As sophomores make the transition to becoming upperclassmen, many of them will encounter the IB program, an international program designed to produce a well-rounded student. The IB diploma program includes a core, consisting of Theory of Knowledge (TOK), a class about investigating the way we know what we know, Creativity, Activity, and Service (CAS), the required hours in each of the three aspects of CAS, and the dreaded Extended Essay (EE). Seniors talk about the EE in hushed tones, the 4000-word essay on a subject of their choice, designed to teach students about the research process and prepare them for their thesis in college. Now, over the initial hump of the second semester, the juniors are preparing for perhaps their most daunting research paper yet. Here is a quick update on the progress they have (or should have), and what will follow in the months to come.

        After the initial EE assemblies and meetings with different subject advisors, students should have settled into a topic and been assigned an advisor. They should have also by now had a meeting with the other students in their topic and the head of each of the subject areas, and posted a reflection on Managebac. Aside from the initial meetings, however, juniors are encouraged to have multiple informal drop-ins with their advisor to keep them up to date and informed on the progress of their EE.

Seniors have also shared their wisdom with the class of 2019, which can be summed up into four short words: Finish it over summer. Senior year is tough enough as it is, and you do not want another project on your plate as you deal with IA’s, essays, sports practice and IB mocks. Senior year may seem far away, but it will come faster than you think. Hopefully, this year’s juniors will take that advice to heart, and produce EE’s up to the quality expected of the rigorous IB standards.

Mrs. Canobie, the dean of academics here at ISB, is leading the juniors through the EE. She shared her thoughts on the progress the class of 2019 has made. “Juniors are supposed to be in the research phase. What that means is that they have constructed a research plan, and are now working towards finding if that plan is feasible by working on their research.”, she says. Her advice is to “do it little by little. Set up meetings with your advisor, it is good to connect to say ‘here’s where I’m at.’ I have a standing meeting with my students, once every 8-day cycle.” When questioned on the progress, she says, “the majority of students are on track. I would say about a third need to do some work, but overall most people are on track.” 

        Coming up on the third month of the second semester, most juniors have settled into the familiar school rhythm once again. Deadlines and projects are almost a part of their daily routine, but the EE is definitely a challenging, yet ultimately rewarding piece of research. As ISB and IB students, the class of 2019 has a sizeable reputation to live up to, but there is no doubt that they will produce excellent, well informed essays-or at least, not fail and lose their IB Diploma.