Many of these were written by students in the International Baccalaureate program, but there are also several grouped together at the end written by students in the traditional Bartow High School program. They are otherwise in no particular order.

 

 

Dear future IB student,

What’s up? So, I hear you’re thinking about coming to IB. Well, it is your lucky day because I have some great advice for you. I can give you some help with planning, teachers, and overall time management.

First, I would seriously consider your goals and aims. The IB program is not for the faint of heart. I believe that no matter who you are, you can do it. That being said, it is not easy. In this program, which is the second best in the nation by the way, nights including eight hours of sleep are a complete success. The average, unfortunately, drops to around five near the junior year. There’s another thing. Recognize the difference between pre-IB and IB. It is different. Pre-IB (freshman and sophomore years) is tougher than normal high school, but not that tough. By your junior year, though, the program gets unbelievably more difficult. Just because you slack off and get by 9th and 10th grade with A’s and B’s, don’t think that will happen in 11th and 12th. Playing sports is great, don’t expect to get a Division I scholarship if you’re coming to IB. It is possible, but highly unlikely. Appreciate your teachers no matter what, they put more time in than you think. Be nice to your classmates. It pays off in the end. If anything, this program teaches you how to deal with life. Sometimes it’s easy, sometimes you don’t get to sleep for a week and you still fail. Learning to deal with whatever happens is part of the curriculum here, and that’s the main reason you should give it a shot.

Kaleb Delk

 

Dear freshman,

IB is quite the undertaking. It will be a lot of work that you won’t feel like doing but you can get through it. Even though it’s hard work, it isn’t too bad if you have the right attitude. Amidst all of the tests, homework and projects, you have to have some fun too. My advice is that you work hard and do well in school without overlooking the importance of rest and recreation. You have to have some fun to relieve the stress of IB.

The thing you should avoid is getting too stressed out and taking things too seriously. If you let it get to you, you can end up miserable with worrying about the tough workload. Don’t get down just because the work is getting tough. Keep it in perspective, and stay positive.

If you dedicate your time and effort, you will be successful in IB. By doing all the work, and doing your best, IB will pay off. As you go through this rigorous process that will be so valuable, just remember to stay positive, and have fun.

Ricky Schuler

 

Dear incoming freshmen,

I know everyone has told you that IB is incredibly difficult and it is impossible to have a social life during the school year. However this is not completely true. If you can successfully manage your time, it is definitely possible to enjoy high school. First of all, make sure to work hard freshman and sophomore years to pad your GPA because junior and senior years are much harder. Taking honors and AP electives will also help. Furthermore the amount of procrastination will increasingly in later years, so it pays to do well as a freshman.

I can also not stress enough the importance of getting enough sleep. Obviously there will be a certain amount of “all-nighters” due to homework and tests. However on the nights you have the opportunity to go to bed early, do so. I always ended up wasting time on nights with no homework, and I paid for it the next day in class.

I would also recommend taking biology as your IB science. It’ll require probably the most work and studying of all your classes, but I feel it is worth it. Mrs. Kennon’s great and she makes sure you are completely compared for all AP and IB tests. Furthermore it is a higher-level class, so a high grade can bring up a failing grade in something hard, like Spanish. But if you are really interested in chemistry or physics, go for it.

Most importantly, however, remember to enjoy your high school career. Get involved in sports and extracurricular activities. They build character and help you to learn how to manage your precious time.

Good luck,

Shawn Simek

 

If I could say one thing to incoming freshmen, it will be…GET OUT WHILE YOU CAN!  No, just kidding. In reality, IB has been one of the greatest experiences of my life, I wouldn’t trade it for anything. As long as you can, persevere, because nothing has been more helpful to me than IB.

On a more serious note, one thing will help you get through IB… relax. It’s good to be worried sometimes and to at least care about what happens in school, but don’t freak out or psych yourself out. It’s not worth it. If you are over frantic, stop, take a breath (a deeeep breath) and listen to some music or something. If you worry too much, it could end up hurting you in the end.

Also, find your way to study. I find it easiest to read the book a couple of pages at a time (like one or two) and taking 30-second breaks in between (do something else). In any case, find something that works for you. And get sleep. Don’t stay up studying until two or three every night. Sleep, your best friend in IB (at home, not in class).

Daniel Buey

 

I’m like a soldier in a grand army of students. What sets me apart are the accomplishments of my own private missions and the “medallions of honor” I’ve received through helping others. I’ve been prepared for four years and has my last year is now time for the end of my training and the start of my career. New private mission: college and the real world.

IB stands for International Baccalaureate; this has served as my army base. Its curriculum has consisted of varied requirements that ensure top preparation for college. Although beneficial, the program has been far from simple, in fact, sometimes its rigor tends to debilitate my very energy and strength to juggle in other interests such as multiple extracurricular activities, service, and leadership roles, all of which IB also encourages us to take up. Late nights of studying are a regular and homework seems to pile up miles high. Also pertinent is fulfilling the expectations of my teachers or principal to receive the top scores on any type of formal tests; yet retaining the motivation isn’t as hard as it seems since all of us are diligently aspiring to finish and benefit from the hard work we’ve put in.

We are program is composed of many diverse students together for four years of challenge. As a soldier I’ve been given tasks to complete individually as well as with others. Only through self-perseverance and patience was I able to accomplish this feat even though I occasionally have a few pitfalls here and there. Ironically I’m thankful for those pitfalls because it is through my failures and mistakes I have really been able to taste “sweet success.” I believe that in order to truly appreciate and know what success is one has to be at the bottom, working to attain that success. The bottom for me included all the stress and distractions that almost held me back from my dreams. Those momentary failures when I felt I would almost give up seem so distant now that I’m almost at the end of the race with the red ribbon in view.

It is important to keep in mind that every class requires devoted study and no one outweighs the other. Sometimes the art of keeping the balance can be difficult, but IB trains you to master it and it will be applicable in one’s later life. Colleges, jobs, and later on family life require balance. Sometimes I found it difficult to spend time with my family as I am constantly in the room or on the go for school or my other extracurricular activities, but when I look back at these four years of hard toil and trouble I’ve been able to see how far I’ve progressed and how much I’ve really grown. Just like a soldier must be trained in many fields, IB trained us in various classes where we will learn what we love most and be equipped to pursue it.

As a soldier in the IB camp I’ve been inspired to expound upon my leadership roles either in camps to teach children educational material, organizing the annual toy drive, or even co-leading the Teen Trendsetters club to help younger kids who struggle in reading. Even though all these roles seem overwhelming, they truly help me become more confident in achieving goals and speaking my opinion upon matters as well as taking on the responsibility of any organized feat.

My trainers have instilled an inspiration in me to do my best always. Through their methods I have learned to never settle for the least and strive for the highest. They prepared me for tests; including AP, FCAT, IB, SAT, and ACT, leadership, and life. Now I take it into my own hands as my own trainer.

Priyanka Surio

Dear IB freshmen,

As you should know now, you are among the elite when it comes to high schools. But with this position of power comes a great burden. While many may call IB evil and say you have an extreme amount of work, there are ways to make your experience more enjoyable.

The first task to make your stay more pleasant is simply to not procrastinate. No one in IB can stress this advice enough. Do every assignment when it is assigned. Sure you may get two weeks to do certain projects, sometimes even more time is allotted, but you will realize that you will do a much better job if the assignment is started when it is given. Most IB students are hypocritical on this advice as the vast majority of us do procrastinate. However the ones that do manage their time wisely are usually the ones at the top of the class or at least the ones making better grades. This task is the first step to a more enjoyable IB.

The next piece of advice to follow is to study a lot. As everyone knows, the key to making good grades on tests is to study. Usually it is hard to find time to study though due to the homework loads. This is the reason you will see many of the upperclassmen studying for their fifth period tests during lunch and a first period tests before school. Whenever you get the chance, study. You don’t have to study for three hours a day, just do enough to make sure the information sticks in your mind. This task is key to passing Mr. Shuff’s History of the Americas class. Study the books whenever you can (even though you will most likely be bored out of your mind). Studying a fair amount will relieve much of the stress that IB brings with it.

The last and most important piece of advice is probably just to let go. There are times in IB when you will feel like nothing is going right. These times are most prominent in senior year. The key to getting through those times is to just let go and let things happen as they happen. There will be days when every class period will have a test. These are usually the worst days. Most IB students become stressed and very upset of these days as they feel overwhelmed with material to study and finding time to actually study it. To battle the stress the key is to keep a positive attitude. Realize that in your IB experience there are things just too far out of your control. Realize that there are people that will get higher grades than you on some assignments but you will do better than them on other ones. Realize that you are in the third high school in the nation. If you just let go and don’t get frustrated over every little thing that goes wrong, your stay in IB will be far more enjoyable.

You are now beginning to experience one of the most rewarding challenges in your life. To help get through the obstacle course known as IB, the above advice will serve you well. One more short piece of advice, DO NOT QUIT IB. IB is a highly accredited high school program and you had to work to get here. Stay with the elite, don’t leave them. If you make it through all four years alive, you’ll be much better off in college and very happy at the doors IB has opened for you.

Your senior,

Steven Kopec

 

Dear freshman,

Welcome to BHS/IB! Over the last four years I have acquired a lot of information that will be very beneficial; I wish I had listened to my freshman letter. First and foremost, sleep is your best friend. I highly suggest naps at any possible moment, even if you aren’t tired. They have a calming effect. Even though I know you won’t heed this advice, try not to procrastinate. You will have enough stress without the added effect of having to do everything in two hours. However, when you do wait until the last minute, try to at least leave yourself three hours to sleep. Any less than that and I suggest you don’t go to sleep at all; you’re way less tired that way I promise.

Friends are the most important aspect of IB. You cannot get through the program on your own so find a couple of fellow students you can complain to and get homework help from. Also, try to have as much fun as you can. While you will not have a typical high school experience you are still in a high school and need to make the most of it. Do something every weekend. It helps the stress and keeps you sane, somewhat.

FYI: A 103% is the same as a 95% is the same as a 89.5%. Do not kill yourself to have the highest grade in the class. An A is an A is an A so don’t waste your time or energy being perfect; it’s impossible in this program. Actually you need to get over having perfect grades at all. Unless you have no life you will most likely get at least one B (and maybe even a C!). Get over it.

Make sure you get your learners permit the day you become 15. All of your friends will not live in the same city as you and one day you will want to be able to go drive and see them without having to wait on your mother.

Get CAS done early. Then you don’t have to think about it when there are a million other things that need to get done like writing essay after essay and applying for college and scholarships.

If you want to pass your IB science exam, pick Biology as your science. In History of the Americas make sure you study; the tests are hard. No matter how bad you are at math take Ms. Frisbie’s class. She is a great teacher and will actually teach you something. Don’t worry about math portfolios; they sound much worse than they are.  Read ALL the English books, even the stupid ones. You will need to know them senior year and you don’t want to have to go back and read them all. ToK is a bogus class that you will enjoy for its simplicity. If at all possible write your extended essay during the summer after your junior year; it will distress much of your senior year.

Figure out what you really want from this program and for the rest of your life, not what other people want for you. You will not make it through IB if only listen to what others think. Have opinions; they will make writing papers much easier.

I wish you all the best of luck in the next four years. Though the next four years will be hard just remember it will prepare you for college and make college much easier. That is when the real fun begins…

Good luck!

Sarah Haskins

 

As a freshman, IB can be extremely intimidating.  The four years of IB are very demanding and are truly a life changing experience, whether it seems to be a good experience or a bad experience.  After experiencing those four years myself, I have a lot of advice for upcoming freshman.  There are many do’s and don’ts that could be very useful to know.  A lot of the time, students feel that one subject is more important the others, but this varies from student to student.  IB can be a stressful and demanding experience, but in the end, it is all worth it.

With four years of IB under my belt, I feel I have much more wisdom than I did entering the program.  Freshman entering IB really should listen to what the upperclassmen say, and learn from it.  Freshman year may initially be rough because this is when people have to realize that they cannot just ease through their classes without putting forth effort like they have done in middle school and elementary school.  IB includes the best of the best, but even the best need to study and do their homework. The biggest bit of advice I can offer is to learn quickly how to manage time wisely.  The most difficult part of IB is learning to deal with the continuously increasing work-load.  Also, stress is a major issue with IB students.  Grades are important, but if you let it take over your life, you will drive yourself crazy.  Once students get used to how IB works, and learn not to stress the small things, life will not be simple, but it will be bearable.

The experience of IB comes with a lot of do’s and don’ts.  Freshman are not always aware of these unwritten facts. Procrastination is a specialty of IB students, but as all of us seniors know, it simply causes more unnecessary stress.  Attempting to do well from the beginning, without slacking off is extremely important.  It is much easier to maintain a good grade than it is to improve a bad grade.  Also, IB is not like middle school.  One will not make straight A’s without putting forth effort.  A major misconception about IB is that it will get any student into any college they wish to go to.  This is not true because grades and test scores are more important than being able to place IB on all college applications.  The IB experience should not be taken for granted.  Many students do, but regret it later.

The topic of most important classes and topics to study varies with different students.  Students must decide for themselves what is most important to them and their future.  In a regular high school setting, the classes you take do not really matter because in college these basic classes will mean nothing.  In IB these classes can earn you college credit, and a thorough knowledge of a topic before it is studied in college.  For me, the most important subject was Biology.  This is because I aspire to become a doctor.  The memorizing involved in the course is not an easy task for me therefore it requires more of my attention than other classes do.

IB is a great opportunity and it should not be taken for granted.  All of the hard work really does pay off in the end.  Therefore, I am quick to offer advice to upcoming freshman because I would hate for more students to make the same mistake I made.  For regular students, high school probably does not have much effect on the rest of their lives, but for IB students, high school is a big deal.  Despite all of the stress and sleepless nights, I can look back now and say that I’m glad I did it, and I appreciate all of it.

Amber Spivey

 

Dear Freshman/Freshwoman:

I could tell you not to procrastinate, but the reality is that you’re going to procrastinate. Sometimes you will have to, only because you’re going to have a lot to do and you’re not going to want to “chip away at it bit by bit.” You’re going to want breaks and you may go nuts if you don’t take them. Let’s face it. No one’s going to do that thing where you spend half an hour each night reviewing what you did in your classes that day. So, instead of telling you something which is not really feasible for a normal person, I can tell you to stay positive.

There have been times when I have absolutely abhorred IB. You just have to keep the ultimate goal in mind. Assuming that your ultimate goal is college, it will all pay off. As I’m getting letters from colleges of all different sorts and receiving offers of $$$ from many, I am beginning to see how all of this will benefit me. It WILL pay off, but it may take you a while to figure out just how it will pay off. And sure, if you don’t want to go to Harvard, there are going to people saying, “You wasted your time! I went to Jenkins and I got into UF too!” But, the reality is that you will be ten times as prepared for college as he/she will be, and you probably won’t be paying for any/much of it. NICE.

Towards the end, it’s pretty easy to stay positive, but until you get letters from colleges, I have another piece of advice. Do not try to compete with others, because it will get you depressed pretty quickly. It’s likely that you’ve been the best (academically) for your entire school career thus far and it’s also likely that such a feat hasn’t required too much effort. Things will change! Most things at IB require significant amounts of effort, and after you put in all of your effort, there will probably be someone that’s better than you. Just realize that you may not be the biggest fish in the pond any longer and don’t let that get you down. You’re still awesome! Do the work for yourself – not for competition with others.

I wish you luck and many caffeinated beverages!

Kelley Godfrey

 

Dear freshman,

As a senior who has suffered through almost four years of the IB program, I would like to offer you some advice on how to make these four years a little less stressful and a little more sleep-filled.

First, time management is one of the most important skills to have as a student in this program. I would advise you to not only use your planner for writing passes and looking up the weight of sodium in the periodic table, but for its original purpose-writing down your assignments. Jot down how much time you think each assignment will take and schedule your afternoon around it. The hardest part of this task is actually sticking to this schedule; do not procrastinate or take a nap. In addition, it’s very important to take notes in every class. If you get in the habit of this now, it will be much easier your senior year when you need all the notes you can get to study for IB exams.

The areas that deserve the most study are probably the higher level classes-English, History, and the Sciences. In addition, the English, Science, and Math courses are taught over two years and it is very important to retain all the information. Also, the History classes are especially important because they are all cumulative. For example, you will use information from your sophomore World History course in your junior American History course and the same goes for senior History of the Americas. Especially in these classes, that means actually reading the chapter. In American History with Mr. Goss, I found it helpful to read the chapter in the textbook as soon as we started a new unit and read the chapter in AMSCO as a review for the test. The same goes for History of the Americas where you will also have two textbooks.

In conclusion, I hope you will take this advice and have a very successful four years in the IB program. Remember, time management and good study skills are your best friend!

Magda Schmitzberger

 

Dearest friend,

IB is a hard place to be. Sometimes people who never get acne suddenly break out with pimples more impressive than Harry Houdini’s escape acts. IB can take a toll on your immune system, but you’d probably still go to school. All your classmates will get sick. They’ll get angry at you. That stress will result in an impressive pimple. These are possibly the only drawbacks to the IB program. If you don’t mind your failing health and a bumpy face, then you have a chance to survive. The combination of being sickly and mini snow capped mountain on your face may also alter your social life. Then again you could chill with other IB kids, and you can sympathize with each other. All hope is not lost.

After the physical disfigurations IB enacts upon you, you’ll probably still have homework to do. You should probably do it. If you don’t do your homework, you will fail, and you will still be disfigured. Maybe your parents would be disappointed as well. Do your homework.

The reason to do homework is to be well versed enough on whatever subject to take a test on said subject (Oh, and you’re supposed to learn too). Study for these tests. Studying isn’t really extra work to squeeze the .5 points to change that 95 to a 95.5 which ultimately makes it a 96. Studying is usually part of your homework, and you should do your homework. Also tests are possibly worth five times the normal homework assignment. Do well on your tests.

All that advice basically ensures a good high school career. There are other advices too. Don’t get pregnant (for the ladies). Don’t do drugs. Don’t mistake A days for B days or either of those for C days. Don’t drink and drive. Actually don’t even drink alcoholic beverages. There’s a law against that. You can drink water or chocolate milk in the car, but even that distracts you from focusing on the road. Never mind. Don’t drink and drive. Don’t cheat. I don’t need to mention procrastination because you probably already know all about it. Always bring a jacket with you to school. Why? Teachers have amazing skin that protects them from the cold. You do not. You will be cold, and if you bring a jacket, you can concentrate more on the lesson and less on your shivering skills. You can also use the jacket as a pillow if an emergency nap is in session, but you should probably just wear the jacket. I personally like jackets. We should get back to the subject.

IB will make you angry, frustrated, tired, pimply, socially awkward, hunchbacked, and prepared for college. I think it’s worth it. Hunchbacks are really cool sometimes. As for being tired, there is coffee, sugar, and energy drinks (be warned) out there to fix that. Being pimply isn’t completely hopeless. Many people I know use Pro-active, and they’re cured. As for being angry and socially awkward, there are great psychologists in the world who would really want to help you. I hope you succeed.

Sincerely,

Cya Bustamante

 

In my final year at IB, I am able to reflect over the past three and a half years and tell you the do’s and don’ts of high school.  It is important to remember this advice is coming from experience, so you may want to take it. Of course, I heard all the advice too and didn’t take it. Some mistakes it is important to make on your own, but others are important to learn from others.

All the advice you have heard thus far has been about procrastination, utilizing your resources and studying. All of that advice is important for your years at IB, but the advice I would like to give you goes farther than that. Start looking at colleges early in your high school years. If you know the schools you would like to attend, you can work toward those specific goals. Knowing the minimum SAT and ACT scores needed for scholarships and admissions is extremely helpful; it gives you a purpose for the test. Nothing is more frustrating than getting to your senior year and being told you need two more points on you ACT for scholarships. Most applications are due early in your first semester, which doesn’t leave you much time to raise your scores. It is also helpful to know where you want to apply by the end of your junior year, that way you can get the applications and start them over the summer. Remember, you have a ton of essays due the first semester of senior year. College essays just add to the pile. Get them done early!

When it comes time to complete your IB essays, turn in rough drafts. Get your papers in on time, it takes a huge load of stress off of your shoulders. Turning in your rough drafts on time gives you time to fix what you need or redo the essay if you need too. These essays count toward your diploma, they are controllable grades. Utilize that power! The ToK essays are especially important to turn in, you only have that class for a semester your senior year; you don’t want to be worrying about those essays when you are out of the class. Mr. Guice will be really nice about it and not get on your case, but it hurts you ultimately so just do it! Think hard about your topics too, it will make writing the essays more enjoyable.

Make time for fun in high school. Not the stupid party fun, but crazy, spontaneous fun. Don’t rebel against your parents or school. Don’t get lazy and just slide by. Don’t give up on your goals. IB is supposed to help you reach them, not burn you out before you get to them. Making time for fun will help you keep your energy. Go to sleep at night. Homework is not worth staying up all night. Every once in a while, it is OK, but don’t sleep all day and stay up all night. It secludes you from society, which burns you out quicker. Do whatever you can to keep your flame; you are going to need it for the rest of your life. IB isn’t worth getting burned out over.

Enjoy your high school years. Think ahead so that you don’t get overloaded with stuff your senior year. It is supposed to be the most exciting year in high school. Make sure that it is.

Breanne Parker

 

Dear Future Procrastinator,

I know you may feel like I am already stereotyping, but trust me it’s a disease and it is a matter of time before you get it too. So here’s the thing, DO NOT procrastinate, well if you do try not to procrastinate all the time. My first day of IB was overwhelming, because we never had homework at my middle school and now there was so that kind of caught me by surprise. Even though there will be homework freshman year of high school was the easiest, so cherish it! Also, be open, you may have been the quiet one at your old school, but this is a new start. Start by being outgoing and being nice to everyone in your class, because they are the ones that will be up at 4 in the morning along with you, who will help you through your homework. Also the fact stands that you have to deal with these kids for the next four years, so you might as well be likeable from the beginning.

Furthermore, when all of us veteran IBers tell you that school does get harder, trust us, we are DEFINITELY not lying. Take the program one step at a time; do not quit because you think you are not smart enough, because you are! Talk to Mrs. Cavanaugh she usually makes everyone feel really good about themselves. Also have a good relationship with all your teachers; they are the ones that have to write those tedious Teacher Recommendations. Your teachers are there to help, ask questions, email them, call them, do all that you feel is necessary, but do not act like a stalker, because that is kind of creepy. Trust yourself and your teachers they know exactly what they are doing (well not all of them, but most of them).

Moreover, the best part of IB was the people that I met and the various things I learned. I promise, you will never find anyone like the IB kids. They are funny, outgoing, and smart and just try to make the best of things. Also the papers that I wrote in high school will definitely help me in college. You will write a ton of papers, do many portfolios, labs and things you feel are unnecessary. However, they will teach you how to write long papers that we are going to have to write in college, the portfolios are very painstaking, but when you show an “outsider” what you accomplished, they will be impressed, and the labs are just a pain in the rear, just get them over with.

To wrap this sermon up, IB will not only be mentally challenging but emotionally challenging too. This program will put you through a ton of stress and let you only have minimal sleep. But it will be worth it! You will go receive your diploma and feel amazing on how much you have accomplished. Just remember not do the three D’s (or just do them at a minimum):  dawdle, distant yourself from the crowd and deplore your actions.

Sincerely from the Wise to the Innocent,

Chandni Patel

 

Welcome to high school. Welcome to what may become the best four years of your life. Middle school may have been fun and exciting, but high school is a whole new ball game. There is so much to do and such little time to do it. You would be amazed at how fast time flies by you in high school. The key is to make the most of the opportunities you have when they arise. You want high school to be the best time of your life? Heed my advice and I can assure you that high school can be a blast, and one of your fondest memories.

One of the best ways to get the most out of high school is to be a part of it. My advice is to get started right away joining clubs and trying out for athletic teams. Unless you are coming into high school with a solid foundation of friends, which many people are not, one of the most important things you’ll need in high school are friends that you can trust and whose company you enjoy. Friends are one of the greatest stress relievers available to you, and trust me, you will need stress relievers to take your mind off of school work. The perfect way to meet people is to join school clubs or to play sports. There are myriad clubs available for you to join, and some of them may just spark your interest. Joining these clubs allows you to be involved in something that interests you, while exposing you to people who enjoy the same things you do. I’m no mathematician, but that sounds like a pretty solid formula for developing friends. If you are an athletic person, another way to meet like-minded people with the potential for friendship is to play sports. Sports in themselves are already great stress relievers, but when you add to that having the ability to spend every afternoon practicing with friends, it can be one of the greatest experiences that you will have in high school. The most important thing to note about joining clubs and athletics teams freshman year is that you’re probably not going to find the perfect club or sport for you on your first try, so join many. Freshman year is the year you set the foundation for the rest of your time in high school. Try out a lot of clubs or a couple sports until you find the one that fits you best. This will benefit you as a person, and also in the eyes of colleges, as they like to see early involvement in extracurricular activities that continues throughout your entire high school career.

Of course, clubs and sports only begin after school gets out, or sometimes during lunch. So what do you do with all that spare time? Work. Though it doesn’t sound fun or enticing, schoolwork is a reality and a necessity; but it doesn’t have to be a bummer. The key to having success as a student is in your freshman year. If you want to stay on top of your grades, you have to develop good work and study habits during your freshman year. Though you may not think that you may not need good work and study skills, you were fine in middle school and freshman year is not that hard, you will need these skills in the future. If you get started early and develop them as a freshman, you will become comfortable and familiar with them, and all the work you receive as a junior and senior, especially, will not be quite as demanding as if you didn’t possess these skills. In other words, you will get many more nights of sleep with these skills than without them, and much better grades.

I hope that my advice has been sufficient and helpful. I’ve gone through all this before and often wish that I had done some of the things I listed above. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that it will apply to you. Many people have many different needs and wants and find different ways to be successful in high school. The only thing that matters, though, is that you are successful. I hope that high school is not the end of the road for you, but rather a stepping stone to many bright days ahead in college and in life. But who says you can’t have a little fun along the way?

Phillip Gonzalez

 

The Highs and Lows of Being an I.B.S.

Dear lowly incoming freshmen and/or aspiring IB graduate,

Unfortunately, I am writing this letter to inform you that the International Baccalaureate program may not be the right path to travel. IB is a ferocious, menacing beast. It has devoured many a student before you and will ravage any student that will inevitably come after you. An International Baccalaureate student should be strong in mind and bullet-proof in spirit. Optimism is your most trusted ally, procrastination your bitter foe. If you cannot stand long, dreadful, sleepless nights or the thrashing of sarcastic, witty, overbearing teachers then you should quit while you are ahead and seek safety in some remedial class. However, if you choose to become an I.B.S (International Baccalaureate Student, it is really self-explanatory) then my listen to my advice and tread lightly in the jungle that is IB. (I bet this is sounding really cheesy… right?)

I have mentioned that IB is both a beast and a jungle. How is this combination of Anamalia and Plantae possible? Well, I have seen this IB, mainly because I am an I.B.S myself. It is a deadly monster with trees growing all over its abdomen and vines hanging low to the ground. But in all earnestness, you should take IB seriously. Do your Calculus homework, read your History books, practice your Spanish, stay awake in French, study all the time. Well, not all the time. You do not want to offer you social life to the monster, do you? You do have to sacrifice your minute trip to the mall or the occasional drunken party with “normal” high-schoolers. On the other hand, Do not drink alcohol! Do not take illegal drugs! If you are bored burn something. Fires can be fun, but screwing with your mind is not. Succeeding in this game known as IB takes complete concentration and bitter work. Yes, IB is game as well, sort of like Pokémon™.

My advice and concerns for your well being and good judgment in undertaking the IB program might be tad sarcastic, which really undermines the gravity I am trying to convey. IB is serious business. You need to sacrifice time with friends, time with family, time by yourself.  You will spend endless nights procrastinating on assignments or studying for that big Biology test or studying for your occasional Physics Test. You will be attacked mentally, spiritually, and physically sporadically throughout the four morbid years. You should leave now while you have the chance; unless, of course, you believe you can succeed. Then by all join the IB program. There are many long-term pros that completely overwhelm the cons, though at times it does not seem that way. The IB program will give you the tools needed in college. You will be ahead of your peers, higher intellectually than most other students. Your knowledge will grow exponentially; however, you might lose some common sense. It is a risk, but common sense is not that important. You will gain friends that will last throughout all four years. You will meet interesting and/or annoying people whom could make you homicidal.

Whatever path you take just remember one thing: Procrastination is curse, a sinister curse, a dreadful curse, a morbid curse. Do not procrastinate. (What am I saying? You will procrastinate anyways.)

Shanley Ladia

 

Dear Freshman IB student,

You are about to enter into an exciting chapter in your life. The IB program is very rigorous yet worth it at the same time. You will make incredible friends and memories that make the stress bearable. It’s like a little family because you are all taking most of the same classes and enduring the same stress. Don’t pity yourself or be pessimistic because somehow it all gets done. Maybe you will get a few less hours of sleep, but the feeling of accomplishment and a cup of coffee are wonderful cures. Some possible pitfalls that I suggest you avoid are laziness and “slacker syndrome”. It may be true that you can skim by doing minimum work, but tests will hit you where it hurts. Indifference is really annoying to teachers because they come to teach our community of learners J (compliments of ToK). If you do not even desire to learn, your attitude will probably aggravate your teachers. And well, that’s just not a good idea because you might need a letter of recommendation one day.

Your high school years will be full of fun times, so don’t let school work consume your life. Sports are a good way to meet friends and everyone can use a little exercise. If you can budget your time between practices and homework, sports are a fun way to show off your school spirit. High school clubs are essential for college resumes and an easy way to get your CAS hours. I personally recommend Key Club because there are various service projects that are convenient and make CAS hours a breeze. Clubs and sports are a great way to slightly shift your focus from academics and still be productive.

The experiences in the IB program are well worth the hard work and effort. With time management and an optimistic attitude, you are bound to succeed. Avoid being lazy when it comes to academics, have an attitude of a life long learner, and stay involved in extracurricular activities. The four years in high school pass by so quickly because time flies when you’re having fun.

Sincerely,

Ashlea Loaring

 

Dearest Freshman,

You may or may not be prepared by the middle school from whence you came, but that particular factor is of no consequence once you reach three particular classes in your high school career. Aside from death, Mrs. Kennon and her AP biology class are the great equalizers. Aside from famine, Mr. Schuff and his history classes are the forces which drive mankind’s tendency to violence and criminal activity. Aside from tranquilizers, Mme. Dietert and her French and German classes are the Sandman’s tools of the daytime. Escaping these three ends is but a means to survive, both physically and otherwise, the IB curriculum. For those of you unlucky enough to be left without car/license/parents-who-care-for-your- sanity, I sympathize greatly with you, for of those poor souls in my own class, I am one. Thus, I will automatically assume that my audience is the freshman who plans to never drive, to never skip class, to never arbitrarily decide that school is less important than self identity, etc.

As you will find, freshman and sophomore year will be an easier version of middle school. I found that my worries dissipated when I heard Mrs. Bond (the chemistry teacher who retired last year) tell us that someone called her a “b*tch” for taking another potential biology student from her, or when Mr. Lenker took us on walks of what could be frivolity around the school to reinforce our “pragmatic” vocabulary. What one must remember is that one’s freshman and sophomore years are an art form, a means of natural expression. It is in these tender years that one can switch from one clique to another effortlessly, that one can defeat the waves of any difficulty that one encounters, that playing videogames is an escape method that serves to keep your mind sharper for other activities. One thing to keep in mind during these times of ephemeral bliss is that these formative years are important, and that establishing yourself as a specialist in one or two subjects is usually a wrong way to go. Attempt to specialize in everything that you see. Become an artist. Become a world class gymnast. Become the Antichrist. Become all of these and more and by the time the next epoch of transition comes (i.e. your junior and senior year) and you will be ready for everything. EVERYTHING.

Junior year, like senior year, is the leading cause of hair loss in IB students. Be not worried for this is only temporary; your hair will grow back to its full depth and silky texture over the course of those bi-annual vacation times (summer and winter). What you should look out for is avoiding grinding your teeth. Stress can considerably ruin a lion’s jaw, so be good to your mandible and use a mouth guard when you go to bed. The cause for such pressure? After having succeeded freshman and sophomore year, inescapable instances of failure may occur. The effect of the first blows are akin to getting a word like hippopotomonstrostosesquippedaliophobia (fear of long words) at a national spelling bee where you have been #1 for years running. Be not phobic, oh my brother, and enjoy these years as one enjoys receiving dropkicks to genitalia. Learn to adjust to the pain as a masochist adjusts to the intensity of punishment.

Lastly, place graduation as the one true goal, the end-all be-all of your high school existence.

Your faithful droog,

Paolo Mercado

 

Oh, my dear Freshmen:

What mess hast thou cast thouself into? You’ve just signed a contract in IB blood; there is no escaping the grueling pain and torture!

Just kidding. IB is as hard as you make it. Don’t worry about what you will have to do in a week, month, or year. Otherwise, you’ll be doomed to fail. The key to success is to take everything one day at  a time. Make a to-do list of everything you have to do, so you don’t forget any important assignments, and then check items off as you complete them. I always include simple things like “Eat dinner” or “Brush teeth” so that even if I accomplish nothing, I still can check something off the list.

Don’t forget about the world around you. Even when it feels like homework has officially ruined your life, remember that every other person in your class feels the same way (except for maybe that token slacker who barely scrapes by in every class). Your friends are your lifesaver, your harness, your sanity. Go hang out with the even if it means staying up an hour later the next night. Success is nothing without happiness.

An 89 is not going to kill you! Good colleges will understand that you attended the #3 high school in the nation; it’s perfectly acceptable to a have a B. Also, I have found that my grades plummet the most when I have absolutely nothing going on. Playing a sport or involvement in a musical group forces you to prioritize and learn time management. It’s a good habit to learn, I swear. The seniors I know who never developed time management hate themselves this year without even knowing it. “Why did I do so bad on this test?” “Because you didn’t study?” It seems so simple, yet they continue to ask. Who knows?

Even if you think you know what you’re going to study in college, give every class equal weight. Senior year, you will (gasp) actually have to study. I’m not lying. Also, read all the books for English class. Delk will test you on them, and you will not do well with just Sparknotes. The chapter 4 test in Calculus will cause you mental and physical pain, so try and study a little. Shuff is a tricky little man – don’t think he doesn’t know which people don’t take notes in class. He remembers every time he grades tests and essays, and he shows no mercy if you didn’t even try.

Just keep in mind how good you look on paper, smile, and go back to that stack of text books next to your bed. You decide your fate, so make it a good one.

With much love,

Marian Maloney, Class of 2008

 

Dear Incoming Freshman,

As I have discovered over the past seven semesters, the International Baccalaureate Program can be both grueling and rewarding. Though World Lit Papers, Math Portfolios, Biology Planning Labs, and Extended Essays may make you feel as though you see your near-approaching expiration date, I can assure you that you are not worthy of hopelessness quite yet. Wait until you have ToK papers, Spanish Internal Assessments, and Shuff tests on top of everything else before you let an IB breakdown take hold of you. In all honesty, there are those times when you will feel hopeless, believing that whoever decided twenty-four hours in a day was a sufficient amount of time was insane, but rest assured that the rewarding feeling you will have when turning in that essay or portfolio or lab will make it all worth it (not to mention college acceptance letters and ridiculously huge scholarships). To avoid the previously acknowledged IB breakdowns, there are a few words of wisdom I have acquired over the last past three years that I am happy to pass on to a new inductee into the program.

Many people who go through the IB program begin to feel as though it’s acceptable that they make C’s or D’s in classes simply because they’re in “IB” or it’s a 5.0 weighted class. I, on the other hand, completely disagree with that assessment. Just because the class you are taking is more challenging or the name of the class begins with “AP” or “IB” does not mean that you should lower your standards. If you are making straight A’s in the eighth grade, why shouldn’t you strive to do the same in the ninth grade, tenth grade, and every grade thereafter? Personally, I think that that ‘strive’ is what makes the IB program so influential and substantial in the lives of students. If you strive to make those straight A’s and still end up with a couple of B’s, as long as you can rest assured that you tried your hardest, there is nothing to be disappointed about. The ability to set high standards for yourself and drive yourself to reach those standards is what I feel makes an IB student. The drive, the determination, and the will that you will learn to have as an IB student are what will make college and the difficult times you will face later in life so much easier. Even as an IB senior, some of my fellow classmates say they have ‘given up’ or ‘just don’t care anymore,’ but I believe that deep down these statements have no backing. Instead, I feel that every student at this point in the program has that drive and will; otherwise, they would have ‘given up’ a long time before senior year. In other words, what I’m trying to say is that no matter what kind of course you are taking or what year of high school you are in, you should always strive to do the best you can do. If this means that you are going to spend three hours per night on homework rather than thirty minutes, so be it. There is never a valid reason to lower your standards simply because the coursework becomes ‘more difficult.’

Through the course of the IB program, students are plagued with the habits of procrastination and collusion. Because of the overwhelming workload at some points in your IB career, students validate these practices, believing they have the ‘right’ to participate in these activities without suffering the consequences. Differently, just as there is no excuse to lower your standards of achievement, there is also no excuse to procrastinate or collude. Sadly, procrastination has become a proud defining factor of IB students. This practice is probably a result of immense workloads, lack of sleep, and the typical adolescent desire to rebel. In all honesty, procrastination is probably the true antagonist of IB students. MySpace surveys, Instant Messenger, and America’s Next Top Model marathons accumulate into hours and hours of procrastination which, in turn, cause more stress and less sleep. Sleep, in my opinion, cannot be considered a method of procrastination simply because it is one of the greatest rewards an IB student can give themselves in these four years. Differently, if conscious, why waste time doing useless things when you can do useful things and waste that time later? Otherwise, you will just lose that precious reward of sleep. I cannot claim that I am not guilty of this habit as a result of the IB program, but I can say that I have found myself in a much better place as a result of not procrastinating many of the times others have. For instance, procrastinating to such an extent so that you are forcing yourself to complete a math portfolio, your extended essay, and a biology lab in the same night is just ridiculous. “Ridiculous” is the only word for it. Don’t do that to yourself. You’ll just regret it later. Also, a common practice of IB students is collusion, commonly known as cheating. Another belief of IB students is that they ‘deserve’ the right to collude as a result of the amount of homework they have been given. That is not the case. Procrastination and collusion work together. If you procrastinate for a certain period of time, there is no doubt that you are going to collude in order to make up for that thirteen hour Top Model marathon you watched last Saturday. Otherwise, you would be setting yourself up for a lower grade and I mean, come on, everyone else is doing it so why shouldn’t I? Yeah that’s a GREAT attitude to have, oh future IBer. Truth is, in most cases, colluding takes just as much work or more than just doing the work yourself. You’re probably saying to yourself, “Wow, sounds like she’s done it before…” Well, you’re right, I have. Petty vocabulary assignments and psychology worksheets were a ‘waste of time.’ Was it right? Of course not. Did I do it? I sure did. Have I learned that it’s really not worth the effort to paraphrase someone else’s work rather than just doing it myself? Absolutely. That’s my point. My point is there is no point. This might seem to be a paradox, but it’s true. Kid, what I’m trying to say is do your own work and give yourself a reasonable amount of time to do it. Don’t stress yourself out even more than you need to and leave yourself helpless. As Nike would say, “Just Do It.”

So incoming freshman, have I scared you enough now? I sure hope not. Because, while it may seem as though there is no light at the end of the tunnel at times, there is; there are ten classes of IB graduates to prove it. My advice to you is to hold your head up high, do your work (your own work), do it ahead of time instead of the night before, and don’t let yourself lower your standards of achievement as a result of IB, because these things are exactly what the program is trying to teach you to do. If you can successfully do these things in the four year coursework of the Pre-IB and IB programs, I can assure you that you will use these talents and habits in your daily life for years to come and will find yourself in a much better standing than those around you. Take whatever lessons and knowledge you can from the IB program; learn from it, take from it, and use it. Use IB as a source of knowledge, power, and wisdom that will assist you in the struggles you will face in the future. Best of luck!

Your dearest IB Senior and Mentor,

Erin Walker

 

There are many things that I would love to tell you about senior year and surviving IB in general. The list is enormous so I will just tell you the most important things I think are necessary to surviving school. High school and senior year especially is supposed to be the best time of your life, so try to enjoy it.

First off, I would tell you to do your homework the night it was assigned. I have seen countless times a number of my fellow peers sleeping through classes because they pulled an all-nighter trying to finish their homework that was due the next day. Mr. Shuff is not lying when he says that the material will be long, emphasis on the long. Take a few minutes, maybe ten, to review the history notes that you took for the day. I recommend a laptop if you can get one. My laptop has saved my life in IB. With my laptop, I have been able to do homework assignments virtually anywhere. The laptop was my saving grace in Mr. Shuff’s class because after a unit was done, it was not uncommon to have around 25 pages worth of typed notes to study for along with two chapters from two textbooks to read. Like I said, do your homework and assigned reading the night you get it, otherwise you will become another red-eyed, pale, and tired student.

Next, IB has a way of consuming your life for chunks of time, especially during senior year. With college applications, transcripts, SAT, ACT, and applying for financial aid, it gets difficult to do your schoolwork along with the other work of applying to college. I found that applying to college is a necessary and time-consuming evil. I will not lie. The first semester of senior year has proven to be the most difficult time in my academic life. It is worse than the second semester of junior year. The extended essay, TOK essay, calculus portfolios, and other internal assessments are evil as well. They are necessary to get the IB diploma at the end of senior year, which is the reason why you’re probably even here. The main thing to remember about internal and external assessments is they go toward the diploma…they count. The internal assessments can be tiresome but they can also really boost your score on the diploma. Do not wait until the last second to complete them because they are so important. The key to not getting stressed about this monstrous list of things to do early in senior year is to get it done. Another thing, do not be one of those people that applies to fifty colleges. That is way too many and you are bound to get in somewhere. I applied to 2 schools only because I found out I was accepted to both so I did not complete any more applications. Visit and narrow down the colleges you are serious about so you can save time, money, and energy and put it to good use somewhere else.

Finally, to survive IB and life in general, do not forget the little people that support you, your friends and family. Without friends and family, I know that I would not have been able to complete the IB program. It is important to have friends in the IB program because there is not many of us and because we see each other all day everyday for four years. That is a long time to not be friends, so make the most of high school and get to know everyone. Also, have friends outside of IB because sometimes when IB becomes too much to handle, those other friends can help you blow off some steam and forget about your IB troubles for a little while. Thank your parents because they will have to put up with constant mood swings, lack of communication, and not seeing you for days at a time because you will be volunteering, doing homework, or doing some other activity related to IB. Your family cannot help it if they bug you when you have a biology lab due the next day and you have not even started. So, thank your friends and family for all of their support because without them, you would be nothing!

Meagan Bailey

 

Although there are several suggestions that can be given to freshman, I am going to give them a look forward into their senior year. There are several misconceptions about senior year that I would like to address. Admittedly, one of the reasons that senior year proves to be difficult is the fact that we all must work with a disability commonly known as senioritis.

Even without the ailment of senioritis, senior year would be a difficult academic year. Any rumors that you might have heard that senior year is easier than junior year appear to be false, at least through the first semester. In fact, the first semester of senior year has undoubtedly been the toughest semester that I have experienced at IB thus far. So why these rumors that senior year is a breeze? My theory on this matter is simple: no one would continue on to senior year if they thought that it could possibly be more difficult than the ever-challenging second semester of junior year. The post-junior year dropout rate would be through the roof. The only solace for seniors is the fact that each January 16^th is their last in high school. Probably the most difficult aspect of senior year is all of the extras. Not only are there academic pressures, there are also applications to be send, letters of recommendation to plead for, scholarships to be written, and graduation plans to be made. Not to mention the fact that each senior strives to make the most of this hellacious year and create lasting memories with their friends.

As far as academics go, senior year really is not the “breeze” that it was rumored to be. Case in Point: history of the Americas. I personally have already experienced Shuff’s teaching style before; however, many of my classmates have seen the lowest grades of their lives on their report cards because of this class. If you have never taken a Shuff test before, just imagine a historical triathlon of sorts- about Latin America. Yes, Latin America’s history is as dull as it seems. I love history, but not of a continent who makes the same mistakes over and over again without any form of creativity. This class is certainly not a breeze.

Many of the other classes’ level of difficulty will depend of the teacher you have or the route you choose. If you took biology, you will suffer mental and physical anguish. My classmates in physics and chemistry are enjoying their 99 percents while I am scraping for a B if I’m lucky. This year Spanish is very tough with senora Laurent, however we are also learning a lot.

Now for a general IB stressor: Internal Assessments. From the EE to the TOK Essay to World Lit papers to the Calc portfolios, there are many extras that must be done to fulfill the IB requirement. ToK ceases to be a fun class senior year since there are three internal assessments that must be done in that class alone. Between Delk’s class and IAs, by the time world lit papers roll around essays begin to be second nature. IB students can, and in many cases do, write essays in their sleep.

So please, learn from my mistake and do not trust my classmates if they inform you that senior year is easy. Either they are lying to you because we were lied to, or it truly is easy for them since they have decided that all work is “optional.” In all honesty, senior year is the natural step up that one would expect over four year IB program. It is difficult, challenging, stressful but it is also the last year. All that you can truly do is survive senior year and make the most of your last year with your high school friends.

Alex Ellison

Dear Freshman,

As a senior IB student with only one semester left, I would like to offer you some advice on your four-year stay at this school; perhaps it will be helpful.  Freshman year can be an intimidating and confusing experience, but if you keep your cool, everything will run smoothly.  I first encourage you to NOT start out your high school years with procrastination.  It is completely unnecessary your first year, and will only cause you trouble down the road.  Also, it is important to make and keep friends.  Don’t try to get into a lot of drama this year, as you could ruin relationships for the entire four years.  However, don’t be a loner, either.  Go out on the weekends, especially to group activities; things like class parties and group movie nights are a great way to form bonds and to not feel left out.  Also, sports and clubs are great to start now, because you’ve got a head-start if it’s something you want to stick with, and you’ll actually have time for them.  Overall, freshman year should have a focused but fun atmosphere; times are easy, and you can still make the most of them.

Let’s step back to the academics of this year.  Are all of your classes really that important?  For the most part, yes, but I will tell you a few things to focus on.  To avoid having to endure endless nagging from your future English teachers, pay attention to the grammar lesson, even the little details.  (Those little details will become major details by senior year.)  Try to keep on good terms with any teachers you might be having in later years; a bad first impression can stick and leave you without any mercy later on. Also, economics is something you should try to internalize, because when you get to voting-age, you need to know what’s going on.  (And it really SUCKS if you get to your later history classes and don’t have a clear understanding of the different forms of government.)  Just don’t slack off- first year is too easy to waste.

More importantly than academics and after-school activities, just have a positive attitude this year.  Enjoy high school.  DON’T become an emo-kid because it’s cool.  (That’s just dumb.)  Don’t try too hard.  Don’t join a gang.  Don’t cheat on stupid things. DON’T WAIT TO GET YOUR LEARNER’S PERMIT.  Embrace your bus-mates.  Don’t let jerks push you around.  Be your own person.  Be happy.

SMILE!!!

Your loving senior,

Jaclyn Nelson

 

Dear upcoming innocent freshman,

So up until now you’ve heard of all the positive reasons to attend IB without all the chaos of IB’s difficulties. These are most likely left out for your benefit, but as your senior I have decided out of the kindness of my heart to provide you with the keys to success in IB. Looking back at my experiences in IB I have come to notice that procrastination, although frowned upon, has become a natural habit among the IB students. Children, if you haven’t learned it yet, learn it now. Do not procrastinate. This will mean your demise. Also there has been a change in the mindset of your upcoming generation. I hear from a good source, that you find a B acceptable in your first year at IB believing your classes to have twice the difficulty than any other class in regular high schools. This is unacceptable and will not gain any approval from your teachers. Do not slack on your studies the first year. Leave those Bs and Cs for your junior and senior years.

This does not mean do not enjoy your freshman year. On the contrary I tell you to enjoy it while it last for it will never be the same again. Complete all assignments for the days they are originally due, despite your teachers’ leniency with this matter. If delay cannot be avoided then take advantage of your teachers’ kindness. Never hesitate to ask for help in the areas where permitted. All this will save you a multitude of headaches and sleepless nights. If in fact those sleepless nights do come, and they will, do not fret for these are common in the IB journey. Never leave anything that can be finished, incomplete although it may not be your utmost best. Keep in mind, although hard to believe, that your teachers are not out to get you. They actually want you to succeed as much as you do. If you fail, they fail. Remember to take those “you days” for your mental sanity just try to plan those for days that you don’t have school.

There are a number of assignments that you will need to pay particular attention to. These must be completed and preferably completed to the best of your abilities. This mainly consists of the different assignments required for your IB diploma. All of the paper 1s and paper 2s compose part of your IB cumulative score. If not taken seriously this could affect the opportunity to receive your IB diploma. Attempt to get most of your CAS hours your junior year so that your senior year you won’t be striving to get a great sum of hours in at once. This could distract from your studies. Overall, keep a positive attitude and do your best to continue.

Sincerely,

Tatiana White

 

Dear Freshie:

I am having some difficulty deciding how to structure this letter, so I think I’m just going to ramble. At some point I may divide it up by year. We’ll see. So where to start? I guess the most important thing to remember as you go through this program is perspective. Seriously, when you have twelve major assignments all due the next day and it’s already ten o’clock and you haven’t started, calculate what your grades would be if you didn’t do any of them. That usually makes me feel better. I would also suggest that you get involved in all sorts of activities both inside and outside of school. Sports, clubs, social events, whatever. Just make sure you have a good time in high school and don’t drive yourself crazy by studying all the time.  Also make sure you have a diverse group of friends, and don’t get involved in stupid petty arguments.

So now I’m going to break IB down, year by year, and give you some basic advice for each year. Freshman year can be rough because you’re getting used to IB, dealing with a scary new high school setting, and just freaking out in general. It’s normal to have panic attacks, and the teachers are not nearly as lenient freshman year as they will be later. So don’t worry, it gets better. Also, take a fun elective that will help you adjust to campus and meet some BHS kids. I took YJP, so I got to know my way around the school, meet upperclassmen, walk around and film rather than sitting in a classroom, and loads of other awesome stuff. Physics summer school is terrible while you’re going through it, but looking back on it now it was one of the more enjoyable periods. You get to know everyone in your class a lot better, and get to chill without a huge workload. Sophomore year, in my opinion, is the best year. Take electives that aren’t too tough but will help you later, like anatomy or something. Also start thinking about what you are going to take junior year. But like I said, sophomore year is a great year. Nothing’s too hard, you can get really involved with sports and clubs, your friends start being able to drive, high school is still relatively cool, etc. Then comes junior year.  Which is kind of like freshman year, really. You are officially in IB, and the workload will increase significantly. Do not make IB course decisions lightly, poor choices may come back to haunt you during senior year. Work hard, but don’t obsess. Like I said, perspective is key.

Which brings us to senior year. As far as work goes, it’s a decent amount but not impossible. The major difference between senior year work and junior year work is that during senior year all of the work is hard, whereas there’s definitely some fluff during junior year. You will be writing a ton of super long papers, but they’re not too bad if you just sit down and do it. College decisions, applications and scholarships will stress you out as well, so try and think a lot about what you need to do for that during the summer. It’s tempting to adopt an “I don’t care” attitude senior year, but I’ve found that it’s a lot better to just deal with it and try to have a good time while you’re at it. So that’s a year-by-year analysis. Now for some more general advice. I can’t tell you not to procrastinate because then I’d be a hypocrite. If you tend to stress out then you should probably do assignments in advance, but personally I find it extremely difficult to do anything unless I am under a great deal of pressure, and I thrive working on assignments at the last minute. Also, learn to utilize class time. It will save your life. Don’t whine and moan about how much work you have to do, because that’s just lame. No one cares. Finally, you should put the most effort into what you enjoy. Take electives that truly interest you. I guess that’s it. Have fun!

Jenny Claire Valenti

 

Dear Newly Admitted Freshman,

Welcome to the nerd club, or the geek club, whichever you prefer. Get used to that now and save yourself the trouble of trying to fight it. I can’t relieve your fears and tell you that IB gets easier as the years pass. Rather, I can only say that you get used to the work load.

You’ll have trouble doing all your activities, most of which will be homework, but you’ll find a way to manage. You will complain and wish that you had more hours in the day to study, do your homework, eat, do your chores, sleep, and still have a life. Only recently have I been able to actually manage my time well. It’s senior year for me and I just finally have kicked it into high gear. If you use your planner and actually write down your assignments, things will go much smoother.

Doing homework in other classes or lunch? I found that you can’t always count on that to get the work done, or to get a passing grade. Try to study for your hard classes at home, like foreign language, biology, history, English, so that you don’t get distracted at school and end up with nothing to turn in or no knowledge for the test. I also suggest that you work diligently on your extended essay and Theory of Knowledge essay, even though I was told to do so and still I procrastinated. But, give yourself a lot of time to procrastinate, and remember that deadlines are deadlines. If one teacher gives you some leeway, don’t think that all the teachers will. If you actually sit down and do your work in a library or some secluded place, you will be able to successfully complete it, allowing you a less stressful stay at IB and more time for “life.”

Sincerely,

A Graduating Senior

Theresa Rowe

 

Dear Freshman,

The road to the IB diploma has many traps.  Giant holes lay waiting for you to be swallowed up!  If you are not strong enough to pull yourself out of these traps, you should just turn back now.  Give it up.

The first trap (for me) is (or was) the transition into a high school like IB.  If you’re not careful, you’ll be caught too.  I got out safe because I can work hard!  And I happened to have the motivation for it at that time!  I had never had to do any homework in middle school, and I was still top of my class.  If there did happen to be homework (usually for Algebra), I was able to complete the assignments within the ten minutes prior to class.  Those were days when it wasn’t necessary for me to pay attention in Spanish class.  So I found the transition into high school a bit rocky, especially for something like IB.  If I had just gone into Bartow, I might have never had to change my ways.  I still work the same way sometimes, but I do better now, since three years can already make a hard habit.

Another trap is the Extended Essay.  Actually, it’s probably all the essays you will ever be assigned.  This letter, for example, is such an assignment.  I almost got eaten by such a trap just now.  Essays don’t seem to be beasts, and they really aren’t and really shouldn’t, but they’re nasty every time you have to encounter one.  The Extended Essay is recognized the easiest though, because it’s basically like the ultimate boss in a video game.  The Extended Essay is Bowser compared to the Koopa Troopa such as the World Literature papers.  It takes a while to knock him out.  It’s probably possible to knock Bowser out in a week, but you’ll probably die.  So, start when you should or you’ll be killed.

I think another important thing to be informed about is Shuff.  He is like an evil gnome that lives inside the trap and pulls your legs so that you can’t get out.  For me, that is the trap with which I am always preoccupied in comparison to the others.  That is probably the only class I’ve seen so many people with bloody-kneed grades.  Those grades barely scrape by.  It’s a little scary. I’ve never gotten completely sucked in that trap, but I hear it leads straight to Castro’s backyard.

Turn back now,

Your senior,

Jessica Ren

 

Dear new freshman,

As an IB senior, I consider myself as being seasoned and experienced in the way of the IB. As a benevolent senior, I have decided to share some of this wisdom with you. Your success in IB comes down to the choices you make. Some of these choices you make in the very beginning of your freshman year and some of them you will make much later. Overall, these choices will dictate your quality of life.

In Spanish class you should make flashcards. Learn your vocabulary. The key to success in the AP and IB Spanish exams is to know all of your vocabulary. Take the subjunctive seriously. It is as important as your teacher tells you it is.

History classes are largely irrelevant in the great scheme of things. They take more study time than your other classes, but count the same in your GPA. Eventually, you will have to make the choice between studying for your history test and doing homework for other classes. Do the work for other classes. Whatever you do, do not take academic electives like AP European History. Leave your electives for fun classes that will relax you and give you a few minutes of relief from the constant stress that is IB.

Read the books in English class. Some are boring, but some are worth it. The Count of Monte Cristo, House of the Spirits, andPerfume are all really good. I highly enjoyed all three of those books. There is no shame in buying and using a Shakespeare side-by-side translation. If you color-mark effectively, it will be easier to write your world lit papers.

You are going to procrastinate. It is a fact of life, and it happens to everyone. Manage your procrastination. Allow yourself enough time to complete everything. Don’t put off scheduling your ToK presentation. You should try not to procrastinate on certain key assignments: journal questions, math portfolios, IB design labs, and the extended essay.

Oh, the extended essay! Do it over the summer. Do your very, very best to do it over the summer. Do not blow it off. Pick a topic that you enjoy. That is the most important part, l think. If you enjoy your topic, it is less likely that you will cry as you work on it at three in the morning the night before the rough draft is due.

Socially speaking, make friends with the people in your IB class. Do not be shy around them. Inevitably, you will need help with some assignment or concept, and they are the ideal ones to render assistance. Make friends with your Bartow class. I am not going to lie: sometimes it is nice to have a break from the academically hardcore students of IB. Finally, make friends with people outside of the whole system. The friends you make outside of Bartow will complain about their two AP classes, and it will drive you crazy; however, you will be glad to have those friends in the end.

Ultimately, the quality of life you enjoy during IB depends on your choices. You can chose to stay up the extra three hours to perfect the assignment, or you can go to bed. You can enjoy your extended essay, or you can hate it. You can use the classes of your first few years to build a sturdy basis for further academic pursuits, or you can blow them off and regret it later. You can procrastinate a little, or you can procrastinate a lot. You can make life-long friends that will ease your pain, or you can be an awkward loner. The choices are entirely up to you.

Good luck,

Emily Trogolo

 

To the future IBer:

There are several things that you will need to know to succeed in the next four years. One of the most important is to be able to do massive work with only a few hours of sleep. Also, be prepared to have exams that are unreasonable if you’re planning to take physics for your junior and senior years. Do not procrastinate on your Extended Essay and start your research early. Get your license as soon as possible if you want to avoid annoying bus rides with loud people.

The pitfalls in IB are many. One of them is the large amounts of work scheduled in little time for multiple classes. Remember to make your teachers aware of scheduled assignments for other classes to help your teachers plan their assignments for you based on that, especially Ms. Frisbie, because she will actually listen to you. World Literature papers are hard and long, read your assigned books carefully and do color markings. CAS hours are also important to complete; doing them as soon as possible will allow you to have more time in your senior year to focus on exams and essays.

The most important thing to study is Calculus tests and Biology tests. Take Biology because for now that is the only science that has the hope of having students that will pass their AP and IB tests. In addition, history teachers are all interesting and unique be prepared to study for their tests, especially in Mr. Shuff’s class, which will definitely guarantee a failing grade if you don’t study, unless you are able to get one of his almost impossible to answer extra credit questions like what is the name of my aunt’s 3 legged dog.

In conclusion, the road to the IB diploma is long and hard. There will be times were it seems impossible but do not lose hope, there is always a solution, just keep on going. Along the way though you will make meet new people and they will become your other family, rely on the help of the friends when you need it (not for cheating of course). I have hope in you guys! GOOD LUCK!!!

Hanh Huynh

Dear Incoming Student,

As you begin your long, treacherous journey through the rigorous IB program, I ask that you take the advice I am about to give you and put it into effect so as to make your journey through IB as easy as humanly possible. During the course of my four years here in the IB program I have learned my fair share of lessons, mostly through trial and error, and my goal now is to pass on this wisdom I have gained so that future IB students can avoid some of the pitfalls of IB life that I have dealt with. Hopefully you find this letter to be helpful as you begin your journey through the IB curriculum.

Upon entering the IB program in the freshman year I highly encourage students to take advantage of the ease of the first year of IB to build up a strong GPA for the more difficult years of IB that will ultimately follow as students work their way through the IB program. I myself was not a victim of this problem, but I know several seniors that have had to undergo a great deal of stress their senior year because they were working to build up their GPA for colleges since they took it easy their first couple years in IB and as a result, their GPAs took a dive. Basically, by working hard your first couple years in the IB program, you are doing yourself a favor by helping make your junior and senior years less stressful since you should have built up a respectable GPA. Far too often I have heard seniors complain that they wished they had worked harder their Pre-IB years instead of letting their GPAs go down the drain and putting unnecessary stress on themselves their senior year when colleges begin looking for students with strong GPAs. Also I strongly encourage incoming students to forget procrastination and just do the work when it is assigned instead of putting it off until the last minute. Trust me, I have personally spent many a late night working on work that could have been done sooner instead of getting some much needed sleep. The final bit of advice that I can offer an incoming IB student is that they participate in extracurriculars upon entering high school. I say this not for the purpose of building an impressive record for colleges, but because I honestly believe that it was my participation in extracurriculars that helped me work my way through the IB program. Honestly, by doing sports I found an outlet for the frustration I had built inside me from the rigors of the IB program, and by participating in sports I was able to get my mind off of IB and just enjoy myself.

Thus, I leave you with this advice in the hopes that you will use it to your advantage as you begin working your way through the IB program. I also highly recommend that as you reach your junior year you consider taking IB Biology and Calculus because I believe that these two courses are instructed by the two best teachers IB has to offer. Mrs. Kennon and Ms. Frisbie both helped me work my way through their rigorous programs, and I can assure you that if you are willing to work hard, they will work just as hard to help make you successful in their classes. So as I close this letter I just ask that you take into mind what I have covered and use it to help you become the best student you can possibly be as you begin journey down the long, bumpy road that is IB.

Best wishes,

Ervin Goad

 

I think the kids considering leaving after less a grading period are most in need of advice. Every freshman comes to IB with an absurdly large ego, and the ones that leave are the ones that can’t deflate. They don’t understand how honest we are being when we say IB is going to be hard, and they are going to have to adjust. They think they can handle anything because they have always been the smartest. I don’t think they understand that when we say hard we really do mean it. Maybe telling them the truth is our first mistake, but I believe in telling them the truth so there are no surprises. I also know it’s possible to go too far when telling the truth, and then we just end up scaring them off before they even start. I haven’t been to an IB meeting since my own meeting nearly four years ago, but just the other day I heard about a kid that chose not to even write the essay because the people at the Haines City IB meeting scared the kid away by only telling him how hard it was going to be. I like to think they have the same good intentions we have. I like to think they’re just trying to be honest too, but they don’t have anyone to tell them it’s worth it in the end. I think they have taken their good intentions one step too far. I think they don’t realize IB is still just a school, there are some basic things kids are told all the time about school that is really the only advice any freshman in any high school needs. The only added advice an IB freshman needs is to be told not to leave until they really have given themselves enough time to adjust and find their place. I don’t think the freshman understand that will probably take longer to find their niche at a school with kids from everywhere than at their zoned school. There is no way to tell how long it will take, but if a kid thinks for a second that IB might be for them they need to give it all the time they can. If they need antidepressants or something then I understand leaving, but not even trying out of fear or coming for a short time, getting scared, and leaving without giving it a real try is a mistake.

There are plenty of people who have tried IB for a few weeks or a grading period and left. They all say the same thing. IB is like hell. You won’t have a life. My own sister has heard this story, and it pained me to think there are people telling kids not to try. Our ability to try and fail is what makes us human. I have always been taught that you should always try. If you try and fail, it’s not really failing. It’s learning, the whole purpose of school. I know IB isn’t right for everyone, but for me it has been the best high school experience I could have had. I know I would have had no friends had I gone anywhere else. I was always the weird kid. I can’t say that IB is the only place anyone will find friends, but I can say that when my sister asks me if she should go to IB I always say yes, if it was at a new school where we were sure there wasn’t the mold you’re allergic to, yes. It’s the best thing I ever did.

I have probably strayed so far from the point by now that there is no redeeming myself. but I’ll move one now. In school in general, kids shouldn’t procrastinate. They should get to know their teachers so they feel comfortable asking for help or for college recommendations. They should always study for tests. They should always do their homework. They should get to know their guidance counselor so they feel comfortable asking them for stuff when it comes college application time. They are going to have to pick a science so they should put a little more effort in there so they can pick one they like, not just the one they think will be easiest. I really don’t know what to say. I don’t think there is anything special to tell kids except to try, as I have repeated several times, but that’s all I’ve got. Freshman, you should at least try it.

Chastity Bobo

 

Dear Future IB/BHS Student,

As a freshman, try to expand your circle of friends as there are a lot more people in high school than in middle school. Get to know classmates, athletes, punks, rednecks, and preps and treat them all with the same respect. Also, meet people in all four grades and all three schools. Treat them the same once you establish a relationship, even if one of you manages to do something spectacular or win an amazing award. Stay grounded. Remember, you are not the big bad 8th grader you were last year; you’re back at the bottom, but hopefully, not to stay.

In order to have the most enjoyable and successful experience in high school, one must get enough sleep. Sleeping, and not in class, is the key to being a joyful, upbeat, and energetic person. When you get enough sleep, you are able to learn and interact in the classroom. Also, don’t get caught up in the social drama of high school. It’s a waste of time and energy that can only impede you from doing what you want to do in the future.

As for the most important things you will learn in high school, I believe that they are through experience outside of the classroom rather than a certain fact or date. In high school, you experience the most recent fourth of your life and you learn how people interact and react to social situations or settings. You also learn to manage time, and more importantly, manage stress. Because many parties will vie for your time, you must make a decision to prioritize, or just manage the stress. Complaining will get you nowhere.

Best of Luck,

John Mahoney

 

Dear Fresh meat Freshman,

I will soon be leaving IB at BHS, but you are just beginning your journey here. I have compiled some advice for you to make your time here AWESOME. First, if you take biology, know that it will be a lot of work junior year. Mrs. Kennon piles it on. But then senior year is so much better. Mrs. Kennon relaxes and class is so much fun, what with her giving you lectures about not “exposing yourself” when you go to college. If you’re lucky and she likes you, senior year will be great with her. Fortunately, she does like me. I come in late almost every day (it’s not my fault!) and she just looks at me and turns back around. She lets the seniors get away with so much more than the freshmen or juniors, like turning in worksheets and labs during lunch. If you can hang on junior year, you will love senior year. Plus, if you take bio, you know you are going to get good scores on the AP/IB tests. It’s definitely worth the hassle and tears.

Also, appreciate Mr. Guice. Everyone loves Mr. Guice; I don’t know how you could not, but sometimes students don’t respect or listen to him. I think that he deserves to be treated better. He’s a nice guy, and if he likes you, he will let you get away with more than the kids that annoy him. And turn your EE and TOK Essay in on time, because he gets so stressed out about those things and they are really important if you want to get an IB diploma — if you don’t, why are you even here to read this?

Last but not least, I totally suggest taking Bartow classes for electives. Yeah, you can be one of those people who take like, AP Euro for an elective, but do you really want to be one of those people? Anyways, BHS electives are entertaining, like Cooking (which I’m taking now) or Teacher’s Assistant (last year). You meet some very interesting characters and hear some really dumb stories. I know that not all Bartow kids are stupid, there are some that are very smart and dedicated to school, but not the ones that take Cooking and TA. They are super fun to listen to, if only because they are not so bright. One time in cooking we were taking a test and one girl was doing her friend’s test, too. Mrs. Adams told her that was cheating, and she said, “No, I already did mine, I was just writing my answers on her test so that she doesn’t fail since she’s in ISS.” She really believed that it was ok because she had done hers. Bartow High is an interesting place, take advantage of it and take classes that will be fun, not stressful.

The beginning of first semester of senior year is a beast, but it gets better. And they say it’s a big help in college. We shall see… in approximately 5 months. Have fun, little freshmen!

Caitlin (KK) Niemeyer

 

The most useful advice I could give to someone starting as an IB freshman is to avoid unnecessary stress. As a freshman, I often worried about various insignificant things (such as whether I got #5 correct on the Biology homework) when in reality these single items were completely useless to my education. By senior year I have become fatalistic about school work, and once I complete an assignment, after I check once or twice for mistakes, I do not think about it until it is returned to me. In this manner I have dramatically reduced stress. Another way to prevent excess stress is by not thinking about what you actually have to do (essays, tests, internal examinations, etc.). If you just sit down and write your extended essay you suffer no real stress. Furthermore, if you have more pressing work to do than your TOK paper, then do the other work, and do not even think about the TOK paper you have to write. If you do not force it from your mind until you actually to write it you will continue to worry about the paper in vain, continually procrastinating meanwhile enduring a massive buildup of stress! Therefore it is vital to ignore all problems that will face you until you are going to deal with them.

The greatest pitfall that a student should avoid is procrastination. Like credit card debt, once you fall behind in what you have to do it is nearly impossible to get ahead. Procrastination rapidly becomes an addiction, as you need breaks from schoolwork ever more frequently as the stress on you becomes far higher as you rush against the clock to finish off assignments at the last minute. This will eventually result in drooping grades as you are forced to turn in substandard work and you are ill-prepared for tests. Soon, you will settle for only mediocre grades, and within a year or two, you may be on probation because your grades have dropped below Cs. Thus the infamous IB pitfall of procrastination should be avoided at all costs. It may seem pointless to work ahead perpetually, but it will save your sanity!

For me, the most important and deserving subjects I have studied have been chemistry, physics, and calculus. Both chemistry and physics are crucial subjects for my career goal of being a chemical and/or civil engineer and for that reason I find them captivating. However, calculus I find rewarding simply because it is so useful. In calculus we use nearly all of what we have previously learned in math to solve very complex problems using really simple (as in logically easy to grasp) methods. For once it seems to me that math is working for me rather than against me! I have hopelessly tried to explain this to friends of mine but they said it was absurd and I was crazy. They are probably right about my eccentricity, but I cannot cease to be amazed by the ability to calculate the velocity of an object by taking the first derivative (which is so simple) of a position graph. Suddenly the whole universe can be reduced to numbers, curves, and derivatives. Math ceases to be an abstract concept but instead the language and history of all matter, force, and energy.

Nicholas Piotrowski

 

My Dearest Incoming Freshmen:

Somewhere between looking at the clock, acknowledging it was 4:45 AM, and trying to set it back so that I could go back to sleep and have more time to study later, and realizing that just because you set the clock back in time doesn’t mean that the rest of the world will ever follow, I realized that I had to write you all a brief word, a piece of advice, hand over a rare nugget of information, from me to you. More importantly, I realized that I needed to write the essay so as to get my 20 points for Calculus. Don’t take offense to the fact that the points are currently more important — I’m sure you’re all lovely people, and besides, after a few months in this program, you’ll understand.

Anyway, these half-asleep ramblings describing my painful battles with Time have conveniently brought me to my first piece of advice: get all of your studying and homework done, ASAP. This doesn’t mean that you can’t and won’t procrastinate on something, but you’ll be much better if you don’t. There’s nothing worse than waking up at 4:45 AM and realizing that all of your plans for getting two more hours of calculus study time. Pretty much the only advantage comes when I fall back down on my pillow and bemoan my existence until I fall asleep.

Which brings me to my second point: sleep is good. Sleep is VERY good. Get it while you can. When you first begin working in IB, you’re probably going to feel a sense of shock. This is normal — no one ever fully knows what they’re getting themselves into when they come to IB. However, the workload won’t be so massive that you’re forced to pull all nighters from the start. Get sleep. Take advantage of it, because I guarantee you that there will be at least one week in your IB “career” where you get less than 15 hours of sleep over five or six days. Trust me, it’s even less than it sounds. IB is a difficult program, but it’s not impossible if you work hard. And working hard is truly the key — you don’t need to be a genius. You just need to study, sleep, and get your homework in on time. That’s right, kiddies, homework counts for something here.

One more thing before I completely give up and go back to sleep — try to get along with your teachers. I understand that some teachers may be difficult. I had them too, so I know. But even if they give you an incredibly large amount of homework and you disapprove of their “teaching style” and what not, try not to get on their bad side. Believe it or not, later on, you’re going to need them.

SO, to recap:

-Get your work and studying done

-Take advantage of the sleep you get

-Don’t piss off the teachers you’re going to ask to write you recommendation letters.

IB is like a family, or a pack of wolves. Keep to the balance, or they may turn, or go all Alpha Female, or whatever.

Gah, I’m going back to bed.

Love,

Teal Seltz, Class of 08

 

My experience at IB is not one that I am going to look back on and be happy about. My life throughout IB has been one that I have not liked at all. It has been stressful and too much on me to the point where many times I just wanted to quit. I would give someone the advice not to do IB, but if they wanted to try it there are many things I would love to tell them.

To these freshman coming in to IB, I would say that IB will make you work really hard and you should work really hard because if not you will regret it just as I have. I chose to have a job my junior and senior years, DO NOT do that. That was the worst decision I could have made at all. I worked my junior year 20 hours a week and my senior year 40 hours a week which made doing school work extremely difficult. My grades are horrible, I have no life, and to top it all off, I don’t have a lot of friends and I never get to see my family that I live with. I would also say don’t have small groups of friends, try to be friends with everyone because by senior year you will be tired of the few close friends you have, trust me they get annoying after a while. Most of all I would say try to make the experience the best and try not to dwell on the bad things because that will make your life even worse. I have done all of the things that I am telling you not to and trust me none of them work out correctly in the long run. Honestly, because of the choices I have made, I want to be out and get it over with so that I can start over away from the people that I have been so close to the last four years of my life.

Try your best not to procrastinate!!!!!!! I procrastinate all of the time which is partly why I am always in a bad mood. Procrastinating causes you to stay up very late and half the time not get your work done and your grades suffer greatly. If you just do the work when you get it, you will be a lot less stressed out and depressed because you will already have it done unlike most people around you. This is the pitfall you would most likely want to avoid.

All I have to say is overall try to make the best out of every situation no matter what! Try to be friends with everyone, DO NOT work like I did, don’t procrastinate, get your CAS hours done, and keep your grades up because whether you believe it or not up until graduation they do matter a whole lot!

Sabrina Tolbert

To whomever it may concern:

My name is not important. I was once just like you, a happy, little seedling full of life. Now, I am a zombie. I would advise you to get as much sleep as possible in your first 2½ years in IB. After, the first half of your junior year, don’t count on too much sleep. Additionally, do not slack off in your first year. It will affect you come senior year. Work hard, but do not work too hard because, hey, you have a life; enjoy it. All your teachers in IB are top-notch; therefore, you will learn something. I just had a problem with applying myself. You will procrastinate, and there is really nothing you can do about it. I have told myself countless times that I will finish something before it is due; this still hasn’t happened. Because of my procrastination I cry myself to sleep every night. This is not true, but it sounds pretty good. There is one thing I would like to instill in you. Do NOT become arrogant just because you are in IB. IB is a great school, but you must realize that there exists a person that can do the same job better than you and me (like the little kids that make our shoe laces). In conclusion, just be yourself, study a lot, live your life, and don’t be arrogant.

They say that you can lead a horse to the water, but you cannot make the horse drink the water. I am trying to help you avoid possible pitfalls. However, if you are determined enough, you can go against my better judgment. I thought I knew it all, and then I met the other kids in my class. You should avoid hanging out with people that are involved in criminal activities. Don’t write off most IB kids as geeks or nerds because one of these people could be your boss, but also don’t write off most people in Bartow High as idiots or stupid because it is very likely that your future boss and my future boss were C students. Isn’t life wonderful? Going back to IB kids, give everyone a chance. Most people in my class have given me a chance, even though I am utterly intolerable. Each of us has our faults. If you choose, you will be with these same people for the next four years of your life. I would recommend this course of action: “Do unto others as you would have done unto you.” In other words, do not step on other people’s toes (In Klingon this is “du-du goo ha-ha take me to your leader”). You need to start trying the very first day you come into IB. Do not be a know-it-all though because no one likes someone who is the only person that knows the answer and raises their hand to answer every single question on the face of this planet. You would be surprised; there are other intelligent people out there. Do not offend them. My final piece of advice is to avoid making enemies.

The most important and deserving class you will have freshmen year is Geometry or Algebra I. In IB, math keeps on building, and building, and building on itself. Also, American Government and Economics will require a good deal of study. All of your classes are important. Remember, focus on school, and you will succeed. I know this is annoyingly parent-like, but do not let yourself get distracted by the tv or radio. This will cause you to stay up later to finish your homework, which will make you very tired In the morning. IB will be fun if you make it fun.

Sincerely,

Harry Potter*

*It should be noted that Harry Potter does not really exist, and he never attended this school. Oh by the way, since I just felt like it, Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny are not real.

Dino Teskeredzic

 

Dear Freshmeat Freshman:

To begin, congratulations on being accepted into IB, it is a credit to both your intelligence and your studiousness. My first piece of advice would be to get out now. There are plenty of opportunities to excel in a normal high school. AP classes, dual enrollment, and academically fulfilling extracurricular activities are all still available to you. In addition, in a normal high school you have more control over your schedule and don’t need to put up with IB’s numerous required courses. In short, you could save yourself years of needless strife and anguish right now, but ultimately it is your choice.

If you do decide to stay, then my advice would be – as cliché as it may seem — to concentrate on your studies and to avoid procrastination. By that I mean not to fall behind and to put forth ample effort in all of your classes. There will inevitably be periods of particularly intense stress when you will find yourself doing homework first thing in the morning or at lunch or studying for a test at the last minute. We have all done this at one time or another, but you mustn’t let it consume you. This especially applies to internal assessments. As a freshman, you probably don’t have to worry about these just yet, but long story short, they are special assignments that count directly toward your diploma score for each subject and usually count for a large number of points in a class. Take these seriously and DON’T PUT THEM OFF.

Furthermore, the only standards you should be worried about living up to are your own. Although this, too, may seem like a cliché, it is an essential truism of IB. You will most likely encounter pressure to do well in all your classes and maintain exemplary grades. While you should endeavor to maintain good grades, this pursuit should not be the sole driving force in your academic career. Learning is paramount. Even though you may not get the grade you want, say perhaps… in Mr. Shuff’s History of the Americas class, you can still learn. If, after IB, you feel as though you are a richer, more experienced person, then the program will have done its office.

Christopher Lioi

 

Dear freshman,

I am going to be rather blunt; the experience of IB is a lot like giving birth to a thirteen pound newborn. The entire academic process is long, arduous, and at time extremely painful, but by the end you have something you genuinely lave (the diploma). Although it is not proper to make such a trivial comparison (the IB diploma is MUCH more important), that is the best example I can give.

I can think of only a few possible pitfalls which I believe I can help you avoid. One is the question of whether or not to have a boyfriend/girlfriend/pet. Ultimately the ability to have a significant other while balancing the platter of IB academics lies with your choice of wanting straight A’s on your report card. Simply put, there are only so many hours in a day and you choose how to spend those hours. A relationship demands time, effort, and commitment; if you do not have the time or energy, just go ahead and look forward to being single. Drawing from personal experience, I was too concerned with my grades during my first years at IB for me to be able to appreciate the female gender. Indeed, my sexual orientation was questioned, but I was comfortable with my bachelorhood. I can say with confidence that I am no longer single because I have chosen to put forth the necessary time and effort to sustain a healthy relationship with my girlfriend (my philosophy is, if your partner isn’t happy, you shouldn’t be). Yes, my grades have slightly dropped, but I have come to terms with my decision and stand by it. And hey, if you don’t find someone worth sacrificing your grades for don’t worry; ride the way of bachelorhood (you’ll be able to listen to all the Tom Petty you want).

Avoid being consumed by your grades. I have come to the realization that IB is a college prep school and I joined primarily so I could get into the universities of my choice. I’m not advocating becoming a C-student or even a B-student, I’m simply saying that in the long run it won’t matter whether you had a 98 or a 92 in your Chemistry class. If you go about school with this mindset, the process will run a lot smoother. You also won’t lose your hair due to stress, but that’s a different story. I would warn you about the dangers of procrastination, but here I am, typing up this fictional letter to a fictional student at midnight, so I can’t be of any real help when it comes to that topic.

The most important and deserving aspect of my time at IB has been the remarkable mindset of my peers. I am still amazed at my classmates’ motivation and ambition. For the past four years I have been surrounded by people with whom I can relate all my frustrations. I can count on them in times of trouble and I can put all my trust with my IB companions. Likewise, the teachers have been extremely beneficial in nurturing my academic talent. IB is a world-renowned program and it shows in each and every teacher and student. If you ever find yourself struggling to balance all your coursework (which you will do often), don’t be discouraged, because you will never want to be in a regular high school class once you’ve experienced the unconventional (but fun) methods of IB.

Sincerely (but not too much),

Graham Foreman

 

Dear Rising Freshman,

While I would like to be able to relate to you how to be a perfect student. I find myself unqualified. There will always be student qualities upon which I may improve. This brings me to my first piece of advice to you as you start your high school career. YOU WILL NEVER BE PERFECT. Accept it and move on. Too many people, myself included, come close to burning themselves out simply because they expect to complete all assignments the second they are assigned, set the world on fire with volunteerism, sports, and other extracurricular activities, and still find the time to sleep the recommended eight to nine hours per night. (You probably will not realize the absolute importance of sleep until a later date). In the words of Dr. Phil. “It’s OK; it’s OK not to be perfect.” I caution you, however, to not take this advice in its most liberal sense. I am not suggesting you slack off but that you understand the world is not perfect and neither are you.

In regards to classes, do not become discouraged should you have one bad test. There is always time to make a major come-back. even if you are told other-wise. Do not. however, (you know: what is coming…) procrastinate. No, you will not always have time to complete a major task immediately. But it is important to prioritize. Sit down at the start of each week and try to isolate your nightly duties to one or two subjects: this will help avoid the feeling of drowning come Thursday evening. Your freshman work load may seem negligible in years to come, but it does seem challenging when you begin devising your strategy to balance a new life. By the way, Biology will likely be your most challenging course your first year. Embrace the subject and the fact that it Is only a semester long!

I remember that during my first period class on my first day as a yellow jacket a certain math teacher said. “Your freshman year is brutal, but at least you will bond with others because misery loves company.” You will be told similar, frightening adages and be faced with the stress of the C phrase: Class Rank. The happiest student (yes, you should aim to be a relatively happy person during your adolescent years) regards the academic competition in a healthy manner and does not push others away in an “I’m out to get you” fashion. The best piece of advice I may give you is to find an outlet. Find a hobby completely unrelated to school, develop your spiritual life, do SOMETHING to make yourself a real person and not just a student.

This is an exciting time in your life. Hang in there; I will be praying for you.

Sincerely,

Rebecca Barry

 

Dear Kristen,

Welcome to the wonderful world of IB — it might not suck yet, but just give it some time. The way I see it, you’re way more brave than I was, because I had no idea what I was getting myself into. You, on the other hand, do… which may just mean you’re way more stupid than I was, but whatever. So, as you’re well aware of, IB has lots of great benefits. But it also comes with like, zero sleep and some other not so beneficial things (like, even though you’re super smart, you’re going to feel super stupid sometimes. Because you’re surrounded by like, the smartest kids in the county and let’s face it, you can’t rock at everything.) You’re fine for the next two years, besides World History your tenth grade year. It’ll seem horrible, but compared to Shuff, it’s nothing. Actually, my first all-nighter wasn’t until the night of the pinning ceremony — want to talk about irony? By then though, I knew that I was going to have a lot of sleepless nights full of regret, but I had already put too much into the diploma [that I’m probably not going to get, thanks to physics — but you know that] to quit. And I’m not really one to quit. I guess overall it’s worth it. But it’s nights like these, when I’m functioning on an average of one hour of sleep a night, that make it seem so much worse. Mom and I were talking, though, and she said that when I’m older this will always be a source of pride and that while I’ll remember the all-nighters, I’ll remember more of the positive stuff. Not to mention, it’s not like other schools are perfect. I mean, you’re starting high school. Some days are going to be pretty icky, but at least you’ll be able to call me. And you can always visit me too, just bring food. But, we’ve been over that. I guess I could give you some advice on what to do and what not to do, just keep in mind that I still don’t have it all figured out.

First of all, appreciate your teachers. Most of the teachers in IB are pretty ballin’. Obviously not all of them can be amazing, but the good definitely outweighs the bad. But anyway, the teachers (the good ones, of course) put so much work and time into making you a better, smarter student and sometimes I think the kids forget that they work too. The teachers are fair (they really are), but it doesn’t hurt to have them like you, even if it just means they’re more willing to work with you on making work up. You’re lucky, because you get Señora Laurent for all four years. I’m pretty sure part of the reason that I struggle now is the change of teachers… but you’ll be better than me at Spanish anyway, because you’ve helped me study for these past four years. And this is going to seem weird, but if you want to get the diploma and Webb is still teaching physics, I suggest you pick chemistry or biology (even though they’re way harder). You’ll have lots of fun in math (and somehow still learn a bunch) and I highly recommend engineering, even though Mom doesn’t think you’re the “engineering type.” She still doesn’t think I am either, remember? Oh! And for History of the Americas, I wish I could give you advice that would work, but I honestly don’t know how to conquer Shuff. I’ve tried taking notes, reading the notes out loud, studying with Dino (like the smartest history guy ever), reading the book, etc. Basically everything except writing the essays sooner than engineering, which is the period before they’re due (I always score highest on my essays, by the way). Really, you should NOT procrastinate. But, looking at this realistically, you’re going to procrastinate, just like me. Well, probably not as much as I do, you’re kind of weird about getting your stuff done. Like, I do mine at four in the morning before it’s due, Bubby gives up and turns it in halfway completed, and you’ll do it two days ahead of time. Just stick to that, ok? And read all of the books for English. I did, Bubby isn’t. I got a four on last year’s exam and intend on getting a four or a five this year. Bubby will most likely get a three. Moral of the story­: just read the books, they aren’t that bad. And you really should do your summer assignments early. And do your extended essay/world lit papers/portfolios/ToK essay on time! No, do them ahead of time. You’ll be way less stressed than the rest of the world. And speaking of stressed, don’t do that. Like, if you have a C in Spanish, don’t freak out about it — as long as you tried your best, Mom and Dad are pretty cool about that kind of stuff. Oh, and you’ll find yourself ditching parties for sleep. No lie, I’ve asked Mom to tell me “no” concerning certain Friday/Saturday night outings just because I’d rather be in bed early. It’s natural, you’ll get over it :). And good luck with the rides to and from school — be a pain in the butt every now and then just because Bubby is one to me. At least you’ll have some great tunes, and you know you guys will stop for food! You guys will get a lot closer through high school and the rides, but don’t you dare replace me with him, you hear? Just kidding. But not really. And want to know some great advice? When the opportunity for something fun pops up, take it. Like, I didn’t go to the Christmas parade with A-Rae, Liz, Gretchen, and Meriel’ because I had a Shuff test the next day. I got a D on that test. I didn’t go trick or treating with them because I had a portfolio or something due the next day. Had I not procrastinated, I could’ve. But I could’ve anyway, because my procrastination has gotten to the point where I can’t start anything until after midnight (this is super bad, avoid it at all costs). Oh, and energy drinks are your friend. Dad likes Rockstar Juiced, I like Bawls, Bubby likes Monster M-80 and Mocha. They’re all yummy (except Monster M-80, that one has a weird after bite. And during-bite), but don’t become too dependent on them, ok? And always charge your phone at night. Oh wait, you don’t have one! :)I got mine during Spanish summer school, I’m sure you’ll have one soon, don’t worry.

My last piece of advice — keep up your relationships. For me, that isn’t hard at all concerning friends, but as you know, it is concerning Dad. Don’t get so caught up in all of your work that you forget to be nice to people. Everyone is preoccupied with something, so try to treat them with as much courtesy as you’d like to be treated with. Even if you didn’t go to sleep the night before. Or the night before that… And when you’re specifically dealing with Dad here’s the rule: he’s always right. Speak minimally, avoid eye contact, and agree with him at all costs (but NOT sarcastically). It’s hard to swallow your pride and be like “yes, dad, I was chewing that too long just because I didn’t want to talk about my school day” when you know it’s not true, but the thing is, twelve years after the fact he STILL thinks he’s right. So just deal with it and remember that you’ll be in college soon enough. And don’t make Mom cry, she does SO much for us. And be nice to Gina, she’s starting to mature. Let her sleep in your room every now and then, it’ll make her week. And don’t lose contact with your non-IB friends. And make Bartow friends. If it weren’t for my LHS/St. Leo/Bartow friends, I don’t know how I would’ve survived high school. But that doesn’t mean don’t be friends with IB kids too; you’ll need their help too often to not be friends with them. And they’re generally pretty funny

I love you little sister,

Allison DiGioia

P.S. get stickers with your name on them to put on your homework assignments, they’ll make you happy!

 

Dear Incoming Freshman,

I would first like to congratulate you on your acceptance into our IB program. Here in the IB program you will be taught how to prepare yourself for college, so it is a long and hard road ahead. There will be times when you believe that it is not worth it and you are probably right, but just keep thinking of how much easier completing IB will make college for you and you will be able to push yourself through.

In the area of advice, I would recommend that you stay focused. I was once one of the top students in our program, I was a selected tester for the national Spanish exam, and I was good at Spanish. But now I am not so hot. I struggle to keep up in Spanish and I am nowhere near the top of our class. I would also recommend that you not procrastinate, it will happen so do not do it. Also, read the English books, I cannot stress enough how important this is. Without the books in your mind you will have a tough time answering the questions on the AP Lang and AP Lit test. And lastly, whatever foreign language you decide, do all your homework. Without this your base for the language will not be there and you will fall behind as I did.

Again congratulations on being accepted to the IB Program. You will meet extraordinary people, have amazing teachers, and become a better, more well rounded person from the experience. I hope that you heed my advice and that you will someday become the valedictorian of the program.

Best of Luck,

Mark Keeley

 

Dear freshman,

Congratulations on making it into the four year program of agony that we know as the International Baccalaureate Program. As you begin to adjust to the rigorous and painful lifestyle that IB offers, there are a few very important guidelines to follow.

First, don’t procrastinate. This is the single most tempting sin presented to every IB student. We think we’re smart (which we kind of are) and that we can do our work at the last second before it’s due. For the first year or so, it works out alright. But it becomes a habit that cannot be erased easily. Procrastination becomes your worst enemy during your junior and senior years. There are simply too many assignments and projects given to us, and trying to put it all off only worsens the situation. If you don’t want this to happen to you, then practice healthy homework habits from the start.

If you plan on taking art, make sure you’re ready to work. Again, you may think that it’s going to be an easy class, but you forgot something — this is IB. By the end of your four years in art, you are required to submit fifteen focused and relevant works to be evaluated. You might assume that this process involves work. Surprised? Anyways, if you take Art class, plan on working for your grade.

Also, keep a level head. Over the next four years, you’re going to experience great levels of stress, long sleepless nights, and seemingly endless numbers of books to read. Don’t freak out. If you keep a positive attitude, stay calm, and remain diligent, you will get through the tough points. You’re obviously very talented, so stick with it. Please follow this advice; it’s far better to learn from others than to suffer on your own!

Ryan Wehle

 

Over the past three and a half years of high school I have learnt a lot (mostly by making quite a few mistakes). Although I feel learning through trial and error makes a stronger impression and has more withstanding effects, I do have a few tidbits to share that I feel are exceptionally important.

I cannot stress enough how important it is that you do not slack off as a freshman. Over the years you will, most likely, put less effort into school and care less as you approach graduation. So if you begin your high school career an uncaring procrastinator, where do you think you will be in four years? Yes, what you are doing now may very well be the most challenging work you have had so far, but that does not mean you should not put some effort into your work. Besides, it is preparing you for the next three years, which do not get any easier. So do yourself a favor, read your books, do your homework, study for your tests. It will make your life easier in the long run.

Being in IB you will constantly hear praise for your intelligence; do not let it go to your head. Scores of students before you have, and they soon become pretentious and arrogant, claiming that to be in IB makes you better than everyone who is not in IB. Reality check, you are not. You have chosen a rigorous program, one that will most likely better your intellect. Some Bartow High School students are incredibly stupid; nevertheless, there are others who are just as smart as most IB students. They, on the other hand, are not always talking about homework and tests. They know how to have fun and relax, which is nice when all of your IB peers are so stressed you start to wonder if they will go into shock. Personally, I am grateful for my Bartow friends, and I spend more free time with them than most of my IB friends. It is nice to know how normal high schoolers live; it is like a bit of a reality check. Befriend the Bartow students, they will keep you sane.

Andrea Goulet

 

Dear Freshman,

As only a sophomore at IB, I haven’t experienced many of the toughest times or the hardest struggles of the program. In fact, I haven’t even begun the actual IB program, I’m just in pre-IB. However, I still have some very useful tips for you. First off, never depend on having a good teacher. Sure, there are lots of great teachers in IB, but there are also those teachers who don’t exactly have well-developed teaching methods so to speak. If you do happen to have a teacher you don’t like, don’t complain about it because that will get you stressed out and that’s about it. Just suck it up and do what you have to do in order to get something out of the class.

You always hear how people who go to IB have no life. Well I beg to differ, I have plenty of life. I dance upwards of 6 days a week, swim during swim season, and play tennis during tennis season. During the weekdays the latest I stay up doing homework (after having activities that day) is 8:00 maybe 8:30. And on the weekends, I still find time to hang out with friends and volunteer at the hospital. There are two keys to having a “normal” life in IB: one, you have to want to be sociable and carefree and two, DON’T PROCRASTINATE! To conquer the first key, you need to be outgoing. Find extracurricular activities that you like and pick up a few hobbies. Your life can’t just be about school, you’ll go crazy. Besides high school is about getting into college anyway, and colleges love well-rounded applicants. And for the other side of this, all of you kids who were super popular in middle school and are now finding yourself among “a bunch of nerds” get over yourself. I shared a similar mind set coming into the program but trust me my views have changed. You’ll realize that where you go to school really doesn’t define you at all and that the people you meet here are really genuine. You’ll also find yourself getting annoyed with people’s stupidity (often things you would have just considered funny in the past). Trust me you’ll get a lot out of this program. Besides, high school is there so you can get into a good college where you can party! Now let’s talk about the second key, not procrastinating. I’m not a procrastinator which allows me time for lots of other activities and down time. When you receive an assignment and it’s not due for another 2 weeks, if you can do it that very weekend. I promise you will thank yourself two weeks later when you’ve just been assigned two projects due that same week. You don’t know the teacher’s agenda or what homework might pop out of nowhere, so you just have to be prepared. And then if you don’t have other major assignments due that week, you will still be glad you did it because then you’ll have more free time.

People think that IB is so incredibly difficult and that is not true. If you plan your time well and stay active and involved you’ll be fine. But if you go in with a defeatist attitude or thinking hey I don’t care what grades I get because I’m in IB, then you’re going to fall on your face… and fast. You’ll get the hang of things soon enough and after that it will just feel routine. Once you get a feel for your teachers, your classes and start making new friends you’ll realize that it’s nothing like what you expected. You just have to hang in there for the first few months then I promise things will get easier. Good luck!

Emily Bhutiani

 

 

 

High school has been an amazing experience, it can have its highs and lows but overall it’s a one-of-a-kind experience. Mostly the good experience was due to an understanding in the beginning of what was expected of myself by myself. I have goals I set for myself to slowly achieve and use as motivation. My biggest piece of advice to any freshman is to set goals and keep motivation.

Freshman year can seem so far away from graduation one may not take it seriously, even one who has high expectations of college. From a mathematical standpoint setting your GPA freshman year is much easier so try hard and do well and you can leave room to slack later. Sort of a GPA retirement fund. Have fun but never lose sight of goals, without goals school becomes even more existential.

My biggest piece of advice rolled into one phrase is “think before you learn…” (made up just now, I like the ring) because you must know what you want to achieve before you can achieve it.

Devin Ruster

 

Dear incoming freshmen,

You’re probably really worried about high school. Don’t worry, everyone either is or was. This letter, however, will tell you almost everything you need to know before taking your first step into your high school’s door, so maybe you don’t have to worry so much.

The main thing you have to understand is that high school is not middle school. Teachers aren’t as lenient as your middle school teachers were, you won’t have all the same classes as your friends, and there are a lot more people to get to know. But instead of becoming frightened of all this, take advantage of the situation. Is your teacher tough? Rise to the challenge. Not in the same class as your friends? Make new ones. Too many people? Join a club or sport to get to know them.

The key is confidence. You have to walk through the front door with your head held high from the start. What people like to see is uniqueness. Don’t be some stereotype that you may think people like – be you. Let your own personality shine. Do activities you love doing. High school will be a lot more fun if you’re doing something you love.

High school is tough – that is no lie, especially toward your later years. You could make it a little more bearable, however, by being you from the start. If you be you, and work hard in your classes, everything else will fall into place.

John Abbott

 

Dear Freshman,

As I am finally a Bartow High School senior this year, I am writing to you to give you advice for the next four, long years of your life. Well, since I was previously in the IB program, I don’t really have a true perspective as to what Bartow High School classes are like for four years. But hey, I will give you advice as the best to my ability…

First off, there is the usual advice…do not procrastinate, study, and really do not procrastinate-I can’t emphasize that enough. I know it is a hard thing to manage, but do your best in getting your work done early, and not putting things off till the night before. After nights of staying up till three in the morning, or not sleeping at all…it is definitely recommended to get your work done early. If you are going to take AP classes, studying is definitely an activity you need to partake in. I know for me my AP history classes were probably the ones that I needed the most studying in, as well as my math classes. But it really depends on the type of person you are, and the natural abilities you have. So in the end, study and stay away from procrastination!

Speaking of AP classes, as a senior this year applying to colleges they really look good on the applications. I believe that you should take as many that you think you can handle. Not only do they raise your GPA, look good on applications, but if you past the AP exam you can usually get out of general college freshman classes–that not only saves money, but time as well in the end. So, AP classes really do pay off even after the late nights studying and the hours spent writing essays or doing homework. Another good thing to have on college applications are clubs and awards. Joining a lot of clubs isn’t necessarily the best idea, but joining a few and getting really involved with them or holding office is what I recommend. As for the awards, I have noticed that I did not keep a good record of what I earned, so if I was an upcoming freshman I would keep a list of the awards and honors I was given. This list will definitely come in handy when applying for colleges and scholarships. So to sum this all up, take AP classes, get involved, and keep track of your awards and honors!

In the end, I believe that your high school career is one that you will never forget and that will effect you for the rest of your life. Keep your education as your top priority but do not forget to make friends, have fun, and enjoy life! Make your high school experience all it can be, but remember to keep college in mind and your future.

All the best of luck to you in the next four years!

Kristen Reecer

 

Starting out as a freshman here at Bartow High School you should be aware of the classes you choose to take and make sure that they will fit your needs. The main item you should keep aware of is you GPA and make sure that you get on that starting out and not wait till you junior year to realize that your GPA isn’t good enough. However, for the most part, make sure you have fun in school. Don’t make it a chore or a punishment, make a lot of friends from all the different “clichés” and don’t seclude yourself. One more item of importance: don’t take high school relationships serious. Yeah, something like 5% of high school relationships last forever. Don’t take that chance. Stay focused on keeping your grades up and your social life up. If you want to make the most out of your high school years get involved in anything, like band or any of the variety of clubs at our school.

You should study for all of your classes. However try to focus on your weak points and not so much your stronger areas. Also, do not wait till the last minute to finish an assignment. I learned that the hard way. Get your work done as soon as you get it. Then you can party or chill with friends afterwards. It is really important to make sure your priorities are straight. Yes having a job does have it’s advantages, however, it does have its disadvantages. The extra money is always a nice thing to have so you can chill with friends over the weekend or take people out on dates. However, with that job you might not have time to chill or go out on dates, because you are too busy making money, you barely have to time spend.

Bartow High School is full of opportunities. If I had a chance to go back in time and straighten out my priorities and put home work in front of chilling with friends, I would. However I love my friends and I would not be anywhere near to where I am today if it wasn’t for them. Make sure you hang out with the right crowd. By that I mean people who fit your personal preferences. All in all try to make high school a wonderful, unforgettable experience.

Darrin Gobble

 

Dear incoming Freshmen:

My advice to incoming freshmen would be: If you are taking honors and/or AP classes, you should try not to miss those classes because if you do, it will be hard to catch up. It is very stressful.  Start out high school making good grades and try to keep the grades as high as you can because once your GPA goes down its hard to bring it back up.  If you just start with a high GPA it makes it easier for you to keep it there, instead of worrying about it at the last minute.  You need to have an even balance between your social life and academics so try not to go overboard in one area or the other.  Take as many required classes in your first two years so that your two last years will not be as stressful because by your senior year you will be worrying about college.  You do not want to have to worry about passing a class your senior year except for the classes that all seniors have to take.  Apply for scholarships as early as you can because if you wait until the last minute, they will not get done.

A few downfalls I can think of that might hurt you in the long run are:  The schedule is a lot different from what you are used to, you will probably will feel like waiting until the day before to do your homework is due to do it but that does not seem to work very good for most students because on Thursday night you will end up having too much to do.  So if I was you, I would get the homework that is given each day, done the same day, it makes life easier and less stressful.  I would try to not to miss any classes no matter how much you hate the class because in the long run you still have to end up doing the work.

The most important and deserving reward of the all my studying would definitely have to be getting accepted into the University that I want to go to.  It all comes down to your involvement at school and getting good grades.  It’s like, finally, I realized that all my hard work wasn’t for just a piece of paper; all my hard work is finally helping me get to the next step of becoming successful in my life.  Plus, it helps you get money to go to college, which is like money in your pocket. It will all pay off in the end you just have to stay diligent and try not to procrastinate a lot.

Marc Escoe

 

Dear Incoming Freshman,

For one reason or another, you are in the exact place that I once was four years ago. As a student privileged with attending both the IB school as well as BHS, I feel that I am well qualified to offer advice on the high school journey. First off, I have to warn you that the most volatile and upsetting issue you will find in high school is located within the very people we like to call classmates. These classmates like to cause a little thing called ‘drama,’ which is the biggest potential pitfall you will encounter in high school. Whether it be friends, girlfriends, boyfriends, people at lunch, or random people in the hall, everyone in high school loves to create drama. Now drama is a tricky thing, as it is always changing and hard to pin down. In a word, drama is stress. Sometimes this stress is good, like the stress you feel when you meet a new girl or guy that you have feelings for, when you go on a first date, or when you go to a dance or party you’ve been anticipating for weeks. There are always fun little bits of stress or drama at these times, which creates excitement when met in moderation. When the stress turns the other way, however, things can get out of hand very quickly.

I know from personal experience how drama can take control of how you think and feel, and I am proud to say that I have never been totally overcome by this ugly condition. This year, I had a girlfriend, and she was very pretty, nice, caring, always fun, and basically became my best friend. When we were away from school over the summer, we had little to no problems, as we had no real drama or anyone standing by to stoke drama’s flames. We were able to hang out a lot and became close, talking at night on the phone and sharing time with each other’s family. Then school started and things began to change. I played football and had a job on the weekend so I was busy almost all of the time. I still managed to make time for my girlfriend, even if it took time away from my family, who always seemed to let me know it. Anyways, as school progressed, other interests developed and new friends were made, with new influences coming along for the ride. I became good friends with a new girl from Indiana, and I was able to share a lot of my feelings with her. I told her a lot of the frustrations I had with my girlfriend, which is a big thing to avoid. Never tell girls your problems about other girls unless you sincerely trust them or have known them for a long time and know for sure that they are trustworthy. Anyways, I was friendly and flirty with this new girl, and she flirted right back but she had a boyfriend of her own so nothing was too serious. I had a class with her boyfriend, and unfortunately for me, I decided to make ridiculous comments about the girl from Indiana around her boyfriend which brings me to another point. Even if doing so in a joking manner, do not say things in front of a large group of people that could possibly come back and bite you. The best thing to do is to confide in a trustworthy individual or keep it to yourself. This will save so much drama, as high schoolers love to tell other people’s business and get this ‘drama’ going, as it gives them some sort of satisfaction of being the one who either made or broke a relationship. Kids always want attention and recognition, and high school is no different. Anyways, back to the story. Eventually, as is my luck, my girlfriend and friend from Indiana ended up becoming best friends. This is another point. You never want the person you confide in becoming best friends with your girlfriend. So make sure it never happens. The Indiana girl’s boyfriend ended up telling her all of those comments I had made during the class I had with him, conveniently leaving out the comments he had made towards my girlfriend. Which is another point. There is no justice in high school. And once it looks like you are guilty, you are guilty unless you are lucky enough to find someone who trusts you no matter what. So when you do find these trusting people, find some handcuffs and never let them out of your sight. Loyal friends are extra important. To finish the story, the girl from Indiana heard the comments and decided to tell

As you can see, any positive situation in high school can turn into a drama filled mess without any real negative intention. As a matter of fact, I had just started to realize how good I had it with my girlfriend when I found myself dumped for good at the end of the homecoming dance with no other explanation than “I just don’t feel how I used to.” Not only did I lose my girlfriend, but I lost a really close friend as well.  And I’m not gonna lie, it hurt and took me a month and a half just to get my emotions in check, and that’s not saying anything for the mental aspect. We had a lot of good times and got along really well until drama found a way to get in the mix and stir the pot. This is why I would have to say that without a doubt, drama is the biggest thing to avoid in high school. I can’t tell you not to experience it for yourself though, as at this age, it’s the only real way to see how it all works. If you learn this lesson in high school, however, and stay above drama, you will find yourself miles ahead of the boys and girls still enthralled in the he-said-she-said mess. By doing that, you can focus on the academics and sports that you will bring with you through life and form the memories that you can one day pass down to your children. Whatever you decide, just have fun and don’t get too caught up in the drama. It’s only 4 years and you’re barely a teenager so you have plenty of life to live. Enjoy it while you can.

Your Friend,

David Stark

P.S. Get lots of sleep too. It’s much harder to avoid drama when you’re cranky and you want to snap back at anyone who talks to you. Seriously, it’s a huge part of staying drama free.

P.P.S. When picking your friends and/or girlfriends, make sure that they will forgive you. You can’t possibly hope to have any relationship without messing up, and I don’t think you can consider someone your best friend unless you know they will always forgive you. (This isn’t an excuse to mess up, but an understanding that people do mess up.)

 

Dear 9th grader,

I know that being in high school for the first time is pretty scary.  Here you were, the top dog in middle school now dropped down to the lowest of the low.  It sucks.  Believe me.  I’ve been there.  But it’s not as bad as you think it is, if you know how to get through it.

My first piece of advice, take classes that you know you can pass.  Don’t automatically sign up for the honors or AP classes thinking that they will be like your advanced courses in 8th grade.  They’re not.  In fact, they are much harder.  MUCH harder. There are exceptions, of course.  But don’t ask me about those.  I haven’t had those teachers.  The point is to pick classes that you think you will enjoy and are able to do well in.  But don’t sign up for easy stuff either or you will be EXTREMELY bored.

High school relationships suck.  My advice is to not get involved in them at all.  But if you must, try not to become too attached to the person.  They WILL break your heart and/or leave you for someone of the same sex.  It happens all too often.  Trust me on this.  If not that, then somewhere down the road you will be sitting with that person listening to them ramble on about meaningless crap thinking “Why am I doing this?”  It happens.  I know.  I’ve been there, done that.

Try to be nice to everybody too.  If you go around starting fights and crap like that, nobody is going to take you seriously.  Well, maybe some of the stupid rednecks that like to settle conflicts by “going in the park.”  Anyways, the rewards you will reap for kindness are great.  People will trust you more and like you as a person.  They will be more willing to be your friend.  Along the same lines choose who you hang out with carefully.  Spend time with people who are like you, that can have a good time with you without using drugs or cutting somebody down.  Trust me, this will help you a LOT in the future.

I can’t really think of anything else meaningful to say except good luck, have fun, and try not to throw up when the chicken sandwich you are eating begins to taste like chalk.  Peace.

Your senior friend,

Douglas Jordan

 

Dear freshman,

You’ve already made it through nine years of schooling and only four more to go. I would definitely suggest when you come to school the first day, have a couple friends who are older, just to guide you around or give you good advice much like I am doing right now. That got me through the first few days and saved me from a great amount of hassles and struggle. You could make friends from local organizations, churches/synagogues/mosques, and family. High school has many different things you must consider such as work load, friends, self, stress, and relationships.

First and foremost class choice, definitely take the hardest classes you can. Take advantage of every opportunity, it WILL benefit you. The teachers really care and you have people in your classes who are not immature, well, who are not as immature as some of the people. When you take personal fitness or teacher assisting, you’ll understand what I mean.

Friends, a very significant department, the choices you make in this area can make or break you. Friends are the ones who support you, have fun with, and can seriously talk to. Make sure your friends do not make your identity; have your own, be yourself. Now that we’ve got that straight, the friends you choose are so important. Make sure they like you for who you are and not what you can do for them. Also that they are optimistic and can help you when you’re down, the ones who aren’t just decide to make it a depression competition. Such as, you say “I failed this test and my mom grounded me for a week.” And then your friend says, “Oh you should hear what happened yesterday, I had my kidney stolen and then my dog died.” Really, it is quite annoying. Though, you should be willing to hear your friends’ problems also, then you need to play the listener role, and don’t start your own “depression competition.” Make sure your friends don’t try and take away from your identity but they can definitely add to it. For instance, let’s say when you were in middle school you had never heard of “bluegrass” before but one of your friends introduced you to it and now you love it. That’s awesome; life is good, you and your friend are happy. Friends can also be good for meeting new people. Seriously, all of my boyfriends I have met via friends and turned out great.

This leads us to our next subject, relationships. Really it’s tough stuff in high school. One major thing I suggest is to not date seriously in high school, a few of my really good friends have done that and all they’ve had is serious heartache. I don’t condone it, I just don’t personally find it to be worth it. Seriously, the relationship doesn’t really have that far to go in high school; do you think you’ll marry anyone in the next four years? I think not, especially because [in high school] relationships are much like marriages in Hollywood. They’re may be a few successful but the majority break it off in the end. Oh yeah, do NOT date upperclassmen, you’re a freshman, they’re probably after more than you know of at this innocent age.

Stress, it gets to the best of us, even in high school. One way to not be stressed is to manage your time, personally I am quite bad at that but still, and you should try it. Procrastinating leads to a sleepless night and school the next morning, you may get an extended blink but that’s about all the rest you’ll get. I’ve learned many times, the hard way, that procrastination can really put a toll on your performance and health. You all are young, growing kids you need rest. If you are stressed with things more than school, such as family or friend issues talk to someone like a good friend.

To conclude, heed this advice it is coming from a current version of what you are! will be going through. You may have heard it a billion times but seriously it helps. Always make sure to look at the bathroom signs, you wouldn’t want to go in the wrong one would you?

Take care,

Danielle Durham