Not really getting the hang of IB?

[jiraffe]

Hi everyone. I just began my first year of the IB Diploma in mid-August. The workload is okay so far,but the results I've been getting...not that great. I've been getting only 5s, and I got a 4 for a recent history essay.

Does it take a while to get used to the IB? Did you all have problems with your work to begin with? Thank you so much!

[Eden0]

Hi everyone. I just began my first year of the IB Diploma in mid-August. The workload is okay so far,but the results I've been getting...not that great. I've been getting only 5s, and I got a 4 for a recent history essay.

Does it take a while to get used to the IB? Did you all have problems with your work to begin with? Thank you so much!

I went through most of the Middle Years Program, but I'm currently in DP1 (started in September). I have to say that I think your scores in the IB depend almost solely on effort. Many people in my school have only a social life and never study - they get 3s and 4s. I have found it hard to balance but now my average is probably over 6. If you're finding the workload to be okay, you might want to spend a little more time studying or going for extra help. Other than that, if you're working hard, I'd say that you should be fine in no time.

I was worried when my grades dropped this year, but my guidance councillor told me that it's normal for them to drop about a level or so, but that they go up again eventually. The thing to remember is that 5s are above average - the difference between a 5 and a 6 is mostly your "flair" (especially in subjects like English or History). And flair comes with practice. Work hard and you should be absolutely fine

[Sandwich]

What I would say is that a lot of IB (and this is the same for other educational systems, especially in Europe -- so in a sense Europeans are a little more practised!) is technique.

Writing your essays in the right style, highlighting the right points, putting the effort in to learn the right bits of info etc. -- that's actually why people's grades tend to go up towards the end more than anything else. History is actually an excellent example of a subject where you have to have really good essay-writing technique to get the grades, not just knowledge.

Basically 'quality over quantity' is very true of IB. You can do as much homework as you want, turn up to as many lessons as you want, answer all the questions in lessons etc., but the people who ace their exam technique, bunk in order to learn the stuff on the syllabus instead of doing that extra experiment etc. are the ones who'll do well. Clearly you shouldn't have to bunk in order to do well, I'm just trying to illustrate the fact that it's the people who know exactly what to do to succeed who do better, even if they're otherwise rubbish students all year.

My advice is that you ask your teacher what you could've done to improve and if they don't mention essay technique and writing style etc., bother them about it until they clarify exactly how you could've improved! Stick to the syllabus, stick to the marking criteria and prioritise those.

...unless it was a lack of knowledge in which case, either revise harder or revise a little more specifically!