and achieve my dream (as cheesy as it sounds!)

Another thing that I need is confidence, something I lack very much but I know what I want, and I am so determined to get it, I have that self-belief, I can do it, I will do it.

A day trip to Longleat Safari Park

On Tuesday I decided to take a trip down memory lane and visit a well known British tourist attraction called Longleat Safari Park. Neither me or my dad have visited for well over ten years and having been offered free tickets, we immediately grabbed the opportunity and travelled just over an hour to get there.

The last time we went I was about three or four meaning that I only have vivid memories of that trip out but my dad always reminds me of the time that I slept through the whole lion enclosure. Now having grown up since those days, I knew that I would be awake for the whole adventure but not only that, I would be able to take a few pictures of each animal during our time there.

As we drove in, the first thing we did was drive through the safari, (this is where you drive your cars on a road that leads you all the way around the park but also gives you a close view of the different types of animals, whether that be a camel or an elephant, a cheetah or maybe even a pelican!)

After we finished our safari, we reached the 'Longleat House', a large mansion built in the 1700's. Anybody can have a look inside and all its original features still remain, it was a really good insight into the sort of estates that were available for the higher class and royals at this period in time.

We then walked round the back of the grounds to find even more animals including penguins and birds! There were petting areas to hold snakes and spiders, something which terrifies me so there was no way I would have touched them! The building next door was a butterfly farm full of pretty flowers and trees along with tons of different breeds of butterfly, so I took the opportunity to take a few snaps of some of them.

The butterfly part of the park was really interesting but after we had finished there we started to head back to the car where we would be able to go and view the rest of the animals, however as we walked past the river, we saw a boat with passengers on it which intrigued us so we went to have a look. After walking a short distance we decided to board and have a ride to look at the sea lions in the water below. Some of the children were feeding them with small fish however at this point I decided to get out my camera to take pictures of them above the water reaching for their food.

As we got off the boat and back onto dry land, we got back in the car and took a drive up to the giraffes and an array of other small animals such as goats. The giraffes came really close and it was a really exciting experience to be so close to wildlife when we normally only see them as images on our computer screens.

Overall, it was a fantastic day out, I saw so many different animals and it brought back lots of childhood memories. I would recommend this place to everyone, it was such a good adventure and something I would definitely like to do again in the near future.