Personal Development Program

Personal Development Program

In the first studying semester we were introduced to the subject "Personal Developing Program". From my point of view, it is an important course which helps students to arrange and control their own educational and general lifetime process.

During the course many interesting topics would be covered such as recording your achievements and development progress in a portfolio; thinking about your experiences and reflecting on how to improve for the next time; understanding how you study and work, identifying how you could improve; planning your studies; identifying your future goals, aspirations and dreams; setting goals to facilitate actions and others.

I hope that in the end of the course I will learn how to manage my personal time successfully and how to learn efficiently reaching all the set goals spending less time and effort.

Boot Camp

On the 24-25th of September we had our first trip together with another international group from the first studying year. The main purpose of the Boot Camp, as I think, was cultivating team spirit through experiencing and practicing cross-cultural communication.

As the camp was situated on the island there was no electricity and everything should be done by ourselves including chopping wood for warmimg the houses, cooking food and finding activities that were not related to different types of electronics.

Speking about our group development I would like to say that at the beginning we were difinitely at the stage of forming. It is the initial stage of group development when the group members first come in contact with others and get acquainted with each other. But after the Boot Camp we reached the norming stage where the group members become closer to each other and the group starts functioning as a cohesive unit.

I wish we have more activities of the similar type as they help us to open in front of other people, go through new experiences, make friends and of course improve ourselves.

Many thanks to the teachers for organising the Boot Camp.

Presentations from the Students Studying Abroad

Our university provides students with the opportunity of studying abroad for a semester or the whole academic year. During the first weeks of studies we had several presentations from the students who participated in this program.We learnt information about different universities.

From my point of view, studying abroad is a life-changing experience which gives you a chance to see the world (or at least a part of it), make new friends, learn new cultures, traditions and languages and, of course, improve yourself and develop as an independent personality. Simultaniously, students can complete studies and get credits which will be transfered after coming back to your own university.

Studying abroad provides students with an advantage in the workplace. As employers seek university graduates who are adept at communication, fearless, with strong problem-solving skills, they are often drawn to candidates whose resumes boast a study abroad experience.

It would be great if every student (who wants of course) can participate in this program as the adventure of studying abroad encourages an open mindset, an attitude that welcomes challenges, and a spirit of problem-solving and self-confidence.

Learning Style Inventory

In this week I was supposed to go through the test that helps to understand what kind of personality I am.

Here is the link for my results:

http://www.outofservice.com/bigfive/results/?oR=0.775&cR=0.75&eR=0.719&aR=0.75&nR=0.219  

According to the results of the test I am relatively opened to new experiences, well-organized and reliable. Also, I am social and enjoy the company of others and tend to consider the feelings of others. And it is true that I try to remain calm, even in tense situations.

To summ up, Iwould like to say, that this test gave the results which are close to my own understanding of me as a personality.

Personality Test

It is not an easy matter to say what kind of personality you are. So there is a great number of personality tests avaliable in books, magazines and, of course, the Internet. Through one of these tests i have gone this week. And it turned out to be quite a controvercial test as there were only two answers to each question. The answers were opposite in their meanings and it was difficult to refer yourself to one of the groups in some cases.

So here are my results:

Your personality type: "Laid-back Doer"

People-oriented and fun-loving, they make things more fun for others by their enjoyment. Living for the moment, they love new experiences. They dislike theory and impersonal analysis. Interested in serving others. Likely to be the center of attention in social situations. Well-developed common sense and practical ability.

Careers that could fit you include:

Actors, painters, comedians, sales representatives, teachers, counselors, social workers, child care, fashion designers, interior decorators, consultants, photographers, musicians, human resources managers, clerical supervisors, coaches, factory supervisors, food service workers, receptionists, recreation workers, religious educators, respiratory therapists.

Culture Shock

Culture shock can be described as the physical and emotional discomfort one suffers when coming to live in another country or a place different from the place of origin. It is the feeling of not knowing what to do or how to do things in a new environment, and not knowing what is appropriate or inappropriate.

There are several symptoms of culture shock such as homesickness, boredom, withdrawal, excessive sleep, compulsive eating/drinking, irritability, stereotyping host nationals, hostility towards host nationals.

If one has been living in another country for a long time another difficulty can appear.