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Nikita K

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Hi, so I'm in the first year of my IB, and when I started out, I realized that there wasn't (or that I couldn't find) any helpful tips or advice for IB students all in one place, and thus, decided to create this thread. I think it could really come in handy for ALL the students on this forum. So go ahead, post any helpful advice or tips you've learnt- both academically and socially.

Here are some of mine:

- Even if you have a super-huge-worth-75%-of-your-grade assignment due tomorrow, it really helps if you have some sort of control over the situation. Do not freak out- deadlines have been met before (under the most stressful of situations) and you can do it too. Breathe, relax, prioritize and then deal with the situation.

- CAS is a pain in the neck if you do not have it sorted out. My school's CAS program is alright, but the fact that NOTHING is ever correctly planned out makes it a thousand times more difficult to deal with. If you find yourself in the same situation, I would suggest that you go your own way and start accumulating the necessary hours. Try to do something weekly (swimming, violin-playing, shooting out of a canon- whatever) and try to make it a habit. You'll at least have a steady flow of SOME hours.

- People are going to be difficult sometimes, especially you're classmates. You will feel like strangling them at some point, either for their obnoxious attitudes, overconfidence, or maybe you're just overcome with plain ol' jealously. Trust me when I tell you I've dealt with classmates from hell and the best way to deal with them (academically, at least) is to concentrate on your own work. You've got your future to worry about and (I'm assuming) that you want to be happy and successful later in your life. Believe me, the last thing I bet you want is for those idiotic (choice of strong insult here) to mess up those plans. Keep your head in your own business, ignore them, and just keep on going. BUT if the problem is jealously, do a little introspection here. You can solve this problem- if you're jealous of their grades/skills/habits, work harder and smarter to achieve the same. Don't sulk around and blame it on them.

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IB is as hard as you think it is, if you believe it is a demon from hell that can never be perfected, this will be true for you because your motivation is ruined and you will think that your below average grades are 'okay' for such a hard subject. If you believe that it is not that hard you will know that you can do it and get amazing marks, it's not impossible.

Also, enjoy all your subjects and assignments, or just go with it without thinking too much about your hatred and you will start to enjoy going to school and being an IB student, pushing up your motivation and separating you from those kids who tell people not to go to IB and complain all the time about their workload.

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  • 2 weeks later...

DO NOT PROCRASTINATE! I know, I know, it's really hard not to but don't try finishing off your work one day before the submission. Make lists and be organised. Have a proper place for things. And don't stress out too much. Oh, and get CAS and the EE out of the way as quickly as possible.

Edited by IBchicken
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They say that if you fall off the bike, you should get back onto the bike and pedal away into the sunset.

That's the same thing for iB. You will be surprised on the increased amount of difficulty and the stress levels will rise. There will be a moment where you fail a test, where you fail an assignment, where you feel like a failure in life. During this key defining moment, who are you? A person who bellows with the sadness of failing upon their own actions or be a person who does something and gets back onto that motorcycle with that leather jacket riding with your fellow iB motorists. If you never failed or made mistakes then go on with your life however this type of situation is good practice for life in general.

Procrastination is a gigantic b---- and I have to tell you. Work on destroying it or you will ruin your grades academically. Procrastination is not funny business.... I struggle with it sometimes. So, yeah don't screw yourself over haha.

If you come acrossa certain question you don't get, you can just type word by word into it in google. Best source is Yahoo Answers.

You should really think about what you want out of iB, what benefits and what doesn't. I have the luxury to drop full and just take only iB courses for certificates. I dropped full because I see no need for all of the BS for my career outside of high school. Think about it. Why the hell would you need some of those courses for university if it never benefits you. Start thinking about it, however this is a life changing decision so be wise with what you go with and you can't go back on it.

I would elaborate and give more if people want.

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OP (person starting topic) I appreciate your tip with classmates socially, its sometimes hard to deal with these type of people as I feel like my personality clashes with theirs. We all get along but I just have this little hatred for a certain few.

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Redxzx, I know just what you mean. The people in my class aren't even subtle about it sometimes. This one guy who happened to get the highest on our first Bio test went around asking the other people (and some people had gotten REALLY bad grades) what their marks were, pestering them even though it was evident they didn't want to say anything. I wanted to hit the guy.

But, what are you going to do right?

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  • 6 months later...

I know I'm not full IB but here are some of the tips I have:

1. Remember that what you put in your body is important!! We are what we eat, so make sure to eat snacks that are healthy. I guarantee you'll feel better immediately. :)

2. Sleep! Although it may not seem like you don't have time for it, things can wait a little bit. :) I promise you'll be okay! Sleeping a steady amount of hours helps your body and mind operate better.

3. Time Manage! I can't stress this one enough, I really messed myself up last year because of procrastination and if I could go back and properly time manage I would.

4. Keep an agenda or calender. By doing this you can write down those deadlines coming up and set your own deadlines for those big projects. If you have an IA due two months from now, write that down then make little goals for yourself. So six weeks to the due date have an outline done, one month have the research done, two weeks have a rough draft etc.

5. Always keep your notes organised and in one place. This is really really important, keep them organised unless you want to scramble to find all of the notes when you have an exam.

6. Always make 'you' time! I have many full IB friends who think that this is impossible yet we have figured out ways for them to be able to take that time for themselves. This is always much needed and it'll help you focus better.

7. Plan out your week. I was really stressed last year and this is something my guidance counselor taught me. Take some time on a Sunday and just plan. Do you have an extra class on Wednesday? What about exams? Is there anything due? When do you want to study? Where's your you time?

8. Make time for studying, and try to make it around the same time everyday. Try to allot about 30 or so minutes per course you are taking. This allows you to redo your notes, review and reflect on your class and do any homework needed.

9. Get to know your fellow IB peers! Being alone is hard, and many people in this program begin to shut themselves off to spend more time studying. Other IB students get this, and it can make it easier to socialize with people who have to deal with the same situation.

10. Make time to socialize! People skills are important! Plus this will help you stay sane over the next two years.

11. Never cram for that exam!!! I've gotten some very bad marks doing that, instead study over a few days and study the topics you have troubles with first!! This way when your brain gets tired from studying you can switch gears into something you understand better.

12. Caffeine is not your friend. It'll cause you to be more anxious and to crash later, instead opt for other drinks.

13. Always do your homework! I know that some work doesn't get marked and it's tempting to not do it all together, however you can get really bad marks and not understand the concepts if you do skip doing it. I almost failed a couple of my courses because I decided that homework that wasn't for marks wasn't worth doing.

14. Have fun! These are some great years if you let them be, and even if you are under some stress if you follow some of these tips hopefully you can enjoy your high school years.

Edited by treaniebeanie
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