Hi Metages,
I can hardly believe it. I just received my TOEFL results today, and I’ve hit my target score of 106! I took the exam on September 27 and was honestly feeling a mix of nerves and hope, but I never expected to see this result. This was my 4th attempt, and I’m still in shock that I finally made it. I know for a fact that your support and strategies were key to this success.
Before July, with the old format, I had already tried the TOEFL three times, and each time I struggled, especially with listening. For my third attempt, I really tried focusing on listening and reading, but no matter what I did, I kept getting stuck at 20-21 in listening. I wasn’t sure what was wrong, but then you showed me how to approach the sections differently.
Speaking Section: Your methods helped me immensely in structuring my answers in a clear, concise, and coherent way. The templates you shared were life-saving, and I could feel the improvement in my confidence and delivery as I worked with them. Without your guidance, I doubt I could have reached the 27 I got in speaking!
Writing Section: I owe much of my writing score to you as well. I used your strategies to organize my responses in the integrated and independent writing tasks. The templates, and your tips on structuring the paragraphs with clear opinions and examples, made all the difference. I was especially mindful of commas and transitions, just like you taught me. I reviewed my work at the end and caught a few small mistakes that could’ve cost me valuable points.
Listening Section: As you know, listening was my biggest challenge. I realized that taking too many notes made me lose focus. After experimenting with different strategies (thanks to your advice), I found that taking fewer notes worked best for me.
Reading Section: I also took your advice about understanding the question types and using Kathy's Mastering the Reading Section book, which helped a lot.
I just want to thank you again for everything you’ve done to help me. I wouldn’t have made it without your support, and I’m still a little stunned that it finally happened!