What to Expect
The senior students have produced this guide to give you a feel for what the Sixth Form involves and how to approach it:
At the start of year
Lots of you will be feeling a huge mixture of emotions at the start of the year. Excited to meet new friends, a new sense of independence, worried about starting new subjects, anxious about a new building, keen to make your mark, glad to be making a fresh start, sad about leaving old friends and teachers behind… the list could go on!
This is normal! All of the above and more can be felt by the same person on the same day. It takes time to feel settled in a new place and to make deep friendships, but it is so worth the effort. Try and talk to as many people as you can, in your classes, in the common room, in clubs and societies and anywhere else. You will never regret knowing more people, and don’t forget most people have the same huge mix of emotions that you do!
On a normal day
Life is meant to be full of ups and downs. If it wasn’t, we would not be experiencing the full range of what it has to offer. 6th form is no different. There will be times when you feel great – on top of your work, friendships are good, home is good etc. But there will also be times when things might feel a bit tougher – teachers are applying more pressure, friendships are tricky, home is becoming more difficult to navigate. This is normal and it might not feel great, but it doesn’t mean you are getting things wrong, or there is something wrong with you, it is just part of the rich tapestry of life. Feel free to pop in and chat to your tutor or a learning mentor in the times when you feel less on top of things – they are always around.
During periods of more pressure
6th form has a rhythm of assessment; they help us to know how you are doing along the way and enable us to pick up any problems hopefully before they get too deep. You might find this totally fine, but you might also feel the pinch. This is normal. It doesn’t feel great, but it isn’t something to worry about or turn away from, it will pass, and you will return to normal. Make sure you chat to your tutor, a subject teacher or a learning mentor if you aren’t finding yourself getting back to normal. They will always be able to help or signpost you to someone who can.