Wednesday 31 August 2016

Involve me and I learn – presentation of the final products to our parents and teachers

On Wednesday, 15th June 2016, we presented our project to some of the teachers and parents as part of the 7th panel. We already presented our project to other students and teachers at the end of November 2015, when we had panels about the 6 participating countries and their schools.
This time, we decided to decorate one of the classrooms and present our final thoughts to our parents and teachers. Since the project finished at the end of August 2016 and we already visited all of the participating countries, we wanted our guests to see what we had been doing for the past two years. The whole presentation was carried out by us, students, and we also prepared some sweets for everyone invited. 





First, we presented what our final products were – the Good Practice Guide, the Career Guide and the Comparative Analysis of Participating Schools. Then, the students who went to Trieste presented their opinion of the school there, as well as people and the whole experience of staying abroad. They also told us something about what it was like hosting foreign students in Ljubljana. Next, the 7 girls who went to Iceland explained what it was like and what they liked about the school they visited. The students who went to Greece shared their experience and told us a bit about the school in Elefsina. Finally, the students who went to Spain presented the school in Cartagena and what they liked there. At the end, the teacher thanked the students for being so cooperative and well-behaved during the past two years; the teachers for helping with the project; the parents for supporting us; and the principal for giving us the opportunity to be part of Involve me and I learn project.
We also mentioned all of the activities we had done, and reminded the visitors that they can find all of the information about our project on our school’s webpage and our blog. 







With this event our Involve me and I learn project finished. If you are interested in our opinion about the whole project and activities we carried out during the past two years, you can check out our final vlog: VLOG #9

Monday 25 January 2016

STUDYING ABROAD

Picture I
Applying to college can be a stressful experience, but with some guidelines and help from others, you can have a pleasant experience even if you are planning to study abroad. The purpose of this abstract is to present my opinion on how to decide for the right study abroad. Unfortunately, I do not have any personal experience, but I am really interested in studying abroad. That is why I have already read a lot of information about what to expect when moving to a foreign country. The best advice I can give you is to be curious, and seek opinions and information relevant to you. You can find almost everything on-line. Here are the links to the websites I used while thinking about my future life abroad:




I wrote a lot more for my classmates, but it is in Slovene. If you have any questions after browsing through the above mentioned pages, let us know!

Picture I source: http://rlv.zcache.com/education_is_the_foundation_poster-r5bdbd84dd2b048239b413e0c09fddd8d_w2j_8byvr_324.jpg

Thursday 21 January 2016

Your First Interview

Before the interview

-    Find out as much as you can about the job beforehand. Ask the job centre or employment agency for as much information as possible.
-    Jot down your qualifications and experience and think about how they relate to the job. Why should the employer employ you and not somebody else?
-    Choose your interview clothing with care; no one is going to employ you if you look as though you’ve wandered out of a disco. Whether you like it or not, appearance counts.
-    Make sure you know where the interview office is and how to get there. Be on time, or better, a few minutes early.
-    Bring a pen; you will probably be asked to fill in an application form. Answer all the questions as best as you can. And write neatly. The interviewer will be looking at the application during the interview; he or she must be able to read it.
-    Have a light meal to eat, and go to the toilet. If you don’t, you may well be thinking about your inside during the interview.
-    DON’T ever walk into the interview chewing gum or sucking on a sweet.
-    DON’T forget to bring with you any school certificates, samples of your work or letters of recommendation from your teachers or anyone else you might have worked part-time for.

 During the interview

-    The interview is designed to find out more about you and to see if you are suitable for the job. The interviewer will do this by asking you questions. The way you answer will show what kind of person you are and if your education, skills and experience match what they’re looking for.
-    Make a real effort to answer every question the interviewer asks. Be clear and concise. Never answer ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ or shrug.
-    Admit it if you do not know something about the more technical aspects of the job. Stress that you are willing to learn.
-    Show some enthusiasm when the job is explained to you. Concentrate on what the interviewer is saying, and if he or she asks you if you have any questions, have at least one ready to show that you’re interested and have done your homework.
-    Sell yourself. This doesn’t mean exaggerating (you’ll just get caught out) or making your experience or interests seem unimportant.
-    Ask questions at the close of the interview. For instance, about the pay, hours, holidays, or if there is a training programme.
-    DON’T forget to shake hands with the interviewer.
-    DON’T sit down until you are invited to.
-    DON’T give the interviewer a hard time by giggling, yawning, rambling on unnecessarily or appearing cocky or argumentative.
-    DON’T ever stress poor aspects of yourself, like your problem of getting up in the morning. Always show your best side: especially your keenness to work and your sense of responsibility. 

After the interview

-    At the end of the interview, thank your interviewer. Calling or sending a letter or e-mail to say thank you can also help to remind the employer of your enthusiasm (a thank-you letter).
-    Think about how you presented yourself: could you have done better? If so, and if you do not get the job, you can be better prepared when you are next called for an interview.


Source: Jones, Leo: New Progress to First Certificate, Cambridge University Press, 1997