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Help Choosing Subjects: HL Chemistry or Business?


IBGeek

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Hello all,

I need help choosing my HL subjects for next year. Right now, I have chosen HL English, Biology, and Chemistry. My SLs are Math, French, and Business Management. However, I am considering changing to SL Chem, and HL business management in order to lighten the work load since many people are telling me how difficult two HL sciences are. Will it lighten the work load for me? I'm not sure because each of the higher level sciences require 10 hours for the ia, whereas hl business requires 30 hours (according to ib). Will I have to study more for HL chem or HL business?

Will taking HL business instead of two HL sciences decrease my chances of getting into a science program (pre-med) at a prestigious uni like Oxford or Cambridge? 

Thanks for your input.

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Yes, taking HL Business will decrease your chances at a university like Oxford. Business is considered one of the 'joke' courses whereas Chem is a good challenge.If you want science, you should absolutely go for 2 sciences at HL. Also, Bio and Chem complement each other really well so that will make learning the content easier.

IB is a lot of work anyways. Your other courses are pretty decent though (SL Math, SL French) so you can definitely take on the challenge of 2 HL sciences.

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On 7 June 2016 at 2:20 AM, IBGeek said:

Hello all,

I need help choosing my HL subjects for next year. Right now, I have chosen HL English, Biology, and Chemistry. My SLs are Math, French, and Business Management. However, I am considering changing to SL Chem, and HL business management in order to lighten the work load since many people are telling me how difficult two HL sciences are. Will it lighten the work load for me? I'm not sure because each of the higher level sciences require 10 hours for the ia, whereas hl business requires 30 hours (according to ib). Will I have to study more for HL chem or HL business?

Will taking HL business instead of two HL sciences decrease my chances of getting into a science program (pre-med) at a prestigious uni like Oxford or Cambridge? 

Thanks for your input.

"Soft subjects" lists by Oxbridge are usually geared towards A Level subjects, I've never seen an official list for IB published by Oxbridge. When it's said that Oxbridge (Cambrige more so than Oxford) sees certain subjects as soft subjects, it's referring to A Level. So studying IB Business management is NOT seen as a "joke" subject. That is just unfounded hearsay. 

 

 As long as you meet the subject requirements you should be fine.  


As far as I know Oxford doesn't have an official "pre-med" course. When you say science "pre-med" course, do you mean biological science? If so, the entry requirements stated are a "7 in Maths HL OR a science". As long as you get a 7 in Biology HL you'd have met this requirement. 
https://www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/courses-listing/biological-sciences?wssl=1


Once you've chosen the subject specified in the entry requirements, I'd encourage you to make your next concern maximising you IB final point score, by choosing subject levels to your advantage. That is, choosing subjects at levels that you find easy to understand and ones you would  spend a lot of time and give a lot of effort to review. So I'd put it up to you to choose whether you think that would Business Management or Chemistry at HL.

 

Generally UK universities are more concerned that you meet the subject requirements including their minimum IB score requirement. I wouldn't suggest you choose a more rigorous IB subject selection at the risk of sabotaging meeting the minimum IB final score of Oxford which is pretty high 39 +. 

 

Edited by ChocolateDrop
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On 6/6/2016 at 9:20 PM, IBGeek said:

Hello all,

I need help choosing my HL subjects for next year. Right now, I have chosen HL English, Biology, and Chemistry. My SLs are Math, French, and Business Management. However, I am considering changing to SL Chem, and HL business management in order to lighten the work load since many people are telling me how difficult two HL sciences are. Will it lighten the work load for me? I'm not sure because each of the higher level sciences require 10 hours for the ia, whereas hl business requires 30 hours (according to ib). Will I have to study more for HL chem or HL business?

Will taking HL business instead of two HL sciences decrease my chances of getting into a science program (pre-med) at a prestigious uni like Oxford or Cambridge? 

Thanks for your input.

You'll look better with two HL sciences but taking HL business will decrease your workload by a lot. 

At the end of the day, it's all personal preferences. 

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On 7 June 2016 at 3:20 AM, IBGeek said:

Hello all,

I need help choosing my HL subjects for next year. Right now, I have chosen HL English, Biology, and Chemistry. My SLs are Math, French, and Business Management. However, I am considering changing to SL Chem, and HL business management in order to lighten the work load since many people are telling me how difficult two HL sciences are. Will it lighten the work load for me? I'm not sure because each of the higher level sciences require 10 hours for the ia, whereas hl business requires 30 hours (according to ib). Will I have to study more for HL chem or HL business?

Will taking HL business instead of two HL sciences decrease my chances of getting into a science program (pre-med) at a prestigious uni like Oxford or Cambridge? 

Thanks for your input.

By switching to SL chem you won't even get into medicine at Oxbridge. Both universities require HL chemistry:

http://www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/courses/medicine

https://www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/courses-listing/medicine?wssl=1

Not sure about other sciences, but for medicine HL chemistry is a must in many UK universities. 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hey man, I would of advised you to go down the path that you ended up going down because you A) want to pursue a career in science B) want to attend a school that is rather difficult to get into. If you truly love these sciences they may not be as difficult for you to do compared to someone who may be more suited for a path steered towards English or history. I am in IB Bio going into my second year this upcoming fall and while I am in love with biology it was difficult to keep that love and passion when I had a not so great teacher. When the going gets tough (and trust me with your schedule it will) just go back to the basis of why you wanted this, because you love science and all the mystery it contains. I had to do this myself on a few occasions. I wish you the best of luck with your IB work load! BTW, math sl is pretty easy but really don't procrastinate your IA in that class or any class for that matter. Make sure you can build a tight network for classmates so you can lean on each other when the going gets tough and you can learn and grow from one another. My IB class is one of the more successful groups in my school because we built a small community rather than just make it a big competition like previous classes.

Edited by Merril889
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  • 7 years later...

you should take what you think you will get better grades in. because many uk universities care about grades. imagine if you take hl bio and chem and you end up with low predicted grades. so you won't get into oxbridge. I can't choose for you . but choose what you think you will be able to manage so that you won't regret at the end of the day.

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