Describe an Academic Success that you Achieved- IELTS Cue Card

And explain how that success has helped you in your life

Sample Answer 1

Academic success is a coveted goal for anyone in academia. Innumerable students contend with each other to achieve their goals, with only a few succeeding, as academia is noted for being intensely rigorous and making it difficult for everyone to attain the success they so fervently desire. In this regard, I would like to talk about an academic success that I was able to achieve.

During my school days, English had always been one of my favourite subjects. I would continually strive to attain the highest marks in my English examinations every year. The year I appeared for tenth-grade board examinations, I endeavoured to do the same. However, when my results were declared, I was disappointed to find out that I had not done as well as I had expected. This dented my self-confidence a little. Nevertheless, I resolved not to give up hope and told myself that I would strive to do even better in my next board examinations.

I put in much more effort than ever while preparing for the next examination. I prepared answers, solved past papers, and got them evaluated whenever possible. I took on board the advice and remarks of my teacher and made the necessary changes to refine my answers even more. Besides doing my academic work diligently, I also read voraciously, devouring whatever written material I could lay my hands on. I also attended a summer school program for teenagers designed to improve their command of English and hone their language skills outside of what they learned in school. Lastly, I maintained a journal and wrote articles and poems for my school magazine and a local newspaper. This helped me refine my writing style and get more comfortable expressing myself through words.

Finally, I appeared for my twelfth-grade board examinations, feeling confident about my chances of achieving my long-cherished goal of doing well in English. The examinations went smoothly and unlike other examinations, I particularly enjoyed writing my answers for both my English papers. When the results were declared, I was overjoyed to know that I had exceeded my expectations with my grades. However, it was only a year later when I got to know that I had been one of the few students from my year to achieve the highest marks in English for the board examination that year. As a result, I received a special award from my school for my academic achievement. I was invited to the annual prize distribution ceremony and was given a medal and a certificate, along with a large trophy which was shared by the other winners of the prize.

This experience taught me that hard work does indeed pay off and going the extra mile brings fruitful results. I was proud of myself for achieving the goals I had set for myself and preserving against the odds to taste academic success.

Sample Answer 2

Everyone strives for academic success throughout their lives, but only a small percentage of them succeed as academia is demanding and highly competitive. Here, I’d like to discuss an academic achievement of mine.

Undoubtedly, the academic success I am most proud of is my scholarship, which led me to pursue my postgraduate studies in my dream university. After I graduated high school, I participated in a scholarship competition organized by one of the illustrious trustees in town, and the winner was eligible for a $5000 scholarship. Since I come from a humble background, I decided to work hard and achieve it at any cost.

In order to qualify for the scholarship, I had to write an essay on the spot in a specified topic within the limited timeframe and with a set number of words. Thus, I had to be well-versed with the vocabulary and well-aware of current affairs. I devoted a great deal of time reading academic journals, newspapers, and magazines and spent countless hours in the library with my head stuck in the encyclopedia.

It wasn’t easy, but it wasn’t difficult either because I had set up a schedule. So, when I was declared as the winner on the day of the announcement, I couldn’t believe my ears; it was a surreal experience. Because of this scholarship competition, I was able to pursue my postgraduate studies. This was a significant achievement for me as it highly inspired me to do better in my further academic years. It taught me that hard work pays off!

Vocabulary

• Illustrious

Meaning: well known, respected, and admired for past achievements
Eg: Michelle belongs to an illustrious family.

• Strive

Meaning: make great efforts to achieve or obtain something
Eg: Students strive hard to achieve good grades.

• Humble background

Meaning: People with low social status are sometimes described as humble and your background is the kind of family you come from and the kind of education you have had.
Eg: Since John had a humble background, he couldn’t afford the college fee.

• Well-versed

Meaning: highly experienced, practiced, or skilled; very knowledgeable
Eg: Jik is well-versed in the subject of English literature.

• Countless

Meaning: too many to be counted; very many
Eg: Nima received countless gifts for her birthday.

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