A Priceless Value: Youth in Politics

Good Evening (or morning, afternoon, night... whichever is appropriate!) to you all!

I'll start by poiting out the obvious: I haven't written a blog in a couple of months now. So, first of all, apologies for that. I was quite tempted to do one on the United Kingdom's political voting system and the effects of that, but that was something I didn't quite get round to doing. I think waiting for the both mental and physical affects of the General Election to wear off took longer than I'd predicted...

Anyhow, I'm back now and seeing as things have (relatively) gone back to normal, I intend to post as regularly as possible.

So, as you can tell tell from the title of this post, it's going to be on the issue of Youth in Politics. I've been wanting to write this piece following a trip to Pembroke College in Oxford on Monday with other young writers, and I must say, the event definitely served its purpose in inspiring us to write. The event there was also to celebrate the winners of The Orwell Youth Prize 2015 (which I'll touch on later), so congratulations to everyone who won or was short-listed.

Following the tedious journey there, our morning consisted of a tour of the college (and it is pretty beautiful, if I can say so myself!) and then a writer's seminar in the morning. I won't describe every single thing that was said or done during this period, but to summarise, we came to realise there was more of a link between writing and power itself than one would have thought. I'm not just talking about famous authors who have written books on different political ideologies and became successful. I'm not just talking about those who wrote diaries or memoirs in historical events, inspired and became famous, like Anne Frank, say. I'm talking about us. Any of us have the power to change anything with words. We have social media, we don't have to be of any authority to get a book published and we have the ability to get involved. I know the campaigns for the General Election are over now, but that doesn't mean it's too late. It never is. It can never be too late for you to pick up a pen and write. It doesn't matter if you're responding to something you've seen on the news, or whether you're debating an issue on paper. You're developing yourself. You're engaging yourself. As Orwell said himself, there is no issue that isn't a political one. Politically engaged youth nowadays hold a priceless value.

Edging away from the more annecdotal side of things, and putting the question forwards to you: would you rather be fed watered-down information straight from Westminster, or would you rather be out there, experiencing things for yourself? I know what I'd choose. Getting involved with a party local to you, actually bothering to research instead of being indoctrinated by the media and speaking to people in general about such issues are all ways you can benefit yourself. To understand is to know. And seeing as we are the future, we need to know.

 

16 and 17 year-olds are put off of becoming politically engaged. Fact. I see it myself happening in the Sixth Form. We can only thank Mr Cameron for not allowing youth of that age to vote, and that is a factor that prolongs the involvement of youth in politics. It appears that, unless you have a burning interest in politics, voting is a chore. Even thinking about it seems to be a chore. I've spoken to people whilst canvassing who were relying on their (mainly Conservative) parents to tell them who to vote for. Never mind what party would have benefitted them as individuals. This needs to stop. We cannot benefit as a nation when only a minority are actually taking politics seriously. And politics isn't what the stereotypes play it out to be.

Things won't get easier. Depriving yourself the opportunity to vote and thinking you can block out anything political won't make things better. We can't all play 'Boo Radley' in today's society. Just by reading this post, you're politically engaging yourself which is exactly what needs to be done. We can't be brainwashed any more. We can't be patronised and have people be condescending to us any more.

After all, we are the future.

Anyway, have yourselves a lovely rest of the weekend. As always, thank you for reading! Much appreciated!

Best,

Sophie x

P.S, thank you and well done to everyone reading this that partook in the Orwell Youth Prize Celebrations 2015. It was both quite an amazing and insightful day, so once again, well done!

The Religious: Faithful or Feared?

Good afternoon (well, morning or evening depending on where you are) to you all!

I hope you've been keeping well, and it seems only appropriate to wish the Christian readers and followers I have amongst you a very happy Easter!

I've been wanting to write a blog with the same title as this one on religion since the shootings in Paris but became somewhat disheartened when my laptop decided to shut itself down whilst I was in the process of writing. After even more shootings in different places around the world, the rising profile of the Islamic State (ISIS) and a little closer to home, the comments the PM made on this country and religion earlier, I've decided to alter what would have been my original post a bit.

Religion can be interpreted in many different ways depending on which perspective you take. It could be an incredibly important part of your life as to which you're devoted. It could be what you turn to when you're in need of help, or it could be something you're reluctant to believe in. Whichever one of these 'if' statements applies to you, I think it's important we understand that recognising and not only tolerating, but accepting everybody else's opinion is essential. Just because you don't pray 5 times a day, that does not make you inferior. The same logic is applied to if you believe in The Big Bang Theory, just because you have scientific evidence on your side - it doesn't make you superior. At the end of the day, we should be embracing the fact we are all open-minded enough to choose our own beliefs and whatever we choose them to be need to be accepted.

However, it appears that racial tension is one of the biggest factors that turns what could be a somewhat utopian society into a dystopia. Nobody is ever going to have the same beliefs. One of our biggest attributes that distinguishes humans from the majority of other species is that we will remain different because we each have different experiences, pasts and factors that influence us. We also have the power of communication - that ability is often abused though. Instead of sharing our beliefs, embracing our different paths and enjoying the beauty in a multi-cultural society, we appear to consistently put pressure on those both of a different religion, and saddest of all, those of the same belief.

We don't just come up with this hatred ourselves though. In fact, our sources are far from our own creation. Indoctrination always has been a powerful tool used by the media (I do find myself frequently saying this - I'd like to think people would now be strong enough to realise we should have our own opinions based on ourselves, instead of being brainwashed.) and let's face it, pretty much every media source is biased to some aspect of the political compass. I'd like to use the example of Islam and ISIS, which I know has already been speculated over quite a bit, but it's valid in this context. ISIS are a horrific terrorist organisation, and I will admit myself, seeing their videos from training, seeing what they do to those 'different' to the norm (i.e homosexuals) in the countries they operate in, is scary. The atrocities they commit are condemned by Atheists, Agnostics, Christians, Jews, Catholics, Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims. ISIS are an extremist organisation. They are not Muslims and it's important to reiterate this. Yes, so ISIS were the culprits behind blowing up a Catholic monastery, and a Christian church - but they've done the same to a mosque. No religion is inferior, just as no human race is superior.

What we can learn from that given example, just in case it isn't clear, is that terrorism does not have a religion. You are actually, believe it or not, making yourself more vulnerable by becoming indoctrinated, therefore fearing your own kind. Guess which pretty successful dictator used that technique?

Ah yes, that'd only be Adolf Hitler. Nobody wants a repeat of that. Well then, let's not put those methods into practice.

Whilst you might be an innocent reader just catching up on the latest news, the media know what they're doing. Humans are quite predictable. We aren't only destroying relationships in our generation, but we're scarring the bonds that are necessary for our children's generation, and our grandchildren's generation. We really aren't being cruel to be kind in this case.

Another incident that the majority of you will know about (because of you guys being Chelsea fans and all that) is this act Mourinho did in celebration:

*I think the caption from the lovely @AliHayek96 was quite fitting. Why speculate over Jose doing this but not the guy next to him? Well, let's ask the press, shall we?*

Whilst Mourinho is incredibly quiet over his political views and hasn't officially converted to Islam, there is an enormous amount of speculation over this. Perhaps he misinterpreted the religious symbol behind this celebration. Just because he's doing something that typically religious people do, there is no need for comment. I'd just like to make the point that so what if Mourinho did convert anyhow? What does it matter which religion he believes in? It doesn't change the person he is anyway. We can again thank the media for twisting this, as an example.

It isn't like the authorities are helping anyhow. Earlier, a friend showed me what David Cameron said over this country's religious status. Him saying Britain is a 'Christian country' was bound to cause tension. You cannot imply one religion is superior when the other 40.7% of inhabitants in your country aren't Christian. Actually, only 4.8% of the UK population from a year and a half ago were Muslim. We were probably under a different impression because of the media's influence, unsurprisingly. (I must admit I was quite shocked when I saw how little of the UK population was Muslim though.)

Earlier on, I mentioned judgement playing a part in how we perceive the religious, and non-religious, in this case. Just to clarify a few facts:

1) Just because people choose not to be of a faith, that is their choice and that should be respected. Trying to say otherwise would be like insulting that person for who they are. I myself am christened; I didn't really get a choice in the matter because I was only around 2 years of age. I wasn't brainwashed with Christianity when I finally became able to make my own decisions regarding religion and it does not make me inferior because of doing so. Nor should I be judged. And the same applies to anybody else similarly agnostic/atheist. 

2) A passage from the Bible (6:37) states "Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned." Again, this is important. It breaks away from the stereotype that the religious (Christians in particular) are judgemental. As I've said, nobody has any right to do that. It revolves back to the old saying of don't do to others what you wouldn't want doing to yourself.

3) Islam is not a sexist religion. Or a racist one. In fact, in the Qu'ran, it states that we should respect and honour all human beings irrespective of their religion, colour, race, sex, language, status, property, birth, profession/job and so on. (17/70). This is such a meaningful statement in my eyes, and it takes away no end of negative stereotypes associated with Islam. Again, acceptance over intolerance. 

Obviously, as much as I'd love to, I cannot justify the inaccuracies within different stereotypes and clichés we have over all of the different religions. Some of what you may have read could have been perceived as quite shocking, which isn't surprising because my jaw dropped a few times in my spontaneous research.

The key word there is 'research'. If we actually bothered to use our initiative and find things out for ourselves instead of having 'information' (applying that term loosely for obvious reasons) fed to us like we're incapable. We have the power to find out anything we want, and I suggest we do that instead. Next time you see something on the news, actually consider what perception you're getting. Even the vocabulary the reporters use can influence how we think/feel about a certain issue. And whatever you do, hold your own judgements and go on what you feel. Don't adapt other people's judgements, especially if they're negative ones.

After all, the world has enough negativity in it. People are what they are, and we shouldn't be attempting to try and change that. As long as nobody is hurting you, just let them get on with it.

I'm going to end that here, with fear of sounding like a patronising grandmother if I keep these life-lessons up... Anyway, have yourselves an enjoyable, relaxing week!

Thanks again for reading. Your views/comments are always appreciated! 

Take care,

Sophie xo

The Fight for Acceptance: Women In Football

Hello people, it's been a long time! (In fact, I'd say far too long!)

I haven't written a blog post in some months now, but despite this, it isn't because I couldn't be bothered - it was more because I was struggling to find an issue to actually address without seeming repetitive, or like I was ranting. It was only yesterday when I saw an article on Eva Carneiro and Chelsea calling for an end to sexism in football that I realised this issue still does need to be tackled. Much to my dismay, we are well into 2015 and still, still women are being dehumanised, desensitised and objectified due to their gender. We don't choose what gender we are when born, nor what race, species, sexuality or even what religion in some cases. Despite this, acceptance for all isn't happening. To put things back into context: men have gender privileges, simple as. Just because an environment (such as the game football, in this instance) is male-dominated, that does not make them superior. 

For those who don't know, Eva Carneiro is Chelsea FC's first team doctor and has been so for a number of years now. Being born in Gibraltar to a Spanish father and an English mother, it became clear to her what she wanted to do career-wise, as when she was just 16 she knew she wanted to pursue a job working in the medical department. "...women want to be leaders..." she said at a Swedish medical conference last year. She finished that particular sentence indicating how oppressed women were, due to the unwritten rules of society. You might think this doesn't concern you, perhaps because you aren't female, or perhaps because you yourself have never been on the end of sexist abuse, however it was Desmond Tutu that once said "If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.".

So, what exactly happened with Eva? She was victimised by having vile abuse hurled at her. Two nights ago, the BBC broadcasted a clip of some Manchester United and other Manchester City fans shouting things like "Show us where you p**s from, you s**g, show us your m***e." Of course, this really isn't acceptable. These male and other female fans don't shout this at fellow men, such as male referees, whether because they aren't that way inclined or not is a different question. But the fact men don't receive this level of gender abuse does not mean they should be the ones doing this. The fact Eva is trying to work yet constantly is treated like a piece of meat is unacceptable. How about we start recognising her for her intelligence and compassion, instead of her assets?

It isn't just Eva (she is frankly, quite high-profile in the game) who even to this day receives such a level of abuse. Assistant referee Helen Bryne was targeted at an unspecific Football League game where fans taunted her. We know these women as figures who do a job, but what if it was our daughters, sisters, even mothers who couldn't fulfil their dreams and aspirations because they were worried some misogynistic, disgraceful beings would humiliate them to such an extent? It needs to stop. Now.

Following this abuse, Chelsea have called for an end to sexism in football and in all seriousness, this demand has needed to be made for a while now. They shouldn't be the only club wanting this either. Furthermore, the FA have urged all supporters to report sexist abuse when encountered because we can't, and we shouldn't have to tolerate this for any longer. Discrimination in a sport such as football where we are all supposedly "united" should not be happening in any shape or form, whether that's racism, sexism or dealing with non-heterosexual players. We should be embracing and accepting, not doing the opposite. Awareness is spreading of this though, thankfully. A campaign group called 'Women in Football' launched an anti-sexist social media drive yesterday, and all female staff in matchday programmes will be championed following International Women's Day, tomorrow.

However, whilst we can celebrate International Women's Day tomorrow, we need to eradicate inequality. Let's make it International  Women's Day every day, and make sure women aren't inferior, or superior either - because that isn't what I'm proposing. We just need to recognise women have every right to do the same as men without being abused. We are all humans and we are all equal. 

On that note, have yourselves a lovely week ahead. With love, 

Sophie xo 

Homosexuality: The Constant Battle for Freedom

Hello all, welcome back!

So, the festive period is drawing to a close and I have the desire to write a blog again. After looking for inspiration and failing to find any, I've decided to write one on an issue that potentially cost lives: homophobia and homosexuality. In society today, especially living in England, it seems impossible to go out and not hear one thing or another being labelled "gay". The question is, though: why do we persist in using what people are as an insult? Opinions should NOT disrespect anybody's existence.

Despite being in 2015, where people are openly bisexual, or homosexual, it seems strange that there is still such a large amount of hate directed at those; those who have embraced what they are and have freely admitted it, unashamed of accepting what and who they are. Perhaps, if more people were as happy with themselves as these, the world would be a better place. Unfortunately, it seems that we, (society as a whole), are unable to accept those who are "different". However, hate always stems from somewhere. What our elders tell us, how religion influences us, and in some cases, what our country's laws state are all factors that turn the spark into a flame. Indoctrination always has been a powerful tool. Yet it seems the media and what our idols/inspirations do is what has the biggest impact on us.

Several songs, articles and films are composed, written or made revolving around the homosexuality issue, each injecting snippets of disapproving thoughts into our brainwashed minds. If we get the message straight, without being judgemental, we would be able to accept people for what they are. In saying this, that can relate to several issues: hate springs from a lack of understanding on an issue. Though accepting gay people shouldn't need this, it isn't complicated - you don't abuse someone for being straight, so why do the same to a person who is simply attracted to the same sex? It's pointless, illogical and downright disrespectful.

"I know it's coming, there's going to be violence, I've taken as much as I'm willing to take. Why do you think we should suffer in silence? When a heart is broken, there's nothing left to break."

The above is a selection of quotes from 'Tripping', a song written by Robbie Williams in 2005. What shocks me the most is how artists are willing to risk their careers and call out homophobia in the music industry, and this really isn't anything new. The points made in these quotes remain the same though: why should they keep their sexuality a secret, just because society is reluctant to accept something irrelevant? If we keep living a lie, we won't have any hearts left to break. And lastly: homosexual people are fed up with fighting against those who oppress them, and can we really blame them? No, we can't.

When we look past the speculation that comes with being homosexual, we aren't just making their lives hell, we aren't just insulting them, we are stopping them from loving though, which is never tolerable. Every person has the right to love, nobody has the right to stop that happening. Imagine the shock that you'd feel when you discovered you were different, imagine feeling sick every time the harsh words like "faggot" were spat from the mouths of your ex-friends... Imagine. It isn't pleasant, and we are an effect on that. When we become more socially aware, we might appreciate each other for what we are. No freedom until we're equal.

"I can't change."

The line we hear so much when heterosexual people question a homosexual person's sexuality. Surely that makes us wonder how accurate that of religion is, for in this case, holy water is poison - sermons spew hate instead of love. Most religions preach love and compassion over anything else, yet turn themselves from "accepting of all" to judgemental hypocrites. And you're agreeing with that? I'm most definitely not.

At the end of the day, we need to overcome this small-minded prejudice. The stereotypes associated with homosexuality are already invading the brains of younger generations and soon, the hate will spiral out of control if we aren't careful. It's ironic though: we try so hard to find life in other planets, other galaxies and other dimensions, yet we can't even accept our own for what we are.

Why?

Because that's just the dystopia we live in.
I hope this post has been able to highlight just how important acceptance is in society today. After all, we are human, and unfortunately, can't de-sensitise ourselves. Anyhow, have a lovely weekend and take care!

Sophie x

 P.S, for the ignorant people who inevitably grace society with bitterness, no, I myself am not homosexual. However, I do recognise that each and every person should be treated as an individual equally. That may seem fairly outlandish, however the sooner we start doing the same thing, the better.

The Curse of November: Well and Truly Broken

The November Curse: it's been a problem for Chelsea ever since 2009, which was when we were last unbeaten in the month. The unexplainable decline in the team's performance as a whole took its toll and could have cost us several trophies. However now, Jose Mourinho's side have turned things around with the results from this November looking promising: WDWWWD. Surely, this is a sign that things are changing all for the better. Could we have a repeat of the 2005-06 season? Let's hope so!

A quick look at how things have gone so far:

It's November the 1st and Chelsea are all set to kick things off against their London rivals, QPR. After the minute's silence observed by all at Stamford Bridge, the atmosphere immediately became gripping. The pressure was on Chelsea as they set about maintaining the undefeated start to the season. In the early minutes of the game, one of Chelsea's latest additions, Fabregas, delivered three amazing corners. Oscar, Ivanovic and Fabregas had shots that followed, however it was Oscar's 32 minute right-footed goal that gave us the lead we deserved. Shortly after came the second 45 minutes, and despite shots from Oscar and a penalty-call from Hazard, it was QPR's Charlie Austin who scored the first goal of the half: the equaliser. In spite of this, it was Hazard who took the penalty that was very much deserved with 16 minutes left to play, and with no surprise, he scored it. Chelsea's impressive run continued.

Then, 5 days later, Chelsea took on Maribor in an attempt to get the maximum amount of points against the Slovenians. It was clear from the start that the visitors were the ones dominating which reflected in the first few minutes of the second half, where Ibraimi got a shot past Petr Cech (and fair play to him for that one!) with a well-aimed strike. Regardless of this, Chelsea were reluctant to let the Slovenians be victorious yet too many opportunities were either missed or not taken; the lead Maribor had did seem to have a negative impact on the Chelsea players and the clear penalty-shout that wasn't awarded didn't help us either. Yet in the 73rd minute, Matic took a chance and scored the equaliser for us. We could have won the match as with just 5 minutes to go, Hazard was awarded a penalty, but the keeper blocked the strike. We accepted the draw because after all, one point is better than no points!

Moving on, the 8th of November came and the match so many had anticipated finally was about to take place: Liverpool vs Chelsea. After only 9 minutes, Emre Can scored the first goal of the match, putting Liverpool ahead - not for long though. Cahill got one back for us just after 5 minutes and the battle to win commenced soon after. Chelsea were the dominant ones at Anfield, and several shots from Eden Hazard were unfortunately denied, however after some amazing play by Azpilicueta, (back in defence after his 3-match suspension), Costa netted the winner for us with 23 minutes remaining. Chelsea had now gone 17 games unbeaten. This match had been our 9th win in the league this season, and the only negative seemed to be that Gerrard didn't slip again!

The fourth match that took place in November for us was that against West Brom. Our domination in this game proved we had no longer fallen victims to the mysterious-month curse. The match was extravagantly opened by Diego Costa as he scored his 11th goal of the season by volleying the ball past Foster's clutches. After many other attempts on goal from our players like John Terry, it was Hazard who managed to secure the lead for us. The Belgian's shot was well-composed and that strike became his 6th goal of the campaign so far. Then, it turned out the visitors would have to play the majority of the game left with just 10 men, which limited their ambition and allowed Chelsea to dominate even more. The 3 points we deserved extended our lead at the top. We remained undefeated!

Then we had our 5th match in November and we won 5-0. A great result in the Champions League that enabled us to continue having a positive November. 3 minutes hadn't even passed before John Terry netted the first goal in for Chelsea, which was shortly followed by Willian's goal. The score was 3-0 at half-time due to Kirchhoff's own-goal, but the goal spree didn't end there. Substitutes Drogba and Ramires found the net with a great effort from the team throughout. The win didn't just mean we remained undefeated, but because of the 5-0 scoreline, we had equalled our all-time best Champions League result away from home; we won 5-0 against Galatasaray in 1999.

It was only yesterday we saw November end well. The 0-0 draw against Sunderland wasn't the best performance from us, however it did highlight some areas of football controversy. It appeared Sunderland 'parked the bus', yet were praised with 'quality defending'. It's amusing how 'parking the bus' isn't considered anti-football when it isn't Chelsea using that tactic. However Mourinho recognised this, and praised Sunderland for their defence. Despite this, it was clear Chelsea deserved a penalty as Gary Cahill was picked up, underarm. There were no other particular highlights, yet not every game of football can be a beautiful one. We didn't lose or concede, so let's take those as positives.

What happened, and what's changed?

Chelsea's latest additions such as Costa and Fabregas haven't failed to deliver. They've improved our squad depth which was already fantastic. We tried our best to manage with the International Break Tiredness too, and to be where we are in November, which has been awful for the past few seasons, sparks hope in all of the Blues fans. Having an end to the year this strong will ensure we're left with a high lead at the top, and that could provoke wonderful things in 2015.

Let's hope we remain unbeaten in December! KTBFFH.

Sophie x

       

Independence: Because We Deserve it

Well, hello there everybody! I hope you've all been keeping yourselves well.

I'd like to start this third blog with an issue that frustrates me pretty much every day: Women's Independence. The shocking factor is that we're in 2014, achieved the right to vote almost 100 years ago, yet still, we are not equal to men. Despite the fact not all women are victims of direct sexist attacks, it remains an underlying issue which we do need to address. Society may have become more equal since the 1950s and 60s, indeed, however is it still correct that girls are the ones who are told they need a man? Females are put under extreme amounts of pressure when really, they're perfectly capable and strong themselves.

Let's just apply this situation in a complete parallel universe: men would be made to choose between having a successful career for their personal satisfaction, with the alternative being keeping their significant other content. Imagining men as the more submissive gender seems crazy, especially with society dictating to women being equal. This should not be the case. Society needs to realise that women have nothing to prove, because every individual is unique, and their decisions should be their own, nobody else's.

As females, we're made to feel like getting a man should be our ambition in life. Even parents, who I have no doubt love and care for their daughters, do subtly hint that girls are inevitably going to end up as a "spinster" if they fail to change their ways. Telling a female that they have to change themselves for a man is completely unacceptable, and here, I speak from previous experiences, because I've been told that if I don't change my "feminist outlook" on life, I'll end up "on the shelf". I'm sorry, and I know I'm not the only female who takes on this mindset, but my lifelong ambition is not to end up relying on a man. We should be encouraged to improve the representation of women in public and political life, so I'm glad there are organisations out there that aspire to do this, such as "Women for Independence".

However, this is such a spectrum issue that it doesn't just impact women on one or two issues, it ranges throughout. One of the most recognised places for gender discrimination is in the office. In the UK, the gender pay gap stands at 15%, with women on average earning £5,000 less a year than their male colleagues. And this is the case in a westernised society. It doesn't stop here though, there are 130 million women
in the world who have been forced into having Female Genital Mutilation. One in three women will have been beaten or raped at some point in their lifetime with forty-four per cent of women in the UK having experienced physical or sexual violence since the age of fifteen. It appears as if all justice for these women has been scrapped. Baring in mind this issue is seldom discussed, we can't just dismiss this issue. Yes, males do, of course, get exposed to abuse and rape themselves, but on a larger scale, men have more of a voice than females do. We have the power to change this, and so we should!

The idea I'd like to propose is that we, as females, should be looked upon as equal. No country is free of the Sexism Plague, despite popular beliefs. Living in a westernised society enables us to do and say so much more than others - this means we have the ability to raise awareness, which we can only do if more people begin to talk about the topic and realise that gender discrimination is not tolerable. We also need to realise that choices relating to our private and personal lives are our own; they sculpt our future only. Nobody else is going to pay the consequences or reap the rewards in that sense: everyone has the right to do what makes them happy in moderation.

On that note, let's start raising awareness and changing things! Your gender does not decide what you're capable of, or your limits.

Have yourselves a lovely week and take care!

With love, Sophie.

Education's Society or Society's Education?

Hello everyone! I hope you've all been keeping well.

So, this is the second post already! It wasn't meant to be posted so soon after the first, however something happened in a class I was in earlier that made me realise: why do we allow ourselves to be defined by a grade on a piece of paper? Why aren't we taught to think outside the box? Why are all of us indoctrinated, and told only to write what the exam mark scheme says is correct? We have our own minds, so why can't we use them? 

Exams. Everyone has to do them at some point in their lives and for the most of us, results day is dreaded more than the tests themselves. When my class were handed their Maths Mock results back, it was the reaction of my fellow peers that was most significant to me. What was so shocking was that some 15-year-old students hung their heads in shame and disappointment, because a sole letter implied they'd failed themselves. Honestly, the education system these days is more corrupt than FIFA. 

Right now, somewhere in the world, there'll be a teenager, slumped down in a plastic chair, inadequacies covered with a blanket of shame and embarrassment. His mother is sat next to him, arguing his case in the heated discussion we call "Parent's Evening".
We, as students, are constantly patronised that we're "lucky" because we have "opportunities" that our parents and/or grandparents didn't have. Really, society's needs have changed since our parents or older generations lived.

Having said that, our elders condescend us for the one, simple reason: they don't know any better themselves. Yet it's always in the back of their minds that they've gone through life, never once needing to apply Pythagoras' theorem, pathetic fallacy or the biological layout of a leaf. They still might not be able to calculate the value of 'x', but they rely on society to tell them that their children are "hyper-active", "unfocused", "wayward" and "easily distracted", despite them having some of the sharpest minds in the school.

Returning to reality, how many equations, subjects and dates did we memorise just before an exam, never to use again? The number would be uncountable. How many A grades did you get which were never asked for when applying for a job? Trust me, it happens. And how many times have we remembered something 5 or 10 minutes after the examiner said "Stop writing.", only to receive your results one month later, showing you were a mark away from the top grade. Is society trying to tell us that if we'd remembered something those few minutes earlier, we would have been more qualified
for a certain job? Application forms agree with that sort of logic.

We all have different abilities, thought processes, genes and experiences - so why is a class full of individuals tested by the same means? We're made to feel stupid just because we might not be able to do a couple of sums. If this issue isn't addressed properly, it will become self-fulfilling prophecy.

The irony: every school has the audacity to have a policy on equality.

Exams are society's methods of telling you what you're worth, however you can't listen because this is the same society that claims "Abortion is Wrong", but then looks down on teenage pregnancy. The same society tries to promote naturalism in cosmetics, but the model on the box is always half PhotoShopped with fake lashes and hair extensions. Pastors preach charity yet own private jets; Imams preach against greed but are all obese. Parents say they want "educated kids" but constantly marvel at how rich Richard Branson is. The hypocrisy is ironic. It isn't worth listening to.

They test us with tests but the finals are never final because they don't ever prepare you for the biggest exam which is simply survival. What I've written is fairly outlandish so I don't expect  everyone to understand this, but if we just put ourselves in other people's shoes, perhaps we'd be less judgemental. We are live, human beings. We should not be made to feel worth nothing more than that D or A grade on results day.

This is our generation of Youth - the ones who found what they were searching for on Google, the ones who followed their dreams on Twitter, pictured their past, present and future on Instagram, and accepted destiny on Facebook.

We should not have to change, feel worthless, disappointed or unaccepted in today's society, no matter what you get. Not when today's society is so ironic and hypocritical. The message of this blog is simple: whether we're 18, 21, 45 or 60, we should not let exam results decide our future.

With love, Sophie.