Olimpiada 2012/2013

Wow, and now I feel inadequate, I'm just chilling out right now! I don't know, it doesn't seem THAT scary to me? Actually looking forward to the oral exam - I have a knack for these and I absolutely enjoyed reading my books and analysing my poems (I've picked quite a lot of poets to present - Hughes, Cummings, Dickinson...but my favourite thing about this is the fact that I get to talk about Jack Kerouac and I'm crazy about him, so I can't wait to bombard everyone with seemingly irrelevant facts from his life.) As for the written one, well, I love translations, but the clause test is giving me nightmares...Still, we've come so far already, and that's an achievement in itself, isn't it?

Well, keeping my fingers crossed for you all - let's kick this thing's arse on Monday! :)

Hey guys, here's my advice (me being an experienced Olimpiada-taker ;))
1. Just be yourselves, try coming across as charming and smart, not as swots!!! Which means that if you do have a lot of knowledge on a subject you should be enthusiastic about it - you're not scholars yet, no need to keep a straight face :) Don't worry if they will seem to want to kill you; just be nice and charming and don't let them enjoy their (temporarily) superior position. And don't worry if you know nothing about a subject: they are not expecting you to know everything. You need to know the basics and they love it when students have fun facts prepared.
2. Tricky questions happen very often (they love them, really). Even the kind of: did you enjoy reading [a book]? -- when the book was a horrible postmodern text you coulnd't get through - then the answer is NO ;)
3. Do research on the books you chose (eg. read some critical responses, if the book is new - check out comments on Guardian if the book is discussed there http://www.guardian.co.uk/books (saved my ass)) BUT HAVE YOUR OWN OPINIONS AND DEFEND THEM
4. Don't panic, but kinda hurry in the written part - little time :( (last year it was 2h I think)
5. And as for other countries: Ireland is pretty important. Just know sth about potato blights :D Canada, Australia, New Z - not so much. Reportedly, a few years back one commitee massacred most of their students by asking questions about C, A, NZ almost solely - so it shouldn't happen again (and hasn't, since).
6. Do some sightseeing in Poznan, enjoy yourselves & good luck!!!

Auch, and sorry for the 'if' mistake :( It should go: Don't worry if they seem... My bad!

What you say is really comforting. It is extremely nice of you to cheer us up a bit, I think we all need that:) I've been rather freaking out, especially since the day is getting nearer and nearer and for me it's the last time in the olympics. Could you tell us a little bit more about the questions? Was it more like a regular interrogation? Or just a casual conversation on the topic? How long was it (approximately of course)? :)

Oh, right, I've got a question: Has anyone here read the Magus by J.Fowles? I've chosen it but the plot is so convoluted that my brain gets confused (to put it mildly) whenever I try to write a summary... Terribly heavy going book. I'm acquainted with John Fowles's life and the reasons for the inexplicably twisted plot (existentialism, Jean Paul Sartre, nanana, all those -isms...), is it enough? The movie is lousy (Woody Allen said that if he had the opportunity to live his life all over again, he would do everything exactly the same... with the exception of watching the Magus.) :D

BTW, sorry for double-posting, but: julieanne, your words have cheered me up. Thank you. You're right about the "achievement in itself". Taking the fact that over 20,000 students participated in the 1st part into consideration, being one of the top 55 should be a source of joy. :) I'm sure we will all do fine! I'm looking forward to meeting fellow Anglophiles, Americanophiles... :D.

Hey, symbolic1: While I haven't ever before participated in the English Olimpiada (lack of time :D) I can share my experience with other language olimpiadas. Neither have I ever been asked to summarize a plot nor did I have to remember details concerning the story line/characters/authors etc. Mostly, you just have to know and understand the gist of the story. They might ask you questions about the "why": Why was it written/why did the author use this kind of writing/why did something happen etc. I don't know whether it's the same with the English Olimpiada, but I most certainly hope so. :) Well, it might be different with poems but I don't believe that it is tremendously difficult to remember a few poems ;). I hope I could help :).

Oh, and one more thing: Can we basically go home after having taken the oral exam? :)

Thanks for your reply :). I haven't chosen any poems, they're not my thing, I prefer novels. :D I believe we are free to go home after the oral exam - that's what my professor and I are planning to do. There's no point staying for dinner and coming home at night, especially with me having to catch up on a pile of schoolwork *chuckles* :D

Well, I think it depends completely on where you're from. I don't know what the departure is going to look like with me... but my teacher seems to have everything planned, so let's hope for the best.
I haven't written here for a while and I am all but peaceful right now. It feels like I have an execution coming, with the date set and all. But I guess it's just my nature - never really feel like myself unless I have something to freak out about.
Don't get me wrong, the idea of being satisfied with myself being a finalist really appeals to me, the only thing holding me back is the fear of being the worst.

Nothin' to thank me for, I think we all need some cheering up right now, with what, only 3 days to go! I hope to see you all there - I'll be the girl constantly tripping over herself in her 4 inch heels :).

Also, yeah, we can go home after the oral exam on Tuesday. I wrote an e-mail to the committee and here's what I got: "Wyniki bedą na stronie internetowej ok godz. 22.00 we wtorek.
Po ustnym już nic nie będzie i można wracać do domu."

I just hope the site doesn't crash when we all start refreshing it like mad people! It'd be nice to say "veni, vidi, vici" after seeing the results ;).

Oh come on, keep your hair on! :) Nobody will taunt the 55th person. Many students dream of passing the first part! Everybody knows that the test is tricky, even experts are not infallible...I know these are the standard cliches, and I actually have a similarly pessimistic approach to such challenges, but I'm doing my best to cheer both you and myself up :D. Besides, somebody has to be the 55th, right? Poor number 55, nobody wants it. I'm picturing two fat fives sitting in a corner and crying. :D Take it easy.

Don't worry about being the last one! We all know that those tests aren't completely objective and sometimes it's luck that decides who is or isn't the last one. Moreover, just passing the first two tests is a marvelous achievement! :) And besides... have you ever read Ajahn Brahm's "Opening the Door to Your Heart. And Other Buddhist Tales of Happiness"? If you haven't, I honestly recommend it. It helps when you're dealing with depression or really any kind of blues/anxiety/self-doubts - or simply if you want to read something very honest, very moving, very thought-provoking. In one of the tales he talks about a boy who absolutely despised the fast that he was the weakest student of his class. Brahm then told him that it was actually an enormous sacrifice on his part to be the last because he spared another student the "shame". So, in fact, it was simply a good deed to be the last. And on a sidenote - the boy gained so much self-confidence that he performed much better next year and wasn't the last anymore ;). Anyways, I just wanted to say that one shouldn't worry so much about failing, as long as one does one's best - and enjoys oneself! :) What else can we expect of life? And isn't it rather desirable (and most certainly applaudable) to be proud of one's achievements and to accept oneself as one is (I abuse the word "one", honestly... :D). In my humble opinion, being able to admit one's weaknesses is actually amazing :).
Haha, sorry for this weird post. I guess I'm getting a little bored at home :D. See you all soon! :)

Don't know about you, but I am actually looking forward to talking to these guys on Tuesday. I'll baffle them with my lack of basic general knowledge on the US and turn the conversation around so that we can talk about something pleasant like cats or something. I like cats, just saying ;) I'll be so content I won't even notice their bewildered expressions and the lovely "0" mark I'll get from the exam itself. But at least I'll be memorable and enjoy myself, because after all You Only Live Once. #YOLO.
OK, so I am kidding you right now. My vision of the future is me stuck with the number 55, a disappointment I'll have to face throughout my bleak and miserable life.

Wise words - I wholeheartedly agree. I'm really looking forward to meeting such articulate, intelligent people with a flair for English:) Now it's best to lie down comfortably, take a deep breath and realize that we have all come so far and we should already rejoice, celebrate and treat the finals as another enriching experience. Being nervous is nonsensical - it only holds us back, and we're the "Brilliant 55", we can't let anything hamper our progress! :D Of course, worrying is, I'm afraid, inherent in human nature, but its destructive effects can be mitigated if we manage to persuade ourselves (our brains?) that there is nothing to be afraid of. At this point, we've got nothing to lose. And seriously, the table displaying our scores? I believe inner happiness and self-satisfaction (and what the Olympiad has given us, for example - I've added countless books to my reading list!) are much more important than numbers ;D.

"and turn the conversation around so that we can talk about something pleasant like cats or something. I like cats, just saying ;)" Me too <3 Heyyy, I turned the conversation around perfectly in January - we talked about famous Brits, so I droned on about the Beatles, started talking about the Hare Krishna movement and was about to talk about the Paul is Dead conspiracy when they interrupted me xD Their faces...

I guess we should rename this forum topic into something like Anonymous Englishmaniacs (AEMs?) because of the enormous amount of support we get and give each other. I simply love the expression 'The Brilliant 55'. In fact, that's what we are, isn't it? :D I hope we will be given some 'talking space' to fill with subjects we are obsessive about :) It would be wonderful to dwell on sth we love. Hey, we've already proven ourselves, now it's time to take pleasure in the experience :) For me it will be a nice training before my Polish presentation in May, which makes me just as nervous as the olympics. I have a feeling that if I survive this, I'll survive everything :D

@Symbolic1, my performance during the oral in January was quite similar when it comes to flooding the jury with info on one subject. I noticed once or twice how they wanted to interrupt my speaking about Dickinson's poems but I didn't let them :D And I got so excited when I was asked about famous English monarchs of my choice that I went on and on about Elizabeth I until they told me it was enough ;)

I think we will all succeed in doing so once we enter the jury's rooms :) Now I have to face another challenge. What on earth will I wear for the oral? O.O

THANK GOODNESS FOR THAT! I thought I was the only one thinking about clothes and was wondering whether I was a wee bit too preoccupied with my appearance.
(wow. That's the first time I've EVER used a Scottish phrase, you have absolutely no idea just HOW weird I'm feeling right now :) )

I have no problem with outfit whatsoever. When you see a girl in a weird uniform, it's me. I'm not going to comment on it out of "political corectness" :)
Anyway, being in the 20 doesn't really matter... since they can ask us anything. My comission completely took me aback when they demanded my views on sex equality. I panicked because it wasn't on the list... But I winged it and it served me well. Boy, do I love the fact that I'm in the "Brilliant 55" :)
In case I don't write anything anymore, good luck to each and every one of you because I know how much you had to sacrifice to get that far!

Oh well, Lucidity... in my case, it was quite the other way round, you see, I was really intimidated and struggled to fight my fear and show them that "YES, I CAN", but unfortunately I didn't do my utmost... I came across as a taciturn, antisocial girl with a really limited vocabulary and was flabbergasted when I learnt that I'd passed :D. Life's full of surprises.
Well, I've got eight exams to sit after the finals because of all the time I devoted to my beloved English language. Another challenge for one of "The Brilliant 55" B) XDDD (I may have just coined a phrase, haaaaa)! Luckily, the matura exam seems distant, since there are two more years to go.

The Brilliant 55??? Ciekawe...bo jeszcze wczoraj było 57 nazwisk.....
Czyżby ktoś odpadł? Naturalna selekcja tj. Lalunia na tych wysokich obcasach złamała nosek czy może....KOMISJA czyta forum i eliminuje tych, którzy obłożeni słownikami, translatorami silą się na wyszukane wypowiedzi....

>>>KOMISJA czyta forum i eliminuje tych, którzy obłożeni słownikami, translatorami silą się na wyszukane wypowiedzi....

wszystko juz przeczytalem, zanotowalem, i bardzo nie lubie tranlsatorow :))

Ojej, spokój! :D Nie zauważyłam, by ktokolwiek używał jakichś superwyszukanych słówek. Fajny trening przed olimpiadą, popisać w języku angielskim, szczególnie jeśli się ten język bardzo lubi i przyjemność sprawia nauka nowych zwrotów i wyrażeń, struktur, ciekawych, ubarwiających wypowiedź, a następnie używanie ich, po prostu. Nie mówiąc o tym, że jeśli ktoś np. sporo czyta w języku angielskim, to taki styl wypowiedzi sam mu przychodzi i nie musi siedzieć ze słownikami, by się wypowiedzieć. To 55... wybaczcie, przeoczyłam, że 57.

Co to za czasy, że trolle pojawiają się nawet na forum językowym.

Miło mi, że tak bardzo lubicie mój lengua materna.
Powodzenia i do zobaczenia w poniedziałek.

P.S. Będę w trampkach!

Do zobaczenia i również powodzenia. Co do trampek - może i będzie wygodniej? Noska nie zlamiesz... :)

dzizaz, naprawde musiales? Prawie zawalu dostalam, that was simply NOT funny. And I really don't know why you had to be so mean seeing as everything I have written on this forum was entirely off the top of my head, written on the spur of the moment, as I don't even have an english language dictionary at home. Anyway I sincerely doubt whether I shall ever take it up upon myself to use google translate, it's so pathetic...

"entirely off the top of my head, written on the spur of the moment, as I don't even have an english language dictionary at home"

YEAH RIGHT :D

Jeez. That's how I write, deal with it.

This is ridiculous. Don't you think that the Olimpiada is, in large part, about well-developed, more or less sophisticated vocabulary and the knowledge of many collocations etc.? Not only the contest, though, let's take e.g. CPE, which relies heavily on such knowledge. During an oral exam, if you're asked to say something about yourself and your level of English is advanced, will you say "I like cats. I like reading. I'm keen on surfing"? I don't think so... :D

Wciaz nie rozumiecie...
Owszem, olimpiada czy tez egzamin wymagaja zaawansowanego (nie mylic z gornolotnym!) slownictwa ale na forum (nawet jezykowym) Wasze posty rodem z epoki wiktorianskiej dla native speakera sa po prostu sztuczne :)

Musicie pamietac, zeby nie przedobrzyc... uzyte kilka postow wyzej slowo plethora znaczy 'nadmierny' (czyli w duzej ilosci w negatywnym sensie) a z pewnoscia nie o to chodzilo autorowi wypowiedzi...

Made my day, pomacham Ci w poniedziałek :D. Trochę dystansu ludzie, po co w ogóle ta dyskusja? Prawda jest też taka że okej, pisze się fajnie gdy ma się czas, można swoje wypociny jeszcze raz praeczytać, zastanowić się nas jakimś słówkiem (co też może prowadzić do tego przedobrzenia), a gdy siedzisz przed komisją, to zupełnie inna bajka. Ja przynajmniej nie mam w głowie bycia 'sophisticated' bo to przecież nie ma sensu - jeszcze się pomylę i komisja zamiast przyklaskiwać mi z zachwytu będzie piać ze śmiechu. Jest jednak różnica pomiędzy byciem pompatycznym, a posiadaniem bogatego słownictwa. Wyluzujcie się trochę, jakoś średnio wierzę w to, że to sprawa źycia i śmierci, każdy chce być najlepszy ale też nie każdy może, życie, zdarza się.

Swoją drogą, dziewczyny, też nie wiem w co się ubrać :D (czy to utwierdza mój status 'laluni'? kidding!)