Orla's Summer Interview

The traditional back-to-school interview about everything that has happened in the last 12 months. Here's a link to the video on YouTube.

Here's a summary from Notebook LM:

I. Personal Development & Self-Perception
Orla, at 17 years old, notes a shift in her personal style, moving away from her characteristic hoodies. She also highlights the significant personal experience of getting braces, including "bite blockers," which initially caused "horrid" pain and difficulty eating, but she is now "quite proud of them." This signifies a period of adaptation and acceptance of a new physical aspect.

II. Academic Performance and Challenges
Orla's academic year was marked by mixed results and significant frustrations, particularly with English and Art.
Overall School Experience: Despite some complaints, Orla states that the year "overall it was good. A million times better than it was before homeschooling."
Subject Performance and Issues:
Maths & Music: Achieved A's, with positive experiences. For Music, she "actually got to compose... something that was very video game music style."
English: Received a B, but felt it was "frankly unfair."
Teacher Issues: Her teacher, Mrs. Mlelen, was perceived as "very much checked out" and lacking "motivation to teach a class." This led to a focus on "rope learning" and "memorization" for students "who didn't really want to be in English."
Self-Teaching: Orla ultimately "left her class" and "taught myself," moving into Miss Gilmore's classroom to work independently. This allowed her to choose her own essay book, selecting Jekyll and Hyde, which she "loved”.

Marking Discrepancy: Her prelim mark (C) was due to running "out of time" because she was writing "one paragraph per mark," while Mrs. Hammond's top-set class was advised to use "bullet points one bullet point for mark." For her final essay, she felt she "displayed so much understanding" by "infodump[ing] about it" in a "flowing" and "persuasive" way, rather than the "mandated structure of like pea point evidence analysis." She received an 18/20 from Mrs. Hammond for this style, but suspects the SQA's "very strict definition" for marking subjective subjects led to a lower grade.

Art: Received a B, also considered "frankly unfair."
Practicality: Orla chose Art because it was "something that I couldn't do at home," being a "practical subject." She listened to an audiobook of Dracula while working.
Miscommunication & Deadlines: Due to missing the first two months, she "missed all the stuff that was like okay yeah this is the amount of work we're doing." This, combined with class habits of "missing deadlines," led to a situation where the majority of work was "crammed into the latter part of the year."

Technology Issues: Orla speculates that "Photoshop took so much longer than it should have" due to "how old the computers are and how few of how few computers there are." This meant tasks that would take "10 minutes on Procreate took me multiple double periods to do on Photoshop."

Intense Workload: She spent "hours of it every night Hours of it every day All of it all the time Always doing the art homework" during the Easter holidays, suggesting she "probably did more work for art than the rest of the subjects put together."
Marking Discrepancy: Orla scored "80% for both my design and expressive portfolios," but only "25%" for the written exam, despite being "so confident going into the exam and so confident leaving it that I left early." She suspects the use of "bullet points" might have been an issue, as her prelim (marked by the school) was fine, but this method was "apparently wasn't good enough for the SQA."

Dropping Advanced Art: Orla has decided to "drop advanced art because it turns out that is not so much a subject more like a part-time job alongside the other subjects."
New Subject Combination: She will pursue "advanced English advanced music and higher history and also psychology," with psychology potentially being an AS level instead of an A level.

III. Hobbies, Interests & Creative Pursuits
Orla's year was dominated by new and deepening interests, especially D&D, which has significantly fueled her creativity.
Evolution of Interests:Previous Interests (leading into D&D): Ace Attorney (specifically The Great Ace Attorney), Persona 5, Be More Chill (which led to the RCS summer course), and The Glass Scientists (a webcomic she "blew through the whole thing in like 4 days").
Dungeons & Dragons (D&D): The "Elephant in the Room"Origin: Orla discovered her D&D group through an online RCS audition prep course in February. During breakout rooms, she connected with others who shared interests, leading to the formation of the group.
First Experience: She had a pre-made character, Poppy, from a previous campaign that "fell through," but had "never gotten to play" D&D before this group.

Group Members: The initial group of six started in March: Jason (DM), Blaze, Sprite, Kaden, and Lara. Rowan, Blaze's friend, recently joined, making seven.
Frequency: They "aim for once per week," though summer schedules can lead to "three week break sometimes two week breaks."
DMing & Character Creation: Jason is the main DM, but others (including Orla, who plans a Halloween oneshot) take turns DMing "to give Jason a break and also to have the opportunity to play new characters." Orla "absolutely love making characters."
Notable Characters:Poppy: Main campaign character, "half orc paladin."
Valet: "fae who presents himself as an elf but he's his disguise is actually kind of really bad."
Elias and Rosemary: "character slash two characters who are based on Jacqueline Hyde."
Lady Malady: "really evil," accidentally killed her backstory-related enemies with "fireball," then was killed by another player.
Dr. Harker: Cleric whose "god is dungeon master," breaks the fourth wall.
"Special Interest" & Creativity: D&D has been Orla's "special interest" since March. Unlike previous interests, this is the "first time that I've had a special interest that didn't have a fandom that was me actively making stuff alongside other actual people." This has led to constant creation: "constantly writing stuff," "constantly thinking of stuff discussing stuff with my friends and drawing as well." She has also started "composing" "theme tunes for the character" in a "video game music style."

Other Outside Interests:Doctor Who: Enjoyed the second series of Shooty Gatwa, particularly because "Blaze and Sprite also watch it and I was yapping to them about it after every episode."
Podcasts/Audio Dramas: Renewed interest in The Magnus Archives and Malevolent, due to friends Kaden, Blaze, and Lara listening to them.

TV Shows: Finished Red Dwarf (up to series 8, though felt it "fell off a bit" after series 6 and Rimmer's departure), and Father Ted. Briefly started The Simpsons.
Movies (watched at home/cinema): Jurassic Park, Naked Gun (old one), Superman (cinema), Wallace and Gromit film (at Christmas).
Reading: Currently reading Wuthering Heights for English.
Gaming: Playing It Takes Two with Connor.

IV. Performing Arts & Music
Orla continues to be heavily involved in performing arts, though her future path is evolving.
RCS Summer Course (Be More Chill):Role: Played "the squip," one of "four... on stage at all times." Described as an "evil supercomput boy band," with Orla as the "main squip" dressed as "prince" with an "entourage."
Experience: "Unbelievably fun," loved the "stage presence." The costume and makeup "inspired me wearing something different" for the interview.
Significance: This experience, and seeing other students from Junior Conservatoire, reinforced her talent but also the competitive nature of the field.

Drama School Aspirations (Shifting):Previous Plan: Originally aimed for a BA in acting at RCS.
Realization: Realized "just how ridiculously competitive that is." Not getting into the "introduction to actor training" short course (due to being "too young") and getting waitlisted for the Junior Conservatoire (where there are only "20 spaces," with a "natural advantage" for returning students) cemented this.

New Strategy: Now considering a different degree first, such as the MA "interdisciplinary futures" at Edinburgh University (described as "how do we make the world better" combining humanities, STEM, and arts), before applying to drama school. This would provide "experience" rather than taking a gap year.

Dance Academy: Left her dance academy musical theater this year due to "timing clashes" with D&D. Panto: Played "Mrs Trot" (the dame) in Jack and the Beanstalk, using a "mockney accent." Dance Display: Performed songs from Waitress ("What's Inside" and "Opening Up").

Singing & Piano:
Singing: Singing lessons are "really paying off." She will be performing "Ballad of the Witches Road from Agatha All Along" (singing and playing piano) at a showcase, with other singers doing harmonies.
Piano: Started Grade 8, learning "Porco Rosso, Nighting Gale Sang in Berkley Square and the Rondo Ala Turka."

V. Travel & Holidays
Orla recalls several trips and holidays throughout the year.
Winter: "Horsehouse with in December."
Easter: "Loch Linnie Waterfront Lodges" for one night, then "Richmond for Easter itself." Started watching Sound of Music again but "Didn't finish it again."
Summer:London: Stayed in a hot "apartment," played D&D there.
Wales: Immediately after London, visited Mumbles, Langland's Bay ("my favourite"), Tenby (one night), and drove north through Wales, stopping at a "really cool pod."

VI. Miscellaneous & Upcoming Changes
Antihistamines: Started taking antihistamines this year.
Driving: Has "no desire to drive or to start driving."
Age: Turned 17.
Final Year of School: This is likely her last "back to school interview," as next year will be her final year of school before university. Orla reflects on having "You've had an interview just before going back to school every year since you started primary school." (13 years of interviews).