Students' Healthy Lifestyle Guide

Students’ life is really highly-charged because these young people should manage to do a lot of tasks simultaneously. However, among attending the lectures, preparing their homework, getting full marks, passing exams, and maintaining a social life, it can be difficult for students to find time to maintain a healthy lifestyle. As a result, they are at risk of fatigue, losing their appetite, eating disorder, obesity, and even can be diagnosed with heart diseases. I read diverse feature articles, observed the behaviour of my peers, watched chat shows, and arrived at a decision that there are Top 4 causes which may affect drastically and lead to health problems.

Number one is unhealthy diet. It’s common knowledge that students always run out of time. That’s why they often prefer junk imperishable food to organic food. However, it’s not a sensible decision. The fact is that the ready meals or processed food are overfill of a great diversity of food additives and actually are GM food. That’s why it’s better to avoid eating greasy chips, hamburgers, and stodgy food even if you are starving. Students should also try not to drink soft drinks because they are high in sugar and fructose corn syrup. If a person consumes these products regularly, he/ she may face the prospect of food poisoning, obesity, and even heart attack. Moreover, students should also bear in mind to have a hearty breakfast but not a quick snack. The entire meal should be done to a turn and it would be perfect if it’ll be home-cooked food. Just be smart and eat smart!

The second problem is connected with pernicious habits. Students should avoid excessive smoking and alcohol intake. Girls also shouldn’t go on liquid diets, take diet pills, and other diet supplements because it may cause eating disorder. Keep in mind that ONLY doctors could prescribe you some tablets.

The third one is sedentary lifestyle. Unfortunately, a lot of students don’t have even a rough idea of fitness and work-out. After a busy day at university they don’t have a burning desire to do some exercises. However, they should have second thoughts. Students may take up simple exercises such as calf-rise, crunch, flutter, sit-up, jogging, etc. Doing exercises and following a fitness program is an excellent way not only to keep fit and burn the calories up but also to improve their endurance, fill themselves with positive emotions, and unwind after a hectic day.

The last but not least is lack of adequate sleep. A vast majority of students burn the midnight oil in order to pass exams with flying colours. However, they shouldn’t make a tough choice and go without sleep. Sleeping at least eight hours a night will help promote regular glucose metabolism and limit weight gain.

By and large, students should take to these pieces of advice in order to be given a chance to increase their longevity.

Connections

Don’t Judge a Book by Its Cover

I know Rosy from early childhood when she was a dumpy girl and had chubby cheeks with freckles, a slightly upturned nose, and sleek ginger hair. I always admired her because she was as good as gold, a real know-all and the top of class. Moreover, she was trustworthy and never turned down my requests for help. Unfortunately, I don’t keep in mind a day when I struck up a friendship with her but 11 years of studying together at school only cemented it. Nowadays, we both are the second-year students and, as you may guess, we are close friends. Nothing has changed in Rosy over the years except for her appearance but she became even better. She is tall now, has curly auburn hair and a slender waist.

One day I invited Rosy round for a dinner. I knew that Jim, our mutual acquaintance, had asked her out. That’s why I couldn’t wait to know the details of their date. However, when she came to me and couldn’t keep her temper I understood that something went wrong.

However, it was a life lesson not only for Rosy. This story also made useful contributions to my life. All in all, you should be very sensible in order not to suffer the consequences later because love at first sight can sometimes fall short of expectation.

His story, Her story

Oleksandr Dovzhenko

The man I would like to tell you about made a breakthrough in the film industry and won the respect of the whole world. Needless to say that he also made useful contributions to the development of Ukrainian literature and cinema. Serhiy Eisenstein said that he was a new man of cinema, a master of his genre, a master of his individuality. It was Oleksandr Dovzhenko.

Oleksandr Dovzhenko was born on September 10, 1894 in the village Viunyshche, Sosnytsia district, Chernihiv Governorate in the Russian Empire. In 1911 he applied to Hlukhiv Teachers’ Institute, and after graduation in 1914 he worked as a teacher.  That time he also became an activist of Ukrainian independence movement. In 1917 he wanted to serve in the army but he didn’t go to the war because he had military service exemption certificate. That’s why, he decided to apply to Kyiv Commercial Institute where he had the ability to get a scholarship. However, his hopes were dashed because he didn’t gain good marks there and his attempts to study failed miserably. In 1918 he also took part in anti-conscription protest with other students who didn’t want to join the army of Ukrainian Hetman Pavlo Skoropadsky. He assisted in civil unrests and military operations against the Bolsheviks, was the prisoner of concentration camp, and then was taken prisoner during the Polish-Soviet War in 1920. For 2 years Dovzhenko was working as a diplomat and had a lot of influence. His job encompassed diverse activities such as meeting with councillors, signing treaties, negotiating agreement for the exchange of prisoners of war, etc.

When Oleksandr Dovzhenko was thirty-three years old, he decided to try and become a film director.  His film Zvenyhora came out in 1928 and attracted interest of critics. The next one was Arsenal which made a bad impression on Ukrainians because it looked like pro-communist publicity campaign. However, his masterpiece Earth (1930) caused a sensation and European film makers took Dovzhenko seriously. Unfortunately, it produced the opposite effect on Soviet critics who found the film Earth counter-revolutionary. Dovzhenko suffered the consequences and it was difficult not to lose his nerve because he had to make films about Soviet industrialisation. The outcome was predictable and his film Ivan was doomed to failure.

In 1941 Dovzhenko was awarded the Stalin Prize for the film Shchors. During World War II he also served as a wartime journalist for the Red Army. It is my firm conviction that he made a considerable contribution to Ukrainian history because a vast number of his unique shots helped military historians to reconstruct the course of events of World War II. He didn’t miss the point and showed the horror of war, fierce fighting, underlying causes of the dismal failures, etc.

One of his crowning achievements was creating a new genre of literature which was an adapted screenplay. In 1955 Oleksandr Dovzhenko wrote his famous autobiographical novel Zacharovana Desna. Unfortunately, he ran out of time to make a screen version of it and enjoy the fruits of his hard work. Talented Ukrainian writer, film director, and screenwriter passed away on November 25, 1956. A year later, the Kyiv Film Studios was named after him in his honour.

On the Move

Dear Victoria,

Thank you so much for your support, useful pieces of advice and sorry for not writing for so long. How are you and your family? Hope everything is going well. Since my family and I have immigrated to the USA a lot of things have changed. I’ve got so much to tell you!

To begin with, it was 1916 when my family began to plan that long journey overseas. We had no desire to leave our native land. However, we decided to flee the war and seek refuge in the USA in order not to be uprooted from Budapest. In advance of our departure we made some travel arrangements. For example: we packed in our luggage some cloth, shoes and food, bought tickets on the steamship, etc. The next day our family was on the board. We showed our passports, skipper stamped them, and we set off.

When you told me about your unique experience of immigrating, you mentioned that it was important to be very careful with whatever we brought. That’s why, we didn’t chill out and kept a close watch on our luggage. Before our arrival we passed through health and legal inspections at Ellis Island.

We visited a series of inspectors. However, the most strange and terrifying for me was an “eye man” who turned up my eyelids. My parents told me later that he did it only to ensure that eyes were healthy. Finally, after 2 weeks of tiring voyage we docked in New York. When I disembarked from the steamship, I saw that the port was not off the beaten track. Mind you, there was a stunning view of vibrant city from the quay.

Nowadays my family and I live in tenement apartment building in the Lower East Side.

Frankly speaking, I thought that for the first time we would be stranded because there would be prejudice against our ethnic minority and it would be difficult to find a job. As it happened, it was only stereotypical myth. At first, my parents and I were working in the clothing factory, while my 2 younger brothers were working as newsies. Today, our daily life is the same as in your family. We have our own workshop and sew ornamental cloth. We also do our bit at home. For instance: when my mom and I do the laundry and cook, my father with my brothers get the coal, sweep and mop. Probably, you remember our flat. Nothing has changed and there are still bedroom, parlour, and kitchen. We also put aside some money and bought a stove. If to talk about pastime, I can’t say that I often laze around. However, if I have free time I like to go for a wander in the open air. I also bear in mind the first time when you showed me the Nickelodeon and we watched a movie with Charlie Chaplin. I still go there with my brothers once or twice in a month. Of course, sometimes I have nostalgia for my native country but I’ve already got accustomed to my new life.

Well, that’s all for now. Please write back and tell me all your news. I hope we’ll get in touch as quick as possible. Take care!

All the best

Yours,

Frederika

  

News Travels Fast

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Education Matters

Nelson Mandela said, “Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world” and I absolutely agree with him. It is my firm conviction that each person, who wants to make the grade, grasps the importance of education. It is common knowledge that if you want to get education, you have to attend an educational establishment. However, what is the aim of modern education and how teachers can enhance children’s thirst for knowledge?

Opinions are divided… For the great majority of people from the old school children should hit the books and cram boring set texts in order to become teacher’s pets and get full marks. The teacher’s aim of the lesson is only to give the pupils a rough idea of the subject. The other side of the coin is that there are people who keep up with time and have different train of thought. For example: it was a great pleasure for me to listen to Dr Sugata Mitra and Sir Ken Robinson who gave TED talks.

I couldn’t agree more with Dr Sugata Mitra that a lot of schools are obsolete and produce the people who must be identical to each other.

In my opinion, teachers make an unforgivable mistake, when they teach children what to think but not how to think. I also like his idea about children and the Hole in the Wall. Unfortunately, there are a lot of gifted children in the Third World countries who haven’t access to education. To my mind, such streetside computers may help them to acquire knowledge easier. Furthermore, the Granny Cloud may also be very useful because of self-organization of the educational process.

I also bear in mind the lecture of Sir Ken Robinson. It’s true that teachers are the lifeblood of the success of schools. However, being a teacher is a natural talent because this person should demonstrate an ability to cover a lot of ground in a 45-minute lesson. Anyway, children’s concentration in class may wander. That’s why, I take the view that it is also important to prepare a lesson full of absorbing and cognitive material in order to light the spark of curiosity in pupils and keep their attention.

By and large, schools play an important role in educational process and we cannot put an equality sign between the human teachers and computers. It is said, “Practice makes perfect” and there is always room for improvement. 

Final Blogpost

Hello to everyone! This is my last but not least blog post in this trimester in which I would like to share my brief summary of this three fulfilling months with you. I’m in jubilant mood and cannot suppress my feelings. Anyway, actions speak louder than words. So, let me encroach upon a few minutes of your attention.

To tell you the truth, my expectations were not undermined. Of course, I knew that I would face the prospect of deluge of tasks and shortfall in time. However, I didn’t jump into conclusions because I was sure that I would fit in with a hectic schedule, and a real effort would be worthwhile. Mind you, my heart told me the truth. Our vocabulary classes were overwhelmed with absorbing material and tasks which we had to accomplish. I tried to prioritize this subject because I knew, “Practice makes perfect.” During this productive period of time I learned how to write blog posts, use online tools, etc. Moreover, I can definitely say that now it is not a considerable difficulty for me to google useful collocations because I became acquainted with such web-sites as www.netspeak.org, www.just-the-word.com, fraze.it, etc. Our instructor fostered initiative, so I didn’t stifle creativity and had a train of thought, while editing the newspaper and creating speaking avatar which “offered” a lucrative job with the benefits package.

I like that there were related topics in English practice and Vocabulary because it helped me not to lose track of the necessary stream of information which we got on a daily basis. I jotted down tons of new words and expressions, and mounted up their quantity in my notebook. I also tried not to bury my head in the sand, but to use my active vocabulary in different dialogues and group projects. As it is said, “Two heads are better than one”. Our classes were a classic example of this proverb because we had true team spirit, mutual respect, a moral boost, and productive cooperation with each other. That’s why I can say that my progress is a common goal.

I wish we had more opportunities to watch some videos, or short movies related to the topics. To my mind, it would also help the students not to misinterpret the meaning and correct usage of the words. By and large, I have a clear insight into this course now and anticipate its continuing. I hope we will not procrastinate our next meeting!