Hello Bloggerbeans,

Another How to Tuesday is here for you to read! Before I start this post, I hope that you like the new layout to my blog. I thought things needed a change so decided on a new template and just installed it. I couldn't wait till I leave for exams so thought I would just do it. There are still a few tweaks and adjustments I need to make here and there such as adding social media buttons, installing a new Banner and finding out how to get rid of that nonsense paragraph under this blog-post however please bear with until a couple of weeks time where I can sort all of that out. Right, now that I have explained that, lets get onto the post at at hand :)

Blogging has become a huge part of my life and has helped me in a number of ways whether that be being more open as a person, improving my writing skills or just helping to channel my creativity somewhere. Lots of people are starting blogs these days so I thought I would give you some tips and tricks that I have learnt over my first year of having one.

Starting your blog:

When you make that decision to start a blog it is the most thrilling experience ever! (In my personal opinion). There are lots of amazing reasons to start a blog including: Improving your writing ability, sharing your thoughts and opinions on topics (lovely opinions I must add) or just wanting to feel part of a community of wonderful people.

What and Where to Blog:
So, you now have to chose where to blog. As you can tell by my web address I use blogger as it is a little easier to use than word press however both are brilliant hosting websites to get you started. Now onto choosing what to write! This could be anything from reviews of your favourite albums, books or films, Beauty, sports, lifestyle - Just a few of the endless things you can choose to talk about. Make sure you are passionate on what you choose though as you will be the one talking about it.

Making your blog look swish:
When you sign up for your blog you will be faced with the tremendous task of making your blog look swish with a Blog layout, sidebar and banner as there is great pressure for you to make it look a certain way but before you do anything, set your blog to a basic pre installed template design on the hosting website you have chosen. Doing all this complicated stuff when your a newbie is very stressful so it's best to stick to something simple for the first couple of months until you have gotten into your blogging groove. You can always look at tutorials on the internet and google anything as that what I did (And still do!). I didn't get a blog banner until my 4th month of blogging so don't stress about it as you will learn as you go.

Consistency of posting:
Another big tip I have is to be consistent. If you post regularly you are more likely to engage a viewership as people will know when to check your Blog for new content. If you want blogging to not be something you stick to for a week and give up, then make sure you post frequently! This also links with what I said earlier and choosing a blogging topic you are passionate about. The more passionate you are, the more inspiration for posts you will have which will make sure you never run out of posts to write.

p.s It is good to let people know about your blog on social media. Let everyone know you are blogging! Tell your friends, your pets, Your neighbors pets, anyone who will listen to you. Shout it from the rooftops if you want and let everyone know as you should enjoy your new sense of happiness that hopefully blogging has brought to your life.

(P.p.s Only do this if you feel comfortable as it is a little scary when people from school find out however people so far have been quite supportive of me which did surprise me a little. If you still want to blog you can always create an anonymous blog like my blogging Buddy Blogerella. )

The Actual Blog-post itself:
This is the heart of what blogging is about and is where you will write about your chosen topic. Getting a Blog-post Idea for me can happen anywhere which makes it important for me to have a pen and notebook on me so I can jot notes down the minute I think of them so they don't float away to oblivion as it is very annoying indeed when you forget an awesome blog-post idea.

 I layout my posts in short (ish) paragraphs which will help your reader to digest the information better and I always make sure to include a Picture with my posts as having a visual will really enhance your posts. I either use my own photographs I have taken myself or a Stock image, always making sure to credit whoever took them. It is also really important that you spell check your work as your reader needs to understand what you are trying to say!

I hope these tips will help get your blog off to a great start. If you own a blog or are thinking of starting a blog after reading this post (Go do it! it will be the best decision you will make this year) then feel free to leave me your blog address in the comments down below as I love discovering new and inspiring Bloggers out there. Tomorrow I have a physics exam so I should go now...

Goodnight my friends x

~Katy Summers (TeenageBlogger)

What I'm Listening to: Light up the Dark by Gabrielle Aplin

*Credit*

Hello Bloggerbeans,

Something different for you today as I bet you have had enough of My Mini Happies for a while so Lets start something new, Perhaps a How To Tuesday?  I am in the midst of Exam season so thought why not show you how I have been coping with exam stress. If you are in the same boat as me and have your GCSE's coming up or any other type of exam moderation than this post is here to help! I did a How to revise post this time last year which may (Or may not) help you however today I want to focus on the exam period as a whole.

IMAGINE.... you are going into one of your exams, your nervous of course as you want to do well, no, you have to do well and mustn't fail as you have your teachers and parents putting pressure on you to do well. Your in the exam hall and plonk yourself down on your seat as you stare at the freshly printed paper that lay before you; Your destiny being what happens within the next hour or so that you have to complete this paper. You write your name, candidate number and center I.d on the top of your paper as you think to yourself  'Oh god, what if I don't know anything? Did I revise enough?  should of revised more... Oh god what am I gonna do?'. You sit nervously as you are told by the examiners booming voice 'You may turn over your paper and begin'. Crumpling of paper can be heard throughout the exam hall as on queue everyone, including you, turns the paper over to see what awaits. You can hear everyone else writing as you stare blankly at the first question. Your palms are sweaty and you try to focus your eyes so you can read the question. Once you start writing you write and write until times up and its all over in a flash. You wait to be dismissed from the hall and you leave feeling like the stress got to you.

Does this sound anything like you?  Exam season is stressful as it is without the added pressure of teachers and parents so when you have the fact of the exam questions being completely unknown its hard to prepare for what you are going to be expected to do. There is no way of getting round it easily without at least doing some revision. However if procrastination has kinda ruined your whole exam schedule and you have exams in like less than a week (YIKES! #relatable ) then I am here to share the following tips on how to be as cool as a cucumber when walking into that exam hall as at the end of the day the examiners want you to do your best and never try to intentionally take marks away from you. In fact they try to give you marks whenever they can!

1 Week from that exam:

REVISE! please for me.... I find that bribing yourself with YouTube videos works and also to turn your phone off until you have completed some. Make sure to make revision fun with background music (If it helps) and use highlighters to highlight lots of information. Also make sure to drink lots of water to keep yourself hydrated. There are many ways to do revision such as making someone test you with exam practice style question, making flashcards or posters for your room. click HERE to watch Emma Blackerys's video on how to revise for more help :)

Eat and sleep well in the week leading up and try not to stay up too late doing last minute revision as this will actually make you feel more stressed. It is important to get the balance of revision and free time. Sleep is for sleeping and letting your mind be free not revising. It is tempting but it is better to do revision when you get home from school.

On the day of the exam

Breathe! If you have done the revision then you should be fine. Bring in any revision notes/cards in on the day and flip through them half an hour before the exam to put yourself in the mindset of that subject and go over anything you feel you don't know.

Do something that makes you feel like you will do well. At the moment when I have an exam on I make sure to be wearing odd socks as it makes me feel weirdly calm.... and I also make sure that I am wearing a Fandom T-shirt such as a Dr who one, Pierce The veil one or My Dan and Phil T-shirt as I feel most comfortable in them.

Make sure that you have everything you will need such as pens, pencils, highlighters, a ruler, a water bottle and maybe a calculator. It is good to be prepared and do this 

Going into the exam:

When you enter that room you do what you need to do to make yourself comfortable to perform well. Your parents and teachers will want you to do well but at the end of the day you can only do the best you can and if you come out of the exam knowing that you have done this then that it doesn't matter what you get as you did everything you could and it's not the end of the day if your result doesn't turn out the way it does as there is always someway of getting back on track to doing what you want to do after school.

But please remember that when you walk out its okay to feel like you did well, and it's okay if you felt like you didn't do so well or that you really don't know what to feel at all! You can never completely tell your results by how you feel when coming out of the exams however if you feel like it did go completely wrong then you know what to do to make sure to do well in your next exam

During that hour or so period you have in that exam hall, it is your chance to shine. If you feel you don't know what the answer to the first question is on the paper go onto the next question and so on until you find something comfortable to start with and come back to the other questions. 

A grade does not define you. Exams will help you get to where you want to go however it is still possible to do this without them, however it is just a little harder and may mean you have to do things a little differently to get to the same place.  (I am in no way saying flunk your exams but if you miss that pass grade by the tip of your tongue, there are ways of getting yourself back on track, it just may take a little longer compared to if you got that pass). Soon it will all be over and you will be free to do whatever the hell you want!  (Like blog in my case)

*Credit*

I hope these Little tips of mine help as it is what I am doing at the moment. I can't wait to finish on June 12th so I can put my heart and soul into this blog. I have a few things planned such as 're-decorating' my blog when I get a couple of free days in the holiday as I feel like my blog design needs some TLC.

Toodlepip x

~Katy Summers (TeenageBlogger)

P.s - 'She' by Dodie Clark

This song is the most soothing song I have ever listened to and it's by the wonderful Dodie Clark :)