From A2 to C1 in Just a Year and a Half

The second challenge was Julia's expectations. She demanded the level of performance that I was capable of, not just what would suffice for me. Go back to the previous section: I needed validation of my level without any grand plans for the certificate, not a high score.

Speaking was particularly intense in this regard. We would repeat exercises until Julia was satisfied with the result. Once, I almost reached my emotional breaking point (this was on February 3rd, exactly a month before the speaking part of the exam). I couldn’t do anything about it, and both Julia and Vyacheslav likely noticed because Julia immediately seemed to commend my effort. Overall, the frustration came from high expectations that weren't necessarily required, but would be foolish not to meet if capable. I'm willing to do a lot for skills, but not for exams.

Thirdly, daily routine was a factor. My lessons started at 7 a.m. Warsaw time during winter. At one point, Julia noticed I seemed tired, and I must admit, comments like that can be demotivating and upsetting. But I did everything possible to ensure early wake-up times didn't affect my productivity: physical exercise before lessons to be in bed by 11, forcing down at least a cookie before starting, and cancelling any non-work activities requiring even the smallest mental effort.

In short, there were challenges. My motivation dipped and fatigue accumulated, but I felt like I had learned how to manage these issues. Learning is a marathon, not a sprint, and I was approaching the finish line. The key factors were maintaining a manageable workload—which I can't complain about, our pace was more than reasonable—along with discipline and support.

I can't help but brag about a leap I made in my writing skills. A year and a half ago, I could spend hours on the simplest text. Now, I can write a decent essay in just forty minutes. Informal types of writing—like letters, articles, and reviews—have become my favorites, especially when I get a topic I'm passionate about. I've poured my heart out writing about how much I love my iPad, what makes Schindler's List a great film, or my first impressions upon seeing the gates of Minsk.

Nothing motivated me as much as seeing my own progress, and I witnessed my growth more than once. Whenever I understood an idiom without needing a dictionary—a term I hadn't known just days before—or successfully used a sentence structure that I initially struggled with, I was absolutely thrilled.

The written part of the exam was the following day, and by then, having tackled the most challenging part already, I was totally relaxed. As a little bonus, I found a spare pencil because I forgot to bring my own. Honestly, I was probably more concerned about getting my Polish right when explaining why I was at the test center and avoiding any mishaps along the way, like getting trampled by a horse or something.

During the exam, nothing happened that I didn't expect or that could throw me off balance.

I walked out of there as hungry as a wolf, and by the end of the listening section, I was already daydreaming about food. So, make sure to eat a good breakfast, and then some.

Writing is my particular pride and joy. My love for informal writing styles paid off, and the review for ATLA was bound to get me a high score. Improving my score through passive skills is incredible, but reaching a C1 level in writing too is just awesome.

I personally feel my proficiency is solidly at a high B2 level, but I couldn't resist boasting about my C1 score to anyone willing to listen in the first few days after the exam.

Overall, throughout my learning journey, I've come to believe that I'm capable of anything; it's just a matter of having the right resources and people around me. Realizing that learning English isn't an endless grind but something where you can actually see tangible results has been incredibly liberating. I couldn't have imagined overcoming what felt like an 11-year-long scholastic chasm (which, in reality, doesn't even exist, but that's another story).