Juniors Take First Steps in IB World
August 30, 2019
Stress levels rising, deteriorating sleep patterns, and excessive coffee consumption can only mean one thing, the next set of juniors have just started their two years of the demanding International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma.
No amount of preparation can eliminate the stress and apprehension juniors endure, as they face the challenge of deciding which courses to choose for their last two years of High School. Although students would have already enrolled in their IB classes during the end of their sophomore year, after summer pondering, conversations with counselors, and exposure to these classes during the first week of school; many students come to the realization that schedule changes may be necessary.
If you’re a junior stressed out about picking the appropriate IB subjects for yourself, don’t worry, you are not alone. Students entering the IB diploma generally struggle with course selections due to flawed assumptions that the choices made at age 16/17 will continue haunting them for the rest of their lives. Luckily this is not the case.
Course selections can be an anxious time for students as they are expected to choose subjects that will put them on the right path to their future university and subsequent careers, however students must also remember that they can also afford to be flexible and continue exploring their interests and ambitions. High School counselor, Mr. Callahan shares, “if you are doing the IB diploma, you are already engaging in the most challenging course of study that you can get in a High School, so that’s good enough. I think that some students make the assumption that somehow they have to show that they’re doing harder courses and maybe seven HL’s, but that’s not really the case at all. — Mr. Callahan
Many fail to realise that although course selections are important, other additional factors hold much more importance in terms of college acceptance, college counselor Ms. McDowell explains, “students can research what universities want by reviewing what’s on the institution website. Dig in and do your best because the overall IB grade is very important, not just the individual course grades.”
In order to select appropriate IB courses, students must target their general area of interest (social studies, arts, math, science, etc.) and research the courses available within these subjects. Once enrolled in the class, if students discover that either the class is too challenging, or that the class is unbeneficial, they do have the luxury of discussing these issues with their counselors, friends, parents, and teachers and may decide to switch out of the class during the first week of school. Students who continue struggling with their courses once this time period has elapsed must discuss this matter with their academic counselor.
Although the majority of students opt to take the IB Diploma, not doing so is certainly a viable option for students as well. Mr. Callahan adds, “I think a lot of students can get everything they need from this school without necessarily doing the IB Diploma.” Students choosing to study in the United States, where IB is not necessarily required, may choose to take stand alone courses which interest them, without having to fulfil the additional requirements necessary in order to attain the IB diploma. Jazmine Nichols-Lemon (11) shares, “I chose not to take the IB diploma so that I can focus on subjects that truly interest me such as Art and Psychology.” Students choosing not to complete the IB diploma have the ability to redirect their energy on their passions and truly make the most out of High School. Mr. Callahan explains, “it’s probably true that if you don’t do the full IB diploma, your chances could be less of getting into an Ivy League school or Oxford or Cambridge. But then again, whether you do the IB Diploma or not, if you are not in the top 10% of our students academically (grades, standardized tests, predicted results), you are realistically on the outside looking in as a potential candidate at these schools anyway.”
Heading into the IB diploma, students must remember to keep their stress levels in check; especially at a school like ISB, where thriving sports, service, and performing arts programs on top of strenuous academics can indeed strain individuals. Ms. McDowell states, “Time management is key in successfully completing the IB Diploma!”
Students taking the IB diploma should remember to enjoy their last two years of High School, and endure the pain which most definitely will be well worth it after these next two years!