Do you believe IB is worth all of the stress?

[omihackingosh]

Hey, guys! So for my HL1 film final, we have to produce a documentary. Mine is on whether or not IB kids believe IB is worth all of the hard work and stress. If you could, please answer these questions and explain if necessary. Thanks!

1.) Why do you think IB will/will not be worth it?

2.) How do you cope with the stress?

3.) Would you suggest IB to another student? Why or why not?

4.) Any advice for others in IB/advice you wish you were given?

Edited March 18, 2014 by omihackingosh

[Emmi]

1. For me personally, the IB was worth it because I was able to enter university (relatively) prepared and received a lot of credit because I did well. Although some of the stuff was a big waste of time (Group 4, having to do CAS reflections, TOK) I enjoyed my classes.

2. I cope with stress by not creating it in the first place. This means not leaving things until the last minute and doing things in a timely manner. Stress makes my face break out and can make my eczema flare up so since I don't want these problems I try not to make myself stressed. If for some reason I get really stressed (lots of exams all at once, big group project with a group of morons) deal with it by taking a really hot shower or going on a bike ride to get rid of some of the stress.

3. I would suggest the IB to another student only if they didn't have another program, such as AP or dual-enrollment, available to them. The reason being that IB is still relatively new to universities in the US and although more places are getting on board with recognizing it and offering similar credit to AP courses in the same subjects, it still has a long ways to go. AP's widely available, usually gets more credit at schools, schools recognize it more, and you end up in the same place at the end of the day without having to do all the extra stuff like CAS reflections, TOK, an EE (which I actually didn't mind too much anyways), and can pick whichever courses you like. I'm not very strong in literature and was forced into HL English A1 (now literature) because that's all my school offered, but if I wasn't in the IB I could have chosen to not take an AP literature course and focused on other subjects I was good at.

4. Everyone made IB out to be this super special smart kids program. It's not You don't have to be a genius to do the IB, you just have to have a good work ethic.

[Guest]

1.) Why do you think IB will/will not be worth it?

The content we get taught in the IB is close to useless. BUT, the skills we learn in the subjects we take are useful. This is what makes IB worth it. The humanities, language subjects teach us how to write a load of nonsense that sounds legit. The math, science subjects teach us how to use logic for problem solving. I don't know what the Arts teaches you though because I didn't take any.

2.) How do you cope with the stress?

I can't cope with the stress

3.) Would you suggest IB to another student? Why or why not?

Yes. TOK and CAS are kinda useful. You will suffer, but you will get something out of it. And most importantly, many universities like IB students.

4.) Any advice for others in IB/advice you wish you were given?

Lower your expectations. Work. Don't procrastinate.

Edited March 19, 2014 by JYC

[flinquinnster]

1. I personally think that it's worth it. I was lucky enough to get an IB score which converted to the maximum score in my national system, which I never would have gotten doing my state qualification because it is so competitive. It also made applying to overseas universities so much easier, though I'm still not sure they made my applications better. I loved the breadth and much of the syllabi for my subjects - though I hated TOK!

2. The way I coped with stress was to act as though the results of my exams didn't matter - largely, I found doing non-school extra-curricular activities or even just moderate amounts of procrastination helped reduce my stress. I also tried to finish things as quickly as reasonably possible by creating elaborate timetables (though I didn't always stick to them). When all that failed, chocolate.

3. I would generally recommend IB, though with significant caveats. Because it is so broad and you have to take certain subjects like a science, it might not suit those who have a particular weakness (or indeed, strength). Also, if an alternate qualification better prepares you for uni or is just more suited to your interests, don't feel compelled to take IB for dodgy reasons like 'IB is for smart people'.

4. If you want a good score, hard work is pretty much inevitable. Try to enjoy it, whether by sharing the emotional roller coaster of IB with friends or by actually writing an essay you are proud of - two years is too long to spend doing a program you despise. Even if you don't always love or indeed like IB, remember that whilst it may seem bleak at times, but it can and will end!