International Baccalaureate (IB) Students

[Danish_4116]

I was just wondering, who in the escapist community is/was/is going to be an IB student? I personally just finished my first year of the program and I've got to say; it hasn't been as bad as people have made it out to be.

There is a lot of work involved, but you get more freedom in what you want to do. For example, we do an English assessment piece on any aspect of a whole range of books (even ones not studied in class). Also, I think it is a better system than the OP (a Queensland tertiary education program) as it bases your final results on your own work, rather than the collective work of the year level at your school (with the OP system, your final 'OP' can be made worse if other schools have a higher standard, its messed up. So if you get an OP 10, and another school, the average OP is 5, your OP isn't as good in comparison and is lowered to an 11)

I like the reduced class size and camaraderie between us. At my school, there are only 17 'IB Nerds' currently in my year group. After a year, everyone has excellent work ethics, as all the others have dropped out by now (we started with around 30)so everyone is willing and able to help each other out. The teachers also have more one on one time with us due to the reduced numbers and we form strong friendships with them. We're all good mates and have a strong sense of pride, and dare I say it, superiority over the regular OP kids and it builds a community and sense of belonging in our little group.

So, Escapists, what are your opinions and experiences with the program and why did you decide to join? Or, if you are going to join the IB program, do you have any questions or concerns? Also, what subjects did you choose to do at a higher level?

I did
Modern History (HL)
Biology (HL)
Chemistry (HL)
English A1 (SL)
German Ab Initio
Maths (SL)

 

[Neurowaste]

I did the IB program for Chemistry, German and English, but really wasn't worth it and frankly i didn't give a damn, so, sure it was interesting but i have no plans to go to university, so, it was just to challenge myself. It is a lot of work but with a good work ethic it doesn't impede anything, I played 2 sports while in it (wrestling and rugby) so it isn't as bad as people say, you just need self control, i had to turn down my girlfriend and friends form time to time but self-discovery is worth it.

 

[Asturiel]

I personally am a lazy bastard but I take everything at a higher level and usually coast from 70-80s. The IB program seems like too much of a hasal to me, a buncha kids tried to sell me on something like they dont have to take a year of uni or college and frankly thats not much of an instentive to me.

But anyways the IB kids I knew in summer school (Me and them were taking an additional course, im not sacrificing drama for fucking civics/careers) they were pretty alright guys when it came down to it. But anyways good for you perhaps later on in life that will show up and make you better than the other guy for the job.

Btw Hazmatdeath, nice avatar.

 

[Cherry Cola]

I'm in the IB right now. I prefer it over all the other courses, because almost everyone else is a yuppie prick.

 

[grimsprice]

You know you're in IB when you realize the smart kids took standard classes.

You know you're in IB when you look for juxtaposition in every day life.

You know you're in IB when you think going to bed at 2 in the morning is "early".

You know you're in IB when your lunch conversations include theoretical discussions about why matter has an equal balance of gravity and inertia.

You know you're in IB when you forget how to do long division but know how to do logarithm's in your head.

 

[Pimppeter2]

Nope, but who knows what will happen in the future.

Except Godzilla, of course

 

[DarkRyter]

Nerds...

Though to be honest, I was a prime candidate to be in IB. I was even put into a few preIB classes. But I never got around to filling the paperwork.

 

[Sebenko]

I graduated from IB last year. It got really stressful by the end of the second year, with all the IA's, the EE, deadlines for CAS hours, studying for final exams, and homework piling on. If you're a procrastinator, get ready to start pulling all-nighters.

Then again, I did get a little screwed over by the fact that it was mandatory at my school to take HL History and English, my two worst subjects. My third HL was Chemistry, and I really enjoyed it. My SL classes were Spanish, Calculus, and ITGS.

You sound like you're going to do very well though. I only joined because my parents pressured me to. I'm not exactly a very motivated person. For me it was hellish and stressful, but I'm sure it will be better for you if you're more motivated and had more freedom in your class choices. Whether or not you pass won't depend so much on your intelligence as on your will to work ahead of time and your interest in the course material.

How did you ever deal with so many acronyms?

 

[Vromnir]

I'm in my sophmore year of IB now, and you're right that it isn't as hard as people make it out to be.

 

[CyberAkuma]

My ex-GF went to IB 3 full years. Now she studies at MIT...

I don't know what illusion people are under that claim that IB is crap, but IB has a immensly high standard compared to what high school is here normally.

There's no way in hell you'll get in to MIT with Swedish school grades - my ex-GF did IB here and got in to MIT.. sooo.... yeah...

 

[Xvito]

I graduated from IB last year. It got really stressful by the end of the second year, with all the IA's, the EE, deadlines for CAS hours, studying for final exams, and homework piling on. If you're a procrastinator, get ready to start pulling all-nighters.

Then again, I did get a little screwed over by the fact that it was mandatory at my school to take HL History and English, my two worst subjects. My third HL was Chemistry, and I really enjoyed it. My SL classes were Spanish, Calculus, and ITGS.

You sound like you're going to do very well though. I only joined because my parents pressured me to. I'm not exactly a very motivated person. For me it was hellish and stressful, but I'm sure it will be better for you if you're more motivated and had more freedom in your class choices. Whether or not you pass won't depend so much on your intelligence as on your will to work ahead of time and your interest in the course material.

How did you ever deal with so many acronyms?

You there, sir! Yes, you.

You just made my day.

 

[SturmDolch]

In my college, the IB students all end up going out with each other in their weird little secluded community.

That's strangely true... I'm one of those and I know there was another couple or two.

Yeah, I graduated from it last May. It was pretty much a complete waste of time and I would have got higher marks in the normal Alberta Program since the teachers are better. The only good part was that I was gauranteed to be in classes with my friends. Also, you can do minimal work and still get the diploma which looks good and gave me 3 University credits.

I took:
History HL
Biology HL (almost failed... I hate bio)
English HL
Math HL
Chem SL
Spanish SL

And if you think the Extended Essay is hard, welcome to University. Honestly, that helped prepare me a ton when I got a 15 page essay assigned to me in my first class.

Theory of Knowledge should've been good but we had a stupid hippy as a teacher so he spent the whole class talking about how we should donate to charity and redistribute the wealth and how Greenpeace should inherit the Earth.

 

[manaman]

I graduated from IB last year. It got really stressful by the end of the second year, with all the IA's, the EE, deadlines for CAS hours, studying for final exams, and homework piling on. If you're a procrastinator, get ready to start pulling all-nighters.

Then again, I did get a little screwed over by the fact that it was mandatory at my school to take HL History and English, my two worst subjects. My third HL was Chemistry, and I really enjoyed it. My SL classes were Spanish, Calculus, and ITGS.

You sound like you're going to do very well though. I only joined because my parents pressured me to. I'm not exactly a very motivated person. For me it was hellish and stressful, but I'm sure it will be better for you if you're more motivated and had more freedom in your class choices. Whether or not you pass won't depend so much on your intelligence as on your will to work ahead of time and your interest in the course material.

How did you ever deal with so many acronyms?

Says a man who was never in the military. We had acronyms for acronyms, really I am not exaggerating in the slightest.

This Australian program sounds just like an advanced placement program. We sorta had a similar program here in the US, there where several tracks you could graduate High school under Honors, Advanced Placement, and standard. Each taking a differing number of credits, and each having a different amount of required classes, and AP classes.

 

[Sebenko]

I graduated from IB last year. It got really stressful by the end of the second year, with all the IA's, the EE, deadlines for CAS hours, studying for final exams, and homework piling on. If you're a procrastinator, get ready to start pulling all-nighters.

Then again, I did get a little screwed over by the fact that it was mandatory at my school to take HL History and English, my two worst subjects. My third HL was Chemistry, and I really enjoyed it. My SL classes were Spanish, Calculus, and ITGS.

You sound like you're going to do very well though. I only joined because my parents pressured me to. I'm not exactly a very motivated person. For me it was hellish and stressful, but I'm sure it will be better for you if you're more motivated and had more freedom in your class choices. Whether or not you pass won't depend so much on your intelligence as on your will to work ahead of time and your interest in the course material.

How did you ever deal with so many acronyms?

Says a man who was never in the military. We had acronyms for acronyms, really I am not exaggerating in the slightest.

Yes indeed, says a man who was never in the military. I suspect I would go mad from the acronyms there.

 

[13thforswarn]

Sadly, I'm in IB.

 

[The Austin]

I'm in Riverview High Schools' IB department.

....Kinda weird, I had no idea other people on the Escapist were in IB.

 

[Cherry Cola]

In my college, the IB students all end up going out with each other in their weird little secluded community.

That's strangely true... I'm one of those and I know there was another couple or two.

Yeah, I graduated from it last May. It was pretty much a complete waste of time and I would have got higher marks in the normal Alberta Program since the teachers are better. The only good part was that I was gauranteed to be in classes with my friends. Also, you can do minimal work and still get the diploma which looks good and gave me 3 University credits.

I took:
History HL
Biology HL (almost failed... I hate bio)
English HL
Math HL
Chem SL
Spanish SL

And if you think the Extended Essay is hard, welcome to University. Honestly, that helped prepare me a ton when I got a 15 page essay assigned to me in my first class.

Theory of Knowledge should've been good but we had a stupid hippy as a teacher so he spent the whole class talking about how we should donate to charity and redistribute the wealth and how Greenpeace should inherit the Earth.

You can take 4 HL subejcts?

 

[Cherry Cola]

You can take 4 HL subejcts?

You can if you're clinically insane...

OT: I'm doing IB next year.

Good luck to you sir. Good luck indeed...

Although seriously, it's not that hard. Not yet anyway.

 

[SturmDolch]

You can take 4 HL subejcts?

You can if you're clinically insane...

OT: I'm doing IB next year.

Not really... My girlfriend took 5, with Chinese HL instead of the Spanish.

 

[Inverse Skies]

My highschool bought in the IB program the year after I was eligible for it. Even so I wouldn't have done it. I'm very much a maths science guy and the fact IB makes you spread yourself out over many disciplenes would have worked against me, unlike our system (VCE - Victorian Certificate of Education) where you can specialise somewhat.

That and one of my friends once called IB "a cancer on our school". I told this to a girl I used to date who studied Medicine at Melbourne Uni and did IB. I don't think she appreciated it very much.