Be more Rookie

I have recently got really into Rookie magazine. I love the content and I relate to the stories and feelings about life in a way that Mizz and Glamour have never related to me. Even with other blogs I have felt a level of disconnect and I guess I just didn't "get" them. And best of all I do not have to pay to feel like this.

I want to be more Rookie.

I want to write better and make people empathise with my stories. Make them feel like I feel when I read an online magazine. I've always wanted people to "get something" out of my blog. I want to have an impact on someone's life. However, I thought I was too young. "The world is run by adults and success is something that adults have the privilege of having."  Tavi Gevinson, the editor of Rookie, is 16. And since I'm 17 in 24 days it probably means that she's younger than me. Tavi Gevinson gives me a lot of hope. Rookie is two years old. She started it age 14. It makes me feel like I can release my inner Tavi.

Success, especially online, is not immediate. And blogger or vlogger can testify to that. Instead you can slowly, as you put more effort in, watch your view count grow and grow until you hit a number that feels small on the online scale but if you really think about it, it's big. And that makes you proud. Who cares if I've got 89 subscribers? You cares if a video gets only 50 views? Last month a blog post I wrote got triple the views that my most popular post had received. It feels amazing. A statistic is a person and a person is an impaxt and I want to make that impact.

I want my blog to "be more Rookie." This month I'm going to submit an article. I don't care if I fail. I want to be featured in a magazine that has shaped me already in our very short relationship. I'll try if it kills me. I'll try every month over and over until I can do it.

And if I succeed?

That would be amazing.

Becoming Ms.

I mentioned in my very first vlog that my New Year starts on the first of September. It's to do with the school year mostly and partly because I have had a childhood heavily based on Harry Potter. Today starts my new year. It's a big year as I go to sixth form this year in a new school which is co-ed, after being in single sex for 9 years.

I decided yesterday I would finally start making the transition to becoming a Ms.

There are three main titles for women. Mrs. shows that a woman is married. Miss shows that a woman is not married. Ms. is the title that does not mark a woman as married or unmarried.

I've been wanting to become Ms. for a while now but I've had all these "problems" in my mind: I'm still Miss at the doctors, I'm Miss on my credit card and how can I be Ms. easily? Am I really prepared to go through the trouble even though I want to be Dr. rather than Miss in the near(ish) future? Will people think I'm a bra-burning, communist vegetarian (though I am a veggie)?

I'm not a strict feminist. I am still a feminist though and I believe that women should get the same pay, women should be able to drive in any country, women should not be subject to s*xual abuse. I believe in women's rights. I don't want to be defined by my marital status. I like my surname. I would like to keep it. I am 17 in 26 days and making a little change to my life gives me control over my decisions. And there is nothing like the satisfaction of taking control of something in your life.

So my tiny choice over two letters in my name makes me feel much better. It may sound insignificant to you but I do have little feminist views such as choice over your name. It makes me feel good. Of course I'm not married. Look at my finger if you're desperate. I don't understand why marriage has to define a woman. I've changed my name to suit my beliefs. It feels satisfying. 

So, hello, little National Rail photo card. You are my first Ms. You'll soon be joined by parcels from Amazon and other web orders. My NUS registration in December when my card runs out.

So here is the start of 2013-14. Year of the AS and the Ms. Follow my blog to see constant updates on the Year of the Ms. plus many varied blog posts.

Goodnight, Ms. Sophie Charlotte out.

#7 - Go to Hogwarts

Hogsmeade was awesome as were all the sets. My heart pines for the merchandise. The dragon coaster was fantastic (I went on the red side) and the hippogriff ride was very good as well. The forbidden journey was... underwhelming. But I do now have a packet of bertie botts every flavour beans and a pygmy puff called Hercules. He's pink.

#6 - Go on a Plane

I went to the US for the last three weeks so here are pictures akin to those you can find on instagram.

I hope I've used akin correctly (I'm trying to expand my vocabulary).

Is that New York I spy? Why yes, it is.

100 things update - #4

1. Go to London

2. Go to Brandy Melville

3. Go on a train

4. See the Bling Ring

5. Wear my swan skirt

6. Go on a plane

7. Go to Hogwarts

8. Get my results

9. Get easily into my next school

10. Buy some music for my ipod

11. Feed the ducks

12. Finish the 52 book challenge

13. Read 2 books a week

14. Go to a festival

15. See a band/singer I really love

16. Go to Thorpe

17. Try Churros

18. Go to Disney

19. Ride expedition everest with my eyes open

20. Go on the swarm

21. Finish catch 22

22. Do a video for my collab channel

23. Finish all my books before the US

24. Start Moby Dick

25. Take more photos

26. Buy all my clothes for school next year

27. Find a leather alternative bag

28. Buy a new school bag

29. Do something childish

30. Go to the zoo

31. See Now You See Me

32. Do New York research

33. Go to the Strand

34. Go to the 9/11 memorial

35. Drive something exciting

36. Learn the entire theory book for my exam in September

37. Buy the Naked Palette

38. Watch more films

39. Read the Cuckoos Calling

40. Buy a book I've never heard of before in a store

41. Buy something in Barnes and Noble 

42. Buy the new Sarah Dessen

43. Buy a Disney pin and trade one

44. Write everything in my stuff that happened to me book

45. Organise an event with someone I don't usually go out with

46. Write a song

47. Write a book of lyrics

48. Write more

49. Get a henna tattoo

50. Learn a safety announcement in spanish

51. Make a 9/11 video

52. Have a read-a-thon

53. Go to a waterpark

54. Play with a toy

55. Reread the entire pj series

56. Be migraine-less for a whole week

57. Read all my BMJs cover to cover

58. Do something good for my career

59. Run in some sprinklers

60. Go on a roller coaster I have never been on before

61. Go to Kew Gardens

62. Go to somewhere new in London

63. Read a non fiction book

64. Talk to my friend Julia more

65. Write every day

66. Get better at guitar

67. Learn a guitar solo

68. Learn "1000 miles" on the piano

69. Get a decent book idea

70. Craft the spoon mirror

71. Redo my magnetic boards

72. Keep my room tidy

73. Go for a whole day without moaning about the temperature

74. Draw more manga

75. Make my Alan Curnow poem video

76. Go fruit picking

77. Become more adventurous with my clothes

78. Write a letter to somebody

79. Leave more nerdfighter notes

80. Avoid burning myself

81. Climb the rocks in central park

82. Go punting

83. Buy American stationary

84. Wear my Dorothy shoes

85. Get a stronger core

86. Go through airport security without beeping like a terrorist

87. Cry with happiness

88. Have my photo taken with Mickey

89. Blow bubbles

90. Go to Birmingham

91. Fall asleep before midnight

92. Win a competition

93. Play with sparklers

94. Be in London after dark

95. Put up all my pictures

96. Clear out my clothes

97. Buy some smart shoes

98. Read a book for next year

99. Use my diary

100. Draw illustrations for a book

Done: 67/100

Blogged 27/67

I want to be a doctor #1 - charging for the GPs

On Friday 26th July GPs announced in the newspaper that they would like patients to pay £25 for an appointment. However, why should we pay when we already pay tax towards the NHS? Is it right to charge? Who does this give an advantage to?

The NHS is a fantastic service. Our government gives everyone medical treatment regardless of age, race and, most importantly, wealth. Everyone can get medical help without having to pay the price of private medicine or insurance. Admittedly, tax is payed to fund the health service. However, often people in lower economic groups get healthcare that they would be able to afford. The NHS has its problems, I won't deny it, but I believe it is a much better system than the heavily right-wing US system. So should we pay for the GPs?

What you may not know about the GPs is that they purchase appointments from other departments in the health service. For example, if you have a lump in your breast they purchase your appointment in oncology and it comes out of their budget. Paying £25 would  help the doctors you see get more people referals. With this extra money leads to growth in the NHS, leading to shorter waiting times for procedures and appointments so you would get an all round better service. However, why can't we stick with the system we have now? Why do we need a reform? And who does this system hurt in the long run?

I want you to think about who are the most ill in our society. Who is it? It's the elderly, children and people in lower economic groups because frankly, staying healthy is expensive. The elderly are retired. Children are in school. Both of these groups have no income. With the cost of everything rising and a deeper dip in our recession can the majority of the patients afford to pay for health care? Four out of five prescriptions are not payed for. These are patients who wouldn't benefit from paying for the GPs. So in the end we end up hurting the people who are most in need. So that makes paying wrong, right?

I went on work experience and I worked with a GP who was astounding at his job, he really was. However, if you live in the UK you know that GPs are not always the best service. Sometimes you have to go to multiple appointments because the doctor is initially dismissive or wants to "play it by ear". Let's think of a sinario. You go to the GPs complaining about being very tired all the time. £25. So the GP makes you have a blood test. £25. The results come back positive for anaemia. Book an appointment. £25. So now, best case sinario, you've spent £75. What if in your first appointment the doctor said there was nothing to worry about? What if they blamed it down to stress, having your kids home for the summer or just being run down from your last cold? "It's probably nothing." "Let's play it by ear." When you go back to tell them you're not getting better, you spend another £25.

What gives people the best chance of surviving cancer? Catching the disease early. People don't like going to the doctors now; it's scary because you don't know if you're really ill and acknowledging that you have a problem is terrifying. What if you make patients pay £25 for this appointment? Will people actually go if they have symptoms for something serious? Will death rates increase because patients will only go when it gets really serious? Paying would hurt the patients.

I don't believe paying will help our nation's health. It will discourage people going to the doctors. I think that because of this reluctance to go to the GPs people will leave symptoms and cost the patients and then health centre more. So if we have to start paying everyone will pay. That's not right. 

#52 - Have a read-a-thon

Over four days I read 6 books.

It was mainly because of this:

It's new and I love it. I love read-a-thons.

#56 - Be migraine-less for a whole week

I can't do photos for this one but I HAVE BEEN MIGRAINE FREE FOR A WEEK AND IT'S AWESOME.

I have found a land where the fluorescent lights don't give me migraines.

100 things update #3

1. Go to London

2. Go to Brandy Melville

3. Go on a train

4. See the Bling Ring

5. Wear my swan skirt

6. Go on a plane

7. Go to Hogwarts

8. Get my results

9. Get easily into my next school

10. Buy some music for my ipod

11. Feed the ducks

12. Finish the 52 book challenge

13. Read 2 books a week

14. Go to a festival

15. See a band/singer I really love

16. Go to Thorpe

17. Try Churros

18. Go to Disney

19. Ride expedition everest with my eyes open

20. Go on the swarm

21. Finish catch 22

22. Do a video for my collab channel

23. Finish all my books before the US

24. Start Moby Dick

25. Take more photos

26. Buy all my clothes for school next year

27. Find a leather alternative bag

28. Buy a new school bag

29. Do something childish

30. Go to the zoo

31. See Now You See Me

32. Do New York research

33. Go to the Strand

34. Go to the 9/11 memorial

35. Drive something exciting

36. Learn the entire theory book for my exam in September

37. Buy the Naked Palette

38. Watch more films

39. Read the Cuckoos Calling

40. Buy a book I've never heard of before in a store

41. Buy something in Barnes and Noble 

42. Buy the new Sarah Dessen

43. Buy a Disney pin and trade one

44. Write everything in my stuff that happened to me book

45. Organise an event with someone I don't usually go out with

46. Write a song

47. Write a book of lyrics

48. Write more

49. Get a henna tattoo

50. Learn a safety announcement in spanish

51. Make a 9/11 video

52. Have a read-a-thon

53. Go to a waterpark

54. Play with a toy

55. Reread the entire pj series

56. Be migraine-less for a whole week

57. Read all my BMJs cover to cover

58. Do something good for my career

59. Run in some sprinklers

60. Go on a roller coaster I have never been on before

61. Go to Kew Gardens

62. Go to somewhere new in London

63. Read a non fiction book

64. Talk to my friend Julia more

65. Write every day

66. Get better at guitar

67. Learn a guitar solo

68. Learn "1000 miles" on the piano

69. Get a decent book idea

70. Craft the spoon mirror

71. Redo my magnetic boards

72. Keep my room tidy

73. Go for a whole day without moaning about the temperature

74. Draw more manga

75. Make my Alan Curnow poem video

76. Go fruit picking

77. Become more adventurous with my clothes

78. Write a letter to somebody

79. Leave more nerdfighter notes

80. Avoid burning myself

81. Climb the rocks in central park

82. Go punting

83. Buy American stationary

84. Wear my Dorothy shoes

85. Get a stronger core

86. Go through airport security without beeping like a terrorist

87. Cry with happiness

88. Have my photo taken with Mickey

89. Blow bubbles

90. Go to Birmingham

91. Fall asleep before midnight

92. Win a competition

93. Play with sparklers

94. Be in London after dark

95. Put up all my pictures

96. Clear out my clothes

97. Buy some smart shoes

98. Read a book for next year

99. Use my diary

100. Draw illustrations for a book

Done: 33/100

Blogged 27/33

#60 - Go on a roller coaster I have never been on before

This is Logger's Leap at Thorpe Park. It is a log-flume drop and is totally awesome. It goes round the lake and it's really amazing.