The 2023 State Competiton in English took place from the 19th to the 21st of April in Vinkovci. The competition was held for the eighth grade, for the second and fourth grades of high school and, for the first time, the seventh grade.
In the morning of the 19th of April, me and other students and mentors met at the parking lot of Poljud stadium to wait for the bus that would take us to Vinkovci. We all gathered and expected the bus to come shortly, however it was an hour late. After everyone put their luggage into the bus storage and took their seats, we set off on a nine-hour journey from Split to Vinkovci.
We reached our destination at around 6 pm, sadly missing the opening ceremony but making it in time for dinner at our hotel. The first evening was spent relaxing and making friends. The next day, the first part of the competition was hosted in Antun Gustav Matoš Primary School, the host for the entire competition. First was the essay portion of the competition where in the 7th grade category we were expected to write 200 words in the form of a letter to a friend in which we explain how we suddenly have superpowers. For this we were given 70 minutes and could receive 20 points.
After that we had a short break before the second exam portion, which had the maximum amount of 50 points. It included listening, reading comprehension and language in use and we were given 90 minutes to complete the exam. We were done for the day after that and headed back to the hotel for lunch. In the afternoon, we had a guided tour of some parts of the town. Later, we had a visit to the museum scheduled, however I decided I would rather take a walk with my friend. We had a lovely time walking around and sitting by the river Bosut. Later, there was a time for students and mentors to check their exam papers and essays and put in complaints.
The next morning, the final part of the competition took place, the oral exam with a maximum of 20 points. We were given pictures to choose from and some time to make notes before we had to talk to one of the examiners about what we see in the picture and how it relates to our life. We could take as much time as needed, however my turn was before a short break, so I decided to try not to take too long. After the exam we had lunch at the hotel and had time to do whatever we wanted so I decided to take my mind off the exam and take a walk around town with my friend Mia, another seventh grader from Split. While we were there, the results were published so we had to run back to the hotel to see them. I am very happy to say I was placed second along with two other girls!
After everyone saw the results, the closing ceremony was held. There were some musical numbers that showed off the culture of Vinkovci. Then, the awards were given out to the top three students from each category. The atmosphere was great, with people congratulating and shaking hands, the hotel hall filled with smiling faces.
Soon after it ended, we left the hotel, got on the bus, and headed back to Split. It was another long drive, but by then, we all got to know one another so it wasn’t boring. We arrived on the Poljud parking lot around midnight.
All in all, the competition was amazing. I met wonderful people and marked an achievement that means so unbelievably much to me and I wholeheartedly hope that I’ll get to go again next year.
Luna Mravak, 7.b
