8 Principles for IELTS Success
Albert Einstein famously stated, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”If a strategy is not working, try another. If that one doesn’t work, try a different one. In practice, experiment with various strategies. Use LOGIC and Common sense.Trial and error is what accounts for our modern world. Don’t underestimate its power.
No question type should be approached blindly. You should have an idea of what steps you’ll implement — and in what order — to get the question correct. Having a process eliminates test-day surprises, lowers anxiety, and keeps you focused on the task at hand. The processes you employ on test day should be second nature, as if they were part of your muscle memory.
Many are under the mistaken impression that completing hundreds of IELTS tests invariably results in a higher score. In fact, if you regularly employ bad habits, you might only be reinforcing them. In practice, don’t be afraid to spend time with a question. Really get to know it. Intimately. In doing so, you’ll be master.
Mastery of concepts is not sufficient. You’ll also need strategies. But one strategy does NOT fit all, much as one tool cannot accomplish every task around the house. Your strategy toolkit should include a variety of techniques that can be employed — flexibly — on IELTS questions.
Every question on the IELTS carries the same weight. Because of this, you can maximize your score by working from the easiest questions to the most difficult. In other words, imagine you’re cutting through an avocado, with its thin skin, fleshy outside, and firm pit. The skin and the flesh are no match for your knife. Worry about the hard pit later.
Working on our strengths feels good. We get most of the answers correct and enjoy a positive feedback loop. Working on our weaknesses feels bad. Many of the answers, at least initially, are wrong, and we start to feel discouraged. But to kill the IELTS, we must be well-rounded…we must be competent in all areas of the test. Tiger Woods did not become Tiger Woods by only hitting his driver at the range.
Doing things you want to do is easy. Doing things that you don’t want to do — but that are good for you — is hard.
People who study for the IELTS when they are excited about the prospect of graduate school are exhibiting motivation.
People who force themselves to wake up at 6 AM on a Saturday to read a reading passage three months into studying are exhibiting discipline. Who do you think has more success?
