IELTS Speaking Part 2&3 #44 Describe a life project that is not related to your work and study

Describe a life project that is not related to your work and study. You should say:
What the plan is
How long you have this plan
How important it is to you to achieve it
And say how you think you will achieve the plan.

Sample Answer:

I have a plan to establish a playground for kids and a club for the adults in my hometown. This is something I missed a lot in the place where I grew up and that’s the why I have the plan and determination to achieve it.

Establishing a kid’s playground adjacent to a club for grown-up people would not be an easy task. I will need to manage the necessary budget, manpower and financial support to actually do that. I will have to be financially rich and connected with the local authority and political leaders to start the plan I have. Honestly, I have this plan for a very long. When I got admitted in my high school, the realization started popping up in my mind that these are two things that our community is missing although they are very important. I knew that was something pretty tough to achieve, but yet I started fostering this tough plan in my mind.

As I already said, that would be pretty tough as it involves money, space, power, and people’s involvements. There would be lots of obstacles and I would have to face and resolve in order to fulfill the plan I have. The determination and good will along with the prudent decision would be required. If I do not possess a great enthusiasm and strength of mind, it would become almost impossible to achieve it.

Follow-up questions:

  1. Which do you prefer? Having plans or having no plans?
    I deem it a necessity that you should be an organized person and always prepared for upcoming challenges. Drawing up a plan in advance can equip people with some knowledge when something unexpected comes up, or when everything just doesn’t go according to plan. Without a plan, people can feel at a loss and have nothing to fall back on when they are in adversity. However, it should be pointed out that we shouldn’t get into too much detail, instead, just conjuring up the picture as to what’s gonna happen is enough for us to tackle it.
  2. Do you think most people can carry out their plans?
    I think only the minority have the ability to realize their plans. What need to be pointed out is that the majority tend to set up their plans in an ideal and perfect way without being aware of the fact that external circumstances can prevent them from being fulfilled. Some might end up being driven to a dead-end and feel at a loss as to what to do next. We should blame this on our inflexibility and inexperience, rather than regarding the plan as a bad one. At the end of the day, what counts most is our capacity and experience to make our intentions come true, not just preparing a detailed plan beforehand.
  3. What’s the difference between dream and goal?
    As far as I’m concerned, there’s only one big difference that distinguishes a dream from a goal, which is your determination and stamina. In other words, when you are committed to something, you will probably spend more time on it; make better efforts to achieve the goal you have set. On the contrary, just like its literal meaning, a dream is what you only wish to come but it is almost impossible to come into reality as you are lazy and take no actions to make your dream come true.
  4. How do you achieve your goal?
    It is popularly believed that 90% of the success chance depends on how much time and effort you devote to your goal. In other words, if you learn 100 English words a day, for example, the chances are that you can master the language in fewer than 4 or 5 years. Having said that, in some cases, luck plays a certain role; to illustrate I didn’t have to revise and review all the lessons but still was able to pass the Maths test with flying colors since I was lucky enough to run into questions I had prepared. In a nutshell, for a long-term goal, I will set my heart on it and stay really focused while for short-term one, I’d rather let luck decide my fate
  5. What kinds of goals do young people usually have?
    To be honest, I depends how an individual really. Most students will want to have a good academic performance, or pass the IELTS exam with flying colors to apply for a scholarship and continue their education abroad. For the others, it is a common desire that they would be able to secure a decent job with high salary in the future. But as for me, I would say my goal in life is to gain a sense of happiness in life, whatever it may take
  6. What will be the most popular jobs in the future?
    It is difficult to predict the future, but I think there are going to be some major changes with regard to what the most popular occupations will be. I’m not sure exactly what would happen but one possibility is that more and more people will choose to become a doctor. I think the appearance of new diseases is on the cards and this will make this job so profitable.
    Furthermore, it may sound a bit crazy but being a real estate agent will be trendy as the need to buy houses of an increasing population means a lucrative business in this area
  7. What is the impact of parents on the career of their children?
    As I feel it, parents are so much influential in the decision making process of children when it comes to what career they would pursue upon high school graduation. If your parents are teachers, it’s likely that they will persuade you to opt for a career path in the education field, and the same is true for other professions. Having said this, the final decision should always rest with the children as they are ultimately responsible for their decision. Doing something that you don’t have any interest at all during a lifetime can make you feel bored to death, I’m pretty certain of this.
  8. Other possible questions:
    [Also refer to question 28] Should parents set goals for children?
    When do young children start to set goals for themselves?
    What kinds of goals are not realistic?
    Why do people set goals?
    What would you feel if you couldn’t achieve your goals?