Tutorial: Students have a designated class where they go every day for registration and tutorial. You will receive important information from your tutor about new rules or changes of that day. Use this time wisely. Twenty minutes seems nothing, but homework can be completed (so you can have more free time after school), and students can relax or study for a test that day.
What to bring: A water bottle, a pencil case (with coloured pens, pencils, pens, highlighters, scissors, and a ruler), and a planner. 
(No need to restrict yourself from this list; it is just a guideline) 

Emails: Check emails daily (during registration or tutorial) and regularly. This is important as a lot of information is sent to pupils via email. Staying updated will help you stay on top of your academic responsibilities and school events.

Here is a template of an email:
Dear ____,
How are you? (or I hope this message finds you well)
(write the message...)
Thank you! 
Kind regards, (or best regards)
(your name)

Planners: Use a planner to avoid missing deadlines, homework, or assessments. A planner is a powerful tool that can help you stay organized and manage your time effectively. It can ensure that you never miss an important task or deadline.

Teachers: Always participate in class and take good notes. Ask for help when needed and resources to catch up on work or when in need of practice. Do not be afraid to ask questions; your teachers will be pleased to answer them.

Homework: Sometimes it can be demanding, or you have homework and a lot of after-school activities. Write them on your calendar and do them as soon as possible so you can enjoy your free time!

Tests: They are going to be one of your first assessments. Do not panic! It is going to be okay. As long as you study and practice, there is no need to be scared. If you focus on the lesson and do what is asked of you, you will thrive. Sometimes, you don’t do well on a test, which is also acceptable as long as you don’t give up and keep trying, and I am sure it will be all right.

School activities: It is an excellent opportunity to apply to clubs! Don’t be afraid of the application process; the leaders will know it is your first time, so put yourself out there and be open-minded.

Enrichment: This is a period every two weeks during which you choose which class you want to attend. Classes can range from colouring to being part of a school club. It is a great opportunity to find something you like to do! 

Staying up late: It can be inevitable that you will be anxious before school starts but don’t lose sleep over it. You will have a great time, and trust me, there will be full days, so don’t waste sleep time at the start!

Don’t be afraid to try new things: It is an exciting year! There are lots of new opportunities and things to explore! Step out of your comfort zone and try some clubs you are interested in. However, you need to pay close attention to the deadlines and which year groups can apply. The clubs will send this information by email. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact the project leaders. I can assure you they will be more than happy to help! 


(If there are any other questions, send us an email and we will reply you as soon as possible!)

Recently, 2014 has been an overall trend on social media. And in case you’re wondering, yes, it is the year 2014. The trend ranges from clothes to actors to the iconic 2014 filter. So let’s go back to 2014 for the sake of this article and remember all the memories we had. What was 2014 really like?
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On-line, the 2014 style was a side of the trend that has been a large factor to the viral point it has reached. We can’t ever forget the 2014 Tumblr style (especially since it is constantly coming back) The flannels, jeans jackets, boots, and more, were all the rage. And if you were younger during that time, you’ll remember the rainbow hairs which we all were dying to have. The bright blues and turquoises were also part of the more colourful types of hair. But the two-toned brown hair ruled the year too – blond on the tips of the hair and a darker brown for the rest. Yes – I know you remember it too.
If you had social media when you were younger, or more specifically, in 2014, you’ll remember the epochal platform for videos – Musical.ly, nowadays known as TikTok. These videos ranged from the well-remembered 2014 music that we are constantly thinking about, to the videos we all laughed at. Famous singers, actors, and more were always engaging on the platform, like Jojo Siwa and Selena Gomez. On August 2, 2018, Musical.ly and TikTok merged, creating a worldwide platform, keeping the name TikTok and excluding China, as China has a separate version of TikTok called Douyin. Nowadays, TikTok has a massive influence with over 1 billion active users.
The style and the fun we had, something we all want to go back to. Most people were children during 2014, so we wish to go back to indulge in our childhood memories. But after all, who says we can’t? The trend is bringing back the style and the social media, so why not take a trip down memory lane and re-live the music, style, videos, and more of 2014?

Have you ever been doing something, when suddenly, it reminds you of a memory from your past? It might even take you some time to pinpoint what exactly the memory was or what it was about, but in that moment, you are certain that it took you back. Well, with me that happens quite frequently. That feeling is called nostalgia, and to be honest, the memories which trigger this nostalgia are the reason we are who we are today. However, before looking into how that works, we must understand how a memory is formed. 

The creation process of a memory is summarized into three main points: encoding, storage, and retrieval. The first step, encoding, is where our brain converts sensory input (smell, sight, taste, sound and feel) into information that our brain can understand in order to absorb and process it. The next step, storage, involves keeping this encoded information so that it can be reused in the future. Our brain separates these stores into two categories, long-term memory, and short-term memory. Our short-term memories are usually only remembered for a few seconds. This storage is used for simple tasks, like remembering a phone number in time for dialling it or remembering a certain code. A long-term memory, on the other hand, is the opposite. It stores information for a long period, maybe even for a lifetime. This store is used for most of our experiences and important things that take place in our lives. Finally, the last step, retrieval, is when our brain brings this information back into a conscious awareness. This is the step in which an experience is transformed into a memory.​

Even though reliving and reflecting on our memories is an extremely challenging task, especially as they are not always joyful, it is crucial to understand that it is also one of the most important things to do. Through the lessons we have learned, the choices we have made, and their consequences, our memories have shaped us into the people we are today. Our memories are the reason we know how to react in certain situations, and they are the reason we rethink making bad choices, as we have seen what happens otherwise to others around us. Nostalgia, on the contrary, is extremely important, as it brings us happiness and as it takes us back to a cheerful memory. This feeling of happiness many times makes us feel as if we are good enough, and that we belong. Now, with all of this, can you imagine how different your life would be without these constant reminiscing memories?

Nostalgia, a sentimental yearning to return to the past, is an extremely complex emotion. It blends joy and melancholy, allowing us to go back and revisit cherished memories. Memories from childhood, a time marked by curiosity, purity and innocence, stand out as the main nostalgic trigger.

Childhood memories are very powerful: they embody the spirits of our first smiles and questions. We really could do anything we wanted to, from turning a cardboard box into a spaceship to creating our own language, our imagination ran wild and knew no boundaries. The simple life we lived as children seems so much more distant than the years apart it actually is from teenhood. Recalling these golden memories brings warmth to our hearts as we remember the moments that shape who we are today and that taught us to dream and explore.

Anything can transport you to your childhood. Triggers such as the sound of a special song or lullaby, the smell of freshly baked cookies, the feeling of holding a stuffed animal, and much more can bring you back to such cherished moments. During troubled times or change, reminiscing on our memories as children can bring a sense of security and peace, as we recall those stabilizing nurturers that helped us grow.

By reminiscing on these memories together, we keep the spirit of our childhood alive and make sure that its magic continues. These flashbacks remind us of the values we learned and cherished as children, such as forgiveness and kindness. Through this reminiscing process, these principles can be implemented to our day to day lives, fostering compassion and empathy while achieving balance. This reflection helps us to find and prioritize what is truly important, leading to a fulfilling life. Nostalgia in this sense, celebrates how far we have come and reminds us to remember forever the timeless joys of the childhood that has paved the way to becoming who we are today.

We reminisce when we smell something, see someone or something, and our minds rush back to a memory. A big part of nostalgia are clothes. We see our closets as a room of outfits; however, we never realize the memories that are interwoven in the fabrics. Clothes trigger our sense of smell, touch, and they transport us to a time gone by.

All of fashion links to nostalgia. It has been studied by the researchers of “The Journal of Experimental Psychology”, where the term “enclothed cognition” was formulated. A term used to relate our actions, feelings, thoughts, moods and psychological processes to the way we dress. The theory explores the idea that the clothes you wear represent different things and activate different parts of your mind. An experiment was carried out where a group of people (group A) wore their normal clothes, while another group of people (group B) wore their normal clothes, but with a doctor’s coat. Both groups were presented the same mental questions, however group B committed half the mistakes that group A committed.

However, how does this impact the fashion trends and vintage styles seen today? For people of ages 20 to 30, the 90s were their childhood and using clothes is a natural way to reminisce about when they were younger, for nostalgia is a pain that we cannot let go- from what you wore to your 10th birthday party or the Christmas at your grandmother’s house. Trends reappear from now and then. The so called “Vintage” is something we are accustomed to seeing in big fashion magazines such as “Vogue” or “Harper’s Bazaar”. Vogue has published many articles on 00s It Bags or 90s best runways. Today so many of us bring back the denims and florals worn by the cast of “Saved by The Bell” or Britney Spears’ casual sportswear.

How much we may want to go back to the past now and then. It is important to remember that the world changes, and so do we with it. Your clothes and your wardrobe are a good way to still feel nostalgia, but also be able to find balance between reminiscing and moving on.

Despite the great pop culture moments from the past, it is important to remember that fashion goes much beyond that. It might be a simple, white-colored shirt to you, but to the person wearing it, it is the first day of school, running in the park with their friends. The memories that formed their personalities are now forming their wardrobe.