the Diary of an IB Student.

Pre-College Issues High School Life
1

<p>Here is the diary of an IB student. I'll update whenever I feel like it and I want you other IB kids to reply with your own diaries, too!</p>

<p>SCHEDULE (all IB, duh!):
UShistory, Spanish, English, Math(the really easy one), Physics, Psychology.
EXTRA CO: art club, band, ac dec</p>

<p>At first I thought "This is going to be the best year ever! I'm going to be challenged and get the best classes and teachers in the whole district!". Well, what I said is very true. I am challenged. These are the best classes I've ever had. These are some of the best teachers I've ever had. So what's my dealio?</p>

<p>All this time I've been cruising through school with out studying. Without being organized. Without doing all of those things mom told me to do from the beginning. I didn't do them because I didn't need to. And now... I REALLY NEED TO. The first three weeks were horrible. I had homework. The homework is not bad. The problem is I am very unconfident in myself. I must study before I do the homework. I cannot do anything without knowing that I have full understanding of what I'm doing. So I have 4+ hours of homework and studying every night. The problem was, there was TV, internet, and fun babies in my house that got my distracted. My grades were very much affected. I felt behind. I felt confused. And I was going to fail. If I fail, there is no hope for my ass.</p>

<p>I tried to quit band to give myself more time, but I decided not to. Instead of going to practice everyday, I talked the director into letting me go 2 times a week and skip football games. And I don't study at home anymore. Oh no. I basically leave all my school things in my car (driving is a TREMENDOUS HELP) and go to my parent's office or the library and finish all my homework. So I'm there from 6 to 10 or 11. Doing nothing but school work (and sometimes SAT stuff) nonstop. (except for right now, of course. :P). I am catching up. My grades have gone up. The only thing to be worried about is English. There is a good chance that I'm going to fail this 6 weeks and I don't know what to do. I'm trying to supress it and deal with it when report cards come out. Its really sad for me.</p>

<p>Another problem is that I don't have time to study for the SAT! I've been giving myself 15 minute SAT writing assignments, but what am I going to do about the other 2 components? I have 4 weeks until PSAT and I need a 217 or I won't get a good scholarship. This also saddens me.</p>

<p>I stay up until 1 or 2 everynight. Why? I finish my IB homework at 10, 11 or 12. I'm still up so I can study for academic decathlon. They lied to me when they said I could do IB and band and Ac dec. because its proving difficult. I'm tired of falling asleep in classes. What can I do?</p>

<p>For now I blame it all on the first 3 weeks. Right now I am trying to catch up. If I can get into the habit of being 1 step ahead of the teacher, perhaps all this can turn around! Perhaps I really can be stress-free and even finish my Ac Dec studies before 12 (PSAT would be done and gone by then. I guess I'll just have to be happy with the black people awards). Perhaps I can make it to the football games (I do enjoy watching those games!). Perhaps I can even join the track team 2nd semester.</p>

<p>Perhaps, perhaps. Wishful thinking. Right now is a time to suffer. I heard 2nd semester will be the hardest ever. I only thank God I moved down to Math studies from Math methods. Oh, I would have put myself through lot of torment.</p>

2

<p>I hate kids who study for standardized tests and i hate kids who take unnecessarily hard schedules and then complain about it, I mean seriously just calm down and go to a party, have a life and enjoy high school. I'm only taking 2 ap classes and im perfectly content with my life a harder high school schedule wont make you happier down the road.</p>

3

<p>I'm going for the IB diploma. If I was just an AP kid, I would like 3 AP classes only. If I don't get this full diploma, I'll have a harder time getting into the college I want to go to (Utulsa) and I can't get the scholarship. Plus, I really do love the IB. I'm not complaining about the IB. Its just... I'm failing English! D:</p>

<p>A lot of people keep asking what IB is like which is why I made this post. IB is unlike any other. I really want some other IB kids to come in here and post what they've been up to. Its really cool to talk to a kid in Peru or Australia who's doing the exact same thing as you.</p>

<p>And can you blame me for wanting to study for the PSAT? If I get NMF, I'll get a FULL scholarship to that school I was talking about earlier. Hate me for liking free college education. :P</p>

4

<p>It is not about kids taking all hard classes, it is about achieving, accomplishing, and knowing that you did all those classes. Like quitejaded said, it was challenging. ANd it obviously was.</p>

<p>If you don't test your limits, you may never discover your full potential.</p>

<p>With that said, quitejaded you brought it upon yourself.</p>

<p>It's all about the middle path. that balance. the eight-fold path. (although I am not Buddhist).</p>

5

<p>Yeah. I really did. I thought I could take it all, but I couldn't. My dad said I was stupid for trying. >_< But its much better now that I've reduced the time and study in an office.</p>

<p>To be on the Razor's Edge. I'll get to that one of these days.</p>

6

<p>If you get organized and manage your time wisely, IB is not a big deal. </p>

<p>My junior year: IB English HL, IB Math Methods II, IB Bio HL, IB Chem HL, IB Physics HL, IB History HL, IB German SL, IB Psychology SL<br>
My senior year: The same as junior year except replace IB Psych with TOK and Methods with Calc BC. </p>

<p>All A's and a 38 (Diploma)...and plenty of extracurriculars. </p>

<p>I'm mentioning this because I want to point out that you can succeed in IB AND have a life...you just have to get organized. Plan your time. Don't procrastinate.</p>

7

<p>I'd never do IB lol...AP is hard enough...I'm failing AP English (with a 66)</p>

8

<p>You are so smart! I wish I had done Math Methods 2 this year. Or math studies. I wouldn't do any math course my Senior year.</p>

<p>Warbler, you have to put into consideration that you are REALLY smart (after everything I've read about you and what you PMed me).</p>

<p>Warbler, what'd you do for your EE and what grade did you make?</p>

<p>And trust, I haven't been procrastinating. The only thing I procrastinated on was English IWAs and... that's why I'm going to fail if I don't get this one I'm working on accepted in 2 days. I didn't realize that I would suck so much that I'd have to revise it 4 times.</p>

<p>bluthunder, AP English and IB English are basically the same (workload wise).</p>

9

<p>I'm a senior doing full IB.</p>

<p>Schedule: Chem HL, English A1 HL, French A2 SL, Spanish ab initio, History of Europe HL (taught in French), and TOK. I finished Biology SL and Math Methods in my junior year, earning grades of 6 and 7 respectively.
ECs: wind ensemble, provincial honor band, chamber choir, flute lessons, violin lessons, fiddle group, music history, MUN (head delegate), Amnesty/Social Justice Club (president), Christian Club, varsity field hockey, school newspaper (joined this year to write a Social Justice column!), leadership/volunteering....</p>

<p>I think the most important thing for me is knowing how much, what, and when to study. Once you learn how to prioritize effectively, it is SO much easier to fit things in. I get good marks, but I definetly do not have time to study everything each night. If you become more efficient in your studying it makes a huge difference.</p>

10

<p>^^^
Agree with cowgirl. </p>

<p>I did my Extended Essay in biology (the niche partitioning of wood warblers in NC) and got a B.</p>

11

<p>I think I've heard of your topic before and thought "What a weirdo". WHat do you plan to do when you grow up? o_O</p>

12

<p>How rude.
<em>hurt</em>
I want to be an ecologist (or possibly microbiology or oceanography), of course! :D</p>

13

<p>Hey.</p>

<p>We're starting to do work in English class.</p>

<p>We're reading The Picture of Dorian Gray. My teacher loves this book. She said when she read it @ 16, it changed her. Its going to be hard. WE have to make biblical allsusions and stuff. :(</p>

<p>Everything else is the same. I guess right now its not so hard. I suppose I should hold my breathe until 2nd semester.</p>

14

<p>The first thing you have to do is catching up with your IB schedule. Talking to your individual subject teachers may do you good. They might have useful advice since no teacher dislikes a student who comes to them! And whatever you do, DON'T PANIC.</p>