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

[Nurin Ayesha]

I just want to ask a question but I'm not sure where to ask. Is Maths HL mandatory for engineering? Does chemical engineering require a lot of Maths?

Whether or not it's mandatory depends on the particular university and program. Best to check out the univ's site for specific prerequisites and other requirements.

And all engineering requires a math + chem + phys, and perhaps bio, if I'm not mistaken.

Is it true, biology for engineering?.. Hm,that is something new for me..

[sweetnsimple786]

I suppose some universities make you take biology, but many engineering routes are biology related in someway. bio-something or another engineering. So you'd have bio courses that way.

Also, some places require extra science electives that you can choose from. Biology could be one of those.

But I'm interested in materials, and I haven't encountered a curriculum that's making me take bio for sure [i'm not saying it's not out there... just haven't run into it].

[blacko]

I am starting IB next month and I was wondering how hard Math HL actually is. A lot of people at school said it was difficult, but they could just be exaggerating. So, how hard did you find Math HL? Is it really as bad as everyone says?

[Karl]

I would like to know that also as I got the same situation and I plan to change my SL to HL

[Peachez]

Well, it mostly depends on your knowledge of mathematics overall. I was initially taking HL Math, but after a month or so I switched to SL because it seemed difficilt for me even though I tool Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2 and Pre Calc before. Well, my Pre Calc teacher didn't know the material so I suppose I didn't learn much in that class. But basically, there is definately a difference in the difficulty between HL and SL math. You can take a look at the syllabus of both and compare them to see how hard/easy it looks for you because you should have done at least 1/4 of the material before, meaning you should be familiar with some material by now.

[Sandwich]

I think HL Maths (and in fact IB maths) is hugely subjective and dependent on where you were before and what you were doing, as well as natural aptitude. All in all, you'll probably not know until you try it

If you're not a very confident mathematician, I'd say to avoid it. You really have to be very naturally adept at that sort of thing to succeed at IB HL. If you don't have the "skillz" from birth, you don't really have the time to earn them. Of course some people can do very well (and even say it's easy), but they're the people with the natural flair.

[Karl]

I then probrably go to take the risk and take HL i can divert to SL then

[Peachez]

I am guessing that would be the best choice in your case, although first year of Math is usually much more simple than year 2. Be aware of that.

[chrypton]

I should be able to say something on this topic as at our school everyone does Math SL the first year(gives the exam at the end of the first year) and the HL people continue with Maths after the SL exam.

The major difference that I noticed from SL to HL is that you are required to have a much better understanding in HL rather than SL. You get a lot more questions that go; "Prove the following", which are certainly more interesting than regular exercises, but also require a good amount of original and creative thinking. And you generally get a lot more "harder" questions than easy questions.

But in the end, I personally think that the Maths HL class is a far more interesting class than SL, because of the challenge(But I'm a person who like challenge)

I'm sorry I cannot provide any information on studies, other than that it's the easiest course available.

Hope that helped

[CPMVGD]

I am taking Math HL too. I have taken both AP Calc AB and Calc BC and scored 5 on both tests, but I'm still a bit scared (and ironically, excited) about Math HL next year.

Our school recommended that AB and BC Calc be taken before Math HL.

Here's what our school also recommended:

After you take Pre-Calc (or a comparable class), then take IB Math Studies SL or IB Math Methods SL.

Or you could take IB Math Methods SL and THEN do IB Math HL (I'm not sure if this is allowed though).

[sweetnsimple786]

I am taking Math HL too. I have taken both AP Calc AB and Calc BC and scored 5 on both tests, but I'm still a bit scared (and ironically, excited) about Math HL next year.

Our school recommended that AB and BC Calc be taken before Math HL.

Here's what our school also recommended:

After you take Pre-Calc (or a comparable class), then take IB Math Studies SL or IB Math Methods SL.

Or you could take IB Math Methods SL and THEN do IB Math HL (I'm not sure if this is allowed though).

Are you for real? I'm taking SL, but this seems a bit drastic. Do you go to a private school? I did precal my IB1 year and I'm doing AP Calc BC [but you can do AB] in IB2. What do you actually do in IB Math if you've already covered all the math? haha

[CPMVGD]

I am taking Math HL too. I have taken both AP Calc AB and Calc BC and scored 5 on both tests, but I'm still a bit scared (and ironically, excited) about Math HL next year.

Our school recommended that AB and BC Calc be taken before Math HL.

Here's what our school also recommended:

After you take Pre-Calc (or a comparable class), then take IB Math Studies SL or IB Math Methods SL.

Or you could take IB Math Methods SL and THEN do IB Math HL (I'm not sure if this is allowed though).

Are you for real? I'm taking SL, but this seems a bit drastic. Do you go to a private school? I did precal my IB1 year and I'm doing AP Calc BC [but you can do AB] in IB2. What do you actually do in IB Math if you've already covered all the math? haha

Yeah, one of my older math teachers drew up a diagram of the paths you could take:

Click!

Aside from that though, I just go to a regular public school. A lot of people in my school who take Math HL take AB in 10th grade, then BC in 11th grade, and finally Math HL as seniors. (This is the same path I took too!)

Believe it or not, we have had freshmen and one 8th grader (NO JOKE!) take BC Calc. Our school's a bit odd though because junior high kids also attend our school (this explains why we had an 8th grader in our class this year).

Edited August 11, 2009 by CPMVGD

[sweetnsimple786]

I suggest you remove the site unless you don't care if people know what school you go to. =)

But dang. Color me impressed. We work our way from pre-algebra [7th or 8th grade] to alg 1 to geometry to Alg 2 w/ trig to precal to calculus, with stats as an elective.

[basilmasri21]

I just want to ask a question but I'm not sure where to ask. Is Maths HL mandatory for engineering? Does chemical engineering require a lot of Maths?

Whether or not it's mandatory depends on the particular university and program. Best to check out the univ's site for specific prerequisites and other requirements.

And all engineering requires a math + chem + phys, and perhaps bio, if I'm not mistaken.

Hey I am an Engineering student at the University of Waterloo who did IB Math HL and I can definately tell you TAKE IT. I can't stress enough. It is true that you should check the specific requirements for Chemical Engineering for your university but you will definately need Statistics and Calc I and Calc II which IB will cover for you and make life so much better for you. Hope that helped.

[basilmasri21]

I am starting IB next month and I was wondering how hard Math HL actually is. A lot of people at school said it was difficult, but they could just be exaggerating. So, how hard did you find Math HL? Is it really as bad as everyone says?

Hey, I took IB Math HL and finished with almost a full mark (a 7, but a very high one). It is not really that bad although I can tell you that by the end of my first term of first year I was on the verge of quitting. But what happens is that at first there's so much material but once you start Calculus it will all come together and you'll be a pro before you know it. Just make sure you get past papers and practice them, but actually get the book and do problems there first to learn the concepts, then test yourself with past papers. I also hope your prof is atelast half as good as mine. Good luck. It is definately worth taking ghte course, the stuff I learned I am encountering in my 2A term in university and already seen many times in my first two terms.

[basilmasri21]

My school doesn't offer mathematics HL because most of the people in my year (which is really small) suck at math, so I am taking math SL now. Will this affect my ability to do/get into science and math university courses?

As a University of Waterloo Engineering student who is also in the Faculty of Math (I'm Soft Eng), I can tell you you'll get in fine with Maht SL. They SAY they require Math HL but from the five or so IB kids in my grade I was the only one hwo took HL and frankly the Ontario curriculum isn't even at SL so they can't say a damn thing about SL. Personally though, unless you want to get killed infirst year like most people, take IB Math HL. It does wonders for your grade's immunity in university.

[basilmasri21]

My school doesn't offer mathematics HL because most of the people in my year (which is really small) suck at math, so I am taking math SL now. Will this affect my ability to do/get into science and math university courses?

All right, yes and no. No it won't affect getting into an awesome university! Just being in IB and performing to your potential is usually really impressive to most universities. Now really amazing engineering colleges like MIT and the such are a bit more interested in advanced math courses. But don't get confused between a school accepting you in and the much more different aspect of HOW WILL I DO IN THE CLASSES?

To be truthful about something, any type of medicine/math/engineering/science career requires to take at least up to a second year in Calculus (at least here in the States). No to say that math SL and HL aren't awesome PREPARATORY courses for Calculus courses, but I've got to say that from experience and friends, I've noticed that college math classes tend to be significantly easier if you've already taken an AP math rather than IB. ALL colleges take a 5 in your AP Calculus BC test (calculus 2 here in the states and a 5 is the highest mark), but that doesn't mean that math HL is that far behind, some colleges take that credit as a first year in calculus.

SOOO in summary, IB math will PREPARE you for college math courses but not give you the advantage that those who take AP math have

PS: sorry that i'm so pro-AP program-e, I just think that IB beats around the bush too much by teaching stats in an introductory Calculus class.

DUDE, no disrespect or anything but I have no idea what you're talking about, in terms of IB Math HLnot being as much of a prep as AP Calc, and beating around the bush by teaching stats in an introductory Calculus class. Whereas it's very much true that IB Math SL can be considered introductory stats, but IB Math HL is NOT introductory calc, we do WAY MORE depth and breadth in calculus alone than AP CALCULUS, and CALCULUS is in caps because that whole course only does calculus whereas IB does a million different things that the AP Calc kids in my Uinversity hasn't encountered. The only think that AP Calc does that the IB Math HL CORE doesn't do is Taylor/Maclaurin series, and I emphasize CORE because there is an MAth IB HL option in Calculus that goes very in depth into sequences and series, AND differential equations. correct me if I"m worng but AP Calc doesn't do anything with differential equations except separable if I'm not mistaken whereas IB does all hte first-order ones.

So please back up why you feel AP outdoes IB, and by the way, did you take AP or IB for high school?

[basilmasri21]

i choose math SL because i dont think that i have that very high potentials in mathmatics but am wondering does it affect universities acceptance ??? for example if i took HL would i have a bigger chance in acceptance or its the same and i dnt hve to worry about it ???

And i 've always heard fom students that math at a higher level is too much hard and requires too much working in addition that its hard to acheive a 7

in this subject at this level

thank u

I see you're from Jordan too. I took IB MAth HL and I was at Mashrek School in Amman. I got a 7 without too much trouble but I had a great prof. The course is well worth it. If you happen to also be going to Mashrek school, tell the prof, Ustaz Ballour, that Basil El Masri sends his best regards.

[penguin]

If you find maths challenging, then deffinalty take maths studies. It the easiest and least demanding. But make sure that you do keep the university course that you want to take in mind, and then take the lowest level of maths that you need for that course.

For me, my university course has no maths prerequisate, so i took maths studies even though im actually really good at maths and could have handled HL just find. But i thought whats the point. May as well take the easy option and do really really well in this subject and be a bit bored, than be challenged and possibly not do as well. Also i dont know about what type of stuff you maths courses entail, but for me maths studies is just a rehash of all yr nine and ten stuff, so im doing really well. wich is awsome.

So yes, you will get you IB diploma if you pick the lowest possible option... but make sure it is enough to get the course you want to do.

-soph x

Hi everyone, I will be starting the Diploma next year, and I am trying to decide between Maths SL and Maths Studies. I agree with the above; my university courses also have no maths prerequisite, and although my coordinator says I would be 'fine' with HL, I thought what's the point. So it will be basically a study period for me, which is great when you are pressured with the demands of the IBDP. However, the problem is, Studies will be a self-taught class, as there is no-one else doing it, and my coordinator is advising against Studies, saying I would be very bored. As an extra note, I enjoy some aspects of maths, like stats and probability, but I strongly dislike calculus, and besides I don't need it for uni. Also, has anyone taken Studies as an anticipated subject, i.e. taking the exam at the end of IB1?

I would appreciate any advice.

[ibmonkey]

Right i have a dilemma,

We have just started our DP course, and as it is the first year it is been held at my school there is a major problem with scheduling.

So I was originally supposed to take Math SL, however my DP Coordinator approached me and asked me to move down to Math Studies so the whole Dp schedule would work..

So please give me some input as to what I should do? Do I help "her out" or do I take what I need to.

Math does not make a difference for me as it is not required for the area of university for which I would like to pursue.

thanks all.. in advance