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IB Students Recieves Bum Rap?


Shorty

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Ok, this is kind of a rant so please excuse my french but I will try and control myself

I really pisses me off that so many IB students get bum raps especially full-IB students at my school. Everyone , and I mean everyone, seems to jump to the conclusion that since we're in IB we are not physically fit or just plain fat and out of shape. Personally I believe that some people in IB do let themselves go a bit and use the "too much homework" excuse. About a week ago in my Geo class, a few of us forgot out textbooks,including me, so the teacher took down names and asked the people who forgot their textbooks to do 10 push ups and immediately some of the people who forgot their textbooks starts to whine and complain and especially this 1 girl who just immediately shouts out "We're IB students and you're expecting us to do physical activity?" This really got my mad because a few of the guys in my Geo class, and myself, play sports outside of school along with our studies. Its this kind of stereotyping **** that really gets me going. Why is that that because one excels at academics mean that we are automatically deemed unfit to physical activity?

Being from British Columbia, I have to complete this Graduation Transition Plan, which includes 80-hours of physical activity which is to be completed by our grade 12 year. In chemistry the other day, the teacher begins to talk about preparing for IB exams and doing grad transitions. She says "Doing your grad transitions are one thing but studying for your IB exams are another" in a tone that really emphasizes that grad transitions are not important at all. Then she goes on to say that Mr. L, the teacher in charge of our grad transitions, asked if the IB 12s have finished their 80 hours of physical activity. Then the whole class busted out into laughter, which I found quite offensive again as not everyone in the class was the unfit kind of people.

I really wanted to say something but I know I would have probably been bombarded with stuff like "Well, you're probably not doing your homework so thats why you have so much time on your hands" and other stupid comments that really gives IB students a bad image.

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I don't mean using it is a bad thing if you really don't have time but the people who use it at my school, I have never EVER seen them do anything physical and always comes in near the end when we do our runs when PE was mandatory in earlier years.

Sorry I wasn't being too clear.

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Yes it is a stereotype at times, and unfortunately I am part of that stereotype. I despise running, although I have a few medical reasons to back it up. That said, I do go to the gym everyday as well.

The others in my class are as fit as anything, so I guess the stereotype does not really remain valid all the time.

And besides, I'm nearly underweight so I don't really need the exercise :)

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we don't really have that problem. the overweight ratio of our classes is the same as in any other.

Most IBers use a sports team for CAS, and keep in shape that way.

Plus IB isn't in our lives until high school, and most people have found their athletic activities before high school, and stick with it through IB as much as possible, or just can't bear to lose the image they already had.

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There was only one person in my IB class of 46 who may or may not have been overweight. Sure some people didn't like excercise but everyone (bar two for, I have to say slightly dodgy, health reasons) in IB did sport at least 4 times a week for a least an hour each time. The top scoring IB students who got 44, both were very sporty one was the captain of her netball team and in the summer was an elite rower which invovles about 18hours plus training a week then an all day regatta on Saturday. The other top-scorer was the captain of the school soccer and tennis teams. I am not the most aerobically sporty person (in other words I am not fit, but I am skillful), and I learned to love cross country running and actually looked forward to doing it after school every second day. Though I think it helped that I ran with a group of people who I was friends with. But for me at my school that stereotype doesn't fit at all.

But I know that we complained a ****load about the amount of work that we had to do, but for me that was part of the fun of IB. I can't help it anyway it is the way I was brought up, my parents bitch about everything, how could I not join in on the fun

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  • 2 months later...

Well in our school, it's basically a public school that offers IB, so there's a vast majority of kids who aren't in IB, and there's still quite a few of us that do. There are those people who are extremely ignorant and aren't in IB, don't like IB students and give them a bad rep but that's a really small minority of people. But most of the school doesn't see anything bad about IB students, there are a lot of us who are active, many play on the football team, lacrosse teams, but there's always people who don't like IB students because they think that we act like we're better than them because we take harder classes.

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I must admit that I used the homework reason ones or twice when explaining why i quit swimming after pre-ib (i didn't like the swimming coach or the group i was swimming with that year, so i quit) But i am not unfitt, also we IB kids make up the school basketball team (we suck though), and 2 people in IB are President and VP in the schools sport club. And we have a competition every year with an other school in town, and there were quit some IB people competing. So i wouldn't say that we are less fit then others. HOWEVER, yes there are some annoying people who just do homework and do not work out at all, with the reason of "i'm IB i'm better anyways..."

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You don't even know how much I agree with you on this subject.

I ABSOLUTELY despise any students at my school (and this is A LOT, at least 75% of ~150 students), that use the excuse: "Oh I have no time" or "I really really suck at it" at my school, when asked if they do sports or even exercise out of school. I mean, I am a really busy guy. I have piano, harmony class, guitar lessons, church and international language school during the week. Does this mean I have no time? Hell no. I always have a practice after school for whatever sport it may be (I choose do Cross-country Running, Nordic Skiing and Triathlon). Now you may say: "well I have a job." SO WHAT? You're not working full-time, and part-time over here is only 20 hours a week. I have friends on sports teams AND having jobs. They miss a few practises each month, but who can blame then.

And then: "I really really suck at it." Well maybe 'cause you don't try in the sport or too lazy to give a rat's ass about it. Honestly, I know not everybody was born an athlete. But I have a bunch of friends, that are completely rubbish in sports and anything athletic. Do they still play sports? Hell yeah. I've convinced them to join a bunch of teams from time to time, and 1) they improve noticeably 2) they have fun while doing it 3) it's something that they can keep doing from time to time. If they hadn't joined thanks to me, they would 1) have one less thing hobby/possible activity in the future 2) not know as many people 3)missed out on lots of fun. I don't give a crap if you really suck at sports. Just come out. The teams I join are great because you do not need to qualify for the team. If you come to practice, you're on the team. The only reason why kids don't come is because they feel they will get easily embarrassed if they do come. But so what? Be with your friends. Make new friends. Become fit or stay in shape. You have nothing to lose (but your dignity :read: ).

Just a bit of info about myself; I am an avid athlete. I love staying in shape and exercising. I participate in three sports teams a year, which is pretty much the maximum, unless for some reason you want to try to squeeze in 4 but coaches usually frown upon this as you will have to split up practises for two sports. I'm not the greatest athlete, but I always try my best. Most of the time--heck, it doesn't even pay off at all. But it has once. I qualified for the Nordic Skiing Provincial's as an individual (you can also as a team, but then you need a good team which we didn't have), and it was THE GREATEST TIME IN MY LIFE. It was so much fun, so much drama, so many hot girls, a great experience--simply amazing. I competed in my first triathlon in May, and boy--it was sure fun. I may have come pretty much close to last (because 1) I only started training for it a couple months prior 2) It was my first one 3) I got the proper swimming technique less than a month before the competition). But heck--I'm proud of it. It's something I can look forward to train for in the future.

And you may be thinking: "oh you're probably a full athlete, and your grades aren't good." Wrong. I'm easily in the top 5% of my grade in terms of marks, and this is with 1) having tons of extra-curriculars 2) not doing/caring for homework most of the time. I'm gifted, but whatever. You can be an athlete and smart.

Edited by KLSmash
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Last year nearly everyone whined about the mandatory physical fitness test. I don't really care for it. I'm not the most athletic person you'll meet, but I do my fair share of exercising. The stereotyping will never stop, especially because there will always be IBers who fall into such description.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Isn't physical activity supposed to help you concentrate and sleep better? So what a silly excuse. If they exercised, maybe they'd be more efficient and spend less time studying/doing homework.

With that said, I've never been the best of athletes, but I do try to exercise every once in a while. Looking good makes you feel good anyway. >.<

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  • 2 weeks later...

wow. Well IB students at my school follow the same games lessons. Most of us are actually in sports teams of some kind in or out of school. Doesn't the action part of the IB mean they have to do something... active?

hmmm

yeh stereotyping sucks. Im not fat, i do all my homework, basicly the only one who gets it in on time, and I also run, sail, dance and do yoga :D not really a sport i know but... shhh. By running i mean like the cross country team.

Other people in my IB do tennis, hockey, la crosse, whatever. The move around and have muscles on their bones other than the small amount of muscles used in writing essays.

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