People who follow me on my socials will know that I was given a segment on BBC's Victoria Derbyshire show and a lot of you were asking about how I got the opportunity...

The night before my biology exam I received a DM from one of the shows 'talent scouts' explaining how she wanted to get me onto the show. At first I was skeptical and unsure about whether I should go for it as I would have to make my way to Central London and back before the exam started. I decided that it would be silly for me to pass up such a big opportunity so I agreed to be on the show.

The next morning I got up super early and got on a train to the BBC Broadcasting House in Marylebone. On the train I made sure to watch lots of Freesciencelessons on youtube to ensure that I had the right mindset later on in the exam. 

After we signed in I waited in hair and makeup and met the other guests doing the segment with me.

When it was time to go on they hooked us up with mics and took us to the studio. 

And then we filmed...live...

Check out a clip from my segment here: https://twitter.com/victorialive/status/996424098287890433?lang=en

And thats all there is to it, I got to share my story to a large audience and get the word out there about the rising level of stress being put on young adults today during their GCSEs.

I can become extremely passionate about this topic as I am in the first Cohort to do their GCSEs completely with the 1-9 grading system, which is harder to pass than ever before. The new system makes getting a level 7 (A) seem rubbish even though only around 3% of the country can access a level 9. Essentially, the 15-16 year olds doing their GCSE's this year were guinea pigs to the system as none of us properly understood and knew what we were doing to gain marks with the new format of the exams. Our teachers were as clueless as we were in some subjects as each week the exam board would give clues on layout that completely contradicted each other. In reality, none of us know, even now, what mark we need to get to be 'safe', the way grade boundaries are formed are based on the knowledge of the year group doing the exam. 

When I got my January mock results back, I was told that the grade could be completely wrong and it's 'just an estimate' as nobody anywhere can guess the grade boundaries until everyone has done the exam and they have been marked. Because of this, I fear that my belief that I have been achieving a grade 5 in maths is completely wrong and in actual fact I am only working at a level 3 or 4. You really cannot tell with these exams what level you are working at. I feel bad for the year group before us who had to complete their core subjects using the 1-9 system as they would have had less knowledge about it than we do!

I just hope that all the prediction grades that I was given back in my mock stand correct and I pass everything. If not, it wont be the end of the world and I can always get into the college I want to with 5 GCSEs from an A* (9) to C (4/5)  (which i'm pretty sure I have got) with the possibility of retaking English and Maths. 

Let me know your thoughts on the 1-9 grading system in the comments and follow my socials for more updates about my life!
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 If you are a high school, college or university leaver, transferring to a new job or are experiencing the freedom of summer, you are prone to leading an unhealthy life. This is because you most likely are experiencing new timetable changes and are rebalancing the work-home balance. By doing these easy things you can ensure your diet stays clean and you are giving your body the nutrition it needs.

1)  Drink a glass of water after brushing your teeth in the morning and before bed
By drinking a glass of water in the morning and night you are ensuring that you do not get dehydrated while and after you sleep. Hydration throughout the night will get rid of your dry mouth, headaches and grogginess that you may experience in the morning.

2) Smoothie city
Smoothies are a fun way to experiment with fruits and vegetables all while getting the nutrition that your body craves. If you are planning on incorporating a smoothie into breakfast but are worried you will have no time in the morning, prepare it the day before and stick it in the fridge. Then in the morning, just get to blending, I find the best blender for smoothies is the NutriBullet.

Here is one of my favourite and easy recipes that will get you through the morning:
(usually I put a handful of each fruit/vegetable and that makes enough for around 2-3 large glasses)
-Strawberries
-Blueberries
-Blackberries
-Raspberries
-Baby Spinach( atleast a handful)
-Bio Yoghurt/ Plain Yoghurt( 3-4 large spoons)
- Semi Skimmed Milk (Half a large glass)  (add according to the consistency you prefer)

The berries are rich in antioxidants which help to cleanse the body whilst Baby spinach is rich in vitamins such as  Vitamin A, B2, C and other beneficial substances such as Magnesium, Calcium and Iron.

3) Create a fitness schedule
Finding the time to hit the gym, whether it's at home or at a facility, can be difficult or even stressful at times. This is why it is always handy to keep a weekly schedule on your phone or even in paper form! This will allow you to visualise how busy your week will be and you can add in gym sessions accordingly. I recommend completing an hour of fitness a day however this may not be do-able. Instead try 3-4 hours spread across a week, with your healthy smoothies, you should feel happier and healthier.

4) Take multivitamins and vitamin supplements
By providing your body with the nutrition it needs your tiredness and unmotivated aura will disappear, this is because you will not feel so trapped in your body. Your vitamins can range from the standard multivitamin to also taking, hair, nail, and skin vitamins too. I recently added Yumi gummies to my list of multivitamins to take daily in order to help my hair grow fast and healthily. 

5) Believe the work you're doing is making an improvement
Without believing in yourself and accepting that you are doing what you can to improve your health, you won't get very far. A positive mindset will always trigger positive results. Walk into every workout with your end result in mind, this will make your workout easier and overall make you happier. When you eat a chocolate bar on a chat day you do not need to feel guilty, because you know you are doing the most that you can. Don't give up, the process is slow, but you must keep the belief in yourself.

Let me know if you try any of these by leaving me a comment. Make sure you follow what I am doing to keep my health up on my Instagram Stories: