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subject selection- lang and lit HL or math HL?


corlisschan1203

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I am interested in pursuing economics/politics/political economy/international relations/global studies in university.

here are my proposed IB options:

Economics HL

History HL

Math HL

Chinese A Lang & Lit SL

English A Lang & Lit SL

ESS SL

I am studying Additional Mathematics and Extended Mathematics for IGCSE now, and doing okay, predicted A for former and A* for latter. But is Additional Mathematics a big jump to Math HL? :( Do you need to be smart and very capable in math to get at least 6?

Really worried now especially I have heard Math HL and History HL have tremendous amounts of workload.

Would love some advice please :)

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If you get an A in add math you should be just fine for math hl. However Math hl is a very very challenging course and I would recommend studying during the summer for it. The problem with both math hl and history hl is that there is so much to cover and not enough time so the pace is really past. You do need to put in a lot of your own time. Hope this helps :)

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Hey! I think that Maths HL is by no means impossible to get a 6 in. As Maple mentioned above, hard work is ultimately the determining factor in success rather than innate talent, and definitely more than in any IB subject. Though I would say that having natural aptitude in maths definitely makes it easier to motivate yourself to study! I can't speak on the comparison between IGCSE maths and IB maths, but the reality is that most pre-IB maths courses don't really prepare you for the intensity and difficulty of Maths HL - though I have heard that the maths syllabi of some Asian nations makes Maths HL look easy by comparison. :)

In terms of how well it would prepare you for uni, I think that it would actually be hard to distinguish between English A Lang & Lit HL and Maths HL in terms of which is better. Whilst a lot of the top-tier universities in the UK (and to a lesser extent US) will want Maths HL for economics, that's not necessarily the case. Also, arguably, doing 2 essay subjects at HL might be better if you want to go down a more politics-based route. However, in terms of keeping your options open, Maths HL does give you a slight edge. I assume that History HL (which I presume you would take in English?) would demonstrate more than adequately your proficiency at writing essays.

And finally, do not underestimate how hard History HL is. Personally, I am so glad that I didn't do History HL instead of Maths HL, because it would just have been so much reading/writing, with so much subjectivity in the final marking. So Maths HL can be a great subject to take to balance out more reading/writing-based subjects like history and economics - though the fact that I said that History HL is lots of work may also make you reconsider doing both Maths and History HL, though I definitely think that Maths HL is a great choice to start IB with! Best of luck deciding.

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If you want to apply for pure economics or say economics and maths then definitely take HL math; there is no other option, if you want to get into a top university. If you don't mind opting for politics and international relations for example, then maths HL is not so important; in fact you would find HL langlit more useful as the language part analyses political speeches and rhetorical devices etc, which can help you in your uni course.

You're right that math HL and history HL have a lot of work. So it really depends which career path you want to go down. Some universities offer a combined politics and economics course which doesn't require HL math (eg. university of bath), which can be another option for you and can help you make a decision.

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The thing about math HL is that some people get it lot better than other. I have friends who love it and they think that it is the best subject in the world, and even the easiest one (one of them actually took exam last year and got 7), personally, I would never take this course as I'm not actually math fan at all. You just have to think about the way you feel about math in general (perhaps you should simply take a look at the course book) and about studies you want to go to (search universities' sites for course details). As far as I remember it is said that mathematical level on math HL is something like academic one, so you'll definitely get skills you'll need on some math-realted studies.

And I'm not sure is it possible to take two languages as language A, but English B (HL or SL) is actually not a big deal just like any second language you're fluent at.

About history HL- I've been doing it for almost a year now and I honestly do not consider it my hardest subject. Of course, it is sometimes necessary to put a bit of effort in it, but it is great as long as you find it entertaining/interesting.

Edited by eoeoeo3
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