Hello, I'm new here...

[IBnJamSandwich]

Hi, I'm a Year 1 IB student from Ontario, Canada, and I'm seriously struggling, if not totally depressed and want to give up on everything lol.

I don't have a time-management problem, I plan out my time after school for each subject and achieve it for the most part. I also take occasional breaks and hang out on YouTube or Twitter or Tumblr or something like that so that I'm not too overwhelmed. I hand in my assignments on time and I understand the concepts pretty well. But I still feel like I should be doing way better. Here are my marks so far:

SL Biology: 4

SL French: 5

HL Math: 4

SL Geography: 6

Am I doing okay? Especially for Biology and Math? I feel like I should be doing better, and I'm getting super-stressed here. Is this normal?

Thanks!

Edited November 3, 2013 by musicvip78

[Fiz]

Yes, happens to everyone at the start. It is an overwhelming and over-demanding program, and that is why many institution value it.

For the first year i had almost the same marks as you, but i have to warn you that this is a mistake i have made, and i should have been serious since the beginning of IB, especially in Math HL, i advise you to focus on your maths as you will get in serious mess if you don't start taking care of it right now. Try your best and don't stress yourself this much, but i urge you to be more engaged as the second year of IB is definitely nerve wrecking.

Again, i suggest you focus on math HL, you will become overwhelmed next year if you don't start studying it.

Good luck, hope it helps. Message me if you need any advise!

[ctrls]

Cheer up! I'd say that's not a bad start, your grades aren't that low either.

The IB is very different to any course you have likely taken before, so it's natural that you find it difficult at the beginning. This is especially since it's a 2-year course, exam-style questions are designed to be taken at the end of the course, rather than the beginning. HL Maths in particular can be very overwhelming at first, I don't take the other subjects but I'd presume it's similar with several others too. It does get better as you get used to the style, but a dip in your grade at the start is very much normal.

Try to stay positive and keep working at it, I'm sure you'll do fine as the year progresses.

[IBnJamSandwich]

Yes, happens to everyone at the start. It is an overwhelming and over-demanding program, and that is why many institution value it.

For the first year i had almost the same marks as you, but i have to warn you that this is a mistake i have made, and i should have been serious since the beginning of IB, especially in Math HL, i advise you to focus on your maths as you will get in serious mess if you don't start taking care of it right now. Try your best and don't stress yourself this much, but i urge you to be more engaged as the second year of IB is definitely nerve wrecking.

Again, i suggest you focus on math HL, you will become overwhelmed next year if you don't start studying it.

Good luck, hope it helps. Message me if you need any advise!

Cheer up! I'd say that's not a bad start, your grades aren't that low either.

The IB is very different to any course you have likely taken before, so it's natural that you find it difficult at the beginning. This is especially since it's a 2-year course, exam-style questions are designed to be taken at the end of the course, rather than the beginning. HL Maths in particular can be very overwhelming at first, I don't take the other subjects but I'd presume it's similar with several others too. It does get better as you get used to the style, but a dip in your grade at the start is very much normal.

Try to stay positive and keep working at it, I'm sure you'll do fine as the year progresses.

Thank you so much. HL Math is especially overwhelming, since I got away with not doing homework in Grade 10 but I actually have to do it now lol. But surprisingly I'm way more stressed with Biology.

Glad to know that I'm not doing too shabby right now, but ofc I could improve. Thanks!

[under-cover]

Yes! Cheer up!!!!! You're only in your first year!!!!!! You can do it this year, just stay focused, there is really no need to be stressed. Only those in their second year should be stressed.... haha. Listen to motivational music, like Beyonce or something haha!!! Good luck! chillax

[IBidiot]

Hey, try not to be too worried. As far as Biology goes, friends of mine have said that they like to make flashcards and then whip them out whenever possible. Biology isn't so much about concepts as it is about memorization, so believe me, a few flashcards with pictures on them can really help in the long run. And don't worry, like th others said, you are just starting the IB, and its stressful for all of us at first. Just keep going at it

*Studying strategy: If you know that you can't explain a concept to a person that doesn't take the subject, and they don't undertsand what you are saying, chances are you will need to review that concept more. It's a good strategy, and it's what your teachers do everyday.

[Maks123456]

I take Biology SL and I definitely agree with you. A lot of concepts and information. However, I disagree with the previous post - definitions are about memorization, yes, but there is a great deal of the course where it is far better to understand the processes logically; compare them to others, find differences and similarities, rather than try to memorize it off of the syllabus.

So, that's what I suggest - get your hands on every book, site and exam you can and try to explain what each definition, process and etc includes.

I also take Math HL, and well, needless to say, you won't get away with not doing homework. This course is all about solving as many questions as possible until you start thinking in functions, logarithms and vectors rather than plain old English.

Good luck and don't despair!