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 and by Summerlin Academy students. They are otherwise in no particular order.

 

 

Dear IB Freshman,

Welcome to the four most grueling years of your life. I will try not to be pessimistic about what I am to tell you, however there may not be any other way to describe life in IB. Despite my pessimism, I hope to give you a silver lining, so you can learn from my mistakes and have a better time in this program.

First, do NOT procrastinate. I never was one to procrastinate until my junior year (the WORST time to pick up such a habit). Procrastination may at first seem like the best idea ever since it gives you a moment of relief. In the long run, it’s the worst possible thing to do. You will always be behind schedule, hurrying to get assignments done; therefore nothing will be done with pride or with enough effort. Being behind on assignments leads to many sleepless nights and lack of time to do anything else but homework. Essentially, procrastination is selling your soul to IB.

In lieu of procrastination, I would strongly suggest doing college research during the summer before senior year. This allows for you to have sufficient time to thoroughly investigate schools and gives you the opportunity to pick those schools you choose to apply to. With this extra research you will have a better time choosing which college to attend. In addition, I received some of the best advice from an FSU advisor: don’t just look at the school’s ranking and such; make sure you know what your professors are interested in. This way you will know whether the professors will cater to your personal interests. Also, fill out as many or as much of the college applications over the summer. This too will save you from countless nights of lack of sleep.

As a freshman I would say the class that deserves the most attention is biology. It is not a difficult class; it just requires time to sink in. Sophomore year I would definitely devote significantly more time to World History, since it is your first AP class. As a junior, concentrate on your science major. It is a higher level class. It does not matter which teacher you have, all the sciences require self-studying since there is so much material that has to be covered within the year. As a senior, I would suggest concentrating on history, math, and science. Science and history require a lot of time since there is so much information to be absorbed. Calculus is just a totally new way of approaching math that it takes a while to fully understand the content. My last piece of advice would to not be afraid to talk to your teachers or fellow students if you truly do not understand the material; do not just copy someone’s work because it frustrates you.

Sincerely,

Suma Metla

 

Dear Freshman,

First off welcome to the IB program. This will no doubt be one of the most challenging yet rewarding experiences you may have in your entire lifetime. Well, to be direct there are some things that you should and shouldn’t do. First off don’t slack off during your freshman year. This causes you to get behind from the get go (I’m speaking as being a person who experienced this myself). My advice to you would be to create good study habits for yourself now, while the work is at its simplest form, that way you will prepare yourself for what lies ahead in the next four years.

Another bit of advice to you would be to join some extra-curricular activity. This will not only give you a chance to meet new people, but it will enhance your high school experience in so many ways. Myself, I was in band in middle school so I joined the band here at BHS. Over the last four years I have definitely met some amazing people, but I have also learned how to be a leader, and how to stay committed to something. Not only that but you get to do some pretty amazing things, like travel to Atlanta, and New York, and all around the state to perform because the band is that good. But in all seriousness, joining in extracurricular activities gives you the chance to still live your life.

If I were to tell you one course that you should really keep your focus on in all four years I would have to say that there are really two of them, your history courses, and your sciences. As you know you will pick a “major” science that you will go in to. It is important to pay attention here, because it is one of the most challenging tests and the more you know the better off you’ll be. And history, duh because its important. It is also one of the most expansive tests you will take for the IB program, because it will go over all the areas that you studied, including World, American, and Latin American histories.

But hey don’t worry, a lot of people make it sound worse than it really is; that’s just because we’ve experienced it so we can complain, but in all reality it’s not bad at all. It prepares us for our future, and that is what’s important.

IB Senior,

Mathew Cummings

 

Now a senior, I know what changes I would have made to my style of doing things way back in the day when I was merely a freshman. The main thing to never forget is to procrastinate as little as possible, even if it means sacrificing a few days of doing what you love doing in order to finish work. Sure, as a freshman the prospect of “too much homework” is not something to worry about much because that’s when it’s easy; not too many sleepless nights needed to complete freshman homework. As time goes on, however, oftentimes from English or other classes you are given an essay or a project to do (like the accursed journal questions), and getting these things done at a moderate pace is essential. Not only does it keep you from suffering a night without sleep the day before the projects are due, but it also greatly improves the quality of your work as you are not drifting off to sleep at any^, point while finishing the project/essay (Mrs. Delk would be more than happy to explain her concept of “3 AM sentences” if you want examples of essays written by sleepy students). Ridding yourself of procrastination is essential for IB, and while I disregard that and have not personally had many nights lacking in sleep, you would be foolish to think otherwise.

As for pitfalls you might run into, I would try to avoid not reading the literary works being studied in your English classes (especially Mrs. Delk’s class because her quizzes are brutal… expect F’s without reading the material and don’t count on SparkNotes to get you through them). Especially as a junior and senior, the novels you read are very important for your literary development and will serve you greatly come time for formal orals and world literature papers. With reading the novels, the topics discussed in English will make no sense to you and your papers will most likely be terrible. In order to make any good world literature paper, you would have had to have read the novels greatly in depth. If you have yet to do so by the time Mrs. Delk begins asking for possible topics, you may be in a lot of trouble. If you wait until the last day to do your world literature paper and you STILL haven’t read the novels… well then you are absolutely screwed. Do not rely on SparkNotes or anything for these either; your paper will wind up quite weak and won’t score well come time for them to be graded by those probably overseas.

The subject I have found to be most deserving of study is most likely history. Normally I would say study what you feel will help you most in the future for specialization for particular jobs, but that can wait until college. History is a subject area where you can’t just understand concepts or symbols in different works; history is a series of facts and consequences. The only way you can learn about whatever period of time you are talking about in your class for whatever part of the world it concerns is by reading your textbook and deriving conclusions about what happened and why. A lot of the things in other classes you can pretty much learn in class or quickly get down after a couple glances or by doing homework, but history is much too full of facts to simply know from class time or homework. Even after reading the history chapters for the tests you will take you will probably not know everything, and will forget a bit of what you had learned before your test even takes place. You also have to analyze the causes and implications of events and make connections for everything you read about simply for the sake of one test. Doing this multiple times a year is exhausting, especially when you arrive in Mr. Shuff’s class. His tests are absolutely ridiculous and require that you have very extensive knowledge on the current topic of discussion, all of which you will gain by reading the chapter and his notes in addition to connecting events as mentioned earlier. Even then many questions on his tests will leave you clueless, making his class perhaps the toughest one to get an A in out of all of them that you will take. Come to think of it, perhaps the real subject most deserving of study is Shuff’s personal background and life, as those 2500-point extra credit questions will sure help come Shuff test day… Good luck finding anything about that!!

Sam White

 

Dear IB freshmen,

I’d like to start this recommendation out by saying that I will not warn you against the dangers of procrastination. That would be hypocritical considering that it is nine o’clock, and I’m just now starting on this essay; we won’t talk about the studying for French and calculus exams and approximately six scholarship essays I have to get done by tomorrow, either. Like I said, I am in no position to chastise you. However, I will attempt to impart a few wise (and not to mention, slightly bitter and sarcastic) words that will hopefully help you through the next four years, rather than scare your pants off. (Side note: my first piece of advice would be to not use sentences like the one I just wrote in Delk’s class. She is God, and God doesn’t like run-on sentences, apparently.)

For starters, I will say that you really do have the best teachers around. God only knows how much more work they do than a normal teacher, and then they have to deal with a bunch of insane IB kids all day. These people are troopers; give them the respect they deserve. Take advantage of the opportunities they offer up, too; despite all of our griping at having to spend a Saturday morning with Delk, working on World Lit. I papers, the time really did help. Moe’s with Goss was always hysterical, Palace Pizza with Dietert was surprisingly fun, and I’ll admit that there were many days that I laughed more during my time spent getting calculus help after school with Frizz than I did during the entire day spent with my friends. As far as which classes are worth devoting the most time, I would say your hardest courses. The classes that kick your butt are generally the ones which are taught by teachers who really want you to do well. I can’t tell you how many hours I put in working on biology, calculus and art, this year. Coincidentally, those were also my three classes that taught me the most, and that had the most involved teachers.

Overall, IB can be hell sometimes, but it’s definitely manageable. Make friends with Cavanaugh (she’s a saint, I tell you!), start your portfolios and bio labs two days before they are due (not 8 hours), and for god’s sake, read the history book. Take it one day at a time, and you’ll be looking back at that long, devilish road before you know it. Most importantly, appreciate what you’ve been given. Don’t take your classmates IB family for granted; they are the only ones that will understand those sleep-deprived, inside jokes that you thought were hysterical, but really aren’t that funny. Things will get strained senior year, but attempt to hold each other together by putting in that extra effort. Wake up 15 minutes early to stop and get donuts for people on the way to school, or take the time to get everyone to sign a birthday card for that classmate of yours who is finally turning 18. It’s easy to feel stressed out and alone when you’re juggling a million and one things that no one can help you with; the biggest mistake you can make is to isolate your friends in the process. My class knows from experience. Anyway, those kinematic calculus problems are calling my name. Good luck to you all; you can do it, if you really want to. Your IB experience will be as good as you want it to be.

Best Wishes,

Lauren Kalogridis

 

Possibly the most important advice I could give an incoming student concerning their schedules (assuming they actually want to get their diploma) is to take biology as their science. I say this as someone who’s terrible in biology and has a pretty poor grade, so it’s really not a personal bias. Both the physics and chemistry classes have very little chance of passing the IB exam, unless they study exhaustively in their free time. Biology may be difficult, and possibly toxic to your GPA, but it at least gives you a fighting chance of passing an important HL exam. I would also advise any incoming students to try to limit their procrastination. Once you make it your lifestyle it’s a little difficult to change, so they should try to start off on a different note. Finally, I would suggest that they try to get as much of a head start on their CAS hours as possible junior year. This may seem like obvious advice but it’s very easy to put off until you’re kind of screwed. Not that I would know, of course.

It’s vital for any IB student to remember not to take it too seriously. Obviously you should put as much effort as you can into your education but people should really try to enjoy their time in high school to at least some extent. When you put a certain amount of pressure on yourself consistently it really drives you a little insane. This, in the long run, probably hurts your grades more than it helps them, so it’s important to consider. This is another topic that I obviously know nothing about, but it’s important… Just trust me. If you can start off your high school career with a healthier, more laid back attitude towards IB everything will turn out much better in the end. Avoid, uh, going crazy to the point where you need like 90 anti-anxiety medications and have dislocated your jaw by grinding your teeth because of sleep­stress. That’s just a hypothetical example. Don’t follow it. (On the plus side, popping your jaw out is very loud and possibly a good party trick, hypothetically).

I think that which subject or topic is ‘most important’ is probably pretty subjective according to what subjects you like (or at least can stand). Obviously, since I’m terrible at biology, I wouldn’t say it’s important. However, if you’re going to major in it I guess it might matter just a little bit. Personally, I feel like I’ve learned a lot in English. Even disregarding the actual lessons, just reading classic works of literature makes one more well rounded and educated as a person, in my opinion. Once you’ve read the works, allusions to them seem to turn up all over the media, which is kind of eye opening. I also consider history to have been important since in my opinion it’s everyone’s civic duty to understand past events and the inner workings of their nation’s government.

Kristin Mills

 

Dear Freshman,

As a new student into the IB program here at BHS, it is important for you to learn some skills that will enable you to survive. First of all, you have to know what you’re getting into and determine where you fit. Of course it all depends on what type of person you are; but in general, students in the IB program here do not have social experiences apart from school. Whatever passions, interests, and relationships you’ve had in the past will now be replaced by work. Although challenging, the work in itself often isn’t too terrible. The amount of work is what hurts; it demands all of your time and attention and does not allow you to even remember what you cared about before entering this program.

There really is no way to prepare for this life, but my advice is to never let the work take you over. Do as much work as you can beforehand of course, but if you are forced to choose between continuing your lonely and endless work or spending time with others and developing your passions for a day, certainly choose the latter. Everyone needs a break from this life. Keep up with your work but do not let it consume you. Don’t let the work become everything to you, because one day IB will be gone and you’ll be left alone and bored unless you pursue other interests and relationships with family and friends. This is vital to your happiness; DO NOT LET IB BECOME ALL YOU HAVE.

Academics are not all there is to life, but they are the focus of life in IB. Each subject area offers some sort of value to the learner, some greater than others depending on the subject and teacher. I cannot tell you what is the most important or what you should do. Each student takes different things out of each subject; the subject that you enjoy the most and may have an interest in pursuing as a future career is the most important subject to follow. It will help you in your future and perhaps bring you a small amount of joy out of the program. Follow where your own individual desires lead you (excluding drugs and other immoral and illegal interests) and you will certainly excel in life whether or not you stay at the top of your class

Anna Irby

 

My four years at BHS/IB have been by far the best years of my life. Yet, one does feel that, one does not truly come into IB with an understanding of exactly what the IB program entails. I think that all incoming freshman should hear some advice from the upperclassmen, to get an idea of what they are about to get themselves into. If I had a chance to advise an incoming freshman, I would first tell them that procrastination is the easiest way to lose your sanity. It might seem like a good idea at the time, but when you are up all night, stressing and straining just to get it done, you will regret the wasted time. Especially never procrastinate on journal questions, portfolio assignments, and biology labs. I would also advise the freshman to be wary of taking biology their junior and senior year. Unless they like doing 10 times the work that all the other sciences do, they should stay away from biology. The most important advice I can give though, is that they should always be sure to take some time for themselves each day. That is the only way I have been able to stay sane through these difficult four years.

As on any journey, there are always pitfalls along the way. Disorganization is perhaps the biggest pitfall to watch out for. If you are not organized enough to know what is due, when it is due, and where it is, then you will not do well in this program. Disorganization will only lead to getting unnecessary zeros in the grade book. As mentioned, procrastination is also a pitfall. It will draw you in and continue to waste your time. Another one that gets people is that people forget that they need to do more than just school, for sanity’s sake. Play a sport or join a club, just don’t forget that you still have another four years of school after graduation. Not becoming completely burned out is imperative.

In my opinion, engineering has actually been the most important of my studies. Engineering showed me exactly what I want to do for the rest of my life. Though it was not a subject that required large amounts of studying, it was an imperative subject for my future. The subject I had to study the most however was biology. Just to survive in this class requires hours and hours of work. Truthfully, the best advice any one could give is to make sure that one does not burn out.

Alex Erwin

 

Incoming Freshmen:

First of all, do your mythology assignment in a timely fashion. It takes forever, and cannot feasibly be completed in the three days before school. Just don’t try it. Next, freshman year is fairly easy and do-able. This is the year to explore clubs and sports teams so that by your sophomore year you can become heavily involved in a couple of them. Don’t fall prey to the myth that the more clubs and teams you are a member of the juicier your college application will be. Colleges want to see dedication. Also, be sure not to slack in ninth and tenth grade because should you decide to become serious one day, your freshman grades will haunt you. I’m telling you, ninth grade is not hard and there is absolutely nothing to whine about. Just wait. Be thankful for Ms. Patton’s grandmotherly nature and Mr. Garrison’s goofiness. You’ll miss it when it’s gone. Basically, enjoy freshman year as the last easy year of school that you will have.

Procrastination is a pitfall, but I believe it can be overcome. However, if you want to be sane, be judicious with your time. If there is something legitimate that you want to do instead of doing homework, do it; but if you’re wasting time for the sake of not doing the work, just get it over with. If you have friends outside of IB, don’t let those relationships fall by the wayside in favor of homework. The work will always get itself done, but friendships take effort; a good night’s sleep will never replace a friend. You will need your friends later when the stress kicks in and your parents have no clue how to calm you down. The lesson to be learned is: don’t lose yourself in the work, that is not what defines you; your passions, hobbies, and friendships make you who you are.

Invest in your science. Don’t choose the easy route. To receive the IB Diploma, you must pass your science because it is higher level, and you cannot fail any higher level course. So, regardless of the workload, or the extensive lab reports, pick the teacher that teaches. Mrs. Kennon is marvelous, although her class is a beast at times. I’ve had her for four years, and I wouldn’t have chosen differently, looking back. Choose a language that interests you; choose electives that interest you as well. I say, “If you’re going to take the time to do the work, make the work worth your time.” IB is one huge investment that will return immense dividends if you play the market wisely. Take your teachers seriously, do their work, and study hard, just remember what you love along the way. No one wants to reflect on high school and remember only the textbooks.

Anna Mae Gibson

 

This is an announcement to all incoming freshman that are attending IB. You must realize that you are no longer in easy middle school classes. You’re in a program designed to be hard and stressful in order to better yourself for future schooling. This being the case I must advise you that if you don’t make straight A’s not to worry because the course is very rigorous. This although is not an excuse for slacking; anything below a high C needs to be evaluated and make sure that you have in fact put your best effort into your work. Most importantly the school yes is important, but getting involved in Bartow High School activities is key to staying sane. I would suggest if you are not planning on being involved in sports at least go to some of the school home games of sports to see the school spirit. To have a better time in high school stay on your teachers good sides because it will make your life SO MUCH EASIER!!!

Some problems that you might encounter throughout your 4 years in IB will be stress related back to schooling. The first 9 weeks you might feel that you’re overwhelmed because you’ve never had to study or do constant homework at home. But not to worry, you’ll become adapted to the work load and find it strange to not have more than 2 hours of homework a night. When you do get those nights cherish them. Do something fun like watch your favorite TV show or go to bed early (this is a real treat when it happens). A heads up about the work load: be prepared to have it all thrown on you every so often. It seems to come in week waves. The most common time for this overload of work occurs when a extended break is coming up. Not only does this happen your freshman year but it gets worse as you go up in the grade levels. Not to worry though, its only one hell week and then you’ll have a break with nothing. Towards the end of the year and the end of your four years you’ll get this nagging feeling to want to give up and quit IB. IGNORE THIS!!!! The best thing I have found to keep you from going through your desires is to repeat this statement… COLLEGE WILL BE EASIER, THIS WILL ALL BE WORTH IT. The third quarter slump happens to almost everyone because we all feel what’s the point and why should I try anymore. But do try; as soon as you begin to slip, your grades will plummet and it’s very hard to make up the point loss at the end of the year. Trust me, I know; I somehow slump a little bit every year. But I will pride myself on getting better at not letting it go too far, for the last couple years.

Some teachers are prejudiced against athletes and their education; they feel that you must choose between the two. A particular teacher that has this issue is Senora Salcedo. She’s a Spanish teacher. I have battled with her for four years. It has been difficult to maintain a decent grade in her class. I feel that if you do all your homework, she’ll begin to favor you more. Whatever you do, don’t sleep in her class for the first two years because she’ll blame your sports for you being so tired. So it’s very difficult to get good grades, but when you get that quiz back that says 28 out of 30 your sense of satisfaction is so great you just want to high five everyone in your class. One thing to look forward to is that once you get to your senior year she’s a little more laid back and relaxed with her students. I believe it is because we have learned all that we can the first two years and the last two are just review and expanding our knowledge of culture. Good luck with her as your Spanish teacher. Try very hard to get on her good side.

Claressa Brekke

 

Dear Freshman,

Congratulations on your acceptance into IB. The next four years will be very challenging, but I am sure that IB will help you accomplish feats you never thought possible. During freshman year I would advise you to study hard and make high grades. Freshman year is rather easy; making high grades can give you a GPA cushion for the years to come. Moreover, you should get to know your peers. You will be surrounded by some amazing people who will inspire you to “reach for the stars.”

IB is an arduous program, but with some simple planning you can avoid some of the pitfalls into which many students fall. First of all, DO NOT PROCRASTINATE! You will be amazed at how easy the exams are if you study in advance rather than waiting until the last minute. By scheduling time to work, study and complete assignments early you can go through the entire IB program without pulling a single all-nighter (I never have)! Also, finish all of the research/outlining for your extended essay during the summer of junior year. The extra effort saves a lot of senior year stress and anxiety. Likewise, try to complete your college applications early in senior year. Some people try and wait until December to complete their applications. This is a bad idea since during December you have to complete five internal assessments!

While all of your classes are important, Higher Level courses (Science, English, and History) deserve the most study. If you make below a 3 on an HL exam you will not receive your diploma. On the other hand, you might want to put the most effort into courses that might help you succeed in your anticipated college major or career. For example, if you want to major in Mathematics, work hard in Calculus.

Finally, IB can be incredibly stressful. There have been plenty of days that I have gone home in tears. One of my biggest challenges in IB has been finding a balance between school and life. Sometimes it is difficult to keep a “big picture perspective.” I have found that my family is a great comfort in times of stress. Also, it helps to find an outlet (for me it’s running) to release your frustrations and anxiety.

Well, that is all from me. Good luck on your journey through IB!

Maggie Holland

 

There are many pieces of advice that would be necessary for a freshman coming into IB. The first necessary thing to know in order to survive at IB is DON’T PANIC. This is very important to follow because IB seems completely overbearing from freshman year but things are often more frightening from farther away than closer up. All of the things such as the extended essay and CAS hours are much less frightening in senior year when they come due (unless, of course, you didn’t do them when you are supposed to). Another important thing to know coming into IB is that it is vital not to procrastinate. This is something that is very important to stress but is pointless to linger on. Everyone will tell you this because it is something that is important to remember but that no one ever really follows. ‘Those are a few of the pieces of advice that are necessary for survival in IB.

Being in IB sometimes lends itself to certain pitfalls. Many of these pitfalls fall in junior year. One is Mrs. Smith’s journal questions. Her journal questions should be taken seriously and should be done on time. They will help you on the test. Another pitfall is not doing the extended essay when it is due. This will not only completely decimate your ToK grade. Not doing your extended essay on time is a completely terrible mistake. A huge pitfall is not being able to deal with stress. Luckily the IB program inherently teaches students to learn how to cope with stress. Those are only a few of the pitfalls that are encountered in IB.

The most important thing in IB is learning to balance everything. This is very important. If you don’t learn to balance all of the elements of life like friends and school then IB is going to be significantly more difficult for you then it will be for others who learned how to do this. Balance is important in everyone’s life because otherwise the world would be divided into complete slackers and work-a-holics. The slackers would get nothing done and the work-a­holics would die early deaths by stress induced diseases. Balance is a very important thing in life.

Jennifer Constance

 

Dear Incoming IB Freshman,

You have four, long, grueling, but rewarding years ahead. First and foremost, get ready to work. This will be the most challenging educational experience you have ever faced. I could be like everyone else and say, “Don’t procrastinate.” Although this is certainly true, I know you will procrastinate at least one point in time either from laziness or, if you’re a perfectionist like me who takes forever on everything, from exhaustion. So instead, I will say “Procrastinate sparingly and with good timing.” Try procrastinating on one assignment by doing another. That way you will at least have finished something else. Couple things you can try to stay awake: 1) Drink black coffee with no cream or sugar. 2) Take a freezing cold shower. But do not fall asleep after drinking an energy drink. You will dream in fast forward and wake up with a TREMENDOUS headache.

Start IB on the right foot. This means getting the highest possible grades during your freshman year. Sounds crazy, right? I call it clever. Your GPA accumulates starting from freshman year. Curriculum-wise, freshman year was the easiest for us. A lot of extra credit is offered. Take EVERY opportunity. This way, you have a good foundation in case you really screw up during your sophomore, junior, and/or senior years. My classmates that really struggled with their GPA throughout IB were the ones who slacked off and had terrible grades as freshmen because those grades carried on with them. Even if you get a 100 in a class, if the teacher offers extra credit, aim for 101. Freshman year is practically the only year you will have the willpower, physical energy, and time to do such an insane undertaking. Think of yourself starting 9th grade as a freshly dead body. You can only rot as you go from year to year until you feel like dust.

One of the most important things you can do during your time in IB is to establish good relationships with your peers. Try to befriend ALL of your classmates. Of course you’re not going to get along with everybody, but give everyone a chance at least in the beginning. Cliques in an IB class are disastrous. Luckily, my class didn’t really have a strong clique network and was very united. You can pick your friends, but not your IB family. Always remember that you have to stick with these people for FOUR YEARS. Being friends with your classmates helps you survive, rather than succumb to breakdowns. Without friends within IB, you will experience extreme emotional distress. Just a fair warning: at least in my class, I’ve noticed that dating relationships between people in IB and people who are not have a less chance of succeeding because people outside of IB do not understand what you are going through and will get more frustrated after hearing that you can’t make it to a date because you have a test tomorrow, etc. In no way am I advising you to date your classmates. If you’re the casual dating type of person, you probably would not want to deal with an angry ex sitting in the same classroom for four years. If you’re a commitment person, having an IB boyfriend or girlfriend can be great because you can study together and have the same sort of schedule to organize time spent together around.

Have a research question AND a complete outline for your extended essay before the start of your senior year, preferably in junior year. The extended essay is the most time-consuming and demanding component of IB. I had never turned in anything late (without a late pass) until the extended essay came around. Trust me on this one. Make sure you have a good research question AND make sure that there is enough information to write 4,000 words on it. My problem was that my original research question had barely any information. You do not want to go through three topic changes!

Good luck with IB.

Love,

Asami Wright

 

Dear Incoming High School Student,

You should be excited that you’re beginning a new phase in your life. In the next four years, you will find out things about yourself that until now you weren’t sure of. Your likes and dislikes will become clearer to you. Your junior year will mark an important time in your life as you will have to think seriously about the direction you want your life to go in, particularly in dealing with a college and career. Still, perhaps the most important thing you will learn about yourself is how you are ever changing and how much you still have to learn. As easy as it is to think you know everything and are set in your ways, and trust me, after a few years in IB you’ll think you know everything, situations will humble you to realize how much you have yet to learn about life. But don’t worry, that’s part of the fun. High school isn’t your entire life, but rather it is a stepping stone into your best years. High school should be years in which you focus on school and becoming who you want to be so that you set a solid foundation for your future.

The best advice I could give to any incoming freshman would be to focus. Academically speaking, everything you do will now count. GPAs do not go away after every year. Colleges will hold you accountable for your grades from all four years of high school, and so it is important to start realizing that your grades are not for current satisfaction but rather for your future. Also, don’t allow yourself to slip in a subject. Unlike elementary and middle school, the material in high school builds every year. It is best to focus on any weaknesses now so that you aren’t burdened later on by having to learn in-depth material in a subject whose foundations you don’t understand. Focus on your school life. As much as it is important to maintain a social life, don’t let it control you. The problems that seem significant now you won’t remember later, and you certainly won’t once you’re in college. It is best to make sure that you don’t allow for personal distractions to hinder you from being successful in your studies.

IB can be very overwhelming. It seems to go in cycles where you won’t have much to do, followed by a week or two where you won’t be able to remember the last time you went to sleep. This can be the biggest pitfall for most students. There comes a point when your success depends on your drive more than your innate intelligence. There are a few keys to avoiding a complete meltdown (and I would be a complete hypocrite to say I haven’t had more than a few of my own). The first is to not procrastinate. IB students don’t necessarily procrastinate because they’re lazy. You’re just tired and you take advantage of every minute you have to just relax. Still, if you tackle assignments a little at a time, you’d be surprised how much you can get done without overburdening yourself. Also, surround yourself with friends that will be supportive of your goals. The last thing you need when you’re stressed is a friend that discourages you from working hard. You need friends that’ll encourage you and try to help you get through the near meltdowns you have. If you don’t surround yourself with these type of people, you might give up for a week or two, watch your grades fall, and then have to deal with bad grades just because you had a short, difficult period. Lastly, find a method to relieve stress. Some try yoga, others religion, and still others have their own approaches. It’ll help.

All of us have different career goals, so it’s difficult to decide what is the most deserving of study. As weird as it sounds, I would recommend that you give the most attention to the subjects that you are weakest or least interested in. In subjects that you like, you will naturally excel. Don’t just be a one-sided student. I’m not saying that you have to be a physics genius even if you prefer English, but try to at least dedicate your time to improving. Take electives in these courses. Even if you don’t like the material, every subject teaches you some skill that you can carry into other subjects, so nothing is a complete waste. You certainly don’t want to get to your senior year and realize that all your hard work might not result in an IB Diploma because you let one subject slip. It sucks, trust me.

So, relax, have fun, and brace yourself. I would be lying if I said IB was easy. It’s not. Your endurance will be heavily tested, even more than your intellect. Still, when you’re in your senior year and you get to write a letter to incoming freshmen and reflect on your own experiences, you’ll realize it’s worth it.

Jessica Gonzalez

 

Dear IB Freshman,

First off, Congratulations!!! You just got into the seventh best public high school in the nation! Pretty impressive I would have to say. Now this might sound kind of overwhelming but don’t worry too much. My best advice would be to just take each thing as it comes and not think about the big picture. Think about that when you graduate! Especially as a freshman you will feel a bit taken back by the curriculum and you will be getting used to high school, and the some of the crazy people that roam the Bartow hallways, but you will be fine I promise. In your freshman year, you need to try and make as many friends as possible. Get comfortable with your class because you are stuck with them for four years. The closer you are with your fellow IB-ers, the easier it will be on you because there will always be somebody to complain about homework, or a teacher, or anything you need to because we all are very similar, whether you think so or not. Trust me when I say that you should definitely aim for straight A’s in your freshman year, because it’s the year where it actually seems likely. If you’re a REALLY good student then aim for all four years, but most of us settle for B’s and even a C or two by our senior year. So make sure that GPA is as high as possible from the beginning, because when your AP classes hit you, and you are overwhelmed with everything for IB, you will be thankful for your good start.

I would also advise you to try and be ‘well-rounded’. When you try and apply for colleges and scholarships, long lists of extra-curricular activities and volunteer projects will look impressive. Also when it comes time for CAS in your junior year, it won’t be as big of a deal to get hours, because you’ll be used to it! While a lot of people might spend a lot of time on homework, maybe too much time, make sure you spend some time having fun. Go to the movies, throw parties, anything. Just because you’re in IB does not mean your life ends. The less insane and less paranoid you will be if you spend time relaxing and having fun!

For me personally, I have always had to spend more time on history than anything else. My sophomore and junior year I could only ever pass with a C, but my senior year I finally started understanding and got a B my first semester! Don’t ever give up because eventually it will pay off. As we learned in psychology, as soon as you give up, nothing will get better because you’re already done in your mind. Each IB project (extended essay, TOK essay, portfolios etc.) has been easier than I thought. It sounds stressful to think of all things that need to be done in the senior year, but it turns out ok. Each thing gets checked off on my list, one thing at a time, and gradually that list is getting shorter and shorter.

IB is not as bad as it once sounded. I remember sitting in my orientation before the 9th grade and thinking what have I got myself into?! However, I made the most amazing friends I could ask for, I am getting an awesome education, and I have some of the most understanding teachers imaginable. As Mrs. Delk would say “Just Do It!”

GOOD LUCK!

Melissa Adams

 

As a senior I can honestly say that I now have insight on the activities, work and projects IB throws at you. Remember to always keep your priorities straight, schoolwork should be at the top of the list. I play both soccer and tennis which puts me in both winter and spring sports. This sometimes causes me to put my studies in the “backseat” and my grades tend to suffer. Sooo the number one rule is to keep to your studies no what the situation, hobby or afterschool activity.

Freshman and sophomore IB students don’t have much to worry about. Graduation seems so far away that you are just happy enough to finally be in high school. To the underclassmen IB kids, “Enjoy the time you have now, it only gets harder!!”

Junior year is the beginning of it all. The LONG UPHILL BATTLE BEGINS! The first thing that you notice is that your easy Garrison math class is gone! Pre-Calc is hard, man! Portfolios?! What the heck, right?! Don’t worry though even if you really don’t know what you are doing, starting on the assignment 3 days before will guarantee that you finish the assignment without worries. Yeah, everyone laughs when they first hear it, and yes everyone still has to give them; ORALS! Simply listening and doing your journal questions will get you the passing grade you need. Junior year is a tough year but very enjoyable if you put the effort in. Come on now, you are finally upperclassmen!!!

SENIOR YEAR!!!! Yeah, it deserves its own paragraph. It seems sooo close. Graduation is right around the corner, you only got one more year. But yeah it’s still around the corner; you have a whole year of school left. And senior year in IB is not a breeze. Extended essay will absolutely kill you if you don’t plan your time out correctly. Doing the outlines and the rough drafts when they are actually assigned can keep you from getting too stressed out and also allows you to write a better paper. SO just get it done! HEY, HEY you got your last two portfolio assignments EVER!!! And to tell the truth they are not too bad at all, after junior year portfolios will be as easy as adding and subtracting, just start on time. English essays, what can we say about them? No one ever likes to write the world literature papers but after writing essays for over 3 years now in IB, 1000 words will seem like nothing. The greatest advice is to pick a topic you don’t mind writing about. This is very important for your paper to sound good. Other than that it’s all about starting the paper, once you start you will notice everything flows quite nicely. Senior year can be very stressing at times and you can guarantee that there will be homework, quizzes or just simply a whole test that you forgot about and made a horrible grade on. It happens to the best of us, just shake it off and study twice as hard for the upcoming assignment. Don’t let it get you down, it’s your senior year MAN! You only got one year left so have fun!!

Jonathan Morris

 

Darling freshman,

I was once a young and tender freshman much like you. Undoubtedly you are going through the last remaining years of puberty and have come do discover the wondrous invention of hair product, the innate desire to have a car of your own and an extreme attraction to caffeine. This is normal. You, my friend, have embarked on a magical journey on the quest for knowledge in that most miraculous of lands, high school. Throughout your high school career you will experience many bizarre and fascinating incidents. You will grow and develop a unique sense of style while simultaneously learning to mock that robust species, the “regular” Bartow High students for their incompetence (for the most part, some are actually quite smart). You will learn to not be shocked at the vulgar use of language and graffiti that is most heavily concentrated in the stalls of the bathrooms. You will learn that it is actually often worth it to stay up until four in the morning to finish a math portfolio and will learn to secretly hate those who actually do not “procrastinate.”

My darling, do not commit this most evil of sins, procrastination. Procrastination is the acute difference between insomnia and sanity. Granted, some of your most creative work will occur from time-pinching situations in which you will be up unto the wee hours of the morn, but in the end you will learn to value sleep above all other things, including life itself. Procrastination is often the only thing between you and an extra blessed three hours of sleep. So, please don’t do it. Don’t procrastinate.

Make good friends with your fellow IB classmates. Keep in contact with each other after school. Not only will you be making invaluable, life-long friends, but you will be cultivating a resource for those desperate times when you are not sure of what exactly is due on the bio lab or whether or not to include a bibliography in your T.O.K. paper. Don’t be clique-ish. You will regret not knowing all those who suffer the same harsh curriculum that you suffer here at IB. Heed my advice, dear one.

One last word of advice: make the best of your situation. No matter how things get, I’m sure later on in life you will not regret taking the hardest curriculum offered in the State of Florida. You should hold your head up high when your grandparents boast of how “My granddaughter goes to the IB School in Bartow” or “Look at her, beautiful AND intelligent!” I may not personally know you, but I am proud of even your contemplation of taking on this school. There have been many times when I wanted to quit because all my friends in my darling hometown of Winter Haven were having such an easy time in their high schools. But I haven’t quit and neither should you. If you have the gumption to succeed at this school, you have already triumphed in life. So go you!

Best of luck to you!

Brittani Cole

 

Dear IB Freshmen,

Since Iam an IB senor and have experienced the difficulties and rewards of the IB program, I feel it is my duty to pass some of the knowledge I’ve gained through my experiences on to at least one of you, I hope you will take the things I say to heart, and remember them in your upcoming years as an IB student.

The first thing I would like you to remember is that the rewards and preparation you will receive from this program will someday outweigh the sleepless nights, numerous papers, and stressful exams. Colleges will take notice when they see the name International Baccalaureate on your application, and you will be well prepared for the rigor of college work while others your age are struggling to keep up. I would also like to advise you to take the biology route. Yes, it is a lot of work, but I guarantee that you will be fully prepared for your IB and AP exams. Junior year (AP Biology) seemed harder for me than senior year (IB Biology) does, mainly because we are repeating the same material we covered last year in AP biology. Do the extra credit projects Mrs. Kennon offers you; they will save your grade. Hang on to your biology notes from freshman year, because they will come in handy later on. I also recommend that you take the route which leads to calculus. It too is difficult to understand at times, but I still think I made the right decision and see no reason why you shouldn’t do the same.

More than anything, I would recommend that you not procrastinate. That is what has really made life difficult for me in the IB program. Turn your papers in on time and do not wait to start your math portfolios until 5 pm the night before they are due. That just causes mistakes, sloppy work, and frustration. Don’t spread yourself too thin. Manage your time well, and do not try to juggle too many extracurriculars. I would also recommend that you take the time to fill out CAS forms as you complete them. It is much less of a hassle when you do it that way. Apply for college and all available scholarships over the summer and try to get the ACT and SAT out of the way as soon as possible. The fewer deadlines you have the happier you will be.

I believe the classes that require the most dedication and attention are the History of the Americas, Biology, and Pre-calculus/Calculus. I invested in a good tape recorder and now listen to Mr. Shuff’s lectures in order to better prepare myself for his exams. If you are anything like me, you won’t be able to take all of his notes and pay attention to all that he says. If that is the case, I recommend you invest in a tape recorder too. Biology also needs special attention because of all the memorization required. Purchase an AP Biology review book. I assure you, it will help you save your grade. Lastly, I believe Pre-calculus/Calculus will need a lot of attention if you hope to do well in the course. Complete the review sheets, turn in the homework, and do not refrain from asking questions. Mathematics builds so if you don’t understand what is going on now in your own math class, I think it will become more difficult for you to grasp certain mathematical concepts later on. At least that’s what I feel went wrong with me and my mathematical background­.

Most of all I would like for you to enjoy yourself in the IB program. Develop good work ethics, but also learn how to have fun and relax when the time presents itself. Appreciate your teachers and the learning environment IB provides for you and your fellow classmates. They are unlike anything you would experience at any other high school, I’m sure. Learn to get along with all of the other classmates, because it’s more than likely that you’ll have to depend on each other for support when things get a little rough later on. Finally, choose one or two people from your class that you know you can depend on for anything no matter what. Stick by them and support them just as they support you. Create a positive relationship with that person because in the end they will most likely be the one who pushes you to complete the program and receive the coveted IB diploma. Think positively and make good choices.

Sincerely,

Shelby Flynn

 

Future IB Students,

IB is an exciting and completely un-static program. You write more essays than any one person should ever have to. Welcome to your doom. My best advice is to make friends. Having a friend in IB will be the best thing you have ever done. Having someone to lean on, and the mutual friendship will prove beneficial throughout the years. Get involved in other activities, but do not spread yourself too thin. Do not underestimate the amount of work that can creep up on you in the time span it takes to wash the dog. The best thing I can do for you at this point is to tell you a bit about our program. This is not just an International Baccalaureate school; it is the International Baccalaureate School at Bartow Senior High.

In this program, you will meet tons of new people (about 60). These are your classmates, your colleagues, and your friends. The number will decrease over the years so make sure you get to know them before they disappear. Having friends outside of IB is great. You can rant to them about the amount of work due tomorrow and watch their eyes widen. It’s fairly amusing. However, they cannot help you. Inside friends are the ones who will tell you what the Spanish homework was and babble with you at 3 a.m. as you try to grasp the concept of the Ways of Knowing.

ToK will be your favorite class. You will also have a favorite subject. Learn what this is and study everything else. You will excel in that particular subject and fail in everything else. Learn to study; you don’t know how to yet. Get ahead on your Extended Essay, and make sure you choose a topic that you are 1005% sure will work. Everyone hates it when you change your topic 10 days before the deadline. It’s a sad day for any student to start the research all over.

The teachers vary but can (usually) be described by subject. The math teachers are generally nice and seem cool. And don’t worry, all the Spanish teachers are creepy, not just yours. The history teachers are… well, you’ll meet them. Science is the most frustrating thing ever. Note: this is coming from someone planning to major in the sciences.

Here’s the science scoop: you don’t do anything in Physics, you probably won’t pass the IB test, but you’ll more than likely have an A in the class. Chemistry (my route) sucks. The teacher isn’t the sharpest tool in the shed and is possibly semi-deaf because he never listens to us and ignores us when we try to speak to him. He can’t teach, you won’t learn, you will never know what to do, you won’t pass his test nor the IB exam. However, he crazy curves the grades so you’ll always have an A. Good luck if you choose Biology. Mrs. Kennon seems kind of mean, there is tons of work, but you will definitely be prepared for and AP or IB tests. So, this is the end of my rant/advice. Good luck! Have fun!

Ashley Earls

 

The first thing I would tell the freshman is not to procrastinate. I can’t tell them how many times doing homework or writing an essay earlier would have prevented me from staying up all night before something was due. If they can, the freshman should try to get as much done on the weekends as they can so that the weekdays run smoother. I know that not procrastinating is hard but it is definitely worth the effort.

The second thing I would tell them is to get as many college applications done over the summer as they can. I didn’t start working on mine until September or October and they definitely interfered with my schoolwork. To be able to send in your applications early, you must take the SAT and ACT during junior year. I took all my tests during junior year and it is actually very helpful because you don’t have to worry about scheduling the tests during senior year or about forgetting to sign up before it’s too late.

Third, they should not worry about completing things; that is, they MUST complete assignments and they will get it accomplished despite the obstacles. I have been working on the experiment for my extended essay for the past six months and I finally completed it today. They should just work hard and everything will come together. And at the end, when they are where we are, getting ready to graduate, they will realize how much value their years in IB are. I feel so accomplished now, having spent four years working as hard as I did and I hope they will feel the same.

Finally, I would tell the freshman to have fun. These years will have their fun moments; try to make the most of them. They should develop good relationships with their friends; fellow IBers know what they’re going through more than anyone. The freshmen should try to relax and enjoy themselves.

Abby Lubin

 

During my nearly 4 years of experience with the IB program, I have gone through many of the things which you, as an incoming freshman, are likely to face. Although IB might seem like a bunch of work with little to no social life, you will make some of the best friends you could ever ask for during your stay in the program. There are quite a few mistakes that one can make in the IB program, you are in luck, however, as I am writing this to forewarn you.

First and foremost, although you will hear it many, many times, do not procrastinate! It is easy to wish just to stop working, and as a result, wait until the very last minute to do your homework, or your essays, but that will come back to bite you. It is best to do your work as soon as it is assigned, this will give you a fair bit of relaxation time while all of your friends are stressing about how they w ill not finish their work in time. If you are not a fan of late nights spent working on built up homework assignments, I advise you to listen to my suggestion and finish all your work as soon as possible. Unfortunately, I did not pay attention to the warnings we got early in my IB career, and so I spent many a night working on homework. Now, however, I do the majority of my work on the day that it’s assigned, putting forth the effort to o the work was one of the most beneficial decisions that I have ever made.

I would also advise that you take Mr. Shuff’s AP European History class in the 10th grade. While the class itself can be quite difficult, the note taking does wonders for you. At first it can be difficult with the tests and if you want an A in the class, you are going to have to work hard for it. It is by no means an easy class, but as the note taking amount in other classes increases, you will find that the amount of note taking seems incredibly small, while your classmates are lamenting their misfortune. Also, you have to take a class with Mr. Shuff in your senior year (AP History of the Americas) so you might as well get a jump start on his note-taking and testing process.

As a final suggestion, during the summer before your senior year, do your best to do at least some work on the Extended Essay, it saves valuable time during the senior year.

Adam Roberts

 

Dear Incoming Freshmen,

You are in for more than you bargained. The amount of time spent studying, reading, writing, being involved in extracurricular and community service, doing everything but sleeping, is beyond your imagination at this point in your IB careers. With that said, don’t let it scare you; the strong will survive, and what they will take from this experience they will never want to give up. At times, you will wish you had a normal high school life; that you could watch your favorite TV show at night and then go to bed early, rather than staying up until the wee hours of the night doing math homework. But, this normal life is overrated, and as long as you keep your head up and your eye on the goal, you will get through it quite painlessly.

In order for you to sail smoothly through, however, you must not let yourself sink into the quicksand known as procrastination. By now, you have heard this word a million times, but it really is one of the keys to being successful and staying afloat amidst all of work. If you begin working on an assignment as soon as you get it, maybe even plan a schedule as to when you are going to accomplish your tasks, then you will be able to breathe easy. Many times we get into the habit of waiting until the last minute and it is probably the most effective pitfall in the life of an IB-er.

Being a good student and working all the time can definitely get monotonous, therefore, I advise you to participate in some sort of sport or activity. Although your brain needs to be active during your years at the IB school, so does your body. Even if you are not the athletic type, it is necessary that you involve yourself is some type of activity other than academics. Everyone needs a mental break every once in a while and a chance to be involved with something they enjoy…including you.

Throughout these four years of learning, I can’t say that there is one element, or subject that has been most deserving or most important to me. I do wish, however, that I would have focused on relationships with friends and family sometimes. You get so busy that nothing seems to matter besides the test you have the next day or the dance rehearsal you have the next weekend. Although I have enjoyed learning Latin American History, Psychology, and even Calculus; I don’t think as young adults that these classes are all we should spend our time on. The experience as a whole however, has been well worth it, and I know that I will reap the benefits.

Amanda Sanchez

 

Hey Kid,

So you’ve decided to enter the IB program.  Great choice.  There are some pieces of advice I can give you to lessen the strain.  To begin with, let’s go through the program year by year.  Freshman year isn’t that bad.  No AP or IB classes, introductory-level stuff, you should be making good grades and it should be smooth sailing.  You take your first AP test, AP World History, in the 10^th grade.  Think of it as a little taste of what’s to come.  Nonetheless, you should definitely be putting in the effort to keep your grades high and keep that GPA up.  You’ll thank yourself for doing that when you start getting hit with harder classes in the next two years.  Junior year is… you know those Roadrunner and Coyote cartoons?  Like when Wile E. Coyote finally thinks he’s got the Roadrunner trapped and he’s lying in the middle of the road waiting for him?  And then the Roadrunner arrives in an Acme truck and runs Coyote over?  Right.  On top of the multiple AP tests you’ll be taking, you’re also going to be facing IB-required Internal Assessments such as Math Portfolios and English orals.  Senior year’s more of the same, this time with IB tests and college applications.  This is where an essential IB skill comes in.  Master this skill, wield it like Vader does his light saber (or, more obscurely, Chewbacca does his Bowcaster), and you’re on the fast track to a diploma.

IB is all about time management.  All about it.  Not procrastinating and doing the work when it’s assigned will help you out a lot.  Just “a lot” doesn’t accurately describe it, but I don’t think there’s a word for how much time management will help you out.  One of the main problems is not the extraordinary difficulty of the projects, it’s how many of them come at a time.  On top of projects, you have tests and normal homework assignments, and all are important to keep that GPA up.  Teachers give you ample time to do big projects and get them over with (and completely forget about them until the day before they’re due).  To lessen the strain and be able to keep up with normal schoolwork, start doing the stuff the day it’s assigned.  Don’t put it off. Will you be able to do all of this stuff even at the last minute?  Some famous guy said that “if it wasn’t for the last minute, nothing would ever get done,” so yeah.  You will be able to.  You’ll also have a lot of fun not sleeping (ever) and pulling all-nighter after all-nighter.  So do the work when it’s assigned.  Not only does it guarantee a quality essay, or whatever the assignment may be, but you’ll also be able to sleep on a weeknight.  I can’t stress to you enough the importance of time management, even if I were to underscore, bold, and italicize the text.  Or write it all in WordArt.

Any other specific things?  Work on that Extended Essay over the summer vacation between your junior and senior year.  Have someone brainwash you to believe it’s due the day you get back or something, but you’ll thank god(s) — or a lack thereof — that you worked on it.  Senior year offers you the wonderful opportunity to fill out college essay after essay.  Get those done on time so they don’t conflict with other big things that are due and so you’ll have a free Christmas break.  Don’t slack off your Freshman and Sophomore year; keeping your grades all nice and shiny in those years is a lot easier than doing it when you’re an upperclassmen.  Buy your AP review book early and start studying it when they actually tell you to.  The beginning section of the book will give you a time span and a handy-dandy schedule of what to study when.  It’s great.  Trying to study what’s supposed to be six weeks’ worth of material in three days is not so great.  That’s basically it.  Have you noticed something? Basically everything I’ve said boils down to doing work when it’s due.  Study hard, but start studying early.  Put the effort into your homework but do it when it’s assigned.  Manage your time wisely.  Prioritize.  The evil aliens will still be waiting on your Xbox on the weekends.

Bye Kid,

Amith Umesh

 

Dear Rising Freshmen,

Congratulations on being accepted into the International Baccalaureate program. You have likely heard about the rigors of the program and the benefits of its completion, and you should be proud for putting yourself to this challenge. However, you may come to find that many fellow students complain about the work and stress associated with IB, but you can prevent this from happening by being well prepared.

The two keys to success in IB are effective time management and actively engaging yourself in class. Procrastination is a vice to which many of us have fallen victim; we will push back an assignment, big or small, because it is due on a later date. However, working on all the assignments intermittently allows one to complete work with minimal stress rather than exhausting all your energy in one night. So, a good idea would be to plan a schedule of your work and stick to that plan. I have planned my work out many times but often got lazy and did not start until later. However, whenever I did follow a set schedule, I had less stress and felt more accomplished upon completing my task. Thus, a homework schedule can be an effective tool, especially when planning out big assignments.

Also, never be afraid to ask for help. The teachers are there to teach you, so ask them about anything you may not understand. I remember being told that students may find it harder to comprehend new concepts in IB because the work is designed to prepare you for college; they are right. I have found myself confused by many things in subjects in which I felt I was well versed. However, simply discussing my confusion with the teacher usually solved the problem. So, engaging yourself in class and managing your time wisely will help you be less stressed throughout high school.

Eliminating this stress will thereby allow you more free-time too. I think many of us get so caught up in our work we lose whatever social life we have had prior. However, this is just a result of poor planning and stress. In a smaller class structure like IB you will make many new friends who will be with you throughout your whole high school life. You should make time to hang-out and have fun. This relaxation is mentally good for you, and everyone deserves to have some fun in high school. However, remember to prioritize and separate the time needed for work from that used for play. So, the core to success and balance in IB is, again, time management.

I have had plenty of teachers and parents drill the idea of “effective time management” into my mind, and they were right. I have been through the good and bad of this concept, but whenever I had a plan, my work seemed much easier. So, I can only further emphasize that good time management skills will make for a much more pleasant high school life in IB.

I wish you all the best of luck in completing the IB program.

Sincerely,

Ben Shaia

 

Dear Freshman,

These next four years are going to be what you make them. You really should choose to not procrastinate and keep your grades up. However, I know the more likely route is to procrastinate and do well enough to stay afloat. Obviously, procrastination is the IB student’s greatest flaw. Learn that now and you’ll be better off than I was four years ago. Freshman year will probably be the best of your four years here, at least that is the case for me, so enjoy it. Compared to the work you will have later, freshman year work is nothing. Also, everyone is still getting to know each other and still has that excitement of meeting new people. Take advantage of this atmosphere because it will be the only time you will experience it for another four years. Seriously, enjoy the friends you have while you can, you never know how much people can change during high school. Make sure you always have that one friend you can lean on and turn to for anything. Although everyone in your class is going through the same thing you are and feels the same stress you do, it helps to have someone who knows all your quirks and flaws but is still there for you anyway, no matter what. On an academic note, there really is no greater enemy than procrastination. Even though your teachers seem to never stop piling you with work, they care about you in some way. Beware of Kennon and Shuff, they may come as a bit of a shock at first, but you warm up to them eventually. I read in one of these letters that Shuff went to John Adams High School, if that should ever help you on his extra credit questions.

I know I have said this about three times already, but I can’t stress it enough, DON’T PROCRASTINATE. I know you will eventually though, it’s almost like it is programmed into us. In that case, be prepared for late nights and find your caffeine source of choice. The nights of going to bed at 9:30 are no more. We all have to do our time eventually, and IB allows you to see how far you can really stretch your limits. However, I think you find some comfort in knowing that there are about 50 or so other people that know what you’re going through. Even though you will get to know your classmates pretty well the next four years and maybe even start to get sick of them, there’s always something new to learn about them. Don’t be so quick to judge your peers and let too much time pass before really getting to know them. Like I said, you are all going through the same thing and experience the same stress and problems. Most importantly, don’t get so caught up in your work or with a certain group of people that you start to drift away from your friends. Class schedules can make it tough to keep up with some of your friends, but really try to make that effort; you don’t want to have a good friend freshman year only to never talk to them at all during your junior and senior years just because you didn’t have any classes together. Also, please remember that there is life outside of IB, I know that sounds kind of ridiculous but, it’s just as important to make friends and do things outside of school as it is to do them in school.

IB will present you with all types of choices, mainly due to procrastination, so it is important to make the right decisions. If you find yourself sitting in 1st period with math homework due 7th period and a biology test 3rd period, study for the biology test. You can always do your homework during lunch or use a late homework pass. For me, Mrs. Kennon and Mr. Shuff’s classes have always been the toughest. Once you get Shuff’s routine down, it gets easier, but you still cannot get away without studying for a test. In Kennon’s class, try not to wait the night before to do lab write ups, and study as hard as you can for her tests. Utilizing the help of your fellow bio classmates is also helpful.

In reading this letter, I hope you have gained some wisdom and have an idea of what the next four years will be like. Just remember, stay close to your friends and try not to procrastinate, and know that many classes have come before you, so surviving IB is possible!

Good luck,

Christine Tallo

P.S. I’m writing this letter at eleven o’clock the night before my math final, procrastination in action.

 

Dear Freshmen:

I am going to try to be as concise as I can, because I really should study for my Calculus midterm.  As I reflect on the past few years I spent at BHS IB, and I must say I’m glad I’m not in your shoes. It wasn’t a terrible experience, and it definitely wasn’t boring… but it’s refreshing to know that those years are finished and that I’ve overcome the challenges of those years. Good luck.

You’re about to jump headfirst into something that’s behind me by now, and I don’t think anything I say can save you from annoying homework assignments or extensive studying. I can however, try to give you advice. I know that, when I was a freshman, this advice wouldn’t have helped me that much, and I would still have to experience everything to really “get” it. Identify the classes for which you need to study harder, so that you don’t waste your time on a topic you’ve already grasped. Don’t let yourself get a “B” in a class if you know you’re capable of better; you’ll kick yourself later when your classes become more difficult and you realize how easy that class really was. Do your homework at home. Don’t be THAT guy — the one scrambling to finish his biology current event in Mrs. Patton’s class. It’s a nice feeling to come to school prepared and not have to panic or rush to finish something that could be easily finished at home.

Personally, I think there are some “IB curses” you can avoid. I have never “pulled an all-nighter,” so don’t resign yourself to that fate. Last night, I went to bed at 9:00, and this is midterm exam week. Divide your time and your assignments into a steady flow if you find yourself getting overwhelmed. If you hate working all the time, just do it all in one sitting. If you feel particularly productive — take advantage of it and get ahead on homework; it gives yourself more room to slack off later, and it’s a good feeling to look around you and be ahead of everyone else.

I can’t tell you which subject is going to be more important to you, and I can’t tell you what you should study more for. We all have different strengths and weaknesses. I can tell you, however, what was a problem for me, and what was super easy. I remember Mrs. Patton’s tests being very easy. You basically just have to scan or read the chapter. There’s a bit more to Mrs. Harb’s tests — at some point she has these quotes tests and they kinda suck, and Sparknotes won’t help with character quote tests. Sparknotes will help you with English class, but you should still try to have an original thought once in a while. Biology was just one of those classes I had to study for. I didn’t have to study for Spanish at all, unless it was a vocab quiz of words I’d never seen. Mrs. Longworth’s class…  could be out of this world. It’s all fun and games until you’ve got some test in front of you and you don’t know what it’s talking about… but I don’t particularly remember that class being painful. Geometry… I don’t feel like I did anything all year except for shenanigans. Keep in mind that I’m pretty weak when it comes to geometry, and you may want to learn something for FCAT or SAT. La la la. If you hate it, drop out. Don’t torture yourself; don’t torture those around you with your complaining.

Courtney Campbell

 

Alright freshman. You have successfully made it into the IB Bartow program, in the Top 10 High Schools Nationally for 2 years now. Congratulations. You’re in. Now what? Well, chances are that you have heard some rumors that IB is full of nerds, or something else to that effect. If you haven’t figured out yet, that is a complete lie. In fact, socially, there is no real difference except that your class is smaller. Anyways, I’m not going to talk about that, I’m pretty sure everyone else has stated that to you before and will again.

You came here with reservations. At least half of you say that your parents forced you to come here, maybe a quarter did. For that quarter, the phrase “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” applies here. Really. Stay here at least a semester, preferably a whole year, before you decide to stay or leave. The paperwork is easier and less discouraging, and you get a feel for the classes. As a freshman, you will be taking (probably) all honors classes. If you made it in, you’re quite capable of doing the work, even if it is the class period before it is due. (Procrastination is a bad habit, but a guilty pleasure. If you stay, by the time you’re a senior you have mastered it to an art form. Not that it is something to strive for — *gasp*!) The course work is not too hard. Now if your main reason for not wanting to go here is your perceived lack of social life, there is a grain of truth in that. Later as an upperclassman, you will not have the free time you once did. But you will have made plenty of friends (both inside and outside IB), and there will still be time for fun. Your social life will not be affected your first 2 years here. I will restate this again, at least stay a semester to get a feel for IB; you don’t lose much at least trying it out for a while.

For those who willingly came here, great. Chances are that you are going to be the more type-A personalities, though many of you will be laid back and lazy. For those lazy people, speaking from experience “FOR THE LOVE OF GOD AT LEAST MAKE A FEW A’s, YOU ARE CAPABLE AND IT DOESN’T TAKE TOO MUCH MORE EFFORT!!!!!” Notice how I’m not saying get straight As, though that would be nice; it make life sooo much easier for you later. Just don’t go and make straight Bs or Bs and Cs your freshman year. I have struggled to make my 4 A’s Junior Year to pull up my GPA from tenths of a percentage point for work I could have easily done so much better with often 15-20 minutes more work freshman year. TV is not an excuse. There’s TiVo for some of you, and the internet for the rest. Anyways, yeah, for you lazy people, remember that I told you so when you don’t do this and you are applying for colleges.

For those Type-As though, you have a different set of problems than the rest. You probably were at the top of the class or close to it, and expect to stay there at IB at all cost. Chances are, not gonna be you. But seriously, it’s okay. Harvard University turns down a lot more valedictorians than it accepts for a reason. (You can look it up, as of 2009 it was true.) The answer is in well-roundedness. Most valedictorians are so focused in their grades that they lose sight of what the point of those grades are — getting into a good college. And colleges look at more than just grades, they look at extracurriculars and tests as well (often with equal weight.) That tenth or hundredth of a percentage point on your GPA WILL NOT MATTER if you do not have a decent amount of extracurriculars to go with it. I would suggest a sport. (Yes, even if you suck.) And keep that sport for all 4 years. It looks great to colleges and goes far to make you a more well-balanced person. And don’t tell me that you do not have the time. You made it into IB, you are capable of this. If you can’t spare the time due to grades and homework as a freshman, you are focusing too hard on them. Remember that 98 and 99 don’t matter, they are both the same as a 100, a 90, and 89.5 and even an 89.48 if the teacher doesn’t hate you. I know this from experience. Another benefit of a sport is that it is SCIENTIFICALLY PROVEN to reduce stress — which you WILL have a problem with in your later years. Seriously, stress can be a big issue at IB, especially for type-A personalities. I’ve personally known a few to have resorted to cutting to deal, and one I know became sick and the stress was so high that she couldn’t recover until she left IB. This is not to scare you, just to show you the need to relax and unwind. If your parents are pressuring you to work when you genuinely feel that you need to detox, just show them this. I have no reason to lie. In the end, you will be fine if you loosen up a bit and remember to put things into perspective. Just remember your end goal and the alternate ways of accomplishing it.

Daniel Kryger

 

Dear Freshman,

Because being a hypocrite is not one of my many faults, I will not attempt to give you any cliché advice on how to succeed in IB or a lecture about the pitfalls of procrastination.  I have learned some things from my four years here, however, mainly about how laziness uncoincidentally coincides with the possibility for regret.

As a freshman, I would see the seniors and they always seemed infinitely older than I.  Of course, I knew that someday I too would be their age, but I thought it would take forever to get to that unimaginably distant, ripened age of eighteen.  I was lazy and unmotivated, and thought that all things worked themselves out without any effort.  So I sat back and watched freshman year turn into sophomore year, which soon became junior year, all the while still thinking that I had ample time to decide what I wanted out of IB and life, and then work for that goal.

There’s a book by Sylvia Plath called The Bell Jar.  In that book, there’s this really great image where the protagonist envisions herself beneath this fig tree, and as she sits there contemplating what to do, the figs begin to die and one by one they drop off the branches.  During all the time she wastes deciding what she wants, she misses out on so many opportunities that she’ll never have again.

While I’m content with the outcome of my four years at IB, it’s a little discouraging to wonder what opportunities I might have gotten had I put forth any effort.  Regardless of that uncertainty, I’ve had a great time in high school.  While I bypassed nearly every opportunity for academic excellence, I made sure to never miss out on a pivotal “high school” moment with friends.  With respect to that, I have no regrets.  I just think that the most important thing for you to do is to decide what you want early on. You don’t have to choose a prospective career or university, but decide how many opportunities given by IB you may want to take advantage of.  Can you imagine what a terrible feeling it must be to spot that perfect fig just a moment too late, and watch it fall from the tree? Now that, Alanis, really is ironic.

Sincerely,

Emily Helm

 

Oh well, at least it wasn’t boring.

If I were to give advice to a freshman, I’d first tell them to not procrastinate. It seems easy enough in words, but is the most painful/difficult thing in my life, and has screwed me over (maybe my entire future even!). Try and get assignments done before the due date, so you can have less stressful time and more productive time. It just helps immensely. The most important thing to remember is that it only lasts four years. I was told coming into high school that it would be the best time of my life. However, I found it being the worst and I’d rather be doing anything than high school. I’ve met a good friend or two, but these people are not with you forever. Don’t expect these people to help you whenever you need them to. Learn to do things by yourself.

The biggest pitfall of my life is the IB program. Not because it’s a bad program or anything but because I wasn’t ready for it/intelligent enough/hardworking enough. If you’re an incoming freshman considering IB, don’t do it unless you’re prepared to work for it. I wasn’t, and I’ve made a series of mistakes that may cost me my college years. However, if you work hard and don’t procrastinate, you can really get a lot out of IB. Another pitfall to avoid is cliques. I’ve noticed my class (‘09) doesn’t really have that. I talk to everyone, be it the athletes, the gamers, the girls, etc. And if you happen to be in IB, don’t shrug off TOK. It changed my life and has really taught me to think in different ways.

Something that deserved more time, especially during my senior year, is college. I have an abysmal financial situation when it comes to college. I will not be able to pay a penny of college, which means I either need to get a full ride somewhere or take out loans. However, because I didn’t get very good test scores(1370 on SAT and 28 on ACT), combined with the fact that I applied so late means I won’t be getting the full ride I need. I’ve applied for outside scholarships but have received none, and I’m running out of options. But outside of colleges, I really should have spent more time on attempting to get the IB diploma. I resigned myself at the beginning of senior year that I wouldn’t be able to get it, so that my ultimate goal was to at least finish the program. But even finishing the program is a question now, as I have zero creative hours (not for lack of trying) and the odds of me passing the IB Physics HL exam are lower than the odds of me winning the lotto. Keep in mind I don’t play the lotto. Anyways, I know this essay must seem depressing to read, or at least boring, but I hope my generic advice may find its way to some freshman that may need it.

Jacob Amis

 

I’m writing this essay because I have to. First secret step to success: do your assignments.  That seems pretty obvious but you’d be surprised how unmotivated you can suddenly become. Make sure that if you don’t know the assignment for a class you ask somebody else who does– teachers generally could care less for your ‘I didn’t know about it’ excuse. Speaking from experience I warn anyone who actually reads this not to think they can slack off senior year AT ALL.

Next secret to success (this one’s most important this year): Keep up with the extended essay deadlines! I won’t mention how late I turned mine in, ahem, but it definitely affects you in more way than one. Not only does your easiest grade (ToK) go down but also you will get behind on everything else you have to work on because you feel so hopelessly behind already. Also, Mr. Guice gets pretty hostile about it, which will make you feel bad because he seems more like a friend than anything else (not that he’s a bad teacher).

Another secret is don’t order pizza to the school office when Dr. Vetter is in. Dr. Vetter will basically tell the pizza lady to get out and then she will call you to yell at you about it. However, I’ve heard other people get away with ordering pizza so it might be worth a try. Just make sure you don’t give the angry pizza lady YOUR number in case Vetter is around. Sorry I know this isn’t the most insightful tip, but this happened to me yesterday and I’m still bitter about it.

Last secret: make sure you get to know everyone in your class. If you don’t, come senior year you start to get sad about it (thinking about how you’ll leave them all soon). So appreciate your classmates. You might want to get to know all the BHS kids too — I don’t know though, I never did.

Oh, and stay in school and don’t do drugs and all that stuff too.

Jana Hammett

 

The International Baccalaureate program has been extremely demanding and yet rewarding.  I have spent many long nights working and studying, but persevering has been worth it as I have already been accepted to every college to which I applied and have received enough financial aid already, without having filled out the FAFSA yet, to cover nearly all of my college expenses.  I advise to always muster the effort to keep pushing and make it through the IB program as it has already been well worth it to me.  The people you meet and friends you make are unlike what you would have made elsewhere and probably better influences.  If there is any one piece of advice I can offer, it is to just keep doing your best and push through all the difficulties and finish the program.

The biggest trap to which every IB student falls victim is procrastination.  All of us have the tendency to put off anything we can until the very last second and we often find we do not have the time to put forth the effort necessary to perform well on the assignment.  The only way to avoid this trap is to just will yourself past the urge to “relax while you can” and realize that it pays off in the long run to get assignments done early.  Also put forth the effort to avoid “senioritis,” the dreaded disease of laziness that plagues many seniors and has been known to cause revocation of college acceptance and scholarships and even death.  The best advice there is to offer is to just not be lazy and work diligently all the time.

The classes that I, personally, found most difficult were always history classes.  I would try my hardest to adequately prepare for each test, but barely manage to get a C or the occasional B.  I had to spend so many extra hours studying for history than any other class and yet still performed worse there than anywhere else.  However, I realize just how bad my grades might have been had I not studied, and I know it was worth my while and still is as I prepare for the history mid-term.  But what always matters most is what interests you most because it is very possible that you will pursue a field of study that encompasses that area in college as your major and ultimately your career, such as, in my case, computer science, which I enriched with numerous computer courses throughout high school and taking the more advanced math courses I had available in order to pursue the career I have already started, computer repair and assembly.  All in all, just do not succumb to laziness and procrastination, persevere through the entire program, and focus on what you like, and your high school career will be enjoyable, and easier than it has to be.

Joshua Newell

 

Welcome to IB. You have signed your name to a long four year program filled with essays, tests and exams. To get through it all, you need friends, a hobby to release your frustration and good study skills! Hopefully, you know someone in IB, whether a fellow freshman or an experienced veteran, to make the transition from your middle school smoother. Try to get along with everyone throughout the four years; you will be thrown together a lot often. It will be more fun and relaxing if you do not let silly freshman year grudges hold you back from becoming friends. Above all, you need a medium to release the buildup of frustration that tends to accumulate quickly. Make sure it is not a hobby that will expunge your time. I recommend a trampoline; they combine fitness and fun! Study skills are pretty important when it comes to juggling your social life and your academic life, a much needed talent in while in IB.

A few assignments come to mind when hearing the word pitfall. Immediately, I think of science fair. Though, this potential pitfall can be avoided. If you have not done science fair previously, find someone who has done it, especially a Resurrection kid. They should have some kind of handbook that helps immensely. It has examples, definitions, explanations, everything relating to science fair! When it comes to English, you must read the books. I have not experienced the pitfall for not reading all the books yet, but I guess it comes in May of your senior year during the AP Literature test.  When dealing with any subject, you should avoid procrastination as much as possible. The pile of too many assignments will wreak havoc on your wellbeing.

The most important class for me to study for was, and still is biology. I have difficulty with all the Latin based words that I am not use to hearing. Because of this, I tend to not absorb or learn as much in biology as I do in other classes. It also takes me a while to remember and fully understand all of the detailed processes that occur within the body.

Margaret Frates

 

Dear incoming freshman,

Having experienced almost four full years of IB, I am here to give you some great advice about IB and studying in general.

First of all, to be a good student you must develop good study habits. Make friends with your teachers, they are there to help you. Learn to manage your time between academics and social activities. A good student properly manages his time. A major “IB killer” is stress. Do not let stress “get” to you. Don’t stress out over minor work.   Study hard and often without distractions. Don’t stress at all, but still complete your work. It’s a complicated concept but soon enough you’ll understand how to manage your time, avoid stress, and cancel out bad study habits.

The major bad habits to avoid are procrastination and sleeping in class. Procrastination is NEVER a good idea. At IB, the teachers throw a lot of simple busy work at you. It may be easy but it tends to pile up rather quickly. The more you procrastinate, the less you will ever feel like accomplishing work. Thus you dig yourself in a hole. Although you may feel loaded down with work, just do it. I personally have suffered under excessive procrastination. I think that procrastination is the reason for the overwhelming amount of stress in IB students. Another popular bad habit is sleeping in class. OK, let’s face it, most of your classes throughout IB will be boring. This is no warrant to sleep through them! Sleeping in class may seem rewarding but it is just a terrible idea. Sleeping in class becomes a habit quickly, somewhat like a drug.

IB may seem like a complete waste of time to you but it is a great college preparatory course. Appreciate your teachers and the education you are receiving. Don’t fall into bad study habits in your pre-IB career or else you will suffer your junior and senior years. The most important and cliché aspect is to HAVE FUN! IB can be fun if you have a good attitude. Good luck with your IB career!

Patrick Reddy

 

My dear and unfortunate successor,

Calm down, you’re not actually unfortunate. I just stole that line from The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova. It’s a really good book…you should check it out. But back to the point. Lucky for you, I’m here to give you some of my valuable advice on making it through four years of IB. First, I’ll tell you what I tell everyone: IB is not as difficult as people say it is, unless you make it difficult. Or, I suppose, unless you’re dumb. You’ll find freshman year mildly challenging, as you won’t yet be accustomed to actually doing work, and sophomore year will mark the first AP test you take (unless you’re one of those freakish Asian math whizzes who’s already taken AP calculus or something). Junior year is when IB starts to light the fire under your butt, and you’ll experience this burning sensation up through the first semester of senior year. After that, it’s all downhill…until IB tests in May. Take bio if you actually want your IB diploma. I have enjoyed these past years immensely, and I encourage you to stick with the program (though I have gotten quite a bit of pleasure from watching several of my former classmates drop out).

Also, remember that no one will like you if you pull all-nighters. Or at least I think it’s pathetic when people do. I do all kinds of extracurricular stuff and maintain straight A’s and am the valedictorian AND have a life, and I’ve never had to stay up all night doing homework. It’s ultimately just not worth it. Besides, you should’ve finished your work earlier. It’s also really uncool if you brag about procrastinating… if you do, you’re just admitting that you’re an idiot and no one will like you. Especially don’t leave the extended essay and math portfolios until the last minute; people who don’t do these assignments on time typically die of stress and drop out, whichever comes first. Lastly, don’t complain about the amount of work you have and then procrastinate on it, because, you guessed it: no one will like you. Do your work, be happy, enjoy high school, and you’ll have friends. Oh dear, I’m starting to get all nostalgic.

My next piece of advice to you is to apply to your college(s) of choice during the summer before senior year. I know that’s a ways off for you at the moment, but it’s important to keep that advice in mind. I finished all of my applications before even setting foot in senior year, and I’ve found that it was one of the best decisions I could have made. I’ve enjoyed sitting back and watching my classmates freak out and run around like chickens with their heads cut off this semester because they’re worried about meeting their application deadlines. Pfft. They should have made better choices. Plus it’s incredibly inconvenient and annoying for the teachers to pull letters of recommendation out of their… heads with such short notice. Save yourself the stress and just get it done early. Then you can rub it in your classmates’ faces that you get sleep and aren’t stressed.

Most importantly, do not cheat. On anything. If you didn’t study for a test, take responsibility for your actions and fail it. If you didn’t do your homework, take a zero on it or turn it in late for partial credit. If you didn’t do your IB internal assessment, don’t even think about copying it from someone unless you want a dishonorable discharge from the program. It’s better to drop out than be kicked out. And, of course, if you cheat no one will like you. If you keep on the straight and narrow throughout IB and refrain from being annoying, you’ll be the most popular kid in your class.

I wish the best of luck to you in this program. Benefits include improving your chances of getting into college, being prepared for college, essentially starting as a sophomore in college (thanks to the credits you’ve earned), learning a ton, meeting intelligent new people, and having gloating rights about being one of the smart IB kids.

My last words to you: sorry for setting the bar so high…psych.

Until next time, this is Rachel Bouchillon signing off saying so long and goodnight.

 

Dear New IB Kid,

First of all congratulations on getting in and choosing to come to IB! The next four years of your life will be unforgettable. While the IB program will get hard, and sometimes unbearable, I feel that you will step out of it learning so much, and with a feeling of great accomplishment.

First of all, I know that many people have and will say this to you, but do not procrastinate. Waiting to do work until the very last minute seems to be an IB disease. Do not let this sickness take over you! Seriously, putting things off will mess you up greatly. When you procrastinate you lose sleep. Now why would you want to let go of those precious hours in your life in which you aren’t thinking about school work? I know it’s hard to get started on something the second you get it, because come on; you’ve just been at school for almost 7 hours! But not waiting until the very last moment, pays off enormously in the long run.

Also, try to get involved in a clubs and or sports. Not only are they fun, but a great stress reliever in addition to usually helping with CAS hours. I’ve noticed that when I didn’t have much to do I’d keep putting off that days homework, until it was too late and I just couldn’t keep my eyes open anymore. But if you have other things to work on, not necessarily class things, you’ll be less likely to become that lazy. Try to keep yourself busy through the year. Not too busy that you never have time to relax, but busy enough so that you don’t find yourself staring at the walls when you don’t have much to do. I know that kind of sounds like a contradiction, but it makes sense to me, and hopefully will to someone else also.

After going through the four years here, I would say that you should probably study up on history, English, and the sciences a bit more, since they will be your higher lever classes. But math (which is wish was higher level) and the language you take are fairly high up there, too. Actually I guess there really are no certain subjects you would need to study extra. This is because you’ll more than likely have an AP class in almost every subject, along with an IB on the next or the same year. All I can really say is don’t just concentrate on the subjects you like, study all of them

In all, I think you made a good decision about coming to IB. I know that you may have heard that it’s ridiculously hard and all that. And honestly, it is. And yes at times you will feel like leaving. But in the end the whole IB experience will teach you things not just school related, but about life too (props to ToK!) You’ll also become very close to the people in your class. They’ll be your IB family. J

Good Luck in your coming High School years,

Shivani Patel

 

The most important advice I could give to an incoming freshman is do not procrastinate. If you stay on top of your work and do what you need to in advance your life will be much less stressful. To achieve that end you need to be well organized. If you do things ahead of time, you will save yourself from the stress of having to rush and complete things at the last minute. Although you may not feel like working on things ahead of time it is worth it, if you are tough on yourself life will be easier on you.

Another important thing to do is to stay relaxed. Getting worked up over stuff gets you nowhere and just stresses you out. Just take things easy. If you are organized and proactive it will be easier to remain relaxed and stress free all the time. Staying relaxed will also help you have a healthy state of mind, free from unwanted emotions. Take time to do other things besides school. It is good to get involved in extracurricular activities such as sports, clubs, etc. Activities outside of class and homework will relieve stress, help you to be relaxed, and also help you be a more well rounded person. Extracurricular activities can help develop your social skills and other important life skills so that when you go out in the real world you do not feel alienated, or unsure of how to interact with people.

Take the SAT and the ACT as soon as you reach around December to January of your junior year. There is only one test each month and starting early will give you ample time to do retakes if you ever need to. Otherwise, if you take it later and end up having to retake it you will feel pressured and stressed to take the test for college applications that come up early in your senior year.

I highly recommend that you stick with the IB program all the way through. It is truly worth it. If you cannot, however, and decide to drop out, do so within your freshman or sophomore year. It would be a waste to make it all the way to junior or senior year and then drop out after all the hard work you will have put in.

Know who you are, what you are about, and what you want to do with your life. Do not let anyone stray you from that. Stick to your ideals, your principles, and be true to yourself and everything will be fine. And if you do not yet know all that do not worry, take the time to explore who you are.

Finally, and also very importantly, live in the moment. Do not come into IB with only the thought of leaving. Do not get caught up anticipating being a sophomore, junior, and then a senior, you will go there in due time. Take everything one step at a time, and take time to enjoy the whole high school experience. Otherwise you are going to look back one day, when you are old and have kids, and wonder what the heck happened.

Robin A. Clark II

 

IB survival tips

Here are some tips for you incoming greenhorns known as IB freshmen. When it comes to starting as freshmen it’s a good idea to experience new things with your electives, since it’s basically the only thing you can pick your first year. Your elective can be anything you feel like taking whether it be gas engines, engineering, creative writing, or art. The important thing is that you choose wisely as you may only have one and having a year of gas engines blows if you’re allergic to diesel.  Another thing you can pick that is not academic is of course your friends. It’s important to know your comrades from an early start as you will be spending the remaining 4 years with them. IB kids for some reason travel in packs or herds of at least 3, they form circles which usually block hallways when they congregate in groups and form close bonds with their friends which leads to clique behavior in later years. So instinctively stay close to your friends and you will survive what is left to come.

Next topic is potential pitfalls for the eager IB student. The most important thing is try not to procrastinate, which is the hardest thing for an IB student to do; we are geniuses by birth but slackers by choice. Another piece of advice, don’t take French especially if you know Spanish. Unless you really want to master another language by all means take it, if not I recommend Spanish. When it comes time for science fair, hope you get Biology second semester after science fair is over. If you are unfortunate and have bio first semester, good luck. One of the biggest mistakes any IB student can do is do nothing at all; if you don’t join sports or clubs then what makes you stand out from the other IB 80 students? In addition with extracurriculars you are able to redirect all that tension and stress into something productive.

Throughout my 4 years in IB the subject whom I put forth my sweat and blood was engineering. I have dedicated countless hours to perfect my design projects and work austerely in the Technology Student Association Chapter in Bartow. Although I strongly recommend that you try to maintain a balance between your subjects, there will always be one that you have a knack for and put forth your best efforts. The problem occurs when all that effort is directed towards one subject because you may be amazing at but you will suck at the others.

Tito Miranda

 

Even though you might be a little worried about starting the IB program, all you really need to do is take time to get ready for it. If you know what you’re in for and you don’t expect it to be a breeze, everything will go smoothly. This year being my last year, I would really like to chill out some, but this year is seriously the second most important year of high school. I realized a few days ago that the students who worried all the time about everything, but still didn’t ever get anything done, all have dropped out. There are different types of IB kids. There are the students who always work hard, turn things in on time, never make excuses, get great grades, and pass all of the AP and IB tests; yet still manage to do things like community service and sports. One person in my class like this and who I personally think should be valedictorian is Maggie Holland. If this sounds like the student you want to be, you might want to read Maggie’s essay, because I’ve only passed one AP test so far. Another type of IB kid is the type that never does any work, never comes prepared, always makes excuses, and just barely scrapes by. I’m not going to mention this person to not be mean, but I always have to give him pencil and paper because he sits in front of me in Math and English. He’s also really tall and stretches out on my desk so that I can’t see what I’m writing, whilst knocking all my stuff off of my desk with his long mane of hair… but who’s complaining? You should always treat people nicely, and forgiveness is possible no matter how annoyed you may get at someone. You seriously don’t want to have problems with someone you have to take four years of classes with. Me? I just don’t talk to everyone. I’m never rude to the people I dislike, but I choose not to acknowledge them most of the time. They don’t even know that I don’t give a flip about them.

My essay probably wouldn’t be the best one to read. I tend to ramble on about things, but that’s just who I am. If you are like me, then maybe you would enjoy my essay. I’m the kind of student that is confident in what I have. If I decide to fail a test, I will be satisfied with my grade. If I decide to pass a test, I won’t be satisfied with a failing grade. I like to be idealistic, but have become used to disappointment. I know that if I don’t work hard enough in certain areas, I won’t do as well as I want to. I have a horrible memory. I am good at math (or used to be), but I am horrible at History (I think… my grades aren’t that bad right now). Extracurricular activities are important to me, but sometimes I get distracted or don’t manage my time well and end up not finishing homework or studying for a test. (I’m kinda pissed at my brother right now because he always interrupts my thought and then sits there and talks about things I don’t care about for half an hour, while I have work to do and can’t think with him around. He’s doing that right now.) It’s good to hold your temper in, and don’t cry in front of other kids. If you find yourself in a stressful situation, start writing an essay or do your homework. You’ll probably have something like that to do if you’re stressed out. The worst thing to do when you are felling pressured is to stop doing things and sit around depressed. Then you waste time and still don’t have any work done. Manage your time, plan out your day, talk with other students about what they did to get things done.

Everyone in IB meets their arch rival sooner or later. There are a few things that every student finds hard to get past, though. Here are some tips about what you can do to get through these moments of impending doom! Take biology. It’s a lot of work, but the physics and chemistry teachers aren’t good at teaching the material, although they know mass amounts about the stuff. Your freshman year, try to get used to the IB feel, because it has one. It would be smart this year to become involved in some extracurricular activities, just so you get used to balancing your time. In the years after this, you’ll have more work to do, so it’s best you get used to it now. Sophomore year, you should probably focus more on history, because that’s the important AP test that you’ll have this year. Read the history book. There is an outline on course-notes.org if you need one. It would be better to read both the book and the outline if you’re as bad at history as I am. Junior year is exciting, but it’s the most important year in your IB life. Get as many CAS hours this year as you can, because when the time comes senior year, you won’t even realize that you have nine weeks to get them all done and still need eighty more. Try to make the best grades this year, although you should still try your best the other years. Do your TOK essay over the summer. If you don’t, you will die; no joke. Do any work related to your IB grade as early as you can. It starts to pile up after a while. That includes: math portfolios, English journals, World Lit essays, the TOK essay, the extended essay, and any other thing that I forgot to mention that sounds important. The worst thing you can do is to not try to do something. Something’s always better than nothing.

You should put the most work into your weakest class. Mine is history. I spend twice as much time studying for history as I do studying for English, and I spend triple the time studying for English than I do studying for math. Find your weaknesses early, and get to know how much time you will have to study for each class to do well in there. If I studied more in all of my classes, I would have better grades. I tend to emphasize my extracurricular too much, though. I don’t get home Monday nights until eight at night. Thursday, I’m gone until 6:30. Wednesday, I go to church from 2:30 to 10 or 11 at night. Manage your time well, and doing your homework in classes when you have free time is not a bad idea at all. If you take homework in series instead of in one huge chunk, you’ll do better on it and comprehend more information. Work smart, not just hard… but work hard, too.

Your best friend is another student, preferably one who will remember when things are due. My best friend and I always remind each other if we have homework that night or some project due the next day. Make friends in your class. Everyone is in the same situation as you are, so you can always find support from your fellow classmates, even from Bartow students. Everyone is helps out so readily, too. Be open to help, but taking advantage of someone else, like copying their work, is not the best idea, especially when you do it all the time. You should take responsibility for your own decisions, whether they are to do or not do your homework. Sometimes you may have to sacrifice a night or two of sleep to get all of your work done, but when you are handed that IB diploma, it will all be worth it.

Adios, Bartow! I’m nearly out of here!

Whitney Buey

 

“Abandon all hope, ye who enter here” advised Dante to the arriving freshmen class when he was an IB senior in the year 1280. It is in the same spirit that I warn you, the incoming freshmen, about the wiles of IB. In case you were unaware, International Baccalaureate (a.k.a. Idiot’s Baccalaureate, International Bulls**t, or IB) is two-year program of internationally recognized education for students aged 16 to 19, which means for starters that you’d better not even think about complaining until you are a junior. In the past, it has been theorized that IB was first created by the Gestapo as a brainwash technique to train super soldiers to attack the Allied Forces through Cuba, but more recent information has shown it to be much older. While the program’s primary purpose is to convert happy, healthy young adults into either sleep-starved zombies or apathetic cynics, some useful side effects include enhanced B.S.ing and procrastinating abilities.

Joking aside, I will now tell you that it is in fact possible to emerge from the horrors of IB with at least some of your sanity intact. If you want to survive, the first thing you need to do is make lots of friends and get to know your fellows. Possibly one of the few good things about IB is that you are surrounded by like-minded people. Always keep in mind that the number one rule of IB is that it’s ok to fail as long as you’re not alone.

The next bit of advice I have relates to procrastination. Sparing you the typical “don’t procrastinate” speech (because you will end up doing it anyways), I will warn you about it. Procrastination is the single biggest cause of stress for IB victims students. Now I myself am a bit of a hypocrite for telling you this because if it wasn’t for the last minute, I would never get anything done, but do consider that your life will be a lot easier and you will get a lot more sleep if you limit your procrastination. Stressing about all the work you haven’t done at 11pm the night before it’s due will only make it even harder to do the already hard work.

Finally, when its 8 pm and you’re just finishing up the first of 3 essays and multiple labs that are due  the next day, try to console yourself by remembering that at least some of the things you do and learn in IB will actually be useful in college and beyond. It is on that note that I will end, before becoming cynical again after coming to terms with the fact that’s it’s 8 pm and I have just finished the first of 3 essays and multiple labs that are due tomorrow.

Will Wysong

 

Welcome to IB! I know too many of my classmates are going to be broad in their advice to you, but I hope I can hit you with the specifics. One useful ability you’ll get to learn is prioritizing. There will be times when you’ll have too many assignments in one night that you have to choose one or two not to do. It’s a skill in itself to be able to decide which assignments are worth it and which ones are not. For instance, color marking doesn’t help me on my world lit papers or class exams, and is very time-consuming compared to how many points you get. Assignments like these should not be worked on too much.

As far as things to avoid go, I have to bring up the CARE meter. Imagine a dial with a shaky needle.

On the left is a zone called Drop Out and on the right is a zone called Hair Loss. If you care too little, you will be kicked out of IB for having bad grades, missing important deadlines, etc. If you care too much, you will experience the hair loss because most humans can’t handle an overdose of IB and will get completely stressed out. To avoid those two, find a place where you like to keep your needle. I like to be a little on the left, because I hate stress. If you feel you can’t move this needle because of laziness or your strict parents, IB might not be for you.

The most important and deserving thing about IB (actually, high school years in general) is to learn about yourself. And these four years, you will go from being an obnoxious freshman to a knowledgeable, likable man or woman. Enjoy being completely out of your minds now, because it is fun, you will learn more life lessons than you ever have, and each one will have bigger than usual impacts on you. So make friends, learn how to be one, date, become a leader, try out new things. Now is a key period in your life, and your academics are nothing compared to these life lessons.

Steven Schrader

 

To whom it may concern,

In my years of experience here at IB, I’ve gained a lot more than I expected I would. You’ve heard that high school is the best time of our lives, and whether or not that’s true I don’t know, but high school has so far been the most complicated.

To afford more complication than necessary, it would be in your best interest not to procrastinate. However, the second you step onto campus your freshman year, this cursed habit will course through your fresh young veins and compel you to abstain from work until the last moment possible. Not because you forgot it, or because you didn’t understand it, but because for some odd reason IB students  are marked by their horrendous procrastination skills. Sure, you’ll acknowledge that you want to get your work done so you can relax and watch a movie on your last day in TOK, but really you’ll just find yourself writing the essay for your math final while everyone else is enjoying The Gods Must Be Crazy and procrastinating on their essays.

Hopefully, future classes will know how to handle their workloads and you won’t be up at all hours of the night freaking out because you don’t remember how to use MathType. There are many nights of lost sleep that I would’ve gladly avoided if I had the choice.

Theory of knowledge is a class you’ll start the second half of your junior year. At first I didn’t take it seriously, and I really regret that. TOK is one of those unstructured classes that may not make any sense until the very last class. But it causes you to “think outside the box,” and while I know that’s clichéd, I’ve never really understood that I could until now. TOK has caused me to question everything I’ve ever known and believed in, but by doing this it has forced me to realize why I believe in what I do. So please just try and really listen to what Guice has to say, because until you do, TOK won’t make any sense and you won’t gain everything it has to offer.

High school is filled with ups and downs, happiness and sadness, love and extreme dislike; you can’t help or change that. But there are two things I can tell that will help you tremendously, whether you do them or not is your own business. Do your work, get it over with, don’t procrastinate. Make an effort to understand TOK and you’ll mature as a person. That’s all I got.

Cheyenne Kiddy

 

Dear prospective IBer,

As I reflect upon these last few years of my life, I see the truth in the statement “hindsight is 20/20.” There are many things I would have changed, things I would have done differently had I known seven semesters ago what I know now. However, if I had to do it again, I would stand by my decision to participate in IB. Although life really sucked at times, and I had to resist homicidal urges during other times, I believe it was worth it. You would do well to consider what I have to say as you make your decisions throughout your IB career.

The most important to remember as a freshman is that what you’re doing is very easy. Working hard now will make it easier for you later on. Make straight A’s while you can, and a custom yourself not only to effective note-taking and chapter-reading, but more importantly to memorization of the material you are presented with. Miss no opportunities to make 100% grades on assignments, especially homework. It’s only going to get harder from here.

Also, make friends; get involved in clubs and activities. It’s necessary to develop a psychological support base as well as an outlet for stress relief (and CAS hours). Besides, you’re going to be with these people for four years. Be nice to each other, and above all else, never date within IB, or at least not within your class. Stay platonic and you’ll be happy. The last thing you need is a mortal enemy to deal with later on.

As far as the rest of IB goes, opportunities to screw yourself only increase with time. Do your work when it’s assigned. Read the chapter by yourself at least once before the teacher starts the notes. Do extra work and don’t be afraid to ask for help from teachers and student tutors, especially in math, science, and foreign language. Create a strong base of understanding in these areas, because they’re never going away. Don’t cheat. If you do cheat, only copy Spanish homework and stuff like that. Don’t try to cheat on tests, and never copy essays or labs. That’s just dumb. Don’t tell people about questions on the test you already took unless they are willing to tell you about tests they already took. Do the journal questions. Read all the books in English. Work on your extended essay over the summer. Go to bed as early as you can during the week, and have fun on the weekend and vacations. Also, when studying, focus harder on higher level classes, English, history, and your chosen science. Those can make or break your chances at an IB diploma. Get on Dr. Vetter’s good side, as well as your foreign language teachers and your math and science teachers junior and senior year. They will be with you the longest. Don’t put off college apps or you’ll be sorry. It sucks to miss an application deadline, because that’s one less opportunity available to you. Give Mr. Goss a hard time whenever appropriate. He’s getting up in years, and the last thing we need is for him to go soft on us, so be sure to keep him on his toes.

Most importantly, don’t give up. It sucks now, and it gets exponentially worse, but I guarantee you’ll like the person you become as a result of this program. IB breaks you down so you can be rebuilt, faster, stronger, etc. You’ll be pushed harder than ever before, but just push back harder. It’ll push the extremes of physical and psychological endurance. Countless hours staring at computers, textbooks, and notes, sleepless nights dedicated to the consumption of caffeine and the completion of a math portfolio or world lit paper or journal questions, stress-induced panic attacks and/or psychological/emotional breakdowns, your first failed test, your first B on a report card, all part of the vicious cycle we call IB. Don’t worry, though. It only lasts for four years, 40 months, 144 weeks, 720 days, 5760 hours, 345,600 minutes, 2.0736 x 10⁷ seconds. And then college, career, family, retirement, and death. Hooray!

Will Crowley

 

To whom it may concern:

Being a freshman can be overwhelming at first, especially in IB. While you’re probably used to the idea of being able to go through your classes with hardly even trying, this changes drastically in IB. A key factor is paying attention in class. If you don’t, things will be very difficult as everything won’t just come to you as it once did. You probably shouldn’t over exert yourself, though – you’ll end up burning yourself out when you’ve only just begun. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try; in fact, that would be horrible advice. You should probably also take electives that you’ll enjoy or aren’t incredibly difficult, otherwise you will be very unhappy.

There are some things you should also avoid, so as to not fall down so far you can’t get back up. Procrastination is a big one. Everyone tends to do this, but if at all possible, you should avoid procrastinating. This is especially true with the extended essay and the two world literature papers. I feel quite sorry for Mr. Guice, who had to deal with the majority of our class turning in our extended essays late. Mrs. Delk, on the other hand, shows no mercy – if you don’t turn in on time, she will give you a zero, even if you turn it in the following day.

A few subjects require more study time than others. For example, if you take physics, you will have to dedicate more time to study on your own. Mr. Webb is a brilliant man, but he isn’t that great at teaching what he knows. It would be best to read the book in great detail. History classes require more studying, as well; this is especially true for History of the Americas. Calculus takes some extra care, too, mainly because it expands over two years, and you need to be able to remember everything. Portfolios are a pain, too – but they aren’t as bad as they seem (they’re just time-consuming and frustrating at times).

Jacque Dalton

 

Dear Little Freshman,

You are embarking on a long journey here in the IB program. However, as a senior with only one semester left, I can say the past three and a half years have gone by quickly. To survive IB, you have to always remember the reward in the end. From my experiences, I can give you a few pointers to make the best of your high school years as enjoyable as possible.

In the beginning, you probably won’t have too much homework. It can all easily be done the night before. Don’t take advantage of this small workload and develop the bad habit of procrastination. As you get farther into the IB program, the workload will gradually get heavier. It eventually comes to a point where you have to stay up all night to do the work you procrastinated on. And then the cycle of staying up late to do assignments at the last minute possible continues because you already developed that terrible, terrible habit. Do not begin procrastinating at all! This will cause you to lose unnecessary amounts of sleep.

Throughout your IB career, you may hear about Mr. Shuff’s history class. You may hear rumors that he makes you take ridiculous amounts of notes and you have to write all these essays and take terrible tests. They are all true. Yes, the notes make your hand hurt. And if you don’t study them you probably won’t do well on the tests. If you’re not good at history, like me, the essays are the way to bring up your grades. This class probably required the most studying for me. I would recommend not taking chemistry unless you can read a book and teach yourself. Let’s just say that subject is lacking in good instruction. All other subjects are pretty much okay if you just do the work and pay attention and prepare for tests.

The most important thing to remember while being in IB is have fun. It is definitely possible to have a social life and still do your schoolwork. If you consume yourself in your work, you will become so stressed and have a head full of gray hair before you graduate. Teenagers are meant to spend time with friends and enjoy being young. Be responsible, but have fun.

Emily Minter

 

Dear Lower-classmen,

There are things in IB that most will not mention to you. I never really listened to those that were unsatisfied with the IB program. There is nothing wrong with the program here, as you may have noticed by our ranking. However, IB is not for everyone.

If I were a freshman, I would just take notice of the classes required. If you do not think you’ll be able to get at least C’s in a class, then the program is not for you. If you do not want to work really hard to do better than your previous school efforts just to get the same, if not worse, grades, then IB is not for you. If some of these seem like it may sound like you, then take AP classes in junior and senior year. Also, take dual enrollment classes if not just enrolling in PCC. Make your schedule just as strong for colleges to see, except now you will not be taking as difficult or rigorous courses and you can get better grades for a stronger GPA.

If you do plan to stay, then do not take chemistry or physics. Take biology if you’re not good at science. Be prepared to study for history in senior year. Make excellent grades freshman and sophomore year, because that will give you cushion. And A is an A, so don’t worry about a 90 versus a 95. Also, supposedly junior year is very important for colleges to look at and inspect.

Other than that, have fun with whatever decision you make, and do your best. Have fun, but not too much fun. Enjoy your high school experience.

Enjoy,

Kim G. Parker

 

Dear Freshman,

Congratulations on being admitted to the best high school in Florida! Your next four years will be amazing, provided you follow some advice. The most important thing that you will need to keep in mind is don’t procrastinate! That is the most general advice I can give that will help you in all circumstances.

Other advice is much more cases specific. Each class has its pitfalls. English the many essays, math a portfolio and/or projects, TOK the extended essay… etc. Do not get discouraged by this list, although you will have to get all of these items done, as long as you work on each thing one of the time. All of this may seem overwhelming, but just look at what you have to do for tomorrow. The rest can wait. However, if you do have some spare time, use it productively, working on something that is due the day after. You will appreciate getting ahead, although sometimes it may seem never ending and you may have to continue on working ahead all through IB. Just accept the fact it is normal and you will be done with that in four years.

Now, moving on to friendships. I would encourage you to get to know all of your IB friends. You’ll have to get along with them all four years and there must be some mutual understanding. After all, who else are you going to talk to about homework? Freshman year is the best time to do this, for you will have more time then. Sophomore year I will recommend you join clubs, lots of clubs, so you may be able to have something to put on your résumé when you apply to college. Junior year can be for achieving a leadership position in those clubs and for getting your work done. This year you’ll have to get used to the constant amount of work you will have all year.

Senior year will go by extremely fast, and you won’t even know where all the time went. There isn’t much more I can say except do not stress out and have some fun. Look at things positively. It will help you relax.

Good luck,

Sergio Palomares

 

The school year has been rather hectic. If I had any advice for incoming freshmen it would be to break the evil habit of procrastination. Life would’ve been so much easier if I had not been pulling all-nighters to get essays and homework done. Also, pay attention in TOK; it can be an interesting class if you let it. With IB you cannot take anything at face value; assignments will always take longer than you think and time always run short.

Books will be your best friends. If you want to have good essays and test grades in English, read the books! Believe it or not, some of the books are rather entertaining if you let them. Do not let what you hear from others about the books dissuade you from forming your own opinions. Underline and color mark them as well. Your memory is not that good. You will not remember where every detail you need is because some of the books are rather lengthy. Get into the habit of reading and  marking and out of the lazy man’s mentality. Procrastination might feel good, but it will stab you in the back. If you do anything, break the stereotypical IB trait of procrastination.

The subject I found worth studying most was TOK. I have never had to think about something in so many ways. That class was worth the mental effort. I found out so much about myself in there. Do not close your mind and use it as a study hall when it comes your turn to take it. Have fun with the class and make the most of it or you will end up bored out of your mind. Also, do your research and all for your extended essay early. Mr. Guice, the TOK teacher, will love you if you get it done quickly and efficiently and TOK will be more enjoyable class.

David Holdaway

 

Dear Freshman,

As a senior in the IB program, I feel I’m qualified to give you some advice so you may learn from my mistakes. I’m sure you already been told several times not to procrastinate. That is possibly one of the best pieces of advice you will receive. You should also write down every assignment you receive to make sure you remember to do it. Also, whatever you do, don’t choose chemistry.

So the first don’t is, don’t procrastinate. I know this will be hard for you to do, and that you probably won’t do it. However at least make sure you manage your procrastinating. Don’t put something off unless you know you’ll have time to do it later. Don’t even think about procrastinating on your internal assessments and your extended essay. Procrastinating may become very detrimental to your academics.

The second though it is don’t trust yourself to remember your assignments. You’ll eventually forget something important (such as your world lit essay) or think it’s due later than it is due, and this won’t be very good for your grades. You should make sure you write everything down, especially on the really heavy weeks.

Lastly, don’t take chemistry. You probably won’t pass the IB test if you take chem or physics, so bio is probably your best bet. However, I only know chemistry by experience. The class is really frustrating because you don’t get taught, and when you ask questions, they aren’t answered. In fact, a completely different question will be answered instead. The teacher makes you feel like a complete imbecile for not knowing things, and will eventually ignore you if you tell him he’s not answering the question you asked. Seriously, say no to chemistry (and drugs, too. Those are bad).

So there you have it! I may not have had much advice to offer, but I hope it helps you on your journey through IB. Good luck!

Andrea Fontes

 

 

Advice, hmm…. Well incoming freshman should know that they are the “bottom of the totem pole” of the lowest of the low. You’re just going to have to realize that. And if someone is bigger than you don’t challenge them to a fight. Don’t start any crap with any upperclassmen because upperclassmen don’t fight alone. Play sports; it is the best way to stay active and meet cool new and crazy people and if you can’t play sports or don’t make the team then stay active and go to games. Support your school — you will only go to high school once, just remember that. Also go out with friends because chances are you won’t hang out with them after high school and don’t care what anybody thinks do your thing and ask that hot girl to homecoming what’s the worst they can say? “NO”? Wow, that was painful.

Don’t start to smoke or drink because some people get addicted and it’s hard to quit so “DON’T DO IT.” Well much fun stuff happens while you’re in high school — girlfriends, movie trips, and going to games just to hang out with friends. Girlfriends are good and bad depending on what dork you choose, but don’t just go for looks go for personality, but I guess whatever you like is fine. You will have to deal with her and don’t make her mad she can make your life bad. Find friends that complement you not get you into trouble all the time.

Make good grades because that’s the only way to get anywhere it seems these days because people with a college degree make more money and have better lives than people with only a high school diploma or GED. Studying which I “rarely” do does have its advantages and don’t PROCRASTINATE because it sucks, believe me. Well, have fun and remember you can only do it once so make the most of all your chances, and HAVE FUN!

Corey Stinson

 

Yo what’s up freshman! Jarell here just wanting to give ya a heads up on life as a high school student. You may be asking questions like: “What’s gonna happen?” or “How will my life change?” Others may ask, “Will I get dumped in the trash can?” For all you curious freshmen who like to know what’s up, the only answer I can give you for all these questions is “don’t panic.” The high school life ain’t that bad.

Here’s some friendly advice as you go through your high school years. First, don’t ever procrastinate. Procrastination is your worst enemy in high school. If you put everything off ‘til the last minute, you might end up losing your mind. Second, if you ever come upon a situation where you’re not getting something, GET HELP! Don’t try and figure it out on your own all the time cuz you can get confused. Third, always keep up with your progress. Here at the school you can go online and check your grades at anytime during the day. This is good because if you’re not sure whether or not you turned something in, you can always look online to double check. Fourth, if you ever take Ms. Frisbie’s AP Calculus course DON’T EVER FINISH HER SENTENCES! Let me just warn you that finishing her sentences is the worst thing you can do to her. And also DON’T PISS HER OFF! That’s her one and only rule. One last piece of advice, if you are ever in the halls while I’m there, don’t bump me cuz that’ll piss me off.

Yes, high school can be fun because you get to hang out with your friends and do certain things, but don’t forget the main purpose for being in school. You need to LEARN. While in high school, avoid getting into fights cuz that could lead you down a very dark path, avoid picking up bad habits such as turning in late work or not doing your work at all, and one last one would have to be to not disrespect your teachers. Remember that they are here to help you not hurt you, and sometimes they can even turn out to be really good friends.

For me, I think that the best part of high school is being able to hang out with old friends and being able to gain new ones. I try to make every day an adventure, and during high school every day might just turn out to be one (trust me). A very important thing to do during high school would be to challenge yourself. If you just come cuz you have to, life will be so miserable, so come with a positive attitude. Good luck and enjoy your high school years!

Sincerely,

Jarell Hiller

1. S. Don’t drink the school water!

 

To the Unfortunate Freshman,

You have just entered a world of no return. You will be expected to do your best at all times. Life as you know it has just ended. Say goodbye to movie and bowling nights. Bid farewell to birthday parties and get-togethers. It is time to buckle down and get serious. It is time to use your intellect and plan for the future. Goofing off is DOOM! High School has just started…dun…dun…dun!!!

Okay, so I’m totally just kidding about the whole say goodbye to the fun stuff thing. I hope I didn’t freak you out too much. But in reality, High School is loads of fun. Birthday parties, movie and bowling nights, and football games are definitely worth attending; just make sure it’s with the “right” crowd. Getting drunk or high should not be in your schedule. Social events can help you a lot because they reduce stress. You need some days to be able to kick back and relax. Life is stressful as it is, so you should get away from all the worries and just breathe. High School is just four years of your entire life. Don’t get too hung up on anything.

However, don’t budget all your time for fun. Although High School is just 4 years, they are the most crucial 4 years of your life. High School is where I came out of my shell and discovered my own identity. In High School, you will create your identity based on your actions in school, the people you talk to, and your overall attitude towards life. High School is the time to search for options and explore new territories. You should be excited to enter a new phase of life. Don’t let anybody stop you from reaching your goals. Be confident and don’t back away from a challenge. Take a stab at conquering your fear. By using your brain and staying on task, you will not fail (I promise).

High School can be stressful and tedious. It can suck all the life out of you. You can be miserable. But if you are willing to overcome all of this and stay positive, you can get through High School without any problems. And make sure you take time out for yourself. Trust me, High School will fly by right before your eyes. So stop to smell the roses once in a while. Good Luck!

Sincerely,

Tasnia Osmani

 

Dear freshman,

At Bartow High School there are many things you must learn in the hustle and bustle of a new beginning in your life, high school. You must learn that drama is a part of everyday life and to never take any rumors or drama personally, or you will have the longest four years of your life. Also the best way to have as little drama as possible is to not have a girlfriend or boyfriend. You should also play sports; they help past the endless afternoons and nights. Also you should pack a lunch because the lunch here blows and a ham and cheese sandwich and cape cods ships have served me well over the past several years. The last bit of advice is to take as many AP classes as possible it will help you tremendously and prepare you for college. Oh I forgot to tell you to stay out of the 500 hallway if you are a small white guy especially you will never make your way through the crowds of people and will probably get heckled and yelled at by your fellow peers.

Some possible pitfalls you can avoid are to stay out of the 500 hallways; you will always be late to class. Also never listen to what people say and you are not there to impress your peers. Do not do what other many bright scholars do at Bartow take regular classes due to pure laziness not lack of knowledge. Take the hardest and biggest load you can. Remember: pay now, play later. Meaning work hard now to get to where you want to go to achieve your dreams. Once you get to where you want to be and achieve what you want then you can play. Also avoid Mr. Kirin’s AP economics class, it is really hard and you will probably have conflicting viewpoints and butt heads more times than not. Once again avoid school lunches and definitely stay away from having any relationships.

The thing that needs the most attention and study is the classes you take your junior and senior years. The grades you earn in these classes can make or break where you can go to school. The core classes such as Ms. Young’s AP English class, Mrs. Frost’s AP English, Ms. Frisbie’s AP Calculus, your science classes and Mr. Kirin’s AP economics class if you’re brave enough to take it. For me it was important to also spend a majority of my time practicing and playing golf — that was where most if my time was spent. So seriously I learned through personal experience to lay off the sports and girls and focus more on school. Remember pay now and play later. HAHAHAHA!!!!!!

Danny Leckie

 

Dear freshman,

I have learned a lot from being in High School for almost four years. I have grown as a person and overcome many obstacles. The advice that I can give to you is to be yourself and stay strong. You will face many problems, but you just need to overcome them. Don’t be afraid to ask for help either. Sometimes the people around you can help you more than you could ever imagine.

Some pitfalls that I can help you avoid are classes for one. AP classes are very hard for the average person. You can either take them and expect to not make a super grade or not take them at all and save yourself a lot of free time and grief. I think High School is a good experience for more things than just the learning aspect because you begin to realize who you really are. There will be people who you don’t care for and people that you look up to. You can’t let the bad ones get to you or else you will be wasting your time.

I think you can coast through High School to a certain extent. When I was a freshman I made almost straight A’s and I had a 4.3. But I slowly began to slack off and now I have a 3.5. It all depends on what you want. I just want to go to college and whatever gets me there is fine with me. You just can’t let it get away from you because it is hard to get back. Overall you need to have a mixture of everything to experience High School.

Sincerely,

Kyle Baker

 

Dear little freshman,

Although you may not be little anymore, it makes me feel better to say it. You are about to adventure into the best years of your life. As a senior I can tell you that TIME FLIES! I remember walking into my first day of IB Spanish summer school like it was yesterday, and now it’s only 141 days until I graduate!  My advice to you is to never take a day for granted. Each day is unique and important, and even if you think it was completely uneventful, I’m sure you’ll remember something about it later. Don’t dwell on silly things people say. Have fun, be RANDOM! Burst into song and dance with your friends.  Be yourself and don’t worry about what people say or what they will think. Never change who you are to please others. IB kids are the best! They are some of the best examples of people being themselves.  Although I am no longer an official IB student, I still consider myself one of them.

To help you avoid the same mistakes I made, I will offer you this other piece of advice: DON’T PROCRASTINATE! Keep up with your work! Being procrastination-free will bring you less stress, and allow for more bragging when your friend is up at 4 a.m. working on a biology lab and you are fast asleep. Although this sounds like great advice, and I offer it to anyone I get the chance to talk to, I suffer from chronic procrastination, and therefore cannot stop. So quit while you are ahead, and don’t suffer from the same disease I have.  If you happen to be an IB student reading this, I will tell you than getting ahead on assignments would benefit you greatly, especially in the Extended Essay department. One of the most common senior pitfalls is the Extended Essay deadline. It’s called a deadline for a reason, because you’ll end up killing yourself trying to make it up later. I would highly suggest doing as much research and drafting as you can during your junior year and during the summer before your senior year. This will relieve you of 100 tons of stress that you fall on top of you if you wait until September of your senior year. Also, don’t take Mr. Guice for granted, although he may seem lenient about deadlines, the look of disappointment on his face when you don’t have your paper on time is even worse than your least favorite teacher hating you.

For the IB kids, I would encourage you to study hard for your history classes, especially if you hate them. You will hate them even more if you’re failing them. And I would encourage you to choose Biology your junior year. Even though there are horror stories about Bio, and I will agree with every one of them, it honestly is a very interesting class. Mrs. Kennon is crazy in a funny way and you will have the craziest conversations in that class. Some of my favorite funny quotes from classmates came from discussions we had while taking Bio notes. And nothing brings friends together more than 2 a.m. IMs about Bio labs.

For those of you in BHS, I would encourage you to get your required classes out of the way, so your senior year can be filled with fun electives. AP classes are a very good idea and can help your GPA as well as your ego. And taking an AP course in a subject you dislike could possibly mean college credit so you don’t have to take it later on.

As for the teachers, yeah they’re stricter than middle school, but you can chew gum in their classes, and you they won’t write you up for not having your shirt tucked in. Don’t believe everything you hear either. Many students hate a specific teacher for a stupid reason, so feel free to form your own opinion.  And one last thing, Miss Frisbie is probably the best math teacher EVER, so you’ll definitely be missing out if you’re not in her class.

Good luck! And have fun!

Cassidy Lancaster

 

Dual enroll. It is one of the decisions I have regretted most. I would have had such a better standing in my class if I had not focused on all AP. I do advise you, future student, to try to find a balance between easy dual enroll credit and a hard AP class. No matter if you dual enroll or AP it is least likely that when you go to the college you would like to go to will not transfer. Chances are you’ll pass AP but not high enough to transfer to the college of your choice.

Avoid getting caught up in the party scene; focus on your academics because high school parties will be a joke when you go to college. It honestly doesn’t matter because you will not see those people again until maybe after college. Don’t get lost in drugs either. They make you stupid.

AP English junior year is not necessary and precalc is worth a shot. Even if you don’t go to calc you still learn trig which is the foundation necessary in the building field, especially surveying. AP English senior year, wouldn’t trade it for the world. Sure it is one of the most work heavy loads I’ve had in an English class.

Sophomore year, just take it easy because nothing you take that year is challenging and same with freshman year. Junior year will be the worst, all the work of senior year and the inability to graduate. AP government is not worth the heavy course load. It’s not like you’re going to be a politician. Take honors or dual enroll.

Best advice: never stop, never slow down, and you will never regret it.

PS: keep an organized notebook.

David Brett Horn

 

My advice I would give someone just starting here is a freshman is that it is very important to come to school and try your hardest. You have to get good grades and never give up. Yes, it gets stressful at times, but after a while it will get better. Also, ninth grade does matter, so don’t slack off and think you can make up the next year with better grades, because you might not make it to the next grade if you don’t pay attention. The last thing is that it goes by very fast, so make sure you do all you can while you’re in high school, live your life, don’t let school be your life.

Possible pitfalls I can help you avoid are that you need to get out and meet new people, don’t be shy. Also, like I said earlier, school is important, but not important enough for it to be your whole life. So this means if all you do is go to school and then stay at home and do homework and study, then you are not living. Go have fun with your friends. The last pitfall is that you cannot procrastinate, because it is a bad habit that I never used to do, and now really can’t see myself not doing it. School in ninth grade is a big step and first it will be fun to learn new things, but by the time you are here as a senior and getting ready to graduate, it gets old to wake up early and go to class.

Finally the thing that has been most important and deserving of the most study are the classes that you actually need. So I’m saying is that it’s good to get all your credits before it’s time to graduate, but this is why school gets old, because you don’t need the class but you still have to go to school so you can graduate. So I’m really saying is spread your classes out evenly so your senior year is fun but not boring, sitting in a class you don’t need but do need so you can have a full seven-period schedule. Just make sure you do your best at school and also away from school. When it’s not school time don’t worry about school but when it is, switch into school mode.

Joey Schley

 

Here at BHS I have had a good three and a half years. I have learned many things and found a lot of friends. One thing that I would give freshman would be to make sure you keep your grades up. They will make you in the end. They will help you get into that great school you want in. So just make sure you keep on the books and study hard, but still have fun.

Some pitfalls I have fallen in are balancing my life. When sports are in season they mess my studies up. They become so much of my life. Also, my social life messes my studies up. So just have balance in your life.

The most deserving thing that I’ve studied would be my medical skills, and first responder classes. I have learned key things to save people’s lives. I am CPR instructor certified and also first aid certified. This is very important. You will never know when you will need these skills.

Justin Holbrook

 

 

 

Freshmen, I’ve got a couple words of advice to give you to make sure you get the most out of your high school years. Do the work; your grade will reflect how much effort you put into the class. It is much easier and more fun to work hard for the first two and a half years and slack off for the remaining one and a half years, than it is to do vice-versa. And It’s OK to be a nerd, just don’t be a NERD, you’ll have more friends that way.

Procrastinating is not a good habit, things can go wrong with your computer when typing an essay. For example, it might not save, or in an attempt to do something cool with the work you replace every word with a scribble and then somehow save the scribble and overwrite the essay you were typing. The latter happened to me. Yeah, it sucked. Also, know when all your homework or projects are due. “I forgot about it” is not a good excuse. Don’t take any middle eastern language class either.

Just like marijuana is a gateway drug to worse things, high school is a gateway to college which is a gateway to better things. Schoolwork is important but don’t forget to have fun (party). And just enjoy it while it lasts.

Brian Clark

 

Dear Freshie,

We’re talking high school now. Don’t freak, it won’t kill you. The closest I’ve seen to disaster is a crazy busy IB’er, but even they make it because they learn how to go about what they do. No one really needs to worry if you do your work, meet some new people, and leave the problems to others.

Don’t isolate yourself. That’s probably one of the worst things you can do. Join something. Whether it be a sport or a club or whatever; just do it. It’ll make life more interesting. You’ll meet new people who share what you feel for as well as include some old tag-along buddies you do everything with. Choose something you enjoy doing or else it just becomes a job and a stressor.

Deserving of the most study… the question is really what do you want to know and do in your life. Study what makes sense for your chosen career. Definitely fit in some AP classes as well as honors; they really help your GPA to do good in them. It’s your life, your choice. Take areas of interest and go from there. You have four years. Don’t sweat the small stuff. (Take calculus.)

Your junior,

Emily Maeda