I recently went down to London to catch up with friends and got to see Francesca, who had been *trying* to get me down in order that I could receive my birthday present (all the way from October!).

It turned out to be tickets to go and see Young Marx, a play that opened this autumn (actually on my birthday!) at the new Bridge Theatre, by the river. It was such a fab gift idea, as I love the theatre, comedies and a bit of Karl. It followed a fab day of eating nice foods, strolling around the Christmassy shops and markets (including John Lewis, where I spent rather a lot of money on a giant Ferrero Rocher as a gift) before she at last revealed where we were heading.

The Bridge Theatre itself is a brand new commercial theatre in London, and it has a beautiful and ambient foyer, that can be seen in the picture below. There was no time before the show to get a drink, but the box office was an open table that seemed friendly, and there was some lovely ice cream at the interval.


The play itself is a dramedy featuring a revolving stage, interchanging accents and a lot of climbing into cupboards. There were several jokes that made me giggle, and I did find it very enjoyable. In terms of a critique, I think I would give it 4 stars, as although there were many positives, some aspects were a little under-acted. I adored the set, the theatre itself, jokes and the play, although perhaps would have seen it tightened up a little dynamically, in order to maintain its wit.

Particularly this seemed to be noticeable at the point of the death of one of the main characters, who was grieved over for one scene, but Marx, in particular, didn't seem to be... sad for much time at all. My main problem is with this character, as his genius also seemed a little curtailed by the content crammed into the play, and although I loved parts such as his meeting with Darwin, it did appear a little underwhelming.

Rory Kinnear, as Marx, did show him to be a flawed character indeed, however: made all the more effective by the juxtaposition of the more restrained Jenny (Nancy Carroll) and Nym (Laura Elphinstone) - especially when they did unleash their justifiable anger.

Often, despite the fact that you might have had a great day, week or month, stress just creeps into your life and ruins the fun you have been enjoying so much. You can find yourself feeling anxious and vulnerable, and it's not enjoyable for sure. Today I attended a lecture which opened my eyes to an idea and practice I have known about for a really long time - mindfulness.

The concept of mindfulness essentially means trying to have relaxed focus, being in the present and living your life here and now, rather than in the memory of something which has happened 5 years ago or might hypothetically happened. It brings you back to life and makes you feel the sensation of taking action at this very point. Contrary to the views of many, including myself, being mindful doesn't eliminate your thoughts or feelings in any way, it does the complete opposite instead. It helps you recognise that you are thinking about something untrue, damaging or even something which can't quite happen in reality and deal with it. The realisation with no judgement helps you eradicate the harmful feelings, and therefore combat stress and anxiety, thus improving your life more generally.

Although it might sound like the practice of mindfulness and meditation are for people who deeply anxious and constantly stressed, that is not the case at all. It is instead a mechanism you can use to feel more relaxed before your start your day, to stop getting annoyed with people and just feel more free from your worries and anxieties. It is a way for a lot of us to detach from our stressful lives and regain the focus we had at the beginning of a project, academic year or the time when we came back to work after a vacation.

How to start being mindful?
- The practice takes only 10 minutes and can be done anywhere. It requires you to sit in a comfortable position, whilst continuing to sit up straight and eventually closing your eyes. As you do so, attempt to feel the connection between your body and the object you are sitting on as well as your feet and the floor. Then, try to think about what your nose and ears can sense and the part of your body which feel relaxed. Your thoughts are very likely to creep in at this stage but don't try to push them away; realise that they are there but do not focus on them and go back to recognising how you feel.

This is a very brief summary of what the practice entails but more information can be found on a website called Headspace - https://www.headspace.com/, which provides a number of useful tools for meditation.
I would also like to leave a link to an interesting TED talk which gives more information on being mindful and is generally quite amusing - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzR62JJCMBQ&t=22s.

Moving from year 11 into year 12 can be a challenging period for many either because of too much work, school change or both. It is very easy to get lost as you try to power through everything and keep yourself in control of the things you do. Having changed schools after year 11 I have been exposed to a completely new learning environment and would like to share what I have accumulated over the past two years with everyone else who is currently at this stage.

1. Consistency is key.
Regardless of whether you were the fearless overachiever or someone who had to work long hours during the GCSE period it is important to start working from the beginning of the year. You don't need to do endless hours of revision and make your life about just school work, but it is important to work through the syllabus in small chunks rather than trying to cram everything a week before your exams. The latter simply won't work and you will feel incredibly anxious and overwhelmed. Every day when you come home from school try to see what you have covered in class and go through it; make flashcards, write notes, do your homework/essays and test yourself - exam period, be that mocks or your real exams, will be so much less stressful if you stick to this metric.

2. Sleep matters.
It might seem like a brilliant idea to sleep for 3 hours and then feel great on the next day and do this a few times during the year but this doesn't seem to work in the long term. Figure out how many hours of sleep result in you feeling as refreshed as possible the next day and stick to that time ( try to get between 6 and 8 hours of sleep a night). Enough sleep prevents you from suffering from sleep deprivation, which is crucial to you doing well, maintaining your memory power and not feeling like your brain is cloudy during your lessons. Another useful tip is trying to go to bed at the same/ similar time each night and waking up at the same time - this helps your body clock stay in order. Note: yes, you will have days when you will feel overwhelmed and might have a lot to do but that should not become everyday ( you can prevent this by effective planning and organisation) and you should try and look after yourself as much as possible.

3. There will always be people who will say that they did no work, but this is not always true. Work for as long as you need to in order to get what you have set done.
Having changed schools I have encountered this quite a lot; a student with full marks saying that they did no work for the test and they just managed to absorb everything from class. That is true for some people, but your entire year doing so makes you ask questions. People might do little work the night before an exam - yes, that is true but they probably did enough beforehand in small pieces to feel prepared. Don't fall into the trap of thinking that not working is okay because you will soon feel the consequences of that. However, don't also fall into the trap of speaking about work rather than doing it because you having a chat about "how much you have to do" will not get anything done. It is far better to sit down, break down your work and get on with it than spend your time having a discussion about it with someone. There is no need to openly tell people that you work little or a lot because there will always be a person who will draw a comparison or tell you that you work too much. You need to figure out what works best for you and stick to it to reach your own goals instead of drowning in endless comparisons.

4. Be as open minded to ideas and positive criticism ( specifically from your teachers) as possible.
When you start a new stage in your life and are keen on absorbing new ideas it is important to have a clear mind which is ready to absorb new information and viewpoints. As you do that, however, be mindful of what people say and the fact that it is just their views which you should look at critically rather than just absorb them. Similarly, when your teachers provide you with suggestions and criticism don't think that they hate you or something along those lines. As long as their criticism is constructive they are trying to help you and push you to perform better. Don't be upset if the marks you received were not the ones you expected but try to learn and grow from it.

5. Joining clubs and societies and not focusing on just work is incredibly helpful.
Sixth form is a wonderful time when you can take part in a lot of activities during lunchtimes and after school. It is important to do something outside of work because (a) it helps you change your focus and relax in a productive way, and (b) it will definitely help you when you will be writing your personal statement. See what societies your school has and join a few, and if your school doesn't have a society you wish it had, ask to set one up.

6. Being productive in your free periods maximises your chances of doing better and having more time to rest.
The start of sixth form also marks the availability of free periods in which you can do pretty much anything. Tempting as it seems to chat to your friends and do something non-academic and fun it is far more effective to use your frees to help you cope with the work load. Try to go over your notes, make some flashcards, listen to a podcast - anything which will help you progress in your studies. If you happen to do a little bit or all of your homework for a subject in a free period you will also have less to do in the evening, meaning you will have more free time. Try to stay productive as it will enhance your overall performance and make the year a lot more smooth.

7. Making friends with people who have similar interests and goals as you can help you perform better and feel happier.
When joining a new school it became tempting to befriend everyone because all the people were new but the truth is that there will be a lot of splits into smaller groups later on during the year because certain people will get closer. Find a group of friends where you will feel comfortable and motivated to do well, and not one where you are labelled a "nerd" because you work too hard or have goals which are out of their reach. It is important that the people around you are encouraging and positive, and ensure that the overall momentum of the group keeps you going.

8. Being organised goes a long way.
Once you begin year 12 you will realise that you have a lot of freedom in terms of organising your supplies, notes and time but it is important to use that freedom wisely to get the most out of it. Whenever you are set a piece of work, note it down in a planner and make sure you do it. Look after your notes - they don't have to look pretty but they must exist and must be effective for YOU as you will be using them to revise, and make further revision resources down the year/ your time in sixth form generally. Try to stay on top of things as much as you can and your life will have less stress going on in it.

9. Looking after yourself is very important.
Sixth form can be a stressful time with endless revision, exams, UCAS and a lot of other things which you will need to learn how to manage in a short space of time. School induced breakdowns and anxiety are not a myth - they happen, not often, but they happen and you should try to avoid as many of them as possible. Every week you work hard, make sure you take some time to yourself during the weekend and do something you enjoy. Join a club which is not related to academia, and listen to some positive music. If you feel bad or not confident enough - use positive affirmations, watch a good film which you like and eat some good food. Sometimes it's just important to relax when your brain fails to take things in. You will find yourself being more productive after some good rest in comparison to your trying to force information into your head - it just won't go in. Be wise about study and rest because too little or too much of either can have a detrimental effect on you and your performance.

Now that school is over for me and I have been able to gain full exposure to all of the exams you sit during school, have attended different kinds of schools, went through a school change, and a few other things I want to share some of the lessons I have been able to learn whilst studying.

So. Much. Representation.

Homosexuality
Androgyny
Ethnic minorities
Gender norms
Unplanned pregnancy
Open relationships
A whole episode in Spanish
Veganism
Art

Love


Audience Rating: 15, but I would rate it as an 18
Episodes: 8 x 30 mins
Genre: Apparently a comedy....nah I don't think so. Definitely a drama.
Lowlights: I found the first and third episodes to be quite shallow - push through the first, as I think it's not the highlight of the series, and it does pick up. Sometimes it does border on cliche: one couple exploring gender normative roles after the man is a stay at home dad, and the mum is the 'breadwinner' of the family.
Highlights: I find it captivating, some of the stories, as they are so refreshingly normal. Acting is first class, and the highlights of the series are 'Vegan Cinderella' and 'Controlada'.
Rating: 8/10

This series of mostly improvised shorts on the surface can seem shallow. In the first episode, I wondered if it would be a series made up entirely of sex, but what shines through the rawness of  is that this is not tokenism. The representation we see can feel overwhelming, but it's important to consider that this is in part due to the fact that film and tv are so unrepresentative of the world. So maybe this show is just a little more telling of actual real life.

Each episode is presented as a stand alone, with casual links, such as the second episode featuring the babysitter of the couple in the first. However, as the series continues, characters weave into others' storylines, and Dave Franco starts lingering like an annoying bad smell, with almost two episodes dedicated to him. Most of it is improvised too, with just ideas presented to the cast, which is so star-studded that it's almost phenomenal. PS Orlando Bloom is v hot :)

So I'm one of those people that gets super down in the winter. I hate getting out of bed when it's cold and everything is dark. Something about me is just weighted down, especially if it's raining and I have to walk somewhere, and I've just forgotten my umbrella...

However, unless I move to the Equator, I'm just going to have to live with the seasonality of Britain, so I have devised some tips, tricks, and other miscellaneous motivation to keep me going.

• Pop the heating on an hour before you wake up

Infamous sleeping bag experience