Scottish schooling

So, I go to a school in the NE of Scotland, it is rather small compared to some. I would say it is just below average with approximately 700-800 people attending.

It is a public school which follows the Scottish Qualification Association (SQA). Meaning we do standard grades, intermediates, highers and advanced highers.

I am in 5th year and am currently doing highers but I shall get to this level.

1st year- in first year you do not sit any exams for qualification, but you do sit little tests so the school can see what level of intellect you are and the best class of ability to put you in when you make your choices.

2nd year- for some this is like first year however for me I did an exam called intermediate 1 maths (int 1) which is a basic level of maths including trigonometry and Pythagoras. All in all I found this easy but maths is a subject which I am good at.
You sat this exam if your ability level could manage it.
In this I received an A and the gradings available were A,B,C or fail.

3rd year- this is when you chose the subjects in which you wish to study. Some are compulsory like maths, English, PE, Religious & Moral Education (RME) and Personal & Social Education (PSE).
Maths I did level intermediate 2 which is the follow up from int 1 and again I found this relatively easy achieving an A.
English we did and internal exam (meaning it did not get sent away to the SQA to be marked it is marked by teachers within the school) at this I achieved an A. English is not my best subject so if I can get an A anyone can.
The other subjects I chose were: business management, French, history, biology, chemistry and art.
As we were allowed to chose 6 subjects in top of maths and English.
These subjects were your subjects for 3rd & 4th year.
4th year-
Maths in 4th year for me consisted of higher which all the 4th years found rather difficult and so most chose to do it over 2 years to get a better understanding for the subject.
English an intermediate 2 exam was sat in 4th year which I received a B in.
Standard grades:
History I received a 2 ( i will explain this at the end).
Chemistry I received a 1.
Biology I received a 1.
French I received a 1.
Art I received a 3.
Intermediates:
Business management I received an A.

5th year-
Is my current year and this is he second last year available at academy. However you can leave at the end of 4th year if you wish to go onto college (is not university it is where you can study a specific course but not to a great extent) instead or even a job.
5th year consists of choosing your subjects for that year based on what you wish to do with your life in the future as well as the subjects you enjoy so I chose:
French
Business management
Biology
Chemistry
Maths

As maths and English are not compulsory in 5th year.

For intermediates and highers you must sit NABs these are assessments but instead of being on small topics each is a third of the course. If you fail these you get to re-sit them but only once unless it is maths because you get 2 chances to re-sit them. These are a big deal because if you do not pass even one of them you will not get a final grade for the course.

Standard grades there are no NABs only tests and unlike intermediates and highers where the grading is A,B,C fail standard grade is split into devisions.
Foundation- this is for people with learning difficulties as it is the basics of the course and a very easy course. The grading is, 6 which is the lowest pass you can receive and 5 which is the higher pass in foundation.
General- this is for people of average intelligence and cover most of the course to a good depth. The grading is, 4 which is the lower end of general and 3 which is the higher end of general.
Credit- this is for people with above average intelligence and it covers the course to a great depth. The grading is, 2 which is he lower end of credit but still a good grade to achieve as it is above average and 1 which is the best grade possible to achieve.

This is a very big explanation and I hope it covers all of your questions if not just comment and I will try and answer as best as possible.

Thanks guys,
Hayley >.<

Explanation

So I haven't been posting any blog material in a long time and really there is no excuse but I haven't felt inspired to write about anything.

School has piled up and because I am doing 5 highers there is a lot of work to be done and right now I am in the midst of NABs.

Inspiration pool has became dry, nothing I have seen has motivated me or inspired me to get going. However I have gone out looking for things to inspire me instead of stumbling across them and I have a few ideas to be excited about.

Also a few book reviews to come I just need to sort which ones to do first. As there are many.

Nail posts have been few due to the fact I actually bit my nails and couldn't stop (old habits die hard) but I am letting them grow just now and posts should be back soon.

Posts coming soon!

Bye guys,

Hayley >.<

Book Nook- The Short Second Life Of Bree Tanner

Hey Guys,
I say this nearly Every time but sorry for being MIA I just had some family things and school with starting highers and being piled up with work so today is a Book Review.

So today I am reviewing "The Short Second Life Of Bree Tanner" by Stephenie Meyer which is a spin-off book to the Twilight series, I am not really a Twilight person I more prefer devided society books such as The hunger games and Divergent, however I really enjoyed this book.

So the blurb of the book is this;
I turned off my brain. It was time to hunt. I took a deep breath, drawing in the scent of the blood inside the humans below. They weren't the only humans around, but they were the closest. Who you were going to hunt was the kind of decision you had to make before you scented your prey. It was too late now to choose anything. Bree Tanner can barely remember life before she had uncannily powerful sense, superhuman reflexes and unstoppable physical strength. Life before she had a relentless thirst for blood...life before she became a vampire. All Bree knows is that living with her fellow newborns has few certainties and even fewer rules: watch you back, don't draw attention to yourself and, above all, make it home by sunrise or die. What she doesn't know: her time as an immortal is quickly running out. Then Bree finds an unexpected friend in Diego, a newborn just as curious as Bree about their mysterious creator, whom they know only as her. As they come to realize that the newborns are pawns in a game larger than anything they could've imagined, Bree and Diego must choose sides and decided whom to trust. But when everything you know about vampires is based on a lie, how do you find the truth? In an irresistible combination of danger, mystery and romance, Stephenie Meyer tells the devastating story of the newborn army as they prepare to close in on Bella Swan in the Cullens, following their encounter to its unforgettable conclusion.


So the blurb wraps up all the main points to the story and it is a very quick read of 178 pages and is good for a rainy day or when you have spare time on a bus, train or car anything really. If you like the twilight books you will REALLY like this book and even if you do not like the twilight books or are not keen on them you will still like this book as i was willing to give it a shot (due to friends constantly telling me to) and I actually really enjoyed it. A view of the cover of the book; 

And if you are confused on who Bree Tanner actually is then this may help if you have seen the twilight - Eclipse movie;

So guys this wraps up this book nook

it may no have been the best but I still hope you give it a read because it is a good book.

till next time,

Hayley >.<

Notd

Hey guys so I haven't posted in a while purely because school comes first and I am piled up with exams. So on to the nail look!

Start with the same way i start every nail look with a clear base coat. I went with natural collection in crystal clear (as per usual).

Then this is where it jazzes up!
I painted my left thumb and right pinkie with BarryM berry ice cream.

Then my left index finger and right middle finger with BarryM peach Melba.

Next my left middle finger and right ring finger with BarryM mint green.

Then I painted my left ring finger and right index finger with Models Own Lemon Meringue.

Finally I painted my left pinkie finger and right thumb with Revlon blue lagoon.

And then topped them all of with Sally Hansen Insta-Dri (shock horror).

And that's it!

Keep nail painting guys,

Hayley.>.<

NOTD!

It's a little late been slightly busy but here you go :)

Started with crystal clear by natural collection as my base coat.

Then 1 coat of on ice by H&M it is so opaque that that is all it needs :)

Then topped of with Sally Hansen Insta-dri.
And that's it!

Happy painting guys!

Hayley.>.<

HOTD!

Hey guys another hair of the day! So I achieved the hair style at the end by Dutch braiding my hair last night when it was damp out of the shower. Then I took it out and hair sprayed it this morning. And then I just twisted my fringe at either side of my head to get the end result.
Simple! Have fun and keep rocking your hair!

NOTD!

Hey guys I have painted my nails again with a funkier look so I thought I would share.

First a base coat I used Natural Collection- Crystal clear.

 

Then colour!

This is Rimmel London Lycra Pro professional finish in the colour 420 aqua cool. It is pretty opaque but I used 2 coats for full coverage.(review coming soon)

                                            

Then I layered Rimmel London I heart lasting finish- 500 Disco ball on top (review has been done on this polish). I only used 1 coat but dipped a few times to get a lot of glitter.

Then to top it off I used Sally Hansen Insta-Dri anti-chip top coat.

And here is the finished look!

Hope you guys enjoyed and have fun nail painting!

Hayley.>.<

Book Nook: The Wave

Hey every one! I ADORE books so why not do book reviews? So here is the first one on "The Wave"  Morton Rhue. 

I received this book from teacher as we are studying Lord Of The Flies in English and some people were finding it hard to understand the concept of why some people would follow others without question so she handed us this book to help have a better knowledge of the text. The book is based on a true story of a school in California and "shows how easily people can be swayed by the powerful forces of group pressure."

blurb: "The wave is sweeping through the entire school. What started as an experiment in Ben Ross's History class is taking a mind of it's own. Students who thought they were free individuals have become dominated by The Wave, and its salutes and slogans- Strength Through Discipline, Strength Through Community, Strength Through Action- are everywhere. Only Laurie and a few of her friends recognise the danger in The Wave- but can they stop it before it goes too far?"

So the story starts in Ben Ross's history class when he shows them a video on the Holocaust. He then decides to run an experiment to show his class how the Nazi soldiers blindly followed Hitler. However the pupils take the experiment in their stride and they not only follow it like they have been craving discipline but they are not the only people taking this far. Ben Ross also takes it further and become overwhelmed by the power. The book shows the class slowly being consumed by this urge to blindly follow their leader which they name Mr Ross at one stage. The become so consumed that physical violence becomes part of the equation. Laurie (the main character) soon sees what is happening to people with the help of her concerned mother. However if you wish to know the ending and if Laurie did anything to stop it then I shall leave you to read it. :)

I personally liked the book as it gives the reader (me at least) the epiphany that people are willing to blindly follow people was rather nerve racking. some people would take this to other levels but the book shows that even in a school the topic of following orders can go WAY past extremes and the is rather scary. I would recommend this book, It is not one that I would normally reach for if I was choosing from a shelf of books however I did get something out of the book and I think that is the main part of reading is that if YOU get something out of a book than it was well worth the read.

so that's it guys and keep reading!

Hayley. >.<

NOTD!

Hey guys another nail of the day and this time it is H&Ms Chica boom boom. I love this girl is it very fun, bright and vibrant orange with a very slight hint of coral red the pictures do not do it much justice however I am trying to sort out my lighting to make it better :D I highly recommend these H&M polishes the formulation is really smooth and the colour opacity is great. Only 1 downside NEVER forget a base coat with these as they stain your nails slightly which is why the polish looks darker. So that's it and keep nail painting guys.

Hayley. >.<

HOTD! Hair Of The Day!

Hey guys I thought about a hair of the day so here it is.

To make this design simply put your hair in 1 French braid down the back of your head when your hair is wet an leave it in. I left it in for 2 days and 2 nights but It works the same as a day and then take it out and Voila! Enjoy guys.

Hayley. >.<

Some of my favourite quotes :)

So my friend is feeling like she is in a bit of a rut lately and I thought I would tell her some of my favourite quotes. Now these are barely scrapping the surface of my favourites but still just as good.

"the price of freedom is eternal vigilance"- Thomas Jefferson

"the most wasted of all days is one without laughter"- E.E. Cummings

"dream as if you live forever, live as if you'll die tomorrow."-(one of my MOST favourites) James Dean

"I count myself in nothing else so happy as in a soul rememb'ring my good friends"- William Shakespeare

"the best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart"- Helen Keller

"Obstacles are those things you see when you take your eyes off your goal"-Henry Ford

"Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant"- Robert Louis Stevenson

"Life is like riding a bicycle- in order to keep your balance, you must keep moving"- Albert Einstein

"Happiness often sneaks in through a door you didn't know you left open"- John Barrymore (another one of my ALL time favourites)

And that's it guys have an awesome day. And if you have any quotes for my friend then please feel free to comment, Bye.

Hayley. >.<

NOTD! Nail Of The Day!

I decided each time I paint my nails I would do a Nail Of The Day post. I am still really awake so I thought I would paint my nails and here it is!
H&M nail him :)!
(sorry about the lighting my room is orange so the colour may change )

These pictures really don't do it justice it is a LOT brighter and more vibrant here it looks rather light and dull but i Promise it is not! anyway happy nail painting, bye guys.

Hayley. >.<

Okay so I thought I would do a review on Rimmel London Lasting Finish nail varnish and I only have 1 colour so the review may not be very varied. I only bought 1 colour to test it because if I did not like it what was the point. The formulation is not very thick, it is too watery for my liking as it runs down the nail and a collection of polish gathers at the bottom of the nail around the cuticle.  

This is the colour i have 055 sunshine. Don't get me wrong I LOVE the colour it is very bright and great for spring/summer but it takes anywhere between 3-4 coats to get good true to form colour. It takes a long time to dry even with a fast drying top coat. I let the nail polish dry for 3 minutes before I put on a fast drying top coat and let that dry for an extra 2 minutes but even with that the polish didn't dry very well. In total I let the nail polish dry for 10 minutes before i started to do little things and when I typed on my computer they nail varnish smudged. This particular colour is awful at drying but because I disliked it so much I am weary to try another one. However i do have another varnish from this range but I did not call it a colour because it isn't really. 

This is a clear nail varnish with small flecks of glitter in it. It has blue, purple, pink, turquoise and a few other colours and personally I LOVE this one. 500 Disco Ball is MUCH better than the sunshine it lasts a lot longer as it dries within 5 minutes with the fast drying top coat and it is completely dry. I ran an experiment to see how long it would last and I managed to get 6 days out of it which was great. The only downside (and it is a tiny one) is that as it is a clear coat with glitter it takes 2-4 coats to get the nail completely covered with glitter however i put it over black, green and other colours as a top coat and it looks GREAT. 


So overall slightly mixed view I did buy sunshine about 3 months ago and the formulation is horrible however I bought disco ball 1 week ago and I LOVE the formulation so it might have changed but I don't know. I would give 055 sunshine a 3.5/10 but I give Disco ball 8/10 so VERY different views but take from it what you will and enjoy nail painting!


Hayley >.<

Hey guys been complete MIA but i have been studying hard for my exams that start in a months time (Very scary) especially because I need 5 highers (YIKES!) but i shall try to make some blog post in my free time like Nail varnish of the day, hairstyle of the day etc. maybe once or twice a week but I may not post until after my exams are done which seems mean but they are VERY important so I will see what I can do :) bye for now guys :D

Created mainly to follow people but when i finally create my own YouTube channel updates will be regular :D