Language learning

Language learning is a long process that last trough life. You don’t just learn in school, you learn throughout your live, especially when it comes to languages. My own English learning journey began first in school, but the biggest improvements have come outside the classroom, through daily habits, personal motivation, and real-world use.

I’ve found that immersion is one of the most effective and most important ways to learn a foreign language. Watching series in English, listening to music and podcasts, and reading books and articles have helped me understand the language better. I also write in English, whether it's blog posts like this or other schoolwork. It helps me improve my English and expand my vocabulary. One tool I’ve used during this term is Grammarly, which gives real-time grammar corrections and helps me reflect on my writing.

For future ECIP students, I recommend finding ways to make English part of your everyday life. For example, switch your phone or social media to English, watch series and movies, or follow creators who speak English. These small habits add up. Also, don’t be afraid to make mistakes, language learning is not about perfection. If possible, speak English aloud, even to yourself. It improves fluency and confidence. The thing that helped me was that I have made some English-speaking friends and that way I have had to use my English in real life.

After this course, I’ll continue learning by watching videos and other content in English, writing a in English, and speaking English. I have also considered doing an exchange year.

In future careers, English will be more and more essential. Especially in fields that do some kind of international work.

To sum up, learning English has been and continues to be a lifelong journey. With curiosity and consistent effort, it becomes not just a skill, but a tool for connection, growth, and opportunity.

Visual design

Hello again readers and welcome back! For this blog post, I chose to review article The Fundamentals of Visual Design and Why You Need It by Maria Balus because the topic really interests me. Visual design plays an essential role in creating effective user experiences. As someone interested in visual design, this article was intriguing.

The article discusses visual design and its significance in user experience (UX). It explains how design elements such as colors, imagery, typography, and layout guide user interactions.

One of the key points that the author states is the idea that visual design isn’t just about making something look aesthetically pleasing but is also about optimizing the interaction between user and the product. Well- structured layout can allow users to navigate software more easily.

The author talks about “visual hierarchy” which I found interesting. The idea that the arrangement of visual elements can influence user’s behavior is something that I personally hadn't considered before. The author gives good examples like how website designers use size, color and spacing to emphasize certain features like buttons or links. I agree with the author’s perspective that visual design is a fundamental aspect of UX design.

Overall, I found the article engaging and well-structured, with enough examples to clarify the concepts. Since I’m not a visual design major, the article gave me a lot of new perspectives. I chose this article because I learn best when I am truly interested in the subject—if the topic doesn’t engage me, studying becomes more difficult. Reading texts like this also helps improve my English skills, as I rarely read longer articles in English. My goal is to enhance both my reading and writing abilities, and I believe that writing a chapter review is a good way to improve my skills. In the future I want to read more texts like this!

 My Project

Hello again! Last time, I shared a little about visual design and its importance.

Today, I want to tell you about my greatest project—discovering the joy of watercolor painting. Through this journey, I found my love for art. I have always enjoyed art lessons and drawing since I was little. In school, art was my favorite subject, but I never thought much of it, and I was pretty average at drawing and painting.

It all started in eighth grade when my grandma had her birthday. I decided to make her a birthday card. I had some inexpensive watercolors and used them to paint flowers. Surprisingly, it turned out well! When I gave the card to my grandma, both she and my grandpa loved it. In fact, they loved it so much that they framed it, and it still hangs on their wall today.

A few days later, my grandpa surprised me with a set of high-quality watercolors. Ever since then, I have been painting—and I still use that same set today.

Art is a journey. Over the past six years, I have learned a lot and improved my skills, yet there is always more to explore. I want to learn new techniques and develop my creative thinking. One day, I hope to study visual design because it would be a great addition to my education. My goal is to work in visual design for companies, combining it with my background in information processing to open up new career opportunities.

Sometimes, I feel unsure of myself. I look at other people’s work and feel like they are more skilled than I am. But I remind myself that feeling stuck or lost is normal, and everyone experiences it at some point. You are not alone.

Life doesn’t have to be so serious. If you haven’t had a big project in your life yet, there’s still plenty of time. Don’t stress about it. It’s easy to compare yourself to others, but the best thing you can do is focus on your own progress. Do your best, and most importantly—just give it a try!

Introduction and Goals 

You might be asking yourself, "What does visual design have to do with information processing?" Well, probably more than you think. Visual design is the art of making digital content look good and easy to use. It combines different elements like color, fonts, and images to create a good user experience. Almost any product can be broken down into fundamental elements of visual design, from software products such as apps and websites to hardware products like toasters and hairdryers. 

My goal is to improve my writing skills through this blog. I never really knew what I wanted to become or study—I didn’t have a dream career in mind. However, I always enjoyed art, painting, drawing, and crafts, so I wanted to incorporate that interest into my future career. At the same time, I wanted a job that would pay well. That’s why I decided to study information processing and learn about software development, hoping to one day work in visual design for software companies. 

I’m still learning about this field, and I welcome you to learn with me in a judgment-free space. If you share the same interests as me, I’m sure this blog is just for you. But even if you don’t, it's always good to expand your horizons and gain new perspectives. So, I warmly welcome you to my blogging journey!