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Is IB worth IT?


Shankstar6560

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I know this is UK only, but I guess the ingredient missing in the people who are vouching that going through IB and university, they can conclude it has had no benefit - maybe it's as you haven't also sat A-Levels? I mean, my cousin who did A-Levels is now doing Law, and she personally felt that the transition was a shock to her system as her A-Levels was spoon fed to her, and she achieved her grades without needing any real private study... Perhaps those of you who don't accredit this to the IB may just have been independent learners anyway, so would have developed these skills with or without IB, but I can see what is trying to be said when independent research is labelled as a positive of the IB. I'd be lying if I said that the process of researching for and writing my EEs and IAs weren't totally new experiences for me, that may give me a sort of comfortable bridge into University private study and researching.

Then again, I won't be a hypocrite after saying this - I obviously haven't studied A-Levels alongside IB myself, so maybe their courseworks etc give them these skills also.

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At the end of the day I got into a decent school and I learned a lot through what I was doing, so yes IB did help me there. But I probably could have gotten the same results and ended up at the same universities without IB while avoiding some of the stress (EE, TOK, etc). CAS didn't make me a super wonderful world reflective person. To be honest everything I did for CAS (martial arts, all my volunteer work) I was doing already anyways and just started logging it once I started IB, followed by "deep and reflective" essays written the day before reflections were due to my adviser. IB kind of restricted me also, I had to take certain subjects that I didn't necessarily enjoy or really want to take, such as HL English and HL history, since my school didn't offer a ton of IB courses.

So would I do it over again? I don't know. I made some great friends and I did learn some interesting things, but I probably would have ended up in the same spot now had I just done AP courses. IB gave me no real advantage in the admissions process that I could discern.

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Just want to know from previous or current IB students. Is IB worth it? (so far i think it is...but just out of curiosity). Best memory for IB? Something that you want the IB (the executive office) to improve if you had the chance to talk to them?

YES! It is SO worth it! I know it can be stressful at times, especially when it seems like TOK papers, labs, IOCs, IOPs, WIT papers and EEs are all due at the same time, but believe me ... it is definitely worth your time and effort! My mum is a registrar at Dalhousie University and they appreciate students who do IB so much; they have separate scholarships, separate entrance requirements and special advantages for IB graduates. If you get a 5, 6 or 7 in a higher level course they will give you a first year university credit for it! So it can save you lots of money if you end up at uni! Also, a few people I know have received scholarships just for their EEs ... another perk of all the time and effort you put into that dreaded thing.

Anyway, my point is, IB is definitely worth it all. Although it may seem daunting or overwhelming at times, the end result is what you need to think about! Just picture yourself writing the very last word on your very last IB paper ... it will be a magical moment. That in itself, the feeling of overwhelming relief and accomplishment, will make it all seem worth it :)

Follow me on tumblr!! vivez-rirez-aimez.tumblr.com

HL Chemistry - 6

HL English - 6

HL Biology - 7

SL Math - 7

SL French - 7

SL History - 6

EE - A

TOK - A

Total - 42/45

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Hmmm...IB...I recently started IB in August 2012. I used to live and go to school in the DR Congo before and was studying mainly IGCSE. I moved to Mombasa and am currently doing MYP 5 at the Aga Khan Academy, Mombasa. I felt disoriented at first with all the new environment and stuff. I think I have learned a lot by doing IB, especially pluralism. In my old school when I'd suggest a thing or two my classmates would look at me weirdly. In IB, that does not happen because you're taught to be open-minded and seeking knowledge. Personally, I feel more at ease with whatever I do and feel like I have the freedom to express my opinions regarding world matters. IB teaches that every thought is important by default, making the person feel more valuable by giving individuals the power to make a difference. I am changing as a person. The program is rigorous, not for the faint hearted, but whoever does it realizes its worth. I believe it's given me this wider perspective and the ability to embrace foreign cultures, make sense of them, and learn to respect them. I have always been an all rounder, but IB helps you accept who you are at a different level and gives you an insight as to where you're making mistakes additionally providing the chance to fix them. Academically, of course it literally makes your knowledge grow exponentially because it gives you the ability to challenge everything and come up with your own logical explanations. These wide range of opportunities is what I think makes IB special.

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IB was the obvious choice for me, I feel they are at my level. Some of my classes are difficult, but that has more to do with the teacher than the course itself. It is stressful, the numerous IAs are definitely hard. I'm procrastinating a Design lab for IB Physics HL right now :shifty: . I like the program, but the new IB art structure is stressful and more aggrevating than worthwhile. It seems sloppily put together. I think its worth it, I enjoy how the process to learning is as important as the product.

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  • 1 month later...

I'm still not able to come up with an answer. On one hand I learned to work harder and set higher goals for myself, but on the other hand I'm often agonized by the fact that I'm not able to fulfill my dream of becoming a provincial level badminton player (both IB and training are time consuming)...I'm an asian kid. My parents started to instill the idea of "taking the safe route is better than following your dream" since I was very young. So I'm struggling between my dream and my future. However I don't think I have the courage to give up IB for badminton :(.

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IB is useful and its syllabus is of global level. It also has extra activities like CAS.

There are 2 options you can consider

1) Work hard and get good grades then IB is really worth it.

2) If you are lazy and you are working with less dedication then IB is totally a waste of time and is not really worth it.

So work hard to make best use of IB.

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yes; I've gotten alot closer to my friends and met more people who I really like as a friend.

The learning is intense but you just don't want to give up learning, it's fun :)

best memory? don't have one; maybe me and Wicquor dogging the chem teacher the every other day

something I would change? No subjects that one really hates,

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  • 8 months later...

Even though this topic is almost a year old I will refresh it wiht my opinion.

For me IB was definitely not worth it.

Just to clarify - I was an upper level student - got 39 points at the end, nevertheless I have found the workload and everything we have to do to be quite limiting. A paradox presents itself here; a program, which is supposed to be an essence of individualism and open-mindness has limited my self-development. The work load left me no time to pursue my passions, harming my chances of getting into universities. Outside of school activities were often out of a question, for example an internship for a month, from 16:00 - 20:00, after school was out of a question. I have found, that im spending less time doing stuff that I know will actually help me in the future and more doing mindless essays.

The contents of some courses - for example Visual Arts is based on the right principles, but poorly thought over. The Ib requires student to submit a minimum of 18 final pieces of work. A student is limited into producing quick artwork, big sculptures, assemblages or developing the work properly was not a possibility.

As much as I enjoyed ToK, the syllabus is extremely poor. Instead of passing some actual knowledge, e.g basics of philosophy, students are learning about ways of knowing, which were made up by the IB and change pretty much every year, representing therefore no actual knowledge.

Majority of universities, from my experience, do not recognize the IB as something superior. I have found that a lot of universities ask for extra qualifications, such as internships, which were not a possibility due to the workload from the IB.

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I finished the IB in May 13.

I can safely say that doing the IB was the best thing that could have happened to me, as an asian student in one of the most grades obsessed countries in the world (Singapore). It wasn't about just working towards the final examinations (though this was definitely part of it), but it also consisted of other things to do. Sure, the other things may not have been very well developed, like the relatively useless ToK "syllabus", or certain types of coursework, but it provided something different to the notion of a final exam.

Often one of the first few things a teenager would ask another teenager here, would be "how did you do for your As?". You see the culture of grades here? It is impossible to grow as a person in this setting. Your entire life revolves around the pursuit of an A. Any other activity is a "waste of time".

Lots of people on this thread have said the IB took over their life and didn't give them time for their own activities. For me, it is only through IB's activities that I actually could do things that weren't directly related to studying.

It probably is different for European countries, but as an asian, I can guarantee you that the IB is the best thing to have happened to our students.

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