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What is the difference between HL, SL, Studies? Which to take?


Guest El_Nano

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HL includes 1 of the options, whereas the SLs don't have to do any of the options. Also, the portfolios are marked slightly harder in HL I believe. If you want to see the main difference, though, get the options book from your IBC and take a look at it. That's what the HLs have to learn on top of the core material covered by the SLs too. Oh, and HL's core is covered a little more thouroughly in some parts as well. Basically, it just covers more material and in more depth.

I think I repeated myself a lot in that, but I'm too tired to go back and change anything :P

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  • 1 month later...
what's are the specific differences between math SL and math studies SL (assessment and workload)?

will it have any affect when applying to uni. fro economics/business? (I'm HLing in eco and b&m)

math sl's syllabus is something like 60% of math HL. We cover the same topics, but Hl go into depth. If your apply for business i dont think it really matters if u take math studies or math sl, but if ur applyin for econ it does. Also, if u think your resonably talented and enjoy mathematics you shouldn't take math studies in my opinion. the math covered in it is very elementary, while in SL you cover more interesting topic like calculus, vectors, and functions.

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I agree! I'm doing Maths SL, and Studies seems reeeeally easy.

As for coursework, that's the part I'm struggling with! (I'm doing very well with just understanding and knowing maths, but somehow can't seem to work out how the coursework is supposed to be done.) You do two pieces completely individually, and they're worth (I think) 20% of your final grade.

In Studies you do a statistics project - some kind of survey where you have to make your fellow students answer a poll. I think that sounds horrible, so you might want to consider if you want to go through that or not. I don't know what more coursework they have in Studies, but I think you should be able to find more specific requirements online.

As for how useful it will be for University, I think it matters with Economics: when I was choosing subjects, the people interested in studying Economics at university level were advised to take Maths SL or, preferably, HL. It gives you the edge when applying to the more competitive universities.

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I agree! I'm doing Maths SL, and Studies seems reeeeally easy.

As for coursework, that's the part I'm struggling with! (I'm doing very well with just understanding and knowing maths, but somehow can't seem to work out how the coursework is supposed to be done.) You do two pieces completely individually, and they're worth (I think) 20% of your final grade.

In Studies you do a statistics project - some kind of survey where you have to make your fellow students answer a poll. I think that sounds horrible, so you might want to consider if you want to go through that or not. I don't know what more coursework they have in Studies, but I think you should be able to find more specific requirements online.

As for how useful it will be for University, I think it matters with Economics: when I was choosing subjects, the people interested in studying Economics at university level were advised to take Maths SL or, preferably, HL. It gives you the edge when applying to the more competitive universities.

The IA for math SL is really interesting. im currently in the middle of doing mine, and i feel like im Einstein or something hahahaha.

but yea, math hl gives you an edge over other people if your applying to competitive course.

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  • 3 weeks later...
Yup cabso is right...you are truly good at this.!!......I also had a question for you...Becuase I moved a few American schools... and i was never good at maths..actually is the subject i hate coz im really bad at it...but i was wondering if you could still get your IB diploma if you take the lowest Math class.which is Math SL I bet...even tough it was even more confusing with the amercan formula that had a bigger varitey of levels including calculus...and all of that....

Well, considering your self proclomation of how bad you are at math, I would recomend Math Studies. Assuming that you're gonna take a non-math related major in college, it won't really matter what math course you take. You'd probably want to talk to your college counselor about that (assuming you have one). The thing about IB, each section has a variety of courses you can take, and that fulfills the "requirement" in that section. So as long as you have all the sections filled and your EE, CAS, and ToK stuff, you're eligible for a diploma.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Standard is a hard course and unis are ok with that for many things

HL math is basically for people who are going to be doing a very very maths-based course

Further Maths isnt even offered at my school and very few people do it. It is basically for like people who want to do Pure Maths in their lives and nothing else... Like ppl who will be able to build computers from scratch (very very few people know enough about matricies to be able to do this and those who do tend to go a bit... insane...)

Studies is for people who dont rele need maths in their life because Maths is a required part of the syllabus

HL is more theory based and proving theorems

Thats not true :(

Im in HL and prooving is one small unit

We dont even look at the proofs for the theorems we use :(

Math HL is covering more topics and in less time. It's kind of the only class where I get homework everyday and ever class I miss I have to make up for or I'm completely lost the next class.

It's a very demanding course, don't be fooled into thinking otherwise. The stuff you see, it's complicated but not fiendish, it's just that you see a LOT of different things, and you have to go through all the different types of problems for the different topics. From what I've observed from classmates taking Math SL, second year IB they're seeing what I saw halfway through my first year of IB.

actually i dont have homework in HL math

ever lol

it dpends on where u are

Edited by Aboo
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Thats not true :(

Im in HL and prooving is one small unit

We dont even look at the proofs for the theorems we use :(

We do. Most theorems anyway. And I disagree. I'd say Methods is for those competent in math, HL is for those who want a bit of a challenge, and FM SL is for those who want to push themselves (or they've studied the HL syllabus already for whatever reasons). Studies is for those who need math for the Diploma but don't give a tosh (agree with you here). :(

what's are the specific differences between math SL and math studies SL (assessment and workload)?

will it have any affect when applying to uni. fro economics/business? (I'm HLing in eco and b&m)

Not sure about business but econ is very math based. You won't survive econ without SL (preferably HL).

Edited by moneyfaery
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We do. Most theorems anyway. And I disagree. I'd say Methods is for those competent in math, HL is for those who want a bit of a challenge, and FM SL is for those who want to push themselves (or they've studied the HL syllabus already for whatever reasons). Studies is for those who need math for the Diploma but don't give a tosh (agree with you here). :(

Not sure about business but econ is very math based. You won't survive econ without SL (preferably HL).

Fair enough about the theorems, our teacher focuses more on the theory. Perhaps because he finds proofs to tedius or something XP lucky for me i agree.

I agree to some extent what you are saying with SL and HL but it must also be noted that unis need HL for courses that are based on mathematics things but for most looslely-math-based classes SL should be ok.

And about FMSL i have something to add :(

I have done most of the HL course and all of the Calculus we will be doing in the Core and Option but the problem (and i am a junior btw) is that our school simply does not offer it.

VERY VERY few people in the world do FM and I dont believe that 'a bit of a challenge' is the correct phrase

It is designed for people who will be dealing with some form of pure or near pure maths for the rest of their lives...

But it is not for many people, for example i am doing HL Math and that is still good enough to get me into theoretical physics... Infact i am not sure that there is a single course that requires further math...

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  • 3 weeks later...

XD I admit im one of the kids who was good at maths, good enough to do well at standard level but because of my friends telling me how hard IB was I took Math Studies so I would really only have '5 subjects', taking math studies is like having a study class, I learnt all the stuff and 9th Grade. Its kinda depressing because im not living up to my potential but its ok. At our school only the top take higher and most take standard, but when IB1 finishes it goes from Hl=5% SL= 70% Studies=25% to------------------->IB2 HL=5% SL 40% Studies= 55%.

Hope that helps.

If you cant differentiate x^2 then do math studies.

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You can math studies as long as the university does not require you to have math HL or math SL. But you need to take 3 HL and 3 SL subjects. youcan et your diploma with math studies as long as you 3 HL s. But i would advice you to take math SL as some universities may prefer math SL over math studies. This gives you better chance to get into university

You can math studies as long as the university does not require you to have math HL or math SL. But you need to take 3 HL and 3 SL subjects. youcan et your diploma with math studies as long as you 3 HL s. But i would advice you to take math SL as some universities may prefer math SL over math studies. This gives you better chance to get into university

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