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Is IB for me?


Guest Aniruddh

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Guest Aniruddh

Hey Guys,

I am giving my IGCSEs in Oct/Nov session this year. After my IGCSEs I'll possibly relocate to Singapore, and the school I've short listed there offers the IB Diploma for 11th and 12th grade. My parents asked me to reconsider about it - whether I could cope up with it or not?

I also have absolutely no idea about IB, I just know that you have to take 6 subjects and the three other components.

I am really interested in computer science, but I also want to take Physics and Chemistry, but considering that I can take only two sciences, which one from Physics or Chemistry should I drop?

Please help me out!

Aniruddh

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It really just depends on how you work, what you want to do and how much you are willing to work. The IB is a lot of work and there is no way of getting around that but i have heard (i haven't finished it yet) that it is all worth it in the end. It also teaches you a very strong work ethic and universities look really highly on students who have completed the IB. if you have more specific questions please feel free to ask.

If you are interested in computer science, i recommend you look at the subject prerequisites and check :)

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Guest Aniruddh

I just checked one of the computer science past papers, and I found that I had learned most of the stuff already in IGCSE. There were of course a few things which I had no idea about.

As far as hard work is concerned, I am the most lazy person on earth, but if IB turns me into a hardworking ant, it'd be worth it!

I was also looking for some help in choosing subjects. I usually get good grades in most subjects (except English), so I'll probably take 4 HLs. I didn't find a proper list of second languages, so if someone could fix me up with that, it'd be a huge help since the only languages I have studied are English and Hindi (I know 2-3 words in Spanish and French, but that's it :P)

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The Ib is definetly worth taking if you want to develop excellent work habits and become a more open minded intelecutal. Between Physics and Chemistry, I would say it depends on what you want to go into. In both, you have to work hard because the material is more challenging than most normal high school courses but I picked Chemistry which turned out to be useful when I studied Biochemistry in HL Biology. You could always take Physics on the side or online if you chose to as well! :)

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go for it.. the IB is amazing.. i think every individual changes after doing the IB,, in the good sense :P

anyone can cope with it..just finish your work on time and don't go overboard with the procrastination..

ai ai ai, won't you need both chem and physics for engineering? at least, that's what i've heard.. i honestly don't know about computer science, but yesterday my friends were saying that one who takes CS should take HL math.. though i'm not sure if they were just fooling around or not..so look into that.. and you're probably already going to take HL math so you should be fine..

moving on to english, i do SL english and yeah i do find it difficult sometimes. but i know, for sure, that it's not hard and that i just have to practice and read more.. it was my mistake for not reading the texts on time and analysing them properly and stuff like that.. just start reading more and you will eventually manage.. don't worry about it..

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The subjects sound good, although I'm not sure I would recommend 4 HLs... However if you've already done most of the Computer Science in IG it might not end up being so bad since you'll be recapping stuff most of the time :D

As for IB in general – definitely avoid procrastination. Just try to do your homework as soon as possible to get it out of the way. Of course everyone procrastinates a little, since it's human nature and we can't help it, but try to keep on top of your work for the most part. If at the end of the first year you realise that you didn't understand a topic you should definitely go back and look over it during the summer because you're going to need it for finals at the end of IB2 so you'll have to go over it at some point anyway. Ergo, might as well do it when you have some free time :)

I would recommend looking at some university entrance requirements for Engineering and see what sort of subjects you need as well as the number of points you need to be aiming for.

Best of luck with everything!

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Guest Aniruddh

I particularly chose Economics and Computer Science HL because most of the stuff is recap. It's only Maths HL and Physics HL that I gotta worry about :)

I consider myself average in Maths, I don't know how I get an A*, is Maths HL really difficult? Do I have to do any manual calculations in IB? I am addicted to my calculator :P

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Average in maths… well I don't know how hard it is to achieve an A* in maths since we don't have that stuff in my country.. but I think you can definitely succeed at Maths HL if you're prepared to work hard, revise content and do a lot of practice questions and papers. I personally think it's pretty difficult.. you definitely need to be determined to do well in it.. in some certain IB subjects you might be able to 'coast' through with not doing much work and still getting a 7, but in Maths HL you can't do well unless you put in the effort of learning and practicing (or unless you're a natural mathematical genius).

In the IB, apart from the internal assessment - which for you I think will be a pretty difficult maths exploration where you've got to go research/investigate something of your own choosing that includes advanced mathematics.. (thank goodness I am doing the pre 2014 syllabus :P).. maths HL has 3 papers in the final examination. Paper 1 - 120 marks, 2 hours, no calculator unfortunately :P, but Paper 2 (also 120 marks, 2 hours) is a calculator paper, and for Paper 3 - 1 hour option, you are also allowed the calculator. So I guess you've got to learn how to do without a calculator for just the Paper 1. I don't think it will be as hard as you think? Perhaps just a bit more algebraic manipulation and stuff like that :)

Yeah I've heard Physics HL is a huge, huge pain as well.. The really good thing about your 4 HLs is that if one of them becomes too stressful/difficult, you have the space to choose to drop it (although yeah, definitely check what your unis require you to take). :)

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Guest Aniruddh

I haven't shortlisted a uni yet - I want to go to MIT though, so to stand a change I'll probably have to take Physics and Maths HL. The only other subjects I am worries about are the languages cos I suck at them.

Also, the school I'll be going to starts it's 11th grade term in July, and my IGs will be done by November (21st). Should I go for something else instead of wasting the time till July?

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Guest Aniruddh

are you opting for SATs?

Sure I am

If your parents are worried about you coping with the IB, i definitely would not recommend that you take 4 HLs!

As I've mentioned, most of the stuff in Economics and CS has already been done in IGCSE. It's only Maths and Physics I've got to worry about :) Since I'll be going for engineering, both the subjects in HL is required, I guess.

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Guest Aniruddh

New Update guys -

When I was in 7th grade, the Maths teacher in the school I have short listed was the coordinator of our school.

My dad had a talk with him, and he recommended me to join IB in November itself, right after my IGCSEs. I am finishing with my IGCSEs on 21st November, so I'll have my December holidays to cope up (according to him).

What are your views? I am already one year younger to my peers (I should be in 9th grade according to my age), so if I do this, I'll have a whole year to plan for university, or better yet I can join university earlier (at 16 years of age!)

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