Diary of an IB Student @ib-thereforeiam-blog - Tumblr Blog

Really need that

I'm in pre-IB right now and all the teachers at my school keep saying that ib is really really stressful - one even says that were crazy for taking it - so I just wanna know how you think ib was in general for you.. In the end is it really worth it? And what's some advice you would give to someone just entering (besides "don't procrastinate").. Thanks so much :)

Well, for me I would say it was worth it in the end since I got credit for two classes. (Uni course are expensive, so this is a big plus. Also, these courses that I would have had to take had nothing to do with my degree (engineering) so I can focus on the stuff that I really need.)

At my school, some teachers were pro-IB, some were against it. There were MANY MANY MANY times where I absolutely hated IB, and it was a pretty painful process for me at times. But I procrastinated. And didn't really take notes. How you will find IB is all a personal preference. Me, I hated the course, but looking back I'm glad I took it. There were times where I enjoyed being in IB, like the small class sizes which allowed our group to become really close. And the pancake breakfasts and Christmas potlucks to try and bribe people into IB. Now, as said above I got credit which I'm really happy about, but I can't say the same thing about you. But IB is supposed to prepare you for university courses (this will shortly be determined) and if this is true than I would say IB would be more worth it in the end. This description is kinda complicated, but so are my feelings about the IB.

IB is completely doable. My advice is to not get too hung over a bad grade. Get over it, and just try harder the next time. If you worry about that one bad grade it'll just be a downhill spiral from there. It's okay to fail or fall short of your expectations every now and then.

Get plenty of sleep. It doesn't matter how long you're studying for if you're not sleeping - nothing will be retained. There will be some long nights, but there also has to be a point where you stop and give your body a break. You don't want to burn yourself out so early in life.

Have a life and try and have fun! Now, fun and IB may not sound like they belong together, but don't just make IB about grades. You'll make more of your high school experience if you venture out and get involved.

Also, there's going to be a transition phase. You're going to have to learn to adapt to the new way of doing things, the different pace and course load. Take a deep breath and try a few things to determine what works for you with regards to your learning style.

Good luck!

What do you think is the best way of taking notes? Having separate notebooks at home that you copy neatly your notes into or taking the separate notebooks into college and making notes straight into them? Also, how do you organise all of your subjects and notes and work? I thought I had my note taking organised but now I've started, I realise I don't!

I feel you! I really need to get organized for Uni too, as I didn't really take notes during high school. (oops) What I'm going to try is I'll have a folder for each class to put handouts in, so they don't get crushed in my bag like in high school. I'll type out my notes in class then rewrite them at home in a notebook. (One for each subject to keep things organized). I remember reading somewhere that writing something out is equivalent to reading it 10(?) times, so hopefully the information gets absorbed better this way. If I didn't have a computer I would copy notes on loose-leaf in class then re-copy them neatly into another notebook. (Like you said.) I feel (and this is just my opinion) that if I would take the notebooks directly into the lecture they'd be a giant mess since you'll probably have to write pretty quickly. Plus the recopying thing will help you learn it faster! :) This is just my personal preference though, aha.

Colour coding is also apparently pretty useful. I bought a pack of coloured pens to use so I'll somewhat enjoy(?) copying my notes a bit more. I guess I'll play it by ear and update this as I go along :)

Hey ok so i'm about to start ib and i was wondering what type of notebook you think is best? Is it better to have those really big ones with like 500 pages or the normal ones that come up to like 80; is it better to have binders and put papers in those? I have no idea!!! I'm going school shopping soon so yeah :/ please help!

Sorry if this is late. I don't really check this blog much after I graduated. For me, I didn't really take many notes (BAD idea. Don't do this) but when I did I just typed them. You'll need to find your own system, since everyone operates differently, but maybe try having separate binders/notebooks for each subject to keep some sense of organization. Starting university, I need to get my act together and get organized, and I'll be using notebooks since binders are kinda heavy and I'd rather not lug around 5 massive binders across campus. But binders would be good for a place to put handouts and things like that.

I have another similar question to answer so refer to the above post for more information.

So how'd you do

I would say I did "above average." I didn't do fantastic but I did okay. And hey, as long as you get your diploma you're good, right? (Unless you're uni status depends on how well you do, which mine didn't. Thank God.)

Should i take the ib programme or is it not worth it??

Well, it depends on you. The general idea is that lower grades in harder courses (IB/AP) are better than coasting through the easier courses. But this is only to an extent. If it gets to the point where you're doing all you can and you just barely have your head above water, then I would say it's not worth it. I will edit this post a little later on, as I have just started uni and will soon see if IB prepared me, at least a little, for the tough transition, but as of now I'm pretty happy that I stuck with it. I got credit for a couple courses, saving me both money and time with classes that have nothing to do with my degree.

Another benefit of IB is that it kinda forces you to volunteer and do extracurriculars, which is handy for uni and scholarship applications. The smaller class sizes also allow you to form some amazing friendships, and you will be able to help each other during those times where you really want to drop IB.

Hey, your IB folders in Google Drive. As a graduate, I feel I should help those underclassmen. I'm filling you in on some history notes. G'Luck

Great!!

Do you have any tips for the IB?

Rule number 1: Don't procrastinate

Basically, if you're always on top of things, getting your assignments done on time (ie. not starting them ten hours before they're due), taking good notes and reviewing them regularly, you should be fine. I slacked off a lot, so I didn't do as well as I would have liked, so try and make sure you don't fall into the habit of putting things off.

But don't make high school just about grades and books! Get involved in the community, both the school and your city, and not just to pass your CAS requirements. (Plus it looks great on uni and scholarship applications.) Join a couple clubs. Try something new. The trick is to find the fine balance between academics and social activities, and this is something you'll need to find out for yourself as everyone will have different thresholds.

How does it feel likee

Wow it's been a while since I've checked this. This question kinda means something different at this time so I'll answer the question like this:

How does it feel like....

To be done IB exams (May): Thank God they're over. Dreading results.

Results (July): Hallelujah praise the Lord I got the diploma!!!! (Happy dance commences)

Summer: Are you sure there isn't something that I need to be doing.

Now: Can't believe I'm in university. What am I doing with my life. Is that free food???? DAMN WHY ARE TEXTBOOKS SO EXPENSIVE. Not ready to start classes next week.

Judgement day is upon us and I apologize for the hiatus this blog has taken following IB exams! I apologize for the unanswered questions in my ask, and will get to them as soon as possible. I will keep the ask open for any questions regarding IB, but I will no longer post any new content as I will be busy with university and a new blog. Thank you all for being there for me through these grueling years, and good luck on whatever the future has for you! Congratulations IB grads of 2014! It's finally over! Whether you got your diploma or not, you should be proud of yourself for even undertaking this journey. Remember that your scores are only numbers on a piece of paper and do not determine your ability to succeed in the future. Chances are, years from now they won't even matter.

#ib #International Baccalaureate

im higher level but it was bad even for my sl friends. physics sl was terrible for me this year as well dont worry sweetie

Praying for low grade boundaries....

I can't believe exams are over!!

I know!! We're finally free!!

Congratulations all 2014 IB graduates! We made it!

#ib #international baccalaureate

AFTER TWO TIRING YEARS IT'S FINALLY OVER. I AM DONE WITH IB FOREVER.

#ib #international baccalaureate

chemistry paper 2 was pure bulshit. WTF WAS THAT???????????

I took Chemistry SL last year, and I remember Paper 1 was AWFUL. Are you HL or SL?

On the bright side, if it was especially hard that means lower grade boundaries :)

(Which I'm hoping for for physics since the papers this year went terrible for me)

Thank you for the link and the help!! :)

No problem!! From what I've seen though the folders have been pretty bare, but hopefully they were of at least some help to some people.

lechcano

karameruru

typical representation of people 1 week before finals.

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Diary of an IB Student