Impossible is nothing. Well, that’s what Mr Adidas would have us believe. This slogan, the catchcry of athletes worldwide could just as easily be applied to a Cambridge classroom.  Why? Because impossible is an adjective too often bandied about by Cambridge students when their English muscle is being stretched further than is comfortable.  When they realise the skills bar has been raised just that bit higher from their Intensive General English days, they realise they’ll have to train that little bit harder to leap over it to success.

Out of all the English language courses in all the English Language Schools in Australia, a Cambridge course can be the most challenging yet most rewarding.  It is a course which is guaranteed to improve a student’s skill set, by building on their knowledge and strengthening their weaknesses.  As one student states, “It’s the quickest way to learn English because it involves all the skills.” It is an investment for life, which is why the Cambridge certificate is valid for life, unlike other exam courses (IELTS etc). 

It’s not just about the skills, however, it’s about how to use them.  As the old adage goes, ‘Use it or lose it!’  If students have skills but not the ability to apply these skills to real life situations, then what is the purpose?  This is how Cambridge Australia is different.  As another student reflects “Personally, the Cambridge CAE course has been useful for me because when I had my first job interview in Australia, I was able to use what I had learnt and get the job.

When students first enter a Cambridge FCE or CAE course in Brisbane they have all the hopes and dreams of a young athlete aspiring for Olympic Gold.  However, a Cambridge course can challenge those dreams and even make them seem out of reach. That’s when impossible starts becoming a key word in a student’s vocabulary.  That’s when student’s need all the encouragement behind them of an athlete racing to glory.  That’s when a student needs to come to the realisation that impossible is nothing.

But where does that encouragement come from? A Cambridge class is like any elite sports team.  Like the cheering of a home crowd willing their team to success, a Cambridge class becomes each other’s fan base. There can be laughter, there can be frustration, but through it all there is a sense that we’re all in it to achieve a common goal.

Furthermore, like every good athlete, behind them is a coach.  Someone to encourage them, someone to give them the tools to succeed, to keep running that race and to push them beyond the pain barrier.  A teacher’s role in a Cambridge course is just that – a coach and team motivator, a team strategist and morale booster. A Cambridge course is more like a marathon than a sharp sprint, and it requires the right kind of backing to get a student across the finish line.

As the first conqueror of Everest, Sir Edmund Hillary once stated, “People do not decide to become extraordinary. They decide to accomplish extraordinary things.” Most Cambridge students are in training to conquer their own Everest, whether it be to get that job promotion, to get that place at university, or maybe just the personal satisfaction of achieving a lifelong dream. 

In short, a Cambridge course can be the answer to dreams fulfilled, but it’s not without its challenges. It requires training, motivation to succeed and a cheer squad to get you there.  As one of the world’s most eloquent athletes puts it, “It ain't about how hard ya hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done!” (Rocky Balboa aka Sylvester Stallone

Cambridge – Impossible is nothing.