My IELTS Tale

The last two weeks have absolutely been such a busy time for me, which explains why I have been MIA for so long. I accepted a new job offer, so currently, I'm holding one full-time job, two freelance jobs, plus college, too. I decided to take a breather, and step back into my blogging world because I really missed writing about random stuff. Today, I simply want to share with you everything related to my IELTS experience and the feedback that I have received. I was suggested by a co-worker to write a "sexy" post, but I haven't figured out what to write yet, so here we are.

I decided to take IELTS way back in August. For those of you who don't know, IELTS is short for International English Language Testing System. Out of the possible band scores of 9, I got an 8.5. Apparently, that is deemed as being an "unusual" band for someone who's not a native speaker. Although, if you ask me, I tend to consider myself as a native speaker since I'm so passionate about English, I might as well be making love with the language.

My IELTS overall band score

After receiving that score, I have been interviewed a few times about that. One of the articles was released yesterday, but it was in Khmer, so let me apologize for those of my readers who can't actually read Khmer. In short, the article is about how I got an 8.5 on IELTS and some brief information on my academic background (which is basically close to non-existence).

The reason why I'm writing this post, however, is to address some of the comments that I have received on the matter. Many people have congratulated me as well as saying many kind words to me. I would like to personally thank all of you so much for that. Nonetheless, I have gotten some comments as to how I'm not the only person who has gotten that band mark, how I was lucky to have gotten it, and how they know others who have achieved an 8.5 or a 9.

The thing is, I don't really feel the need to explain myself to anyone at all. Yes, I've gotten an 8.5, and yes, I do know I'm not the only girl (or person) in the world. I'm not Rihanna. It seems ridiculous to me how some people try to underplay other people's achievement by stating that other people could've done better. You know what? I work hard to be where I am today. I don't need any validation from anyone to be content with who I am as a person, but here's my two-cents: why can't we just try to be happy for others? Why do we feel the need to downplay other people's success? Do we really need to steal someone's thunder? 

Image via engagedinvestor.ca

I used to be that type of person. I used to try to think of a person's failures every time they have achieved something just to even things up. I would then feel like they're no better than me. Let me tell you something, that's not the way to live at all. A life full of hatred, envy, and insecurity isn't how we should be living. Can't we just live and let live? We're not the focal point of the universe, nor does the world revolve around us. It feels so much more satisfying when you realize that you're amazing like the way you are; you don't need to bring others down with you just to feel that you're worthy of everything and so much more.

Just so you guys won't hate me, I want to end with some tips on taking IELTS.

Listening: Make use of every single second of the test, especially when they tell you to read the questions. Always read the questions before each section and make sure you know what the questions are asking.

Reading: Keywords are important. When taking IELTS,

you won't get exactly the same keywords as the ones in the articles, so always look out for synonyms. When you're unsure about a particular part of the test, skip it, and come back later.

Writing: If you can, try to practice writing before taking the test, so your hand won't get completely sore while writing the essays.

Speaking: Use big words. I can't emphasize this enough. For instance, instead of "situation", use "circumstance" or something like that. You get the gist.

At the end of the day, you have to remember that a moment of success or failure does NOT determine how successful or happy your life isn't going to be. Whatever band you get on your IELTS does not determine how your life is going to turn out. Don't be sad if you get a result that you anticipated. There's always a next time. I'll be back soon with a "sexy" post. Don't forget to stay tuned. Take care, everyone. Don't forget to be nice to one another.

Love, Catherine

XOXO