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Today we're talking about advice for new IB students.
IB can seem really overwhelming from the outside, and I think part of that is because there
are a lot of IB horror stories from past IB kids or kids that are in the IB program now...
don't believe everything you hear!
I think that people really like to complain about how hard they're working or how much
they study when it's really not accurate.
The IB is not as overwhelming or difficult as it seems from the outside, but don't let
that be an excuse to not give it your all because it is a pretty demanding program overall.
So here are some tips to help you get ready for your first year of IB.
Number one: take time to learn how to learn.
IBis pretty demanding because you have to juggle all the classes at once, so it's really
important to focus your energy on ensuring that you're learning how to best learn the
material.
Focus on what type of notetaking helps you internalize the information or helps you pay
attention during class.
What style of organization helps you feel motivated to study.
Don't use rote memorization as a copout.
Learn what strategies work best for you to internalize information long-term.
I think that the IB really forces you to become a learner, and if you consciously know that
you need to develop these skills to learn, it will give you a leg up above any other
high schooler because other high school curriculums don't ask you to be a life-long learner in
the same way that IB does.
Remember, study smarter not harder and part of that is learning what works best for you.
Number 2: if you're cramming for every single assignment and test, then you're not taking
in the information and you are going to have such an awful IB exam experience.
Because when it comes to two years of curriculum, you need to have a lot of it internalized
so you don't have to go back and cram everything.
I know I crammed before pretty much every math test, and I really struggled with remembering
how to do certain concepts or what certain rules were for certain concepts because I
didn't take the time to really learn it, I just crammed.
But compare that to history where I really took the time to analyze and understand and
make connections between the content, then I didn't have to study as hard before the
exam because I had studied throughout the entire course.
So make sure you're keeping exams in mind, don't take shortcuts on learning or studying
where you could work a little bit harder and save yourself the time and energy during exams.
Tip number 3: know that your second year of IB is much more demanding than your first
year.
Part of this is because the IB curriculum mandates that certain assessments happen specifically
during your second year.
So your first year is a lot about building skills and understanding how things work in
IB and knowing the correct terminology and skills that you'll need to build on in your
second year.
Second year is where it all goes HAM.
You need to be so prepared to devote a lot more time to your IB studies and academics
in your second year than you did in your first year.
During your first year, ensure that you have a lot of time management skills, understand
how things work for you and how much time you need in order to be successful.
One more thing, ensure that you can get as many IB requirements out of the way during
your first year and leave as much free time as possible for your second.
Whether that's working on your extended essay or CAS requirements, just keep in mind that
you should do as much as possible in your first year.
Number four: know what is expected of you.
A lot of people didn't know what was on paper 1 or paper 2 or paper 3 for a certain subject
right up before, like, a week before our exams.
Which is absurd.
Okay, granted, you don't need to know what's on the exams going straight into your first
year of IB.
Knowing what to study for will help you because ultimately you've internalized the right content.
It doesn't help you to memorize a bunch of weird out there facts if you're never going
to need it.
So keep in mind what the end goal is for IB, and that's what content you'll be tested over.
Number five: keep something in mind that motivates you beyond IB scores.
It can get really draining really quickly to just think I want a seven in this class.
Don't focus on the score or the points, think about how much you're growing as a student.
I've said this once, I'll say it a million times, if you focus just on the points, you're
not going to happy with yourself at the end of your IB experience.
If you focus on how much better you are at studying or thinking about abstract concepts,
then you'll get a lot more out of your IB experience and you won't feel frustrated.
Number six: practice writing really really fast.
Learning how to write really quickly is half about developing the muscles and half about
developing the skills and strategies you need to think that quickly on the fly and write
a really astounding essay fast.
It is so important to practice writing essays under time constraints not only so you understand
how quickly you need to write but also so you understand how to organize and clearly
and effectively write the essay.
Because it's not enough just to get the words on the page, it has to make sense and it has
to be in a coherent, organized way.
Number seven: don't be overwhelmed.
Yes the IB curriculum can seem really hard.
If I had looked at what I was going to be doing at the end of my second year as a first
year, I would be stressed beyond belief because it's a really high level of academics and
analysis and critical thought, but the good news is the IB curriculum is structured so
well.
Your first year doesn't just start at that difficulty.
The curriculum is designed to prepare you.
So every step of the way as it gets harder, you don't really feel that you're being challenged
even more, it's the same level but you're growing exponentially as a student.
The worst thing you can do going into the IB program is be stressed and overwhelmed
and all over the place because that's not going to help you, if you're cool, calm, and
know that ultimately the IB does want to help you as a student.
Like, yes, weird thought but they do want you to be a good student and they're trying
their best to make you a really exemplery student.
So stay organized, stay calm and you will excel in IB.
If you need any other advice or need someone to calm your nerves, make sure to comment
or DM me on instagram, I would be more than happy to help.
If you liked this video, then you'll probably like some of my other ones, so make sure to
check em out.
Don't forget to subscribe, and I will see you later.