Study

The plain statement 'I still enjoy design work' and the short, direct sentences throughout keep the answers clear but linguistically simple, typical of Band 6.5.

What is the most interesting part of your studies?

The most interesting part of my studies was a typography elective in my third year. I loved experimenting with different fonts and lettering styles, and it's actually a skill I still use in my job now.

Why this band

• LR“I loved experimenting with different fonts and lettering styles” — 'Loved' and 'experimenting' are both common, high-frequency words used directly, rather than reaching for a more specific term like 'typeface' instead of 'fonts,' or a more nuanced verb than 'loved.' A 7.0 answer might swap in one flexible topic-specific term; a 7.5 answer might use a more precise design term entirely. Here the vocabulary is plain but accurate and sufficient to answer the question, matching the 'everyday, high-frequency words' ceiling of 6.5, while still naming the specific activity (fonts, lettering) rather than staying fully generic.

What is the most difficult part of your studies?

Honestly, the hardest part was a color theory exam in my first year. I found it difficult to memorise all the technical terms, and I remember staying up late reviewing my notes before the test.

Why this band

• FC“I found it difficult to memorise all the technical terms” — This sentence names the difficulty in one plain declarative clause without elaborating on which terms or what strategy was used beyond the following sentence's mention of staying up late. A 7.0 answer would likely link the difficulty to a consequence within the same sentence ('which meant I had to...'); a 7.5 answer might add a reflective judgment about what the struggle taught. Here one clear, directly stated reason is offered and left to stand on its own, exactly the 'one clear reason or example is enough' ceiling described for Band 6.5.

Would you consider changing your major in the future?

No, I don't think I would change my major. I still enjoy design work, and I recently finished a short online course on user experience, which kept me interested in the field.

Why this band

• GRA“No, I don't think I would change my major.” — This is a direct negative response built from a single simple pattern — subject plus negated reporting verb plus embedded clause — with no subordination beyond the basic 'I don't think' frame. A 7.0 answer would likely follow this with a 'because' clause in the same breath; a 7.5 answer might restructure it into something more nuanced, like 'Not really, no.' Here the sentence answers the yes/no question clearly and correctly, sufficient at 6.5's 'basic sentence patterns' standard, with the supporting reason left for the following sentence.

What do you enjoy most about your studies?

I enjoy the practical parts most, like doing small projects instead of just reading. It feels more useful than just studying theory.

Is there anything you don't enjoy about your studies?

Yes, the reading is quite boring sometimes. There's a lot of text, and I find it hard to concentrate after work.

Would you like to study a different subject in the future? What subject would you like to study?

Yes, maybe. I would like to study psychology, because I think it would help me understand people better at work.

What subject/subjects are you studying?

I'm studying a course about user experience design. It's an online course, and I do it in the evenings, usually after I finish work at the studio.

How do you think you will use this subject/these subjects in the future?

I think I will use it in my job, because it's related to design. It should help me do better work for clients.

The closing reflection 'which reminded me why I chose this field in the first place' links the recent course back to the original motivation, showing the natural, comfortably developed language of Band 7.0.

What is the most interesting part of your studies?

For me, the most interesting part of my studies was probably the typography module in my third year. I really enjoyed experimenting with different fonts and layouts, and it's actually something I still use quite a lot in my design work now.

Why this band

• LR“experimenting with different fonts and layouts” — The collocation 'experimenting with' is a more natural, slightly more sophisticated way of describing hands-on exploration than a plain verb like 'trying' or 'using', and it pairs comfortably with the specific nouns 'fonts and layouts.' This kind of accurate, flexible collocation beyond the most basic vocabulary is exactly what Band 7.0 lexical resource targets, without reaching for the more distinctive or idiomatic phrasing a 7.5 answer would use to describe the same typography module. It also signals genuine engagement with the subject, reinforcing why this was the most interesting part of the speaker's studies.

What is the most difficult part of your studies?

I'd say the most difficult part was a colour theory exam in my first year. There were a lot of technical terms to memorise, and I remember spending several late nights going over my notes just to feel prepared for it.

Why this band

• GRA“There were a lot of technical terms to memorise, and I remember spending several late nights going over my notes just to feel prepared for it.” — The sentence coordinates two ideas — the difficulty, then the response to it — with 'and,' and adds a purpose infinitive clause ('just to feel prepared for it') that explains the motivation behind the late nights rather than just stating the action. A 6.5 answer would likely state the difficulty and the late nights as two separate plain sentences without the purpose clause; a 7.5 answer might restructure this with a fronted time clause instead. The combination of coordination plus a purpose clause here is accurate and unshowy, matching the comfortable complex grammar 7.0 targets.
• LR“going over my notes” — 'Going over' is a phrasal verb chosen instead of the more basic 'reading,' carrying a slightly different, more accurate meaning: reviewing material already learned rather than reading it for the first time. A 6.5 answer would very likely use the plainer 'reading my notes'; a 7.5 answer might vary it further with something like 'cramming' for extra register. This small but precise lexical choice reflects real command of everyday collocation rather than the most basic vocabulary, exactly the flexible-but-common standard 7.0 sets.

Would you consider changing your major in the future?

Not really, no. I still enjoy working in design, and I recently completed a short online course on user experience, which reminded me why I chose this field in the first place.

Why this band

• FC“which reminded me why I chose this field in the first place” — This relative clause takes a specific recent event (the UX course) and links it back to a much earlier, broader motivation — choosing the design field originally — creating a connection across time rather than reporting the recent fact in isolation. A 6.5 answer would likely mention the course without this backward-looking link; a 7.5 answer might make the reflection more explicit, naming exactly what the course reminded them of. This connective coherence, tying a small recent detail to a larger personal narrative, is precisely what 7.0 asks for beyond plain description.

What do you enjoy most about your studies?

Honestly, it's the practical side I enjoy most — actually building something rather than only reading about it. I'd say that's what keeps me motivated to keep going after a full day at work.

Is there anything you don't enjoy about your studies?

There is, actually — the long reading sections, if I'm honest, especially after a full day at the studio when my concentration isn't great. I'd rather watch a short video explaining the same thing.

Would you like to study a different subject in the future? What subject would you like to study?

I probably would, yes — psychology interests me, mainly because understanding how people think would actually help with my design work. It's something I keep meaning to look into properly.

What subject/subjects are you studying?

I'm doing an online course in user experience design, to be honest, something I fit in during the evenings after work. It's a bit more structured than just watching tutorials, which I like.

How do you think you will use this subject/these subjects in the future?

I'd say it'll feed pretty directly into my job, since it's closely related to what I already do. I'm hoping it'll help me take on bigger projects with clients in the future.

The evaluative closing 'seeing my ideas come to life in a public space was both exciting and motivating' and the specific real-world example of the Hanoi café project show the vivid development and precise vocabulary typical of Band 7.5.

What is the most interesting part of your studies?

For me, the most interesting part of studying graphic design at university was working on real-world projects with actual clients. I remember one semester we collaborated with a small café in Hanoi to redesign their menu and wall decor. Seeing my ideas come to life in a public space was both exciting and motivating.

Why this band

• FC“Seeing my ideas come to life in a public space was both exciting and motivating.” — This sentence pairs two evaluative adjectives, 'exciting and motivating,' rather than simply describing what happened, and the gerund phrase 'Seeing my ideas come to life' reframes a factual event — working with a real café client — as a personally significant experience. A 7.0 answer would likely state a single reaction ('I really enjoyed it'); this answer offers a compound, more nuanced evaluation of why the project mattered, which is the reflective depth the 7.5 descriptor specifically asks for as a closing move.

What is the most difficult part of your studies?

Honestly, the hardest part of my graphic design degree was probably learning animation basics in my second year. I remember spending hours in the university lab in Hanoi, trying to make a simple character blink smoothly in After Effects. It was frustrating at first, but looking back, that challenge actually taught me a lot about patience and attention to detail.

Why this band

• GRA“It was frustrating at first, but looking back, that challenge actually taught me a lot about patience and attention to detail.” — The sentence opens with a concessive time-shift ('at first... but looking back') explicitly contrasting the speaker's past feeling with present-day reflection, then resolves into a main clause naming two specific abstract qualities gained — patience and attention to detail — rather than a vague 'I learned a lot.' A 7.0 answer would likely state the frustration and the lesson as two more loosely connected sentences. This fronted contrast plus a precise two-part outcome is the varied, mostly error-free complexity 7.5 rewards, turning a simple difficulty into a genuine growth narrative.

Would you consider changing your major in the future?

Honestly, I probably wouldn't change my major at this point. My graphic design degree really set the foundation for my work as a UI designer, and I still find new things to learn within the field. Just last week, I took an online workshop on creative typography, and it reminded me how much I still enjoy the design side of things.

Why this band

• LR“set the foundation for my work as a UI designer” — 'Set the foundation for' is a precise, somewhat formal-register collocation — more specific than a plain verb like 'helped' or 'prepared me for' — used naturally to connect the degree directly to the current career. A 7.0 answer would likely use the plainer 'really helped me with my job now'; this more exact phrase adds precision about the causal, foundational relationship between degree and career, which is the flexible, topic-specific vocabulary 7.5 targets.

What do you enjoy most about your studies?

What I enjoy most is the hands-on side, building a small project rather than just absorbing theory from a screen. Coming straight from a full day of work, that sense of actually making something is honestly what keeps me showing up.

Is there anything you don't enjoy about your studies?

The dense reading is my least favourite part, if I'm honest, particularly squeezed in after a long day designing screens. My concentration is usually shot by then, so I end up rereading the same paragraph three times before it sinks in.

Would you like to study a different subject in the future? What subject would you like to study?

I'd genuinely consider psychology, mostly because understanding how people actually think and behave feeds directly into design work. It's one of those subjects I keep telling myself I'll get around to, though work always seems to get in the way.

What subject/subjects are you studying?

I'm working through an online user experience course, squeezed into a couple of evenings a week alongside my job. It's more rigorous than the scattered tutorials I used to rely on, which is exactly why I signed up for it.

How do you think you will use this subject/these subjects in the future?

It should feed straight into my day job, given how closely it overlaps with what I already do for clients. If it goes well, I'm hoping it opens the door to leading bigger projects rather than just executing someone else's brief.