It seems that for some individuals, a dream isn’t complete without going abroad. Abhishek Ananthan, a resident of Kayamkulam who graduated from Sree Buddha College of Engineering, Pattoor, with a degree in civil engineering, shared this sentiment. His dream included studying engineering in Germany.
Unfortunately, for many students who wish to pursue their dreams in other countries, one important step stands in the way – passing the IELTS test.
As mentioned above, the student didn’t have the best command of English and didn’t have prior experience of preparing for such an important exam. What followed was several months of hard work, discipline, and self-analysis that led to success.
Where It All Started
First and foremost, we should state that Abhishek will be the first to acknowledge that his English wasn’t great. It wasn’t awful, but it definitely wasn’t on the level where he could easily pass IELTS.
Two things caused him the greatest difficulties:
Firstly, writing became an issue. He often found himself struggling to organize his ideas and write them down without missing the deadline or exceeding the word count.
Secondly, speaking. As a rule, students are aware of the words they want to say but fail to articulate them during a live conversation, mainly due to anxiety.
How the Student Found His Way Around the Obstacles
To put it simply, on January 21st, the student decided to join Tijus Academy in Kayamkulam and started to work on his weaknesses. He stopped watching videos and randomly trying his hand at various tasks and created a clear schedule for every day.
His routine was as follows: one-two hours of working with specific materials, completing mock tests, and learning new skills. As easy as it sounds, it helped the student immensely.
Listening: He Got It Perfect!
In this part of the IELTS test, Abhishek’s approach stood out in that he was very thorough before each passage. Namely, he used to analyze questions, anticipate the type of answer he’d receive, and create a mental map of the future content.
By doing so, he was able to predict most of what he heard and, thus, performed perfectly in Listening. As a result, on the exam day, he received Band 9.
Reading: It Required More Time Management Skills
Many students have troubles when it comes to reading because they think that it’s essential to read every word and remember every detail.
However, as the student noticed, it’s crucial to use skimming and scanning techniques and try to locate keywords. In addition, he moved fast through the first two passages to save time for the third one which is always the hardest.
During the test, Abhishek managed to cope with all three passages quite easily despite the difficulty of the third one and got Band 8 in Reading.
Writing: It Required More Structure Than Complex Language
When it comes to writing, many students expect that the use of complex expressions is critical, and that’s not true. Abhishek’s tutor helped him understand this fact and start practicing creating logical structures that don’t require a large amount of time.
Besides, he learned how to build his vocabulary and use new words wisely, not simply because he can. He worked on the structure of his sentences, learned how to develop a topic properly, and completed as many tasks as he could to improve his skills.
As a result, Abhishek received Band 7 in Writing, which is not a bad outcome for someone
with weaker language skills.
Speaking: It Required Practice
Undoubtedly, speaking caused Abhishek more fear than all other modules because the task requires spontaneous articulation in English.
Thus, he started practicing in front of a mirror, having conversations with his friends, focusing on the words, and not the phrases. He also learned to speak continuously as it is required by examiners.
Eventually, speaking became his strong point because he mastered this skill and gained
confidence in it. Hence, he received Band 7 for this module.
The Hardest Thing About Preparation
According to Abhishek, the hardest period was during the first weeks after he signed up for the course at Tijus Academy. He simply didn’t have enough understanding of the nature of the exam, the requirements, and what he had to do. In addition, he felt unsure whether it’s possible to improve his language skills.
However, despite all uncertainties, the student stuck to his preparation plan and didn’t give up until his exam date approached.
The Outcome of the Exam
Finally, the day when Abhishek took his IELTS exam came. It wasn’t the easiest experience for him, yet he felt that he was ready for this test and passed all modules successfully.
What was interesting for him was that he felt comfortable when solving IELTS tasks. The listening part wasn’t complicated at all, reading was okay except for the last passage which, however, he solved with ease.
In the end, he scored Band 7 for Writing and Speaking and 8 for Reading and Listening.
Overall Result: Band 8
In conclusion, the student was happy to learn that he scored IELTS Band 8, which was the
minimum score he expected.
What He Would Like to Tell Future Students of Tijus Academy
The student would like to emphasize that IELTS is not an intelligence test, but a test where students need to demonstrate consistency and be able to think strategically. In addition, he points out that there are certain habits that could prevent individuals with average language skills from achieving excellent results. Namely, they include the following:
Skipping through instructions. Unfortunately, sometimes people try to save time but fail to understand the main idea of the question and lose some precious marks. Paying insufficient attention to time-management. Many people spend too much time on reading one passage and rush through the others, leaving themselves without time for
solving tasks.
Creating complicated structures. As mentioned above, using complex language structures in
writing can hurt a student’s grade because of unclear sentences.
Memorizing the answers to the speaking questions. It’s crucial to keep in mind that examiners are professionals, and they notice whether candidates use the answers provided on the internet.
What Tijus Academy Helped Him Do
Finally, the student notes that it wouldn’t be fair if we don’t mention that he couldn’t prepare for IELTS without a professional assistance offered at Tijus Academy. Thus, he recommends this place to other students of Kayamkulam who want to get good scores in this test.
What Comes Next
Having passed IELTS successfully, Abhishek can proceed with applying for engineering courses in Germany. Finally, after spending some time and putting considerable effort into preparation, the student’s dream started becoming true.
If Abhishek had anything to say to his former self, he would say the following phrase: “work harder”.
Any Words to Add to Other IELTS Candidates?
We asked Abhishek to share some words with candidates who are considering signing up for the test soon.
First of all, we would like to remind you that the student had basic knowledge of English and faced numerous difficulties during the first month. Yet, he didn’t give up and received IELTS Band 8 in six months of intense studying.
Therefore, you should realize that it’s possible to achieve great outcomes regardless of the current state of your English skills.
