I'm two days into my first year of IB and I need help with subject choices (!)

[Kim Jong-Luftballong]

Hello, as the title reads today is my second day in the IB and I'm still not sure as to what subjects to choose, other than my languages;

Swedish A SL
English B HL

 

I want to study medicine after the IB, so naturally I thought psychology would make for a good social science, however, I don't feel all too interested in the subject after having heard former students' descriptions of it.

In addition to this I'll need to take both Biology and Chemistry on HL. Alternatively, I could take the irregular diploma with three sciences, but I feel like I would be in way over my head doing that. 

It comes down to taking either Psychology or Economics, and I would really appreciate some help with deciding which one to choose. (Is psychology preferred by Unis?)

I barely studied any maths during Pre-IB, nor during the summer leading up to the first year of IB. I don't feel very comfortable using the calculator, and I reckon much of what we're supposed to have learnt is unfamiliar to me. Despite this I chose to take mathematics HL, originally as we may choose it and then after one term drop down to SL; still remaining in the HL group (- thus supposedly having an easier time doing the actual SL work), but now more so because I feel very motivated to actually work and give HL maths a shot. Would a 6-7 be impossible to score even for the most clever out there, or could it be doable?

I have a really easy time learning and remembering stuff the day before tests, but I've never really studied consistently during class in the majority of subjects. I got second to highest grade in maths last year, despite not having been able to concentrate in class since around 10th grade. I do however understand that I need to change my bad habits, and I'm scared that I despite my newfound motivation won't have the time to catch up enough in the subject to be able to handle HL.

 

Lastly, would dropping Biology to SL whilst keeping mathematics on HL (or vice verse) be preferred for medicine given the same grade in the respective subjects?

 

 

All input is hugely appreciated 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[bguloglu]

Don't drop biology in my opinion, you have physiology (a lot if you take it at HL). If I were you and reading medicine, I would drop Math/Physics HL to SL and go for Bio HL. I applied for Biochem (more on the physical side of biomedical sciences) and physics as a course was not even required for me, and Math SL was enough. I think Chem and Bio should be your HLs.

[Kim Jong-Luftballong]

Don't drop biology in my opinion, you have physiology (a lot if you take it at HL). If I were you and reading medicine, I would drop Math/Physics HL to SL and go for Bio HL. I applied for Biochem (more on the physical side of biomedical sciences) and physics as a course was not even required for me, and Math SL was enough. I think Chem and Bio should be your HLs.

 

Yeah you're probably right - still really unsure about my social science though :-(

 

EDIT: You got into Oxford? Holy cows.

Edited August 18, 2015 by Kim Jong-Luftballong

[bguloglu]

 

Yeah you're probably right - still really unsure about my social science though :-(

 

Hahaha thanks About the social science. It has very little to do with your field, but I loved studying ESS, so if that is offered at your school, then you might want to talk to people who are taking it. The great thing is that it's interdisciplinary so it can count as both a natural or a social science depending on you diploma, and you'll be studying a lot of ecology. That was especially appealing to me since I'm usually not that much into social sciences.

[Kim Jong-Luftballong]

 

 

Yeah you're probably right - still really unsure about my social science though :-(

 

Hahaha thanks About the social science. It has very little to do with your field, but I loved studying ESS, so if that is offered at your school, then you might want to talk to people who are taking it. The great thing is that it's interdisciplinary so it can count as both a natural or a social science depending on you diploma, and you'll be studying a lot of ecology. That was especially appealing to me since I'm usually not that much into social sciences.

 

 

Actually I've read some about it and it seems quite interesting, but unfortunately it's not offered   Do you know whether it's similar to either Psychology or Economics in regards to how time consuming it is as paired up with the Chem-Bio combo? Also, could you make an Explain Like Im 16 on how to get into Biochemistry on Oxford? 

[kevG]

just drop math cause you arent even gonna do something math related; just extra pressure for you tbh

[Vioh]

Hello, as the title reads today is my second day in the IB and I'm still not sure as to what subjects to choose, other than my languages;

Swedish A SL

English B HL

I want to study medicine after the IB, so naturally I thought psychology would make for a good social science, however, I don't feel all too interested in the subject after having heard former students' descriptions of it.

In addition to this I'll need to take both Biology and Chemistry on HL. Alternatively, I could take the irregular diploma with three sciences, but I feel like I would be in way over my head doing that.

It comes down to taking either Psychology or Economics, and I would really appreciate some help with deciding which one to choose. (Is psychology preferred by Unis?)

I barely studied any maths during Pre-IB, nor during the summer leading up to the first year of IB. I don't feel very comfortable using the calculator, and I reckon much of what we're supposed to have learnt is unfamiliar to me. Despite this I chose to take mathematics HL, originally as we may choose it and then after one term drop down to SL; still remaining in the HL group (- thus supposedly having an easier time doing the actual SL work), but now more so because I feel very motivated to actually work and give HL maths a shot. Would a 6-7 be impossible to score even for the most clever out there, or could it be doable?

I have a really easy time learning and remembering stuff the day before tests, but I've never really studied consistently during class in the majority of subjects. I got second to highest grade in maths last year, despite not having been able to concentrate in class since around 10th grade. I do however understand that I need to change my bad habits, and I'm scared that I despite my newfound motivation won't have the time to catch up enough in the subject to be able to handle HL.

Lastly, would dropping Biology to SL whilst keeping mathematics on HL (or vice verse) be preferred for medicine given the same grade in the respective subjects?

All input is hugely appreciated 

 

I think you might want to take irregular diploma for 3 sciences (physics/bio/chem). And if you try your best to get something like 40 or above, then you have every qualifications you need to get into Karolinska Institutet (which is the 3rd best medical university in Europe, and the 12th in the world according to ranking statistics). Now, taking regular diploma is fine, but if you want to go to Karolinska (or in fact, any medical universities in Sweden), then you'll have to take an extra Swedish course in physics (because Swedish medical schools don't accept students who haven't taken 3 sciences). This means that you'll have to take a gap year before you can go to university; and perhaps that's not something you would want.

 

On the other hand, if you have decided to go abroad and not stay in Sweden for university, then by all means, take regular diploma. In that case, whether you take Economics or Psychology isn't important because neither of them play any role in getting into a good medical school. So my advice is, take whatever you like the most. It doesn't really matter.

 

Finally, you should be aware that HL maths is really time-consuming and requires you to have a lot of efforts. Besides, maths HL isn't a requirement for medical schools. So you might want to consider dropping HL maths to have room for bio HL.

Of course, if you're truly interested in HL maths, then by all means, try it out! This can be done if you take 4 HLs instead of 3 HLs, which is completely allowed in IB.

 

So in general, if I were you, I would want to have an opportunity to study in a Swedish medical school, and thus I would take these subjects:

- Bio (HL), English B (HL), Chem (HL), Maths (HL or SL), Swedish A (SL), Physics (SL)

 

But if you have a different plan, then take these:

- Bio (HL), English B (HL), Chem (HL), Maths (HL or SL), Swedish A (SL), Psychology or Economics (SL)

 

Also, could you make an Explain Like Im 16 on how to get into Biochemistry on Oxford? 

 

By the way, im just a bit confused here. Do you want to study medicine or biochemistry? Or that is not an important question?

Edited August 18, 2015 by Vioh

[Kim Jong-Luftballong]

 

 

Sweden

 

**** sweden

 

 

 

On the other hand, if you have decided to go abroad and not stay in Sweden for university, then by all means, take regular diploma. In that case, whether you take Economics or Psychology isn't important because neither of them play any role in getting into a good medical school. So my advice is, take whatever you like the most. It doesn't really matter.

 

Are you sure? Wouldn't Psychology be a better fit as it's more related to medicine than Economics is? 

 

 

 

By the way, im just a bit confused here. Do you want to study medicine or biochemistry? Or that is not an important question?

 

I want to study pre-med ideally, and I thought it'd be interesting to see whether @bguloglu could share anything that potentially could help me get where I want, as I most likely will have four subjects that he got 7s in.  

[bguloglu]

 

 

 

Actually I've read some about it and it seems quite interesting, but unfortunately it's not offered   Do you know whether it's similar to either Psychology or Economics in regards to how time consuming it is as paired up with the Chem-Bio combo? Also, could you make an Explain Like Im 16 on how to get into Biochemistry on Oxford? 

 

I'd love to, but first you'd have to tell me what an Explain Like Im 16 is

[Kim Jong-Luftballong]

 

 

 

 

Actually I've read some about it and it seems quite interesting, but unfortunately it's not offered   Do you know whether it's similar to either Psychology or Economics in regards to how time consuming it is as paired up with the Chem-Bio combo? Also, could you make an Explain Like Im 16 on how to get into Biochemistry on Oxford? 

 

I'd love to, but first you'd have to tell me what an Explain Like Im 16 is

 

 

It's like an ELI5 except I'm 16. You don't reddit?

EDIT: If you don't; don't start. It's reeaally time consuming.

Edited August 18, 2015 by Kim Jong-Luftballong

[Vioh]

**** sweden

 

well.... alright.....

just curious though, why do you hate Sweden so much?

 

Are you sure? Wouldn't Psychology be a better fit as it's more related to medicine than Economics is? 

 

This is kinda not true. Although psychology may seem to be more related to medicine at first, but it's still a social science, and that's also what economics is. As far as I understand, psychology is the study of the mind and behaviours. Neuroscience is the study of the behaviours and the brain. And medicine is the study of the brain and other parts of the body as well. So you can see that, even though there are overlaps between psychology and neuroscience, and between neuroscience and medicine, there are really no overlaps between medicine and psychology. And for that reason, psychology is no better than economics.

Besides, both psychology and economics are not listed as part of any requirements for medical school, thus the Admission Office at a medical uni won't give you any bonus for taking psychology.

[Kim Jong-Luftballong]

 

**** sweden

 

well.... alright.....

just curious though, why do you hate Sweden so much?

 

I don't hate Sweden. It's just that I find living here way less appealing than in other, less left-wing, countries. 

 

 

Are you sure? Wouldn't Psychology be a better fit as it's more related to medicine than Economics is? 

 

 

This is kinda not true. 

 

You wouldn't say Psychology is closer related to medicine than Economics is?

 

 

Although psychology may seem to be more related to medicine at first, but it's still a social science, and that's also what economics is. As far as I understand, psychology is the study of the mind and behaviours. Neuroscience is the study of the behaviours and the brain. And medicine is the study of the brain and other parts of the body as well. So you can see that, even though there are overlaps between psychology and neuroscience, and between neuroscience and medicine, there are really no overlaps between medicine and psychology. 

 

What about neuropsychology? Also, whether psychology directly overlaps medicine or not is irrelevant when seeing to which of the two social sciences is more closely related to medicine; unless of course the closest way of direct connections between economics and medicine is one.

(Maybe I'm misinterpreting your analogy, maybe I'm stupid, but know that I'm just trying to understand.)

 

 

 

Besides, both psychology and economics are not listed as part of any requirements for medical school, thus the Admission Office at a medical uni won't give you any bonus for taking psychology.

 

 

Why wouldn't they? Much of what could potentially determine whether or not you get accepted to a certain school is not listed as requirements, why not your other subjects? Are you saying that if I show great interest and dedication to subjects concerning the human body, rather than e.g. economics which doesn't; the folks evaluating my admission would not bear this in mind, but rather just as likely pick someone who studied geography instead? 

[bguloglu]

 

 

 

 

 

Actually I've read some about it and it seems quite interesting, but unfortunately it's not offered   Do you know whether it's similar to either Psychology or Economics in regards to how time consuming it is as paired up with the Chem-Bio combo? Also, could you make an Explain Like Im 16 on how to get into Biochemistry on Oxford? 

 

I'd love to, but first you'd have to tell me what an Explain Like Im 16 is

 

 

It's like an ELI5 except I'm 16. You don't reddit?

EDIT: If you don't; don't start. It's reeaally time consuming.

 

Yeah sure, I've got nothing but time . I'll post it in the UK uni section

[Kim Jong-Luftballong]

 

 

 

 

 

 

Actually I've read some about it and it seems quite interesting, but unfortunately it's not offered   Do you know whether it's similar to either Psychology or Economics in regards to how time consuming it is as paired up with the Chem-Bio combo? Also, could you make an Explain Like Im 16 on how to get into Biochemistry on Oxford? 

 

I'd love to, but first you'd have to tell me what an Explain Like Im 16 is

 

 

It's like an ELI5 except I'm 16. You don't reddit?

EDIT: If you don't; don't start. It's reeaally time consuming.

 

Yeah sure, I've got nothing but time . I'll post it in the UK uni section

 

 

Okay cool! 

[Emilia1320]

**** sweden

 

well.... alright.....

just curious though, why do you hate Sweden so much?

 

I don't hate Sweden. It's just that I find living here way less appealing than in other, less left-wing, countries. 

 

 

Are you sure? Wouldn't Psychology be a better fit as it's more related to medicine than Economics is?

 

This is kinda not true.

 

You wouldn't say Psychology is closer related to medicine than Economics is?

 

 

Although psychology may seem to be more related to medicine at first, but it's still a social science, and that's also what economics is. As far as I understand, psychology is the study of the mind and behaviours. Neuroscience is the study of the behaviours and the brain. And medicine is the study of the brain and other parts of the body as well. So you can see that, even though there are overlaps between psychology and neuroscience, and between neuroscience and medicine, there are really no overlaps between medicine and psychology.

 

What about neuropsychology? Also, whether psychology directly overlaps medicine or not is irrelevant when seeing to which of the two social sciences is more closely related to medicine; unless of course the closest way of direct connections between economics and medicine is one.(Maybe I'm misinterpreting your analogy, maybe I'm stupid, but know that I'm just trying to understand.)

 

 

Besides, both psychology and economics are not listed as part of any requirements for medical school, thus the Admission Office at a medical uni won't give you any bonus for taking psychology.

 

Why wouldn't they? Much of what could potentially determine whether or not you get accepted to a certain school is not listed as requirements, why not your other subjects? Are you saying that if I show great interest and dedication to subjects concerning the human body, rather than e.g. economics which doesn't; the folks evaluating my admission would not bear this in mind, but rather just as likely pick someone who studied geography instead? 

I never tought anyone would choose a country based on politcs on it, as politics changes all time. **** politics thou. Idk **** about it, idk what is left wing but why is it bad? And isnt it possible that on next elections politics is something else?

[Jonathan P.]

I don't hate Sweden. It's just that I find living here way less appealing than in other, less left-wing, countries. 

 

 

Haha, you sound just like me when I was 16! I wouldn't rule out Karolinska, though. There's a very real possibility your priorities will change as you grow a bit older.

 

I have a really easy time learning and remembering stuff the day before tests, but I've never really studied consistently during class in the majority of subjects. I got second to highest grade in maths last year, despite not having been able to concentrate in class since around 10th grade. I do however understand that I need to change my bad habits, and I'm scared that I despite my newfound motivation won't have the time to catch up enough in the subject to be able to handle HL.

 

As much as I despise mathematics, I think it's probably a good idea to take it at HL if you can handle it. Many universities, particularly those in the UK, prefer it over SL for some reason. If it's not working for you, however, it's not the end of the world. I haven't heard of any unis that *require* it for their Med programmes — some even accept students who have taken Maths Studies.

 

Other than that, I think /u/bguloglu and /u/Vioh did a great job addressing most of your concerns.

[biotonic]

Just for your reference, I am considering a career path in Medicine as well, and I am taking Biology and Chemistry HL. I did chose to do Math HL at the start of my first year in IB, but I dropped to SL shortly after a few topic tests because it was too hard for me. 

I think Psychology is a great subject, at least according to the people in my year. I take Economics HL because I think it is the easiest Social Science choice to do. Psychology is definitely worth taking and it should not be too difficult.