Our school is bringing in the IB program for next year. My son, a sophomore, has expressed interest in psychology and TOK. My husband, basing his impressions off his niece and nephew in the UK, says “no one actually likes IB courses, they are not worth it, etc…” I am skeptical of his unscientific opinion:-) So, DO students enjoy their IB classes? The teacher who will be teaching TOK is one of the best in the entire school.
(Son will not be attempting the diploma. He is done with foreign language and isn’t the kind of student who wants that experience.)
I did the full diploma in high school. If I had the option to take only some courses, I would have done that. Some classes, especially math/chem, were just not in my interests. Others, like English and history, were taught by the best teachers in the school and ended up being great experiences. I think the quality of the IB class really depends a lot on the teacher - if your son would like to take a class with a specific teacher and thinks the subject matter seems interesting, is go for it! If not, then there’s no pressure to take an IB course. And FWIW, for me psych and TOK were two of the most interesting but also easier IB classes. They’re taught differently than normal classes, but in a good way. Good luck to him on whatever he decides to do.
I know a kid who went for the full diploma, and it was a killer. If he had to do it again, he would only take some of the classes that interested him. Also, had he taken the AP instead of IB in some of the courses, and presuming he would have scored well on the AP tests, he would have had more credits at the college he attended. (Some schools give credit for AP but not IB in the same subject. This was about 4 years ago, so policies may have changed since then.)
So some classes are okay and others aren’t, which is to be expected. What other IB classes have a good rep? And of course, the teacher has a lot to do with it.
The teacher has a whole lot to do with it! My dc likes the classes with good teachers and doesn’t like the ones with poor teachers even if the course content is interesting. But to answer your question, my dc loved TOK! It was extremely intellectually stimulating. At our school, the IB program is like an honors program at a college in that it attracts the best students in the school. So another advantage is the social community of bright ambitious students.
I agree with those pointing to teachers as the main differentiator. You can check out the subject briefs on the IBO website. These are somewhat helpful in outlining course content. But we have found that the way teachers try to meet the goals outlined in the brief can vary dramatically. There are also a lot of differences from school to school even for the same class (HL Math, for example). So there is a lot of local knowledge needed to figure out what an IB class will be like. Stem-oriented students who don’t plan to pursue the diploma often prefer ap to IB for math and science courses, especially if college credit is a goal. Regarding TOK, at some schools that course is intended for diploma students writing their extended essay. It is still a good course, but I’d check with your IB coordinator to make sure a non diploma student will be well served taking it.
I’m a senior in the IB Diploma and psychology is one kf the most fascinating classes that I’ve taken. I do not have a good teacher but just the curriculum is so amazing.
TOK has essay requirements that are separate from the EE.
@nw2this , can you elaborate on that? My son is a bit essay-phobic.
As a requirement of IB, TOK students do an oral report and write a separate title paper (1600 words). My dc found it very challenging, but got alot of satisfaction out of the end product.
Other essays are at the discretion of the teacher.
@Lindagaf IB courses tend to involve more writing than a typical AP or honors course, at least at our school. I learned from the IB Econ teacher that she used to use multiple choice and short answer exam questions when the course was AP; when the transition to IB happened she switched to long answer questions, so the mid term exam is now 4 questions. Students can definitely benefit from this, and it requires more in-depth thinking. But if your son is essay-phobic you may want to ask teachers about their plans for assessment in the different classes, and consider how he might balance his schedule to allow for extra writing in and out of class.
Thanks everyone. Lots of helpful responses:-)
My son has signed up for IB psych but it has a lab. Now he is not sure he wants to take it. What does IB psych lab entail? Is it a lot of work? Of course it’s IB and is rigorous, but he will have honors physics too with a lab. Are two classes with labs too much?
Hi Linda! 
Given the plethora of invaluable help you’ve given to me, I feel naturally indebted to guide you and your son through IB.
Just a couple of first thoughts as an IB student who took the hardest courseload: as other posters have indicated, IB classes require LOTS and LOTS of writing. Writing = learning in the IB world. This comes through with the Extended Essay (a 4000 word research paper), the Internal Assessments (mini research papers for each individual class), in class essays, etc. That being said, PLEASE do not be scared of all the writing. Seriously. After years of writing papers, a skill I know from friends that is required in university, I no longer feel any fear or intimidation when I am told to write a paper. I can crank a decent one out in a few hours. Heck, I wrote my History Internal Assessment in 3 hours and scored a 7/7. The talents you gain are incredible and definitely worth it. Your son may be scared right now of writing papers, but imagine being in college and having no fear when a big paper is assigned!
Another thing about IB is the variability. The difficulty is indubitably subjective, and it is based on the teacher quality. At some schools, HL Math is the hardest class there is. At other schools, it is a cakewalk. At my school, IB is known for being incredibly more difficult than AP and the counselor won’t even mark off the “hardest” courseload unless you are in IB.
About the Psych Lab, I am truly not sure to what you are referring. We did not have any “lab” in Psych, but we did have the Internal Assessment, which is the investigation you do in a certain psychological concept. You make a lab report, find data, conclusions, all that stuff. Perhaps that is what you are talking about? As I said, IB depends a lot on the teacher/school, so maybe your son’s class will have a lab. But I can’t imagine a lab like that being a dealbreaker for choosing not to do an IB class.
In my opinion, your son shouldn’t be afraid at all of IB classes. Take it as an exhilarating challenge. The friends that I’ve made in IB classes are incredible, irreplaceable. I would have never done any IB course if it were not for the people I’ve met. who are among the most brilliant I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing.
Feel free to ask any questions. Time to reciprocate!
@Lindagaf this might be unique to your school. None of the IB sciences or social sciences at our school have separate labs.