What Kind of IB student are you?

[pianojames111]

So it is kind of a vague subject but i just wanted to know who does what in IB. I have seen and met almost all of the IB students at my school and they are all very different people. I wanted to know what are you like in the program. are you the straight A student who gets everything, or are you one who tries and tries and barely squeezes a C or are you a person that is barely noticed, not doing great but not horrible? i am curious because i want to know what you were like before and after IB. maybe i am speaking in tongues and should be silenced.

[koreANgel]

Let's see, I used to be that "A" Student that you mentioned. I used to be able to soak up information like a sponge, but now IB took that away.... D= Now I'm the same absorbing "B" Student...

[youcantstopthebeat]

I used to be a straight A student, but then I did IB! *sigh*

I've found IB harder because of the greater workload, the higher standard compared to middle school, it takes longer for me to understand things (especially in Chem HL!), we work through the course faster than we did in our subjects last year, and I'm still getting used to the criteria for different subjects and what is expected. As a result of all this frustration, I've slacked off a lot but I hope to do better in Term 2, which is starting next week (aaahhh!)

I think that maybe an important part of IB is to work hard and stay organised. I remember one teacher said at the beginning of the year that it's often the students who work hard who do really well. Although it would be a big help if you're also really intelligent, it's very important to put in maximum effort.

[Guest Lily Bean]

Honestly I think straight A in the IB is over rated. I mean, IB is supposed to teach you how to think on your own, and yes while getting 45 is nice, in the end it's what you get out of all of it. IB changes you as a person, and if it makes you a better/more rounded person in the end, I don't think it should matter much that you didn't get that 45. It's about whether you feel IB had been worth all that it time in the end. As for before IB, honestly middle school is so easy to get straight A in.

[__inthemaking]

Before IB: I was a straight A student but I didn't try hard at all..everything just came TOO easy to me and I was so lazy because I realized that I could get 90s without even trying, I had terrible work habits.

After IB: Well, I'm in my last year of IB and about to take my exams next month...still a straight A student, but now I actually have to work hard for my marks. I study diligently and I do all my assigned work...I'm still a procrastinator, though. I think I just work better under pressure because there's 10 days until my exams begin and I'm only done reading one subject (time to get cracking, I know). Anyways, I'm now not so lazy anymore, and I have good work habits (except for procrastination..but I don't think I can ever get rid of that).

[QueenSara]

Like others have said before me, I was a straight A student before the IB, now.. Well, I would lie if I said I didn't do good, but before I never needed to work for my high grades, thus now I realise that I do not have great methods when it comes to long-term learning, in Sweden we usually just read about a topic, do the test, and then you're done with that, you've got your grade. Now it's exams.. haha, but still, I think I'm a good student.

[blindpet]

I'm the student who, at times, teaches teachers. I'm the guy who created a 30 slide economics diagram show with 100 diagrams total so that our class would not completely fail. I'm the guy who goes and finds subject reports, mark schemes, whatever it takes to dig those IB secrets out and shares them with the class so they know what the IBO wants. I'm that student who creates study guides for the class and uploads every piece of valuable information to 'lectio' (the online communication/storage center for our school). I'm also that student that every teacher hates, but also loves to hate because I'm always trying to get precise information about the inner workings of the IBO to help my fellow students. I'm even the guy that proofreads everybody's essays (10 EE's) before they turn them in and who everybody comes to advice about for anything and everything academic. I do whatever it takes, regardless of rules and/or ethics to get the grade and give everybody an equal opportunity to succeed where success is possible, however microscopic that may seem in the IB.

Edited April 24, 2008 by blindpet

[Mr. Shiver]

I'm the guy who goes and finds subject reports, mark schemes, whatever it takes to dig those IB secrets out and shares them with the class so they know what the IBO wants....I'm also that student that every teacher hates, but also loves to hate because I'm always trying to get precise information about the inner workings of the IBO to help my fellow students. I'm even the guy that proofreads everybody's essays (10 EE's) before they turn them in....I do whatever it takes, regardless of rules and/or ethics to get the grade and give everybody an equal opportunity to succeed where success is possible, however microscopic that may seem in the IB.

That's the kind of student I want to be. But there are a few good reasons why I opt not to.

1) People begin to think it's my responsibility to do things for them.

2) I would get in trouble with my teachers and the coordinator, which probably wouldn't help my predicted grades a whole lot.

3) I'm not the brightest guy myself, so I can't always afford to think about people other than me.

4) I would probably become way too cocky.

5) People usually don't care too much about the "inner workings". They just want to get through with the work and move on, without wondering what could give them the extra edge in the markers' eyes. If they're not interested, it doesn't seem worth it to enlighten them.

6) Everyone sort of hates the "hero".

Otherwise, I totally respect that attitude, and I wish I could be more like that sometimes.

Edited April 24, 2008 by Mr. Shiver

[IBMan9000]

I'm the guy that teachers don't expect to get good grades because I slack off in class, but when the exam comes I score really well. I only put effort into what I care about, but usually I get by in classes I don't care about. for example, I get near 100s in the sciences/math, but then in history and english end up getting an 89.6 every semester. I've kinda always been this way, but I do notice that IB is harder to get by in the classes I don't care about.

[Bandev]

Unlike the rest of you I wasn't a straight As student before IB. I was more like As an Bs half-half, and sometimes Cs when I was slacking. But then in IB I noticed that it is alot harder to get good grades. But my grades stayed the same. I think I am the kind of student that teachers underestimate. I think that I shocked a lot of people with the mark that I got, but to be honest I expected it.

@blindpet you're some kind of movitated. That said I did a bit of the non-hardwork stuff eg finding markschemes, subject report, TSMs etc.

Edited April 25, 2008 by Bandev

[cixelsyD]

I got straight As all through elementary school, got 2 [high] Bs in grade 8 and became really discouraged LoL That's when I stopped trying so hard, I mean I DID get into a pretty decent highschool program (called the mini school.. I didn't know about IB at the time) and I realzed that universities don't care about your marks up to grade 11... That's when I started to average around 87 percent or so

After I joined the IB program, my marks remained about the same, but it required a little more work than before to maintain that average.. It wasn't until this year where I actually started trying -- I boosted my average to around 94 percent. It kinda took my teachers by surprise caus they knew the entire time that I had the potential to do better than I was doing in grade 11, but they didn't think I'd actually put in that extra effort to get those marks

[Tyro]

Before IB I was the type of student that was almost bored to death and still got stright A's (I had two B's in Middle School and High School, like 92's ). I was so bored that I took up reading (I mean A LOT of reading) to keep my mind doing something. Although, unlike others I did not slack off - I did all the homework and tried my best, I just never studied cause I didn't need to. Things changed with IB. I still get A's (only 1 B so far), but I find that I have to work harder for them. Lots more homework and I find myself studing more often. I don't understand all the information as well but because of the good habits I had from before my grades stayed steady.

[BluelandChica17]

Before IB: I have to take before all the way back to Elem. and Middle school: I was the type of student who got all A's, was always on the honor roll, and was the teachers pet.

High school: I was so-so A's/B's, but I slacked and tried to get by.

IB: I squeeze by with B's/C's. I'm a slacker. I procrastinate. It's bad. I put myself before school, and it's something I shouldn't do.

[IBMan9000]

Before IB: I have to take before all the way back to Elem. and Middle school: I was the type of student who got all A's, was always on the honor roll, and was the teachers pet.

High school: I was so-so A's/B's, but I slacked and tried to get by.

IB: I squeeze by with B's/C's. I'm a slacker. I procrastinate. It's bad. I put myself before school, and it's something I shouldn't do.

Then again, when you slack off, are you learning something more interesting (that's not school related) or are you just generally messing around? Some people put all their attention on school, but when they get out they don't have any advantage over the next guy that just focused solely on school. When I'm slacking off, I tend to learn things about computers and electronics. It might pay off down the road, but at the moment its more fun than history. I know a person who didn't go to college, but still programs better than most of the people in his workplace.

[yazzie]

well i used to be that straight A student that was into all these extracurricular activities and i guess after i took IB my grades dropped slightly but after learning how to manage my time i kind of got back on track... although im not a straight A student im still very active in school =)

but i wouldnt stress about IB that much i mean if your extremely grade oriented then you have to loossen up and the most important thing would be to manage your time, if you do that and not procrastinate (something im still trying to learn how to do =P) then i think your half way there =)

[ozolins]

I had As in almost all subjects (two Bs) before I started IB, but I didn't have to work hard at all. Like QueenSara said, getting good grades in the Swedish school isn't difficult - you score well on the tests, and then you can just forget everything you had learned. The reason I chose IB was that I wanted to actually learn something, and make sure it stayed in my head. Now I have to work if I want good grades, but I would say I'm doing fairly well. We have excellent teachers now, and that helps a lot.

[Francheska]

Well I never was a straight A student

always a C or B student

average as u can say

But since the last month i have started to work very hard in IB!

i have wasted about 7 months of skl work because I wasnt bothered and because i had Social problems that I cared more about

now i think about it, im mad at myself for wasting such a long time on something so stupid

its not too late

so i decided to give up my upcoming summer to study!!

i want to be an average 6 student!

Anyone else struggling to improve?

x

[deedoz]

hey

i have been an A student before IB and i would not accept less then that, but now i am still an A student (had a B in bio first semester but i brought it up) but i work way more than i used to keepmy average the way it is!!!! i waork almost all the tim although now i got bored and started to slack then i was overwelmed withall the work and started to get serious again!!!

[fjooiks]

That sounds terrible..
I had ESL classes when I was in high school. I regretted that I had not done enough reading and writing when I had time in high school...
Some say, you still have chances...
Going to the library, grabbing some books to read that you are interested in...that will absolutely help you a lot for your writing... That sounds great if u`re at school, but when u`re at college and must work after lectures it is much better to use free essay writing service like writingessays and that`s all.