Challenges and Personal Growth

Hi everyone, and welcome to The IELTS TIME Podcast. Today, we’re looking at a Part 3 topic: Challenges and Personal Growth.

You’ll hear a mock interview where Joseph answers eight questions on this theme. After that, I’ll break down his responses, highlight useful language, and share a few tips.

Let’s get started with the mock interview.

What challenges do young people face today?

You know, the challenges young people face now are really multi-layered. I think the biggest one is this massive pressure to succeed in a world that feels incredibly competitive. They’re often struggling to find stable, well-paying jobs right away, and that intense competition in the job market makes the whole idea of finding financial security feel really distant. On top of that, there’s a huge issue with their mental health, mostly because of social media. They’re constantly seeing these ‘perfect’ lives online, which leads to a lot of anxiety and this constant feeling that they’re not quite good enough. It just creates this really high-stress transition into adulthood.

Do you think formal education prepares students for real-life challenges? Why or why not?

I think it prepares them, but only partly. Formal education is brilliant for teaching you how to think critically and for giving you a good knowledge base—and that is necessary. But where it really falls short is on practical life skills and emotional intelligence. When do they teach you how to do your taxes, how to budget effectively, or even how to deal with conflict in a professional setting? The fact is, They usually don’t. So, you end up with graduates who are intellectually very sharp but are totally unprepared to handle the financial and interpersonal complexities of adult life. They have to figure that stuff out through hard knocks, which is a shame.

Which is better: to face difficulties alone or to seek help from others? Why?

I would definitely say seeking help is better. I mean, facing things alone sounds brave, but all it really does is isolate you and limit your perspective to just your own brain. When you reach out for help—whether it’s a mentor, a therapist, or a good friend—it shows maturity, not weakness. You immediately gain different perspectives, access to experience, and, most importantly, emotional support. That combination doesn’t just make the difficulty easier to manage; it usually leads to a much better and more sustainable solution in the end.

How do young people usually handle difficult or challenging tasks?

It seems they handle it in a couple of distinct ways now. One way is they’re incredible at using the digital world to crowdsource solutions. If they hit a difficult task, the immediate reaction is to jump online, watch a YouTube tutorial, or ask on a forum for instant advice. It’s efficient, but maybe a bit superficial. The other big tendency is unfortunately procrastination. Because the stakes feel so high for them, complexity or the potential for failure can feel really overwhelming, so they just delay the task until the very last minute.

What challenges might someone face when living in a foreign country, and how can they be addressed?

Moving abroad throws up a few huge challenges. The immediate one is always the language barrier, which can feel very isolating at first. Then you have the cultural shock—just figuring out all the unwritten rules of social behaviour. And let’s not forget the pure stress of administration and bureaucracy, which can be incredibly complicated when you don’t know the system. To effectively address these, I think a dual approach is necessary. For the language and cultural issues, the solution lies in active immersion and adopting a learner’s mindset—forcing yourself into local social settings rather than just relying on classes. And crucially, overcoming the administrative stress often comes down to building a local support system. Finding a few established expats or local colleagues who can act as informal guides through the confusing paperwork can be an absolute lifesaver. Essentially, success depends on proactive engagement and network building.

Do you think people need to be challenged in life? Why or why not?

Oh, absolutely. I think people fundamentally need challenges. If life is too comfortable, you essentially just stagnate. Adversity is the engine of personal growth. It’s when things are difficult that you’re forced out of your routine to think creatively, develop resilience, and discover what you’re actually capable of. Challenges are what provide that sense of accomplishment that makes life truly meaningful. Without them, you’d just drift.

How can people develop skills to handle difficult situations better?

It’s all about practice and mindset. First, people need to develop emotional awareness—learning to pause, breathe, and not just react immediately when things get tough. Secondly, they should practice strategic thinking, maybe by thinking through hypothetical scenarios or talking about difficult past events with a mentor to see alternative paths. But most importantly, you have to embrace failure in small steps. Every time you face a minor difficulty and don’t completely break, you’re building up the mental muscle to stay calm and adaptable when a major crisis hits.

What kinds of challenges should parents involve their children in, and why?

Parents should involve kids in challenges that build responsibility, independence, and empathy. This means age-appropriate tasks like being fully responsible for a pet, managing a small allowance, or maybe navigating a bus route. This builds essential self-sufficiency. Also, they should be challenged with interpersonal problem-solving, like having to work through a disagreement with a sibling or helping with a family task. The reason is simple: these are safe, low-stakes environments where they can learn to fail, cope, and make decisions before they encounter the huge, complex challenges of being an adult.

And that brings us back.  That was a thoughtful and well-structured demonstration of IELTS Part 3 speaking from Joseph. He handled the questions with calm fluency, organized ideas clearly, and used a wide range of vocabulary and expressions naturally — all signs of a confident speaker.

Let’s walk through his responses one by one and pull out what worked, why it worked, and how you can apply some of the same strategies in your own answers.

Question 1: What challenges do young people face today?

Joseph started strong by organizing his response into two focused points: financial pressure and mental health issues linked to social media. That’s a smart move — choosing a couple of key ideas and exploring them in depth shows the examiner you can think critically.

He also used some excellent descriptive vocabulary:
“multi-layered,” “incredibly competitive,” and the standout phrase “a high-stress transition into adulthood.” That’s the kind of abstract noun phrase that adds academic weight to your answer.

Takeaway? Don’t just list problems — select a few and explain them clearly using precise, expressive language.

Question 2: Do you think formal education prepares students for real-life challenges?

Joseph gave a balanced response, starting with:

“It prepares them… but only partly.”

That phrasing immediately opens space for a nuanced answer. He acknowledged the value of critical thinking and a strong knowledge base, but pointed out what’s often missing: practical life skills and emotional intelligence.

One natural idiom stood out here:

“Students have to figure that stuff out through hard knocks.”

It’s conversational, idiomatic, and fits the context perfectly. Remember, in IELTS Part 3, being nuanced and reflective is more effective than taking a one-sided view.

Question 3: Which is better: to face difficulties alone or to seek help?

Joseph was clear and confident here — he said seeking help is better, and then backed it up with a contrast.

He explained that facing things alone can lead to isolation, while reaching out brings support, guidance, and perspective. His key phrase:

“It shows maturity, not weakness,”
was a strong, memorable expression — and that final point about a “more sustainable solution” wrapped it up nicely.

When choosing between two options, make sure to structure your answer as a comparison, not just a preference. This keeps your reasoning balanced and analytical.

Question 4: How do young people usually handle difficult or challenging tasks?

Joseph split his answer into two behaviors: crowdsourcing solutions online and procrastination.

This is a great way to approach “How” questions — categorize behaviors and give reasons. He used modern, relevant language like “crowdsource solutions” and then critically assessed it, calling it “a bit superficial.” He followed that with a thoughtful explanation of procrastination as a response to overwhelming pressure — the idea that the stakes feel too high.

This shows not just language skill, but also psychological insight — something the examiner will definitely appreciate.

Question 5: What challenges might someone face when living in a foreign country, and how can they be addressed?

Joseph structured this answer very effectively. First, he clearly listed three distinct challenges: the language barrier, cultural shock, and bureaucratic stress. He used the phrase “throws up a few huge challenges,” which is a vivid phrasal verb, and abstract phrases like “unwritten rules of social behaviour.”

Then, he immediately transitioned to the solutions. He divided the solutions into two parts: tackling the cultural and language issues through active immersion and overcoming the administrative stress through building a local support system.

He wrapped up with a strong concluding thought, emphasizing proactive engagement and network building.

Question 6: Do you think people need to be challenged in life?

Here, Joseph delivered one of the strongest moments in the interview.

Instead of simply agreeing, he offered a metaphor:

“Adversity is the engine of personal growth.”

That’s high-level language — and he didn’t stop there. He followed it up with three outcomes of facing challenges: creativity, resilience, and accomplishment.

He used strong vocabulary like “stagnate,” “discover what you’re capable of,” and “sense of accomplishment.” These are all abstract, reflective terms that match the tone Part 3 requires.

Question 7: How can people develop skills to handle difficult situations better?

Joseph handled this question methodically — breaking the process into three parts:
emotional awareness, strategic thinking, and embracing failure.

This is a textbook example of how to structure a “How” response. Phrases like “pause, breathe,” “hypothetical scenarios,” and “mental muscle” all add depth and colour to the answer.

When the question is about a process, clarity matters. Use linking language like:

“First,” “Secondly,” “Most importantly…”
to guide the listener through your ideas.

Question 8: What kinds of challenges should parents involve their children in?

Joseph gave a thoughtful and well-organized response here. He separated the challenges into two groups:

• Those that build independence and responsibility, like managing a pet or an allowance
• And those that develop empathy and interpersonal skills, like resolving sibling conflicts or helping with family tasks

He wrapped it up with a strong abstract phrase:

“safe, low-stakes environments.”

That kind of language shows maturity and precision. Phrases like “essential self-sufficiency” and “interpersonal problem-solving” are the kind of academic-level vocabulary that really stands out in Part 3.

Throughout all eight questions, Joseph used a consistent strategy:
He organized his ideas clearly, developed them with thoughtful reasoning, and supported them with precise, flexible vocabulary.
What made his answers effective wasn’t just the grammar or the phrases — it was the way he responded to each question with purpose. He treated Part 3 as a conversation about real ideas, not just a test to survive.
So as you prepare your own answers:
Be clear. Be specific. And don’t be afraid to reflect.

That brings us to the end of the breakdown.Thanks for listening to this episode of The IELTS TIME Podcast. I hope you found the mock interview and analysis helpful for your own preparation. If you enjoyed this episode, feel free to share it or leave a rating.