Emy Glau-ski

I got married. And had some crazy late-night discussions.

Nicole Študyová, on May 12, 2012 - 16:10, said:

Hi,

As far as I know, Weimar has nothing to do with realpolitik or weltpolitik at all Weimar was the democracy between 1919 and 1934 and Bismarck lived during the time of the German Empire between 1871-1919 ok? Bismarck was the chancellor of Germany between 1871 and 1890, he is famous as a realpolitik practitioner or a follower of the realist school in international relations. Basically, he pursued a very cautious foreign policy but very crafty and complex, far too complex for his successors. I think Bethmann Hollweg once said that no one after Bismarck had the ability to keep several balls in the air like Bismarck, implying he's a good "juggler". What does this mean? Bismarck wanted to preserve the power of Germany, and so he had to show that it was a satisfied power, had no intention of conquering its neighbours otherwise, even Napoleon was defeated by a powerful alliance. Furthermore, he wanted to keep Germany from fighting a two front war, this could be done by forming the League of the Three Emperors (1872) (Germany, A-H, Russia). In doing so, he would keep Russia in good terms therefore alienating France in the west (Britain was still in splendid isolation) => security for Germany. In 1879, he signed a separate "Dual Alliance" with A-H (after San Stefano 1878, Russo-German relations deteriorated). In 1882, the formation of the Triple Alliance now including Italy. The League of Three Emperors came to an end in 1881 but in 1887, Bismarck signed the "Reinsurance treaty" with Russia which pledged neutrality in a war that involved either sides (you can read more on wikipedia). These complicated web of alliance would always allow the iron fist chancellor to have great flexibility in managing crisis and it did keep the country out of a war and keep Germany out of the hostility focus of other countries for few decades.

     However, in 1888, Kaiser Wilhelm II came to power and in 1890 Bismarck resigned. Wilhelm II was immature and impulsive, greatly affected by the jingoistic press and therefore pushed for policies that aimed at improving Germany's standing among the great powers. Realpolitik was replaced by Weltpolitik, a policy that according to Wilhelm's own chancellor - Bethmann Hollweg "got in the way of everyone but actually weakened no one". Weltpolitik called for an expansion in the navy therefore beginning a naval race with G.B in the hope that G.B would opt for neutrality in any future war and that with a stronger navy, it could manage its colonies better. But this only deteriorated the Anglo-German relations and made any dialogue difficult.Also, Wilhelm wanted a "place in the sun" for Germany, expanding its colonies in Africa. This threatend Anglo and French interests. This became very clear in 1905 and 1911 when Wilhelm II repeatedly make provocative moves that in the end only strengthened the Anglo-French "Entente Cordiale" (1904) in the First Moroccan crisis and then the second time it made the formation of the Triple Entente (1907) possible as Russia also became involved and the three members of Triple Entente shared the fear of Germany above everything. That's basically Weltpolitik and its consequences.

If I wasn't clear enough or if you want to ask something more specific, you are most welcome to!

Now that I'm done with my History finals (which I've been panicking so much about for the last few months) I'm going to procrastinate by writing some tips on how to do well in IB History while trying not to repeat things that have been said in previous posts on the forum too much.

The historical investigation

I wrote my historical investigation on Ancient Rome and regret it somewhat, although I did find it interesting. Unless you are very much into history as a subject (and even then), doing your HI on a topic that somewhat interests you and is likely to be of some use in your exams is, I think, the best option. This is simply because having spent so much time on your HI, you can probably spend a lot less time in general on revision of that topic, cutting your study time by a lot during what will probably be the busiest time in your IB years, the month or two leading up to the final exams.

Don't spend too much time on the HI and also don't get stuck in refining small details - same advice goes for all IB assignments. Don't underestimate its importance, either - it is worth 20% (or 25%) and could potentially save your grade in case the finals do not go according to plan.

Make use of the resources in this forum, including examples. Also, keep a very close eye on the marking criteria when finishing work; you should aim to achieve the highest one in every aspect.

The same advice goes for your EE if you choose to write it in History; although in this case, choosing something you're passionate about and actually want to research is much more important than for the IA which is comparatively simpler and shorter.

The essays

There's a number of important points concerning essays. There's plenty of good resources for actual essay writing both online and in here, so I won't go into that. Some history specific tips follow...

The subject reports for history seem to indicate that a thematic approach is preferable to a chronological one. This means that, for example, if you're writing an essay on Hitler's successes and failures, you could have body paragraphs for political, social, cultural, economic, and foreign policy, rather than going through everything he did from 1933 to 1945.

Be as analytic as you can make doing so very explicit in your essays for the benefit of the examiner. Some ideas to show analytical skills:

• Refer back to the question at the end of every paragraph you write. The last few sentences should sum up why, how, and to what extent the things you introduced are significant to the question.
  
• Use connectors of addition and contrast such as "however", "on the other hand", "in addition" to make it very clear that you're analysing.
  
• Examine causes and effects for different groups of people. For example, in a Hitler's successes essay, you could discuss the point of view of supporters of liberal democracy, the population, the state, and Hitler himself, and make it clear that this wasn't necessarily the same thing.
  
• Define the terms used in the question in your introduction (eg ideology) as well as the scope if you're responding to a more open-ended question.

Challenge the assumptions in the question if there are any. For example, if you need to discuss the conditions in the rise to power of two leaders, you can briefly say that the methods were perhaps even more important in their rise to power. This should not, however, be a major point in your essay!

If you can use actual figures or specific primary sources in your essay, that's great. Memorising them in large quantities and for everything, however, is probably not worth the time.

Dates are not very important; it is important to know the broad chronology of events, but not the exact dates! So you should learn years for most things, and months for some more short-term issues (eg. collapse of the Provisional Government in 1917 or the 1945 Cold War conferences).

You can place events in context by, for example, discussing the events in the long-term (for example, when discussing the Russian revolution, you can say that WWI was particularly problematic for tsarism since the Romanov dynasty had linked itself greatly to military success) or discussing events in other places at the same time (once again, when discussing the Russian revolution you can say that it may not be surprising that the tsar was overthrown as WWI tended to illegitimise rulers all over Europe and even regimes where the social situation was much more stable pre-1914 collapsed as a result of the war).

Also see the section below for historiography!

Effectively using historiography

When making notes, include a couple of historians for every subtopic, especially those which are more likely to come up in exams (for example, for the Russian option, Alexander II and the revolutions). Make little lists such as:

Quote

It's pretty easy to find summaries of historians' views on the internet or on this forum, so use them to your advantage.

Saying that, there's no substitute for actually reading proper history books at least for the topics you are focusing on. It helps you gain an understanding of the nuances of the events in question and also a deeper grasp of historiography which should show in your essays. This is especially true if you're aiming for the higher mark bands (although it is perfectly possible to get a 7 without wider reading). Shorter works eg. Pipes' Three Whys of the Russian Revolution give you a lot of benefit for a small investment in time. This also helps you see the kind of style you should aim for in essays. Although style isn't something you should be particularly concerned about, assessment in history will always be in some ways subjective; it might help you score a few extra points!

Integrate the historians well in your essays and critically examine their views. Try to refute them if you can using facts.  For example, for the above Soviet view, you could refer to the results of the Constituent Assembly elections following their coup, where the Social Revolutionary party won twice as many seats.

Historiography should complement your facts, but it's in no way a replacement for them. In any given paragraph, roughly 50% should be facts, 30% your own analysis, and less than 20% should be historiography.

Also show an awareness of the factors that affect history writing. So for example when discussing a Soviet view you could refer to state pressure and political ideology; when discussing the view that Hitler was the "Master of the Third Reich" (Bullock) you could refer to the experiences of the victims of the Third Reich and perhaps the fact that emotional and historical distance hadn't had the time to develop.

Revising for the final exam and the exam itself

HL History is probably one of the most time-consuming subjects to revise for since you need to have a good grasp of a large quantity of events and also a fairly good depth of information.

You should not study everything you've gone through in class. The smart thing to do is to use a combination of past papers and the syllabus to determine what you should study. If your teacher has planned the course well (and even if he/she hasn't), there should be a considerable amount of overlap; for example, the paper 1 topic Peacemaking, Peacekeeping, overlaps to some extent with the Causes, practices, and effects of war in paper 2, and the interwar years topic in paper 3. Naturally, you should choose the topics with the most overlap to minimise work and maximise grades.  Focus on the questions that come up a lot (such as Alexander II, origins of WWI and Cold War, and the Russian revolutions), but also ensure that whatever the combination of questions, you can answer at least the minimum required amount – you might get very unlucky.

When considering what you should revise, it might be helpful to keep your own interests and strengths in mind. I am, for example, terrible at memorising practices of war since I have no interest whatsoever in military strategy or weapons... So I decided to skip that entirely for my final exams.

I've mentioned notes (see this topic by Julie especially!) a couple of times above. You should have your class notes, but actually rewriting (and expanding) them while keeping the points above in mind is a good way to revise. Markschemes for past papers show the kind of things you should have knowledge on for every topic.

As for all subjects, make yourself a schedule to make it easier to keep up with revision.

At the point where you have a good grasp of the facts – which should ideally be no less than a week before your history exams start – the thing to do is to start going through past papers and writing as many essays and essay outlines as you can. This should be done using the actual timing, so about 45 minutes per essay. Aim to do at least one essay on every topic that is likely to come up. If your teacher is nice, he/she’ll give you comments on essays even during the study break.

During the exam…

• Try to relax and breathe. Have a sip of water
  
• Use the reading time to your advantage. Read through all questions (and the sources in paper 1). Decide which ones you’ll write essays on. Start mentally planning the first one if you have any time left over.
  
• Writing essays against the time limit while revising also lets you know the way you work the best. If you need to plan, do so, as it is 5 minutes well spent.
  
• Keep up with the time limit and keep an eye on the time. Having three essays worth 15 points is better than having two essays worth 20 points and one introduction.
  
• If you get lucky and get a question that you find easy, I’d say it’s better to leave it last. This is for two reasons: first, you’ll be tired at that point, and writing on an easy topic will be easier for you; second, if you find that you have more time left than the 45 minutes you’ve planned for, you can use it to your advantage more efficiently by using more of your knowledge (rather than starting with that and finding yourself in the scenario above)

haydenj96, on Apr 12, 2012 - 01:02, said:

From your post, I think you are saying that you consider terminating a pregnancy to be an unlawful killing because it is taking a life. However, you make exceptions for those lives conceived by incest and rape. Why? Presuming that unborn children are children, what makes a fetus conceived by incest or rape any less of a "person" than a fetus conceived through another route?

I do not think that fetuses have the mental capacity to have consciousness and/or self-awareness, which is a prerequisite of personhood, until around the beginning of the third trimester. This is how the Supreme Court ruled and it is based on widespread medical consensus. I would welcome anyone to provide an argument that a fetus has the capacity for consciousness and/or self-awareness at an earlier point in its development.

For someone who is so pro-life I find it strange that you are reducing babies to mere consequences of sex, and as a feminist and a woman it personally disturbs me that you are characterizing those who seek abortions as irresponsible (victims of rape and incest notwithstanding, as you said). Humans (and some other animals) have sex for pleasure frequently, not just for procreation. That is why we have invented contraception, which when used properly is very effective at preventing unwanted pregnancies. However, contraception does not have an absolute 100% success rate. It is not unusual for a woman and a man to have consensual sex without the intention of becoming pregnant, followed by the woman becoming pregnant anyway. Consent to sex does not imply consent to pregnancy. That's like saying consent to eating spinach implies consent to E. coli. Consent to sex simply implies consent to sex, nothing more and nothing less.

My argument was not that the fetus was forcing itself upon the woman, but that the woman has no moral obligation to give up her body (her property) for it.

Gaby, you have also brought up an excellent point. I too would like children in the future, but it is not my place, or anyone else's place, to tell others what to do with their most personal decisions.

There's less than a month left until we're finished, and at this point I'd like to offer and extend my congratulations to those who've made it this far. And I can say I've had it only more or less as bad as you have. I hope you have taken some time to congratulate yourselves, but not too much! The end of our perilous journey is near, but no less challenging.

We've braved through things we thought were hell, done things that didn't make sense, and stayed up those nights that we thought we didn't. Worked like hell, swore through assignments, petrified by unconverted marks, bled through each page of an A1 reading we detested. But no, you didn't let that keep you down; you have trekked through things that you would never have even thought of doing, and have even written a goddamn CAS reflection on it sometimes too!

The sweet taste of freedom is just around the corner, all we have to do is just do what we've been doing for around 20 months or so- (I don't know what you do, but somehow, I've been doing something [probably die a little bit each day] so that I haven't dropped out yet, so just keep doing it!) You have felt how amazing it is from finishing a math portfolio to completing your last science IA; now that will pale in comparison when you finish that last exam! Most of us are probably hyped for post secondary, whether it's apprenticeship, college, university, travel, whatever. These crap-filled exams are the last things in our way; finally, it's time to show these IB examiners (from hell) what we're made of of what we're made!

Hopefully, you've started to make time to study. If you haven't, (like me) then I hope you're meeting your goals then! Anything worth doing is worth doing well The day where we stagger out of the classroom, finishing our last exam, laughing, half crying hysterically, unbelievably accepting the end is nigh. These are our last days; even I can't believe it; it's really going to be all over.

When exam session comes, I encourage everyone to get some sleep the day before and have some protein; and try not to cram! Try not to put any pressure on yourself, and don't compare yourself to anyone else! You can only do the best you can; don't expect more from yourself that way. By the end you'll be so happy you'd want to punch a baby feel like you've conquered everything! Great things happen to great people! As the IB chapter of your life begins to close, a new, awaits you in the next. I hope things will get better for everyone from here!

You should be proud of your accomplishments. I hope the IBS community has served you well. We are always welcoming  alumni to help out the fresh new-born dying souls who've been conscripted into the IB programme -just like you have- and give them a hand!

Good luck everyone!

-Capt'n Marth

*2.5- Cell division*

Okay we are going to take this step by step. I am not going to explain meiosis before you understand mitosis. Before you start, bring your book/study guide with the mitosis steps picture and follow it step by step.

Keep it simple! You have to understand the simplest form then add more information.
To start off: as the IB syllabus requests: The replicated DNA= Sister chromatids. Each chromatid is called chromosome.

Here's an overall plan:


0. Interphase:
*You have to understand this, otherwise none of the below is going to make sense.*
   a. G1: This is the normal cell life, where it carries out all the  necessary functions.
   b. S: DNA replication- This is the most important part! The 46 chromosomes are doubled, becomes 92. That’s why when the cell divides, we end up with the same number of chromosomes. You have to understand this very well, we only call them sister chromatids because they are double what they’re supposed to be!
  c. G2: This is like a check point. The cell makes sure it has all the necessary organelles. In other words, it makes sure it has enough protein for two cells, the centrioles are formed..etc..etc.


1. Prophase:
-  The DNA starts coiling. Imagine having two copper wires and swirling them around each other, the more you coil, the thicker and shorter it becomes. That’s exactly what happens to the DNA double helix (Sister chromatids).
- The centrioles move to the poles of the cell to start preparing themselves to shoot out the spindle fibers that are going to pull those DNA strands apart.
-  The nuclear envelope disappears. (Obviously because it’s going to divide)

Don’t go to the next step before you pretty much understand this one.

2. Metaphase:
-The centrioles are going to shoot the spindle fibers that are going to attach to the middle of the chromosomes. The sister chromatids are two strands attached at one point (centromere). Since you have one at each pole, each chromosome (a single strand) is going to be attached to 2 fibers, one from each side. It’s like the fibers are fighting about who gets the sister chromatid.
- Before they divide, they are going to organize themselves. They are going to line up in the middle of the cell (equator). It’s like standing at the start line in a race.

3. Anaphase:
- The spindle fibers are going to pull the sister chromatids apart, like tug of war.
- Both sides win. So at the end, each half sister chromatid (called chromosome) is going to go to one side. You are going to have identical sets on each pole (That’s the whole point).
   - The spindle fibers are going to disappear. Imagine them being pulled back into the centriole.

4. Telophase:
   - Now that you have two identical sets, all you need to do is to separate them. But you can’t break the cell into two without protecting the information (DNA). Therefore, the nuclear envelope is going to reform around each set. It’s like after a tie at tug of war, each pole of the cell is trying to keep what it won safe.
  - After the nuclear envelopes develop, the cytoplasm (with the organelles) is going to divide into two.
  - The new daughter cell needs to be like the original one, so the chromosomes (They are not chromatids anymore) are going to uncoil, thus becoming thinner and longer.



Okay, now lets check we got everything covered on the syllabus about mitosis:

2.5.1: Outline the stages in the cell cycle,including interphase (G1, S, G2), mitosis and cytokinesis.: We already discussed that above. Cytokinesis is just the process of dividing the cytoplasm: cyto-kinesis (divide)

2.5.3: State that interphase is an active period in the life of a cell when many metabolic reactions occur, including protein synthesis, DNA replication and an increase in the number of mitochondria and/or chloroplasts: Just like we said, the G1,S,G2 include the normal cell life (all the metabolic reactions)

2.5.4: "Describe the events that occur in the four phases of mitosis (prophase, metaphase, anaphase and telophase)."- "Include supercoiling of chromosomes, attachment of spindle microtubules to centromeres, splitting of centromeres, movement of sister chromosomes to opposite poles, and breakage and re-formation of nuclear membranes. Textbooks vary in the use of the terms chromosome and chromatid. In this course, the two DNA molecules formed by DNA replication are considered to be sister chromatids until the splitting of the centromere at the start of anaphase; after this, they are individual chromosomes. The term kinetochore is not expected.
We talked about all that in details. If there's something in the paragraph above you don't understand, let me know.

2.5.5: "Explain how mitosis produces two genetically identical nuclei": Simple. Think about where the resulting chromosomes in both cells came from. The original set was doubled before you even start. It's like when you are trying to give the same type and amount of candy to two kids so neither gets upset.

---

You are not going to understand meiosis if you don't understand mitosis. So if you don't understand something I said above, make sure you ask me.

I hope I made it a little more interesting easier to imagine.

Sup people of the IB. I found a short guide that I wrote a while ago that deals with stress and procrastination. I'll add more to it later (the irony but it is late ) so hopefully it's helpful. There's more to come if I remember

Stress

Firstly stress at school is mainly caused by lack of organisation. So sorting that out could half or even eliminate your 'i want to rip the hair out of my head' feeling!
How to organise work:

• Invest in a folder if you write notes with a note book and use folder separators to make things easier.
  
  • This makes losing notes a lot less likely because they are in a named folder. Plus it makes you feel really professional

If you're feeling that things are getting to you, just step back for a little bit and think. You don't need to be getting overly stressed because that hinders your work and can result in tears, this isn't helpful to your development because it lowers your confidence. Try drinking some water, taking a short break from revision or going for a walk. Clear your mind.

Procrastination

This thing is horrible. I hate it loads and i have a half decent way of sorting it out. Just know that you cannot get rid of it completely otherwise you'll probably end up not enjoying life. No one can seize EVERY SINGLE opportunity they have to work. It's just not realistic haha

The reason why procrastination happens is because there are two parts of your brain that helps this. ( I cannot remember their names, forgive me for that)
One part see's the short term benefit of everything, like going on facebook or staring into the sky. This part is much bigger than the part that see's the long term benefit of working now. Plus the long term benfit part (the determined one) gets tired quickly.

Ok, imagine yourself as two people. 'present' you, and 'future' you.

'Present' you wants to put off work and say i'll do it tomorrow until your you've started everything too late. This would make you think, 'yea i promise i'll do it tomorrow but now i'll watch tv' or 'now i'll stare at pictures of yoda riding a cat'. Do you notice this trend? It happens a lot.

What you need to remember is that, it isn't now you that will be feeling the consequences of your procrastination, it'll be future you. (i hope this is making sense so far)

You need to look to future you and think that you want to have less work so you'll do it now.

Procrastination isn't because you're lazy, it's because you're weak in the sight of distractions (that sounds mean but everyone gets distracted for the reason i stated above)

• Keep your work neat.
  
  • You don't want to be revising and realise that you cannot read half of anything that you've written. Some care will go a long way.
    
  • You don't need to write full sentences when making notes, just something that can remind you what was taking place in class.
• Try organising your work daily.
  
  • This further reduces the chances of losing sheets and notes, hole punch it and keep it safe. You'd be surprised how much they can help

• Lessen the distractions!
  
  • Disable facebook or move the facebook app from the homepage of your phone
    
  • Mute your computer so you aren't hearing all sorts of notifications
    
  • Clear the cookies from your computer so you have to enter your password in everytime you want to log into something (but make sure you remember them haha) This makes logging into stuff an added effort so you're more inclined to just not bother and start your work.
    
  • And if you need to just ban yourself from IBS and TSR (if you use it too)

• Give yourself motivation!
  
  • Put pictures up of what you want to achieve
    
  • Plan a little treat you can have ONLY if you've completed a certain amount of work... not if you've done something for a specific time
    
    • It's too easy to say 'i've read for half an hour, time to chill'. You could've just been sitting there
• Look into what you want to do and what you need to do to get there
  My next point is that not all procrastination is bad!
  
  So when you feel lazy instead of refreshing the facebook homepage, read an article from the news or a page from a book relating to your subjects.
  
  Plus don't mistake procrastination for having a break, breaks are good! they keep your sanity in tact
  
  Ok the end is here! After multiple facebook references, unnecessary emoticons, incomplete sentences and poor humour that is.
  
  I really do hope someone finds this helpful as this took me a while to write but maybe it'll be worth it

Just remember, a little stress isn't bad and taking breaks isn't the same as procrastination.

I'll be adding more to this as things come to me.

****

Here is a prioritized to do list:  PrioritizedToDolist.pdf   107.24K   88 downloads

You list all your tasks and label them A - F, with A being the most important and anything after D generally something you can put off until you've finished everything before that.

Stay concentrated and it won't seem like that much of a daunting task!

NOTE: This thread was written based on the syllabus for exams in 2012. A lot of this stuff is still useful for the 2013 syllabus though

Ready to own economics? Alright, here we go! We’ll tackle this paper part by part.

For paper 1, you will always have a choice of 4 questions. Each question has 2 parts, part A and part B. Each question usually relates to a specific section of the syllabus. For example, there could a question about price ceilings from microeconomics, a question about unemployment from macroeconomics, and so on. And you just have to choose ONE out of the four! So, it makes sense to pick the easiest question! Pick the question that you are most knowledgeable about and could write a lot about.

So during your 5 minute reading time, this is what you should be doing. Read all the questions and think about which question you want to do. Usually people will really like one question and instantly know that they found their soul mate question. (OK, a bit of an exaggeration, but you get what I mean, right? Think through the different things you could say, the diagrams you could draw, etc. )

In the case that you are stuck between two (or more) questions, then think about part B. Remember that part B is more important since it is worth more marks (15 for part B vs 10 for part A). Which question do you think you would be able to best evaluate? Go for that question.

Now that we got the basic structure down, let’s move on to the different parts of the question.

Part A

Part A of paper 1 always asks you to explain something. It is worth 10 marks. It may ask something like “Explain different factors that cause a change in the nation’s exchange rate.”

So what do you do first?

OMG HELP ME I’M GONNA FAIL I’M BLANKING OUT!!!!

Right, remember to chill out before you start. You’ve prepared for this (or at least I hope you did), so don’t panic! Even if ideas don’t come to your head right away they will once you start writing! So take a deep breath before you start and relax your body.

DEFINE any economic terms you see in the question! Show the examiners that you’re not confused by fancy-shmancy economics terms! Show them that you know what they are asking you. Plus you really should define them because you get marks for doing so So define any economic term you see in the question. Always include an example to back up your definition! Even if your definition is not totally correct but your example is good, you can still get full marks for your definition.

For example, an exchange rate is one currency expressed in terms of another currency. An example would be that 1 US dollar is equal to 30 yen.

Sure, this exchange rate may not be the actual exchange rate, but it shows understanding of what an exchange rate is. It shows that you understand the concept, which is what your examiner is looking for.

Next, answer the question! Attack the question! If it asks you to explain a concept, do that!

For example, we know that a change in supply or a change in demand could affect the value of an exchange rate compared to another. Some things that could cause a change in supply are…and then you ramble on about the different factors. Then state the effects of an increase in supply of a certain currency...

A picture is worth a thousand words. And the best picture you could draw on your exam paper is a diagram to SHOW what you are talking about! If you say that there will be a decrease in the demand for a good/service, show it on a diagram! Make sure that you include all your labels, like axis labels, equilibrium points, etc. Also MAKE YOUR DIAGRAMS BIG. I would say to make them at least half a page big. Then, your examiner will be able to see nice and clearly what you're talking about, and they don't have to strain their eyes to peer into some tiny corner of your page to get the idea of what's going on. Remember, happy examiner = better chance of scoring high. Any label that you were taught to include on a specific diagram, include it! Then you can mention the effects of an increase/decrease in supply/demand, etc as shown on your diagram.

Time management is key! Don’t spend too long on this question! Remember part B? Part B is worth 15 marks and part A is only worth 10 marks. Spending too much time on part A means that you’ll have to rush through part B. You should have a better answer for part B because it is worth more marks. Since you have 1 hour to write paper 1, I would spend roughly 25 minutes on this section. Once you’ve passed 25 minutes, stop writing for part A and move on to part B!

Part B

Ok, so we’ve reached the dreaded part B. It will always start with the word Evaluate. Some of you may be wondering what evaluation is. Evaluation is basically the effects of whatever is happening on different people. It is very important that you know how to evaluate here!

Example: Evaluate the effect of a lower exchange rate on a nation’s economy.

You might be thinking “What on earth am I supposed to say? That question is sooooo broad!” Yes, it is a broad question! It’s broad so that it can accommodate many different points of view and many possible answers. It’s impossible to talk about ALL the possible effects of a lower exchange rate on a nation’s economy, especially in a time of 35 minutes (given you spend 25 minutes on section 1).

So what do you do then?

Focus on one effect at a time. For example, you could say that a lower exchange rate will result in inflation due to an increase in demand from foreigners for domestic goods, then write about that and show it on a diagram. Now that you’ve explained to your examiner why inflation would occur, then you can mention all good and bad things that come with inflation as part of your evaluation. Inflation is usually a sign that an economy is growing and that people are buying more. Real estate owners would win because the value of their assets would increase. People who borrow money from a bank would also be positively affected because the value of the money they borrow is worth more than its value when they repay it. However, customers would lose because their purchasing power decreases. Lenders would also lose because they are repaid with money that is worth less now than when it was borrowed from them.

In evaluation, you can also talk about businesses, the government, etc. Basically just talk about anyone/anything that could be affected.

See how both sides of the effects of inflation are incorporated? That’s what you have to do when you evaluate. Talk about the good, the bad, and the ugly.

After you talk about one point in depth (inflation) then you can move onto another if you have time. But make sure you’ve covered the important points first.

Prioritize, prioritize, prioritize. IB likes to see people prioritize their points. There really isn’t a right answer as to which point should be the most important in your discussion. As long as you can justify your prioritizing, then it should be fine. Start with phrases like “The most significant effect of this policy is…” to show prioritization.

Don’t forget about structure! The IB doesn’t have a set rule on whether you should write in point form or in sentences. However I would say that writing in full sentences looks a lot more professional. You want your examiner to have a good impression of you right? Not the impression that you’re cutting corners…

It’s also good, wherever possible, to organize your thoughts into paragraphs so that you can clearly distinguish between different ideas. This being said, this is not an essay. Do not waste time writing an introduction and concluding paragraph. At most you could write a sentence or two, but it’s better to spend your time writing about things that can actually gain you marks.



Well that's it for now...if anyone has any more tips to add, feel free to add on =D

Greetings humans. The following are some tips I've compiled in order to make your oral a less painful and rather care free process in which you talk with the examiner (which may or may not be your teacher) about a topic that you have chosen (or not). So here we go with the tips...

The Format


Alright. The oral for language B consists of 9-12 minutes of you purely talking in your chosen foreign language. Whether it be French, Spanish, German, MAndarin, etc. the list goes on and on, the format will mostly be the same. (Unless I'm delusional in which case it isn't). It is also divided into three 3-4 minute chunks. These 'chunks' if you will each have a different component to them.

Chunk #1


So you sit down you say your name and candidate number. And then you start. This part is 3-4 minutes wherein you provide some background information about the subject you have chosen. Let's say I was doing my Spanish oral and I wanted to do it on the concept of the siesta. Alright so in this portion I would talk about the siesta, what it is, where it is practiced, when is it, etc. So the basic who what when where. Don't try to be too specific and don't try to be too deep. I know IB has made us robots and that "everything must be deep". But don't do it! There's time for that later .

Tips for this chunk:

Don't memorize your presentation: Just don't do it. NEVERRRRR. Now reread the last sentence. Here it is again. NEVERRRR. The examiner and the grader will know when you've memorized your presentation and they will dock points. Dock I say, DOCK! So just don't do it. Instead know what you're going to talk about, and say it. Don't memorize every single word you're going to say because if you happen to miss a sentence it'll trip you up like no other. Just be natural and if you have to pause don't insert space fillers such as "uhm" "ah" "oh" "ee" "oo" "eek" "omg" "gasp" you get the point. Just let it be silent for a few seconds while you recollect your thoughts and then continue like nothing happened. Also I would suggest using the formal conjugation of all verb tenses. Your teacher (like mine) may allow you to use the informal tense. No. I don't think the graders like that. Finally, stay on track. Don't be so robotic that you have no emotions but also don't be so giddy that you fill the 4 minutes with laughter instead of speech. Always remember to use a variety of tenses and colloquial language. Sprinkle in some idioms and bake at 350 degrees till perfection.


Chunk #2

Alright then. You'd think the first chunk would be the hardest eh? Ya no. The during the second chunk, your examiner asks you questions about the topic you just presented. They could transcend cultures and these questions get a lot deeper. For example if you were doing that oral on siesta's your examiner could ask you "How do you think this tradition has affected the psyche of those who practice it" or "how do you think the people who practice the siesta differ from those who do not if at all". You get to improv. Yay!

Tips for this chunk:

Be prepared. Expect the unexpected. You will not be able to cover all basis. Always remember that the grader, if you are taking a B language, will not expect you to be fully fluent. They will expect pauses for you to think and they will expect that you will not be able to answer some of the more complex questions. If you can, good for you. In the event that you cannot however, there are ways to work around it. If you cannot answer the question asked say "I'm sorry can you reword that?" or "I am not able to talk about that aspect however I can tell you about another aspect...". In the first way, you can backtrack and allow the examiner to ask you the question in a different way while in the second you can avoid the question altogether and talk about something different that you have more knowledge or know how to word better. At the same time you will be showing the examiner and grader that you know how to navigate in a conversation in a language you are unfamiliar with. Let's see what else can I ramble on about in this...Oh! Ok, try to speak about one question as long as possible. If your answers are too short you'll be seen as incompetent but speak too much and they'll think you're rambling. Leave room for about 3 questions and you'll be good.Once again, just act natural (MOOOOO!).


Chunk #3

Yayyyy. Now that the hard part is over, you get to have fun. Theoretically...In this section the examiners will ask you questions about your life. Where you want to to go to college blah blah blah. You know the generic type of questions. Another 3-4 minutes will make up 9-12.


Tips for this section:

Once again, no rambling. Leave room for 3 questions. Use a variety of tenses. If your life is boring and you have nothing to talk about pull a Duy (thats me) and make up stuff. Not outrageous mind you. Just spice up your life with stuff that you'd never do. It's exciting and shows of your vocabulary that you wouldn't use otherwise. So doooo it. Pull stuff out of the air. Dooo it. Thats pretty much it. Keep it consistent and you'll be good for this section.



So I hope this helped. That's pretty much all I know. Maybe. I dunno. MAybe I'll add more stuff later...Meh.

You know you're in IB when you understand Big Bang Theory pick-up lines ;D

So the conclusion we had reached is:

• Your first timetable was crazy
  
• Drop your APs because you don't need all of them
  
• You can still get to places without loads of unnecessary work
  
• I like unicorns
  
• Unicorns are sexy
  
• IB is difficult
  
• I also like dragons
  
• 

Ok. But, honestly, WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR LIFE. Do you want to be a doctor? A history teacher? Philosopher? Engineer? For me, that's what mattered when choosing subjects and making a week schedule for myself.

o_0



...


o____"O

I speak this from the bottom of my heart. Do something for yourself. Going through all those classes is suicide. I have never really seen a good reason for doing both IB and AP, I suggest you pick one. What are you going to be when you grow up? Pick something that you want to do. Pick something that is beneficial to your future. You do not have to be good at EVERYTHING to succeed to the fullest. I am doing 3 HLs and 3 SLs, and I am half-dead trying to learn 7 more topics for tomorrow for my chemistry exam. Stop this insanity man, save yourself....

Maybe he hated the IB learner profile

Being a global citizen isn't for everyone

I have to agree with your TOK teacher. The nature of the question is that you need to cover the different methods of justification, with an argument and a counter-argument for each. It sounds like you've done a sound analysis of certain things, but failed to address the question properly: if the question implies breadth in its very nature, then you're not going to be able to score well by talking about narrow things.

Certainly bear in mind the heavy emphasis placed on arguments, counter-argument, appreciation of other perspectives and so on in the mark scheme. A minimum of 2-3 personal examples per TOK essay is also advisable.

Basically you can write a great essay the way you've gone about it, but you have to write a great essay that addresses the question in full - it's a proper question for you to look into thoroughly and then draw conclusions at the end, not just a prompt for you to use as a spring board to dissect a particular part of it.