Starting at college or sixth form?  An exciting time:  New environment, new friends, new teachers/tutors and you’re beginning to feel more grown up and independent.  It’s already been quite a year!  Schools shut for 6 months, exams cancelled, no prom, no end of school BBQ and worst of all, no shirt signing!

But, there’s one pesky irritation.  What is it?  Oh, yes, you didn’t quite make a pass in GCSE English Language and now you have to actually sit the exam in November.  But, surely you left all that behind when you finished school?  How can this interfere with your new timetable, pristine paper and the tempting doughnuts of the college canteen?  Have you really got to go back to questions on language, questions on structure and detailed description of an image you’ve never seen before?

I’m afraid the easy answer is, yes, you do.  It needs to be done.  But, it’s understandable you feel torn, frustrated and perhaps slightly angry.  You want to know how it’ll all work:  Will you have to have lessons in your new learning space?  Who else will be in your class?  Will you do a mock?  And when is the exam?  The positive thing is it’s only 10 weeks away, not very long at all and certainly a time that’ll shoot by whilst you get to grips with your new life at college or sixth form.  And surely, for the sake of a pass in English, this is ok?

It’s perfectly normal to feel this way when you’re starting at college or sixth form.  After all, you thought your GCSEs were done. But, look at it this way.  For the sake of a few weeks, it’s worth trying to put all those negative feelings behind you, engage with your learning and your English class, work hard for your new tutor and smash it on the day!  Maybe you’ll need a 1-2-1 tutor to help you through?  That’s fine too.  Think of it as an opportunity that you never got during the summer, consider how prepared you’ll be when the big day comes and make the most of having that chance to actually sit the exam to prove all that you’ve learnt!

Whatever, your situation, best of luck with your college and sixth form studies.  The rest of your life will still be waiting for you after November!