Describe a useful skill you learnt from another person. You should say: what the skill was who taught you how you learnt it and explain why the skill has been useful to you.

I would like to describe learning to cook, which my older sister helped me with shortly after I moved into my first flat. Until then, I had relied on family meals, so living alone exposed a fairly obvious gap in my skills. My sister suggested starting with vegetable soup because it was inexpensive and difficult to ruin completely. We bought the ingredients together, and she explained the basic method rather than asking me to memorise a complicated recipe. I chopped the vegetables while she showed me how to control the heat. By the end of the afternoon, I had made enough soup for several meals. Of course, doing it alone was another matter. My first attempt was rather watery, and I was tempted to assume that cooking simply was not for me. She pointed out that I could reduce the liquid by letting it simmer, which solved the problem and taught me something about adjusting a dish as I went along. Since then, I have learnt a few other simple meals. The main benefit is not just saving money; it is being able to look after myself without depending on takeaway food. Cooking also gives me a way to unwind after work, and I now occasionally make dinner for my sister as a small thank-you.