'That's some next pencil case'

Oh, Drama. The only place where you can find such a diverse range of people, including those who are perfectly willing to criticise your sensible pencil case (and who you must admit are a tad bit chavvy)

Returning to my group, decided by the teacher, I opened my pencil case to dig around for something with a bit of ink left in it. At this point, I was greeted with the phrase 'That's some next pencil case' from a girl who seemed to see a pencil case purely as a place to slap the Playboy Bunny logo onto.

Now, I can't say I really know what 'next' means, but having perused Urban Dictionary it seems to have many meanings, some of the most prevalent being stupid, crazy, random or shit.

Granted, my pencil case is no an opulent wonder. It's plain black, with a handle at the top and when carried from this it looks like a mini briefcase. It has no patterns, flowers, hearts, words or slutty rabbits logos, but has pockets inside to keep pens in place and came with a bonus mesh zipper bag which I use to store coloured pens. It may not be fashionable, and admittedly it is hugely practical, but it's lasted me over 18 months and has served me faithfully, so I don't see how it can be labelled stupid, crazy, random or shit.

Therefore, slightly-chavvy-girl, your comment is invalid. My pencil case is not 'next' and will do its duties long after your Playboy offering is holed and stained.

Excuses

I know I'm quite biased when it comes to Drama, but I've never really understood how people can blame their reluctance to act on shyness.

I understand that it can be difficult to overcome timid, reserved, quiet nature (been there, done that, but it's a good thing to do). However, many actors are shy people, not necessarily incredibly sociable or extroverted, but still they're amazing because acting is faking it. Yes, there are technical elements and it is one of the most beautiful arts of all, but ultimately a good actor is a good liar with the uncanny ability to get inside absolutely any character's head and fully embody that persona. An enjoyable challenge.

After all, many aspects of life are false, particularly beauty. Nails, hair, tan, makeup - it's all one grand façade. So perhaps, deep down, everyone's a bit of a Thespian.

RADA

I've been searching for my true identity for my entire adolescence, but I now realise that it's been here all along. My dream is my identity.

I remember watching Blue Peter when I was about 11 (which was strange because I hardly ever watched it) and seeing one of the presenters visit RADA, the most prestigious and reputable drama school in the country. It seemed simply amazing - a highly exclusive group of promising young actors given the best acting advice anyone could receive. From that moment I had the recurrent vision of myself in that university training for the BA in acting, living out my dream.

I've never given up on that dream. No matter how convential it sounds, I've always wanted to be an actress and drama has been my only solace at times. A bad day, bad week or even a bad year can be remedied by stepping out of your own shoes and into those of another person's - anyone,
anywhere. I can be anything, do anything, in front of an audience that are all watching me, and at the end I might get a fraction of the applause.

Two years from now I'll be applying for universities and I'm quite positive that RADA will be at the top of my list of choices. Maybe it's not a realistic choice, and admittedly dreams of being an actress could be just that - dreams, but it's good to aim high. Consider this: in the conception of a baby, no one considers how slim the chances of the egg being fertilised by the sperm are. Whether someone wants a baby or not, they always think about the prospect of conceptionnd new life. So why should I focus on not getting in to RADA when I may very well have the potential?