I’d like to start by saying that this semester is definitely going to be different from the first, especially in terms of organization. I plan to be more organized with my university work and study time because I don’t think I managed it as well as I expected in the first semester, so procrastination is something I absolutely want to get rid of in this new part.

I’m really excited about what’s coming, especially in phonetics, which is my favorite subject. I can’t wait to learn new and interesting contents. I also hope to keep improving my speaking skills and self-confidence so that I can express what I feel and want to say (I had a hard time finding the right words in the first semester). Additionally, in this new phase, I hope to get better with punctuation because, for me, it was the most difficult subject, my grades weren’t that bad, but they weren’t good either, so I’d like to enhance my writing skills to prevent this from being an issue. Furthermore, one of my goals is to expand my vocabulary more. As I’ve mentioned many times, when I’m having a conversation, I often can’t remember the right words, ending and not being able to express my thoughts about something, I can watch an entire movie in English and understand everything, but when I try to express myself, the words just don’t come! haha, but overall, I have high expectations for what’s coming, and I can see that my classmates do too. I hope that by the end of the year, finding the right words won’t be a common problem for me, so I’ll keep working harder and harder to achieve this.

Last but not least, I would like to have a better sleep schedule and a healthier diet. Due to the holidays, I begin the habit of falling asleep late at night and started eating less healthy food. These bad habits can affect my university performance, which I don’t like at all, so I need to make a change.

First semester of many. Wow! Time flies.

To begin with, I’ve always liked languages, and English has always been my favorite. So, when I finally got here to study what I really love, it was a dream come true. Let me tell you, what’s better than doing what you love, right? I’m very happy and comfortable here. It’s a really good environment, I have very kind and friendly classmates, and that keeps me motivated and dedicated. I would like to stay focused on what I really want, so I plan to keep moving forward without looking back and always giving my best.

I’ve had really good experiences during these weeks, both socially and academically, and I’m very satisfied with my performance. However, there is something I’ve been dealing with in the last few weeks and it’s procrastination. Although I haven’t gotten bad grades, I know it’s a bad habit, and I need to stop doing this in the next semesters, if not, it will become a serious problem.

Obviously, I’ve had highs and lows like all of my classmates, but I think I’ve handled them very well. I know there are still things to improve, such as my fluency and vocabulary because sometimes I can’t find the words! Haha, so I will keep working very hard on it. I know it’s my first semester, and there are more things to discover and learn, and I can’t wait!

Moreover, I have also improved in speaking and become more confident. I used to be shy about speaking English with people or in public, but thanks to the program, that shyness is going away, and I’m really happy about that. Additionally, speaking with my classmates not only helps me to keep growing in my English but also as a person and I think that’s very important.

And… The Flatmates. I think it’s the best thing that’s happened to me, haha, I’m not lying. I’ll miss Michal and Tom, and my favorite quote from Michal, which is, ”Well, that rom-com was much better than I expected, it was very romantic.” So hilarious. I had a lot of fun doing The Flatmates with Felipe and David. We laughed a lot doing it, and I think this helped us not only with pronunciation but also with intonation.

I would like to thank the professors for their work, because with what they have taught and their teaching methods, I believe that I have not only learned important things about English but also how to teach. I think this will be very useful for me as a future teacher. I’m growing in the language like I never thought I would , everything has been just as I expected it to be, so I’m very happy with where I am right now, and I hope to continue like this.

In conclusion, this semester has been full of new experiences, challenges, and memories. I have grown in the language, gained acknowledgment of the challenges I faced, and improved my language skills and confidence.