My appreciation....

Today is December, 13-th , 2 days ago we finished our exams and EAP program. I want to say that for me it was a special and unique program and I really learned a lot. Exactly one year ago, my English was at such a low level, I couldn't imagine that I can improve it significantly and would be able to write, speak and read like I do now. I was eager to achieve English proficiency in order to have a chance to become a student at the university. I know that it is important to continue improving English skills further, but things I have learned till now are so valuable that without them I would have been completely lost! I feel lucky that I had such professional teachers with great personalities and remarkable qualities who made it possible for me. Scott and Sandy, thank you so much!!! Thank you for motivating and inspiring me, for helping me and making the learning process so interesting!! You are such great teachers. I am sure, everyone who gets a chance to be your student is very lucky! And we definitely were fortunate, because not always a person gets a chance like we got in EAP3 with the teachers. And as I have said before, I feel extremely lucky that I had such wonderful instructors ( through the whole program)! I wish you all the best!!! Also, I wish everybody to have great, unforgettable holidays and good rest!
Julia

The Writing exam is over now...

Hello everybody! Can you believe it, the first and one of the most difficult tests is already behind us, yeee! I was so nervous in the morning, but forced myself to calm down. You know when I am nervous, I feel like this nervousness is killing my brain or something, so I was afraid of situation being stuck while I am writing ( you know like a black out). The day before I reviewed a lot of material about mind and everything that connected to it, and thought that I would probably write an essay related to dreams, like interpretations and stuff. May be I should have... In this case it could have been more interesting for me and for Scott, but when I saw the question about the energy source, I thought it will be easier to write. So, I changed my mind, and wrote an essay about the geothermal. I decided, since it is a final -more importantly is to follow the rules and do not try to write something extremely interesting! I have only one regret, I wish I could review this topic one more time yesterday. But, hopefully everything will be fine with it ( fingers crossed). Monday is going to be also very intense, I have 2 exams: the reading exam and also the oral interview. I must stay positive and believe that everything is going to be fine! I will rest tomorrow and will obtain some energy from sport ( Maja, don't forget about scatting tomorrow) and on Sunday I will review some reading strategies! I am so tired and need a lot of energy to finish the exams! I wonder, what is the best source of energy for humans? Food and sleeping is obvious, but what else? Good mood, sports and fresh air I believe. I guess, I could write an essay about it. It would be more interesting, imagine my thesis statement: Positive thinking, sport and fresh air are the best sources of energy which a person needs in order to be strong and survive in this world ......ha-ha Do you agree? So get some extra energy for yourself during this weekend. OK, I wish everybody a good weekend and a lot of luck in the upcoming tests!

CATS or DOGS?

The finals are approaching and only a few days left till the writing exam which is the most challenging one. Scott said that he might give us a topic to compare things ( contrast or comparison essay), so today I decided to practice a little bit and compare cats with dogs -kind of childish, but useful. Moreover, I couldn't resist and wanted to dedicate at least one column to cats -my favorite creatures. I do like dogs too , but cats - I just adore them, may be I was a cat in my previous life or just because I have always had cats since my early childhood, I don't know. What I know - they are smart, sweet, graceful pets who possess the greatest qualities in the world. One who says that dogs are superior to cats, I won't argue, I will say - may be, but any way it's debatable. We can't say for sure who is better, it is silly, but I want to present some benefits of having a cat over a dog from my personal point of view. Unlike dogs, cats are usually indoor pets and don't have to go out. It means two things. First- you don't have to get up early in the morning in order to walk a dog( imagine if it's freezing outside) as well as to find time to do it in the evening. Second- if you decide to take a trip ( up to 3 days), you can easily leave a cat along at home with no fear, you just have to provide him/her food, water and a litter box. Isn't it simple? In contrast to cats, dogs cannot be along at home more than a day, they are not independent as cats. Another special quality of cats is that they have an ability to reduce stress. I think it has been proved that they have a special influence on people, they actually reduce blood pressure!!! Have you heard an expression - "therapy cats" who can cure? Honestly, when you are patting a cat, you feel relaxed and get the feeling like all your stresses flow out. Although dogs might also have these abilities, I believe that cats are more tranquil than dogs. Many people say dogs are smarter, however if you have a goal to train your cat, it is absolutely possible. Similar to a dog, a cat can understand perfectly your intentions or feelings. Also, both dogs and cats are very loyal to their owners. OK, in conclusion I must say that in spite of the big responsibility, having a pet is a great joy. Each person chooses according to his/her preferences, but I am definitely more attracted to cats rather than dogs. They are sooooooooo cute!