# Anyone done or doing the IB (International Baccalaureate)?



## boosh (Sep 4, 2009)

firstly, i hope i'm posting this in the right forum, is it for school related issues as well?

Just wanted to know if anyone here has done or is doing the IB and how you're experiences and thoughts of it are because I'm currently in my first year of doing it and have found it absolute HELL to deal with. 

It's well renowned for being extremely demanding, takes up a lot of time, you will fail if you procrastinate etc. and i just don't see how anyone could get on with it if they have issues with anxiety and depression - 

you have all that stuff to deal with along with teachers on your back, getting continuous amounts of work to do every night (literally no nights off if you don't want to fall behind), no free periods to do work in, having to do this thing called CAS in your own time forcing you to show evidence you've done something like 150 hours of an action, a creativity, and a service activity in total. 

this christmas holiday we were given 3 books to read for english (you have to do english and maths and 4 other subjects), and IOP presentation to plan, and loads of art which i was already behind on, so i had to catch up on that and now i've got to spend tomorrow doing the new work that was set. 

i've gotten really far behind, and various stuff has got worse this year and sometimes i feel like i'm going to have a nervous breakdown. i don't know what to do :|


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## AlisonWonderland (Nov 4, 2010)

I quit at Xmas last year. 3 mo was more than enough!
/very unhelpful, google for IB support/chat, because graduates will know far more than I do. And i reckon more than half of IB students break down at some point anyway, rite of passage almost!


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## boosh (Sep 4, 2009)

yeah, thanks

i think i'll probably leave at the end of the next term, i can't see it improving

are you having to wait a year until you can start somewhere else?


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## papaSmurf (Jun 16, 2008)

AlisonWonderland said:


> And i reckon more than half of IB students break down at some point anyway, rite of passage almost!


Yep! We started out with 20-odd IB students in my year, and ended up with 6 full graduates. I got through it by working long hours and destroying my social life. No part of my college experience thus far has been nearly so difficult as IB.

It was tough for sure, but I really did learn a lot. I'm sure it varies from school to school, but the quality of the education provided by the IB program at my high school was miles ahead of the other AP and "gifted" courses. Teachers who want to teach IB classes have to go out of their way to get certified to teach the courses, so they tend to be super motivated and engaging. Their interest in the material they're teaching has a way of rubbing off on the students, so a lot of the classes I took in IB actually ended up being pretty fun.

Good luck to all the current IB kids out there!


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## Flame Sixtyone (Aug 27, 2009)

Yep, I take full IB, and its hell! I especially hate CAS. what classes are you taking?


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## boosh (Sep 4, 2009)

i'm doing art, d.t, geography at higher 

and maths studies, english, spanish at standard... you?

first day back tomorrow :afr


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## Flame Sixtyone (Aug 27, 2009)

Math HL, Physics HL, and chem HL. Geography SL, French SL, and english SL
theyre insane

good luck at school


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## Perfectionist (Mar 19, 2004)

I did full IB. I definitely found it a sanctuary from regular high school, since it was not as cliquey and it was easier to form long lasting solid friendships because people were similarily motivated and such. 

It is a lot of work and to be honest, the work might not pay off. It did for me, as I think first year univ wasn't a shock as it was for most people. I also recieved a scholarship, which I assume was in part because I did IB. But really, five years later, it's not like IB changed my life or anything. It's also no longer even on my resume, if that makes a difference.

It's definitely doable if you want to put in the effort. You just need to really put in the effort. I went outside for lunch maybe three times in four years - the rest of the time I worked through lunch hours. I didn't have much of a social life, but with SA that was fine with me so that wasn't a problem.

All in all, I think I stayed because of the people and the environment. I felt more at home with my fellow nerds, and inspired by the more dedicated teachers. I definitly think it made my high school experience a better and happier one.

Good luck on whatever you decide to do


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## Flame Sixtyone (Aug 27, 2009)

now that the topic of IB came up, I had a question for the people here: what exactly happens in TOK? I'm taking it next semester and I'm scared it involves a lot of class discussions and presentations :afr


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## Perfectionist (Mar 19, 2004)

^You answer every question with a question and learn you know nothing about everything.


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## Flame Sixtyone (Aug 27, 2009)

^ Is there a lot of homework? are there frequent class discussions and/or presentations?


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## Perfectionist (Mar 19, 2004)

Err, I can't remember too much. I remember lots of class discussions, and we had an online forum. I don't remember much homework from it. 

What I do remember is lots of arguing on whether or not we knew the sun would rise tomorrow.


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## papaSmurf (Jun 16, 2008)

Perfectionist said:


> ^You answer every question with a question and learn you know nothing about everything.


Oh man, TOK was hilarious. I remember thinking a lot of the subject matter was pretty interesting, but it ultimately ended being an enormous contest between a few of the more vocal nerds to see who could come up with the most pseudo-profound dreck imaginable.

I also distinctly remember putting together a presentation on yetis and the wendigo.


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## boosh (Sep 4, 2009)

Perfectionist said:


> I did full IB. I definitely found it a sanctuary from regular high school, since it was not as cliquey and it was easier to form long lasting solid friendships because people were similarily motivated and such.
> 
> It is a lot of work and to be honest, the work might not pay off. It did for me, as I think first year univ wasn't a shock as it was for most people. I also recieved a scholarship, which I assume was in part because I did IB. But really, five years later, it's not like IB changed my life or anything. It's also no longer even on my resume, if that makes a difference.
> 
> ...


that's interesting to hear that you found friendships easier and a better school life, I don't think much has changed at my school, everyone's got more or less the same attitude as we did for GCSEs, we're the first year in our school to do the IB as well.

thanks, I'll see how it goes 



HardRock said:


> Math HL, Physics HL, and chem HL. Geography SL, French SL, and english SL
> theyre insane
> 
> good luck at school


that looks pretty tough! you planning on doing medicine at university then?


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## boosh (Sep 4, 2009)

papaSmurf said:


> Oh man, TOK was hilarious. I remember thinking a lot of the subject matter was pretty interesting, but it ultimately ended being an enormous contest between a few of the more vocal nerds to see who could come up with the most pseudo-profound dreck imaginable.
> 
> I also distinctly remember putting together a presentation on yetis and the wendigo.


Yeah, I've found some of TOK pretty interesting but it seems a bit pointless so far. I switch off in nearly every lesson and always get asked questions by the teacher :| The extended essay is something i'm not looking forward to either


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## Rosedubh (Jul 11, 2009)

What is the IB for you guys? I'm at a French international school with my section language as English. Basically i take A level English and English History and then everything else in French. So need to take the French Baccalaureate and the OIB. Just wondering if they're similar? Even if it's not,i understand your struggle, there's always so much work to do..


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## Flame Sixtyone (Aug 27, 2009)

boosh said:


> that looks pretty tough! you planning on doing medicine at university then?


Nope, I plan to do engineering


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## boosh (Sep 4, 2009)

Rosedubh said:


> What is the IB for you guys? I'm at a French international school with my section language as English. Basically i take A level English and English History and then everything else in French. So need to take the French Baccalaureate and the OIB. Just wondering if they're similar? Even if it's not,i understand your struggle, there's always so much work to do..


that sounds pretty complicated, so you're doing the whole IB diploma, along with some English A levels?

not really sure, i guess it changes slightly in different countries



HardRock said:


> Nope, I plan to do engineering


well good luck with it! from what i've heard it's pretty tough


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