Disease sweeping the nation

Towards the beginning of the year my whole world was turned upside down by a terrible disease that makes it difficult to get out of bed in the morning, drains your energy, makes socialising extremely difficult... The list goes on.
The worst thing is, I know so many people who have suffered from this, and it's a little thing called depression.

First off, if you deny that this exists and believe people can "snap out of it" you are living in the dark ages. Depression is real and sadly I know more than 5 teenagers that have suffered from it in the last year. To me, that seems shocking as I can't think of any other illness that I've known so many people affected by. However, I do believe that although maybe depression itself can't be stopped, severe cases could be prevented by (and I know it sounds cliche) education. And not just wishy-washy PHSE classes and documentaries about it, hard-hitting facts and more importantly, practical advice on what to do to help or even maybe just how to prevent triggers etc.

Because thing is, from my experience I find that school can often create/worsen the problem. I know that personally, things became worse due to a huge amount of pressure from both school and my family, meaning that I was terrified of failure, but too terrified to do anything about it. So I have one piece of advice for schools - chill the hell out a bit. In my school we are forced to listen to a barrage of positivity to do with careers and future plans constantly, which although may be intended to help, often works the opposite and increases pressure on young people. I'm not saying that schools should allow students to run riot and not push them to do their best, but often making students lean towards university and not promoting success stories of non-uni students or people who attended university later can cause people to make choices they don't want to. I think it's important to emphasise that students still need to socialise in order to relax and sometimes cut students some slack if things are clearly too much for them.

I also believe that practical advice is something schools desperately need to give, because as a 16 year old suffering from this disorder or knowing someone who is, Google and common sense are the only pieces of information teenagers dealing with this have to rely on.

If a friend confronted you saying they were suicidal, what do you do?

It's easy to look at it in another circumstance and say "tell a teacher, tell their parents etc..." but what if they beg you to tell no-one? What words do you use to convince someone you care about to go to the doctors?

I may be slightly more clued up now, but before having to deal with circumstances like this I had no idea what to do or say, and with cases of children with depression and mental disorders getting increasingly younger, it's important that people know what to do. Rather than simply telling kids what depression and mental illness is, people need to scratch the surface and ensure people know what other options there are than just "telling a teacher." (Although this can help, it's dependent on individual circumstances.)

Because sadly, 10% of cases of depression end in suicide, and it's not fair that a chemical imbalance or learned pattern of behaviour or whatever you believe to cause it should kill people, EVER.

Just because something's not physical doesn't mean it can't destroy a person.

Social Media Army

Hey everyone,

Firstly - extremely sorry for huge delay in posting anything. Sorry :( 

This is something I've noticed for a long time, and I've been guilty of too, but recently it's really started to bother me and I feel like this is the time I may be able to put what I'm thinking into words for once. 

When someone is upset, it is 100% right to support this person, but what always seems to happen with twitter and facebook is that their friends start a barrage of tweeting and posting statuses, most of the time because they just want to be involved and not to genuinely support this person. And this my friends, is what is commonly known as shit-stirring. And sure this is annoying, but the bad thing is it seems to build up a sort of army against the other supposedly offending party, and  whether what they've done is right or wrong, from first hand experience, having loads of people being against you, it's shit.

Being on the receiving end of one of these "armies" starts to make you feel as if you are alone and regardless of what you've done it makes you feel incredibly guilty. And having lots of people refusing to listen to your point of view because they want to jump on the bandwagon of someone else's problems can make you feel as if your feelings aren't valid or important, and let me tell you that they always are. The lady I saw yesterday because of reasons said something to me that has really stuck in my head: "you feel these things, and regardless of whether you should or shouldn't, you do, and that's that." Which I completely agree with, I think anyone feeling anything has the right to feel that way because feelings aren't fake, you cannot make yourself feel a certain way, so why do some people think that their feelings have higher importance than other peoples? No! 

What I'm trying to say is that these groups of people who use twitter etc. to group together to rant about other people cause people to think that they're unimportant (whether they're in the wrong or not) because they only take into consideration one person's feelings. People make mistakes, that's why maths exams and huge companies take into account human error. Be more forgiving and shit-stir less, everyone will thank you for it.

Jess xo

Student voice

I don't generally feel greatly passionate about too many things, but this is something I do feel passionately about.

My school are trying to introduce a new dress code for sixth form, one which would be unsuitable for a performing arts school and would make school life more expensive and uncomfortable. I attended a uniform consultation with 20 or so other students, expecting them to ask our opinion of a change to the dress code. However, we were simply told that the governors want us in suits and that we were there to discuss colours and cost and so on. There was uproar in the room, and we had a petition with over 200 signatures from the sixth form opposed to the change, but it was completely disregarded.

Which is why I am asking if you would sign this online petition, because we have tried to get our opinions noted but failed. The headteacher said that if there were 600 people opposing the change he would reconsider his decision. It is not only the change to the dress code that we are appealing but the way we were treated at the meeting, it's disheartening when the head of sixth form just laughs off your serious comments about something you care about. This is something that means a lot to me because I feel the students are being overlooked, and we are the ones who will have to wear the new uniform.

Please sign this petition now -  http://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/glenthorne-high-school-say-no-to-a-stricter-6th-form-dress-code?share_id=XEWgwgXfnA&utm_campaign=friend_inviter_chat&utm_medium=facebook&utm_source=share_petition&utm_term=permissions_dialog_false

Just because I feel like we don't get listened to enough and it's time to act.

Top ten Disney films

Okay so I'm a huge huge fan of Disney films, so I thought I'd share with you guys my top ten. Before that, quick question - does Snow White creep anyone else out? :L


 

10) Cinderella

 I always used to love this film as a kid, and I remember watching it constantly with my cheese sandwich at weekends! Although it's not my favourite any more, it's a classic and gave me much happiness as a child. Cheers Cinders!









 

 9) Sleeping Beauty

Aurora is defo my fav Disney princess, similar story to Cinderella really, although I do still have a soft spot for this film. 






















8) Peter Pan 2 - Return to Neverland




(Please don't hate me, I like the first one too!) I never had the DVD of the first Peter Pan, but I think this film might've been the first DVD I owned all to myself, which is probably why this film holds good memories for me. Also, I remember it had a DVD game on it which I loved too much! If you haven't seen it, it is based in WW2 and Wendy's daughter, Jane, is surprised when a flying boy arrives at her window. Watch it - it's good I swear!










 7) Beauty and the Beast

What can I say, it's a tale as old as time... ;) 
This film is guaranteed to make me cry buckets. Love the songs, the story, everything. Also, I kinda think Belle's the prettiest princess. Yea.










6) The Aristocats

I love cats and songs so the Aristocats is the obvious choice.







Ooh we're in the top 5 now chums :)

5) The Little Mermaid

Okay so this film is awesome, plus I don't find Prince Eric monotonous and dull like in Cinderella, Snow White etc. I think Ariel is so sweet and I love Ursula... (guilty pleasure = Poor Unfortunate Souls) AND the eels are called Flotsum and Jestum.

Basically you can't not love this film. Ace. 




4) Mulan









I feel like this film is really underrated in terms of Disney films, but it's Lea Salonga and she's phenomenal :) Basically this film has two of my favourite songs in (Reflection and I'll Make a Man Out Of You.) I think it's one of the funniest Disney films and just generally makes me feel really happy.

3) Hercules

  Go the Distance is literally my song of choice when things are a bit poo. I love the fact that Meg is so sassy and in denial, rather than nearly all the other films where the girls do anything (grow legs) for their men (soz Ariel.) Pretty much a perfect film really, reluctant to put it at 3 because I feel like that's degrading it, but the top two just beat it slightly. 

Fav song = I Won't Say I'm in Love


2) Tangled
 





 

This nearly clenched top spot. Nearly. The newest film on this list, and an ultimate favourite. Flynn Ryder is bloody hot for a cartoon. Mandy Moore is an amazing choice for voicing Rapunzel and just asjhvdjkbhdoihb. I nearly chose to dress up as Rapunzel for halloween but the logistics of floor length hair are tricky so I gave up. If you are reluctant to watch one of the newest (and last) animated sung Disney films - don't be. Phenomenal. 

Fav song = ALL OF THEM



 Okay. 


Here we go. 



Top film is...




1) The Lion King!

I can't deal with how good this film is. I have a mental breakdown every time I watch it. Not to mention the West End/Broadway show. I love everything about it, it makes me laugh and breaks my heart. I know some people who haven't seen it and that's not okay. 

IT'S THE CIRCLE OF LIFE


Okay so this has been such a long post, and as you can tell by the illiterate style of the last few that I am very tired, but I hope you all enjoyed it. I'm seeing Nina Nesbitt on Thursday and I'm so excited! 

emilybebs.blogspot.co.uk is one of my friends I'm going with if you wanna check out her blog :) 

 Thanks everyone, 
Jess xo

Existential crisis

Existential crisis

I'm due back at school on Wednesday to study my A levels, but for some reason my brain has chosen this time to just leave the question "is this what you really want?" drifting about in my mind. I chose to study Drama, English Lit, History and Spanish. I'm really worried about doing English cos I'm not too keen on my teachers, and I didn't enjoy the book we had to read for homework, I just don't want to be stuck doing something I hate for two years. I was thinking about doing Psychology, but everyone I know has struggled with that and not done too well. 

I have never doubted my choice to go to uni before, from being a little kid it's what I've always wanted, but I don't know if that's what's right for me anymore. I don't know whether this is all just because I'm scared because I'm growing up and shizz, or if it's an epiphany that I've never realised before. 

I think this may have stemmed from my desire to do things. I love being out and about and independent, and I don't want to be one of those people who aren't driven and aren't remembered for anything, I mean, a couple of guys younger than me have their own successful clothing brand for heaven's sake. I want to do these things, but I get scared of failing, but deep down I know that this fear of failure stops you succeeding and leads to failure. So yeah, I'm pretty confused at the minute. 

I also have no idea what I want to do with my life, I've been through so many options in my head, teaching, policing, running hotels, property developing, but I always seem to find something wrong with each of these options. I don't see myself doing the same job all my life, but I don't want to be unemployed all my life. Gaaah. 

I'd love to do something in musical theatre ridiculously badly. But I am not good enough, and it annoys me that if my family had money then maybe I could have gotten some formal training younger, but it seems that the only way to break into the business at a young age is if you have a ton of money. I can sing, sure, but not strongly and not well enough to ever get a career out of it, I can't even afford singing lessons. 

Also, I've always wondered how people do the whole popular thing, my best friend is so well liked, I try to be a nice person, I just don't think people meet me and immediately think "ah what a lovely person," I have amazing friends, but I always see someone better than myself and wonder what the point of trying is, because I will never be as good, pretty, nice etc. as them. Basically my self esteem has plummeted.

What a selfish post this has been, if anyone has the same sort of problems going on please let me know, maybe we can struggle through together, 

Jess xo

Summer Holiday Shabangs

So for the first time in ages the summer has flown by, thought I'd share some of the wonderful things I've done this summer! 

I went to London for the day, we went to Madame Tussauds and the London Eye, which was awesome, all of the waxworks were ace, except Angelina Jolie haha! Anyway, on Southbank there is this ride called the Starflyer, which is 67m in the air :0 It was well fun :D 

The zoom on my camera is better than I thought, and I found it cool zooming in on the people on the ground from the London Eye, cos I'm nosy and it was interesting!

 I stayed with my uncle for a bit and we went to Marwell Zoo, I love animals so this was fun, look at the sleepy tiger aww. I also went to Osborne House on the Isle of Wight, it's a beautiful house and has lovely grounds, I found a bench covered in white flowers and it was so so pretty!

Also found a creepy weeping angel type statue, I did walk away from it facing it just in case, that Doctor Who episode always terrified me. 









All in all a pretty good summer, except for a few things that've happened which have not been too great, but no need to go into that, have to finish bloody summer homework now! 

Jess xo