Matryoshka Nesting Dolls:    Meaning of Russian Wooden                 Stacking Doll

What is the meaning of the Matryoshka stacking nesting doll from Russia? Typically painted to look like a traditional Russian woman or "babushka," these wooden stack-able dolls are a very popular Russian souvenir and over time have even become a symbol of the Eastern European country itself.

  In Russian, the word matryoshka literally means "little matron" and is also a familiar shortening of the common name Matryona or Matriosha, popular names among the female peasantry of old Russia. The Latin root word of Matryoshka is mater, which means "mother." Motherhood, family and fertility all influence the meaning and significance of the Russian nested doll. Having a large and close knit family is common and even important in traditional Russian culture, with many generations and extended relatives playing an active role in the family dynamic, including grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. The Matryoshka doll is a symbol of the Russian babushka, a strong female matriarch and a central figure in the Russian family

  Russian Traditional Foods

  Unfortunately, Russian cuisine hasn’t made it big in the States. However, that leaves one more facet of Russian culture to discover on your own while you’re traveling. You’ve may have heard something about Russian traditional foods but have had little opportunity to try them. Visitors to Russia are often surprised at the variety and flavors of Russian cuisine.

• Borshch, of course, is beet soup, and one of the most famous Russian traditional foods. Beets seem a strange base for soup to many Westerners, but there are plenty of reasons that this hearty soup is one of Russia’s most famous dishes. Full of vegetables and meat, the layered flavors in this soup are especially nice with a dollop of fresh sour cream.
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• Pelmeni are pastry dumplings filled typically with meatballs. They can be served alone, slathered in butter and topped with sour cream, or in a soup broth. Definitely a favorite in Russia and abroad!

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• Blini are also served rolled with a variety of fillings: jam, cheese, onions, or even chocolate syrup. At any restaurant where you aren’t sure of any of the other dishes, blini are always a safe bet. Blini are such an important part of Russian cuisine, a festival called Maslenisa celebrates the beginning of spring with them.

   

      

            Memory Techniques for Exam Preparation

                                 Mind palaces

Officially known as the ‘method of loci’, the memory palace can be used to memorize huge volumes of information, and best of all, because it’s all down to your imagination, you can constantly expand it. It works like this:

1. Visualize something: Populate your mental image with details.

2. Mentally connect an image of each of the features you see: such as a palm tree in your imagined beach, or a sea sells by the side of your imagined sea  – with a manageable chunk of information. Think about the two together in depth and make sure you’ve really learned the information and its associated image.

3. To recall the information in the exam: simply retrace your steps through the sea or down the seashore and pick out the objects you’ve associated with the information.

4. When you want to add additional information to your memory bank: you can simply add another palm tree, seashore, or fish to your imaginary view or take a turn off your imaginary sea that will lead you to new location this new information.

How to improve your memory

 

 Study Hacks to Improve Yo Memory

                           Walk Before An Exam

It’s been proven that exercise can boost your memory and brain power. Research conducted by Dr. Chuck Hillman of the University of Illinois provides evidence that about 20 minutes exercise before an exam can improve performance.

           Speak Out Loud Instead of Simply Reading

Although this may make you look a little crazy, give it a go! You will be surprised how much more you can remember when you’ve said it out loud. Warning: Don’t try this in a crowded library!

                     Create Mental Associations

The ability to make connections is not only an easier way to remember information, but it’s the fuel of creativity and intelligence.. Steve Jobs famously said “Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn’t really do it, they just saw something”. Mind maps are an easy way to connect ideas by creating a visual overview of different connections.

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                                                                      Music

I found this information very interesting and very useful for the school. Also, Everybody used to hear that when you study is necessary to have a quiet environment without any destruction. On the other hand, for someone else to study in quiet environment can be very destructive as well. This quiet environment can make some individuals to get board and sleepy. This is why it is so important to find yourself where and in which environment is the best option for you. The right music is the best options for individuals who is getting board or sleepy in quiet environment. Lastly, some studies say that listening to music while you study is good, for many people. It is calms them down, which can lead to productive studying. Music can also help elevate your mood and motivate you to study longer.

  My educational experience in Russia ans in United States has had a drastic influence on not only who I am as person, but has also done much to shape my goals and aspirations for the future. Although there have been some rough spots in my academic career, the knowledge that I have attained throughout the course of my education has proved to be crucial in forming my passion for learning and my interests in developing my abilities and using them to make a difference in my live and in the lives of others.
Since I enroll to NWFSC, I had many opportunities to get a lot of experiences with certain teachers that have played key roles in bringing out my academic and personal strengths and interests.