Reflection on My CDI Exam Experience
I’d like to take a moment to reflect on my experience with the CDI exam. I took my exam with IDP, which I honestly regret. The overall atmosphere was far from what I expected I had set the bar high for myself.
There’s this ongoing IELTS race, and it feels like everyone expects something from you as if you constantly need to prove yourself. But the real question is: should I?
I've made the decision to step out of that race. Peace over pressure that's my new motto✌️
I admit that my English still isn’t as strong as my Math skills 😏. I've been teaching Math for over four years now, while English has only been part of my journey for the past eight months. But honestly, all the comparisons, expectations, and pressure it’s just background noise 😫
I know deep down that I gave it my all. Just like in my student days, I threw myself into preparation. Working from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m every day really drains your energy it chips away at your mental health and slowly kills your motivation 😮💨. Still, I pushed through and practiced non-stop for a month.
As for IDP, here’s what went wrong:
1) Time management 😤 was terrible. They told us to be there by 10 a.m sharp, and warned us not to be late. Ironically, registration didn’t even start until 10:40 a.m the time when the exam shouldve begun.
2) Noise 🤯😡 was another major issue. It was almost impossible to concentrate during the reading section. The speaking exams were being held in the room next door, so I ended up tuning in to their conversations instead of focusing on my own tasks.
And to top it all off the damn cat! 🐈⬛ As much as I love cats, this one wouldn’t stop yowling. It was chaos. But you know what? Maybe that’s just an excuse.
Then there was the whole photo situation — they took a picture of me seven times in a row because the camera wasn’t working. After all that flashing, I was practically blind 😵💫. A real “flashing party”
My speaking exam was supposed to start at 14:40, but I wasn’t called in until 15:10. I mean, what kind of organization is that?
TO SUM UP: I will retake the exam, but this time, I’m doing it for myself not to beat anyone or to prove something to the world.
I’m not in competition with anyone, but with myself. It’s me vs. me⚔️
