Life at Bellerbys College

Applying to Oxford & Cambridge Uni!

Posted by @ Bellerbys Brighton

Hey guys!

September is finally over, and all Oxbridge applicants including me are really stressed out, which is obvious - we have to submit our UCAS applications by 15 October. So it’s basically only 2 weeks left! The time is running incredibly fast. And it’s so difficult to cope with the nerves, as nobody is actually happy with their personal statements. Neither am I - every evening I either add or delete something. So far I have all my desktop full of different drafts and it’s so hard to make the final decision! That’s why although I am really scared of the day when I have to submit UCAS application, it seems to me now as a moment of a relief.

A2 is in a way more difficult than AS as the homework is much more difficult and requires excellent analytical skills in order to get 80% or higher but at least now I know my teachers’ demands and therefore up to now I have all As in the register. Hopefully it will remain the same*)).

And of course A2 is more interesting: in German and French classes I study some current affairs and problems of these countries; in History class it’s finally Britain!! And moreover it’s modern Britain, so it’s very exciting to get to know the country where I live now more profoundly.

In English Literature it is modern poems, which I personally find quite complicated in terms of finding the actual meaning of the poem as unlike AS the task is not just to describe mood, tone, patterns of sound etc, but also to be able to read poem properly in order to describe what idea an author wanted to convey. However we practice every week so I am positive that by the time of the exam I will improve my understanding of them.

And of course there is Shakespeare! Everyone in our class enjoys “Othello”, which we need to use in our coursework. I am so nervous about it, as I don’t really like the topics of it. The main theme is Shakespearean women, therefore it is more or less connected to feminism. No offends to feminists, but I personally dislike their quotes something like “Shakespeare is a patriarchal bard”, as I think that he’s a genius and all his works are masterpieces. As for Maths it is Statistics now, which is indeed very interesting especially with Dr Cheng. So I can’t complain that my subjects are boring.

I wish the best of luck for all students applying to universities for 2012 entry! Keep going, half term break is not far!

Asel is studying A Levels at Bellerbys College Brighton

Helping to Welcome to New Students to Bellerbys Brighton!

Posted by Asel @ Bellerbys Brighton

Hello!

Congratulations to the new A2 students! You’re the best! And welcome newcomers, I am sure you are going to love your time here in Bellerbys! So, the welcome tea parties are over, and it’s time to study now.

As for the tea parties, I have found them pretty good. After the first meeting of the Student Council, where Mr Corcut and Mr Addison explained us our role at these events, I have realised that it is a very responsible task, as of course new students are very shy at the beginning and tend not to ask any questions. So we had to be as friendly and social as possible, so that they would soon realise that there is a very warm atmosphere and that they would soon become part of our big Bellerbys family. Moreover I really wanted to help the freshers as I remember myself last year, when I had so many questions and did not know who to ask.

The parties took place in the college library under the control of Mrs Chris. So firstly our task was to ask the new students whether they wanted some tea or coffee. Although shy in the beginning almost all of them felt much more confident and content by the end. This could be easily felt - it became so hot in the library!

One boy from Nigeria managed to make friends with everyone! This fact amazed Mrs Chris and therefore he became our example for imitation. After the event Fabrizio and I conducted a tour around Brighton for some new students, where we showed them some basic places: Sainsbury’s, London Road, St Bartholomew’s church, the Lanes, North Road with all the main banks, Churchill Square, Waterstone’s etc.

On the second tea party I felt myself much more confident as I already had some experience and knew what to do. And if on the first tea party there were mainly students from China, on the second one there were mainly Russians. And basically everything was the same. Some of the students had no idea what they want to do in the future, others already aimed to study in the top UK universities.

Unfortunately I was very busy to make some photographs, so that’s all!

Good luck with your studies!

Asel is studying A Levels at Bellerbys College Brighton

Learning French in Nice

Posted by Asel @ Bellerbys Brighton

Hello everyone!

Now I’ll tell you about my trip to Nice which lasted for 3 weeks. It wasn’t just a holiday, as I was improving my French. That is why I had classes every day except for the weekends. Although it was quite exhausting, I am very happy, as the result turned out to be great. The proof for it was the last Harry Potter movie, which I watched in French, and where I understood everything!

In Nice I lived in a host family. Although I wasn’t sure in the beginning whether it was a good thing to do, I am very happy now, as the family was so nice and helpful, and we became very good friends! Another great thing about the accommodation was the location. It was just 7 minutes from the school and only 5 minutes from the main street.

The weather in Nice was very hot. Luckily there is Mediterranean sea and the water in July is quite pleasant. One of the main tourist streets in Nice is along the sea shore and is called Promenade des Anglais. A strange name for a street in France, isn’t it? Later I found an explanation: it was the Englishmen who built the Promenade, as that time Nice was very poor. The architecture of the main square in Nice, Place Massena, is influenced by the Italian Renaissance, so basically Nice appears to be a multi cultural place.

The food in Nice is different from that in the rest of France. The special dish is quiche lorraine, which is something like pizza, but in my opinion much better. And of course there was a great variety of sea food: fish of all kinds, oysters, crab, lobsters, mussels etc. And everything was fresh!

As for museums, the one that I liked the most is Fragonard Museum, with a wide range of paintings of this genuine Rococo master.

All in all, this trip was a great time!

Asel is studying A Levels at Bellerbys College Brighton 

Summer Break Trip to Serris & Disneyland Paris

Posted by Asel @ Bellerbys Brighton 

Hi there!

The holidays continue, and now I’ll tell you about my trip to France. I stayed in Serris, which is just some 30 km from Paris. This place is famous for its La Valé Village, a huge outlet, very similar to Bicester Village near Oxford. Also it is just one station from the famous Disneyland so it’s easy to guess what I visited))

To tell the truth, the weather for a place which is not located by the sea was awful. It was so hot, unbelievable! About 37 degrees above 0! So you can imagine how difficult it was not just to stay outside, but also to do shopping. Nevertheless I am very pleased with the result, as the prices there are much lower than those in Russia, and the tax free makes it even cheaper. Moreover there was a perfect opportunity to try traditional French cuisine, like fois gras, escargots and of course a great variety of cheeses. And if sometimes you are too tired to eat outside, luckily there is Auchan, where you can buy everything you need.

As for the Disneyland Paris, it was my first time there, and it was stunning! The whole town of beautiful fairy tale buildings, shops full of sweets of all kinds and some crazy attractions! I’ve spent the whole day there and it was probably the best day of my trip. I’ve visited the Horror House with the greatest supernatural decorations, where the skeletons and ghosts were dancing around me. But what I wanted most of all was to try the Big Thunder Mountain attraction. Although the queue for it was huge, I just couldn’t miss it. Therefore I had to spend about 3 hours waiting for a 10 minute ride, but it was worth it!!!

So, I advise everyone who hasn’t been in the Disneyland before to visit it! Enjoy your holidays, guys!!

Asel is studying A Levels at Bellerbys College Brighton 

Graduating Class of Year 2011

 

Pleasure is the flower that passes;

remembrance, the lasting perfume.

-Jean de Boufflers

 

Don’t you feel that sometimes time passes so fast and before you realise it, you’ve reached the end of yet another stage of your life?

Indeed, in the blink of an eye, all the exams ended as swiftly as they came by. And right when we have just gotten used to the daily routine: getting morning calls from everyone to wake up early, be one of the first to reach Jubilee Library for a day’s worth of mugging and then finally the long awaited break time over the dinner table - right when we thought that this could continue on forever, we realised that people have started to dump all their files, notes and textbooks into the recycling bins and luggage are packed awaiting for the storage company to come and collect them. The obvious explanation: Exams have ended.

It’s a wonder for a moment how you tried thinking back on when the exams have actually started, but to no avail, it seems too long ago that all lessons have stopped, we went on study break and our papers started just too soon.

Sometimes, you wished you had more time, maybe not entirely to be used for studying but also you wished that you had the time to spend with your friends, say your proper goodbyes and not just leave in a hurry right after your last paper.

Where are you catching the train to? What’s the hurry? The long summer awaits you. The thing you probably have the most right now is: time. You got all the time in the world.

Well, the last fond memory I had before the main exams came by is probably the May Ball. This year’s theme was A NIGHT IN PARIS. It was probably the last formal gathering we had as the graduation class of year 2011. As such, the night was filled with everyone searching for their friends and grabbing each other for photos. Of course, I was no exception too. :)

 

MAY BALL 2011: A NIGHT IN PARIS

From left: Kana Maniwa, Eunice Aw, Me, Wong Yan Chi and Sylvia Liao

 

From left: Sylvia Liao, Wong Yan Chi, Ayda Borjian, Me

 

Livia Chou and Stephanie Alexandra Morphew

 

Abdul and Jonathan Hui

 

Toh Shi Jie, Queena Wong and Wong Wen Kai

 

Marcy Zhao, John Lau, Wong Yan Chi and Murad Khalimov

 

Joanna Zhang, Tina Huan and Artin Jalooli

Jacky Yip and Alan Chan

 

Reshveen Rajendran and Mai Osuga

Taekeun Cho, Wong Yan Chi, Hisham Talib and Weeny Nguyen

 

Yvonne Cheung, Cloud Vu and Jamie Tan

 

Nelson Ten, Eunice Aw, Sarah Gopal and Shriveena Naidu

Wong Yoon Cherng Billy and Chonsen Mok

Eunice Aw and Wong Yan Chi

 

From left: Chonsen Mok, Eunice Aw, Wong Yan Chi, Me and Wong Yoon Cherng Billy

 

This year's May Ball experience was quite different from last year mainly because Eunice and I have moved out to the college residence, into private accommodation aka one of the flats near our college. As such, we decided that all of us (Me, Eunice, Yan Chi and Mok) shall go to Billy's room in the college residence to prepare for the May Ball. Haha it's amusing to see how both the girls and guys rush for time and helping each other to get dressed and prepared for the ball. They say that the time has come when even guys care as much as girls about their appearance too. HAHA

 

So after both the May Ball and exams have ended and everyone all gone, I stayed back for a couple of weeks to tour around the UK with my mom and my friend who have came over. We went to places like Manchester, Oxford, Sevens Sisters, London and etc. We even managed to go for the Harry Potter and the Death Hallows Part 2 London Premiere at Trafalgar Square!

 

Also, I got to meet and catch up with a couple of friends after everyone has gone back home...

Me and Ka Hong Yan Fang Fang

Taekeun Cho and Long Pham

 

I think my two years in Bellerbys is definitely a memorable one. I've made great friends, met lots of great people and learnt many life lessons.

I started out in September 2009 for a 6-term A levels course and throughout the 6 terms I see many people leaving and coming. Especially after the summer term in June 2010 when many of my good friends left for university because they were either in a 3-term A level course or in the Foundation programme.

But then, in the A2 year, I made new good friends and became closer with many people who were once just acquaintances. That's the funny thing about life, things come and go, good things do go, but better things still come in the end. Imagine that all of us were from different intakes, September 2009, January 2010 and April 2010, but in the end, our lives still crossed paths, we strived through the exam period together and eventually ended all at the same time: June 2011.

From left: Chonsen Mok, Wong Yoon Cherng Billy, Me, Eunice Aw and Wong Yan Chi

 

 

Teaching Staff

And of course, not to forget the teaching staff which made everything possible...

To Mr. Corcut, our A level Programme Manager and also the Vice Principal, thank you for your dedication to us students. Whenever I needed help and advice in my studies and academic related things, you are always there for me. I like how you are very approachable towards the students and we can discuss any matters with you easily. You not only dealed with the A level students academic work, you were also involved in the Student Council, Medics Meeting and other matters like our Voluntary Work. For that, I salute you for supporting us in everything we do.

As I move on now to the next stage in my life, I would bring along with me what you have taught me so far. And the most memorable lesson of all (which is also coincidentally what you taught us in the very first Medics Meeting) would be: Sine Qua Non, which translates to "without which there is nothing".

 

To my Chemistry teacher, Dr. Andrews, thank you for your effort in always being so accommodative to our pleas and moans for our tests, mocks and homework. Haha my most memorable moments with you would be the times when you always have to encourage us to use the StudySmart application to get our past papers and additional notes. Thank you also for always being there for us whenever we need help in Chemistry during the exam period when all lessons have stopped.

To my Physics teacher, Dr. Cameron thank you for making Physics so easily digestible for me by keeping me interested with lots of outside knowledge because towards the end, I find myself being fascinated and amused with lots of Physics concepts. And that ultimately fuelled my interest in taking up this subject till the very end.

To my Biology teacher, Ms. Kingham, thank you for always keeping Biology lessons so interactive with all the games, quizzes and activities in class. I really appreciated it because subjects like Biology can be very dry at times but you never fail to keep us interested in it with all the stuff you have prepared for us.

 

And for my two History teachers, Mr. Baker and Mr. Knight... Thank you for making History my second most favourite subject. Haha really. I really enjoyed History lessons because they are so different from the other classes which I take. Thank you Mr. Baker for your notes with the funniest (and maybe weirdest haha) photos in them which always got us laughing real hard. Thank you Mr. Knight for always being so friendly and approachable whenever I needed help in History, even when you are not teaching me anymore.

Also to my Maths teacher, Dr. Fisher whom I have unfortunately not had the chance to take a photo with, thank you for being so patient with us for these 2 years especially with all our jokes in maths class. Thank you for willing to actually take the time to sit down and explain to us the maths questions slowly when we can't solve them. I am really grateful towards you in all the effort you have put in for us because you will always be willing to help us whenever we needed help.

 

Thank you Bellerbys for this 2 years worth of fun, peace, joy and laughter and most importantly, 2 years worth of memories which would last me for a life time.

 

And right when you think that everything has come to the end, in fact, it isn't!

The best is yet to be.

Because...

2 weeks after college have ended, we had our very own gathering in Singapore.

Yes, We got everyone to fly from Hong Kong, Malaysia, Japan and Vietnam and all meet up in Singapore!

And as for the Singaporeans, we became the tour guides of course!

 

Graduation Trip in Singapore

Guys sitting the MRT train in Singapore (equivalent to London's tube).

From left: Wong Wen Kai, Jacky Yip, Long Pham, Chonsen Mok, Gordon Loo, Alan Chan and John Lau.

 

We also went to the newly opened Universal Studios in Singapore.

From left: Wong Yan Chi, Queena Wong, Kana Maniwa, Eunice Aw and Me

 

 

From left: Alan Chan, Gordon Loo, Jacky Yip and Jason Soong

 

Jacky Yip and John Lau

Wong Yan Chi and Eunice Aw

 

Gordon Loo and John Lau singing K

 

Me and Kana Maniwa

 

Kana Maniwa, Jonathan Hui and Queena Wong

Wong Wen Kai and Alan Chan

 

Alan Chan and Me

 

Wong Yoon Cherng Billy, Chonsen Mok and Jonathan Hui

 

Me and Wong Yan Chi

Wong Yoon Cherng Billy and Chonsen Mok

 

Chonsen Mok, Wong Yan Chi, Eunice Aw and Wong Yoon Cherng Billy

 

Group photo of us!

 

Haha the guys hugging before they depart!

 

Me, Eunice Aw, Wong Yan Chi, Wong Yoon Cherng Billy and Chonsen Mok

From left: Jonathan Hui, Hisham Talib, Eunice Aw, Long Pham, Kana Maniwa, Wong Wen Kai, Reshveen Rajendran, Chonsen Mok, Wong Yan Chi, Me and Wong Yoon Cherng Billy

 

ALL OF US!

1st row from the front: Toh Shi Jie, Wong Wen Kai

Second row: Wong Yoon Cherng Billy, Jonathan Hui, Queena Wong, Kana Maniwa, Me and Wong Yan Chi

Third row: John Lau, Long Pham, Eunice Aw, Gordon Loo, Jacky Yip, Chonsen Mok and Alan Chan

 

AND WITH THAT THE GRADUATING CLASS OF YEAR 2011 HAS OFFICIALLY BECAME HISTORY

 

Signing off for the last time,
Belinda Ong

 

Belinda studied A Levels at Bellerbys Brighton

The Journey

Posted by Jamie @ Bellerbys Brighton

And what a journey it's been. A year and half away from the family really puts the spotlight on one's identity. It's hard to believe that it's all behind me, actually, and that I'm on my way to greater things. Time is such a deceiving concept - we never seem to feel like it's in sync with our lives, or rather, we are in sync with time. When we want it to go slow, it runs faster than lightning but when we need it to go fast, it remains static. But in truth, it's the one constantly changing constant. I'd love to see the day when I finally fall into step with time; everyone has those rare moments when the two points meet and suddenly, there is no place or time more perfect.

Thinking reluctantly back, the past eighteen months of my life has really dragged me through personal growth. Today marks the end of so many things, most of which contain memories that are simly irreplacable and in some way, it saddens me to have to close that chapter. Knowing that the only way I can revisit and relive them again is by reading the very words I've written or viewing photographic fragments makes me that much more poignant. In some cases (if not most), all I have as a souvenir is based in the contraints of my mental capacity. And that's slightly worrying. 

I feel like I've left so many great friends behind. In particular, I can't believe I won't be seeing Mr.Nix for a very long time. The thing about college which I guess I never realised before about school is that you grow very attached to the people you see everyday. They become great comforts to our daily lives because they tell us that everything is at its norm and that we do not have to be afraid of dramatic changes. I still remember when Mr.Nix was gone for two weeks and exactly how I felt each day when I walked into the studio faced with his absence. There was such a black hole in my heart purely because things felt so disorientating and deviant from my daily expectations. And we all have them about everyone and everything. 

When we tried to say goodbye, it was surprisingly humorous. We procrastinated as we rambled on about derelict buildings and leaving traces of our presence behind wherever we are (sometimes in the form of a creepy dollhouse and awkwardly large musical tree). Then after what was meant to be a quick five minutes turned a lengthy half an hour, all I could do was give him the biggest bear hug I could manage with my all-encompassing arms. He has been my support and father figure for the past eighteen months and to be quite honest, he's become my family. When you think about all of the single-serving people that enter and exit your lives (as aptly put in Fight Club), your family are the only people that see you through the adversities. When you pepper time away with your friends, you all become a single entity. That's probably the best and worst thing about Bellerbys. 

Well anyway, to be more concise with my final post, I'd best get to the thank you's and goodbye's. I'd die if I ever forget the amazing teachers that taught me - Dr. Cheng, Dr. Lively, Mrs. Dreiling, Mr.Nix. I have no complaints. Absolutely none. Dr. Cheng and Dr. Lively have been like my pseudo-moms, constantly caring about my general wellbeing both inside and outside the classroom. Mrs. Dreiling... where do I begin?! You are like my big sister, seeing as we seem to share many similar interests and you're always looking out for me. 

I also have to give great thanks to the Art Department - Mr. Fraser, for always being patient with my pathetic computer-challenged ways; Mrs. McDurmot for always conjuring up some fantastical method for building something awesome (and her double bubble dippy doo-dah); Dr. Barr for always checking to see if I'm alright; Mrs. Stewart for being understanding with the havoc that I had wreaked in ALL studios and of course, Mrs. Rudkin for her beautiful Russian accent and inspirational ideas. Everyone has been so supportive of my work and I couldn't have done what I've done without them.

My great Art friends - Asty, Cristina, Chloe, Jia Ling and Weenie. I will surely miss our random talks on teenage pregnancies and romantic endeavours. Plus, not to mention our ice cream adventures at Boho Gelato. 

Mr. Corcut, Mr. Addision, Toby, Fi, Agnes - You are all so willing to help and have also supported me throughout the course.

And of course, how could I ever forget my collection of friends? Too many of you guys to list out (and I'd hate to forget anyone's name) but you know who you are. Thanks for all the parties, the clubbing nights, the mafia games, the laughs and of course, the company. I still remember when I first came to Bellerbys last March and my grandmother had passed away. Dwelling in my room, I heard a shy knock on the door and opened it to a crowd of sympathetic faces. That was one of the sweetest things that has happened to me. 

I'll not go without a grateful thanks to the cleaners who hopelessly attempt to clean my room every Wednesday morning (thanks for vacuuming around the junk) and of course the canteen people who usually sneak a few extra servings for me. Mrs. Peers, ever willing to print my impossibly lengthy documents. 

I've learned a lot about myself and gained a bit, lost a bit. So as I've said before, I'm off to do great things now. Hopefully, everyone I know is out to do the same. 

Jamie is studied A Levels at Bellerbys College Brighton and is heading to California to study Experimental Animation at university in September.

End of Term Trip To Riga, Latvia

Posted by Asel @ Bellerbys Brighton

Hello everyone!

Since I’ve been offered an opportunity to become an official blogger for Bellerbys Brighton, you’re going to hear from me more often!

So, the exams are over (thanks God!) and it’s time to relax. However, I proved to be a masochistic person since I’ve chosen to study almost the whole summer! But now, before the language school in France, my mother and I decided to spend some time doing what all girls love and all boys hate to do - shopping!

My vacation started in Riga, Latvia. I’ve been there only one day though, but I fell in love with that city. Everything was exactly like it was in my dreams. Nobody in the streets! Perhaps it was because we arrived there during the national holiday - Ivan Kupala (I hope the spelling is correct), that lasts more than Christmas and the New Year holidays - 4 days!

The hotel was great in terms of location, and the rooms for that price were excellent - it was 3 times larger than a room in the college residence. The hotel was situated straight in the centre of the ancient and, in my opinion, most beautiful part of Riga. Therefore in the morning we decided to take a tour along the streets and local shops. Most of them offer a great variety of amber accessories, such as different earrings, beautiful bracelets, huge necklaces and sophisticated pendants. However I’ve bought myself pearl earrings! A very strange choice...

As for food, there are lots of lovely restaurants with Latvian cuisine, which is very similar to that of Germany. In the first restaurant my mother and I took one dish for both of us, as it was huge! That was the most delicious Schweinehaxe I’ve ever eaten. It was served with Sauer Kraut - absolutely German!

Another restaurant that we’ve been to is “Ribs & Rock”, that offers its customers a great variety of ribs. After we finished eating there was still a huge part of ribs left. It’s hard to imagine how difficult it was to leave it on the plate, as we were absolutely full and most importantly had a plane to catch.

And that’s it, my short trip to Riga is over, and now i’m going to Serris, which is some 30 km away from Paris. But I’m sure, one day I will definitely come back to Riga for more than one day to explore it more profoundly! Have a nice holiday!

Asel is studying A Levels at Bellerbys College Brighton 

A (Free) Trip To Brighton

Posted by Autumn @ Bellerbys Oxford

Hello Bellerbys blog readers,

The first thing I want to say after neglecting my privilege of contributing to this blog for so long is that.... I HAVE FINISHED MY EXAMS. Such a wonderful feeling it is! This post-exam period may well be my most fantastic time ever.

During the exam periods, lots and lots of things happened, and it was such a pity that I was unable to spare some time to share with our readers my invaluable experience. Now that I can safely put those admittedly nasty papers behind, I cannot wait to start blogging again.

This first post-exam post is to describe my (free) trip to Brighton.

I was honoured to be chosen as the Oxford candidate for the Richard Ryde scholarship, and was invited to an interview at Bellerbys College Brighton. Therefore on Tuesday, 31 May, I set out on my first trip ever to Brighton.

I had an early start, but the excitement of being a candidate for this prestigious scholarship kept me from grumpiness and boredom during my 3-hour train journey from Oxford to Brighton. (Not to mention that it was free: the school reimbursed my train fare). It was truly an honour to be taking that train to Brighton on this particular day as a scholarship candidate, as there are so many wonderful and capable AS students currently studying in Bellerbys College Oxford.

I arrived at Bellerbys College Brighton at around 10.45 am, 15 minutes before the interview officially commenced. I was warmly greeted by the principal of Bellerbys Oxford, Ms. Julia, who amiably asked me about my train journey. The other three candidates were already there, chatting with their respective principal and/or academic directors. And as it was my first time in Bellerbys College Brighton, I decided to utilise my time there to have a quick look around.

Being the main branch of Bellerbys College where all the executives have their offices, the study centre is huge. It is way bigger than our college here in Oxford. It combines both Bellerbys College and our sister, Embassy College. The atmosphere there is so different from what we have in Oxford: a little more professional, more dynamite but not as relaxing and familiar.

At 11 am, the interview started, and I, Oxford candidate, was selected to go first. I entered the interview room totally freaking out. According to the information that Ms.Julia had kindly provided me, the candidate was to be interviewed by five executives, a quite intimidating prospect. That explained well my nervousness.

The interview went better than I expected, as the interviewers were all so amicable and not-at-all-scary like I had previously surmised. Each of the interviewers asked me one simple question and I tried my best to answer every question (hopefully) with grace. The questions were set for me to express my opinions, my world view and my ambitions. They were not at all tricky, but they compelled me to think deeply about myself and what I wish and can contribute to the society.

The interview lasted around 20 minutes, and I was ushered out. As the London candidate went in, I spent my time befriending the other two candidates. The Brighton candidate, a Hong Kong girl with the lovely name Crystal studied the same subjects as me, while the Cambridge candidate, Niki from Iran, was a budding scientist. We chatted about a wide range of things: from the upcoming exams to the medical problems arising from wearing high heels. The girls were so charming and affable.

When all the candidates were interviewed, we were invited to have a free lunch in the cafeteria. Too bad the London candidate had to leave early! After that, we spent some time visiting the Brighton Pier, with Crystal as our tour guide. It had been a long time since I last had chance to visit a beach, so the experience was absolutely fascinating.

At around 2pm, we parted ways and started the journey back to our respective college.

Eventually, I did not win the scholarship. But I was not extremely disappointed, as my whole experience in Brighton was fabulous, to say nothing of the new friends I have made.

Posted by Autumn, studying A Levels at Bellerbys Oxford 

Eating Crepes by the Eiffel Tower - the Bellerbys Brighton French-Themed May Ball

Posted by Jamie @ Bellerbys Brighton

May Ball 2011 (or June Ball, if you will) was the biggest and last social events of the year. More importantly, it was the A2 kiddies' Graduation night, marking the step into the very bane of any student's existence - exam month. It was pretty great, actually, and for some reason beyond my understanding, much better than last year's. Could it be some subconscious psychological bias from the fact that we had a proactive hand in organizing the event to our liking? Or maybe it was some sort of chemical imbalance that ignited our giddy bones, reminding us that it was our last chance to party hard. 

Whatever the case, it was unforgettable for me. 

I always love hearing girls rant excessively over their pre-prom mishaps and emergencies. At least a month before the event, everything seeming revolves around the right pair of shoes or the right colour of the dress. Now, I'd be downright hypocritical if I didn't fess up to playing a part in the banter. Though this year, it was for another reason entirely. I had a very special pocket fairy whip up something unique for my dress (urged to be brought to the UK by my mum), something that I've always dreamt of having should I ever choose to revamp my clothes. 

I'm guessing it's a dead giveaway from the picture that I'm absolutely in love with the idea of Modern Fairytale fashion. Anyway, I admit there were some stiff competition - the occasional scantilly clad and otherwise, absolute extreme end of the pole (a.k.a Mrs. Dreiling and her husband in their AMAZING costumes). Everyone was dressed to the nines and it was nice to see that their "crises" were adverted. 

The food was really tasty, what with it being completely French inspired. I'm a sucker for skinny fries, so I was pretty much happy. The only let down was that I didn't even go NEAR the chocolate fountain, which is, for those who don't already know, the highlight of the ball, really.

Albeit, I couldn't take my mind off of my performance, which was scheduled to go on very soon. This was my second time performing in front of my friends as a solo act, and I've never actually felt so comfortable. I think it was because I was flanked by awesome piano player Long and violinist Dorothy, both of whom really led the song. Thankfully, I didn't forget the words and I didn't trip over the inconceivably snake-like wires. I only wished that Mr.Nix was there to watch me. :(

After the performances, the ballroom dancing started - a new addition to the theme. As predicted, the turnout wasn't much to be bragged, but the few who did dance seemed to enjoy it.

Last but not least, the pseudo-club music began and people were nervous to get loose. Of course, our night was just beginning as a limo pulled up for the after-party at Oceana. Let's just say, it was definitely not to be missed.

The best part of it all was waking up at 1pm the next morning for the first time in a month! I was in school literally for 6 hours a day, 7 days a week for the whole month of May due to all the Art exams. Some people just don't understand the luxury of sleeping in.

As of yesterday, I have 21 days left in Brighton and counting. I'm itching to go home to cuddle with my dog and eat my mummy's cooking. But no, I suppose you have to wade through the adversities before you can reap the rewards.

Sigh. Until then.

xxJ

 

Jamie is studying A Levels at Bellerbys College Brighton

Royal Wedding Holiday BBQ at Brighton Beach

 Posted by Belinda @ Bellerbys Brighton

   

 

On the 29 April 2011, we had a holiday because of the Royal Wedding in the UK!

As such, a group of us decided to go down to the beach and have a BBQ.

Fortunately, the sun was out and the weather was simply great!

 

    

Beef burger!

 

  

 

   

 

   

 

   

 

  

 

  

 

    

 

   

BBQ-ing marshmallows!

 

"We all have our time machines. Some take us back, they're called memories. Some take us forward, they're called dreams."

At this point of time, I would say that it is an intersection between both memories and dreams. 

We are at the cross roads of our lies now where we will soon go our seperate ways and chase our dreams and aspirations that we have longed to achieve. 

As our graduation day looms nearer and nearer, we find ourselves scrambling to create as many memories as possible.

Perhaps it's just humans' nature to realise that we ought to cherish what we have been given when the end is just round the corner. 

Maybe beacause we are afraid of losing everything which brought us this far. 

Hence, we try to make full use of what we have so that we would not regret later in life.

 

As we watched the sun set and looked across the water, we know in our hearts that this will yet be another memorable moment which we will cherish and remember in time to come...

 

Belinda is studying A Levels at Bellerbys Brighton