Hi! So I’m a rising junior / current sophomore in the IB program looking to go into engineering or a STEM field. I’m wondering whether or not this courseload will be doable and the best exhibition of my academic ability.
- English IBSL I S1
- Math IBSL S1
- Biology IBHL I S1
- Chemistry IBSL S1
- History of the Americas Year 1 IBHL S1
- IBHL Theater 1 S1
- IB Prep Spanish 3 S1
- Band 3
- Lunch (somewhere in there)
Also, my both my hs counselor and has strongly advised against me doing double science and have made plans to opt me out of Chem next year, but I really want to take the class because I love learning about the sciences in general (especially physics/chemistry). Is the coursework too hard? Will STEM-focused colleges look at me opting out of a science badly? Our chemistry teacher is notorious for being bad at teaching and so I would have to put in extra effort to teach myself the material at least sufficiently.
Thanks a lot for your input!
Only you know if it is doable, the two sciences does seem like a lot.
Hey! I’m in a similar situation as you! Do NOT take IB bio and IB chem at the same time, I attempted something similar and was so overwhelmed I had to drop the class. IB chem is HARD and the teacher at my school is amazing so if you are looking for a 5,6,7 on the exam, you should really dedicate all of your time *science wise, to that one course, or take something else. Personally, I am taking IB Chem my junior year, and IB Bio my senior year because IB Chem is a lot harder and will look better on transcripts (also I want to relax my senior year.) Also, IB theater is a LOT more work than you think it is going to be, and I feel like you would just be so stressed out all year if you tried to do all of this. IB math atleast at my school is a joke, so you should be totally fine with that. Remember to prioritize your mental well being over your transcript!!
I agree with @skatergirl27 , don’t take two sciences in one year. Chem SL is really difficult, I took the IB test last year and I can attest to that. You have to have either crazy good work ethic or a great teacher who knows what he/she is doing. It is possible to do both, I’m just saying that it was really hard for me to balance both classes because of the labs and IAs, as well as the group 4 project.
Thanks for the responses! Yeah, I’ve heard Chem SL is comparitively much harder than Biology. @skatergirl27 IIf I were to do one or the other, why does Chem SL look better on transcripts? Do most places know how the IB cirriculum and requirements for Chem SL warrants a lot of effort? Also, why is IB math viewed as a joke - I’m one of a few sophomores doing pre-cal right now and it seems to be the highest level math a sophomore can take at our school.
I doesn’t “look better” on transcripts. Bio, chem, physics, etc, look the same. IB Math is NOT seen as a joke. Math SL is quite hard although you don’t get credit for it (if you’re not good at math and won’t need for your majo, don’t sweat it and take Math Studies) and Math HL is harder than Calc BC. Math HL is also very hard to get a 6 or 7 in (ie., the level of complexity makes the grade that much harder to reach).
Some classes “look easier”, like Business studies, but IB is automatically considered most rigorous so no need to split hairs.