Where to start? The international baccalaureate programme is a highly esteemed program aimed to make more well-rounded and flexible students. There are numerous requirements from compulsory community service to a 4000 word essay. Not to mention exams that are worth 80% of your mark. If you decide to do the IB, there will definitely be a lot on your plate.
Now on to my experience: Have I enjoyed every aspect of a the program? No, of course not. There have been times where I’ve almost pulled my hair out because of how useless some of the work we do is. Have I grown as a person and become more well-rounded? While it was forcibly, I indeed did. I’m only halfway through the program, and let’s be honest, year 1 is definitely the better year for most, but I can at least give you upcoming grade 9 and 10’s a taste of what you’ll be in for.
The workload isn’t what makes the program difficult. It’s the fact that we need to balance our extra-curricular’s, supplementary conditions of IB and classes with more content being covered quickly. At the beginning, I was super stressed out. I felt like with every waking minute I had no time to myself. After a while though, you sort of get used to it and learn the most important skill you’ll need to survive; the ability to prioritise. Honestly I swear what i’m saying is completely true for me. I generally am a pretty decent student. My average is about a 91%, i’m pretty good at every subject. (though I find that with sciences, they’re a bit of a hassle) Anyway, all you need to do to is think “what’ll happen if I don’t complete this assignment?” How much will it affect me and will I regret in the near future?
Putting 100% of your effort in all assignments is tiring and downright unhealthy. Yes, it is important to do the work, but if you can leave those couple of math questions for the weekend and instead focus on studying for a test, I find that it is often better for me. I have learned to look at what’s the most important to me, and what will give me the better grade in the end if completed. That’s my trick to not burning out! I try not to be too critical of myself and I acknowledge that the mark I receive reflects the effort I put in whether it is good or bad.
I look at things holistically and it helps me cope. I had a lot of anxiety when I started with all the pressures of starting something new as well as all the new expectations from teachers. Something to remember; you’re often your worst critic. It’s what you make your experiences out to be that separate you from either being self-deprecating or resilient. Take that as you will, and I hope that the my blog even if only a little eases some of the stress of transitioning into IB.
Ilhan’s Blog 