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How's My Course Selection?


tman555

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I'm starting IB next September and these are my choices so far. I'm looking to study physics in university.

English A HL

French B HL

Physics HL

Maths SL

Psychology SL

Chemistry SL

(My school also makes us take a few local electives, so I'll be taking Stage Band and Music Composition)

A couple of notes:

I was considering Japanese B HL considering I've been conversant (I can understand much, much more than I can speak) in Japanese since I was little. However, I've never taken Japanese in school so I was wondering if I'd have any trouble there.

Considering my interest in physics for post-secondary school, should I be taking HL Maths? If I do, should I change one of the other courses to SL or instead take 4 HL courses?

Also, how much harder is language A and B HL compared to SL

Edited by tgatchalian
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For physics, most unis, especially the competitive ones, would want Math HL. Also, from what i've heard, language B HL subjects involve work on two pieces of literature. So unless you're strong with writing and reading Japanese, its probably a no. But as you have french B HL, if you think your japanese is as strong as/stronger than your french, may as well go ahead with it.

4 HLs WILL be a lot of work, especiially as you have physics and math as well as english, which is supposed to be time consuming. If I were you, I'd probably drop the english to SL.

Furthermore, look at taking Physics Chem Math at HL and the rest at SL if you want.

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Taking Math HL instead of French B HL seems like the best option to me. Math HL is very challenging. However, if you study Physics, you're going to have to deal with a lot of math anyway. So if you don't like or can't handle the amount of math you'll have to deal with in Math HL, maybe studying Physics at university wouldn't be the best option anyway.

I don't think there's any reason to take Chemistry at HL if you want to study Physics. I don't think you should take 4 HL's, especially since you have no choice but to take those local electives too and Math HL and Physics HL are challenging.

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I'd think that if you want to study physics at a university level, Maths HL and Physics HL would be musts, and they'd probably give you and edge (depedning on whatuniverisites you apply to). I'd definitely drop French B to SL, because seeing as you're taking the two hardest HLs (Maths and Physics), doing four HLs would just stress you out and lower your score.

I wish you all the best of luck!

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  • 6 months later...

Definately do Maths HL if you want to study physics at University. However I would advise against taking 4 HLs in the interest of having an easier IB life and I woud do english SL as the percentage of people who get a 7 in English HL is less than that of French B HL. According to the IB statistics: http://www.ibo.org/facts/statbulletin/dpstats/documents/statistical_bulletin_may_2011.pdf

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