<p>Take a look at the syllabi of the courses you would be skipping. English and history are subjects where two intro courses (e.g. IB and college intro) can cover completely different material and having the IB background does not mean that it will be easier for you to get good grades. On the other hand, you can do fine in higher level English and history courses without taking the college intro courses if your high school courses have been taught well.</p>
<p>Two things I would recommend: in the absence of any other guidelines, sign up for the class that sounds more interesting and try to talk to a professor on campus before you sign up for classes if possible.</p>