During my three years at the University of Liverpool, I was awarded three prizes for the best overall performance in German, which were great achievements for me.
The magic of languages
After studying German for five years in my Italian upper-secondary school, I decided to continue at university as well. I have always been fascinated by languages and the opportunity they give to live in another country, engage with its culture and its people on a deeper level. This has been the reason that kept me motivated throughout my academic years.
In fact, when I started learning German grammar, I felt like everything was all over the place. But then, once all the pieces came together, it all made sense and that was an amazing feeling. So, keep going!
How I won the prizes
Both in my upper-secondary school and at university I always had great teachers who pushed me to work hard. In fact, I was given tasks that challenged me and made me learn new words and expressions.
Furthermore, attending classes and, most importantly, getting involved in the discussions, is essential. It can be daunting to speak a foreign language in the classroom; however, remember that you are all there to improve your language skills. Chances are that your classmates are also feeling insecure and are afraid to be judged. Teachers will certainly correct you, because this is the only way you can improve, but they will truly appreciate your effort in trying and will always encourage you to continue doing so.
Moreover, the workload can sometimes be overwhelming and, even though you will not get all the work done, try your best to engage with the material, so that you will be able to contribute to the discussion in class, instead of keeping quiet because you do not know anything about the topic.
Personally, I have always put effort in the written exercises, where I had time to find words and expressions that I could reuse in oral discussions. In my free time, I tried to immerse myself in the language using films, TV series, podcasts and YouTube videos. Find something you like and do not feel guilty if the content is not educational: a lot of videos I watch are made by girls who film their day-to-day life.
Three prizes: so, what?
Winning these prizes has massively boosted my confidence, both as a person and as a language student, because they proved to me that my study method was effective. Besides, they are an important achievement to add on the CV, as they show your consistency and dedication towards your goals. I am extremely happy and honoured to have been awarded these prizes and this was also possible thanks to my teachers and their constant support.
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