Up until now, my life has been pretty much set out for me. From when I was born until about the age of 16 my parents made most of my big decisions for me, probably because they knew that if I made all my decisions myself then disaster would strike. That's not to say that I've never made a big decision in my life; I had an input on what high school I wanted to go to at age 11, I chose what GCSE options I wanted to take when I was 14, and I chose to give up competitive swimming only recently, however all these decisions aren't massively life changing and I've never really had to deal with anything that life changing and important....until now.
Now I know some sixteen year olds can be so calm and carefree when it comes to choosing what path you want to take when you leave high school. Some people just know exactly what they want to do when they leave school; they know what college, what university (if they want to go to uni at all), what job, what family life, what house etc. If you are one of those people, then trust me, you have no idea how lucky you are! When I was younger my dream was to become the next J.K.Rowling and publish my own bestselling series of books, but as I got older I realised that, whilst it was a lovely dream, it was so out of reach as a realistic career choice, and so I put that one to the back of my mind (for now). Now I have absolutely no idea what job I want when I'm older, so that is a potential problem when trying to decide on what A-levels to choose.
For anybody who is like me and constantly worries about everything, especially the future, I think it's best to try and not worry about it too much. Of course, it does require a little bit of thought, but I believe that everything will fall into place when the time is right. I think that when results day does come around and I am holding that piece of paper with my results printed on it, I'll just know which college is right for me. Hopefully this will also work when choosing what university I want to go to, and once i know that I can work out what job will go well with whatever degree I'm studying. I try to plan things out, but I've realised that nothing in my life ever goes to plan, so I've given up planning and am just letting things go the way they're meant to, whether it's what I expected or not.
Also, if you're like me and can't decide what options to take to study, whether it be at high school, college or even university, just do what you love. You definitely don't want to be spending your teenage years sat in a classroom studying something you hate, especially at college where you have free rein over what subjects you want to take. At high school its harder because you have to do English, Maths and Science, but everyone gets their own choice eventually. I'm a crazy English fan so of course English Literature was my first choice for college, which made choosing other options a lot easier. It's also absolutely fine to change your mind about what options you want to study; I've changed mine round about three times and I think I'm finally happy with them (just in case anybody is wondering, I've chosen English Literature, Ancient History, Sociology and Drama and Theatre Studies). Always, always do what you want and what is going to benefit you, don't think about teachers or friends or family, because at the end of the day it's your life and you are the only one who has to go through it.
Life decisions and trying to make them as best as you can might not be easy; it generally scares me to think about all the other decisions I have to make in later life, but I know it's just something I have to get through, and I'd love to help you guys get through making choices too! Hopefully this has helped you stop stressing as much and has cleared your head a little bit so you can make the best possible choices for your life ahead!
Thursday 24 July 2014
Wednesday 16 July 2014
Current Nail Obsession
I am one of those people who can't have their nails bare, I always have to have them painted in an array of different colours. When I was at school I was constantly getting told off for painting my nails because at our school you weren't allowed to paint them, and so every teacher I had would have a stock of cotton wool balls and nail varnish remover specifically for me, because you could guarantee that if I'd taken it off the day before I would be wearing a fresh coat the next day! This was about as bad ass as I got at high school (I was a bit of a nerd), but my nails always had to be painted. Eventually I just resorted to using a really pale pink shade or even french manicure if I could be bothered in order to not have naked nails, but now that I'm off school I am free to paint them whatever colour and whenever I like!
I will quite happily try whatever brand of nail varnish I like the look of, whether it's well known or one of those cheap ones because you never know what you might like and what might suit you. However, recently I've been obsessing over Topshop's range of 'Matte Nail Varnishes', which I've been loving so much. I'd never really tried a matte nail varnish before, I tended to stick to the shiny ones or even go over dull ones with a glitter coating to make them stand out even more, but my friend always used to wear a nail varnish from the matte collection in the shade 'Easy Peasy', which is a grey shade, and I loved it so much that I had to go out and buy my own. Unfortunately, this is where my love for them began.
These are four of the matte shades that I thought I would show you, as they are my favourite ones and the ones I wear the most. At the moment I'm wearing the teal shade shown in the picture on my fingernails, which is called 'Loco in Acapulco' (loving the names of these by the way!), and I'm wearing the dark blue in the shade ''Dungaree Dream' on my toenails. Usually I'm a huge perfectionist about wearing the same colour nail varnish on both my fingers and toes, but recently I've been so lazy that I just can't be bothered changing them. Plus I change my fingernail colour so much that it would be crazy to also change my toes that much. I love the way these nail varnishes show up on the nails; when first applied they come out very shiny and much like the way a normal nail varnish would be, but as they dry they darken into a heavier, matte shade which I love. I think these were £6 in the shop or 2 for £9 which you can mix and match with the shiny nail varnishes if matte shades aren't really your thing, but I'm not sure if that offer still stands.
I think they are a perfect summer nail varnish, sort of an almost pastel colour but very vibrant and bright, so I would definitely recommend you check these out and give them a try!
I will quite happily try whatever brand of nail varnish I like the look of, whether it's well known or one of those cheap ones because you never know what you might like and what might suit you. However, recently I've been obsessing over Topshop's range of 'Matte Nail Varnishes', which I've been loving so much. I'd never really tried a matte nail varnish before, I tended to stick to the shiny ones or even go over dull ones with a glitter coating to make them stand out even more, but my friend always used to wear a nail varnish from the matte collection in the shade 'Easy Peasy', which is a grey shade, and I loved it so much that I had to go out and buy my own. Unfortunately, this is where my love for them began.
These are four of the matte shades that I thought I would show you, as they are my favourite ones and the ones I wear the most. At the moment I'm wearing the teal shade shown in the picture on my fingernails, which is called 'Loco in Acapulco' (loving the names of these by the way!), and I'm wearing the dark blue in the shade ''Dungaree Dream' on my toenails. Usually I'm a huge perfectionist about wearing the same colour nail varnish on both my fingers and toes, but recently I've been so lazy that I just can't be bothered changing them. Plus I change my fingernail colour so much that it would be crazy to also change my toes that much. I love the way these nail varnishes show up on the nails; when first applied they come out very shiny and much like the way a normal nail varnish would be, but as they dry they darken into a heavier, matte shade which I love. I think these were £6 in the shop or 2 for £9 which you can mix and match with the shiny nail varnishes if matte shades aren't really your thing, but I'm not sure if that offer still stands.
I think they are a perfect summer nail varnish, sort of an almost pastel colour but very vibrant and bright, so I would definitely recommend you check these out and give them a try!
Thursday 10 July 2014
Breakups
Hi guys, sorry for not posting in a while, there's a couple of reasons for that. For a start, my laptop hasn't been working recently so I've had limited access to the internet. Secondly, and probably more the reason why I haven't been feeling up to blogging, is that me and my boyfriend broke up. I'd been with him since January of 2013, so about a year and a half, and although some of you may be thinking that isn't a very long time to be getting worked up about it, it was my first proper relationship and one that I valued a lot. Plus, I'm still pretty young and we were young when we got together so for me it was a very new and scary experience, but one that I enjoyed very much. It wasn't a bad breakup; it was mutual and was decided between the two of us due to many factors, but I hope it will be one of those breakups that just needs time to get over. We are both in the same group of friends who go out a lot together and I wouldn't want us to not be seeing our friends just because of each other, so we decided to just be civil and friendly so we could still hang out and not feel awkward about it. At the moment I'm still in the whole 'attempting to get over it' phase, but I think that although it's very difficult at first, it will be manageable to get over, and I wanted to share my tips with you guys just in case you too struggle with a breakup, however bad it may be, and need some advice on how to deal with it productively.
1. Accept your sadness
At the beginning of the breakup, its perfectly normal to feel sad or even angry at your new ex. I haven't exactly been myself these past few days and its been hard to try and deal with all this new-found sadness (I recommend a good cry and a fresh box of tissues), but eventually these feelings will pass and you will start to feel better. The more you accept these feelings and take a full hold of them, the easier it will be for you to move on.
2. Don't become the obsessive ex
As much as you'd like to scroll endlessly through your ex's social media sites to find out anything about their new life without you, don't. You don't have to unfriend them or delete them completely from your life, unless you had a really bad breakup and that's what you feel would be the only way to get over them, but accepting the fact that they are still alive and are still trying to get on with their life just as you are is important. Obviously if you're going to break into tears every time you see their name pop up on your home screen, then blocking them is probably a good idea, but checking up on them every single hour of the day isn't going to help you get over them. Take a break and just relax; you don't want to make matters worse and cause more stress for yourself.
3. Vent your feelings
I've realised, after trying and failing to keep my emotions all bottled up inside of me like I usually do, that its important to let out how you're feeling. Friends and family will always be there for you to talk (or even rant) to, and will lend a comforting hug if everything has just got a bit overwhelming and will help you get over this bad period in your life. If you don't feel like you can talk to anyone face to face, I am always here to listen to your problems and can offer some advice if you need it. A journal or a diary is always handy if you have lots of emotion that you don't want to talk about to anyone, so you can write down how you're feeling without even having to talk to anybody about it. Whatever way you feel comfortable with, do not just keep all your emotions inside of you; its not healthy and will probably lead to you feeling even worse about it.
4. Avoid all contact
The one thing that I've been constantly wanting to do is contact my ex, but this would definitely not help the situation. Its so tempting to try and get in contact with your ex to talk about what happened and maybe plead to get back together, but the breakup has happened for a reason and the worst thing to do would be to try and change fate. Perhaps after a while when you've both had time to think things through and you both decide it wasn't the right decision to break up, then you can send a message, but straight after a breakup you both need time and space to clear your heads and to work out whether it was the right decision, so make sure you keep your distance for a while.
5. Don't look back in anger
Whilst right now you might be hating them or feeling very hurt, its important to remember that you did once love this person, and so don't pretend like the relationship wasn't important to you if it was. Denial is very common in a relationship, but everyone who witnessed you and your ex knows that you were once happy and that you once had feelings for each other, so trying to deny it isn't going to help the situation. Its best to recognise that it was fun whilst it lasted, but now its over and you should look back on the good memories fondly, instead of focusing on all the bad things that caused your relationship to fail.
6. Keep yourself busy
It's no good sitting around moping about your lost love all day, as this will only make you focus more on your sadness and make you feel worse about yourself. Try and organise to meet up with friends or family to take your mind off it, or take up a new sport or hobby to focus your mind on something else. Whenever you find yourself thinking about them, try to instantly find something to do, whether it be as simple as going for a walk or watching TV, anything instead of lying in bed all day, eating ice cream and listening to sad songs surrounded by used tissues.
So there's a few tips that I found useful when attempting to get over my breakup. I'll admit, its only been a couple of days and I'm definitely nowhere near over it, but keeping myself busy has helped a lot in the process of trying to forget about it. No one likes breakups, whether its mutual, not what you want, or you had to be the one doing it, but its a part of life and we all have to go through it. The sooner you accept that this relationship didn't work out but its just a chance to mature and move on to the next chapter of your life, the better, and trust me, I'm well on the road to recovery. I know this is a pretty personal subject for me to talk about, but to be honest I needed someone to tell and I thought that by doing this I'd also be helping others out, and if you guys want to know how my recovery process goes then let me know. Also, if you want any more advice or just someone to talk to, I'll include my email address below. Give me some suggestions about what you want me to blog about, and I'll be back soon!
Email: rachelsmorris98@gmail.com
1. Accept your sadness
At the beginning of the breakup, its perfectly normal to feel sad or even angry at your new ex. I haven't exactly been myself these past few days and its been hard to try and deal with all this new-found sadness (I recommend a good cry and a fresh box of tissues), but eventually these feelings will pass and you will start to feel better. The more you accept these feelings and take a full hold of them, the easier it will be for you to move on.
2. Don't become the obsessive ex
As much as you'd like to scroll endlessly through your ex's social media sites to find out anything about their new life without you, don't. You don't have to unfriend them or delete them completely from your life, unless you had a really bad breakup and that's what you feel would be the only way to get over them, but accepting the fact that they are still alive and are still trying to get on with their life just as you are is important. Obviously if you're going to break into tears every time you see their name pop up on your home screen, then blocking them is probably a good idea, but checking up on them every single hour of the day isn't going to help you get over them. Take a break and just relax; you don't want to make matters worse and cause more stress for yourself.
3. Vent your feelings
I've realised, after trying and failing to keep my emotions all bottled up inside of me like I usually do, that its important to let out how you're feeling. Friends and family will always be there for you to talk (or even rant) to, and will lend a comforting hug if everything has just got a bit overwhelming and will help you get over this bad period in your life. If you don't feel like you can talk to anyone face to face, I am always here to listen to your problems and can offer some advice if you need it. A journal or a diary is always handy if you have lots of emotion that you don't want to talk about to anyone, so you can write down how you're feeling without even having to talk to anybody about it. Whatever way you feel comfortable with, do not just keep all your emotions inside of you; its not healthy and will probably lead to you feeling even worse about it.
4. Avoid all contact
The one thing that I've been constantly wanting to do is contact my ex, but this would definitely not help the situation. Its so tempting to try and get in contact with your ex to talk about what happened and maybe plead to get back together, but the breakup has happened for a reason and the worst thing to do would be to try and change fate. Perhaps after a while when you've both had time to think things through and you both decide it wasn't the right decision to break up, then you can send a message, but straight after a breakup you both need time and space to clear your heads and to work out whether it was the right decision, so make sure you keep your distance for a while.
5. Don't look back in anger
Whilst right now you might be hating them or feeling very hurt, its important to remember that you did once love this person, and so don't pretend like the relationship wasn't important to you if it was. Denial is very common in a relationship, but everyone who witnessed you and your ex knows that you were once happy and that you once had feelings for each other, so trying to deny it isn't going to help the situation. Its best to recognise that it was fun whilst it lasted, but now its over and you should look back on the good memories fondly, instead of focusing on all the bad things that caused your relationship to fail.
6. Keep yourself busy
It's no good sitting around moping about your lost love all day, as this will only make you focus more on your sadness and make you feel worse about yourself. Try and organise to meet up with friends or family to take your mind off it, or take up a new sport or hobby to focus your mind on something else. Whenever you find yourself thinking about them, try to instantly find something to do, whether it be as simple as going for a walk or watching TV, anything instead of lying in bed all day, eating ice cream and listening to sad songs surrounded by used tissues.
So there's a few tips that I found useful when attempting to get over my breakup. I'll admit, its only been a couple of days and I'm definitely nowhere near over it, but keeping myself busy has helped a lot in the process of trying to forget about it. No one likes breakups, whether its mutual, not what you want, or you had to be the one doing it, but its a part of life and we all have to go through it. The sooner you accept that this relationship didn't work out but its just a chance to mature and move on to the next chapter of your life, the better, and trust me, I'm well on the road to recovery. I know this is a pretty personal subject for me to talk about, but to be honest I needed someone to tell and I thought that by doing this I'd also be helping others out, and if you guys want to know how my recovery process goes then let me know. Also, if you want any more advice or just someone to talk to, I'll include my email address below. Give me some suggestions about what you want me to blog about, and I'll be back soon!
Email: rachelsmorris98@gmail.com
Thursday 3 July 2014
Favourite TV Shows
Hey guys, so today I thought I would talk about my favourite TV shows, seeing as I have quite a few! Recently I've had a lot of time off because I finished high school about three weeks ago and so haven't had much to do during the day, so I've resorted to curling up in bed with my duvet and my trusty laptop, watching all the TV that has been recommended to me. I always struggle trying to find TV shows when I'm looking for them, so this is just a bit of inspiration for you if you too are looking for a new TV show to start. Enjoy!
1. Game Of Thrones
This is at the top of my list for one reason and one reason only; its the best TV show I think I've ever watched. Before I watched this I'd read a few of the books, just to get the general jist of what was going to happen in the series because sometimes TV can be a bit confusing, especially in Game Of Thrones when there's like five different story lines all happening in one episode. I loved the books and I'm going to try and purchase another one now that I've finished the series because I like to pick out the differences between books compared to TV. You don't even have to be a massive fantasy fan like I am to watch this series because there's definitely something for everyone, whether it be violence, gore, drama, fantastic acting or characters that you get so attached to, its the perfect television series to watch. It does require quite a bit of concentration due to the many story lines and plot twists that George R.R. Martin so cleverly created, but trust me, it is so worth it.
Warning: This series is rated an 18 due to the intensity of gore and (dare I say it) sexual scenes included in it, so if that isn't your thing then this probably isn't the series for you.
2. American Horror Story
Here's the series where you all sigh at me for being so generic, because everyone seems to be 'addicted' to this series recently, but I watched this about 9 months ago when it was still relatively unheard of. I am a big horror movie fan and although I jump at pretty much anything, I love the thrill and suspense that comes with watching these types of film. The opening sequences of the episodes are so much scarier than the actual story lines so don't be fooled, although its still pretty weird its not as bad as the opening sequence suggests. This show has three series' at the moment and is going to release a fourth in October/November time (eeeeeeep!) and uses different horror scenarios (so far we've had a haunted house, a mental asylum and a witches coven) with the same actors, just different characters, to try and scare the poop out of us. My favourite series so far would probably be Asylum, just because I am so in love with Evan Peter's character in this series, and the whole mental asylum scenario really interests me. However, I totally love Taissa Farmiga's style in Coven (she plays a witch called Zoe), so if you're like me who loves any item of black clothing, check her out!
3. The Walking Dead
This series was recommended to me by my boyfriend, who is obsessed with zombies. Whilst at first I was a bit put off by the whole zombie thing, because although I love a good horror I always thought zombies were a bit too far fetched (sorry zombie lovers), this series totally changed my viewpoint on them. Yes, the zombies in TWD are still flesh-eating killers who stereotypically drag their feet when they walk and make weird groaning noises constantly, but the characters who are attempting to survive in the new-found world are really in-depth and interesting, and have a way of keeping you attached to their story throughout the episodes. I was shamelessly addicted to this series and even shed a few tears when one of my favourite characters died (I won't name any names); you know its a good TV series when it makes you cry.
4. Skins
Here's where I let loose my inner teenage girl. I first started watching Skins about a year ago, so I was pretty late to jump on the bandwagon, but it was so easy to become addicted to. Every other series has a different group of characters who all suffer with different problems in their life, whether it be illnesses or drug abuse. Their controversial storylines are one of the main reasons why this series has been so popular over the years, that and because many teens can relate to the different issues that are explored. My favourite cast had to be the cast of Series 1 and 2, I'd say the cast probably got worse each time they got a new one but that's just a matter of opinion. Skins has finished now for good so you don't have to worry about not being able to catch up in time for a new series, because there hasn't been a new one for about a year. Whilst some may think its a bit extreme and that it presents teens unrealistically, the way I viewed it was that, yes it can be a bit unrealistic, but it was still pretty believable and had to be made as interesting as possible so more people would want to watch it.
5. Orange Is The New Black
I think I surprised myself by how much I liked this show, as it isn't really the kind of thing I would usually go for. There's been a lot of talk about this series recently so I thought I'd see what all the fuss is about, not expecting much, but I was pleasantly surprised by it. I like the use of humour in it, as it is a prison drama and so you expect it to be serious, and although there are some serious parts (what would a drama be without some serious scenes) the humour is very witty in parts and does make you laugh out loud at some part. I also liked the way it explored different types of sexuality and how others treat people who are different; it was very eye-opening and provided some unique storylines within the prison. I'm a sucker for a title with a great pun, and lets be honest, for a drama about women in prison I don't think they could've picked a better title.
6. Dexter
Everyone's favourite serial killer. I just loved this show purely because of its uniqueness, I mean who doesn't love a secret serial killer who works as a blood spatter analyst to satisfy his craving for blood? The way Dexter views 'socially acceptable' people compared to himself is very funny and witty in some places, and I like a TV series that can incorporate humour into it as well as being a cleverly written drama also. It uses suspense and action which kept me hooked on it throughout, and although I haven't finished all eight series' yet it makes me very happy that there are so many because I always have something to watch. I think this series is one for concentrating on, as are many dramas, so I wouldn't advise watching it if you just want to watch something in the background.
7. Downton Abbey
Did I mention I have a very varied taste in TV shows? I know I said I liked dramas, but period dramas are probably my guilty pleasure, and I will probably love anything with Maggie Smith in it (Harry Potter fangirl starts to creep in). It was my gran who introduced me to Downton Abbey after lending me the box set and I'm not ashamed to say that I loved it from the first episode. Okay, yes I get it that a lot of old people watch it and that's why teenagers get put off, but if you actually give it a chance it becomes so interesting, and more than just some rich people sitting round drinking tea, like I'll admit I thought it was at first. It's one of those dramas where you get so attached to the characters and get so mad with the ones you don't like, and the acting by a mostly British cast is just amazing, if I could be in any TV show I think I'd probably have to pick this one due to the variety in storylines and the contrasts in characters and the issues they are faced with. Definitely a guilty pleasure of mine!
8. Merlin
It'd be wrong of me to not include a childhood favourite. Ever since I first watched this on CBBC back in the day I grew so attached to it (and also because I had the biggest crush on Merlin when I was younger, wait who am I kidding, I still do) and this developed my love for fantasy adventure shows. I've always been a huge fan of history, if you watch my YouTube Channel in my 25 Facts About Me video I talk about history being one of my favourite subjects, and the Athurian legends that Merlin is based on just interested me so much, even at a young age. I feel as if I grew up watching this show, and last year when it finished for good I was so devastated, a year later and I feel like I'm still having withdrawal issues from it, but thankfully I have all the box sets! I think this one is definitely one you can watch with your whole family, as it appeals to anyone of all ages due to its friendly humour and genuine enjoyment factor.
9. Penny Dreadful
This is a relatively new series that got recommended to me by a friend. It combines two of my favourite things, horror and period dramas, and is based on the 'penny dreadfuls', a type of 19th century horror fiction, such as Frankenstein and Dracula, among others. So far there have been eight episodes and I've been really enjoying them, I like how they show a different sort of take on the legends and have a way of making them more eerie and mysterious. At first I was a little unsure on the series purely because at first it was a bit confusing and I couldn't make sense of what was going on, but maybe that won't be the case for everyone, so if you do watch it and end up feeling a bit like that don't give up straight away because trust me it does get better.
10. Pretty Little Liars
This was one of the first TV series' I ever properly got into. The one thing that keeps me hooked on this show is the suspense and mystery that is so cleverly portrayed in so many ways, as the characters have a way of keeping you in suspense throughout the episodes. The show focuses around four girls and how they deal with the death of their 'queen bee' of the group, whilst being tormented by an unknown force only named as 'A'. It'll be a very happy day when we finally find out who 'A' is, because just when you think you know who it could be, the story line changes and you're back to the beginning again, which is what I love about this show. I'd say that it probably appeals to females more due to the storylines focusing on female issues, but I'm not saying that boys can't watch it too! I love this series and I can't wait for the next episodes to come out, I think there's a new one tonight which should be very exciting!
So guys, that's it for my favourite shows, although I'm due to be starting Breaking Bad and a couple of others soon, so I'll let you know how they go. If you have any recommendations for me or anything you've watched that you've enjoyed, let me know!
1. Game Of Thrones
This is at the top of my list for one reason and one reason only; its the best TV show I think I've ever watched. Before I watched this I'd read a few of the books, just to get the general jist of what was going to happen in the series because sometimes TV can be a bit confusing, especially in Game Of Thrones when there's like five different story lines all happening in one episode. I loved the books and I'm going to try and purchase another one now that I've finished the series because I like to pick out the differences between books compared to TV. You don't even have to be a massive fantasy fan like I am to watch this series because there's definitely something for everyone, whether it be violence, gore, drama, fantastic acting or characters that you get so attached to, its the perfect television series to watch. It does require quite a bit of concentration due to the many story lines and plot twists that George R.R. Martin so cleverly created, but trust me, it is so worth it.
Warning: This series is rated an 18 due to the intensity of gore and (dare I say it) sexual scenes included in it, so if that isn't your thing then this probably isn't the series for you.
2. American Horror Story
Here's the series where you all sigh at me for being so generic, because everyone seems to be 'addicted' to this series recently, but I watched this about 9 months ago when it was still relatively unheard of. I am a big horror movie fan and although I jump at pretty much anything, I love the thrill and suspense that comes with watching these types of film. The opening sequences of the episodes are so much scarier than the actual story lines so don't be fooled, although its still pretty weird its not as bad as the opening sequence suggests. This show has three series' at the moment and is going to release a fourth in October/November time (eeeeeeep!) and uses different horror scenarios (so far we've had a haunted house, a mental asylum and a witches coven) with the same actors, just different characters, to try and scare the poop out of us. My favourite series so far would probably be Asylum, just because I am so in love with Evan Peter's character in this series, and the whole mental asylum scenario really interests me. However, I totally love Taissa Farmiga's style in Coven (she plays a witch called Zoe), so if you're like me who loves any item of black clothing, check her out!
3. The Walking Dead
This series was recommended to me by my boyfriend, who is obsessed with zombies. Whilst at first I was a bit put off by the whole zombie thing, because although I love a good horror I always thought zombies were a bit too far fetched (sorry zombie lovers), this series totally changed my viewpoint on them. Yes, the zombies in TWD are still flesh-eating killers who stereotypically drag their feet when they walk and make weird groaning noises constantly, but the characters who are attempting to survive in the new-found world are really in-depth and interesting, and have a way of keeping you attached to their story throughout the episodes. I was shamelessly addicted to this series and even shed a few tears when one of my favourite characters died (I won't name any names); you know its a good TV series when it makes you cry.
4. Skins
Here's where I let loose my inner teenage girl. I first started watching Skins about a year ago, so I was pretty late to jump on the bandwagon, but it was so easy to become addicted to. Every other series has a different group of characters who all suffer with different problems in their life, whether it be illnesses or drug abuse. Their controversial storylines are one of the main reasons why this series has been so popular over the years, that and because many teens can relate to the different issues that are explored. My favourite cast had to be the cast of Series 1 and 2, I'd say the cast probably got worse each time they got a new one but that's just a matter of opinion. Skins has finished now for good so you don't have to worry about not being able to catch up in time for a new series, because there hasn't been a new one for about a year. Whilst some may think its a bit extreme and that it presents teens unrealistically, the way I viewed it was that, yes it can be a bit unrealistic, but it was still pretty believable and had to be made as interesting as possible so more people would want to watch it.
5. Orange Is The New Black
I think I surprised myself by how much I liked this show, as it isn't really the kind of thing I would usually go for. There's been a lot of talk about this series recently so I thought I'd see what all the fuss is about, not expecting much, but I was pleasantly surprised by it. I like the use of humour in it, as it is a prison drama and so you expect it to be serious, and although there are some serious parts (what would a drama be without some serious scenes) the humour is very witty in parts and does make you laugh out loud at some part. I also liked the way it explored different types of sexuality and how others treat people who are different; it was very eye-opening and provided some unique storylines within the prison. I'm a sucker for a title with a great pun, and lets be honest, for a drama about women in prison I don't think they could've picked a better title.
6. Dexter
Everyone's favourite serial killer. I just loved this show purely because of its uniqueness, I mean who doesn't love a secret serial killer who works as a blood spatter analyst to satisfy his craving for blood? The way Dexter views 'socially acceptable' people compared to himself is very funny and witty in some places, and I like a TV series that can incorporate humour into it as well as being a cleverly written drama also. It uses suspense and action which kept me hooked on it throughout, and although I haven't finished all eight series' yet it makes me very happy that there are so many because I always have something to watch. I think this series is one for concentrating on, as are many dramas, so I wouldn't advise watching it if you just want to watch something in the background.
7. Downton Abbey
Did I mention I have a very varied taste in TV shows? I know I said I liked dramas, but period dramas are probably my guilty pleasure, and I will probably love anything with Maggie Smith in it (Harry Potter fangirl starts to creep in). It was my gran who introduced me to Downton Abbey after lending me the box set and I'm not ashamed to say that I loved it from the first episode. Okay, yes I get it that a lot of old people watch it and that's why teenagers get put off, but if you actually give it a chance it becomes so interesting, and more than just some rich people sitting round drinking tea, like I'll admit I thought it was at first. It's one of those dramas where you get so attached to the characters and get so mad with the ones you don't like, and the acting by a mostly British cast is just amazing, if I could be in any TV show I think I'd probably have to pick this one due to the variety in storylines and the contrasts in characters and the issues they are faced with. Definitely a guilty pleasure of mine!
8. Merlin
It'd be wrong of me to not include a childhood favourite. Ever since I first watched this on CBBC back in the day I grew so attached to it (and also because I had the biggest crush on Merlin when I was younger, wait who am I kidding, I still do) and this developed my love for fantasy adventure shows. I've always been a huge fan of history, if you watch my YouTube Channel in my 25 Facts About Me video I talk about history being one of my favourite subjects, and the Athurian legends that Merlin is based on just interested me so much, even at a young age. I feel as if I grew up watching this show, and last year when it finished for good I was so devastated, a year later and I feel like I'm still having withdrawal issues from it, but thankfully I have all the box sets! I think this one is definitely one you can watch with your whole family, as it appeals to anyone of all ages due to its friendly humour and genuine enjoyment factor.
9. Penny Dreadful
This is a relatively new series that got recommended to me by a friend. It combines two of my favourite things, horror and period dramas, and is based on the 'penny dreadfuls', a type of 19th century horror fiction, such as Frankenstein and Dracula, among others. So far there have been eight episodes and I've been really enjoying them, I like how they show a different sort of take on the legends and have a way of making them more eerie and mysterious. At first I was a little unsure on the series purely because at first it was a bit confusing and I couldn't make sense of what was going on, but maybe that won't be the case for everyone, so if you do watch it and end up feeling a bit like that don't give up straight away because trust me it does get better.
10. Pretty Little Liars
This was one of the first TV series' I ever properly got into. The one thing that keeps me hooked on this show is the suspense and mystery that is so cleverly portrayed in so many ways, as the characters have a way of keeping you in suspense throughout the episodes. The show focuses around four girls and how they deal with the death of their 'queen bee' of the group, whilst being tormented by an unknown force only named as 'A'. It'll be a very happy day when we finally find out who 'A' is, because just when you think you know who it could be, the story line changes and you're back to the beginning again, which is what I love about this show. I'd say that it probably appeals to females more due to the storylines focusing on female issues, but I'm not saying that boys can't watch it too! I love this series and I can't wait for the next episodes to come out, I think there's a new one tonight which should be very exciting!
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