In the modern world, international education is highly valued, during which specialists from different countries and fields of science can learn from each other's experience and share new ideas. And of course, knowledge of a foreign language is a necessary condition in this process. Everyone who has experience in international education has heard about the IELTS exam. In this article, I would like to share my experience of passing the exam.
My first acquaintance with IELTS took place back in 2013 before entering the bachelor's degree. Then I did not have enough knowledge to prepare for the exam; moreover, my excitement knew no bounds. However, the results of the exam pleasantly surprised me. From that moment on, I set myself the goal of taking the exam again, but already being more prepared. Such a chance fell to me in July 2021. By that time, I had been working on my listening skills for 3 months using the excellent site ESL Lab, and also practicing writing from the book Anneli Williams 'Writing for IELTS'. By a happy coincidence, I came across an ad for the IELTS Prize from British Council, the condition for participation in which was the presence of an IELTS certificate.
Without hesitation, I registered for the IELTS exam with the British Council for September 2021. I was pleasantly surprised by how easy the process of registering and paying for the exam was: everything was done online in a matter of minutes. As a bonus, I got access to Road to IELTS preparation resources, from which I got a lot of useful information, which gave me more confidence in my success. New for me, this time there was a computer version of the exam, which seemed convenient, but at the same time caused anxiety. I did not know what to expect on the exam. On the day of the exam, I arrived at my destination in my characteristic slight excitement before the crucial moment. However, as soon as I entered the elevator, an employee of the British Consulate addressed me by name and wished me good luck during the exam. Such a positive gesture showed me the goodwill and attention on the part of the organizers to the candidates, which could not but cheer me up.
Then the direct preparation for the exam itself began, and I was convinced that everything was organized at the highest level: we were instructed about the exam in detail, and after the start of the exam, I realized that my worries about the computer version of the exam were unfounded; I was able to figure it out with ease thanks to the quick help from the examiners.
Then I was in anticipation of the results, and they did not disappoint me. My joy knew no bounds, because now I could take part in the competition for the IELTS Prize, and get a unique opportunity to study abroad. According to the conditions of the competition, I wrote a motivation letter and attached my IELTS certificate. The selection stage was quite long, and in December 2021 I received a call from the British Council that I had passed the first selection stage, and I was invited for an interview. I was at work that day, and needless to say, I was extremely happy, because I did not expect such news at all.
I had only positive impressions from the interview: the questions were fascinating, thought-provoking, and soon I forgot that this was an interview, for me, it was an interesting informative conversation with funny moments.
Already in January 2022, I received a letter stating that I was selected among the 7 winners of the competition. At first, I could not believe that luck smiled at me, and I was awarded such an award and achievement. From the feeling of pride that overwhelmed me, I did not immediately decide to share this joyful event with my family.
After that, my efforts began on the way to enter Korea University, the university of my dreams, located in the Republic of Korea, and one of the top 3 universities in Seoul. Quite recently, I received an invitation letter from the university.
This is how my award-winning abilities led me to study at one of the most prestigious universities in Asia and the world. My win of the IELTS Prize was a timely and powerful motivation on my way to my cherished dream.
I believe that this encouragement of effort by the British Consulate allows many promising young people to achieve their goals and realize their potential, thereby making an incredible contribution to the development of our society, and therefore the whole world. I am often asked how to achieve the same success as me, to which I always advise to be open to new opportunities and use each of them on the way to your dream, because sincere efforts and hard work on yourself will definitely be rewarded.