Ever since she was young, Ting has wanted to work in different countries. She once felt depressed because her circumstances got in the way of her pursuit of her dreams. Then, Ting chanced upon a book that inspired her wanderlust. In the space of ten months, with the help of others, Ting finally secured an opportunity to volunteer in the U.K. and to experience British culture. Now, she will continue onwards to Australia to become a qualified nurse!
Wild (I was left with only my courage back then)
Since her youth, Ting dreamt of working in different countries, just like her parents. She says, “Mum worked in the Middle East as a burns specialist; Dad studied and worked in Japan and Korea.”
Following in the footsteps of her mother, Ting entered the healthcare profession by becoming a nurse. “I started working as an assistant nurse in the fourth year of university. After graduation, I immediately started work in an intensive care unit. Before I knew it, three years had passed!” Even though she had a stable job, Ting saw her friends pursuing careers overseas, and realised to her dismay that she was not making any progress in Taiwan. “Back then, I was stuck in Taiwan and felt that it was a very low period in my life. In 2014, I came across a book on Eslite’s selected reading list, Wild, which inspired me greatly. I may have been trapped in my job previously, but life is a process – what would I be today without everything that has happened in the past?” After ten months of preparation and help from friends, Ting finally secured a Community Service Volunteer (CSV) opportunity last year to volunteer in the U.K. for a year. Now that she is back in Taiwan, she is preparing to be a nurse in Australia – but before she can achieve this goal, she has to pass her IELTS exam first.
Going abroad is the first step towards fulfilling dreams
“I attended two other English courses at other schools before enrolling here. Here, I can choose several classes at the same time, so overall it’s worth it. But because I had to work shifts, my body was not able to handle the stress, and therefore I could not finish the courses in the set period of time.” In view of her plans after returning to Taiwan and the fact that she only had a month to prepare before leaving Taiwan again, Ting finally chose to study with us. “Having a full day of classes per week ensured that I could attend every single class, and prepare systematically for the exam!”
“I am very thankful towards my teacher Kevin. He gives individual feedback based on each student’s performance. He gave me a lot of important advice on writing, for example, how many paragraphs to write for my essays, how to divide my content, and which figures to analyse. If I hadn’t enrolled the course here, I would definitely not know how to write to score well.” Ting, who scored an average of 7 points on the IELTS, said that, “Before the exam, the teacher even spoke to us and gave us advice individually. This was very helpful to me. Even though I did not achieve my targeted score, I could still prepare for the exam on my own using the teacher’s advice and materials!”
One step closer to her dreams
Ting still remembers her volunteer experience in the U.K. well, “I was mainly in charge of taking care of an invalid. The Taiwanese would see him as a typical elderly man, unable to take care of himself. However, he lives a fulfilling life despite being wheelchair-bound and being constrained in his movement. Through him, I saw the value of intergenerational friendship. I also saw how kinship can remain strong despite physical distance, and also learnt that life should be full of dignity.” Before she left, Ting received an unexpected gift – a card handwritten by the elderly man using his left hand. She is still very moved by his effort. Ting has also posted about her life in Britain on her Facebook page, sharing with others the cultural differences she experienced while living abroad, and her exciting life there.
During her gap year, Ting decided on her next step in life. She plans to stay in Australia and gradually work towards becoming a qualified nurse as she hears that “Australia has a relatively friendly environment for us nurses.” In the future, she hopes to visit even more countries on her own, and take care of more sick people who need help.
Words for test takers
Ting is independent in spirit and works hard to prove herself in her profession. She has the following encouragement for IELTS test-takers: “Life is not only about choices, but also about loss. Live with no regrets!”