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. The very last two are from Chinese exchange students who spent their junior year at BHS. The essays are otherwise in no particular order.

 

 

Dear Freshman,

There’s a lot of things I could probably tell you about IB, most of it’s probably complaining, but there’s a lot of things I think can help you be more successful both this year and for the rest of your IB experience. As a freshman, I had no idea how much would be expected of me in this program, but as a senior I can tell you I also had no idea how much I would learn. First of all, as a freshman you need to learn time management. This will save you a lot of trouble if you learn it up front. It’s important too, I think, to pursue things you really like, not just school. I know it may sound kind of bad, but learn what works for you and then let it go, stop worrying about it.

So first: Time management. With the amount of work you have to do in IB in addition to community service, sports, and clubs (and college apps, IAs, and scholarships senior year!) you will be busy. It’s unavoidable that things will start to build up, if not this year, then the next, and every year the workload only gets progressively harder to manage. So what you should do now is learn how to plan your time out so you get stuff done with minimal stress and maximum sleep. Know which assignments you should put in less time for and which tasks will take you a few hours and plan accordingly. And, because procrastination (at least to an extent) is unavoidable, learn which assignments you can just do at school. For example, this may sound like a bad plan, I haven’t done Spanish or Calc homework at home all year. Think how much time I’ve saved! Efficient. So, not to promote this sort of thing but try to save yourself as much time as possible, so if you can do it at lunch without stressing, by all means just do it. But, at the same time don’t put off big assignments until the night before (like Precalc/Calc portfolios or design labs), you will be miserable without a doubt, and no one wants that.

The only other thing I can really say is to just not stress yourself out. If you’re OCD, I understand, but try and let go because everything can be perfect, especially in IB. There’s too much work to always have everything just right. Do your best and then forget about, it’s done. You don’t know how much easier everything gets when you aren’t freaking out. Especially on tests or presentations, I think if you just prepare as best you can and have confidence in yourself you’ll do fine. Also, along the line of not freaking out about school, do stuff outside of school, it’s so much better for you. Do things for fun, give yourself things to look forward to and take you away from the stress of school. Go out with your friends, make time for other hobbies (like art in my case), and don’t even think about your homework until Sunday. You need some time to not think of school, you deserve it, so take the full Friday and Saturday for yourself and do something interesting.

So basically I advise you to manage your time and try not to stress out. You’ll find IB a lot easier if you take some time to breathe I think. Good luck!

Paige Ferguson

 

Dear Freshman,

I know that being in IB is both humbling and scary. You are in what is probably one of the best programs in the world, but your workload doubles any other ninth grader. The most important thing is to remember that you were you before you are in IB. IB will shape you to some degree, but don’t let it define you. Don’t let the work ever dictate your life completely because you should enjoy your time here on earth. Also, remember that you are a part of BHS. You don’t have to love BHS, but at least respect it. It does more for you than you think.

One of the pitfalls that you can try to avoid is getting caught up in things like class ranking. That only makes the work load seem twice as hard. The real reward is completing the program, not necessarily finishing first or in the top ten. This makes your life way, way easier.

For me math has always come easier than other subjects, but this isn’t true for many people. Make sure you take the time to do the homework in math because it helps your grade a lot. History is the class that takes probably the most studying, especially Mr. Shuff’s class. His grades are based only on tests and essays. Also,  it is a good idea to read the books and do journals in English to help you come World Lit time.

Hercules Stancil

 

As I reach the halfway point in my IB junior year, I look back and realize just how lucky I am to be where I am today. Sure, the work is hard, sure, I have to study, but when the midterm tests like these come, I realize just how well or just how poorly I happen to spend the school year.

I mean, it’s not all academics; if you just focus on the work and make no time for friends or cool electives, you’ll kill yourself. Trust me, the social part is vital – it’s like trying to keep the fire burning without any oxygen… but do make sure to choose your social links/boy/girlfriends carefully. Not everyone that seems nice always turns out that way, so take caution. Don’t learn the hard way.

Anyway, if you’re just coming into IB, congratulations and good luck. If you’re a sophomore, junior, or even a senior, then keep at it. At the beginning of this year, as I watched others drop out around me, I realized how hard it really was, but I kept going, despite doubts that I couldn’t make it or I wasn’t good enough.

At this point, I have more confidence than that, and so should you.

In everything.

If you think you’re smart, you’re smart. If you think you’re stupid, you’re stupid. If you think you’re pretty, you’re pretty. If you think you’re ugly, you’re ugly. If you think you’re fat, you’re fat. And if you think you’re at a good size, then you’re at a good size. If you think you can do it, then you can. And if you don’t think you can do it, then you can’t.

Don’t doubt this even  throughout the stresses and trials and tribulations of IB.

If you set your mind to it, you can do IB.

Sincerely wishing you best of luck,

Spira Baker

P.S. —Goss is serious when he’s telling you to read the book. ^^;

 

Dear freshman,

My condolences to you over the loss of your social life. However, all is not lost. There are a few tips that can make your high school career in IB that much easier. There are several classes that you should take advantage of, and several that you should focus on. There are also several general tips that you would be remiss to ignore.

First and foremost, enjoy your freshman year. The class load is the easiest it will ever be. Take advantage of geometry, because you will have sufficient time in class to do your homework. Pay attention in Ms. Kennon’s class. Biology is tough, but if you put forth some effort, the payoff will be great. Also, it would behoove you to learn how to analyze in English. Mrs. Harb will prepare you for the rest of your high school English career. The rest of your classes will explain themselves.

Besides specific classes, there are lots of tips that will make your freshman year easier. First off, study for your classes. Not only will it make your classes simpler, it’s good training. Also, don’t make a habit of turning in homework late. You may be able to get away with it freshman year, but that won’t last. If possible, get involved with service organizations and sports teams ASAP. This will help when it comes time to get CAS hours.

Above all, enjoy your freshman year, because it is the best year of high school.

Ethan Emery

 

Hey there,

As a senior at BHS/IB, I wanted to give you some advice about your time here. Despite being an IB nerd, I have had a relatively normal and amazing high school experience. Although some nights of IB homework become ridiculous, you must keep your sanity by not stressing too much. Also, get involved in as many activities/sports/clubs as you want and can handle. Playing basketball for me has been the perfect outlet when I don’t feel like studying 24/7. In doing this, though, you will lose much-needed sleep. I have often gotten home around 10:30 or 11:00 at night to realize that I am loaded with homework. However, I still consider playing basketball worth it because I would become too easily burned out by schoolwork. Also, meet as many Bartow High and Summerlin students as you can. Some of my best friends go to those schools. It is always nice to see a friendly face while walking to class or your car. Finally take advantage of the Bartow community. Coming from Lakeland, I am zoned for George Jenkins. There are not nearly as many supporters for GJ as there are for Bartow. Everyone in Bartow is willing to go to your games or attend your band concerts; they love the school and are willing to show their pride whenever necessary.

Doing the IB program, you definitely want to avoid procrastination. Although you probably will anyway (I did despite all of the advice I received), absolutely don’t procrastinate for big papers. The first semester of your senior year will suck if you don’t plan ahead for the extended essay, ToK essay, world lit papers, and design labs. Use your time in class wisely. If you are not doing something in class, do your homework or study for tests. This will give you more freedom at night for sleep, games, or hanging out with friends. In addition, try to avoid distractions. Texts, Facebook, and MySpace have kept me awake many nights when I could have gone to sleep hours before. However, I recommend looking at Facebook statuses before beginning your homework. People will often post different due dates for papers; sometimes teachers will mix up dates for different classes and neglect to tell a class (that’s not an excuse they will accept, though).

For me, biology, history, and calculus have been the most important to study. Those three are classes that you cannot blow off; it will be obvious on tests and essays if you have no idea what is going on. My advice would be to study your weakest areas. English and Spanish came easily to me, but those subjects may be different for you. Study and prioritize the classes that you need the most help in. The IB “family” will always be there for you for tutoring in classes or help with homework. Stay friendly with your peers; you’ll be seeing them a lot over the next four years.

Good luck,

Julie Mahoney

 

Dear Freshman,

You’re just starting the long, long, long journey of IB at Bartow High School, and even though you probably think you know what you’re getting yourself into, you don’t. You have plenty of late nights, cramming sessions, and stressful classes ahead of you, and although the thought of four whole years, internal assessments, extended essay, IB tests, AP tests, biology tests, calculus portfolios, and literally countless 1200-1600 word essays, I can assure you that, even as a slacker, it is possible.

If I had to give you one piece of advice for how to succeed in IB, it would be to not freak out about doing well on everything. I know that doing well on all of your assignments does not seem like a bad thing, and it isn’t if you are able to do it while maintaining a life. But the truth is that as the years progress (and by the way, whatever anyone tells you, senior year IS the hardest by far), there are so many classes and assignments going on at the same time that you probably are not going to be able to do it all. That’s okay. A 91% is the same as a 98%, and so if you’re a perfectionist, do yourself a favor and relax. Sometimes, when you know it won’t hurt your overall grade (go on Pinnacle and do the math), it’s okay to blow off a worksheet or half-way an essay. Prioritize your grades and base your effort on that.

As far as your classes go, I don’t think there is one single most important course. Yes, some are harder than others (Shuff tests might take literally 10 hours of studying; Helmick tests might take a three minutes of Christmas treeing plus his ever-present 50% curve… or 60%, or 70%), but the most important thing isn’t the material itself; it’s the knowledge of how to learn; how to study.

I promise you that if you stick it out though, the one greatest benefit to IB is the people. It’s good to be around people who were as smart as you are; you can be better friends and not revolve around typical, shallow high school issues, like who so-and-so is dating or how many parties you got invited to (although, that isn’t always bad). Work hard, but don’t let it take over your life; have fun, but don’t become too apathetic, and realize that the people you meet are what will keep you going, even when it seems impossible.

Julie Carson

 

Welcome to your starting block of never ending anticipation. At this point, if you are carrying the weights of procrastination, laziness or forgetfulness, I ask that you lighten your load of these three stumbling blocks in order to prepare for your long journey, a journey of tears and fear as well as smiles and happiness. The International Baccalaureate program (informally known as IB) is a loving and nourishing environment that provides everlasting friendships and the best teachers to help point you in the right direction (career-wise). Wait!… you have yet to lighten your load! You read the last few lines and wonder how would getting rid of those aspects ruin your chance of enjoying the best, free education life could offer? Take heed to my words (and while you’re at it, hardheadedness because you  were told to do so within the first three sentences of this notice).

If by any chance you don’t believe me, continue reading and taste a bit of my journey. As a freshman, I came from Union Academy ready to give IB all I had. Being an honor roll student was the only way I knew how to survive (otherwise my family would disown me). I always loved homework until entering the program. Seriously, the assignments were so intense that the instructions took 30 minutes to read. Mrs. Kennon’s biology and Mr. Garrison’s geometry class were complete opposites. Yet the semester exams did the same, put a dent on your report card. Though Mrs. Kennon’s class was strict and Mr. Garrison’s class was loose (extremely loose), they both followed Dr. Vetter’s rules of creating the necessary rigorous environment the IBO (the IB headquarters) requires. Procrastinating on assignments and forgetting when things were due were a dreaded habit. Things are due every day. I’ve cried because of stress. I have promised to do better 203 times. I have done everything that shows I should have thrown in the towel but I didn’t.

In my opinion, the most essential qualities needed are self-motivation and determination. Anything you don’t know, take notes your freshman year for this is the only year of minimum pity from the teachers. Nothing in IB is handed to you. You must demonstrate to your teachers that you want it. You have entered the area were studying is an actual assignment. Without study everything is bound for failure. Not to play the devil’s advocate, but you will enjoy the program to its fullest extent if you keep up with your work and study. You may have heard that you no longer have lives but that comes from alumni who didn’t get to read notices like these. Giving IB your all means academically, you do not have to give up your life. You have now been warned; do as you please with this warning.

Robyn McRae

 

Dear [future doomed student],

Welcome to IB!

So you’ve decided to go down the rabbit hole and you can’t turn back, yet you’ve hit a brick wall. Now you have to dig your way out (metaphors have never been my strength).

Advice to future students of IB [and no, frosh, you are not IB until induction]

— Become friends with Dr. Vetter and Mrs. C in the office. Just drop in to say hi, bring them cookies if you just happened to make them last night. They say sucking up doesn’t work. It does.

— Carry a flash drive with you at all times. There’s no excuse not to; they’re pretty cheap. If you have to, put rhinestones on it and hang it from a necklace. You can start a new nerd trend. But seriously, there is always something that needs to be saved that you’ve been doing in class. Or your extended essay and you have some extra time on hand in a class you can work on it there.

— NO ALL-NIGHTERS! You will ignore this now, but after your first or second all-nighter that you pull, you’ll realize how screwed up you are for the next few days. Sleep is important, especially in IB and all-nighters are not conducive to good grades or paying attention.

— Exercise. A lot. Eat healthy. Basically stay in shape. You might not think that it helps, but it really does. Studies have shown that the more active you are, the less likely that you are to show signs of depression.

— Don’t date within your IB class. Basically by the end of high school you’ll be so close with all the students in your IB class that it’s just weird. [And if you have a tragic breakup, you have to see each other every day.]

I would tell you not to procrastinate, but I can’t cure the impossible.

As far as what classes are most important and deserve the most study, all of them. There is no single class less or more important. English though, you have the least amount of homework. You still have a “butt load” [my sister Cayla M. Newman always says that] of homework. Tons of reading and essays. More than any other class, but less to study. Just actually read.

But that’s about it. Just don’t be pathetic and drop out midway through senior year.

Cassie Newman

 

Bartow High School, home of the Yellow Jackets, has been an amazing experience with a plethora of good memories. With the great times there also came the hordes of work that were required to be successful in class. This work taught me not to procrastinate with the work that I have.

For a new student coming to any of the three schools incorporated at Bartow High School there are a few keys to SUCCESS! First and foremost it is important and crucial to assess your time correctly. When planning to hang out with your friends or attending events of the weekend, make sure to leave enough time to finish your assignments and projects, dawg. Another key point to SUCCESS is paying attention. In high school teachers will not bother you as much if you’re not zoned in and it is up to you to be on point and listening to what the teacher is discussing. Listening in class will save you substantial time when you are studying. Last key to SUCCESS is curbing procrastination, but I feel everyone is well aware of this.

In conclusion, remember to listen to your teachers, curb procrastination, and use your time correctly and all of this will benefit your grade and will lead to SUCCESS at Bartow High School. Also don’t be afraid to have fun every once in a while, after all you’re not a zombie.

Nick Rathell

 

Dear IB freshman,

As an IB Senior, I would like to welcome you to the IB program here at Bartow High. I’m sure you have heard a lot of rumors about the difficulty of the program and the huge amount of workload. Though the rumors are exaggerated to a certain extent, IB is not an easy program and the workload is heavier compared to regular high schools. I want to congratulate you on choosing to attend the program despite its difficulty. This acceptance shows your courage and willingness to work hard.

You’ll hear from almost every IB upperclassman not to procrastinate. It is a very good habit not to procrastinate and you’ll probably keep the promise to yourself throughout the first semester of freshman year. It only goes downhill from there. I’m not discouraging you from avoiding procrastination, but simply observing from my personal experience that procrastination is inevitable as the years go on.

Make sure you enjoy your freshman year to the fullest. Don’t complain too much because it only gets harder. Take advantage of the more free time that you have than the upperclassmen and join school clubs and other extracurricular activities. It’s a great way to make friends and develop your talent if you play sports. You’ll get busier each year so you can eliminate the ones that don’t interest you as much as the others. Time management is a necessary skill for every IB student and you also need to learn to prioritize. It seems overwhelming when you look at it as a whole but it’s not that bad when you take one step at a time. Don’t focus just on the academics and make sure to enjoy your high school experience.

IB Senior,

Ambily Joseph

 

To whose poor soul it may concern,

First, I want to say that I am so sorry for what you are about to endure. I do not want to scare you, but you may want to remove all sharp objects in your house for the next four years.

Since you are just starting out as a freshman, obviously, you may need some advice. Tip #1: DO NOT PROCRASTINATE!! This is not a joke. You need to jump on things. You must slay the dragon of homework early. Just think about the monster from Hercules (the Disney movie) and how the heads keep growing back. If you wait the heads will grow back and you will not be able to handle it. Tip #2: Remember it is high school, so remember to have some fun. This is pretty self-explanatory. Possible pitfalls to avoid can and will always be avoided if you breathe. Things can get stressful, but just remember breathing is good. Biology, biology and more biology is the best thing to study. Biology will consume you forever. Finally, enjoy high school. Everyone tells you to worry such about the future (which I do agree with), but be careful not to forget the present.

Good luck,

Socorro Dulay

1. S.: Do not let the other letters scare you. They lie. They lie like dogs!!

 

During my time at IB, I spent a lot of time with homework, but I was still able to do things I liked if I managed my time. As a freshman, you should make sure you don’t start off the year with procrastination because it becomes a pretty bad habit.

If you start off high school with procrastination, your first year will probably consist of quite a few all-nighters that could have easily been avoided by doing some of the assignment each night rather than the whole assignment/project in one night. The subject in freshman year that probably deserves the most studying is biology, especially if you plan on taking biology as your chosen science in junior and senior year. Biology probably accounts for most homework, and the lab write-ups should never be underestimated because they take longer than it seems. Also, you should make sure you do extra credit if you have the extra time, because every point can help your grade.

By making sure you don’t procrastinate and you finish all of your homework, it shouldn’t be difficult to keep good grades and mange your time so you’ll be able to have a nice social life, also.

Megan Dotson

 

The Worst Advice You’ll Ever Read

Dear Bobby Joe,

Now that you are starting on your first year of the glorious trek across the plains of IB, there are some utilities you will need to ensure that you don’t dehydrate and DIE. Although you may think that you can just rough it, this would be about as unwise as Weeman going up against Arnold Schwarzenegger (10 years ago) in a fist fight.

Get your prioritizing straight quick! If English means a lot to you, and you have homework due next period when you’re in Spanish/French. then Do It! Don’t try to equally care about all classes if you don’t actually care! Some classes, as you will soon find, take more effort and others less. It varies with your own individual strengths and weaknesses. Early on is where most kids screw up their GPA, trust me I know, and take some stupid 4.0 class when they should be rockin’ with the big boys in AP classes. If you think you can do fine in an AP class, then take it, it will dramatically help your class ranking later on and will boost your GPA significantly.

If you must procrastinate, because of obviously important reasons such as a new Facebook notification, or a friend’s party, or a cool TV show, then figure out to do homework really fast and effectively! If you need 7 or 8 hours to study for tests and do homework, then it’s not really a good idea to go chill with friends all day. Procrastinate all you want, just know that more often than not, the stress that follows will make you regret it. Make sure that you give yourself plenty of time to complete big projects like labs or IB papers, but for other stuff you can do whatever, as long as it’s done and done right. If anyone tells you that they get no sleep, it’s because they just procrastinate too much. Farewell and Adios, good luck not being fried alive by the death ray of IB’s unwavering gaze of pressure and work.

Stephen Samples

 

In order to get a decent grade I must write to you and give you advice, therefore I shall do the bare minimum and show by example. I will explain why you should leave how you should act and basically neat insight. Idk you may like it or not. Oh well it’s just that I’m doing this for a grade. Sry about the txt lingo but meh it’s me.

Ok first paragraph gone two more to go, w000t!!!! lol ok say like yeah if you don’t want to be in IB def leave now or you will mess up your high school career. Like really it doesn’t matter just take AP classes and have fun. Now if you do stay it totally fine to collaborate like serious. Just don’t get caught. But really like it’s what you gonna end up doing in the real life use your strength and use other for anything else you’re not good at.

Ok so like what is kinda kool is if you become friends with teacher it is a big plus. Like it’s a good idea to say good morning good afternoon a thanks please and like just smile. it puts people in a good mood and thy associate good with you. So yeay !!!☺idk procrastination will be done. But yeah all I need is three paragraphs so bye!!!

Alessandra Miranda 

 

Dear Fledgling Pre-IB Student,

The journey upon which you have now embarked will be looked back upon as an experience that made you a better person. The countless hours you will, or at least “should,” spend on homework, internal assessments, studying, CAS, and college applications will transform you into a super-student, capable of surpassing any obstacles in your post-IB education and in life after school.  Through these four years, you will learn things about yourself that you would never know had you not been an IB student.

As I have gone through the rigors of this curriculum, I have not always done what has been required of me, and for this I am sad.  To quote the great Steve Prefontaine (one of the most talented runners to ever live), “To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift.”  While I have always held to this standard in sports, I let things get away from me in school.  It is easier said than done, of course, to spend the necessary hours behind a textbook, but every hour you take absorbing information, the better off you are because of it.  While this is all rather vague, my point is clear: do the best that you can.  Work to your ability level, and do it for yourself.  People will be able to see you faking your way through school and life.  Do not be remembered as the kid that was kind of smart, but never reached the next level of intelligence simply because he did not apply himself.

Now onto more specific advice.  Often times I feel like being AT school is rather pointless.  Most of what I learn happens at home while I study.  So with that being said, take advantage of the time that you are at school.  It can be used to save you from those “all-nighters” you’ve probably already been warned of.  The best students rarely stay up all night because they have already done their work a week before it is due.  BE THAT PERSON; you know you want to.  Nothing feels better than finishing a paper a few nights ahead so you CAN relax a little.  In English class, READ the books, they’re actually interesting, and the culture you will learn is actually cool.  Oh, and read the books as soon as they are assigned.  Seriously.

One other nugget of advice… do NOT shrug off Spanish class.  Think about it… after 4 years, you will SPEAK ANOTHER LANGUAGE.  Being bilingual makes your stock a lot more valuable in the career world.  Spanish is one of the most important things you will learn while you are in IB.  Don’t take it for granted.  And do not let yourself fail Spanish, it isn’t THAT hard. Learn vocabulary and pay attention during class and you will do fine.  If you drop out of IB, it should never be because of your grade in Spanish class.

That is pretty much what is going through my mind right now.  I am sure my peers will have even better advice for you. Always listen to what upperclassmen have to say.  They know what it’s like to be in your position, and they really do want to help you and see you succeed.  Good luck!  Carpe Diem and stuff.

Danny Madrid c/o 2010

 

Dear Incoming IB Freshmen,

Congrats on your acceptance into the BHS-IB program! You are about to embark on a four-year journey in one of the best educational programs that Polk County has to offer. Hearing Dr. Vetter explain the rigors of IB may have been somewhat daunting, but you all have the potential to succeed; rest assured. I have full faith in all of you. Nonetheless, I have a few pieces of advice to offer you. This advice is the product of four years of wisdom gained through my experiences at Bartow IB.

Let’s start off with procrastination. I’m sure you’ve all heard this fifteen letter word before. In fact, I’m sure most – if not all of you – are guilty of procrastination. Now is the time to reform your ways. Please, please do yourself a favor, and don’t procrastinate. The IB program really isn’t that difficult, but the IB workload does necessitate a lot of time. You can’t just expect to save everything until the last minute and then finish everything in a flash. Completing the IB curriculum requires time management. You have to set priorities and plan ahead. For instance, take advantage of the block schedule. With our school’s block schedule, you have four classes a day. On Fridays, you leave school knowing exactly what’s due on Monday and on Tuesday. Go ahead and complete your homework that is due on Tuesday before you even come to school on Monday (hopefully, you’ve already finished the homework due on Monday). In this way, Monday night can be used more productively doing homework that is due on Wednesday (the worst day of the week since it’s a “C” day). Otherwise, on Tuesday night, you have to do both Monday and Tuesday nights’ homework – homework for a total of seven classes (and believe me when I say that you will have homework in all seven classes at one point). Procrastination translates to sleepless nights. Additionally, when you procrastinate, you can’t focus on finishing a task to the best of your ability because time constraints take precedence over the quality of your work.

Secondly, finish (or, at least, begin) your college applications over the summer. The Common Application is available online on July 1^st or so. School starts in late August. Thus, you have an entire month (if not more) to work on the Common Application over the summer. Go ahead and write your Common Application essay, fill out the basic information in the Common App (i.e. name, address, phone number, etc.), finalize a list of schools to which you’re applying, and consider which teachers you’d like to ask to write you letters of recommendation. Afterwards, you can work on school-specific supplements as they are released by the respective colleges (usually early in your senior year) to which you’re applying. You’ll feel great starting your senior year off with the satisfaction of having started (if not completed) your college applications. You’ll even know exactly what you’re lacking in terms of standardized test scores, recommendation letters, dance/art supplements, etc. Plus, you’ll have a renewed enthusiasm to do well in the new school year.

Last but not least, there’s one piece of advice that applies to all four years at IB: enjoy life. You have one life to live; make it worthwhile! IB is an integral part of you, but you are more than just IB. Being in IB should mean learning both inside and outside the classroom. Join clubs, assume leadership positions, volunteer, and go to football games! You’re in high school, remember?! You’d be surprised by how refreshing it can be to distract yourself from schoolwork for a little bit. Also, respect your friends and family. I know you’re stressed. That’s completely normal; however, you shouldn’t let the workload alter your personality. Your friends and family are the cornerstone for your success, and don’t forget that you are where you are because of them. On the same note, be sure to give your teachers your undivided attention in class. Teachers in IB are genuinely interested in your success. If they can be so selfless in the amount of time they dedicate to their lesson plans, it’s your responsibility to be attentive in class and to work hard to try to understand the material. Most importantly, follow your passions. If you like to sing, take Chorus as an elective. If you feel like running even though you still have to study for a Shuff test, go run! The work will be there when you come back. You can worry about it then.

Above all, be proud of your decision to come to IB. Take advantage of the opportunities you have here, academically and socially. You’re education is what you make of it. Be optimistic and believe in yourself.

Love always,

Pranali Dalvi 

 

Freshman,

Welcome to the strenuous world of IB where you will indubitably face the hardest years of your school career so far.  You probably sailed through middle school, but let me warn you: IB is unlike anything you have experienced.  The biggest mistake that everyone eventually commits is giving in to the temptation of procrastination.  Don’t get me wrong; you do need to take breaks.  It is only when the breaks last for two or three hours that you should worry.  Procrastination is just a part of IB life as you will see.  You probably won’t listen but I would suggest staying away from all things electronic when trying to work – no texting, facebooking, or even emailing while homeworking. These things are just distracting and believe me you have much larger concerns.

You have heard how hard IB is and by the end of your first two years you’ll think – oh this isn’t so bad, I can handle this.  And then you’ll enter the real deal.  Sorry to break the news, but you don’t become IB until junior year and that is when the true work begins.  along with the increased workload you get the pleasure of participating in CAS.  Any chance you get to do something CAS related – take it.  Little things add up to a lot by the end and you don’t want to fail to receive the IB diploma because you didn’t get enough creative hours.  I highly recommend joining a sport.  It will give you not only action hours, but the chance to meet some people outside of the IB community.  Us IB students are a very tightly knit bunch.  Hopefully you will find yourself comfortable with your classmates (as they’ll be your classmates for four looong years).  At the time school seems to drag by slowly but relish the time you have because it will end sooner than you think.

As far as the teachers go – you will be hard pressed to find teachers more dedicated and hardworking.  The teachers may be hard, but you are guaranteed to learn something in class.  The teachers actually really look out for you and try to help you as much as possible.  The key is to convince yourself that you really enjoy the classes you must take and then take the classes you find interesting as your elective/s.  A fun elective can lighten the workload immensely.  If you are struggling to decide which science to pick – just pick the one you have the most interest in because no matter how hard it is at least you will like it.  It will be stressful, very stressful, extremely stressful but push through and your work will pay off later when you are trying to get into the college of your choice.

Dorothy Kleissler

 

BHS/IB has been an enjoyable experience as a whole. I don’t have a lot of regrets for my 4 year commitment. I would enjoy reliving my high school years, but I would do a lot of things differently. First of all I would try to eliminate my procrastination. Throughout my senior year I have been kept up all night because I procrastinated on a biology lab or a world literature essay. Preventing such procrastinations will not only make the school life easier, but also provide you with a well written assignment. I would suggest to others that they should be active. One of the things I regret about my high school life was that I lacked extracurricular activities.  Being active in school clubs, sports, and out of school activities look good on your resume for college applications and help alleviate the stress caused by procrastination. In particular I recommend that one joins Le Mot Juste, helping to organize a literary magazine is a lot of fun and has many different things to do.

Another memorable aspect of my BHS/IB experience was the environment itself. I believe that the IB program unifies the students. By the time of senior year I knew all my fellow classmates and I am able to talk to them easily. The teachers are another aspect of the environment. The teachers of the IB school are fun to talk to and make learning fun. The teachers really care about the students and put forth the effort to teach the material.  A pitfall that I have personally experienced is senioritis. I advise to avoid such an ordeal because it brings about stress when a lot of IB materials are due. Procrastinating on any type of essay is no fun, so I think it would be best to avoid the problem.

There are a lot of important subjects taught at the IB School. There is no most important and deserving study. I believe that the student himself/herself decides what he/she should dedicate most of the study time to. If you take interest in Biology, I’d advise to dedicate study towards that subject. If you are doing poorly in a certain subject, I would advise to study that subject more. Another thing that I would advise is to better one’s vocabulary. When you use advanced level words you are not only making you feel better on the inside, but also conveying a message of being smart. Overall enjoy your experience in high school; life only gets better and better.

Erie Uy

 

Dear Incoming Freshman,

Although you may not appreciate IB in the coming years, as a senior going through the most stressful time I can assure you that IB is well worth it.  It has opened doors that I would never have had the chance to experience without this education background.  IB truly opens your eyes to what awaits you in college. But if you take advantage of the IB experience, you will be less shocked when arriving at the college of your choice.  Although IB is grueling, there are a few ways to make it much more bearable.

Take your freshman and sophomore year very seriously.  They are your two easiest years by far.  Take advantage of this and keep your GPA as high as possible.  This includes taking weighted electives.  This will help you when you are a junior and a senior and every little bit helps your GPA to fit the college of your choice’s requirements.  Take IB Art for four years.  Even if you are horrible at art like me, you find some sort of niche that doesn’t necessarily involve the “normal” artistic skills.  Also Pie is too cool to not get to know.

Take Biology.  Chemistry and Physics may interest you at first but rest assured you will soon realize why these classes are such a waste of time.  Although Mrs. Kennon will whip you into shape, it will be well worth it.  Class is really fun and you come out knowing way more than you ever cared to.  Even if you never plan to pursue Biology, take it because you will easily pass the AP test and Kennon will become your favorite science teacher.

You will tire of school quickly and will wish you were a senior in the middle of your freshman year but don’t drop out but work harder.  IB isn’t about teaching you things you will use in your everyday job and life but instead it teaches you the time management and discipline to learn a subject you have no interest in and yet force yourself to take it seriously and do well.  This is how I view IB.  You can only have a love/hate relationship with IB.  It helps you so much in the long run but it seems like torture some days.  I remind myself that I want to be included in an elite group of students such as IB kids.  If I had gone to a different school I would be envious of the IB kids.  I like to be at the top of my class because I am a competitive person.  Even if you are not competitive, doing well in school can never hurt you. Instead IB prepares you for hard work that will provide rewards in the future.  Whether you reap the benefits in college scholarships or by attending the school of your dreams, you will one day be grateful for your education.

Just remind yourself at the end of the day, your education is more important than anything else.  Keep your priorities straight and buckle down and work when you need to.  Don’t waste time feeling stressed or feeling bad for yourself, instead just start working because you will only be done that much faster.  Make friends within your IB class.  They are the only people who will truly understand what you are going through but make sure you keep friends from outside of IB.  They will help you get away from IB and the stress and remind you that you are just a regular kid.  Find things that make you happy and make time for them.

Good Luck! Have fun : )

Jaclyn Simek

 

The total experience at the International Baccalaureate School at Bartow High School has been an exhilarating three and a half years for me. The opportunities provided by this fine program have enabled a myriad amount of options for my future adult life. It is important to remember the whole foundation for high school starts at the entry of being a freshman. As a freshman, it is vital to develop positive habits and a positive lifestyle. One should begin with plenty of sleep. The adjustment from waking up in the late morning for middle school to before sunrise for high school was a startling change for me. It’s immensely tougher to wake up at 5:00 am everyday for four years than at 7:30 am for three years. Time management is a vital foundation to a successful educational experience. Being able to utilize wasted time can provide additional recreational time, which is always a benefit. Nobody wants to spend Sundays for all-nighters. It’s best to simply prioritize accordingly and schedule your life appropriately.

There are a few common pitfalls in school that students can unfortunately succumb to but are still avoidable. Having great organizational skills will save your skin from time to time; and when it does, you’ll be extremely thankful. Students should, obviously, start by having a folder or binder for each class. Put returned papers in the folder as soon as you are done with them because this prevents them getting crushed by quickly stuffing them in your backpack or elsewhere. Lost assignments are also avoided. If you have everything categorized and organized into its appropriate locale, you can prevent drastic situations where an important paper can be missing or gone by lazy organization. Remembering to actually complete all assignments is greatly aided by an agenda or organizer. The freely given agenda planner at the beginning of every school year is an excellent tool. If you ever have doubt or uncertainty as to when an assignment is due, simply open the planner and check. Of course, you should write down the assignment in the planner as soon as you know about it because you may forget and defeat the purpose of the planner! Organization is a key to success.

Students, combined with dying, equals studying! Although terrible sounding, studying goes hand-in-hand with the IB experience. Unfortunately (in the short term scale of things), there will always be an assignment that requires preemptive reading memorization behavior. In 9^th and 10^th grade you can always be preparing for your SATs and ACTs while in 11^th and 12^th grade you will always have large midterms and finals which can make or break your final. Even in senior year, you’ll have finals that, if you fail, you can have a college acceptance letter revoked. This type of event will destroy your future career opportunity and so it is vital to avoid something like this. However, if you make it to senior year of IB, I’m pretty sure you’ll care about your grades enough to avoid this behavior. Regardless, make sure ample time is given to study notes and material for tests and quizzes. Studying the night before an exam is a large risk and does not always work. You will not achieve the best grades by procrastinating on studying. Study early and repetitively dictate the material in order to allow yourself to familiarize with the material. You’ll thank yourself for adhering the above suggestions and recommendations, they are the definite keys to academic success!

Kyle Guerrero

 

Dear incoming IB freshmen,

I am pleased to have made it to the level where I can give  you all the advice you need to have about this school. I cannot tell you everything you need to know because some things you just have to experience, but I will tell you some of the basics. I know that as a freshman you are given the opportunity to choose one of your classes. I will let you know now that the best choice you can give yourself here is to take an actual elective course. As an IB student you will be overqualified when it comes to the rigor of your schedule , so why not take something fun for once. I chose YJP, and not only was it super cool, I was able to learn my way around the school and get to know regular Bartow High school students (which is necessary by the way). Another word of advice would be to join clubs/sports around the school (non-academic and academic) . It is necessary to join non-academic clubs so that you will have a social venting place where you can do what you think is fun. I joined the track team because although I’m not very athletic, I like to run and I knew that I could meet so many non-IB kids. I also joined HOSA because it was academic and I was interested in Health sciences so I was motivated. Now that we have the things to keep your sanity situated, let’s talk about the IB subjects. The most idealistic methods of tackling IB are to STAY ORGANIZED, DO NOT PROCRASTINATE, and DON’T GET STRESSED (It kills) !!!!!!!!!!! The funny thing about these rules are that they are the most cliché pieces of advice but there is really no other way to get the job done. I personally set these goals before I started the IB program, but I found it almost impossible to balance this with all my other activities. After having three years and a semester of IB I have learned that the work is not the hardest part because the teachers are awesome at explaining the material, however, the work load was the actual problem at times. Everyone that has stuck through with the program seems to have their own personal method of handling everything. It ranges from students who are always  ahead in every class and read/study future assignments so they have tons of free time, to students who have fun first so they can talk themselves into believing that they have lives outside of IB and then do schoolwork till about 3:00 AM in the morning. I would suggest that you start the program with a normal lifestyle of going to school, coming home and doing work, and sleeping at an appropriate time, and then once you get accustomed to IB, choose a style that works best with your schedule.

In IB there are so many pitfalls that one must avoid to succeed. In 9^th grade, one must have so much fun and never complain because if you think this is bad, you will fool yourself into thinking that this couldn’t get any worse. This is the greatest pitfall because then you will leave after the first week of sophomore year when you have your first AP class (true story). In 10^th grade, you must follow the first advice I gave you about the elective choosing. This time you get two electives so do yourself a favor and choose two electives. If you choose AP classes for your electives (like I did) then the pitfall is the depression state you will fall into when your classmates are bragging over the ease of sophomore year, while you’re copying AP Euro Shuff notes. This can lead to unnecessary sleepless nights as well as a greater tendency for you to drop out (happened to a friend of mine). In 11^thgrade, you must become extremely serious in terms of school work. This is the first year that you are in real IB so it is time to start acting like an IB student. All the rules that I mentioned earlier will need to be applied. Also, this is the year to remember everything studied during the year because it will show up on all the AP tests at the end of the year. In Spanish, actually watch all the soap operas to help your comprehension. In Psych , just make the notecards because they’ll come in handy 10 minutes before the AP test. In History, bear with Goss because although he is crazy, he knows what he’s talking about. In Guice’s, TOK is interesting, read the articles and participate in discussion. In English, do all your journal questions or Ms. Smith will growl at you. In Frisbie’s, just be grateful that you have a teacher that cares so much for you so don’t take advantage of her. If you have Helmick or Webb, just have fun, but if you have Kennon, be prepared to work hard but it will pay off in the end. When senior year rolls around, DON’T GET SENIORITIS UNTIL SECOND SEMESTER!!!!!!! This is crucial if you do not want to fall into any pitfalls. Believe it or not, people still drop like flies senior year because of this pitfall so pay attention. First semester don’t procrastinate on Calc portfolios, the Extended Essay, TOK essay, TOK oral,  World Lit. papers, Spanish Oral preparation,  and your Biology design labs. Once you get all of these necessary requirements out of the way, (which I’ll go ahead and give myself a pat on the back for completing), you’ll simply have your History internal assessment, Spanish/French Oral , and IB exams. These should not be a problem since they are things that you basically prepare for in first semester, and honestly if you made it to the second semester you should be golden to handle anything that comes your way. This is the time when you can really say that it couldn’t get any worse.

My time as a student of International Baccalaureate at Bartow High school has been very fulfilling. I have had amazing times that are simply priceless, and I have had times that simply do not need to be remembered. The greatest experiences at this school have not been in a classroom setting, but something that has come as a result of attending this school. I believe that school gives us the keys to experience life situations that teach us more about the world in which we live. If I know the derivative of an equation, or the five properties of water, I cannot use this to live, but, I can apply this to a greater life concept that can open doors of opportunity in the future. International Baccalaureate has a strong academic rigor in the curriculum that makes its students more knowledgeable, and the intensity of the work load strengthens work ethic and discipline. The fact that my school is within Bartow High School has made it a far better experience. I have been able to meet diverse groups of students and thus I am aware of the different perspectives and paradigms in our society that will not be a culture shock to me once I graduate. I have also been able to participate in so many clubs and sports that have allowed me to pursue my other interests. Before I began the International Baccalaureate program I was nervous because I thought that I was not going to be able to have this healthy balance, but now after experiencing it for myself, I have no regrets. Earlier in the school year if I was asked if I regretted this program, I possibly would have answered affirmatively, but now that I am reflecting on it, I am glad that I was blessed with such an awesome opportunity.

Sincerely,

Lola Adeyemo  Class of 2010

 

Dear Future IB Freshman (Victim),

I feel my experiences in IB differed in a few significant ways from my classmates. Perhaps you will find my advice helpful, but if you’re looking for a breakdown of how to handle teachers and schoolwork, scroll past this. I came to IB out of my own volition; my parents did not involve themselves in my academic life until senior year; however, they did occasionally force me into going to the hospital because they had these silly ideas that asthma attacks, pneumonia, and swine flu required medical attention instead of school attendance (I’m kidding, sort of. If it had been up to me, I would have just gone to school). They drove me to school, they bought me supplies, they let me stay up at late as I needed, and they let me manage my own sleeping and extracurricular schedule. No one forced this upon me or expected this from me, so I could never relate with my peers when they spoke about how IB sucks away your soul or how they needed an escape (Personally, I find this whiny and annoying or shallow and smug. Nobody cares about how much your life sucks because you made the great social sacrifice to attend IB.). I don’t view IB as a burden, and you shouldn’t either. You will miss out on so much. IB was my escape, my distraction, my excuse, at least the first few years it was, but it gradually transformed into a (but NOT the) pillar of my life that has given me opportunities to meet friends who helped me move at 7 am during fall break, have forcibly dragged me out of bed to get me to school on time, tutored me instead of taking a much-needed afternoon nap, and are unconditionally there when I need support. I hope you meet people like these, too, and that you look for them, instead of looking for the next person to copy off of.

To begin with, do not be arrogantly patting yourself on the back as you read this. Seriously, DON’T idealize your IB class! IB may be filled with some of the brightest, hardworking students from around our county, but it is also filled with drug addicts, backstabbers, gossips, partiers, promiscuity, and slackers. Once you get over the shiny GPA plaques and amazingly selfless teachers and administrators, you realize that your classmates are no better than the BHS students about whom they are making condescending remarks. I feel that IB experience has imparted a healthy dose of humility into my personality, while preserving enough of my vanity so that I resisted making unhealthy choices in search of “stress relief.” The IB experience augments your social intelligence incredibly, IF you’re paying attention and are humble enough to admit to yourself that your peers who are engaging in self-destructive or irresponsible behavior still deserve your respect (and you need to accept that most will rank above you in GPA, just get over it now). But know where to draw the line. Unless you are super serious about flirting with death because you are a suicidal teenager in denial, differentiate between deserving respect and deserving your company. Also, do not get caught with marijuana on the school campus; this happened to a formerly close friend of mine. Dr. Vetter will expel you from the IB program, and you will not be able to transfer to a different IB school.  Don’t turn into an elitist or a hypocrite; keep your own irresponsible actions under control, but be compassionate and understanding with those who don’t. Don’t write off decent, caring people because they don’t fit the image you have of the people you would want to deal with. Academic ability and value as a human being are not the same, and you have to be willing to say that’s okay sometimes.

Many of my classmates have included admonitions against procrastination in their letters. LIES! They wrote that because at the moment they were writing their letter of advice they themselves were in the midst of procrastinating and needed filler for that third paragraph. Procrastination is wonderful; procrastination is beautiful. Letting yourself become absorbed and lost in the study material during an effective cram session can make you feel spiritually enlightened afterward. However, for your own sake, I shall concede that is risky to procrastinate, especially on the Internal Assessments, but HA! That’s all. Don’t let my classmates fool you. If procrastination were a god, IB is the shrine where my classmates worship it loyally. Every once in a while, we get a heretic, but they ALWAYS convert back, or they lie about it, similar to the way they lie about cheating.

At this writing, I am ninth in my class with a 4.5 GPA, but that is all set to change next week when semester grades are finalized in two weeks. Like any other student, I want A’s, but I think I only want them now because I know it was attainable in the past no matter the circumstances. I went through six semesters of school only receiving four B’s, all A’s otherwise, without being grade-conscious in the least, never checking my grades, and never obsessing. Now I am struggling to at least maintain C’s. Some days, when I reflect on it, I realize how sadly pathetic my goal of “no D’s” is. For all the warnings on procrastination, it wasn’t what got me in the end (it’s not really the end though, there’s still another semester ahead, so there’s still hope J). Every year, a majority of the outgoing seniors elaborate on the pitfalls of procrastination. Instead, I want to advise you to monitor your mental health and to seek help immediately when your personal life is becoming uncontrollable. Granted, some of you are planning on not having a life outside of IB. Everyone talks about how IB is bad for your mental health. No one ever mentions how your preexisting mental health condition is bad for IB. Maintaining mental health is the one thing you must at all costs never procrastinate on. If you are having problems managing school or life, talk to your teachers and Mrs. Cavanaugh. This is the point where giving up your pride comes in. There is nothing wrong with admitting that life is interfering with school; you will only hurt yourself and jeopardize your academic achievement if you try to hide your problems.

The following is a list of the best IB/school-related moments that I had. These may not be recreated exactly for you, but I hope that you can capture the same sense of happiness, tranquility, and perfection that I felt in these moments: (Notice that none of them deal with tests, grades, scores, assignments!)

–          Driving 90 mph in the fog on U.S. 98. THAT is how you get to school on time and scare off potential carpoolers.

–          Swim team. These words make my heart fill with love and joy. Do something you love with people you love. Also, caffeine makes you bloated eventually, so you need to exercise that off.

–          Taking group naps when you’re at your friends house for a party because you’re just too tired from waking up at 3:30 in the morning so you could volunteer for NHS.

–          Visiting Germany and Iceland on the BHS exchange trip over spring break. Get involved in this. It was the highlight of my high school experience.

–          The time during physics when I had made up my mind to go straight down to the office to drop out. My two friends in that class had no reasonable argument to stop me. They only said, “No, don’t,” but it was enough to remind me that I had at one time made good decisions and used to think things out clearly, which I had not been doing for a while around that time. I had never prepared for the possibility that there might come a day where I might trust my friends more than I trusted myself, but I’m glad I had someone there to remind of what I really wanted. Meet those types of people, find them, cherish them, and never let anyone who helps you through high school forget that you appreciate them.

Magdalene DuPree

 

Dear incoming freshman,

If you are taking the same classes I took freshman, then I have some advice to give you. Don’t take those classes for granted. Freshman year will be the easiest year in all four years of IB but it will also provide for you the opportunity to get used to the life of an IB student. If you came from an easy middle school (like I did) then the transition between middle school and IB will be hard. Freshman year will help with the transition. In the beginning I had a hard time with the workload assigned by all of the teachers, but don’t worry you’ll get used to it. Another important point is don’t procrastinate. For the rest of your schooling you will hear “don’t procrastinate.” You should listen, it’s good advice.

Some pitfalls that I can help you avoid would be with the different teachers. If you had Ms. Kennon first semester then you already know what I’m about to tell, but if you didn’t listen up. Always hand in your work on time, and never be late to her class. Ms. Kennon is a great teacher, but she is very hard. The advice goes for all of the teachers, not just Mrs. Kennon (although other teachers may be more lenient). Another choice that you got when you started freshman year was if you wanted to go into an IB subject. By now you have already chosen, but you should know the ramifications of your choice. Most likely, if you did not choose one of the courses then you will be taking IB Psychology, (unless you another science course). Something you should pay extra attention to is your mini-extended essay because it will help prepare you for year real extended essay in two years.

As I have already mentioned, the course I believe deserves the most attention is Biology (although the other courses should not be ignored). Aside from Biology, your social studies course should also be given attention. Geography, Economics and US Government are going to be classes that will come in handy in the future, so you should pay attention in that class (especially when it comes to American history). Your mathematics course will be different depending on what you took in middle school. If you already took Algebra 1 you could be in Geometry or even Algebra 2. If you have not yet taken algebra then next year you will take Geometry and Algebra 2. If you are not a math person then these classes should be paid attention to. As long as you read the books in English you should be ok. Finally there is your language. I cannot be much help because I took French (back when French 5 was available). I think they are all basically the same, if you try and ask questions then you will be rewarded.

That’s all the advice I can give you. Every person is different so the advice I am giving may not be of any use to you. What you should remember is don’t get in the habit of procrastinating. It a hard habit to break, and one you definitely shouldn’t have. Best of luck to you, you’ll need it.

Margeling Santiago

 

Dear Freshmen,

It’s been a long four years at IB, four years that I’ll never get back. If I could go back in time to the end of my eighth grade year, I’d accept my invitation to IB all over again. The past four years, not only have I acquired real knowledge, but I’ve learned life lessons and common sense that not everyone is as lucky to have so early in life. All of my teachers were the cream of the crop and my peers and I were also the upper crust. With the title of an IB student comes respect, reverence, and a beautiful sense of arrogance defined by the fact that you have the opportunity to put forth your full potential at one of the best schools in the nation. The only take away is that if you don’t put forth your full effort, your full potential won’t be recognized in the end.

In your freshman year, you’ll realize IB is vastly different from middle school. The work will be a steady stream, new concepts will be implemented upon your investigations and studies, and most of you, for the first time in a while, may even have to crack the spine of your book to understand an aspect of your class or prepare for an exam. For some it will be a snap and others a struggle, where some may decide to leave before the beginning of sophomore year and even second semester.

Sophomore year is next, one year closer to OFFICIALLY being an IB student. You won’t see much different between this year and the last. You will however pick up at least one AP course, exhilarating I know, and your class most likely will have lost a few more members by now. By the end of this year, the three sciences will now be up in the air awaiting your choosing to study one of them and Naki will evaluate your math abilities and help you in choosing the Calculus track or Math Studies track.

Junior year! Big dog status! And most importantly, you are closer to the top of the high school totem pole of respect! This year is crucial. This is a year where most of your classes have an extra 1.0 grade point of weight tacked onto them, giving you the opportunity to turn up the burners and boost your GPA. In doing so, your work will be long, tedious, and intense. If you’re not feeling IB at this point and are spiraling downward, you need to get out now. Don’t pass go, don’t collect $200. Straight up bail. If you haven’t enjoyed the first half of high school, go to a place where you will. You owe it to yourself because these are in fact the best four years of your life that you won’t see again and you need to live it up while academically succeeding at the same time. This year and the first semester of next will be the most crucial to colleges, so don’t screw up.

And now, we’re seniors! The moment we’ve all been waiting for. After 3 years of getting spit on and smack talked, you now have the right to do that to 75% of the school. Hopefully you will have already thought about where you’ll apply to school and even filled out at least one application. My advice is if you find somewhere you want to apply, apply right away. Don’t sit on it, only more will build up and you’ll eat it while you’re trying to do other things that need to be done for high school. After the end of the first semester, you’ll be touching up your World Literature papers and doing your History IA. After that only the IB tests remain and you are done. Your colleges you applied to should’ve gotten back to you by now and you will be either decided or close to a decision. You’ll probably look back on the last 4 years and say “what just happened?!” but I can answer that; it was the prime of your life which you spent getting one of the best public educations available while having a blast with your friends, some which you’ll keep forever and others you won’t know by the end of the coming summer.

Well, that is IB for you. Aside from IB as a topic, these are times that will tell much about your life style in the future. Just remember that there is a bright side to everything. Remember that chivalry isn’t dead, it just doesn’t have many representatives and chances are, you’re the perfect candidate. Most importantly, it’s easier to smile than frown. Have no regrets, correct the mistakes you can, control only things within your control, and don’t cheat yourself on anything. And when you do graduate from here, never forget to come back to thank your teachers, Mrs. Cavanaugh, and Dr. Vetter. Without them, the last four years of your life wouldn’t have been possible and you wouldn’t be the well-rounded, prepared individual IB at Bartow High School has made you. You all are flickers of light in a dim world. Spread your light and be remembered.

Sincerely,

Mike Lyons, Class of 2010!

 

Dear incoming Freshman,

Congratulations on being accepted to IB/BHS and accepting it back. I’m guessing you are a smart, hard-working, and driven individual. If not, pretend as though you are because my words of advice are not for the lazy! In order for your four years stay here to be tolerable there are a few necessary things you must do or prepare for. In order to make the most of your high school experience you need to develop academically, socially, and habitually.

First and foremost, set your standards high academically, challenge yourself in your classes. When choosing electives, think about whether your core classes are going to stress you out enough, if you think you can handle it, choose weighted electives such as honors, or if you’re especially over-achieving choose AP. Remember that it is better to do well in honors or standard classes than struggle and possibly fail in an AP class. Always aim higher than you normally achieve. Don’t settle for less, especially in the beginning of high school because all your grades count. Always do homework, preferably ahead of time, and never procrastinate big projects. Finally, when studying, study for AP tests and IB tests beforehand because after you fail, you will wish you would’ve prepared! The college credit when you pass an AP test is very useful and saves time and money.

Additionally, you should make new friends and build better relationships with your old friends. Without friends in high school, there will just be too much stress and not enough fun. You should try out for any sport that interests you, whether you’ve played before or not because you may make the team and meet new people and friends. If not, you gain experience and knowledge about yourself. It’s a win-win. If sports aren’t your thing, definitely join academic clubs as well as social clubs like Ultimate Frisbee. You meet new people and it’s a lot of fun. Finally, attend your school functions like sports matches, games, and tournaments. They are really interesting and don’t wait till your junior and senior year to build school spirit, start as a Freshman!

Lastly, a vital part of surviving high school with good academic and social standing is to build good habits. Sleeping a reasonable amount every night is very nice, but if you have procrastinated homework that isn’t always possible. So learn to manage your time and prioritize your work so that you get the equal balance of fun, work, and sleep. I learned about this too late and fell into the procrastinating habit where I would pull late/all nighters and sleep in class the next morning. Finally, make sure you build good habits with your friends and don’t get caught up in the wrong crowd.

Nathan Phen

 

Once again it is time to reflect on the road so far in IB. It has been three and a half exhausting but interesting years since I first entered into the program, and what an experience it has been. I can honestly say that I have matured greatly since 9^th grade, not only in a physical and mental aspect, but also in an academic aspect. In the beginning I would always panic whenever there is a large amount of homework due the next day and nearly have cardiac arrest as a result. Now, I am almost unfazed as I deal with 4 times the amount of homework. After three and a half years of being bombarded by homework and tests to study for, it has taught me to manage my time better and plan out and prioritize which to do first and which to save for later. Besides this, being in IB has also taught me several things over the years that have sharpened my mind, built me up as a student, and just plain enabled me to survive IB, most of which I will now share.

As mentioned earlier, time management is key when it comes to homework and studying. It is a generalization that there will be other activities aside from homework that will be done after school. IB requires service hours and extracurricular activities as part of the program, so, one will need time management skills more than ever. First off, it is important to do as much homework as possible at school. (This is during the day the assignment is assigned, not the day it is due). If there is free time given at a certain class, and this is not that rare, one can find it advantageous to do homework from other classes, starting with the smaller ones and moving on to the bigger ones. This enables one to have more free time for bigger assignments later and to ask the teacher questions about the assignment. Once home from team practice or band practice, one should set aside at least half an hour to eat and unwind, then go right to doing homework. When it comes to homework, it’s better to start with the ones due soonest, and end with the ones due the furthest away. If one finishes the homework early, start on bigger projects that are due much later, because due dates can creep up on you. Another important aspect is homework passes. While it is wise to save them up, if you absolutely use them for an assignment when all else fails, go ahead and use them. They can give you extra credit if you save them, but it’s not worth getting a zero on a homework assignment on.

Perhaps one of the most important things to learn when being in IB is to find an outlet for your stress. Whether it’s through sports, school clubs, or hobbies, one needs to find something to do in their down time that’s both stimulating and active. My own hobby is writing short stories and movie scripts. Writing both relaxes me but also keeps my mind active. Another outlet one can find is through friends. Friends are very important in IB. One can form bonds that last forever with the people you can meet in high school. With IB that bond is even tighter. With the crazy curriculum, you and your friends will find a lot of times when your are gonna need each other for help, with school activities and even out of school study sessions. Most importantly, just breathe and take things in stride. Going for that IB diploma and all the opportunities that come with it is the ultimate prize, and in the end I feel that it’s worth it.

Patrick Emralino

 

To the Incoming IB Freshmen,

Six midterm exams. Two World Literature Papers. One History Internal Assessment. Two design labs. And one longggg month of AP/IB testing. This is what my high school career has boiled down to. As I reminisce about everything that I have gone through in the past three and a half years, what lies ahead of me appears to be a rather simple. When I first came to IB as an eighth grade student for the informational meeting in October, I was overwhelmed by everything IB students were required to do: a 4,000 word Extended Essay, 150 CAS hours, numerous internal assessments, oral presentations, and an entire month of AP/IB testing. How would I ever get through all of it? Now, however, as a second semester senior – or almost a second semester senior – I can say that some of the experiences I have had while fulfilling these requirements have given rise to some of my fondest memories of high school.

Rumors about the IB workload had me completely terrified. What I found myself doing a lot of the time was worrying about how much work I had to do rather than just doing it. Freshman year and sophomore year are very easy: learn to love them! Junior year is like a slap on the face and senior year is even more ridiculous. Nevertheless, not a single step of IB is impossible. It is important to stay on top of deadlines and to be updated with CAS at all times. It becomes quite a hassle to catch up when you fall behind. One of the best decisions I think I made was to finish my Extended Essay during the summer prior to my senior year. First semester of senior year is filled with lots of IB deadlines and the bajillions of things you have to do for college applications. Getting something as significant as your EE out of the way makes life somewhat easier.  The courses are what determine how heavy your work load is and how late you will be staying up at night. Biology and History of the Americas are the two classes I have found myself dedicating the most time to. Calculus is much harder than Pre-Calc, but I find myself liking it a lot more. It is important to understand which classes you struggle with and to work hard to learn how you can effectively learn to master the material that class includes. Senioritis kicks in pretty hard but remember to finish strong.

Success in IB is highly contingent on your time management skills. IB has a lot to offer to its students and being on a campus with two other schools gives your numerous opportunities to do things other than academics. Extracurricular activities are absolutely wonderful! They help you keep your sanity and give you the opportunity to truly delve deeper into your interests. From my experience, it is more important to be wholly absorbed in a few activities rather than being simply a member of ten different organizations. Furthermore, relaxation is just as important. You will find yourself doing much better with your school work when are refreshed. Simple things such as watching TV for an hour or reading something entertaining can give you a completely new outlook.

Learn to love IB. You have some of the best teachers, a great educational foundation, and a wonderful IB family which always has your back. The thought of dropping out crosses every student’s mind at least once during their four years at IB. But do notlet it overcome you.

Good luck to you as you begin your IB journey.  Trust me, it is truly worth it!

Yours truly,

Prachiti Dalvi

 

Esteemed IB freshmen (underclassmen too),

Listen up. In the wise words of my father, known to some as Capitan Bomb Checker, “Have fun and learn what you can.” There is a point you reach where it is not worth compromising weekend adventures or dinner with your family for extra study time. Take a break and lie on your floor listening to records for a couple hours before you start your homework. No, it’s not procrastination; it’s what I like to call “relaxing.” I know, I know, a completely foreign concept. Hey, I’m living proof of the negative effects of stress… I’ve had this eye twitch for almost a week now. But honestly, there are so many things to enjoy around you. Do yourself a favor and appreciate them. Homework is not always as pressing as it seems. Do it – just later.

Get interested in your classes! If you’re having fun and enjoying what you’re learning, the knowledge retention comes that much easier. No, reenacting scenes from Macbeth and having late-night ToK discussions is not nerdy. It’s fun. If you can’t take my word for it now, some day you will understand. I know it’s a little bit slow at first, but stick in there, you guys. Eventually everything starts making connections until one day you realize you’ve spun this huge web of IB knowledge. It’s a sublime and personal thing to be able to look back on.

You are the Eggman (or whatever it is you want to be). If there’s one thing I’ve taken from all those dreadful hours of plotting fishing rod guides and counting dead flies, it’s a stark knowledge of my own abilities. You will surprise yourself. Friedrich Nietzsche relates, “And if you gaze long into the abyss, the abyss gazes also into you.” Many nights you will linger on the edge of psychosis, confronting the abyss. You know… I think I just had a revelation. The IB abyss is psychosis. In your four years, you will most definitely suffer from disorganized thought processes, disorientation in time and space, hallucinations, delusions, paranoia, maybe even manic depression. But don’t let that get you down. You weren’t staring out into blank space for no reason at all — the abyss gazes also into you. After you’ve traversed (and maybe even survived) the IB abyss, you realize there’s nothing you can’t do. Hell, I haven’t even made it out of the surging, whirling void yet, and I’d be willing to span the swamp alone, defend myself, take on bat country!

Maybe my good friend Jack Kerouac explains it better. In his novel, The Dharma Bums, Jack climbs to the top of Matterhorn Peak in the Sierra Nevadas and is struck by the quandary — how to get down? Following his hiking partner in great, twenty-foot leaps down the side of the mountain, Jack realizes, “It’s impossible to fall off mountains you fool.” Save yourself some time, freshmen. You will be faced with many a daunting descent, and each time you just have to realize, “It’s impossible to fall off mountains.” It’s the first jump that’s the most intimidating — after that, with gravity at your back, coming down the mountain is as easy as following your own feet.

Treat people nicely, okay?

Rachel Cloyd, Class of 2010

 

Dear Freshman,

I’m sure you have all heard enough about how difficult the IB program is through friends or the various IB program information seminars. As a senior, I can say that everything you’ve heard, most likely, is absolutely… subjective. Everyone is different, and so some will think the program is more difficult than others. When you go into high school, you go in as a (most likely) naïve middle-schooler, but trust me, when you get to your senior year, you will look back and realize that you have changed so much. The academic and personal hardships that you face in high school will be different for all of you, so face them head on and don’t be discouraged.

One of the main things you need to do is RELAX. You may not think that this is an important piece of advice now, but just wait until you actually start school. Also, do not try to make yourself feel better and say “Oh it will be easier next year, there’s less work and we’ll be (insert next grade level)!” This is bad mentality. Let me tell you this now, IT DOES NOT GET EASIER. Senior year IS the hardest year, hands down. But don’t let this fact get to you, because after that is college, and when you’ve made the trek through the dark hellish wasteland that is the IB program, college is like riding a unicorn, which is really fun and easy. Also, do not procrastinate. Procrastination is basically a way of digging your grave in the IB program, and unless you can run perfectly fine on about 3 hours of sleep, get your stuff done. And of all the courses you take throughout IB, I think that Theory of Knowledge is probably the one that is the most important. When you first start the class, it will most likely just seem like an easy class used to do other classes’ homework, but if you pay attention through most of it, you will not only learn, you will see the world and knowledge in a way that you never have before.

So all in all, high school is basically more a life experience than anything. If it helps, try to think of high school as pre-college. When I would feel like I just couldn’t keep up with the work that was being assigned anymore, I told myself that I would be going to college soon, and it does help.

Good Luck,

Shane McNutt

 

Dear Incoming Student,

So you’ve pushed past the CAUTION tape and are now entering at your own risk, welcome to the world of IB (or pre-IB for you freshmen).  Firstly, recognize that you haven’t even completely reached the real IB level yet and the work is only going to get harder.  This means you should pace yourselves but also keep a plan.  With a lighter load in the freshman year think about joining more clubs, sports, and even taking that extra math or academic class.  Once you reach your junior year or even those dreaded college applications you will be happy that you did that something extra.  Also, as the workload gets harder, you will have to choose only your most important activities for your schedule — goodbye Gossip Girl Mondays and The Hills marathons!  If you’re not ambitious enough to consider going that extra measure, then don’t be too dim to think that it will ever get easier – it does not. Nobody knows you better than yourself, so put your goals in perspective and think about your dream school: What will it take for you to get in there? What high school will give you the best opportunity for an acceptance? This question has been in my head ever since the moment I gave my enrollment to IB and it’s what has kept me here through it all.  If you know that an easier academic program can get you accepted just as easily then maybe IB is not the right fit for you.

But if you’re in the right place… make friends, join clubs, get involved! High school is so much more than getting perfect grades and doing homework. Avoid secluding yourself to your homework.  I am not preaching to party but do have fun, meet new people, and try something new like throwing a Christmas party for the whole class.  If nothing else, you can appreciate some bad singing and eat lots of cookie cake.  Make high school a balance between good grades, performing well in extra-curriculars, and hanging out with friends and family.  Lower grades, bad test scores, or stressed relationships with your family and friends are the telling signs that something is up – and you’ll know you need to get balanced again.  I haven’t given a lot of specific class advice because firstly, you know yourself and your own study habits and secondly, there is no better advice than to not procrastinate and just get it done (ß no one really listens to this though).  With that said, I will also say that you should never accept getting a B in a class when you have all A’s, or really, to accept any low grade with the excuse that it’s a hard class.  Once you’ve accepted underachievement, you only continue to underachieve.

Lastly, realize that you only get one high school experience.  So unless you’re planning on sneaking in an extra year then you better make these four years count (if yes to the extra year then I suggest a visit with the Vetter!).  When you’re sitting through college admission counselors’ lectures three years from now and you are surrounded by other students your age from across the country, you will be glad that you have your own unique experiences to bring to the table.  Realize that there are so many smart kids out there, so check that off the list and put something new for those college counselors to see.

P.S. Embrace your inner nerd & Love your IB family (friends, teachers, Mrs. Cavanaugh! Vetter & his powerpoints… the attendance ladies!)

Sincerely,

Stephanie Bandyk

 

Dear freshie,

Your first year of IB must seem very daunting and kind of scary because you don’t know exactly what to expect.  So I’m going to tell you a few tips and tricks that will hopefully help you avoid some of the mistakes me and many of my classmates have made in our four years in this program.  First of all, don’t procrastinate.  You’re going to hear this 43,28,94,32,32,439 times in your IB career, so take this time to listen the first time and start a habit of finishing your work as soon as you can.  I’m sure going on Facebook or watching the afternoon soaps seem like more fun than doing a worksheet on Latin roots for Mrs. Harb or trying to figure out what ASA exactly means in relation to a triangle for Garrison, but you know you’re going to have to do this work sometime, and that time might as well be now.  Procrastinating hurts even worse as you get into the higher grades, so it is a wise decision to get into the habit of just doing your work the night you get it.  Even better, start any work you can on weekends to clear up the workload of the following week.  I know this sounds like a horrible idea because you’d rather be sleeping or hanging out with your friends, but if you put 3 or 4 hours into getting ahead every weekend, your week will be so much more lovely.  I didn’t start this practice until the end of 11^th grade and I wish I would have started sooner.

Second of all, get to know your teachers and classmates.  You are going to be working with these people for the next four years, and once you leave a teacher’s class, you may not be done with them even though their class is.  For example, senior year is when everyone has to write the Extended Essay, and everyone must have a teacher supervisor for their essay.  You want to keep good ties with as many teachers as you can so that it is easy to pick a supervisor for your essay and so you will actually enjoy spending time with that supervisor.  So try not to make any enemies in the faculty.  This is also helpful when the time for college letter of recommendation rolls around.  It is also very important to get to know your classmates and love them because they will be your support group.  In 9^th and 10^th grade, your class will probably still be separated into some cliques and not everyone will be the best of friends, but sometime in 11^th grade that changes.  I think with the stress of the real IB program and the ridiculous amounts of work we get some weeks, everyone starts to support everyone, cliques break apart, and the entire grade becomes one big happy IB family.  This happened to my class and I absolutely love that I am good friends with everyone in my class and I have many, many more people to complain and whine with.  And of course have fun with!  Speaking of fun, it is important to find the joy in as many classes as you can.  Sounds crazy, but if you can’t find certain classes that you really love and are actually interested in, you might go insane from the stress of the classes no one likes.  So if you love statistics, embrace that.  It will actually make the days you have that class a little brighter. That is, if you enjoy learning at all.  If not, find the joy in being with your friends and talking to teachers you love.  It will make the days go by faster.

Finally, I am going to give you a few tips about which classes you should focus on.  If you are going to take the biology track in junior year, you should probably take anatomy as an elective in 10^th grade.  It is EXTREMELY helpful.  Biology is definitely an important class which you want to put a lot of effort into, even in your freshman year.  Try hard in history, Mrs. Patton is a really nice teacher who goes easy on you as far as tests go, so don’t abuse it.  Basically, all of the core classes (sciences, math, history) are going to take the most effort and classes like English and foreign languages are more laid back.  No matter what, try your hardest in all of your classes 9^th and 10^th grades and get your GPA as high as you can, because once you hit 11^th grade your classes will be harder and it will sometimes be more difficult to get as many A’s as you did in Pre-IB.  The higher your GPA is in 9^th and 10^th grade, the more cushioning you have to fall back on if you don’t do so well in the real IB.  Have a great IB experience and stay positive!  It does get grueling and annoying at many, many times, but in the end you will be prepared for college and it will be worth it!

Best wishes,

Stephanie Michalik

 

Some advice I would give to a freshman who is just entering IB is what classes to take and not take based on how they affected me because some of them can be a major pitfall and will make you regret taking them.  The classes that you take throughout IB can have a major impact on your GPA and even be the deciding factor if you make it through IB or not.  I would tell the freshman student what classes that he/she needs to study 3 hours or more for and what classes that aren’t even worth the effort of studying for.  Lastly I would tell the IB freshman how to make it through IB and if he/she doesn’t want to stay in IB, when the best time to drop out would be.

The first thing a freshman needs to know when they enter IB is that one of the key factors that determines how hard IB is going to be on you is what kind of classes you decide to take.  Some freshmen will be given the choice to take an extra math course to double up on math, and this is something you want to stay away from if you can help it.  As a freshman it looks good to you to be offered something like an extra course that only so many students get to take but it isn’t worth the trouble that it will cause you later.  When you get a chance to pick your elective try and pick something fairly easy like cooking, P.E. or engineering.  Do not take an AP course as your elective.  As you go on through IB you will be required to take enough AP courses and will have far more than an average high school student by the time you finish IB.  Taking an AP course as your elective will just be a drop on your GPA and make IB, which is already hard enough and has enough stress, even harder on you.  When you get to 11^thgrade you will have a choice of picking 3 sciences, which are biology, physics or chemistry.  You should not under any circumstances take chemistry as your main science.  Taking biology almost guarantees that you will pass the AP exam but you will be dedicated almost the rest of the 2 years of high school left in IB to Mrs. Kennon and biology.  If you take physics, then you will probably not pass the AP exam, but you will be guaranteed that you will have no homework besides some labs which we usually do every 2 to 3 weeks and if you do these labs you will get a B at least.

There are some classes that are absolutely ridiculous and do not require you to study even a little bit.  Studying for these certain classes is not only a waste of time but also takes precious time away from studying time you need for other, and more important classes.  Freshman year you don’t need to worry about geometry as long as Mr. Garrison is still teaching the class.  He is very lenient and it is very hard not to make an A in his class.  You need to study for Mrs. Patton’s economic class and Spanish II.  Spanish is a subject that you need to stay on top of and study for because it is something that will kill you later on in IB.  Mrs. Kennon’s biology class is also a class that you need to study for, especially her tests.  10^th grade is the easiest year there is in IB.  Mr. Mohler’s and Mr. Wright’s world history class is a pointless class.  You do not need to study for this class because they do not know how to make a test, everyone will fail the tests and they will put in a big curve to make sure everyone passes with at least a B.  Both Chemistry and Physics are easy classes that are mostly guaranteed As or Bs because Mr. Helmick and Mr. Webb put in a lot of “participation” grades to help boost the low test grades.  You should take the free time that these classes have given you and study for Algebra II.

If you are given the chance to drop out of IB or just do not want to be there, then there is a specific time when the timing would be best for you to drop out and go to another school.  Since 9^th and 10^th grade basically do not require much more effort than those classes of a regular high school would take you, if you really want to drop out then the best time to do so would be right before 11^th grade.  11^th grade is when IB becomes unbearable and it eats away at your time and your patience.  It makes you regret ever getting that acceptance letter that led you to this torturous position that you are now in.  So my condolences to the IB freshmen out there, I hope that you will be able to make it through IB with as little trouble and stress as possible, if that is possible at all.

Stephen Walker

 

Dear Freshman,

The general perception that one can hold on the International Baccalaureate Program in general changes throughout the journey. One could say, perhaps, that you begin as far north as possible. In the world of IB, as the natives and aliens alike have begun to call it, the North Pole is located on a country called Euphoria. Euphoria is lopsided, however, and although it is the most sought position on the planet, the natural lopsided nature causes residents to seek an area near the equator of the planet, where most residents are, and where the land is flat and calm, on the country called Dysphoria. In this area, the storms are rampant, rarely causing death, but constantly causing relocation and emigration from the world of IB. The world of IB has a hierarchy and a natural order. Although the people in the country of Euphoria have a better way of life, they are in fact hated. Most of the people in Dysphoria have a natural tendency to try to hide at the border of the two countries, waiting for a Euphorian to draw near. As everyone in the world knows, when one foot is placed in Dysphoria, Euphoria is never again attainable. People in Dysphoria, however, do not always sit in one location. Dysphoria will not be overpopulated. Recently, a new country was discovered, and it has been the most common place of refuge from the storms of Dysphoria. The southern area called Cynica is now a place of refuge from people who feel they cannot handle the storms of Dysphoria. However, Cynica has a population riddled with people with little positive outlook on life.

As a freshman, every person born in IB has a special quality. Every parent tends to bring their child to Euphoria to bathe there. However, at some point in the child’s young life, a decision arises. The child has the opportunity to move down to Dysphoria early, or to try to endure to remain in Euphoria as long as possible. The children who are truly smart and/or motivated take an opportunity to remain in Euphoria. The Euphorians have a special quality of learning for pleasure as opposed to the Cynics, who actually find it a common torture method. The Euphorians, therefore are seen among the other tribes in the world as the causers of the storms of Dysphoria. As the Dysphorian saying goes, “Underachievement only exists because of overachievers.” Due to their differences, Euphorians seem to be hated the most strongly among all three of the tribes, even themselves.

Every new Euphorian has to remember that he has to seize his opportunities. The Euphorians have the opportunity to learn to the best of their abilities and not be judged by the Dysphorians because Euphoria and Dysphoria are not simultaneously possible within one entity. The Euphorians should not prevent themselves from taking every challenge that they can undertake over the process of the portion of their life spent on Planet IB. The descent to Dysphoria, or in a rare case, Cynica, is not necessarily the end of your life in IB. There are rare individuals that live full lives throughout the process. If you were to descend, then it would be in your best interest to continue your life in a similar way to the way you lived in Euphoria. Be forewarned, however, that the strongest persecution in the world is given to those new Dysphorians who recently immigrated there from Euphoria. The only sure way not to reach Cynica is to carefully manage time. Euphorians are great at getting work done first, but some people in Euphoria are already on their path to Dysphoria. These people make Dysphoria seem millions of times better than Euphoria, causing great want for change and movement, and, as previously mentioned, there is no return to Euphoria once you have been “tainted” by the Dysphorian air.

One of the biggest reasons for Discord among the countries of Dysphoria and Euphoria is the argument about the origins of IB. Both countries contain the states of Biology and History. In fact, the major differences only lie in the addition of Physics, Chemistry, and Math Analysis to the country of Euphoria. The country of Euphoria can only be stayed in by the means of retaining information about these countries, despite the fact that in your ripe old age, Euphoria does not secure a sort of “Social Security” that leads to a good life once one retires from working throughout IB. However, whether you choose to remain in Euphoria for the remainder of your trip, perhaps by sticking to the safest countries of the world or by managing time very effectively, or you choose to descend to Dysphoria, either by entering more dangerous territory of Calculus and AP Spanish (as the saying goes) or by just falling for the illusions of improvement given by the natural Dysphorians, you can still live a full life throughout IB, depending on your own powerful will to live.

Con mucho gusto,

Stephon Mikell

 

I’m finally a senior and after spending three and a half years in IB, yeah, I guess I have some advice that could be useful to a freshman.

I know you’re expecting it, and that everyone says it, but DO NOT procrastinate. It’s really the worst thing you can do, well not the worst thing because you would probably be doing something a lot more entertaining than schoolwork, but still. Everyone in my class procrastinates and we end up complaining/whining about all the work we have to do in one night. On the other hand the majority of us still manage to do the work and keep our grades where we want them, so procrastinate only a little, just because it’s impossible not to, but make sure you do good quality work.

Secondly, as a freshman, you might hear upperclassmen talking about which science course to take out of Biology, Physics, and Chemistry. They’re probably going to tell you to take Physics because hardly any work gets done, but don’t listen. Biology is the way to go if you want to pass the AP test, unless you have your heart set on a career involving one of the other sciences of course.  Mrs. Kennon isn’t really mean and scary even though it may seem that way in your freshman eyes; just except the little bit of extra work and pick biology because it really is the better choice.

Finally, I know what you’ve probably heard about IB and the workload, but don’t stress about it or take all of your classes too seriously. Just do your work to the best of your ability and get the grade you earn without the added stress. There will be days when you’re going to hate IB and everything in it but they go away so… Just stick with it I guess.

Tatiana Hylton

 

Dear all future IB seniors,

I know you have heard all of this advice before, but these things are repeated numerous times for a reason. Procrastination is your short term friend but long term enemy, cramming for tests the night before doesn’t work, and above all, Ms. Frisbie’s advice is the most valuable you will get!

First of all, I know you all will procrastinate and there is nothing I can do to stop you, it is a fact of IB life. But try to keep it to a minimum, especially on the larger assignments. Leaving a short math assignment until the morning of to get it done I will admit is pretty harmless, but leaving things like the Extended Essay, World Lit Papers, and ToK essay until the last possible second is a terrible idea that I have experienced firsthand. The reason this essay for Calculus is late is because I left my World Lit Paper until the last second, and although you may have relieved stress in one area, you will create stress for yourself in other areas. I watched someone turn in their ToK paper today, the last day of ToK, right at the end of the semester. It was due a month ago man! as Mr. Guice would say. Keep on top of your stuff and you will reduce the amount of hell weeks like this week that you have to go through, along with the severity of them.

Cramming for tests is just procrastination with studying instead of actual physical assignments, and it will definitely NOT help your grade. Especially for history tests with Shuff, there is too much information to cram into one night, and you will inevitably fail. And thanks to that failed test, your parents will now be on your back 24/7, causing much more stress than just simply starting to study a week before the test instead of 12 hours. However, despite me telling you this, I will probably not study any history until Wednesday night, with my test on Thursday, I am foolish, LEARN FROM MY MISTAKES!

Lastly this is just to suck up to Ms. Frisbie, Just Kidding! She really does have the best advice when it comes to IB, she knows her stuff and has no other interests than to help your educational career. The other teachers claim that, but many of them (not going to name names) are annoying, or condescending, or mean, and you probably won’t want to listen to them. Ms. Frisbie I have faith in that her advice is valuable and with nothing but the best intentions.

Enjoy life while you can before Senior Year hits you!

Tom Adams

 

If you’re anything like me, you only skim over the long essays and read the short essays, so I’ll try to keep this essay short. To begin, the IB experience is one of the greatest and funnest experiences of my life, and I would definitely recommend going through IB rather than a normal high school. You will make many close friends in IB, feel well prepared for college, and have a haughty sense of pride over regular kids. However, if you do go through IB, you will definitely get much more homework than a regular student.

But, just because you get a lot more work does not mean IB is difficult. I’ve basically breezed through the past four years at IB, but many students will tell you that they have had sleepless nights doing homework. This lack of sleep is mainly due to procrastination. If you procrastinate then you are most likely going to have stay up late to do homework. On the other hand, if you don’t procrastinate, then you will find you have plenty of time to do whatever you want.

However, chances are you are going to procrastinate no matter what I tell you. You can deal with this a few ways. You can get work from previous years (to check your work *wink*), or you can collaborate with your friends. Also, read all the books too and not just Sparknotes because you need them later on in 12^th grade. And lastly, I’m supposed to say which class seems most important to study, so I’ll say Latin American history (you’ll take it in 12^th grade) because Mr. Shuff’s tests are ri-f*cking-diculous. Hope this advice helps.

Trung Nguyen

It’s weird to think that I’m a senior now. It doesn’t feel like it was four years ago when I walked into Ms. Patton’s classroom and started IB. Although this senior year has been tough, definitely the toughest of the four years in my opinion, overall IB was more than worth it. I feel I grew as a person a lot because of the family-like closeness the students have. IB also taught me how to look at the world from an international perspective instead of from a national one; how everything is connected with each other. There are more things that I regret not doing rather than doing. I think IB is really an opening up, and although you freshmen may not see it now, IB is worth it in the end.

My first piece of advice is to try your best your freshmen year. Your GPA of your IB career is basically decided in your freshman year. Since you’ll probably be taking all honors, that means all A’s in your classes gives you a 4.5 GPA already. I do pretty well in classes, but I don’t have a 4.5 (I think mine’s around 4.2 or 4.3). I regret not taking advantage of those easy freshman classes as much as I could have, but it is an adapting process. Don’t kill yourself, just make sure to do your best. Most of your work will hit you in your junior and senior years when AP and IB classes kick in. To get through this, I just repressed any angst I had and just did what I had to do. It’ll probably give me some problems that can only be solved by a psychiatrist, but honestly, who hasn’t seen a psychiatrist before they die? Actually, who hasn’t seen a psychiatrist that really needs to? Lots of people, so if you spend less time complaining and more time just working, even if it’s BS, you’ll feel better. Get a couple of friends and do study sessions or something, that helps too. It’s also a good place to vent your frustration with school but still get things done. I’m not going to tell you to not be scared entering the IB program. It’s a natural feeling because it is a different school program than you’ve probably ever been a part of. However, try to socialize with people in your class. Everyone’s in the same boat as you and needs people to talk to just like you do. Getting to know people will help you get new friends and feel less nervous about the whole early IB experience. Joining clubs, especially that AWESOME Art Club, and sports helps too. Most of the time upperclassmen socialize with the underclassmen too. I’m good friends with some of the juniors and sophomores and I know some freshmen too. In a way it’s sort of obligatory for upperclassmen to help underclassmen out, particularly freshmen. When you become a senior you’ll realize how much you liked the fact that upperclassmen helped you out when you were a freshman. Going back to the whole working thing, don’t kill yourself. Push yourself but not to the breaking point. When junior year comes along you’ll find that you don’t have time for everything like you did in your sophomore and freshman years. You’ll have to prioritize. If you try to do everything, you’ll fail. Something’s got to give. So, I feel that the most important classes to study for are your math, science, and history classes. If you take an elective for a while, then I’d say that’s where your focus should be too. I take Calculus, Biology, and Art, the latter I’ve taken all four years. I’d say I learned the most in these classes. The true practicality and application of Calculus let me know just to how many things math applies. I’ve learned a lot about how the body works, which is weirdly aesthetic. I’ve learned a lot about myself and the human form in art. Proportions connects back to calculus (slopes, ratios, etc) and the form goes back to biology.

Your freshman year is pretty important even though it’s pretty easy. It’s the year that your GPA is established and you meet the people who will basically be your family for the next four years. Don’t let any pressure get to you this early, though. You want your fun and learning in this school to outweigh the stress that innately comes from it. So relax, love life, take art, join art club, and learn.

Jonathan Talit

 

Dear potential freshman,

High school is very stereotypically a roller coaster. There are some commitments like looming drops, the twists and turns of relationships at home with friends and significant others, and naturally the rising pressure of the incline that at times can compact your chest and make it hard to breathe for the anticipation of the outcome. There’s no natural immunity to the roller coaster, no Dramamine-like substance or “chill” pill to save you, and no one can experience the same things as someone else. We all have our  own roller coaster to ride and the choices we make determine if at the end we puke our guts out or quite simply stumble and collapse as if in relief that the ride’s over and reveling in the overall beauty of the breathtaking experiences we shared.

Now, you must by now be rolling your eyes or thinking that I’m full of clichéd references, but take my extended metaphor to heart or you’ll inevitably become one of the jaded masses. You’re likely to follow in our footsteps anyways, given the IB program’s  integrity and rigor is a constant and the teacher’s varied levels of leniency are immutable, and spend your free minutes or those distracted ones more likely, dreaming of Graduation day counting the months, days, even hours till that last exam and final moment to spend with some of your less than enamored peers and the drama they entail.

If you want to make it through with “hearts and wrists intact” as the Fall Out Boy song so appropriately sings, there are a few basic things to do. Procrastination is a given, yes that obnoxiously long word everyone incessantly feels the need to throw at you as the cause of all teenagers’ problems is a reality that must not be ignored. The concept of waiting until the last minute, staying up all night, and spending the next day cranky and shaky from multiple downing of energy shots and coffee, is never fun and more than likely to get you the grade initially desired. Yes, freshman, spending the day making everyone angry because of your own laziness only causes more long term problems than doing the homework ahead of time. Now, another important concept, on an intellectual level is to pick topics for your Internal Assessments that you actually give a… well you know, about. If you do you’re more likely to achieve a higher score and ultimately dread it a minute percentage less. Basic principles my friend, they are your safety net.

Even more important at the high school age is relationships. At this burgeoning time in our lives, as young adults, we have increasingly tense occurrences with friends, family and significant others. Now, as a “breaks the mold of the average IB student” person myself, I firmly believe that we are meant to make our own mistakes be they moral or the exact opposite. This is one of those regions where we can definitely not listen to our parents, our elders, or the so-called pressure our peers present us with but follow our own hearts and minds with the moral compasses instilled in us all. This is of course different for everyone and I neither discourage or encourage any other action, but don’t listen to your friends. The personal issues center around drama. Take comfort in the problems from our families and their pressure, with your friends. They’re your safety net even if they don’t know it and think everything is ok. Also, don’t trust everyone and don’t depend on them for answers. Your friends are your best allies, but that can’t be everyone and learn early who you can and can’t trust or they’ll hurt you the first chance they get. Also, drama is a disease. Don’t get involved in it or you’ll end up eating gallons of ice cream or with the black eyes and scratches that are evidence of any good catfight. Don’t get involved; it’ll make everything easier.

Now, these are all very typical tidbits of advice you’re likely to receive from anyone at all in your life, but as one of those students that I promise experienced it all I know that it’s valid. You name it, it happened to me and it’s not something good, but as it all happened you have to know that my roller coaster reference is fairly accurate and the less drama you experience and less you blow off, the calmer of a ride it’ll be and you won’t count the seconds to Graduation. You’re also way less likely to focus on the next thing when you do finally leave and can actually focus on the now and have some fun. You can also make so many memories that will let you look back on and not cringe. The perfect balance of work and fun and no drama is the key to a successful high school experience and I wish you the best of luck.

In sincerest wishes,

Kayla Taylor

 

Dear freshmen,

Welcome to the first year of your high school experience. In addition to this daunting experience, you will have to deal with the stresses that come with being an IB student as well. The road is long and arduous, certainly. Don’t be alarmed, however. I have advice which will help you through the years, hopefully.

One of the things that you should keep in mind as a freshman is that the worst is yet to come. Although that sounds horrible at first, I am only trying to suggest that you do not burn yourself out freshman year. Kennon’s class might be somewhat difficult if you’re coming from middle school involving little work, but don’t fixate on it. Save your energy for junior and senior year, when the work load increases significantly. Of course you should not take the beginning years lightly because they are just as important for your GPA; just try to avoid exerting more effort than necessary.

Another suggestion I have for your success is that you become involved in the Bartow High School community. The environment of this school is very unique in that it consists of fewer students than most of the other high schools in Polk County. While you will grow to love your little group of IB friends, try not to forget that there is more available to you. Do sports or join a few clubs. Not only will this improve your resume for college, but you might gain a few friends along the way. Don’t become so absorbed in your studies that you ignore such wonderful opportunities.

Asheen Zariat

 

Dear incoming freshmen,

Welcome to the most challenging and fun four years of your life. (Until college, at least.) IB is definitely a challenge, but the time you put into it will definitely seem worth it in four years, when you’re heading into the home stretch and getting ready to leave for college with a year’s worth of credit in hand. That’s not to say it won’t be difficult — they try and scare you off in first semester, and every IBer sacrifices some sleep for the many papers due to the IBO. Freshman and sophomore year are your chance to have fun and meet people before you start taking AP and IB classes, with all the *fun* that they entail. Try different clubs, get used to service hours, and seek the advice of the upperclassmen. They’ve been through the exact same trials (trust me, IB doesn’t change much) and most of us are willing to help you out. Also, don’t blow off any class, even the elective you took for an easy A. It’s a bad habit to get into, and it can come back to hurt you in the IB program.

James Karson

 

Dear little freshman,

Wow, you have guts. But I guess you’re just like all the rest of us big kids here at IB. After hearing about the torture of the prestigious International Baccalaureate School, I just had to try it. Well, you are in for a treat buddy, that’s for sure. So ummmm… advice. That’s what I’m supposed to be writing to you about.

#1 – Be scared. Be very very scared. This program is not a joke.

#2 – If an old guy on a golf cart drives past you and waves while addressing you with your full name, do not freak out. He is nota pedophile.

#3 – Biology is Satan.

#4 – I hope I’m not scaring you too badly because, despite all the hardships, IB looks great on your college resume. (Just pretend there is an accent on that e… for some reason my computer likes to think “college resume” is a verb.)

So, those are just the basics. “The Essentials” as I like to call them. Now that you are embarking on the mysterious journey of the IB freshman, you may encounter some pitfalls. When you stumble upon a problem, for example: you are failing biology, the word `sleep’ disappears from your vocabulary, you develop big dark sacs under your eyes (known as `blue eye’… no, NOT PINK EYE… blue eye. Very common in the typical IB student), or you lose all semblance of a social life, my only advice is RUN AWAY… RUN FAR FAR AWAY. Because if you don’t, then you will surely fall into a constant cycle of terror and spiral out of control until you lose all connections with the outside world and become a clone of the most esteemed educational program in the world. I hope you are scared, little freshman. Only the strongest of character can survive this ordeal… are you one of the chosen ones? Will you survive? The choice is up to you, my friend.

I am sure you have heard over and over that IB kids do not have lives. Well, Mrs. Kennon (Bio Teacher) will teach you otherwise, for anything that contains DNA and breathes must be living. Anyways, you will have a life. You will have soooooo much of a life that you will wish you did not have one sometimes. Example: I am in French Club, Spanish Club, Key Club, Anchor Club, Epicurean Club, National Honor Society, Spanish National Honor Society, the National Society of High School Scholars, and A-Team. I play piano, violin, tutor kids with Down syndrome, coach a state-recognized middle school robotics team, and am in the process of creating a walking club that donates money to little underprivileged kids in Africa. I am active in my church, read at least a book a week for pleasure, am fluent in Spanish and French, have a 4.561 GPA, have sleepovers every weekend, and love to go to the movies. I also have a boyfriend and lots and lots of friends. So all that stuff about not having a life, OBVIOUSLY, is a lie. You are going to have to study though. And it doesn’t hurt if you are a really good test taker… nope, that doesn’t hurt one bit. However, do not waste your time studying for Biology. You will fail either way unless you are a super-genius, which I highly doubt because each grade is only allowed one of those and I really doubt it’s you (no offense buddy). I would focus on studying Geography, always read the books you are assigned for English, and do not double up on math your first year.

When you get to junior year, do not get your panties in a wad. It is really not as bad as we make it seem. I know you are young, but you will learn, young ib-­ling… you will learn. If you want all the benefits of the IB program without all the stress, take physics, French, and math analysis, and take the funnest electives possible (such as cooking or pottery). I guarantee you will basically breeze through your classes compared to your classmates, who will be pulling all nighters 5 days a week. HaHa to you, Bio kids. Anyways, I wish you luck. Hope I didn’t scare you too much. Hugs and kisses and a lot of luck, little freshie…you are gonna need it.

And remember, the big kids love you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Try not to die. <3

Katie Campbell

 

These four years of BHS/IB have been a pretty pleasant experience: there were

some not so pleasant experiences, but for the most part it has been a good experience. There is plenty of advice I would give to the new freshman, but I would like to talk about a few important ones. This advice includes pitfalls that you (the freshman) should avoid and classes you should give more attention than usual to.

Freshman and sophomore, in general, are very easy years; there might be one or two nights throughout the whole two years where you spend all night doing homework; if you spend more than one or two nights doing homework up till midnight, maybe you’re procrastinating. Junior and senior year are the hardest years as those years are real IB; some advice for those years is not to procrastinate. Procrastination is an IB disease as many kids do it: you should stop the procrastination now as a freshman while you can. Also, along with no procrastination, try to do homework ahead of schedule so that you won’t have to worry about too much of a workload. Many nights in junior and senior year can be stressful, but you should play some sports or something that will get you active and away from doing, homework for a small amount of time. If you take biology as your science, make sure you put more importance to that class than many of your other classes; make sure to not wait till the last night to do the bio labs because they will kick you in the butt. Also, make sure to start on any major assignments such as the Extended Essay, TOK essay, and math portfolios, at least one week before, especially the Extended Essay. You should try your best to finish up your rough draft for Extended Essay over the summer; also, talk to your supervisors for any help, they actually help you.

In conclusion, BHS/IB has been pretty good to me although I have made many foolish mistakes that I regret now as my time in IB is coming to a close. Since this was my math homework, I decided to tell you advice for the rest of your tenure in IB, making sure you don’t make the same mistakes I did. If you don’t remember anything from this essay (which probably will happen), make sure to remember this important piece of advice: DO NOT PROCRASTINATE. I wish you all the luck for rest of your high school time.

Robin Thomas

 

Freshmen,

IB is a great school to go to. That’s the truth even though I don’t want to believe it. Going to IB entails a lot of work, but when you think about it not as IB classes but rather AP classes you are taking the same classes as you would if you went to GJ or Bartow or whatever your home school is. Getting your IB diploma is for your own benefit, schools do not even know if you get your diploma once they have accepted you already. If you want your diploma you should probably do well on internal assessments and the IB tests which are not that hard as I have heard.

However, if you just want to have all the IB classes on your transcripts to send to school, you can slack off on the internal assessments and such. To be the ultimate slacker, do not take Bio, take physics or chemistry, do not take Calc, take math analysis, and T.A. for your electives. There is no need to take extra AP classes; you already take more than the average AP student not at IB. Just by going to IB, schools place you in that higher curriculum category, giving you better chances of getting into good colleges. The teachers at IB are nicer than the majority of teachers in a regular high school also.

History, history, history. That is the hardest class for me and many of my friends. Mr. Shuff only gives between 4 and 6 grades for each nine weeks, 2 to 3 tests and 2 to 3 essays. Think of your hardest test ever, times that by 10, add 25, then put it to the third power that is how hard his tests are. I feel lucky to have a 79% in there. Read the book for Shuff, it is the best thing that you can do. His notes are only mediocre. Reading the book twice is sufficient and you should yield at least a B for the nine weeks.

To get that scumbag Goss back for all those standardized tests and chapter tests and all that homework, tepee his house. It is a standing tradition at IB. He lives in Bartow off of Kissengen, but help him clean up. It is the best way to diffuse the hatred you have for him during the year, trust me.

“IB is a lesson in effort, nothing else” (Rick Schuler). That is the truth. IB will prepare you for college, but the work load is more than what is needed. If you can’t take it in your sophomore year, drop out. It only gets worse. Junior year is not too bad as long as you do not take Bio, but Senior year is pretty terrible, lots of internal assessments and what not due all at the same time, but get over it. Don’t stress out. That is the best advice you can ever get. Stressing out makes your work suck more and makes it take that much longer to do.

Love,

Taylor Graham

 

Throughout your IB career, you will encounter many bumps in the road that you must overcome. There will be plenty of IB components that you must complete, which consist of portfolios, the extended essay, internal assessments, orals, world literature papers, etc. This will mostly happen senior year, so you have that to look forward to. Also, there is the myriad of tests at the end of senior year. Between the IB papers and the AP tests, you will miss much of the last month of school, which is a bittersweet ending to your high school years. In order to get over these bumps, you must prioritize, you must not procrastinate, and you must know your limits.

The most obvious key to success in IB is avoiding procrastination. It seems that it is inevitable, with all the assignments; one will end up getting put off until the last minute. However, you will find that you are usually given a decent amount of time to complete the larger assignments, and it is way better to complete them, or at least start them as early as possible. It seems stupid, and it is the most overused piece of advice that can be given to younger students, but procrastination is a terrible, terrible thing. Also, you may decide that you care more about some classes than others, or that some are easier than others. For example, I am math-science oriented, so I obviously would spend more time on my math portfolio than my World Lit papers. This will allow you to stick to your strengths, rather than trying to ration your time evenly to all of the subjects, which will cause your performance to fall in the classes you care more about. Lastly, it is a well-known fact that IB students have less free time than other students. Embrace it, and remember that you may not be able to play every sport there is. Choose the sports and clubs that you like best and stick to them. Extracurricular activities and social outings are keys to success in IB, as well as your well-being. However, if variety is the spice in life, moderation should be the main course. In other words, don’t overdo it.

You are in for a rough, yet helpful four years. As much as it seems that IB is a complete waste of time and a detriment to your health, it will prepare you for your higher education better than any other school could. Stick with it, and good luck!

Yours truly,

Nico DiGioia

 

BHS/IB is going to be your home away from home for the next four years so I’ll share a little about my experience here to help you along your way. Although I don’t have all the answers I think I might have a few helpful hints.

First off, you have to understand that you are in for the long haul. For most of you, you will be here all four years and eventually graduate from IB. One thing I have to say is don’t wear yourself out too early. I’m not saying get all D’s in freshman and sophomore year and then start trying to get A’s in junior year. Rather, I’m saying don’t get the idea in your head that every single test matters and that you’re not going to get into college because of a single test or class. If you have that attitude you will be completely worn out by senior year and that is the time when you really need to keep your head straight. Don’t freak out over everything. Keep calm and try to look at the big picture of what’s to come rather than getting stuck back in the past.

Another thing I would like to relay is try to keep the drama to a minimum. High school is a whole new ball game and those little episodes in middle school will seem like nothing compared to the drama to come in the next four years. Try to get along with everyone in your class. Chances are you will be in the same classes with the same 60 or so people for four years. You don’t necessarily have to like everyone, just try not to fight with anyone because that can easily break the class into two. I would also advise you not to date anyone in your IB class for the first two years and maybe even after that. With such a small class, if you were to break up with that special someone, you would see them every day and most likely have to work in groups with them on multiple occasions. Just date people from other schools. Believe me it works out much better.

Try to get along with your teachers, especially in junior and senior year because you will have most of the same teachers both years and their help can literally make or break your grade. Try to stay on their good side. Don’t sleep in Ms. Frisbie’s class (you need to listen to her lectures and helpful hints), turn in your homework and labs in on time to Mrs. Kennon, read the book for Mr. Shuff, listen to Mr. Goss’s lectures (also use course-notes.org, it’s fantastic), make sure to ask Mrs. Calvo questions, have fun with Mr. Guice but don’t tick him off, keep up with your journal questions for Ms. Smith’s class, and make sure to read the novels and listen to Mrs. Delk’s comments on your papers in her class. Get your CAS hours done as quickly as possible and don’t procrastinate on your internal assessments.

The thing I found to be the most important in my four years at IB is my friends. There will definitely be some great people in your class like mine, so get to know them. Hang out after school and on the weekends. They will be your greatest assets at IB, socially and academically. Try to have friends outside of school as well so that you get to know more people and really expand socially. I know way too many people at IB that strictly focus on school work, getting into college, and their parents’ expectations that they don’t get out in the world and have fun. Make sure you make an effort to make plans for the weekends and meet new people. There will also be people at IB that start to drink, smoke, and do drugs during senior year or possibly even junior year. I greatly advise you to stay away from this. I know people in my class that have started doing these things and have ruined their chances of getting into college. I know that it can be fun or whatever but seriously don’t let one night of fun ruin your life. I’m not going to be able to influence you greatly, but please just think of the consequences before doing anything in high school, it will you save a lot of trouble in the end.

The classes that I found to require the most studying and attention are Pre-Calculus/Calculus, Biology, and History of the Americas. All of these classes call for a large amount of homework, and very challenging tests. The good thing is that they all have fantastic teachers. Although these may be the hardest, don’t disregard the others. “They are just as important although a little bit easier.

Brian Gonzalez

 

WOW! You guys are all incoming freshmen! By the way my name is Devki. Freshman year is the easiest year in IB where you are initiated into high school. The IB program is one of the best experiences that you will go through. There’s so much to learn and so little time. You have the best teachers and though it might not seem like it, there is a method to their craziness. The best advice I can give any incoming freshmen is to have fun in this program. The IB program does hold students to high academic standards. However creativity and diversity are also important. Do not focus on studying 24/7; instead join clubs and other extracurricular activities. Your time in high school will only come once so learn to enjoy learning in the IB program. Not every student is given the opportunity to learn from the best teachers out there. So here is some advice to survive not only your freshmen year, but your sophomore, junior and senior years.

For English the best advice I can give is to actually READ the books assigned to you. Do not and I repeat do not solely rely on spark notes. Believe it or not, reading the novels are actually helpful. Mrs. Harb is the English teacher for pre-ib 9th grade. One important thing to remember about her is that she absolutely hates students that sleep in her class or interrupt her. If you make a bad first impression you will be doomed in that class. In English you will write essay after essay and this will definitely prepare you for your sophomore English class and the FCAT writes.

Procrastination has a love and hate relationship with IB kids, but above all do not give in to its persuasion. The episodes of House, Charmed, Castle, etc. will come again, but you will not get to redo the Bio worksheet. I love Mrs. Kennon’s class. Even though you pull late nighters to study and do homework, her class just has this atmosphere of combining fun with learning. By the way her sole purpose is to scare her IB freshmen; so try not to take it to heart if she starts to randomly scream and dance. Mrs. Kennon will be one of the best teachers you will ever have in IB. Her pass rate for IB/HL Biology is really really high. If you have Kennon (also known as Mamma K and Debbie Cakes) for science fair, be prepared. Science Fair is important and make sure to have the proper documents for your project, otherwise you will have a heart attack because your grade will fall from an A to a D. Also do not pick a stupid topic like what happens when you mix vinegar with baking soda. Believe it or not you cannot get away with a basic experiment; also if you pick a lousy topic you will forever be remembered by the IB juniors and seniors as the stupid kid. One more thing, DO THE EXTRA CREDIT AND REVIEW SHEETS! This will be the only year (besides chemistry and physics) where the questions on the test are basically given to you.

Be grateful that you got into The IB school at BHS. You are given a wonderful opportunity to learn under the guidance of teachers and staff that truly want you to succeed. So

do not do something stupid like skip class and get kicked out. Freshman year is the transitional year between middle school and high school. This year will be exciting and fun. So enjoy one of the most memorable years in your lifetime.

Devki Patel

 

As a senior, I’ve got a lot of memories involving Bartow High School. Good or bad, I’ve got quite a bit of high school experience to look back on. Luckily for you, a freshman I presume, I’ve been required asked to share some senior wisdom to help you over the next four years. These are going to be some of the four longest years of your life. At the end however, you find yourself in a very good place. Once you can finally relax and look back, getting that acceptance letter will have been one of the best days of your life.

Try to get your work in on time. As a freshman and sophomore this won’t seem like much of a problem, but in junior and senior year your workload will demand attention… pretty much all the time. Read. A lot. Read for history, read your English novels, read for pleasure, read until you can’t see and then learn Braille. But I’m going to assume that as an aspiring IB student (you won’t actually be one until the fall of junior year) you already know the basics of being a good student. So for my next trick, I’ll be tutoring you in the ways of being something that’s frowned upon in IB: someone that has fun.

No, seriously. Every time you smile a puppy dies. No one bothers to actually spay and neuter their pets (you’re also probably too young to remember the T.V. crusade to get people doing that) so by smiling and generally enjoying yourself every once in a while you’re doing the world a favor. Trust me on this one. Why wouldn’t you trust someone higher on the food chain? Actually, questioning authority is a key part of becoming a participating citizen and actually caring about the world. Your teachers will usually be right (they have degrees after all), but if they’re wrong about something don’t be afraid to ask them about it (Ms. Frisbie in particular enjoys having her mistakes noticed ;). Discussion is a very important part of understanding why the answer is what it is.

Now that I’ve vented for the day, conclusion. All of your classes have the capacity to be enjoyed. Work hard, talk to everyone, enjoy yourself. Just remember every once in a while to take a step back and realize that all your problems (homework, girls/guys, parents, etc.) don’t really mean anything in comparison to those of the world and beyond. That makes things easier to deal with, and it makes for a great distraction while writing a paper.

Ben Deardorff

 

Dear Incoming IB Freshman,

Given my prior experience as a student in the IB program at Bartow High, I have some insight which will be of great use in the years to come in the IB program. I can provide you with advice as to what habits to avoid, what subjects to study, and how to survive Bartow High School life.

Bad habits are those things in life which, in this case, prevent you from succeeding in school: some bad habits to avoid include procrastinating, overusing technology, and sleeping in class. While you probably already hear it every day, I shall remind you once more, procrastination leads to bad grades because waiting till the last day to do your lab write up usually falls on the same night that you need to study for a big test in history. I don’t know if you’re one of those types who texts constantly, posts continually on Myspace, or spends all afternoon playing video games, but if you are, then listen up; do your homework and studying first and then if you have time left over you can use your technology. This use of technology, however, should not prevent you from getting much needed sleep because having to sleep in class is not only disrespectful to your teachers but also causes you to miss the valuable lessons being taught in class.

Once you have forsaken those previously mentioned bad habits, you will have plenty of time to study for your tests, but which should you study for the most? Well. in my opinion, you should focus most of your studies to your social studies classes, whether they be economics. geography, history, or the like. I feel this way because these classes require the most book reading and memorization of details and therefore are, to me, the hardest and most time consuming of classes to study for. Next up 1 would have to say is the sciences because although they require just about as much studying as the social studies classes, the sciences have applications of knowledge rather than remembering solely minute details. As for the easiest classes to study for. I would lump math and languages in the same category because math, to me, is just an application of formulas which are easily remembered and language classes only require you to be able to remember some  vocabulary and how to put it in a sentence so they are nothing to worry too much about.

With regards to Bartow High School in general, 1 have some bits of advice which will survive Bartow High School life. While out and about in the halls of Bartow High, you may become thirsty all of a sudden, but you must fight your first impulse to drink from the nearest drinking fountain for it is usually contaminated in one way or another: therefore, it is best to carry a water bottle around with you in order to avoid medical complications. Another necessity to avoid illness is to have Germ-X with you because with the exception of teacher bathrooms, there is just about no soap to be had at Bartow High. A technological necessity to have with you is a flash drive because you can have back-ups of all your projects saved on there so that you can always reprint a copy in the library before school in case your forget your project at home. Lastly, and most importantly, never leave your belongings unattended because they will be stolen.

Now, all I have left to say to you is good luck with freshman year in IB and I hope my advice will help you unstressfully breeze through the year with some good grades. Sincerely,

William Adams

 

Dear Freshman,

IB has been a wonderful experience for me. Harrowing at times, yes: stressful, most definitely. Nonetheless, I believe that all the strife and tribulation has been worth it. I have met some incredible people; my horizons have been widened more than I thought possible; and I have gained a vast amount of knowledge. IB, however, is no cakewalk. But by following some simple guidelines, the whole experience can be much smoother and more pleasant.

The best piece of advice I can give you as a prospective student is this: manage your time. Seriously. That is the best single piece of advice for you. As you progress through the program, there will come times where you have three labs due in a single week, history and math tests on the same day, foreign language orals and English essays due, among other things. During times like that, you need to manage your time. Otherwise, all of the things you have to do will overwhelm you. If you finish things in a timely manner as they are assigned to you, things won’t build up. As an IB student, I do my fair share of complaining. We all do, trust me. We gripe and whine about the workload, but in the end, you just have to do it. And honestly, I can’t recall a single instance where a teacher assigned a huge project that was due the next day. They give you time; use it.

Additionally, I think on a more personal level, it is important to accept that you are a nerd. Trust me, you are a nerd. Embrace it. Don’t fight it. Some people will make fun of you, but believe me, people who make fun of your intelligence are not worth your time. If you like anime and fanfiction, hey, that’s fine. If you actually like reading history, read some history. Don’t let other people’s opinion of you affect how you see yourself, or make you change who are you are.

Every IB subject deserves part of your attention, but frankly, some classes deserve more attention than others. The amount of time you devote toward each class depends on you, however. If you are very good at math, and it comes naturally to you, but you struggle at biology, devote more time to biology. That does not mean, however, that you should ignore math. It takes a little time to figure out exactly how much time you need to devote to each class, but you need to figure it out quickly after entering the program. And, there will be times when you have to prioritize. For example, you have a biology test and a history test on the same day, and your history grade is lower. You may want to devote a wee bit more time to the history. Just a suggestion.

All in all, IB is definitely survivable. Just work hard, and manage your time. Don’t lose yourself in the process, and take some time for yourself And maybe a few mental health days. Best of luck.

Shea Keene

 

Dear IB Students,

The International Baccalaureate program is, by far, several times more rigorous than the standard high school curriculum. Regardless of what the upperclassmen say, IB IS ONLY AS DIFFICULT AS YOU MAKE IT. I say this as a student who lacks organization, is a chronic procrastinator, and frequently forgets he even has homework assignments until the class before it’s due. So yes, like every upperclassman will tell you, starting assignments early and becoming organized will work to your advantage.

One factor in the IB program’s difficulty that few people take into account, but that is more influential than the ones mentioned earlier, is attitude. Hate IB and every day of it will be torture. If you believe that the work put forth is too much and that you simply cannot manage to do it, you won’t. If you think that the biology labs are too difficult or think “I’m just not good at math so I’m going to bomb the test,” then you will certainly find the program immensely more difficult than your more confident classmates. And even if you still manage to succeed academically, you will feel that the stress will grow day by day, and that eventually you will wish you never joined the program. Being one of the IB seniors that stays in the program because dropping out would be a dent on their college resumes is not a category you want to be in.

The main way in which you can make IB less of a strain is to actually enjoy it. The program has a lot to offer, including that the small class sizes allow you to make close connections with your peers. Many of the teachers in the program are not only of excellent caliber, but actually enjoy teaching and fill their classes with an energy that is truly genuine. Several of the teachers can be found in their classrooms after hours, and engaging in conversation about anything ranging from politics to how much you both love reading Stephen King is always a worthy endeavor. The volunteer hours many IB students do together as a group is an opportunity to cool down and enjoy yourself while spending time with classmates without talking about work. Finally, try to enjoy your classes. If you try, you will find that what you learn in your History classes is actually intriguing, and that you enjoy studying the works you have to analyze in English. This is especially true for Pre-Calculus and Calculus with Mrs. Frisbie, who is a teacher that manages to make her class entertaining and engaging even if math really isn’t your thing. Unfortunately, I think most IB students are so worried about getting an A that they forget to love learning.

In conclusion, I hope you all find success in International Baccalaureate and finish the program being glad you joined. And although it’s stressful, try to enjoy yourself. After all, it’s only high school.

Sincerely,

Nestor Guarionex Beltre

 

 

Dear sophomore year hopeful,

As a recent IB student I was thinking that I can’t really give advice to a BHS freshman, but the more I think about it the more I realize that all freshmen are practically the same. It’s a new school, new people and these kids have to adapt. We all did. I talk to my friend’s brother, Ian, who is in grade nine currently, about how he still hasn’t made that many friends yet. The awkwardness that passes on from junior high to high school is still present and it feeds them all. I tell him to just relax and to be himself, people will see who he is eventually and like him for who he is and like him for who he isn’t, not for how he fakes it.

For me I was kind of a nobody until about grade ten. I was awkward, dorky, shy, easily embarrassed. I think high school is where people finally grow their alligator skin. If there were anything I could advise to do, it’s kind of grim, but, no one will get you through high school, and I had to learn that the hard way. You must be able to depend on yourself and stay strong through the hard ships of the “pre-K drama” that everyone lovers the taste of, and the letdowns of many a people will only make you stronger. The thing about high school is not to avoid the pitfalls, but to take them in stride and know how to survive their attempted assassinations on the young heart and mind.

Most high-schoolers are probably going to think fashion, friendship, acceptance and other such things are what time should be delved into. Wrong! sorry kids, grades are what’s most important. Suzie Q isn’t going to get you into college, your hard work in the classroom are what’s going to make you happy in ten years. Not some dimp “dance team” wife, not some managerial position at Kinko’s, no! Outside of this place is where real happiness is found and to get out you have to graduate, or sell a sh*t load of drugs. I’d go with the first.

With this information I hope someone can benefit.

Thank you.

Tyler Fox

 

BHS Survival Guide

Dear little freshman,

First of all I should probably not assume you’re little because freshmen are getting bigger every year. Maybe you’re 6’5”. Maybe you’re short like me. Either way, my words of wisdom have the same potential to benefit you in your next four (feels like fourteen) years at our school.

First and foremost you must acknowledge that freshman year is easy. No matter how you’re doing in your classes now, you’ll never have more potential to make good grades. Right now grades probably don’t seem of monumental importance to you. You only start to sweat when they venture dangerously towards the point of Mom and Dad taking your cell phone away. By the time you’re a senior applying to colleges you’ll wish you’d cushioned your GPA freshman year when you had nothing better to do than algebra I homework and watch TV. The extra effort to get an “A” in 9th grade will pay off when you’re stressed to the max in AP classes your senior year.

Next, a few things you should consider avoiding. Facebook is the first. This social networking site comes to steal, kill, and destroy (your grades, that is). The only way to remain completely protected from founder Mark Zuckerberg’s eager fingers is to never create an account. If you make that mistake you’ll find yourself addicted as if you’d begun to experiment with a drug. If you aren’t able to access your account hourly you may begin to experience side-effects of internet withdrawal. You’ll feel disconnected from the universe, insignificant, and uninformed. The key to avoiding this time-consuming, “A” killing addiction is to never make the first click.

One of the most important things I’ve !earned in high school was Latin roots in freshman English with Mrs. Harb. Coincidentally this was one of the most boring things l learned in high school as well. They may seem foreign and irrelevant to anything else in you’ve ever encountered, but someday, somewhere the might save your life (or at least save you from looking dumb). Although they’re helpful on vocabulary tests or the SAT when you romp across words that rival supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, they can help you out in non-nerdy circumstances as well. They can help you decipher the names of classes you might want to take (or not take). Knowing what big words mean is important. It might be the difference between taking a class studying the science of toe jam and taking the class that you intended.

My final piece of advice is to take AP Calculus with Ms. Frisbie. She’s the most dedicated teacher I’ve come across at this high school and you’ll leave her class every day with the sense that you accomplished something. As an added bonus, it’s fun to be on a constant quest for mistakes in the pursuit of an elusive candy prize. You should also consider this class because Ms. Frisbie might imitate a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle fighting with realistic turtle feet. She also might tell you that your TI-84 graphs with sound! Or maybe she’ll just tell you that “m” stands not for slope, but for “mlope” and have you repeat the imaginary word for a while until she’s tired of the joke. But in all seriousness. take AP Calc! It’s difficult materialbut the teacher makes it bearable (and some days you could even call it fun).

Angela Lewis

 

Some words of advice…

1. An A is an A is an A.
2. Dual Enrollment is awesome.
3. Challenge yourself.
4. Procrastination is an Art.
5. Have fun while doing it all.

Eric Konkol-Bennett

 

Incoming freshman,

Welcome to high school! I know you are probably scared and nervous, but don’t be, high school really isn’t that bad. These next four years will be four of the best years of your life. High school is a place to meet new people, make everlasting friendships, and come out of your shell.

Freshman year is very important. Many students enter high school and think they can just goof off and slide by. This is not true. Make sure you take your ninth grade year very seriously. This year has a big impact on your GPA. If you bomb your ninth grade year it will be very hard to get your GPA up to where you want it.

Procrastination is your worst enemy. Trust me, I know. Procrastinating will really stress you out. Once you put off one assignment, then you’ll put off another one, and pretty soon all your work will build up. Then you’ll end up having to do all that work in one night.

Play sports. Playing a high school sport is a great experience. It is a chance to make many friendships and many memories. Sports are a great way to stay in shape and pass those long afternoons. Believe it or not, sports will also help prepare you for the real world. It helps you build character and responsibility.

In high school there is a lot of drama. Stay out of it! Just ignore the people who start it. Do not pay attention to what others think about you, just be yourself. Drinking and smoking is not a good idea. Don’t do it. At the time you will think you are so cool, but in reality you look like the biggest idiot.

High school will be the best four years of your life. Cherish every moment because it will be over before you know it.

How fun!!

Lindsey Martin

 

During my freshman, sophomore, and junior years as a student at the IB school, I learned a lot of things – including what not to do if you can avoid it. This is for all you IBers out there, so listen up!

ENJOY YOUR FRESHMAN YEAR. This is what all my upperclassman friends told me, but I discredited them. Yes, you’re going to have a lot of work and you’re going to get stressed out. You might even pull an all-nighter for science fair, but don’t forget to enjoy the calm before the storm. Make friends (and study buddies) who will help you make it through.

Sophomore year means taking your first AP class – AP world history. The best advice I can give you is READ, READ, READ. If you don’t read the textbook, you’re guaranteed to flunk the AP exam, even if you pass the class. Don’t slack off on this! Also, when you get your summer assignment on The Scarlet Letter for Mrs. Smith’s class, do it sooner rather than later – it’ll give you a huge advantage junior year.

As a junior, you’ll really learn what it means to work. First of all, do your journal questions as they’re assigned. It’ll be easier and won’t stress you out if you don’t let them pile up – then, you can sleep while everyone else stays up until 4 a. m. writing journal entries. Don’t leave your PreCalc homework until the morning it’s due – if you attempt it and ask questions, you’ll be fine. But if you don’t do anything you lose an easy 10 points. Most importantly, choose your science very carefully and know what you’re getting into. Just suck it up and take biology, unless you’re naturally a physics or chemistry genius.

For my senior year, I didn’t choose to complete the IB program, so this advice goes out to BHS seniors. If you can dual enroll, go for it. It’s a great experience and will allow you to take college courses for free; it really doesn’t get better than that.

Whether you’re IB or BHS, or Summerlin for that matter, try to enjoy high school. Play a sport, take an art class, join clubs, go to football games and have fun! Work hard, but be sure to breathe and not take things too seriously; you’re going to be here for four whole years. Make the best of it!

Livia Galloway

 

Dear student,

High school is one of the best times of your life. You just have to make sure it’s not the last time of your life. High school is not tough at all if you just study appropriately and do all the work a teacher assigns. Saying that, you still should go out and have fun, and trust me, there will be plenty of room in your schedule for that.

When you are in high school you will be tempted by peer pressure to do many dumb things. You just need to stay strong and do what you know is right. Almost every kid in middle school jokes around about peer pressure but y’all have no idea how influencing it can be. Just be strong and know in your mind what is right and wrong, and stand up for decisions and you should be fine.

And Bartow there are hard classes, easy classes, strict teachers, and loose teachers. It’s not always bad to have a strict teacher, this often means you will learn more. One class that  you might need to watch out for though is anatomy honors with Mrs. Allison. Mrs. Allison is old-fashioned and very strict. At the beginning of the year she picks about three or four students that she picks on all year. So whatever you do just try to be on her good side. If you listen to this letter and do what I said you should do great!

Sincerely,

Drew B. Guffey

1. S. Good luck.

 

Dear freshmen,

The most ridiculous thing to do is to fear high school, there is a friend for everyone so don’t worry about that.  There are people that will mature throughout their four years here, and there are people who will not change until after high school or never… deal with it.  Don’t fight with them or talk about them behind their back, just ignore them; it is by far the most productive thing you can do in that situation.  Also don’t change yourself for friends drinking, smoking and drugs are not cool… they allow people to manipulate you to be who they want you to be not who you should be.

Another thing to do is to keep your interests broader than high school.  Believe it or not high school is not the world.  Keep up with politics, and the real world, NOT THE SHOW ON MTV, but the world that effects your parents, your country, and your future.  Be aware of what is going on, it helps you to not be manipulated when you have to vote in the near future.  Don’t take anything for what it is, question it… repeatedly.

As far as school goes, everyone says do not procrastinate, DON’T!  But I will not linger on that, as it often goes to a deaf ear.  My main theories are as follows: find at least one thing interesting in every subject, set high standards for yourself and be unrealistic (it’s good to have hard goals), be grateful for your classes (high school is the last place where education is free),also don’t cheat; it is pointless because you have wasted your time and pen ink on something you obviously don’t care about and you have lied, so you have wasted your morals which are by far, the worst things to throw away.  Summerlin Academy students and International Baccalaureate students are kids too; don’t look up to them or down on them.  Just keep in mind that no one is better than you because of the school titles, maybe because of other things, but not school titles.

Just don’t give up on your classes or yourself.  When I feel apathetic toward working I keep in mind a quote and that is what I will leave you with.

If we did the things we are capable of, we would astound ourselves.
-Thomas Alva Edison

Hannah Durham

 

Dear Freshman,

High school is a big and new world that you are forced to experience.  But in my four years here, I have realized that it’s completely up to you have these years play out.  When it comes down to it, you can’t blame your failed plans on anyone but yourself.  Apply yourself, because in your senior year you’re going to wish you had.  Don’t be the student who in their last semester of high school realizes that he wasted four years.  Work hard, study, take AP classes.  Trust me, you’re going to wish you had.  They will push you until you wanna break, but they will help set you up for an easy first year of college.

And guys, pick your friends wisely! Don’t be affected by the partying that other people do, that can lead down some scary roads. You do not want to get sucked into the high school drama scene.  Stay clear of it, you’ll have way less headaches this way.

And whatever else you may do, just DON’T procrastinate, it will come back to bite you in the butt!  Study days before tests, try not to be in the situation where cramming is a necessity.

Be yourself, yeah it’s a cliché, but it is so true.  You will have so much more fun this way.  Just because you take challenging classes doesn’t mean that you can’t make time for yourself.  Kick back, relax, and go out. Go to the games, not only the football games but to all the games, soccer, volleyball, basketball.  Support this school, cause you’re gonna be here for awhile.  But just remember to have fun, this is your time to find out who you are, and who you’re meant to be.  Enjoy these years, ‘cause there gonna go by so fast.

Kayla Rodriguez

 

Incoming freshmen beware, you are not the big people on campus anymore, so don’t try to act all big and tough because you aren’t. Many freshmen come into high school trying to act all cool and think they are all that, but high school is way different than middle school. In middle school your teachers help you through everything, if absent a day, they talk to you in class about and catch you up, in high school it’s on your own time, they don’t have time to stop class for just one student.

Freshman year is the most crucial year, it helps establish your GPA. It’s much easier to lower your GPA than to raise it if you bomb freshmen year. Having a good freshman year is vital to your success in high school, those who think it doesn’t matter how they do are the ones who end up dropping out or the ones who just don’t care about school and only show up because they have to be there. Don’t be like one of these, come to school and do the best you can and it will be that much easier.

Procrastinating is the worst thing to do. Waiting till the day before to do a big project is a lot of un-needed stress. It makes life soooo much easier if you do a project a little each day instead of trying to pull all-nighters. It’s not good for your health and affects your grades. Procrastinating, everyone seems

to think it’s a great idea but really isn’t a good idea. Also, in certain classes don’t cheat especially when you both have the same ridiculously wrong answers, so if going to cheat at least cheat off the smart people and not the idiots that are going to make you look like an even more of an idiot than them.

Michael Woods

 

Advice I would give to someone that is just starting here as a freshman would be to try your hardest and never give up. You should really take ninth grade seriously because it is the easiest grade. If you start giving up then, then it will affect the rest of your high school career and you will regret it. Also, if you are able to take AP and Honors classes, then take them. Don’t be lazy and take regular classes.

Something everyone says and is very true is don’t procrastinate! Start this habit early in the ninth grade. Once you receive an assignment, make a plan so you can manage your time wisely and not wait until the last minute and have to stay up all night working on it.

While working hard to keep your grades up, you should also have fun. Enjoy your high school life. Do everything possible to make high school the best time it can be. Join clubs and do some sort of extracurricular activity so you can make new friends and have fun with the old ones too.

Hayley Calandros

 

Dear freshmen, I am approaching you in this letter of advice, having gone through many sleepless nights, filled with the fun of derivatives and novel packets from Mrs. Frost. However, this is not to say that your senior year cannot be enjoyable. It sounds impossible, but I have learned that if you do not procrastinate and actually look at the calculus free response questions beforehand (not the period before the quiz!!), your final year can be enjoyable.

I have also learned to be carefree. Don’t buckle down too seriously about taking 7 AP classes, or taking the SAT EVERY SINGLE TIME, but remember that your senior year will be your last year to be with all your friends. As for being a freshman, don’t let the upperclassmen mess with you. Personally, after being a senior, I must say that there are plenty of seniors who do some pretty dumb things. Some of us even went to the Mark Wilcox Center! As a freshman, the best advice I can give you is to go ahead and get your academic classes out of the way. You will want to cherish your last few years. Other tips are… stay away from AP Biology and AP Chemistry. Good AP classes are AP Stats and AP psychology. No offense, Ms. Frisbie, but calculus isn’t exactly the easiest.

Other than that, there is really not much advice to help you freshmen escape the boringness of Bartow High School. There really isn’t much to do here. Unfortunately for you, after your freshman year you still have three more years of it.

Fortunately for me, I have only a few more weeks.

Haha,

Reuben Walker

 

I’ve learned a lot of things in my time here at Bartow High School, good and bad. And though I admit, I’d like to take some of them back and fix the (many) mistakes that I’ve made over the last few years, obviously I can’t, so I’ll do my best to help incoming freshman not do what I did wrong.

First, don’t ever blow off your homework for a boyfriend/girlfriend. I know everyone says it, but every grade, every worksheet, every open-note quiz, affects your GPA, and you NEED that for college. It may seem like a good idea at the time, but no, John Smith or Becky Jones are NOT more important than your world history chapter. If they “love” you like they always say they do during these years, they’ll hold on until tomorrow when you have some free time. I promise, their 1/8^th life crisis will probably still be treatable tomorrow. Whether you believe it or not, there’s about a 98% chance you won’t end up like Barbie and Ken with your Barbie dream house and pink corvette. Besides, even if you do by some miracle stay together, you won’t be able to afford the dream house or the corvette if you don’t go to college, which you need a good GPA to get in to. When I was in IB my freshman and sophomore year, I made the mistake of constantly talking on the phone with whoever happened to be my soul mate at the time instead of taking notes and studying for a test, which leads me to my next point.

STUDY. I don’t care if you’re a genius, which I highly doubt. You have to study in high school, if only for your AP classes (which you’d better take). Figure out what works best for you; flash cards, notes, highlighting (not in your book!), making dance moves to your vocabulary lists (desperate times call for desperate measures) and stick with it. I know, again, that it’s easy to just blow it off and go watch a Law and Order SVU (or iCarly, I don’t judge) marathon, but they’re on every weekend, be patient. Cheating is always an option, but don’t get caught, don’t cheat stupid, and please, DON’T cheat on finals. Worksheets are usually just completion grades, so if you split the work with your BFF of the week, it’s not a big deal, just remember you won’t know the information in the problems you didn’t do, so make sure to learn that stuff too. It seems like a stupid thing to hear from a teacher or on the morning announcements every single morning, but it’s true. You’ll regret it if you don’t.

My last point, is to make sure that you remember that in 40 years, you’ll only remember certain experiences in high school, so make sure they’re good ones. Don’t do stupid things like drugs, drinking, or smoking. I’m so glad I never got involved in all that, because I know if I had gone to a party and gotten drunk, no matter how much fun I thought I was having, I’d probably regret something I did that night later. Drugs aren’t cool, no matter who says they are, and those can really mess you up for a long time. I’ve personally lost a lot of friends because they couldn’t kick their habits, and I fear that if they continue down the path they’re on, they’ll probably die. I know it’s “fun” or makes you feel good, but it’s something that could honestly ruin your life, or end it. Don’t worry about being cool. Make yourself happy, and realize you don’t have to wear $100 jeans to do that. I realize at times it feels like the whole world’s watching you, looking for an excuse to make fun of you, but to be honest, no one really pays attention to anyone else because, though it’s hard to believe, EVERYONE FEELS THAT WAY (yes, even the “cool” kids). Figure out who your friends are and don’t let little things get in the way of your friendship (“BUT I LIKED CONNER FIRST!”) and don’t trust people you’re unsure of, they’re probably jerks (among other names…). And whenever something’s bothering you, think about how long your life is and figure out if, in 40 years, this will be a minor problem, or something that changed your life.

You’re a freshman, you’re growing, no one expects you to be perfect (and if they do, eff `em). High school is an important part of your life, so don’t make stupid decisions, and trust me, you’ll know when you’re about to make one, so stop yourself, and make the right choice. And besides, if you do make some mistakes (which of course you will), you can always use them to write a witty letter to your AP Calculus teacher for your midterm giving words of advice.

Kelly Ferrell

 

 

Since I’m coming to the end of my high school career, there are a few thoughts that I would like to share with people who will just be starting out as a high school freshman. When choosing an elective don’t just necessarily choose something that is a fun elective, choose classes that will benefit you for your future. By choosing classes that better prepare you for your future, you will be that much more prepared for college and your future career.

If you are planning on going to college, then it would also be beneficial to you to take college prep/AP classes. These classes may be tougher than the normal classes, but they will help to better prepare you for the future. Stay as focused on school as possible, don’t get distracted by anything that can get you into trouble, or they can make you lose focus of the real reason why you are at school – to get your education.

Make sure that you meet all the necessary requirements for all of your classes. Always do your homework and pay attention in class. By doing all of the above things, you should have a very successful high school career!

Carrie Goad

 

Dear freshman,

High school can be one of the best experiences of your life, or one of the worst, depending on what you make it. Just a little advice: study, do your homework, and pass your classes the first time! There’s no need to stress yourself out because you have to retake classes due to your failure to complete the work, no matter how lame it was. Just do it! Don’t say,  “homework’s not my thing,” or “cool kids don’t study.” That is just dumb and ignorant. This is not middle school. If you don’t do the work, you can count on being put in the same classes next year or struggling to complete extra courses your senior year. Although this is not a problem for me personally, I have to watch my little brother go through the struggles. He doesn’t do homework, retakes classes, complains about it, and gets frustrated. I know what you’re thinking, “Well, that’s his problem, and if I choose to do it, then it’ll be my problem.” Sorry to break your heart, but the truth is, yes, it may be your problem, but your choices hurt those close to you. Your family, friends, and teachers are supporting you and want you to graduate. When you fail, they feel like they have failed, too! Of course, they may not show it, but deep down inside they feel it. Just get through it, so later in life when you are old, you won’t look back and say, “I regret failing and dropping out of school!”

Also, don’t be afraid to ask for help! Teachers… What does that term imply? Well, I don’t know. Maybe that they teach and are eager for others to learn their teachings? Duh! They will help you before school, after school, during lunch, and, if you are lucky, they might even give you a phone number or e-mail! Why do they do this, you ask? Because they want you to succeed! If you don’t like your teacher or can’t understand them because they sound like adults from “Peanuts,” then there are always students who tutor after school and during lunch. If you don’t feel comfortable with those options, then start an afterschool study group. You’re probably thinking, “Yeah… who would want to be in a lame study group. Only nerds do that.” Well, you would be surprised! You are not the only one who is struggling. Lots of kids need extra help. They are just too embarrassed to ask for it. It doesn’t make you dumb just because you need help. You are only dumb if you don’t ask for it. Teachers are not mind readers, although they never seem to miss anything and have super-hearing. Even people who make good grades ask for help. Why do you think that their grades are so high? It’s not because their brains are supersized! Don’t ever be hesitant to ask for help.

Lastly, have fun, make friends, and refrain from drama! This is your transitioning period, where you make your way from a child to a young, mature adult. These are the years where you’ll make friends that will be with you for a lifetime! These are the years where you make something of yourself and prove that you can and will make a difference in your life! You are someone and you are important! Don’t ruin what should be the last and best years of your childhood by fighting with friends, doing drugs, drinking, and focusing your whole life on a relationship with another person that may not last…. High school may be a pain, but it is the start of a beautiful life, if you make the right choices! Don’t ruin your chance for a beautiful life!

Sincerely,

Dakota Bastanzi

 

First off, you won’t be slammed in a locker or beat up. Okay, now that is clear the most important thing in your high school career is this that you are reading. This is full of advice and the nasty truth. Luckily I am going to make this short and sweet because people will beat you up if they see you reading! OK relax! I would never lie to a little freshman! You guys are too cute. Like puppies.

First off, make sure you choose a school at Bartow that you can see yourself doing for all four years. If you want something easier, but full of a lot of really lame teachers, join regular Bartow. If you want mean teachers, uniforms, stupid rules, and marching in circles, join Summerlin. If you want a ton of homework and you are good at “collaborating,” join IB. You’ll make friends wherever you go, but don’t force yourself to do something you don’t want to do.

The next most important thing is classes to take. For the classes you HAVE to take you might be S. O. L. (sure out of luck) and get a lame teacher. (I won’t mention any names.) Throughout high school there are three classes I have truly enjoyed and all three are AP classes: AP Language, AP Psychology, and AP Calculus. Do not be afraid of AP classes because the teachers are usually really good at teaching. Therefore that is why they teach AP. 4 years. I have not really got much advice to give, just to have a good time and do what teachers tell you, and do not procrastinate.

Hunter Garrett

 

Dear student, throughout my time here at Bartow High, I have grown accustomed to many habits you might find detrimental to your studies. First, make sure you never sleep in class, get lots of sleep the night before and drink coffee or other caffeinated substances to get the energy you need. Sleeping in class I’ve found hurts the History grade the most. History is mostly about memory so study a lot. Sleeping makes it really hard for the teacher to help you and teach you, plus it is just frustrating.

In the area of how you act, behave in class. Sometimes being the class clown can forfeit a good grade you may have otherwise received. Also, certain people may find the person trying to be funny rather annoying. It is in the best interest of the student to maintain a focused attitude.

Finally, don’t spend too much time procrastinating, it’s far more satisfying to complete the work early. The stress associated with procrastinating can be tiresome. As an experienced procrastinator myself, I have found it hard on my health and taxing on my grade. The easiest way to get things done is to do them when they’re assigned. Also, if there is time to do homework at school do it.

Reese Allison

 

Dear Freshies,

You are about to start one of the greatest experiences of your life! High school has its ups and downs like everything else, but you can get so much out of it if you set your priorities straight from the start. Trust me, if you put school before everything else like friends and your recreational activities you will be ahead of the game, which will pay off in the years to come. Soon enough you will make friends that you can’t possibly live without but if they are true friends they will help you succeed in your academic endeavors and not hold you down. Same thing with appearances, don’t focus so much on how you look but focus on how you act. You could be a positive example and reestablish my faith in our generation, besides in 30 years from now it’s not going to matter how you did your hair, what shoes you wore, who your friends are, what is going to matter is what you learned and how you used it.

So, get out there and learn! Take AP classes, participate in school activities, find your hobby, but balance everything. Don’t overwhelm yourself, but please, focus on school. You may not think it is important now but it definitely is. High school defines who you are going to be for the rest of your life so make good choices like don’t drink, do drugs or sex. You are too good for all of that and you have a future and by using these four years you can shape it into anything you want. ANYTHING!

Honestly, life is beautiful so seize every day, don’t push your parents away either. As a teenager, sometimes you feel your parents don’t understand you but trust me they only want the best for you because they want you to have all the opportunities they never did and you will one day thank them for making you stay home and study that Friday instead of going to the home game.  Besides keeping the parental units near, make sure you apply early to college. No one was there to tell me I had to start my applications my junior year but luckily you have me and this letter telling you to do it. I made the mistake of applying to late to Brown University and might not get in because of it so please APPLY EARLY.

Finally, newbies, please understand that this message is for your own good. I have faith that God put us here for a reason, high school is just a step to discovering this, but take it all in, live it to the fullest. Make studying fun because nothing feels better than knowing that when you and your fellow classmates walk across that stage for graduation that you have done your best and that it means you will be giving the valedictorian speech. School pays off and I don’t mean just in cash, I mean in memories, in knowledge and becoming a well-rounded individual so don’t mess it up. You have it good.

Sincerely,

Daniela Fagnilli

 

Dear freshman,
Advice is only good to those who wish to learn from it. So to those that want to get ahead by learning from other’s experience, listen up. Be the best you can be early on! I know it sounds cliché, but it’s the truth. Do not think you can slack off the first two years and then reach your highest potential your last two years. Things in high school just don’t work it that, although we all wish it did.

Take challenging classes every year, and expand your knowledge by taking different kinds of classes. If you do not know what you want to study when you hit college, this is the best strategy. As a freshman you need to grasp every opportunity, no lie. Learn to take notes and to master time management early on. These two things will help you in every class.
I know all this seems stupid to you now, and hey! When I was a freshman it did to me too. But looking back at my high school career, I would have liked to have been told of these strategies to help me. Think of my experiences as cheating more than advice. You follow what I say about the good note taking and time management habits and you will PWN (it’s a gamer term for those who have never heard of it) high school so hard it will be easy for you to fly through it!

Please don’t get senioritis; it’s a fatal disease that takes down even the best of students! I’ve seen it happen, no lie! It’s devastating, and no one should go through that. Have you ever been given something great, then have someone take it from within your grasp?! Well when a college accepts you and then second guesses themselves because you are slacking off, it’s not pretty, and that is what senioritis does.

Think of high school as a race, one that needs to be won. Fight to the end so you will have no regrets! You will want to look back at your high school career and say you did your best! Not think I wish I had done better because I could have. Last thought I would like to leave you, it’s more of a personal note. If you ever find something worth giving everything for, don’t let it go!

I hope that reading this will provide helpful in your journey to each and every single one of you freshman. Most important, have fun in school! And trust me when I say this. If you learn to master time management, homework will never stop you from going out and having fun! Good luck to you all!

Felipe Fagnilli

 

Dear Freshmen,

Woooohoooo!!! You made it to High School! You are no longer the big dogs; yes I know it’s sad :’( so here’s some advice on how to make it through the years.

There is so much to tell you! I really wish I had some “words to the wise” my freshman year… especially after I went to JROTC Summer Camp and had to learn from experience what it meant to clean out your canteen. For those of you who are wondering, when they say clean it out they mean boil water and pour it in there to kill the bacteria. DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT wash it out with dish soap! If you do so, you just made the same mistake I did and will end up drinking hot soapy water for a good part of the week. What else to say? Let me start with the not so much fun stuff.

School work: there is no way to get around it no matter how hard you try. You may think you are getting a lot now but just wait! I’m not trying to scare you and if you listen up then there is nothing to be afraid of. The really cool thing is that if you do your work in class along with your homework you will most likely get a decent grade in your class; that’s right even if you aren’t the best test taker. I’m not talking an A here so if you are the person that has to have all A’s then you need to study too. But let’s be realistic, not many of you are going to study so at least do your best when it comes to all the other stuff.  Another thing — Try to be somewhat organized, trust me it will help you in the long run! Keep your binders organized because believe it or not teachers do make mistakes when grading things and you can fix those oopsie-daisies as long as you have the proof! Try to manage your time as well, this way you are not staying up till who knows what hour trying to get your English work done; it is better to have a good night’s rest.  This way you aren’t missing out on important things from class because some teachers are sneaky and (that’s right!) actually test you on what they say in class. Speaking of teachers, get to know them! I definitely do not mean “get to know them” *wink wink*; Bartow has already had kids do that and it doesn’t really work out in the end. But do understand their teaching style, homework load, and flexibility. If you didn’t pay any attention to the other things I have said THIS WILL HELP YOU! Teachers are different; that’s a fact. Some are flexible with their due dates, others will write one date on the board and say another and then expect you to know which one they actually meant (tip: if unsure complete it for the earlier due date just to avoid frustration). Teachers also have different homework loads, some assign a novel a month while others give you three simple questions to answer; by knowing this you can plan out your day and when you are going to complete each assignment. If you get to know your teachers things will be much easier on you.

Choosing your classes: you have more freedom in high school when it comes to your schedule, which can be a blessing if you know what to do.  A big fun fact — get your required classes out of the way! I waited to take Personal Fitness and now I am taking it online at FLVS which is a bigger pain than taking it at school where you go outside and play soccer for a class period. Another thing, take AP classes and honors courses they will help your GPA and look good when applying for jobs, scholarships, and colleges. Here’s the catch — it is a lot more work, so only take AP courses in the subjects that interest you. An example: I enjoy English so I’m taking AP for that and learning so much. AP Economics, to me, on the other hand is lame. Which reminds me, know who teaches each subject so you can get the best teacher, if possible, ask around but from a variety of people; not everyone in the same group. Now, electives, there are so many to choose from and they fit everybody’s interest. It’s no longer just art, music, and PE so look up the choices you have (if you are interested in the Medical Field look into the Bartow Medical Academy — you will have such a blast and the teachers are extremely great!). Another helpful thing is to know what you want. A semester may not seem that long but trust me if you are in a class you don’t enjoy it is LONG. If you know what you want do not let someone push you into something you dislike because you are the one who will have to deal with it.

Now what you most likely have been waiting for: the social aspect of high school. My suggestion is to join a club or team; this helps you get to know people and get the hang of things. If you do this you won’t be the one sitting by yourself two months into school. And for those who may be those people, don’t be afraid to get to know people! You can have your old friends and make new ones too. Also don’t complain like crazy. My first day as a senior I heard this freshman girl crying about how hot is was outside and not shutting up about it. Really? Is that appealing to people at all? No, I didn’t think so. And I beg of you not to be the one who tries to be overly cool! Please! There are some people who think in order to seem awesome, tough and all hot shot like they need to see if they can beat the world record for sticking the F-bomb in their sentence the most times. This, I tell you, is not cool and just extremely annoying. Also watch your reputation because once you get a bad one it is hard to drop it and will affect how people see you. Pretty much don’t be a scared and freaked out kid but also don’t be cocky.

My last thing would be to have fun! Find a balance between school work and good times and just enjoy your years in high school. Make the best of every day and honestly, it helps to smile! You automatically feel better when you smile. Surround yourself with good friends who make you feel like a million bucks and you will be A-okay. I know it helped me J

Congratulations! You have made it and I know you will do great!

The long but helpful writer,

Jessica King

 

Dear SA Freshman,

I welcome you to Summerlin Academy, and more importantly, to some of the best and worst days of your life. Do not think for a second that my greeting is in the slightest insincere, though I am slightly luxuriating in the knowledge that as you read this greeting in your cold, hard desk I am sitting

comfortably in my dorm room approximately one hundred forty miles away from you. It is alright though because, hopefully, you will be in my position at the end of your four year sentence.

The best piece of advice I can give you for making it through high school unscathed is to uphold your standards or raise them. To elaborate, if you did well in middle school, do not become lazy and procrastinate now that you are in high school, and if you did not do as well as you could have done in middle school, challenge yourself, aim to greater heights, and do not be afraid to seek out assistance. My freshman and sophomore years were a walk in the park for me, but as I entered my junior year, and especially my senior year, course work became a lot more challenging. Not only did my homework load drastically increase and I become too familiar with the term “all-nighter,” but I began to find myself worrying whether or not I would be able to succeed. With the help of some compassionate teachers, tutors, and friends, I made it through just fine.

If I were able to go back and change an aspect of my high school experience, it would be my “high school romances.” Let me make myself clear and straightforward: neither a guy nor girl “completes you”; while there is a possibility that you and your significant other may find yourselves married to one another, it is very, very unlikely; you are your own person, so do not let someone else tell you that you are not good enough the way you are. High school crushes and boyfriends and girlfriends are positive aspects of high school; the guys have miraculously matured a little over summer break and girls have, well, matured too. The thing to remember is that high school’s purpose is to prepare you for life afterwards and/or college or a university, not next seasons “Bachelor” or “Bachelorette.”

Your entire high school experience is going to have many challenges for you to overcome, and trust me, they can be overcome. While Summerlin can be the most frustrating place on the planet at times, I have to admit that it has taught me some very useful skills that I capitalize every day. Freshman English and Biology are great crash courses as well as your first allotted AP class sophomore year, World History. By junior year you should be getting a knack for high school so, of course, more things are going to be sprung on you, namely, the ACT, SAT, and college applications! Yes, even that last one should become a priority for you your junior year. Do not be like me and send University of Florida’s application a few hours before the deadline at midnight, PREPARE! Also, do not be afraid to take honors and AP courses; they help more than hinder you in both the hundred yard dash and the mile run.

As I conclude, please, please, please memento vivere, that is, remember to live. There were so many evenings when I let the daunting work load and outside stress bring me down so far into a rut that I could not see the opportunities passing me by. This is your high school now, and only you can make it what you want it to be. Every day you walk this Earth is a day you will not get back, so make it a good one. “Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius and it’s better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring,” said Marilyn Monroe, so do not be afraid to be a little different!

High School Graduate, Emily Thraen

 

Dear Freshman,

As you enter a new level of schooling in life, high school, you should start off the new level by making a written list of long term goals and short term goals. Making a list of general goals that you want to achieve is a great way of keeping you on track for the work that you want to complete successfully. Make these goals realistic, but challenging. As a freshman of high school, you must treat this as your most important year because it is your most important year of schooling. How you begin and end freshman year almost determines how your high school and even college life is going to turn out to be. Back in middle school, homework wasn’t that important, as in you can turn in half the work and still pass with an A or B. However, in high school, most teachers make their homework heavier on the grading scale and you’ll generally have a lot more homework assignments than anything else. Procrastination is not only mine, but a lot of my high school friends’ problem. The best way to avoid this problem is to start on an assignment as early as possible. If a project is due two weeks from the date assigned, work on it the same week or the week after to avoid last minute rushing. High school is one of the most memorable part of many people’s live. Enjoy the time while you can, keep work turned in on time and complete, and avoid the drama that arises from friends. Hope you come out successful!

Sincerely,

Lorne Baker

 

Calculus and Study Habits

Calculus is by far one of the most awakening experiences for the naive mathematician, especially for those who never needed once to pick up a book and read it for math. It is difficult who are not accustomed to studying what was once thought to

be an easy ‘A’. At such a high level, it becomes prudent and necessary to focus, intake, and study a required difficult subject

To all of those who scoff at my words, will certainly be in for a treat similar to none other. It is long. It is time consuming. It is worth it. It is not that the work is unbearable to any degree that one might not be able to handle but rather it asks a great deal of concentration from its students. One must have the utmost attention to detail to recognize mistakes and errors to avoid erroneous solutions. To acquire the ability to associate a problem with another that he or she has come across in the entirety of the mathematical career, will prove to be of grand importance because it will aid in breaking down the problem into a workable form to find the correct answer. Another outstanding suggestion that I shall humbly submit, is to never fall into a deep sleep through the duration of the class. One will miss the methods of solving equations and it is not always suffice to only glance at notes.

Never not do homework, because it will come back to haunt one in the end. Completing the assignment at hand, shall indefinitely give a leg up in comprehending the rules and methods. It is truly a good idea to go above and do some practice

problems. As the candid cliché states, “practice makes perfect.” Reading over the material, even though it does not make perfect sense, will help one be familiar with the material at hand. The more one can do the better.

It is an excellent idea to follow some of the tips previously written atop. Without a doubt, it will grant a better learning of the subject, calculus. Intelligent work is not all fun all the time but it is beneficial all the time.

Nicholas Butler

 

Freshman of Bartow senior high school, you have lots of expectations to uphold. You are the future because quite frankly we jacked it up. I have lots of advice for you but am too lazy to tell you everything you need to know. So basically if you want to survive high school, LISTEN UP.

First, don’t be stupid. This means don’t make stupid mistakes. Not turning in simple assignments such as this. You will fail and be made fun of. I will punch you personally.

Second of all, take notes and actually pay attention. This is crucial to your survival. Not paying attention will affect you greatly throughout the years, especially in math and sciences.

Marc Julia

 

 

 

 

Dear freshman:

Absolutely, I would say I had an awesome experience in BHS since I came here.  You will learn so many things, not only for studying but also for your own life. Peers and teachers make it interesting that you will never realize that how fast time flies.

FIRST OF ALL, NO DRUG OR CIGARETTE OR ALCOHOL.

Here are my tips. You have a goal, right? It doesn’t matter whether it’s for a semester, a year or the future. We need to be aware what we like to do and what we need to do and then do it. Don’t be discouraged or lazy, there are always a lot of fun figuring something out. (Yeah, I know, it’s such a nice thing to sleep and dream in class.) Enjoy it and have fun playing with them. Be free to ask a bunch of questions and discuss with those cool teachers.

Let me tell you a story. A fisherman is lying on the beach and never went fishing. Another one earns money by fishing and starts his own company. He employs people to work for him and lies on the beach himself. They get different happiness although that they are doing the same thing. Which one do you like better?

By the way, studying is only a part of your life. We also have video games, dance, sports, instruments and volunteers. Be involved and meet more people. Friends are good but be careful to choose your close friends.

And try to do something in youth hood, as boldest and craziest as you can imagine (I mean something good), which you may remember forever.

Hey!

The adventure of exploring and discovering just begins!

Are you ready?

Here we go!

Minqi Liu

 

As a exchange student, I have been here for half-year already. I met a lot of new people and saw the way they study and deal with things. I finally find out that there is really no such thing as a bad student. Students are only divided by good learners and bad learners.

I heard people sometimes complaining about bad grades. That’s not because they are bad students nor because they are stupid but because they don’t know the right way to learn. The most important thing is simple: Do everything you were told to do. Most people may think they know it and laugh at it, on the contrary, only few of them really follow it. So remember, Do everything you were told to do.

Once I was talking to one of my classmates who passed Algebra II as a C last year cannot even do 1-1+1. She thought she has to do 1+1 first and then minus by the 1. That leads to the second problem — Comprehend. When you were taught a formula or a way to solve problems, you have to make sure you understand it and is able to use it whatever the question changes.

In one word, if you give up a little bit of your entertaining time to do all your work and to comprehend, I’m sure you can do a good job in becoming a good learner and earning good grades.

Wei He