Our first year in the IB (final thoughts about this year)

Q1) What has been the highlight(s) of this year?

Elle- The highlight of this year was meeting new people and learning about how to time manage in the IB.

Farran- One of the highlights of this year from me was making new friends, who over this year have become very important to me and have helped me in more ways than they know!

Juliane- I think the highlight of this year for me, so far, has been the fact that I could come back to a familiar environment, something which wasn’t the case for me last year. I don’t think I’ve really met any new people per se, but I’ve gotten to know some people better and that has been really great.

Hanna- For me, this was the first time I was in the same high school. I was really excited that I already knew most people and my friends. But I still made some new friends this year. I also really enjoy being the oldest group in the school!

Mel- Making great friends! I find it hard to open to people and making friends that I can talk to about anything has been a real highlight of this year but for my mental health in general.

Q2) What are your best tips on making it through the year?

Elle- Focus on making goals and going through with them. Make different types of goals like for each subject, each university you’re applying to etc.

Farran- Learn to be more organized and keep to your study schedule! It can be hard at first but once you get used to ‘getting into the zone’ it becomes easier to sit down and start, which eventually fuels your motivation.

Juliane- What I find important, is to know how much time you would be expecting to spend on every assignment you have. For instance, if you insist on leaving things to the last minute, make sure that that minute is long enough for you to get your work done. Does that make sense?

Hanna- Get a plan and stick to it. It is possible to have a really fun year doing different activities and get your stuff done. Get things done when they are handed to you and you will be less stressed.

Mel- I personally have trouble focusing on one task at a time, so my tip is to put a timer on all your assignments, and try to only do that one thing. That way, you make efficient use of your time and can squeeze in some breaks!

Q3) What were your biggest misconception(s) about the IB?

Elle- The biggest misconception is that the first year is incredibly difficult to adapt to. It may be because our school teaches similar to the IB in the beginning of high school but also because the first year is truly the last chance to enjoy high school.

Farran- My biggest misconception about the IB was that it would be easy to adapt to. I found that coming from a completely different school system (GCSEs) did not help me to deal with the challenges I would have to face (e.g. Internal Assessments), but thanks to https://ibsurvival.com/ I learned to become more organised and study more efficiently.

Juliane- I don’t yet know if this is entirely true, but I’ve felt like teachers and students seem to have an image of the IB which makes it seem much more difficult than it really is. It’s really just about putting the right amount of work into everything you need to do.

Hanna- I really thought that I wasnt going to be able to have a social life, but this year I have gone out more and met more people. Depending on the courses you chose, and how you manage your time, you can still be actively social. It might be less than you anticipated, but it's possible.

Mel- Honestly I didn’t really know anything about the IB before doing it, so I wouldn’t know how to answer this question.

Q4) How did you make friends/ what are your tips for making friends?

Elle- Honestly just making yourself approachable and being confident in yourself because that attracts the right kind of people. People that can learn from your confidence but also people you can learn from as well.

Farran- I mostly made friends through the orientation day our school had (for all the new students to meet up and look around the school), however I also made many close friends in my art class because we are able to talk a lot more in that specific class.

Juliane- I have to say this isn’t one of my great strengths, even though I do really love meeting new people… I think the easiest way to make fast friends is to find something that you have in common, even if it’s just one thing. And then, once you’ve made that friend, it’s easier to approach other people.

Hanna- I have had to do this from scratch every year since 8th grade. Trust me, the best way is to just walk up to somebody else who looks alone and introduce yourself. It is still nerve racking, but with practice it gets easier. Or I like to make jokes in my classes to the person sitting next to me. If they laugh, then they probably have similar humor to you. Just try; it's more than most people.

Mel- Just introduce yourself to people - It might seem uncomfortable at first but don’t worry, they don’t know anyone either, so it's just as awkward to them!

Q5) What is something that personally got you through the year?

Elle- My family and friends as well as keeping my life together. As many will mention I’m sure, Netflix movies as a treat on occasion really helped.

Farran- I think that my friends really helped me to get through this year. For example, without sleepovers and hanging out on weekends I would be very stressed out and probably unmotivated because I think these times really help bring down my stress levels.

Juliane- I don’t know that something really got me through the year. I feel like that would insinuate that it was a really trying year when it wasn’t. Just stay positive and try not to stress too much about one thing or to overthink things -- that’s really when you can get into trouble.

Hanna- Music really helped me. When I get stressed out, I just need some music and a nice breeze and just some time to myself without worrying about school or drama.

Mel- Netflix! All jokes aside, it's important to talk to the people you care about and create new friendships, especially during quarantine.

Q6) If you could change this year what would you change it to?

Elle- I would try to cut out procrastination habits before they settled down for Year 13. But to be honest I was being quite productive until quarantine hit and I just struggled a bit more with not procrastinating.

Farran- I think that if I were able to redo year 12, I would study more regularly so I didn't feel so overwhelmed when all my tests and deadlines were set so close together. I would also try to stay motivated during quarantine because during the lockdown I found that school seemed less important because the information seemed more accessible.

Juliane- So far, I have to say that I really hate when I leave things to the last minute, even when I try not to; I always end up with something I’m not as satisfied with than if I had spent more time on it...

Hanna- I really struggled during quarantine (both with motivation and sanity). It was really hard for me to do my work and to talk to my family and friends. I did learn quite a bit about myself though.

Mel- Use all the resources possible for you to get the grades you want but most importantly learn more stuff. I find that kognity is extremely helpful for ESS, math, and TOK. Look at the guides that are offered to you for extra information.

Q7) What are the things that you’re looking forward to?

Elle- I am looking forward to overgoing the rest of my IB obstacles, graduating, spending time with friends and family, and finally having a fantastic time during the Summer after all of my work.

Farran- I’m looking forward to summer and finally being able to take a break from work without having to feel guilty about it. I'm also very excited for university and finally living on my own (even though the thought of it is equally as terrifying to me as it is exciting) and becoming more independent.

Juliane- I’m looking forward to the moment when I can say that I’m proud of my work. I;m also excited about university, sort of, even though I have no idea if I’m going to be accepted, and if I am, where that’ll be. A lot of changes are coming at us and it’s nerve-wracking!

Hanna- I am excited to use all of the opportunities of my last year in high school. School work is important to me, but I know that there are several paths that can take me where I want to go. I want to enjoy the journey, despite the load and stress.

Mel- University; I think it’s going to be a unique experience, especially since I’m going to move so far away from my family. It’s going to force me to do things on my own and stop relying on other people. I’m also excited about studying something that interests and will hopefully become part of my career.

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By Elle, Farran, Juliane, Hanna, and Melissa