Should I drop to Chemistry SL?

[FaresRB]

Hello, I'm currently in year 1 of IB and I'm contemplating whether I should drop Chemistry HL to Chemistry SL. Also, I would like to know whether or not I'm required to take it at HL if I want to study undergrad bio in Canada or the US.

Reasons why I want to drop:

- Bad grades 4s and 5s sometimes 3s

- I'm only doing it to strengthen my application

- The Chem SL teacher is better

- I love English literature 

My current subjects are: Chem HL, Bio HL, Business HL, English Lit SL, Math SL, Arabic Ab inito

If I drop to Chem SL: English A Lit HL, Bio HL, Business HL, Chemistry SL, Math SL, Arabic Ab inito

I've been thinking about this for the past three weeks and I'd appreciate much-needed advice!!!!

Thank you!

 

[kw0573]

There are many cases of significant improvements between year 1 and 2 in chemistry HL. Talk to @IB`NOT`ez. If you like the subject you should stay at HL. For example we covered 25% of the syllabus in year 1 and 75% in year 2 and we ended up with mostly 5s and 6s so it's not like you are hopeless. Correct me if I'm wrong but it doesn't appear that any of your other courses (except for biology HL) is particularly challenging so you should be able to improve in Chemistry HL.

The way I see HL is that rather than fulfilling US/Canada entry requirements, they give you a head start in undergrad studies. In many universities, if you get a 5 or 6 in Chemistry HL, you have option to skip general chemistry and skip straight to organic (part of which will be covered in some depth at HL). Or you can "retake"  general chemistry and easily get As. In addition, contrary to popular beliefs, now is the time to really make your chemistry fundamentals solid because the pace will be even more accelerated when you get to undergrad. There, 80-90% of chemistry HL will be condensed into a one-year course, as opposed to two in IB. I think if you are serious about graduate school, getting a good grade in Chemistry HL (ideally) is the best choice to build an early good undergrad GPA.

[FaresRB]

13 minutes ago, kw0573 said:

There are many cases of significant improvements between year 1 and 2 in chemistry HL. Talk to @IB`NOT`ez. If you like the subject you should stay at HL. For example we covered 25% of the syllabus in year 1 and 75% in year 2 and we ended up with mostly 5s and 6s so it's not like you are hopeless. Correct me if I'm wrong but it doesn't appear that any of your other courses (except for biology HL) is particularly challenging so you should be able to improve in Chemistry HL.

The way I see HL is that rather than fulfilling US/Canada entry requirements, they give you a head start in undergrad studies. In many universities, if you get a 5 or 6 in Chemistry HL, you have option to skip general chemistry and skip straight to organic (part of which will be covered in some depth at HL). Or you can "retake"  general chemistry and easily get As. In addition, contrary to popular beliefs, now is the time to really make your chemistry fundamentals solid because the pace will be even more accelerated when you get to undergrad. There, 80-90% of chemistry HL will be condensed into a one-year course, as opposed to two in IB. I think if you are serious about graduate school, getting a good grade in Chemistry HL (ideally) is the best choice to build an early good undergrad GPA.

Thank you so much for taking your time to reply! Coincidentally, I just got my latest chem test grade and it reflected a significant improvement from my last test, woo! Also, thank you for your advice, I think I'll stick with HL for now. ++And thanks for the insight about Canadian undergrad!

 

[cluelesskidd]

Since you chose to stick w HL Chemistry, maybe consider dropping Business to SL and English to HL if you are really that passionate about it. Idk, just a thought

Cluelesskidd