1. Using a Jane Norman carrier for your PE kit, and a Paul's Boutique bag as your school bag.
The girls who went to the Oxford Street Topshop in their half term always got the best Paul's Boutique bags.
2. Getting unreasonably excited about no longer having to wear school uniform, but then dressing exactly the same every day.
3. And only obeying the uniform guidelines on school photo day.
4. Yet somehow you still got told off for not sticking to the uniform guidelines.
5. Heating up ready meals for lunch every day because the concept of having a microwave in your common room blew your mind.
6. Although there was always one person who microwaved something gross for way too long and stunk out the whole room.
7. Having to get in for morning registration, even though you had free periods until 11am.
8. So you just watched endless repeats of The Jeremy Kyle Show all morning.
9. Almost competitively fancying one random male teacher, even if he wasn't that good-looking.
10. Spending every waking minute of your life stressing about your personal statement.
Done with my UCAS personal statement <3
And then convincing yourself that you'd written the perfect thing, even though it'd be incredibly cringe to read back now.
11. And then furiously checking UCAS all the damn time as you waited for your uni offers to start coming in.
12. Going out midweek for the first time and feeling outrageously rebellious when you went to school a tiny bit hungover.
13. Eating your way through an entire vending machine's worth of unhealthy snacks during break time.
You lived off cans of fizzy drinks, chocolate bars, and Nik Naks.
14. And knowing exactly where to sit, because every clique had their own area in your IT, locker, and common rooms.
15. Using your free periods to learn how to drive.
16. Having so much revision to do it literally wouldn't fit into your folders.
There is nothing flimsier than a school ringbinder.
17. Resenting the fact that you had to take an AS-level in critical thinking or general studies when you knew it was ultimately a waste of your time.
Just been sent a CV for a candidate who has an AS Level in "Critical thinking". Is that some kind of joke?
You hated RAVEN then and you still do now.
18. Wandering aimlessly around the shops in town during your free periods, because leaving school during the daytime felt so liberating.
19. And finally, knowing that becoming head girl was the biggest popularity contest you could possibly win.
