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Beyond the Books: A Year of Growth and Discovery

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Beyond the Books: A Year of Growth and Discovery

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Over the past year, I’ve begun developing new skills that have helped me grow both personally and creatively. One of the biggest changes has been writing articles, something I never imagined I’d have the confidence to do. Putting my thoughts into words and sharing them has been empowering, and it's a skill I’m excited to continue developing.

Being part of the HerCampus society, and being elected as General Secretary, has further strengthened my confidence. It’s pushed me to research and write about topics I find both personal and important. This experience has inspired me to pursue journalism opportunities and contribute to other publications, which has helped me grow in both creativity and self-belief.

I’ve also recently begun practicing yoga and Pilates. These practices have taught me more than just physical strength and flexibility, they’ve shown me how to slow down, breathe, and look after my wellbeing. Having just completed my third year of university, these moments of calm have been a lifesaver, helping me take care of both my mind and body during a high-pressure time.

Looking ahead, one of my biggest goals is to learn Polish. My family is Polish, and being able to speak the language would mean so much, not only in terms of connecting with my heritage, but also for communicating directly with relatives in Ukraine without relying on my dad to translate. I’ve attempted to learn Polish several times, and although I’ve found it challenging, I know how meaningful and rewarding it will be to finally bridge that gap and strengthen those family ties.

These skills, both new and ongoing, are part of a wider learning journey that has extended far beyond academics. Alongside the knowledge I’ve gained through my degree, I’ve also developed confidence, resilience, and a deeper sense of self through exploring new interests and personal challenges. This journey has enriched every area of my life, from creativity and communication to wellbeing and self-expression, and it has shaped not only my progression, but also my joy and outlook for the future.

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Example blog page I created using a YouTube tutorial

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Perpetual Curiosity: My Ongoing Learning Journey

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Perpetual Curiosity: My Ongoing Learning Journey

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I'm always learning how to do new things; It is something that has always excited me.

In the past, I have learnt about a variety of different topics up to a range of different skill levels. This includes French (which I learnt through Duolingo), HTML & CSS for website building, and tap dance.

It is always interesting to find out more about a topic - and slowly become more confident with using it - until you can create new things. A notable example of this, is my work with website building. Amongst other projects, it has enabled me to create a finance tracker which, although its very basic and not the nicest looking software I've ever used, is able to make sure that I stick within budget.

At the moment, I'm learning about several different topics. Some are more related to my studies than others. I've got a real interest in productivity and metalearning so I'm constantly reading articles on tips for being more efficient or suggestions for a more effective learning strategy. On top of this, I've begun to delve into data science and analytics; it is really interesting to see how you can use computer programming tools like Python to view trends in data and to make conclusions about real life scenarios. I've been fortunate enough to get a free trial of DataCamp which I have been thoroughly enjoying. It has a lot of practical exercises and simple lessons that develop my understanding and allow me to constantly learn new ways of managing data.

I have lots of other smaller projects on the go as well including learning how Jupyter Notebooks and Jupyter books work for better Python display, looking into LaTeX to improve on my mathematical notation, and developing my HTML, CSS and JavaScript skills to hopefully build my own personal website in the near future.

Although maybe not the best strategy for learning, I like to have several projects at the same time as it allows me to always have something new/exciting to look forward to, and I am constantly picking up on new connections between topics. I love having those "light bulb" moments you get when you suddenly see how two different subjects can click into place.

Above all, I find that learning a little bit more about the everyday objects and processes around you can lead to a more fulfilling and curiosity-enriched life.

In the future, I would obviously like to continue to develop the skills that I am already in the process of learning, but I am always open to new (and interesting) topics that could provide a new perspective on what I do.

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A blog page with navigation bar along the top including "Home", "About", "Projects", and "Contact" pages. Image of man on the right side with his description, link to social media pages, and button to "Download CV" on the left side.

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A girl (me) with red cap, black long shirt, and tiny daisy flower skirt in the middle of trees. 

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How lucky I am to get to know myself  over and over again!

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How lucky I am to get to know myself  over and over again!

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"I am confident that I have great emotional management, as I can acknowledge my own critical point." It was my answer during my scholarship interview prior to coming to the UK. With a confident tone, eyes straight to the man before me, emphasising that I am more than capable. Untouchable.

Until living in the UK humbled me.

I thought I had known, but in fact, I know NONE. I know nothing about myself. I even barely recognise my own self after coming to the UK.

During my study here, 90% of my time was well spent with myself. I got to know her motion, her intention, her loud process of thinking, her hesitation, her ambition, her dread, her depressing phase, her happiness over Sainsbury's pizza or Kokoro's spicy chicken or vegan ramen in the city centre, her physical scar she got due to the winter, and her choice on what to wear on Friday morning.

It was frustrating every time I knew the other side of myself. Every layer revealed was similar to a failure. Funny thing, it was never even the competition in the first place. Why do I think that is a failure?

One day, my friend wrote about the tree. The tree has been in the same place, but its root was busy growing in silence. Their leaves were calmly producing oxygen. They are not loud. They have been working hard in silence, no spotlight, no applause. But their presence has always been a blessing.

Maybe the tree and human also shared the same growth framework. We are not a failure just because there is another layer of ourselves revealed. Maybe we, as humans, our newborn emotions were similar to the new tiny roots making way for themselves seeking nutrients.

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Dia duit, I'm currently learning the Irish language. I'm from Ireland, so I took it as a subject in school but it never interested me much, but now I'm really enthusiastic.

It's also fascinating because it's a rare language that was mostly stamped out by the British, a key piece of culture that only survived in isolated corners of Ireland. Now it's having a revival in popular culture, and it's really a movement towards decolonialisation. Speaking Irish on the street in Nottingham feels thrilling, a rare act that has probably barely happened before.

There's a saying in Irish:

Tír gan teanga, tír gan ainm.

A country without a language, is a country without a name.

Language is so important.