The alarm shattered the silence at six, its sharp beep jolting me awake. I blinked at the faint light seeping through the curtains, the sky a canvas of pale pinks and golds, the sun still hiding below the horizon. Outside, the world was coming alive—sparrows darted between branches, their chirps quick and rhythmic, while a crow perched on the fence let out a raspy caw, its black feathers glinting in the early light.

My phone buzzed on the nightstand, casting a blue glow across the room. I grabbed it, squinting at the flood of messages. A meme from Sarah had me grinning, and I fired back a reply, my thumbs moving quickly. The screen’s light felt harsh against the softness of the morning, but the laughter bubbling in my chest was worth it.

At the desk, my notebook sat open, pages littered with half-finished equations and doodles in the margins. I picked up the pen, its familiar weight in my hand, and the scratching of the tip against paper filled the room. The clock on the wall ticked steadily, each second stretching as I worked.

From the kitchen, the smell of toast wafted in, golden and buttery, mingling with the rich, earthy scent of mushrooms sizzling in the pan. I wandered over, the tiles cool under my feet, and leaned against the counter. The mushrooms glistened, their edges crisped to a perfect brown, and I forked a bite, the warmth spreading through me as I chewed. The morning light spilled across the table, catching the steam rising from my plate, and for a moment, everything felt still, quiet, and alive all at once.

The morning air bit my cheeks as I adjusted my backpack, its weight uneven from the tablet shifting inside. Seven classes stretched ahead—a gauntlet of flickering smartboards and dying batteries. Teachers’ voices crackled through cheap classroom speakers, competing with the tap of styluses on screens and the occasional blare of unmuted audio. Someone’s forgotten earbuds leaked tinny music until a teacher snapped, "Whose is that?" and the guilty party scrambled to silence it.

By the time the final bell buzzed—a harsh, digital shriek—my tablet’s screen was a graveyard of half-finished notes and abandoned tabs. I shoved it into my bag, its case still smeared with the ghost of a granola bar from lunch. The hallway throbbed with the chaos of locker doors slamming, someone yelling about a dead battery, and the universal groan of students released into the wild.

In the evening, I cracked on with some English revision, slogging through grammar exercises and vocab drills. Then I chilled out by playing Skyrim for a bit, proper losing myself in its stunning world. I trekked across snow-capped peaks, the wind howling like a banshee between jagged cliffs, my boots crunching on the frozen ground. The Northern Lights danced overhead, casting a spooky glow over ancient ruins buried in the ice. Every now and then, some massive dragon would let out a deafening roar, sending the locals scarpering for cover. I ended up scrapping with one of the blighters near Dawnstar - its fiery breath melted the snow around us as I ducked and weaved through pine trees and boulders.

After that, I hopped on Roblox for a laugh, messing about with some construction-themed games.

First up was Build a Boat for Treasure, where you cobble together your own boat from colourful blocks in this bright, open workshop. The sound of hammering and splashing water filled the air while everyone rushed to finish their dodgy-looking vessels. Once mine was sort of built, I set sail down this winding river, ducking under wonky wooden bridges and avoiding spinning saw blades sticking out of the water. The course led to this massive ocean with treasure islands in the distance - if my boat didn't fall to bits first! Some of my creations were so rubbish they capsized straight away, while others miraculously stayed afloat just long enough to nab a few coins before going down like the Titanic.

Next, I had a go at Construction Simulator, which was a bit more proper - set in a busy city full of half-built skyscrapers and piles of bricks everywhere. I operated these massive cranes and dump trucks, their engines growling as I carefully lifted steel beams into place. One wrong move and the whole lot would come crashing down - proper stressful! The sound of jackhammers and workers shouting over walkie-talkies made it feel dead realistic, like a proper building site. Dead satisfying when you finally got something built, though.

Later, I vegged out watching YouTube - mostly gaming tutorials and funny fails - while psyching myself up for my upcoming exam at the Russian uni.

Sometimes, the motivation to revise just hits you out of nowhere, innit? One minute you're procrastinating, the next you're like "Sod it, I've got this!" - and so far, that gut feeling hasn't let me down. I absolutely smashed the last exam I took - flawless, not a single mistake - which felt bloody brilliant!

Now, it's just six more subjects to go, plus my final coursework, and then I'm free.

I couldn't help but celebrate my successfully passed exam with a game of chess - which I also won - and still riding that high, I went to bed.