These were written by seniors and juniors in the International Baccalaureate program who took AP Calculus AB during the 2011-12 school year. The essays are in no particular order.
Dear freshman,
By now, you have probably heard the usual stuff about IB. The work is awful. The work is awful. Oh, and the work is awful. What I am here to tell you is that the work is not the only thing you have waiting for you here. In fact, if you are anything like me, the work will only be a fraction of what you remember. You see, I am not extremely intelligent. I would like to say that I like to learn and that I am decently good at it; however, I never was the best or the worst at IB. It is truly hard to say if anyone really is the best or the worst. Hence, I was simply floating along, learning what I could, and trying to do whatever I could to make myself better. Sure, it is nice to have the A’s, but the B’s I have received throughout my high school career have not made me any less of a person, any less than the individual I have become.
Someone once said, “Life is a foreign language; all men mispronounce it”. I thought I agreed, but I realized that instead of claiming that all men say it wrong, we could claim there is no right way to pronounce it. All men mispronounce life simply because there is no right way to do it. So, this is my advice to you. As you progress further into the program, life will undoubtedly become more serious. You will reach the all-important exams, decide where you want to go to college, get into community service, apply for scholarships, and experience the Theory of Knowledge course. Now, all of these things will happen. My challenge to you is to do it the way you want to do it. Everyone will probably suggest things like this: do not procrastinate, turn in your Extended Essay on time, keep your grades up early in high school, plan for college, take biology against all opposition, blah, blah, and blah. These are all useful in some way or another, but what I suggest is that you do whatever you want in whatever way you want for whatever reason. Find yourself. Be yourself, and never let it go, not for an A, not for college, not for biology. You have a responsibility to yourself to be yourself. You have a responsibility to the world to be yourself. All men mispronounce life, because if you pronounced it correctly, it would simply be life and never your life.
I wasted a lot of time despairing over what others expected of me… I still do. However, it was not until I let go that I found myself and discovered my true interests. Some people may say to this, “It’s only high school. There is no use worrying about this”. Maybe you believe the same, but in my opinion, this reality is all too boring to worry about becoming a part of the crowd. Through being a part of the IB program, I have found out that just about everything can be taught. Mathematics, science, history, literature, language, politics, even knowledge. However, there is one thing that no one can touch. Everyone can step into the ocean. Everyone can swim through the ocean. Everyone can venture across the ocean in a ship. Everyone can drown in the ocean. No one, though, can swallow the ocean up or make it disappear.
You are the ocean. In IB, in the world, we are all oceans.
Good luck,
Belinda Adam : )
Dear Freshman,
Congratulations on entering pre-IB. It will be the best of times and the worst of times, but the best parts typically outweigh the worst parts, and it ends up being a pretty great place. Freshman and sophomore year are absolutely your easiest years so enjoy them and sleep a lot. Staying up until 11pm is not late, in fact, it’s a healthy bedtime, so drop that notion immediately, and try as hard as you possibly can not to complain about your workload to juniors and seniors. We do not have sympathy. When I was a freshman, I would have thought that what I just wrote was rude, so I guess I’m sorry about your delicate emotions, but you’ll understand when you enter IB.*
There are some mistakes you may make your first year of high school, and I’ve been assigned to give you advice on how to avoid them…so here we go. 1) Don’t procrastinate. This seems like an obvious one, but then again I am writing this letter at 1:30am so maybe I am not the best person to dole out advice. 2) Make friends. The people in IB are one of the best parts about the school. They are great, and you will grow to really feel like a little family who complains about homework together. And when you think about leaving these people that you’ve been with for four years whose quirks have thoroughly endeared you to them, you will be sad. And that isn’t inclusive to students — the teachers are the absolute best. I’m always nervous to write about teachers when a teacher is grading what I write because I don’t want it to seem like I am sucking up, but they really are awesome. 3) Make a Facebook group! This is a big one. The class of 2012 made a Facebook group at the beginning of junior year, and I think it was our best idea (I say “our” because I don’t know who originally made it; I was not involved, but I wanted to make it seem like maybe I was). We tell each other homework assignments and are able to remind each other of deadlines and occasionally just chat. It’s nice.
Some classes are harder than others. The most important class to study for freshman year was definitely biology; however, the material isn’t difficult, there’s just more than you’re used to. If you have trouble learning from Mrs. Kennon’s notes, consult the interweb. It’s a great place. Just be careful what you search for during the reproduction section and be aware of who is around you when you search for it. Government is really easy and fun if you pay attention. Economics is a little harder, but it’s not too bad. Harb is a wonderful, [insert synonymous SAT word here] English teacher — I loved her class. Just read the books and plays and you’ll be fine. You might have Garrison if you are taking geometry. He’s an interesting man. Do your math worksheets before the beginning of class the day they’re due and pay attention to what he says. Turns out, you need geometry in math later on. Who knew?!
In conclusion, try your very best at IB, and don’t forget to have lots of fun with the wonderful people around you. Your time will pass quickly. Soon enough, you’ll be headed off to college, and even though you may have had a more difficult four years workload-wise than most of your peers, you’ll feel good about it, like you didn’t waste your time and got the very best education possible.
Sincerely,
Bailey Benningfield
*I am not a mean person. It is very late, and I am mad at midterms, not you, dear Freshman. I really didn’t mean to take it out on you like that. I hope we can still be friends.
Dear Freshman,
Upon entering the International Baccalaureate Program you can only imagine the numerous responsibilities and restrictions that will be imposed upon you, and you cannot even begin to fathom the wonderful outcomes of your experience in IB. The second half of that sentence is what you must keep in mind, always. You will endure many tough times throughout your four years in IB but you must always remember that the outcome will be worth more than the time you sacrificed in high school.
To begin, if you are a serious student and want to get into the best colleges and get the best of your education you must start freshman year. If you do not get good grades during freshman year it will be very hard to bring your GPA up later; therefore, I would avoid slacking off from the get go (it will be a good habit to not acquire). I would also avoid totally losing your life before IB. It is true that IB will demand a lot of your time but it is very important to stay true to yourself and your interests. This brings about the problem of time management; it will be very beneficial to you if you can manage your time! It is a whole lot easier said than done, trust me; however, it is possible and you CAN do many of the things outside of school that you wish to do if you manage your time. Slacking off and poor time management are major things to avoid in IB; I think if you are aware of this from the beginning you will be able to better control, and hopefully avoid, these problems.
In the course of your four years in IB your mind will be overloaded with a variety of information on every subject you could possibly think of; it is almost impossible to pick out which information is the most valuable. The conclusion I have come to with respect to the most important thing to study is everything that is intertwined between the coursework is the most valuable information. Of course each and every teacher will teach their subject and believe it to be most important and we as students will learn so that we can pass tests and get good grades; however, our teachers often have a good relationship with us and teach many things about life. I think that these little interjections in the daily routine of the classroom are very important. During your time in IB you will learn many things about yourself, your classmates, your teachers, and life itself. I believe this to be one of the true beauties of IB because everyone cares. They all want to be there for a reason and they pass their reasons on and enlighten the rest of us. So, in the midst of the devious coursework pay attention to the little things everyone has to say about their experiences, you can learn a lot.
Kelsey Broadhead
Dear Freshman whom I am writing to because of a requirement, not recreation, so don’t flatter yourself,
Caution, now entering Bartow, dangers include: extreme boredom, toxic fumigation from a body of water rumored to have been the water closet of the gods, drinking water of an unknown origin, hallucinations from second-hand “special” smoke, and stepping on the salivary gland-excretions of individuals who either wear camouflage or South Pole jackets. Proceed at own risk.
None of these characteristics of the lovely Bartow High School are too far from the truth, but don’t let that scare you away. You should probably be scared of the people of Bartow though and probably the water supply too. Now you are aware of the risks of entering the BHS zone, I have some advice for any freshmen. If you have chosen the International Baccalaureate route of the school, you have probably made the best decision. Those of you who chose (or were forced) to attend Bartow High School and Summerlin Academy, may Jesus be with you. No, whatever works for you. But this advice will primarily be concerned with what IB students should do, so BHS and Summerlin kids move on to another letter(who am I kidding, they would probably never venture into the advice column of Ms. Frisbie’s calculus website for funsies). So IB kids, in freshman year, create good study methods for yourself early and establish yourself as an involved individual in the school by joining clubs and making friends with teachers and such, and don’t spend most of your time at home avoiding social interaction like…some people did in the beginning of school. But as every other person in the world will tell you, freshman year can be difficult and sophomore year is pretty easy, so treat yo’self during this time to lots of nice rest and good grades.
Don’t slack off as you’re going through pre-IB unless you are sure you’re dropping out soon, I suppose, because that lack of effort can really sneak up on you and getcha during the last two years of high school. So work hard and enjoy yourself moderately during freshman and sophomore year and know what’s coming the next two years. You can read about the horrors of these last two years in the histrionic rants of other students writing similar advice essays who need to learn complaining that much got lame a long time ago. Complaining is permitted during the week of exams, especially during a day in which you have both a calculus and biology exam. Only then is it allowed, and I am sure to take advantage of this clause in the renouncement of complaints. Speaking of calculus and biology, let’s discuss which subjects deserve the most attention of students. Math is definitely one of these, no matter how painful it can get when trying to figure out vectors and trigonometry in all their nastiness, because it is a cumulative subject which you have knowledge of that you continue to build on constantly (this building can often collapse, which is a common symptom before a cumulative calculus exam, what?). Sciences usually demand much attention, specifically Kennonology, a science which eludes many. Spanish probably deserves a lot of attention, but its useless le counterpart does not, at all. ToK also demands A LOT of attention, because of the history test that is next period.
Anyway, I don’t know why I’m typing this much, I just don’t want to go fall back into the grip of derivatives, but I will eventually have to. So good luck, I hope this uninformative letter has aided you in your search for something to look at while not doing homework.
From (the most impersonal of endings for a letter),
Nikolas Colley
Dear [insert your name here],
Welcome to our school! As I am currently writing this, I am a senior here, and I feel that in order to give back to the school for all the knowledge I have gleaned from it that I should try to help someone just coming here. I understand that as a freshman you probably have many unanswered questions. In this letter, I hope to give you as much help as I can. The school has some amazing teachers and students. I have learned plenty of useful things here. The high school you go to stays with you for the rest of your life. High school is the place where you grow the most and find yourself. You meet friends that will last a lifetime, and begin to make connections with people you may go to college with or even work with in the future. This is a transition period from being dependent on your family to being independent enough to go to college. As you can notice, high school is an extremely important period. For this reason, I hope and advice to garner from this letter will help you make this time as enjoyable as possible.
First and foremost, learn time management. Procrastination will be your biggest downfall and possibly too much ambition if that’s what caused you to procrastinate. If you learn to do homework on time, you will save yourself from many sleepless nights. I have had many all nighters because of procrastination. It is the worst habit (excluding drugs and such) that you can get into during high school. Do not even think of procrastinating once, because once you start you never stop. It becomes that constant cycle, and soon your grades and health will suffer. When you are assigned anything, start it when you get home, or even at school if you have time. This way, you will have enough time to complete the assignment accurately instead of waiting till the last minute and speeding through it carelessly without even learning anything from it. You should try to even finish it that night if you can so you will not have to worry about it later. If it’s a large assignment or project, then space the project out over time and plan for it to be finished at least two days before it’s due. We tend to dread larger assignments and procrastinate more on them. However, if you plan to only finish a portion that night, then the project seems smaller than it really is and not as dreadful. However, with essays, do not split the essay into writing only a part of an essay a day. Instead, complete a draft on one day, and proofread the next. Breaking up an essay into days will ruin the flow of thought in your essay. You should also make a study schedule. Set up times to do your assignments and try to order them from top priority to least. Schedules will help keep you “on task and learning” (you may soon become familiar with this quote). Top priority assignments will be those due the soonest and those in classes that you struggle in. I also suggest forming a study group with a variety of people, especially those that are not your closest friends. I have found that while I love my friends, I cannot study with them. We get nothing done, but study groups are helpful since if someone has a question, there are many to help. In addition, get into the habit of reading your history books well. If you do not read the book, you may very well fail the test. I understand that if you do not like history then you will not read it well if at all. However, I have discovered that if you imagine you are reading a story of a country and keep in mind that what you are reading is a “story,” then reading it will be easier and less boring. Study whenever possible to raise your scores. If you have a foreign language class, then practice the language whenever you have an opportunity or else you will fall behind or forget vocabulary you need in the future. Your foreign language deserves a considerable amount of study time. Writing in a journal can also be helpful. By doing this, you can practice writing, which helps in practicing for writing essays, in speeding up your writing, and practicing grammar rules you learn. Pay a good amount of attention in math classes. Each class connects to the one in the next year. If you do not learn now, then the rest of your math career is ruined. Sciences, too, need a lot of time. They have a lot of facts that you need to learn and they concepts can be confusing. Pick electives that you will enjoy or apply to your chosen profession. This will make your high school experience enjoyable and prepare you for your future profession (if that is why you chose the elective). I entered the Bartow Senior Medical and Fire Academy because I want to be a brain surgeon. Because of my choice, I have become prepared for what I will face down the road in my journey to be a surgeon. So choose whatever elective you want. Do not worry about what others want you to choose.
This letter is not completely about academics. If you have followed the advice above, then you have plenty of time on your hands. This time can be used in joining extracurricular activities. You have a wide variety of activities to join here. Some are clubs for those interested in certain professions that offer competitions and the opportunity to learn more about the profession and meet those you may work with in the future, like Health Occupation Students of America (HOSA) and Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA). If you have a profession in mind, you should look into these clubs. You can compete and win awards that you can put on a college application later. Competitions are fun and a great opportunity to meet more people that share in your interest. Some are clubs that help you get service hours, like Key Club and Anchor Club. These clubs will be beneficial to you in getting your needed service hours. They introduce you to organizations where you can become an established volunteer in which can give you a solid flow of service hours. They are fun, and you get to help others. Some are clubs that are for languages. They too have competitions. There are sports you can join and honor societies, like National Honor Society. There is a wide range of activities to join from. You should choose whatever interests you. That is why they are there. They allow you to get involved in areas that interest you and make friends with similar interests. They can help you learn more about the subject and provide great opportunities. You can run for office in these clubs, too.
Between academics and extracurricular activities, you probably have made friends (at least I hope so). Make time to spend time with your friends. Do not overwork yourself with too many activities. That will become stressful over time. Spending time with friends is essential for releasing the stress of school and enjoying your four years here. Your friends will help you in everything you do. They become your family. When you run into problems in things, whether in school or outside, they will be there for you. They are the people you can trust. To make the best friendships, it is best to be yourself. Remember, we are all strange, and nobody is normal. I have met some strange people in my time here and they have plenty of friends. Besides, if you are strange, you will probably meet someone just like you. If you do not know who you are, find out. Try different things, and figure out what you like or do not like. Make independent thoughts on subjects based on what you think, and you will begin to realize who you are. Do not pay attention to those that unjustly judge you. They are the ones that need help. Try to be as friendly as possible and you will have many friends. Be a strong personality and live your life as you want. Stand up for yourself and do not let anyone push you down.
I know there is a lot of advice here, but if you follow it, I believe your high school experience will be incredible. Your life will be so much easier and you will enjoy every moment of your life here. I can guarantee that this school is a great place to attend and I know that you will remember the memories you make here for years to come. Seriously, high school is one of the most important times in your life. This time prepares you for the rest of your life. Take this time to grow up and enjoy life. Literally treasure each moment here because time flies far too quickly. It feels like yesterday I was a freshman and today I am a senior. Make the years worth it. I hope this advice helps you. Enjoy your freshman year!
Sincerely,
Tiffany Harris
Dear future IB freshman,
So you’ve decided to spend the next four years at the International Baccalaureate School at Bartow High. If you’re like most students, you’ll probably question the wisdom of this decision a couple of times before you graduate (most likely during the last, precious few weeks of summer when you scramble to get your homework done, and your non-IB friends are at the beach).
A lot of people seem to stereotype IB kids, but when you come to IB you’ll come to realize there are all sorts of kids here. Some will get anxiety attacks when they have a grade below a 95 while others seem to forget that grades even exist. The important thing to remember is that you’re not here to compete with these people; compare your achievements with your own goals, not someone else’s. There’ll always be the kid who sleeps through your hardest classes, and still manages to do just fine. Don’t be intimidated, because there are different kinds of intelligence, and that person may have to work a lot harder than you in your easiest class. You’ll have to decide for yourself what classes require the most work, since it’s not always the same for everyone. One thing to pay attention to, though, is how a teacher’s point system works. Missing a homework assignment in most classes isn’t a big deal, but if you forgot an assignment in Senora Calvo’s class, you might see your grade drop a lot. In AP Chemistry, all the extra credit in the world in the homework section (20% of your grade) won’t save you from bad test grades.
Last year in a similar letter, I advised future students to not procrastinate. This year I realized that that advice gets harder to follow every year. I think I can revise that advice to “Try your very best to avoid procrastination, but honestly when you find yourself with a ridiculous amount of work and a night to do it, remember that things are never as bad as they seem and that you’ll be glad you didn’t give up in your darkest hour”. But seriously, testing the limits of procrastination is a very bad idea, no matter how many students claim they did all of their English journal questions (junior year) in one night.
You’ll probably realize pretty soon which teachers see that you completed the assignment and which teachers actually grade your work. Turing in complete BS may seem like a good idea at the time, but you should keep in mind that you won’t get anything from an assignment you put no effort in. I wish I had actually tried on those completion grade physics worksheets. I probably would have struggled, but I might have actually read my textbook and learned something. One day when I take a physics class in college, I’ll probably wish I had a better foundation, and you can’t blame the teacher for everything. You can blow off something today, but it’ll come back to haunt you tomorrow. Always. Especially in Math. This reminds me, saving tests and putting them in an easy to find place is a really good idea.
Also, as a freshman, join as many clubs as you can! It’s really the best time to explore. You probably won’t stay in half of them, but you just might find one you love, and it’s a great way to meet people you may not have classes with. When it comes to electives, I’d take the classes with the bigger workloads during sophomore year (Anatomy, Stats, Psychology) and leave the easy A’s for junior year (Southern lit, contemporary history), since it seems a lot of people do it the other way around. If you make your sophomore year (usually thought of as the easiest year) a little bit more challenging, junior year will be much less of a painful transition.
Anupa Kotipoyina
Dear Freshmen,
So, congratulations on joining the IB Family! You should look forward to four years of hard work, knowledge, and fun (occasionally). My first bit of advice is pretty generic: try not to procrastinate too much. I know that everyone in IB does, but if you can complete at least some of your assignments ahead of time, your life will be a lot less stressful. Also, pay attention in your classes. Your teachers are really talented; that’s why they’ve been hired to teach here. Actually paying attention in class will help a lot with work and tests.
Try not to get too focused on the difficulty of IB and all the assignments. Sometimes you need to step back and look at the big picture — what you’re gaining from IB. The IB process will give you a whole new way of looking at life. You will think and work differently. The knowledge that you gain will be invaluable in the future.
Another important point is to pay attention to fundamentals. In all your subjects, the foundations will be introduced your freshman year. Instead of just adjusting to IB, try to retain that information for later years. Geometry, for example, can be super helpful later on in Pre-Calculus and Calculus. Also, make friends that you can trust. Your friends will be there for you throughout IB, and make sure that you help them out, too.
Having a social life and activities outside of IB is important. Join clubs or a sports team. Or Band!! Get involved in something other than school, and expand your mind. Become friends with non-IB students. Don’t allow your intelligence to restrict your life or your opinions.
Good luck!
Emily Lubin
I bet you’re excited, huh? Its high school! All of middle school you wait for this. You know, high school is not about the Friday night football games, the cutest kid in school, or all the clubs and fun stuff. High school is really important time for academics too. Obviously coming to IB you must care about your academic future, or just learning in general and I applaud you for being different than a lot of other freshmen. I think one of the most important things you should try to do throughout your four years, and especially this year, is to challenge yourself academically. Sure, that may mean taking an AP class as an elective, but AP classes are not always incredibly terrible. I took AP stats my junior year and absolutely loved it. Something I wish someone would have passed down to me would be that all FOUR years of high school count. It is not only about the years you are aware you need to prepare for college because high school in general prepares you for college. The next four years of your life will matter to some random person you do not know who reads your application. You don’t want to look like the kid who started doing everything senior year. They look for the “well-rounded” student etc etc. You’re probably either nervous or surprised I am talking about college now, but it is true. The best way to go about high school is to balance the fun and the work.
Math comes pretty easily to me. I am not the best mathlete you’ve ever met, but I know I do not struggle as many other people do. It may be hard to study math so I’ll give you a little tip… actually pay attention in class. It works miracles. Don’t sleep, don’t daydream or do other work and that is how you will excel in math. Different subjects are difficult for me than for you most likely. Everyone is different in their academic comfort. Personally, history is my downfall, and English too. I have to work really hard in those classes to do well. My advice to you would be to find those subjects that you have trouble in early on and then make sure you organize your time to include excess studying time for those subjects. It may be only one class, or it may be three and that is okay. The important thing is that you are acknowledging your weakness and are willing to work on it. The best way I have “survived” is to be the most organized I could possibly be. Besides the fact I probably have minor OCD when it comes to school work, I think that keeping folders of your papers and notes at home, having a “general” notebook to keep important papers in, and updating your planner or a calendar on your phone to know when assignments are due is a great way to make life easier in IB. (It also makes you laugh a little and smile when someone asks you for a copy of something because they know you have it and a copier at home.)
Now that I have covered the actual school stuff, you may be wondering about high school in general. IB does not have to be your entire high school life. It was not for me, and I know a lot of kids who did other Bartow High activities. I was on swim team which was a great way to meet other kids I didn’t have classes with, but any sport in general would probably benefit you in more ways than one. High school students tend to not be so hard on athletes, but maybe thats just something I have thought up in my head. I have a few girl friends that played volleyball and if there is any sport I now look back and would have played it is that. They created this friendship playing on the team together that I could never do with multiple girls on the swim team (its a co-ed sport, duh). High school has a lot of drama, and is especially hard to deal with if you don’t have side kicks. The best advice? Find some side kicks! You have to be their side kick too but it makes the experience so much more meaningful when you have a best friend by your side. Do not try to conquer this alone. You will not be experiencing the full potential of high school.
I hope you actually listen to some of this because when I was a freshman, it sure would have helped me to read a couple of these letters for insight. At the same time, the best part about high school is learning in school, about life, and discovering yourself. Okay, I lied. The best part about high school is it’s only four more years til college, so live it up.
Kelsey Noris
Dear Freshman-just-entering-high-school,
Do not let me delude you into thinking that this is the best thing that’s ever happened to you.
It’s not.
However, you must also understand that I am slightly cynical and the correct statement to make here is that, at this point in your life, this may very well have been one of the best things that has ever happened to you. Because, although a relationship with IB is much like a relationship with a really picky and demanding flatmate, it’s totally worth the effort in the end. Or at least, I’ve been told as such, and I felt that this would be considered ‘proper advice’ to pass onto the flightless chicks in the upcoming freshmen class.
But to be honest, IB is so worth it. I have personally found the teachers absolutely incredible here and very student-oriented compared to some other schools, and though the level of work will be stressful at times (I’m currently writing this letter of sorts during midterm week, so yes, I do know what stress can be like), it’s an excellent exercise in helping you to develop skills that you will need in the future. Again, not a theory I’ve actually been put to use, but I have it on good authority that I’m not entirely allowed to scare you guys off.
Now, I’m sure you all have already heard the rumors that there’s ‘no social life in IB.’ And if you haven’t heard them, well then you mustn’t hang around with people a lot. That’s totally a falsehood. You *can* have a social life in IB if you truly actually want to. But, you cannot be lazy. You cannot procrastinate. And most of all, you can’t just be downright silly and think “Oh, I can afford to get a lower test grade, just this time.”
Nope. Don’t do that. Bad, bad, vicious cycle. Again, I’ve never been in that position, and I hope everyone one of you cute little fools who decides to read this won’t do that either.
Trust me, when you get to be a junior, you can totally do the same thing and call all of the freshmen cute adorable little fools as well.
Also, just on a side note, don’t tick off the teachers. It’s just not something they would appreciate, and you bet that those teachers (for the most part, they aren’t actually all robots) work extremely hard to ensure you get one of the best educations, if not in the state, then at least in the whole region around us.
I really have nothing more to say to anyone, so with this I wish you all luck,
Nicole Radivilov
(Also: don’t ever be afraid to ask for help. Whether from teachers or older students, it will help you. Just try to avoid people that will spend more time socializing with you rather than actually helping you.)
Hey. Welcome to the start of your IB career. It’ll be a nice ride as long as you keep your arms and legs inside the vehicle at all times. As most, if not all, students would tell you once you start asking about IB and how it is, I’m going to say it again: don’t procrastinate. Once you start, you can never get out. It’s a very, very, VERY vicious cycle. You even start to procrastinate on stopping procrastination… Honestly, though, if you’ve made it to the beginning, you can complete it. There are no real tips to give other than obvious ones, such as studying, do your homework, and other such activities you’ve probably done before. Thus, I assume you can read what the major “pitfall” is at IB: procrastination. Ooh, how could I have forgotten? Sleep! Sleep is very important. Do try to maximize the hours each night you get for sleep (maybe if you record the data each night and plot it, you can find the function that fits the data and optimize it…). Weekends are great for sleeping for half the day… and procrastination. I don’t think it’s healthy to have about 5 hours of sleep (or less!) each night, but whatever works until you’re out, I guess. Staying up late for a week during midterms/finals, or even staying up for a project and other such things that are required aren’t that bad. You may cry on the inside for a while, but you get used to it. Complain all you wish, but the work just gets done. Weekends are also times to do homework. Try to remember to do most of what you can without being exhausted early. With regards to classes, take it easy. Don’t try to stress out too much. If you need help, ask a friend. A huge thing about staying in IB is to not freak out. Having a “support group” with a couple friends is great. You all can talk over your problems (it really does help to have people/someone/anyone to talk to. Or alternatively, any outlet that helps you deal with any form of stress/pressure.) and have homework help! Basically, be the good student you always have been (you have always been a good student, right?), and above all this “common sense” (oh, you’ll learn what common sense is… you’ll learn…) have fun in IB. It may seem weird to read, but it’s true. If you don’t have fun (even with classes and electives! Choose wisely, with classes you enjoy (or you know, will have a free period if you’re like that. BUT CHALLENGE YOURSELF. UWONT)! It’ll add to the experience.), it will be bland and then you won’t want to go to IB and then you’ll just have a miserable 4 years. Maybe even above all that, do what would be best for your future. If you think you can handle all of these horror/success/terrifying/admirable stories, go for it. But if IB isn’t your place, really, don’t make it forced (provided you can, because some don’t have choices, if you know what I mean. And you know what I mean.). It’ll be harder to bear if you don’t do something you know you enjoy. Despite this jumble of mixed up thoughts that don’t even flow together, they all still apply. Main points for summary because this is analysis (not really, just reiterating what is the most important, hence main points): don’t procrastinate, try sleep the full recommended times each night, weekends are useful so use them, have fun with your IB experience, and obtain an outlet if you stress a lot. Those were not listed in any particular order. Even so, maybe the mainest (most main, if you will) of these main points is to do what is best for your future. Enjoy IB!
Kevin Ren
Dear Little Freshie,
Congrats on making it to IB, first and foremost. You’ve probably heard all of the horror stories and are probably freaking out about this hellhole you are about to be consumed by, but I’m here give you a little advice. Now I’m going to warn you, I’m one of those people who actually does work early, so take what you will.
– IB actually takes time and *gasp* effort. Don’t procrastinate.
Everybody says this, but it really is important. I know you want to kick back and watch the Grey’s Anatomy marathon, but you should try to get ahead as much as possible, that means start assignments before they’re due, not the class period before. Of course there will be those kids who brag about pulling an all-nighter to finish Science Fair, but your life will be so much easier if you just manage your time effectively. Plus, you get to make fun of all the people who only got two hours of sleep the night before.
– Weekends are your friends.
I know everyone wants to party on the weekend. Trust me, I know. Take the time to catch up on your sleep and relax. However, don’t just cram in all your work on Sunday. This is going to sound crazy nerdy, but you should try to do some on one of the other days. If you’re like me, you’re good at multi-tasking, so it’s not hard to type history notes while you watch the football game or finish your English homework while watching a movie. Get all of your no-brainer homework done early by watching/listening to something interesting. Makes it more fun bearable. If you can’t, sucks for you.
– Don’t get too ambitious with your extracurriculars.
They will eat you alive if you’re not careful. I’m all for getting involved, but you shouldn’t let that get in the way of your education, or really, just your grades. Honestly, don’t start a sport the fall of your freshman year. You’re just getting used to IB, the last thing you need is more stress and less time to get everything done. Take advantage of sophomore year to join activities. I’ve seen people collapse under the pressure of sports combined with school work. It ain’t pretty.
– Choose classes wisely.
Probably the most important decision of your IB career. Not really, but it is kind of important. Freshman year, choose whatever you want. I would recommend easy just because it’s your first year. Sophomore year, you get two. So, either choose one hard and one easy, or both easy. I would recommend another AP course just because it’s the simplest year and it’s easiest to cope with, but if you want the easy road go ahead. Probably shouldn’t take two hard electives; 10th grade isn’t that easy. You still have work, and two might kill you. Pick one you enjoy, makes everything better. Also, pick your science wisely. Yes, biology is a lot of work, but you can guarantee you will understand the subject. I can’t say the same thing about Physics and Chemistry. Just pick your poison and deal with it.
– Don’t let the stress control your life.
I know it seems like the end of the world now, but it’s not that bad. Yes, there’s a lot of work, and yes, you are going to get much less sleep; however, don’t let that stop you from enjoying high school. Everybody says high school is the best time of their life. I don’t know why they say that, but don’t use IB as an excuse to hate life. So, instead of complaining about how tired you are all the time or how much you wish you went to Lakeland so you could do nothing all day, enjoy the people you’re around. Nobody likes anyone who complains all the time. Don’t be that guy.
When it’s all said and done, I think the program’s worth it. You meet some pretty great people that you really bond with through all the all-nighters and the crazy work load, but some people can’t take the heat. If you can’t handle the program, get out as soon as possible; the longer you stay, the more miserable you’ll be. Do what makes you happy. That being said, make the choice that’s right for you. If you stay, I can guarantee it’ll be worth it.
Good luck,
Anna Swygert
Dear Incoming Freshman,
Let me start off by congratulating you on your acceptance in the International Baccalaureate Program at Bartow High School. It is essential that you know what essentials are required and expected of you now that you are in this program. In reality, you need to treat your 9th and 10th grade years as your junior and senior year as the amount of work and the difficulty of the assignments will be much greater than your previous studies. Your 11th and 12th grade are like your first two years of college. Your first semester in pre-IB will be the most difficult due to the transition process; however, you should not break under the pressure. Your introduction to these higher-level classes and Advanced Placement courses will cause a lot of your class to consider leaving the program. This is not the decision you want to make. To help you get through your 4 years in this program, let me provide some tips.
This is high school. It is no longer middle school. There are middle school habits that you need to stop in order to strive in this program. First, you need to study. I know you are probably laughing at that statement; however, it’s an important concept to understand. As a middle student, I never studied and made straight A’s, but in this program the assessments are constructed so that you have to study. Even you are the genius at math and you don’t think you need to study, it is always a good idea to even read your notes once through to refresh your mind. This brings up another important point: take notes. You will be surprised how much you can forget between the time you sit in class and when you start your homework. Taking notes helps you finish your homework by reminding you of important concepts you learned in class. The most important key to your success is to not procrastinate. You will hear this a million times throughout your IB career. Schoolwork, projects, and studying for tests come before having fun. Don’t put off doing work just because “you don’t feel like it.” Don’t wait until the last moment to finish your work. Finish it now even if it is due two months later. When doing this, keep in mind to prioritize. Finish what is due sooner first. If you are working on a larger project at the same time, decide to work on it a little bit every day after you finish your normal homework. It is also important to get sleep. Don’t stay up all night doing homework. Establish a bed time (very childish, I know) that is the absolute latest you need to stay up, like 10 pm. When this time arrives and you are still working on homework, go to sleep anyway. Just wake up earlier and finish. This is better staying up to finish the work and then going to sleep later because you will be tired the next day during school and you will learn nothing.
You may be thinking to yourself: What am I going to get out of this program? By the time you graduate, you will be amazed with the immense amount of knowledge you have obtained over such a broad spectrum. You will have excellent recollection of history, know math up to calculus (or math studies), talk about a collection of literature from English, know how to speak a foreign language, and will see the connection between physics, biology, and chemistry. You will have established a reputation that will set you apart from your non-IB friends. They will see you as a mentor, the (male?) Athena of modern times within your social circle. Colleges will get a warm fuzzy feeling inside reading International Baccalaureate on your résumé.
With these tips, I wish you good luck. Make these years the best you can make them.
Niraj Vyas
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme at Bartow High School
11th Grade
Post Script: Make sure you DO NOT ever stick scissors in the electrical outlet in Ms. Kennon’s class. Also remember geometry; it haunts you through all of your mathematics courses. Lastly, join A-Team; it is the best.
Dear Freshman,
First off, I would like to congratulate you on being accepted to IB. This school will challenge you more than you ever thought was possible. At times, you will feel like you have reached the end of the road, you will be buried in piles of homework, and all you will be able to think about is how you ended up where you are. But, one of the most important things I have learned in my time at this school is that, no matter what you might try and convince yourself, you are here for a reason. You got in because you are capable of rising to the challenge, and even though you might not be the valedictorian or even in the top ten, the fact that you are here means that you are worthy and you are among the best of the best. So my first bit of advice is just this, you have to believe it. You have to believe in yourself and stay confident that you can do it. You can put all of your energy into thinking about the ‘what ifs’ or writing a novel about your perfect life in the utopian society of a normal (gasp) high school, but I can promise you that the best way to get through it is to pick yourself up by your bootstraps and face this IBeast head on.
Every year is challenging. Don’t let the upperclassmen get you down. If IB were Youtube, there would be a constant influx of ‘It Gets Worse’ videos in your subscription box. IGNORE THEM. If you are having a really hard time with one class Freshman year, it’s ok. I promise. You aren’t doomed. You just have to work a little bit harder on the things that don’t come naturally. That being said, Freshman year and Junior year have been the most difficult years for me. But, this has just been because of the transition period. Going from middle school to Pre-IB is almost as big of a transition as going from Pre-IB to IB. You will have to change how you do things and you will have to dedicate more time to your classes. It will be hard, but just as you adjusted to Pre-IB, you will adjust to IB as well.
Take the classes that you are good at and will enjoy, but don’t pick your classes on their rumored level of difficulty. Not every IB student is the same. We all have different strengths and weaknesses and that is why we have choices. Don’t feel obligated to take AP electives just to boost your GPA. Sure, they might help a little, and if you are a supergenius wonderkid who has his heart set on that number one spot, by all means go for it. But for most of us, one elective really won’t make that big of a difference and certainly won’t be the deal breaker as far as college admissions go. With the rigor of your schedule, it is really nice to have one class just for fun. I have personally taken loads of Brennan’s classes, as well as Culinary, and Contemporary History. These have been some of my favorite classes and were always the ones I looked forward to. Wright and Brennan are both great (not to mention hilarious) and having classes with teachers that you like will just make them that much better.
I hope that this helped. I tried to give the most practical advice possible. I could tell you not to procrastinate, but you will. I could make threats about the doom that you will face if you ever fall asleep in class, but at some point you will and it will be ok. I could tell you to deactivate your Facebook account, but I guarantee you that without interaction with your friends you will drive yourself mad. Do things that you enjoy, but be serious when you need to be. It’s all about finding the balance. That’s the secret. (But shh, don’t tell anyone you heard it from me)
Much love and well wishes to you all,
Christina Wiley
Dear Freshman,
First off, I just want to apologize for any annoying grammatical errors I’ll make in this letter. I’ve just finished 5 scholarship applications (3 essays each, yes, bow down to my amazingness) and to say that I’m mentally brain dead would be an understatement. Needless to say, I’m not sure whether to congratulate or pity you with your acceptance to the IB program. Yes, it’s an incredible learning experience with equally amazing people, but the fact that you’re only in your first year of this insanely rigorous program is almost jump-off-the-Grand-Canyon-head-first worthy. However, I suppose that I should give you some pointers to show some insight into these next four not-so-pleasant years.
Are you a procrastinator? If yes, you’d better enjoy freshman and sophomore year. These are the years where you can practically procrastinate to your heart’s content with few repercussions. That’s right, I’m actually encouraging procrastination. Why, might you ask? Because your junior and senior year are going to smack you in the face with liquid nitrogen and then throw you into a piranha-infested lake. It’s junior and senior year where procrastination builds up and causes you the world-renowned IB stress. So, since I already know that you’ll procrastinate try to indulge as much as you can freshman and sophomore year while still maintaining your preferred grades. When junior and senior year come, you’re going to have to hold back on that luxury if you know what’s best for you. However, try not to procrastinate as much in Biology. Take the time to study the notes and chapter and you’ll be just fine. Once you hit AP Biology though, that mentality immediately gets shot by a firing squad, with a nuke.
I also suppose that you’ve heard IB prevents you from having a social life? I’m sure that my peers will say otherwise, but I’m willing to bet that none of them have as much validity as I have. If I can maintain a social life in IB, you most likely can. What makes my opinion the most valid? Well, let’s just say that I not only have to deal with the rigor of the IB program, but I also have to deal with problems at home. I can guarantee that almost no one in my class has as many responsibilities as I do. Furthermore, on average, I only get 3 hours of interrupted sleep, that’s right, interrupted sleep, every night. Having to wake my dad up at 2:30 A.M. and 4:30 A.M. to take his medication does wreak havoc on my sleep cycle. However, despite my lack of sleep and having to balance both my school life and my family life, I have a social life. I’m always going out with some friends to play paintball, go to the movies, or just simply hang out. So, little freshman, the moral of the story is that if I can have a social life, so can you. In fact, if I can make it through IB with all the extraneous factors that I have to deal with besides school, well so can you.
Best of luck and happy procrastinating,
Vienhang Yeung
Dear Freshman,
Get your umbrella because I’m about to start raining some cold hard facts up in here. First and most importantly of all, don’t believe all the hype because it’s usually exaggerated anyway. I’ll tell you the truth. People can talk all they want about staying up all night doing tons of homework that you still don’t finish. Then you go to school and have all your terrible teachers teach you nothing and send you home with another novels worth of essays and worksheets.
Most of the stress that comes with being in IB is self-inflicted. People play around on facebook or other things until 10:00 and then whine the next day from being up until 3. Simple mathematics will tell you that had they started at a good time of around 4:30, they would have finished at the early hour of 9:30 leaving plenty of time before and after for a few simple activities. All you need to survive in IB is self-discipline. Lots and lots of self-discipline. With it you could not only survive but excel in IB. That’s the only thing our top student does. I know all the running jokes about procrastination and no sleep ha ha ha. But seriously that’s all by choice.
Some helpful tips on some things you can do to make an easier time for you. One, make some kind of group including everyone. You can use it for support, tutoring help, and anything else you need. Two, don’t make enemies. These people will be with you for the next four years like your family. Your classes will all be chosen from the same 60 people the whole time with the number dwindling smaller all the time. Finally, have fun. Don’t let IB take over your life or keep you from doing stuff that you want to do. Still live your life. But always remember: you CAN do this.
Terrence Commons
Dear Freshmen,
Surviving IB is hard. Surviving IB successfully is even harder. First of all, you have to have good time management skills. Be prepared to have assignment to assignment back to back. You’re not going to get a break from schoolwork until you graduate. If not homework, you will always have tests to study for, projects to work on, extra-credit to do, IA’s to do, CAS to finish, orals to prepare for, etc. If you don’t manage your time wisely, you will find yourself staying up late until 2 a.m., sometimes you won’t even sleep. Trust me, you don’t want to be that person.
Something else you should know about IB is CAS. CAS stands for creative, action, and service. You will be required to complete 50 hours of each type of activity. Make sure you work on CAS throughout junior and senior year. My advice is to spread it out evenly throughout the two years. You should also start brainstorming for CAS project ideas.
Basically, make sure you have good time management skills. Don’t put anything off for later, just do it when you get it. Use your agenda to write stuff down in so you don’t forget homework. Make a study group on Facebook and post what the homework for the night is so everyone can know.
Richu James
Dear IB Freshman,
First of all, congrats on making it through middle school and into IB. Instead of giving you academic advice like everyone else, I’m going to focus on giving you advice about being a high schooler. It is important to remember that high school is not a big scary place where everyone will pick on you because you are a freshman, but at the same time, if you bring the whole “Big Bad 8th Grader” mentality with you, then people will hate you. All of that hype about beating up freshmen isn’t true, but you should NOT be annoying/obnoxious if you want people (besides other freshmen) to like you. It is nice to have friends who are upperclassmen because they can give you help with school work and teach you about the school itself (i.e., where stuff is, or what classes to take). So yeah, just don’t be a d-bag and you will be okay. In high school, you will meet all sorts of people, but don’t judge them. The sooner you accept these “different” people and find ways to work with them or actually befriend them, the better. One last thing… choose wisely. By this I mean friends, lunch, classes, sports, etc. Don’t just do what people tell you to or what is easy. Be friends with good people, don’t eat school lunch (bring your own), take AP electives to boost your GPS (if you want to be #1), and go ahead and try out for sports.
Sincerely,
Guillermo Prichard
- S. – Check out the BHS Medical/Fire Academy, it’s amazing.
Dear Lowly Incoming Freshman,
Abandon all hope, ye who enter IB! Argh, ’tis the most fearsome of all seas. These be the raging waters that sank the Black Pearl and hath slain Jack Sparrow. Loathsome sharks swim here, be wary of Frisbie and Nakamura, the swarthy swashbucklers of the Math department. Ye must prepare well or they will send ye to Davy Jones’ locker.
But nay, other dangers lurk in the sea. Heed not the sweet Siren’s song of Physics. Soft it seems, but they who fall into its snare learn naught. The French Channel is tricky sailing, but he who braves its waters wilt be generously rewarded with vast treasure troves of exotic knowledge.
Not all is dread, fear ye not. Thine dreadnaught is headed by the valiant Captain Vetter and guided by Skipper Craven. The rest of thine dangers be not lodged in waters, but thineselves. Pack plenty of vittles and foodstuffs, get ye plenty of rest, lest ye desire scurvy.
Best of Wishes, and Smooth Sailing,
Hunter Davenport
My experience attending the International Baccalaureate School at Bartow High School (and, therefore, Bartow High School) has been neither the best nor the worst experience one could have. It was not the best because I spent many a day running on little to no sleep the night before, had my nerves and my wits at their ends, and am now counting the ever-increasing number of gray hairs on my head. But it was certainly not the worst, either; I made close friends, learned valuable life skills, prepared myself for college, and found a personal drive to succeed. Having been on both sides of the “IB is great!” and “IB sucks!” spectrum, I do have some advice to incoming freshmen.
There are pitfalls involved in the IB program; and by pitfalls I mean tiny little vortexes that will suck the life, energy, and desire for success out of you. Procrastination, following this metaphor, would be a black hole. If you procrastinate cleverly, then good on you; you may just so happen to be one of those people who can put things off until they really need to be done and then actually get them done. Most people, however, are the kind that will leave their work well enough alone, and proceed to do exactly none of it until it’s almost too late. My advice is don’t procrastinate. You’ll do it anyway, it’s inevitable; but make an attempt to procrastinate in an orderly manner, so you only end up doing one thing at a time instead of suffocating beneath a pile of work for all seven classes.
Stress is practically synonymous with IB. Stress is the reason that many parents, current students, and alumni alike will warn prospective students to avoid IB at all costs. Stress is a major factor in detracting from the normal “high school experience” that other teens at Bartow High School seem to be having. Most of my classmates have experienced a nervous breakdown or panic attack at some point—I know I’ve had them in spades. Combined with the mental and physical fatigue and instability that comes with lack of sleep and inundations of stress, it is easy to understand why IB seems like a daunting task to undertake. Late nights have often become no night at all—I’ve watched the sun rise over the keyboard of my computer more times than at least fifteen normal students combined. Doing your assignments on time, studying when pertinent, and looking at your calendars and doing all the work you can ahead of time is the best way to avoid stress. While it doesn’t sound like much fun when you’re doing the work ahead of time, it’ll be worth it when you calmly watch your classmates sweat and lose sleep over assignments they’d left until the last possible moment. Seriously, do your work ahead of time when you can. It’ll help.
Recognize that your academic performance means more in your freshman year than you may think. Coming out of middle school, a GPA might just be an acronym for some weird club or something to you. But come junior year, when the words Class Rank are staring you dead in the eye, you’ll know exactly what your GPA is and how important it is. Don’t slack off freshman year and use “transitioning” as an excuse to be subpar. Freshman year is the easiest year—with respect to the work you’re doing—that you will have, and as such it’s necessary for you to take advantage of the easy As where you can. You’ll be glad you cared in freshman year when you look back on your memories fondly whilst writing your speech as valedictorian.
Another issue that IB kids sometimes find controversial is the separation that we endure from Bartow High School. Yes, we’re on the same campus, but the manner in which we regard normal students, and the manner in which they regard us, are startlingly different. We’ve heard everything: nerd, geek, dork, loser, overachiever, and much less pleasant and socially acceptable things. And Bartow kids haven’t gotten the most sympathy from us either: dropouts, failures, no future, no ambition. You name it, it’s been said—on both our parts. A superiority complex is a dangerous thing to have, and, unfortunately, IB is the sort of program that breeds superiority complexes. Some of us differ on this issue; there are those who believe we are no better than normal students, and those who believe we’re justified in being separated because we are better than normal students. While I won’t voice my opinion, it’s hard not to notice the differing attitudes that IB kids and Bartow kids have toward education. The way in which you view these differences will determine your outlook towards your alma mater, and also affect how much you enjoy out-of-IB activities. If you do develop a superiority complex, it is probably wise not to wax poetic on it around Bartow students. Save the gloating (and the whining) for your peers. It’s likely that nobody else will understand, anyway.
IB is an internationally oriented program. Due to the adherence to the policy of preparing IB graduates for international success, there is an equal focus on all areas of study. Whichever area of study appeals to you most is the one you should focus on the most. For me, languages have been the classes that I have found the easiest and most rewarding. English and Spanish have come naturally to me, and I feel that they are both especially relevant to the international intentions of IB because they will allow me to communicate successfully with others all across the globe. That may be a copout answer, but not everyone can be a math genius or a science whiz. Especially not me. Maybe not you either. But that’s nothing to be ashamed of. Do what you can with what you’ve got.
In summary: don’t procrastinate, don’t be an elitist brat, always keep your future in mind, and at least try to sleep. Nobody wants to experience a room full of twenty-something crabby teenagers, least of all your teachers.
Femi Sobowale
Dear Freshies that somehow find this letter and start reading it,
Welcome to high school. You made it through 8 years of school and depending on where you go from here, you only have 8 more years. Well I supposed you would like some advice from the one and only Murdock (ask Sra. Laurent if she still happens to be here, otherwise continue wondering what this means until you forget). Ok, my advice will be split into two main points: advice to IBers and advice to Bartow and Summerlin kids. I do this because IB kids need a warning before it is too late.
Ok, IB kids, you need to calm down. Stop worrying so much about academics. You guys also need to get over yourselves. Contrary to common belief, you are not better than kids in other schools. For four years I have heard y’all brag how much smarter and better you are than everybody else. My entire family has been farmers and I am a redneck about to graduate IB. So my advice here is to stop attacking everybody outside IB behind their backs. That ends my advice specifically to IB kids, but my advice continues for everybody else.
Listen, do not get caught up in your emotions. I knew a girl in 10th grade that not only was smart, but she also had a bright future ahead of her. She was even planning on going to college and traveling. This all ended, though, when she met who she calls the love of her life. She is now struggling to get her diploma and planning on going to work right after she graduates. She still wants to travel, but her destination has changed since 10th grade from Asia to North Dakota because jobs are more available. I can’t say don’t find a girlfriend or boyfriend, just slow down and let life find you, not the other way around. Now try to enjoy high school and behave yourselves.
Calvin Moore
To all incoming freshmen:
Do not procrastinate, and do not take the previous phrase lightly. Procrastination will consume you like a ravenous fire, and it as relentless as a pounding river.
Procrastination is the mother of Failure, and she will give birth on your life. Once procrastination has started, it cannot be stopped. Failure will rise as a Phoenix out of the ashes of Procrastination, and in its dying moments, will make a nest of Good Habits, and use it to burn itself anew. You won’t comprehend true procrastination until you experience it, and dread the moment that this vicious cycle started. Use the beginning of the weekends for minor homework assignments, and then Saturdays and Sundays for more major assignments, such as projects. Please be ahead of the game, or you’ll be under its foot. It happens to everyone, at one point or another, but you can keep it to a minimum through proper planning and execution.
Ayman Elmasri
Hello Students! I am a student in the International Baccalaureate program at Bartow High School. l’m sure you guys have heard a lot about the issues with this program, like all of the work, little sleep, and “nerdy people” you have to have classes with year after year! But, this is really not the case. All you guys need to survive IB is a little advice and a lot of willpower. Let’s get started!
My first piece of advice (and this applies to students everywhere) is time management. lf you have already been graced with the gift of good time management, then you are one of the lucky ones! Although most of you went to a middle school where you were the smartest kid and didn’t even have to try in class. I remember in 8th grade, I didn’t study for one history test and somehow still ended up with an A. You may be entering this program thinking that the same “skills” you had in middle school will get you through high school with no problems! You are wrong. Wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong. Time management will either make you or break you. lf you do not manage your time properly, there is no way you will succeed in a program as rigorous as this.
Another point of advice I have is playing a sport. A lot of stress is caused from this program. So much stress that it can sometimes feel debilitating. No worries! All you need to do is join some physical activity that will allow you to hit things, people, anything! Anything to get the frustration out. Playing a sport will also help you in your senior year when you need to complete CAS hours. CAS stands for “creative,” “action,” and “service” hours. You need fifty of each by the end of your junior and senior year collectively. Playing a sport will easily earn you the 50 hours or more! Playing a sport’s benefits are numerous.
The last piece of advice l will give to you is don’t get your hopes too high for next year. This is high school, but it’s not like you see on the TV. There aren’t pep rallies every week, you won’t be the head cheerleader dating the quarterback, and people won’t beat you up to steal your lunch money. Our football team sucks and at homecoming there’s a lot of booty dancing and bad music. This may seem intimidating, but don’t worry, high school is a lot of fun! Just not nearly as much fun as they make it seem on TV (no musical numbers at graduation, hello High School Musical 3?).
Congratulations for making it this far, kiddoes! You all will be successful in high school, as long as you don’t get into drugs. Have fun! And remember this advice for your endeavors at IB and school in general.
Shannon Lyons
Dear Freshmen,
Congratulations for making into the IB program! Before you start, there is some advice I would like to give you. This program will require you work hard. It’s not a joke. So, if you want good grades, be serious about the work! Also, you will find many people who will try to brainwash you to drop out of the IB program by saying things like “you will have no social life” or “you’ll only get 2 hours of sleep every night.” That isn’t true! It all depends on how you manage your time and use it sufficiently.
In order to do so, I would recommend that you don’t procrastinate too much. You probably don’t even know what procrastination means. Hahaha. Trust me, putting off work till the last minute will haunt you and that is what’s going to make you stay up past midnight. In Freshman year, you will probably be getting used to the work and it will seem a lot, but in Sophomore year, the work is a lot less! In my opinion, Sophomore year was the easiest so far! I am a Junior now and all my classes are AP/IB. Now, you’re probably wondering about the grades right? You want to keep those A’s? Well, don’t give that hope up! In the beginning, especially Freshman year, you might see your first B on a test! Don’t worry; it’s not the end of the world! I was in the same situation as you. It takes some time to adjust to the IB life (at least for me it did). Once you adjust to it, you’ll love it! So, take notes, pay attention, do your homework, make friends, and just enjoy yourself!
In Freshman year, you will probably have Mrs. Kennon, the Biology teacher. Most of you will be afraid of her, but in reality, she is really nice! She is one of the best teachers you will ever have for science. If you have Naki for Algebra II, you are going to love him and his jokes! In Sophomore year, you will have Mrs. Brooks, Chemistry teacher, and Mr. Webb, Physics teacher. Mrs. Brooks’ class is mostly busy work but Mr. Webb’s class is fun and relaxing! Also, Ms. Frisbie will be your Pre-Calc/Calc teacher! She is a genius at math and many other things! You’ll love her! When you have to choose your science at the end of the year, choose wisely. Ask yourself, “Do I want to pass the AP/IB exam?” If yes, go with Biology or Chemistry, unless you’re super good in Physics. I chose Biology and I don’t regret it one bit. I know some of my friends chose Chemistry and well, let’s just say they aren’t exactly enjoying it.
As for the social life, well I can’t be sure how that will be for you. Don’t try to annoy people in IB, especially those who are in your class, because they will most likely be staying with you for 4 years, Try to make friends and be nice to everyone! You might not make as many friends in Freshmen year, but after that, you’ll gradually start getting closer to your class! It’s like having another family : ) There will be some times when you have no homework and have time to go to movies and just relax! So, don’t stress too much about IB program. I hope you survive! Don’t ever think about leaving or giving up because it’s all going to be worth it at the end!
Good Luck!!
Komal Patel : )
Dear freshmen,
I’m sure you’ve heard a lot about IB. Much of it is true, but some of it is not. It’s a lot more work than regular high school, but it’s worth it. I’m sure you’ll hear how you can’t have a social life, and can’t sleep. All that isn’t true. 90% of those people are lazy and have terrible time management skills. If you just make yourself do the work and don’t put it off until the last day, you’ll do fine. Big projects can seem daunting, but starting is the hardest part. If you keep moving forward in your work and just get stuff done, you will do great. Don’t mistake this as saying IB is easy; it’s not. You need to be diligent and work hard, but it is absolutely manageable.
Don’t let the upperclassmen intimidate you. They will tell you how easy freshman and sophomore years are, and that you have no room to complain about your workload. Complain as much as you want. They were freshmen and sophomores at one point, too. Many of them complained. That being said, freshman and sophomore years are easier. If you don’t get A’s in those years, you will probably regret it junior and senior year.
If you have a problem, talk to the teachers. As much as they tell you that they don’t care about you, they do. Don’t be afraid of Kennon; she is hard on freshmen so that only good students take her junior and senior year. A general rule of thumb is that harder classes have better teachers.
IB is not for everyone; don’t feel ashamed if you need to drop out. You can excel in AP classes outside the IB school. Make decisions in school that are right for you and no one else, and don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it.
Dominic Chiampi
Dear Happy Child,
If you came here with the intent to live a relaxing life filled with sleep and partying, then I’ve got some advice for you. Don’t procrastinate. What? Did you think I was going to say “get out”? Silly grasshopper, I believe you can manage IB and a social life; however, you must have patience and focus.
Honestly, procrastinating is the worst thing you can do. Trust me, I know. Is it possible to do some projects last minute? Yes, but it’ll lead to a close encounter with a traffic pole at 70 miles an hour, so don’t do it. If you finish your work first, you’ll have more time for fun later.
Oh, don’t neglect your foreign language. Seriously, eventually all those periods spent ignoring your teacher and speaking in Spanglish will haunt you. Listen to music in your language of choice, watch TV, do anything you can to prepare. In fact, download Rosetta Stone if you really need help. Spend plenty of time memorizing vocab; languages are cumulative.
Have fun with your studies, try to get sleep, and don’t irritate Ms. Frisbie.
Best wishes,
Tom Zhang
IB is something serious and you have to stay on top of things. The best thing you can do for yourself is to take 9th and 10th grade seriously and make sure you make straight A’s, while it is still easy. Your GPA will thank you in the 11th and 12th grade when extra time is scarce and good grades are harder to keep up. You will need that buffer to keep your GPA from dropping to something you don’t want it to look like. And I know it is easier said than done, and l know that it is difficult to adjust to the work load that the freshman year puts on you because middle school is so easy, but if you make it into the program, then you are capable of all A’s for the first two years. 10th grade is easier than ninth, and 9th grade isn’t that hard to begin with; you’ve just got to get used to it.
The worst thing to do to yourself is to put too much on your plate. You have got to know yourself and be honest. Even with the best time management skills not many people can do a sport, a job, IB and volunteer. Those are too many commitments and it will cut into your sleep, and your social time. Both of which you need to remain sane and you really need sleep because you will be lacking that already. There are only 24 hours in a day and you spend 7 of them in school and you need at least 6 hours a night AT LEAST, meaning that there are only 11 hours left if you are to remain healthy. In that amount of time, you have homework leaving you with around 7 more hours. If you play a sport or do any of the other things I listed, you are now down to around 2-3 hours of free time depending on the commute times from place to place. And with only 2-3 hours left you need those as down time to relax. So you don’t have time to add in more things and keep your grades up unless you do have the free time. A job takes the most time of all of them.
IB gets you ready for college, and life. The skills you need in college are honed in on in IB and even though sometimes you think you shouldn’t have come to IB, it is all worth it in the end. The teachers are wonderful and understanding. They help as a person, not just a student, and they actually care about you. You won’t get that in college and you have a lower chance of getting that in a larger class size setting of regular high school. I wouldn’t be the person I am today without the teaching staff of the IB school here at BHS. And I mean that.
EJ Commons
IB transformed my 14-year-old sheltered, white, Christian, humble private-educated self into perfection. To someone just starting at Bartow/IB as a freshman, I would warn you of three main things: AP Chemistry, hallways, and procrastination
1. AP Chemistry (Junior/Senior year)
Unless you’ve got a knack for formula memorization, a Chiampi logic, or a true passion for enthalpy, I would not recommend AP Chemistry to anyone. I would say “maybe it’s just me.”, but it’s not. I read the book, the review book, have 102% in the assignment portion of my grade, a 93% in the lab section, and a D in the test section. I know I’ve claimed perfection previously…but AP Chemistry is the only thing between me and Nirvana.
2. Hallways
Far beyond the horror of AP Chemistry but just before public humiliation is the migraine-inducing phenomena of getting through hallways. Swag, relationships, and pot. All “normal” parts of high school life, yet the worst hinderances of getting to class on time. What SHOULD be like driving (stay on the right side, general courtesy, etc.) turns into that scene from Mean Girls at the “watering hole.” Walking with your fifteen pound, uber-extended backpack, the last things you want but always receive are the over touchy couples who act like they’re reuniting for the first time in a whole HOUR stop for a “catch-up” right in your path, the people you’d tend to avoid in public places walk at slow paces in the opposite direction of traffic flow, and overpowering smells of ick fill and linger in the halls. While the exaggerated “love” and “look at my low pants, I’m cool” are annoying, they’re more accepted than the odors and fumes of cheap weed engulfing all air space in your lungs. If you’re going to do that stuff, at least get the good stuff so others can receive some enjoyment. I’m joking…of course. Walk with purpose!
3. Procrastination
Bio labs will eat up every last ounce of energy you have at 3 in the morning. Studying for that US History test that you’re going to get an average grade on- it gets tedious at 2 in the morning. English journals will be the death of you. And math homework is always completed at normal waking hours, with no procrastination whatsoever. (faux). Most everyone procrastinates, but a select few talented individuals get their stuff done and get 8 hours of sleep each night. I would imagine that it’s a great feeling.
I love IB and high school and everything about it. The challenge, the time management, the people (even Conservatives), the teachers, the late nights. The worst of this academic life isn’t even somewhat bad in proportion to anything related to middle school and puberty.
Have a GREAT time.
Katie Ammon
Dear Incoming Freshman,
Wow, you’ve done it. Your academic vessel has now crossed into the realm of the pre-IB program; props to you! I am sure you have now decided that this grueling program is for you. Looking back at my own freshman year, I can say that the transition into high school came with broadened horizons, new people, and opened me to the most fun I have ever had as well. Now, as I have completed my first semester of senior year, I suppose I should share a few pointers and good advice.
Well for starters, everyone will tell you how horrendous this academic path will be. IB Myth Number One- WRONG. Though this year parallels your junior year as one of the most taxing, it is totally doable. I felt that this year is when many of you will learn about a need to study and balance your work. The hardest part of transitioning into this program, in all honesty, becomes effective time management. You see, now that you are in the pre-IB program, your teachers are going to expect far more of you from day one. The work won’t be that hard, just be sure to plan your time. Everyone warns you of procrastination, which won’t quite work out so well anymore. Tackling labs in both APES and Biology really isn’t that bad alone. Coupling them all together along with the looming stress and perhaps a few chapters of a book to read? Oh, yeah that isn’t too pretty. But you’ll learn what works and what doesn’t; this high school program is completely survivable if you can master the tempest of work, and will help prepare you a great deal for the challenges of college and time management, a skill vital to your education.
Some final tips: 1) space out your work-you don’t want to do it all in one night. 2) find a healthy balance to exercise- play a sport or break a sweat, it’ll help with the stress relief 3) find time for yourself in all this and do something you love to do-essentially find yourself a creative outlet. Last of all I highly suggest you get to know your peers and becomes involved. This new class of amazing and diverse people will come to be a family for you. They will understand you and be there for you each step of the way.
And with this I bid thee adieu. Remember to stay on top of things, and overall just have fun! Keep a positive attitude and you’ll be golden. I wish to you the best of luck on your next four years, and may the Force be with you, young IB padawan.
Yours Truly,
Andrew Canto
I do not regret any of the sleepless nights, cram studying, trips to the store for printer ink, or scrambling to get CAS hours because, in the end, I have become a better person through the friends I have made and the things I have learned. So, as a freshman, you are probably sick to your stomach and on the verge of backing out of IB, but know that the next four years will be worth so much more than an ordinary experience at any other school.
My first piece of advice to you is the same thing that several other IB students will tell you: DO NOT PROCRASTINATE. You can take heed of these wise words and manage to get an extra hour or two of sleep per week (perhaps nor per day) or simply do all your homework and studying at the last minute. Either way, you will survive so never lose hope even when you want to quit, smack yourself in the face, and curl into the fetal position. Personally, I wish I could have paid attention to the upperclassmen who had told my freshman self that doing your Extended Essay and ToK essay at the last minute would distort your sanity for a bit. Now in my last year of IB, I am learning the value of time management which has helped me avoid wasted hours on Facebook and Youtube. In this aspect, don’t be like me – start prioritizing and do your homework before you decide to hang out with friends.
Second piece of advice: suck it up and take biology despite every horror story you have heard about it. Even with all the labs, pages of worksheets, and gruesome tests, you can pass within a decent range of grades from C- to A+. I dislike biology but the way Kennon teaches it really does drill the information into your brain. You may be intimidated by her at first but she is a great teacher. And, you may lean towards taking chemistry or physics but from the experiences of my classmates who are taking those sciences, I urge you to take biology. You will avoid the pitfalls of having to fail the science HL exam or the AP exam. Besides, who doesn’t want to awkwardly learn about the human anatomy from a teacher who screams “vagina and testicles” without shame?
Basically, the IB program is the best decision I have made and hopefully this essay will convince you to stay. Just follow my advice: do not procrastinate and do take biology. Other useful things you should know are: take a diversity of classes not for the sake of raising your GPA but to discover in which subjects you excel; focus most of your time on the science you are taking and calculus unless you plan on being an English or history major in college; and avoid staying in a clique – make friends with other IB classes and BHS students. Oh, and don’t spend too much time studying, join a sport because that will keep your mind off school for at least an hour. So, welcome to IB and good luck!
Vanessa Colchado
Dear new kid,
My experiences at IB have taught me a lot. I came into IB thinking about how hard it was going to be and how I didn’t think that I would have any fun. This was completely wrong. I came into IB and made new friends. I got a girlfriend and I played football. All of these things helped me to enjoy every aspect of IB. As a freshman i would give you the advice to talk to people and make friends because when you get stressed or the work load gets to be too much your friends are the ones you can depend on to help you make it through it all.
Some of the things you need to avoid are the times of procrastination. I found this out this year when my grades started to slip due to my lack of doing the work on time. I could have made As and Bs if I had studied and did all my work on time. Unfortunately now I’m dealing with Cs and maybe a D. These could’ve been avoided with a little extra hard work.
The thing I believe is most important to study for though is history. I love history and I think it’s the best thing to learn from. History allows you to see others mistakes and learn and improve off of them. Realistically you should study extra hard for spanish and for your math classes because those will help you all through life.
In the end I believe that IB has been a great experience and if I could do it all over again I would but I would study a little harder and relax more.
Caleb Dean
After enduring three and a half years of IB, I can honestly say that the some of the best advice to give to a current freshman is to become friends with everyone in IB. I know that first year or two you might not even have classes with some, but as long as you have your IB friends, everything just seems to be easier. Not only are they wonderful people in general, but they are just like you; they have the same interests, and mostly morals, in life and there is no one more dependable than an IB student. Yes, some may be arrogant, competitive to no end, and quite insufferable for that matter, but in the end, the common goal that the entire class spends four years trying to achieve just naturally brings everyone together (which is probably my favorite part of IB). It is also quite important to note that your friends from any other school just won’t be able to help at 2am when you can’t find that one Bio lab sheet…
But on to pitfalls that need help avoiding… I know I help my sister, a freshman, with plain old moral support. For my freshman year though, I wish someone could have told me it was important to become familiar with the tutoring system at Bartow/IB, and also that there is NO SHAME in getting help in any/every class. Also, many kids weren’t in the full IB mode yet in freshman year and therefore didn’t try nearly as hard as they should have. Freshman year is the best GPA boost year. It is uber important that you go into tryhard mode and get all A’s or very close to it. This sets a great foundation for I don’t know, maybe that D you’ll get in Shuff’s…
Now the most important assignment/subject area that is deserving of the most study… Well, there really isn’t a specific one. It seems that pretty much everyone has to study a crapton more for Shuff’s History of the Americas than for other classes. But it really depends on the individual, and it changes over the years. Take me for instance, I love Bio, but I have to study like no other to keep just a B in there. And for math, whatever math I have taken, I have barely had to study and still received good grades. Now, that has all changed. Calculus came to town and is wrecking every building in existence. Now in the aspect of IA’s and stuff, I would say those are the kind of thing that you drop every other little homework assignment for. They are important. But, contrary to fact, IT IS NOT THE END OF THE WORLD IF YOU DO NOT GET THE IB DIPLOMA. Honestly, I might just be saying this to make myself feel better because I probably won’t be getting it, but really, colleges never see it. As in, it doesn’t affect what college you get into AT ALL. Its pretty much just a matter of pride….and over the years, I’ve gotten over having too much of that haha.
To conclude, IB can be either the best or the absolute worst thing that has every happened to you. It all depends on how you handle it and what you decide your attitude is towards things. (Please just choose to be happy, it makes everything so much easier, and IB is the most beneficial thing for your future, which you should definitely care about by the way).
Happy IBing!
Kristen DiGioia
Dear Freshman,
Congratulations on being accepted into the IB program at Bartow High School! Your next 4 years will certainly be a growing experience for you. While almost everything you hear about this school is true, don’t be scared! I’ll try to offer some small advice to help you out. I am, however, a firm believer in letting you experience IB for yourself. I could tell you not to procrastinate (and I honestly believe no one in this program should), but it is more likely that you will ignore this advice. Many people still do ignore this, and I’m pretty sure I am included, since I am doing this at 4 in the morning the day of my midterm exam in calculus. Instead of giving you advice about school work which you probably won’t follow, I’ll give you advice on how to manage school.
First of all, get a hobby. I know this may seem weird, but you really do need a hobby to look forward to during the plethora of “hell weeks” you’ll be experiencing in high school. It can be doing a sport, playing chess, playing video games, or even reading, but make sure you have one, and make sure you set aside time for it. For example, I love to play video games, and while this may seem counterintuitive, I always make time for it in my week. Most people see this as a time waster, but this is definitely more of a stress reliever. It doesn’t matter what you do, but you must be sure you make time for it, or else much of your time here is going to be miserable. The second thing you should know is that comparing yourself to others in your class is not a good. Many people complain about not being as good as so and so, and how they should give up trying because he/she will never be as good as her. That is the mentality of a quitter. Are you a quitter? Of course not! That’s why you won’t be doing that!
The final piece of advice I feel I should give you is to have fun. This is your high school; you may not realize it now, but you are a part of a family. I’ve made some of my best friends here, and, in all honesty, I would not change my decision about which school to attend. You’ll eventually come to love this school and its students just as much as every other member has; it really is just a matter of time.
Good luck!
Adam Elkhayat
So you’ve just arrived here at the I.B. program? Nice one. Your parents might have made you, or you might have decided for yourself that this was the school for you. There are many choices that lay ahead of you, and how you choose determines the effects of I.B. upon you. One classic approach is the chronic underachiever. Minimum amounts of studying and homework are done in order to garner just good enough grades; however, real knowledge is not accumulated because this person is here for a grade, not to gain permanent and useful knowledge. Chronic underachievement, though usually the easiest way through I.B., is not a good path to choose. Chronic overachievement is also likely not a good path to choose. It can involve stress-related illnesses and creates a vacuum in other areas of your life in order to fulfill the desires of I.B. overachievement. I would advise a path involving a dedicated commitment to real knowledge gain. I promise it’s not important to know that the ratio of sheep to people in New Zealand is thirteen to one; however, it is useful to know that cells are the basic components of living things and thus a living organism can be broken down into individual cells.
Avoid becoming obsessed. If you have decided to read this essay, you probably think that this is not really an enlightening point.
However, I feel like it is some of the best advice I can give you (I’m obviously not the most sage of the senior class). Don’t put all your eggs into the basket of sports (english teachers here hate clichés in your writing, by-the-way), or into your grades, or into your job (you might be surprised), or into your hobbies, or into relationships, etc. Obsession towards one thing leaders to apathy towards others, which means that if your are obsessed with anything then something worthwhile will doubtlessly not receive the loving attention it needs. If you think of all the areas of your life like a bunch of puppies, would you really want to neglect all the puppies except the one you think on a given day is the cutest? Dead puppies aren’t cute. Sorry for the morbid point there, but I’m a guy and I felt that a puppy metaphor was not masculine enough without a serious twist, and that was pretty twisted. And to my point about relationships, you should legitimately consider the possibility of avoiding relationships within I.B., at least for the first two years until you have become accustomed to your classmates and more apt to understand them. The reason is this: I.B. is like a family. A relatively large family, but that is not important to the simile. If you date your sister, or cousin, things will become awkward at some point. 96% of high school relationships fail, so seriously consider what things will be like after a breakup, because I can say from experience that I.B. family feuds can get ugly (and embarrassing, really embarrassing).
So you have all these choices for classes and whatnot, and you could take a few paths. There’s the tried and true easy way, and the ridiculous “I want to be valedictorian so I’m taking 75.1459 AP classes and college classes to boost my G.P.A.” way. Here’s what I’d advise: if you really think you know what you want to be when you’re an adult, choose the courses that help you with that path. However, many of you either don’t know or think you know but will eventually change your mind. So I advise that you take well rounded courses and study for all of them at first, but as you determine the amount of studying / effort necessary to learn well and get good grades, adjust your studying accordingly. If you find you excel at Mrs. Kennon’s biology class without studying, then congratulations, you’re special. But the normal humans can pretty much count on having to study in biology and you do need to pay attention to theorems and rules in geometry because they are very useful in calculus. In conclusion, welcome to I.B., and enjoy the journey
p.s. I.B. gets really hard sometimes, but don’t give up. It’s like a difficult workout, if you can make it through the workout (I.B., which if you think about it is probably not the best metaphor I could have chosen since most of us are scrawny and unathletic, but some of us do have facial hair so whatever) you are stronger for it and prepared for more difficult challenges ahead.
Blaine Helmich
Dear incoming IB freshies,
You are now walking into the world of IB, the late nights, loads of homework, and occasional meltdowns. That’s what you’ve heard right? Well, it’s really not all that bad. You do get a lot of work to do at this school but you also make friends that’ll be with you forever; it’s like you’re getting a second family. But work wise, if I were to give you one piece of advice it would be to stay calm and not procrastinate. That would be the main advice. There is more though, such as avoid the doorway at the end of the main hallway with the pole separating the “in” and “out”. It is backed up forever and you might get smushed, stuck, or yelled at if you try to get through. Also I would advise you to keep your cool when walking through hallways in general, this is high school, people randomly stop in the middle of the hallways to talk to friends, text somebody back, or turn around. Just stay calm and walk around them.
The first piece of advice should get you through the 4 years of IB and will help you avoid many possible pitfalls and mental meltdowns. For example, there will be many nights where you’re finally done with your project, portfolio, or essay and your printer decides not to work, this brings me to the first part, stay calm. Call a friend and have them print it out for you. If it’s 3 in the morning and no one is awake, just go to bed, get to school early and use the library. The second part should probably be temporarily tattooed onto your body throughout your IB experience: DO NOT PROCRASTINATE. You will regret it if you do. Just get it done already, and then you won’t have to worry about it. And one more thing, be nice to your teachers. They deserve it. I know, I know, they give you all this crap to do and grade you really tough but it will help you in the long run, I promise. (And they control your grades and/or the chance of you being grounded or not because of grades, so you want them to be happy when they see your name on a paper.)
The class that I thought was the most important or deserving of study would probably be science (in my case, biology) or math. I feel like the science and math you learn here will honestly prepare you for the future. There’s math in science involved in almost every job so I feel like those classes are the most important. All in all, you’ll make it through IB, don’t worry. Enjoy high school, participate in spirit week, go to football games, just have some fun.
Alex Hollen
Dear Freshmen,
The next four years of your life is about to be the hardest, yet most rewarding, craziest, yet most fun, and stressful, yet most appreciative years of your life so far. Notice how my sentence is balanced out there with something positive along with every negative thing I mentioned up there. That’s because to get through IB, you will have to find the right balance. As you should know, IB is structured to make us all well-rounded students, not just students who do exceptionally well on academics. You will have to learn how to balance your social life, academic life, and extracurricular life well in order to survive IB. IB is tough, but you learn so many valuable lessons throughout it and you might not even know that you do until the very end during your senior year, when you realize how much more of an education you received by going to IB than some of your friends at other high schools that attended the same middle school as you. So my first piece of advice to you guys would be to stick it through no matter what. Even if you are about to receive your first B or C in your life, just let it happen and stay in the program. It is too valuable to leave for something as petty as a couple of low grades; this is expected, we are on an accelerated course. As a freshmen, it is a very big adjustment from the level of work you may have received in middle school compared to now. Just try to take the work you have and finish your homework as soon as you get home so that you do not get piled up on homework later on in the night.
Another big thing you guys should do is ask your upperclassmen in IB for help if you really need it. There is never any shame in doing so and not only will it help you make friends, but you will learn to understand concepts possibly easier than you were previously taught because of the way a student may explain it to you. Everyone in IB learns to treat each other like family members later on during the Junior and Senior years and so we are accustomed to helping each other out on homework or for studying, so once again, never hesitate to ask an upperclassman for help. One major thing to avoid in IB is procrastination. That is the number one killer of all grades. By putting things off till the last minute, you’re putting stacks of work off till the last minute and it piles up so that when it is time to do it all, you are overwhelmed with the amount of stuff you have to do with the amount of time you have left. So just first thing first, always get your homework and studying done. Work efficiently by setting small goals like getting to go on Facebook for 5 minutes after 30 minutes of straight work.
The most important and deserving of the most study would definitely have to be in all our core classes such as English, Math, History, Foreign Languages, Science or something. I picked all of these subjects because you learn about each subject from a different view each year because of the different teachers and it allows for the mind to be exercised in ways so that they can be easily “flexible” once he gets into college. Always listen to your teacher, always study, always do your homework, and never hesitate to ask an upperclassmen for help on these things. Good luck on your journey through IB.
Yours truly,
Brian Joseph
As I enter my final semester of high school, I can say that I definitely learned a lot about myself and how to handle the stress and work of IB. Probably the most important advice I can give you is to do your homework. Do your homework. Do. your. homework. It may seen trivial and “below you”, but not doing your homework will set bad habits for how you approach not only your current Freshman work, but also your high school career in general. I personally know a guy that graduated that explained that the only thing he regrets is not trying harder in his first few years before IB got really difficult. Freshman and sophomore year will be your easiest years, so take advantage of it.
Perhaps more important than making sure you do your homework is making sure you have friends. That sounds weird, but honestly, your friends will be your support group for the next four years. There will be many times where you want to shout and throw your textbook through a window or in the nearest lake. Your friends can be there to not only help you relax, but also to possibly help you study and make yourself a better student so the textbook can be spared the unpleasant trip to the bottom of a lake. Developing a support group of friends, (notice I said support group, not clique), is just as important to me as making sure you study.
Perhaps the final point I want to give is to not kill yourself with too rigorous coursework. This may seem pointless now, since Freshman year is basically filled up for you, but it’s important to know your limitations with school work load. There’s nothing worse than taking on too many AP classes in the hopes of boosting your GPA, only to find that you’re not only lowering your grade in other classes, but you’re not even doing well in the extra AP class. I’m not saying you shouldn’t challenge yourself, because one of the core tenets of IB is to take risks, but you should know what it’s in your ability to accomplish, and what isn’t.
I hope this short list of advice helps you to become better freshmen. Remember, what you do now, even as freshmen, will affect you senior year, so develop good habits early and try to have fun.
John Maksimik
So, you’ve just started IB! If you were at any of the eighth-grade meetings leading up to/after your acceptance, you’ve already been forewarned about the vigorous workload awaiting you. Because it IS a lot of work. But there’s much more to International Baccalaureate at Bartow High School.
Freshman year is disorienting; it’s one of those adjustment years (junior year is the other one). I don’t think any middle school aptly prepares a student for IB (although I haven’t experienced the IB middle years programs in some middle schools); you will have homework in every class, and your tests will be more analysis than straightforward right or wrong answers. You are expected to study, complete your assignments, and be successful. And if you don’t and you find IB isn’t for you, that’s fine too.
It’s worth it, though. I have had the best high school experience. Freshman year is the easiest of them all, besides the adjustment. But you don’t need to be staying up until one in the morning to finish a Latin roots worksheet; MANAGE YOUR TIME WELL. That’s probably the most important piece of advice I can give any IB student; practice it. If you manage your time well, you should get an appropriate amount of sleep (probably not ten hours a night, which is recommended for high school students, but seven or eight). Don’t screw up your circadian rhythms just yet. The latest I went to bed from freshman to sophomore year was 9:30; now, I can’t get to sleep before eleven on a school night.
Really, if you have good time management, you’ll be fine. You’ll have time for extracurricular activities and social engagements, and you’ll have a whole lot of fun in the program (you have Mrs. Kennon for a full year. It’s going to be hilarious). And it just gets better as the year goes on. You’re going to take Theory of Knowledge your junior and senior year, and that’ll make you question everything around you, in the best way. And colleges you don’t apply to will send you emails for months on end, giving you application deadline extensions because they want your intellectually superior self at their school so badly. You’ll take classes that actually challenge you, and your experiences will give you more than an outstanding education. Good luck, kid.
Briana Naseer
Hello little freshman!
So you’ve decided to try IB. You should be proud of yourself because not everyone could take on such a task. Do you want some advice? Well, I am here to let you in on a few secrets.
On your first day of high school do not get all nervous, but if you do, it is okay because it is expected. The campus may look huge, but by senior year it’ll be as small as a prison cell. Also, the campus may look dirty, well get used to it. The economy is rough and we cannot afford enough janitors. Be kind enough and pick up after yourself.
Another piece of advice you ask? Do not get overwhelmed and throw in the towel, because you will regret it. IB creates your own little family and you won’t really feel it until your senior year, well at least that’s what happened for me.
If your IB family isn’t enough at school, branch out. Join a team or a club. You will make friends fast, and a little easier. Be yourself and don’t let others makes you feel dumb. They are probably going through some rough times, or they are jealous of you. I like to assume the latter.
IB is a great place to grow. You will not regret a thing even if you have to pull an all-nighter every now and then. Be optimistic, the stress, hard work and chaos are worth more than you realize now.
Alison Palmer
Dear Student,
The transition from middle school to high school is not as easy as one may think, especially when you are about to attend the well-known and renowned International Baccalaureate. This transition was hard for me as well, but so far I have made through 3 experienced, during, and hard years of International Baccalaureate. You may have already heard how rigorous IB may be, this is why I am here to help you out with a pointer. This pointer, only one, can make your life in IB much more easier than, I have learned that you must do in order to be the best you can possibly.
The most important and valuable piece of advice that I might be able to offer, is for you to not procrastinate. I know that in middle school, everything was easy and you could get by doing your homework in the morning or even during class – what a breeze. As I mentioned before, things change in high school especially when you are about to attend the International Baccalaureate school. It is true that, in IB there is a huge workload – sometimes more than you can handle. This is why it is imperative to not to waste any and procrastinate with the thought in mind “Oh, I got more than enough time – no need to worry” – get that thought out of your mind. This best thing to do is to finish as much of your homework right when it is assigned, because before you know it much more will be given to you. If you think freshman year is hard, prepare yourself for much more, because in junior year things start to make a twist and you enter the “real” International Baccalaureate.
I know it seems very crazy and to much to handle, but trust me just live upon this advice and I promise you that you will be perfectly fine. This is what got me by through freshman, sophomore, and what will get me through the end of this program. I hope that you have as much as faith in this advice as much as I do. For I truly believe that this pointer can be useful in many ways and will truly help you the four years of high school whether in International Baccalaureate or not. So I wish good luck in the next four years of your life, I hope that you do not view it as a pain in the neck but more a fun experience
Sincerely,
Devan Patel
Dear Freshie,
Major props on making it into the IB program! Not many students get the chance to be in such a prestigious program so make sure you take advantage of your opportunity. The next 4 years of your life will probably be filled with both ups and downs. No need to worry though because I’m going to give you a few tips on how to survive IB and kick its butt instead of the other way around.
First off, make sure you take complete advantage of the first two years of IB. They are the easiest and the jump from sophomore year to junior year is tremendous. Even though the first two years might seem a little challenging, you’ll get used to the work. So, try really hard to get straight A’s these two years because that feat will be much more difficult achieve in the actual ‘IB’ years. Also, do not procrastinate. You’re going to hear that phrase 430934843 times throughout your time here at IB but I cannot stress how important it is. Make the habit of doing your work on time and not waiting until the last minute during your first two years. If you do that, I guarantee that you’ll be kicking some serious donkey junior and senior year because to me, not procrastinating was the key to succeeding. I learned to not procrastinate and I got straight A’s throughout the IB years. All you have to do is work hard on time so you’re not stressed and just be organized with respect to time. Time, time, time. Take advantage of it.
You should immediately get involved with sports and clubs during your freshman year; it helps IMMENSELY. I know some of you freshmen are a little shy because that’s exactly how I was, but joining various clubs like Spanish Club, FBLA, and Key Club gave me the opportunity to meet new people and ease my transition into high school. Sports provide the same benefit, in my opinion. I highly recommend playing a sport if you’re interested in one. A sport can alleviate stress from the homework and stress and allow you to build strong bonds with the students you’ll be going to high school with for the next four years.
Speaking of friends, they are essential. I really do not know how I would have made it through these four years without strong relationships. Friends really do help you with everything. During my time in IB, especially during my senior year, I’ve gotten close to a small group of students that I really want to know the rest of my life. In my opinion, that feeling is the best because you know for sure that no matter what, they will have your back. So, try to be outgoing and reach out to people during your freshman year because finding some friends that just flat out make you happy is better than anything else.
Lastly, just be positive. Being optimistic was so important to me because I am always driven by positive thoughts. If I have positive thoughts, I become motivated and determined to do the best I can. You should do the same. Don’t get down about one bad test grade or a couple bad homework grades; pick yourself up and do better the next time. Seek advice from your teachers and peers because anyone at this school is willing to help you succeed. Well, that’s it for my tips. I hope you enjoy your time here at the IB program and that you make some wicked, killer memories!
Best of Luck,
Vishal Patel
Welcome incoming freshman,
Hello my name is Kayla Sundean, and I recently just graduated from your new school, IB! Everything you probably have heard is true; yes the classes are hard, yes you will have a lot of homework, and yes you will not sleep a lot, but not to worry you will only start to be sleep deprived your junior and senior year.
It is hard looking back to freshman year, but I know that I wish I would have taken classes more seriously then. All of your teachers are very nice, they may seem crazy, funny, or perhaps mean, but their goals are to help you succeed through this rigorous program. My first tip for you is to not slack your first year. Try to get as many A’s as possible, it will be the cushion for your GPA when you hit junior and senior year. Don’t be afraid or intimidated when you hear the upperclassman talk about all they have to do, the teachers prepare you for the amount of work. My next tip is to listen to your teachers; for example, color marking and sat vocab, there are words on the SAT and ACT that Mrs. Harb teaches you. Also the information you learn in Biology this year will help you with AP and IB bio. One more thing — READ the books that are assigned, you will need them for your senior year World Lit papers.
Next on the agenda, athletes. I lettered four years on the varsity volleyball team and played competitive; if you don’t know what that means, it means I had practice every day till 6 and games two nights a week till 10. However, do not put all your eggs in one basket. I’m sure your parents have told you this multiple times, and I understand you are in IB, meaning that you care about your education, but to speak for myself I was planning to get a volleyball scholarship. However the day before I was going to sign, I injured my back. That fast my sports career was over; thankfully I was in the IB program. When you are in IB, colleges look at you differently, you are one of the brightest students in the state, and therefore you will most likely be accepted to all the schools you apply to. So in short, school is the most important; sports are for enjoyment and to get your mind off of homework.
Okay I don’t want to kill you with information, but I promise if you stick it through the program it is definitely worth it. You will gain so many friends that they will become your friendly. Also you will start having little IB jokes, literary jokes that only the IB kids get, and 4 years of fun. Just remember, have fun, stay focused, and don’t procrastinate.
Good Luck Class of 2016,
Kayla Sundean
Dear little freshman,
So, you’ve chosen IB! Congratulations. Well…perhaps IB has chosen YOU. That was the case with me. I honestly was very, very against the thought of coming here, and only took the test because I was encouraged to by my parents. I only decided to come here because I was pushed a little…I didn’t think I could handle it. I didn’t want the work and the stress and a whole new city with new people. But looking back, I think this is the best decision I’ve made so far in my life. It won’t seem like that for the next rant session, but it’ll tie together in the end; you’ll see.
Right now, it is 2:00 AM on a Thursday night…well, Friday morning. Fate has blessed me with the opportunity to take the history of the americas and ap calculus midterms on the same day. So as I write this, I am currently experiencing a vital component of the true IB experience. Still, I have to study for calculus and read an entire chapter of history (ahhhh) but this piece of information could be important to someone, and it’s a nice break from the stress, too 🙂 This is a real-life example of life in IB. I’m not trying to scare you about what you will deal with as an IB student, but this is real life sometimes, and you will learn how to cope with it and still keep your sanity, promise! I think the best advice I can give to someone just starting IB is to not get too caught up in the work. I feel hypocritical saying this because I can sometimes be a perfectionist, myself, and I know I overdo things quite often, but if you let the stress get to you, the joy that should accompany IB life can be taken away. Also…don’t procrastinate. I know you will, because we all try to tell ourselves we won’t, but at least attempt to not procrastinate. Do homework on weekends if you have time! It truly will make your life a lot easier.
You’re probably a little confused about what IB is, and that’s okay…we all were! Here are a few quick tips: freshman year is going to seem really difficult, but trust me, there are harder things to come…make ‘A’s if you can! It’s a good opportunity to cushion your GPA in case things get tough in junior and senior years. Sophomore year is going to be your easiest year, so take advantage of it! Enjoy life, please. Junior year…is awful. But it is do-able, and you will make it through it! Senior year is the toughest of all, but if you maybe start college applications over the summer, that will make life a lot easier! And make sure you check the college site too, there are always tiny components that can become forgotten (CSS profile).
I don’t know how your middle school experience worked, but at IB, teachers are your friends. You can and should talk to them if you have a problem, because they really do care. Also, Dr. Vetter and Mrs. Craven are your friends. I personally have seen Mrs. Craven countless times (she’s your guidance counselor, by the way), and she is always there and willing to help!
You will eventually have to choose a science, and I personally recommend biology…yes, it will kill you sometimes, and yes, it is the toughest, but you WILL learn, and it’ll be worth it in the end.
I recently had my last Theory of Knowledge class with Mr. Guice (ToK with Mr. Guice will very possibly one of your favorite classes…and one of your favorite teachers), and it was really sad to leave the room for the last time. One of the last things he asked us was: Was it worth it?
That question really made me think. Was it worth it? I pulled several all-nighters (currently am doing the same)…I stressed…I cried…I missed out on much of ‘the high school experience’…
Despite this, I have thought about it, and the answer to the question is a definite, unwavering ‘yes’. I think IB was worth it for two big reasons:
1. Work ethic. This may sound cliché, but it’s very true. At IB, you develop and maintain a work ethic that can, I’m sure, almost literally move mountains. You will push the limits of your mind, body, emotions, and patience, but you will come out a much stronger person for it. You will be ready for college, a career, and the demands of life, plus some. And you’re completely surrounded by a strong work ethic…immersed in it…for four years. Worth it.
2. This is the biggie: the people. I’ll be the first to tell you, I am a shy and awkward person. I picture myself in public high school, with Miss Popular on one side, the “coolest kid in the world” on the other, being completely withdrawn and miserable. Every day. For four years. In IB, that doesn’t really happen. You find out pretty quickly that you’re not the only person who loves Jeopardy and can recite Robert Frost, but can’t comfortably join a conversation. You find out that you have become a member of a big, somewhat dysfunctional family, and that the connection is just there. There’s a certain feeling of camaraderie that develops in IB…a certain mutual sense of “I know how your night was, because mine was the same way…sorry, but we’ll get through it” as you enter IB biology at 7 AM after spending literally all night perfecting drawings of onion cells. There are 50 people in my class, and I know all of them to a pretty decent degree. Sure, small cliques form, but IB itself is a group…you’re a member. Just take advantage of it. In this program, I have made relationships with people that I didn’t think possible in such a short amount of time. The people you meet and the friendships you make will stay with you forever, and don’t let work get in the way of that. Just saying…you’re going to love them.
I think that’s all the wisdom I can impart for now. 2 hours until I’m supposed to wake up, and still so much to do! Don’t worry, IB is a lot of fun, and if you’re here, you probably belong here, so stick with it! Keep these things in mind as you go along your journey, and don’t forget to savor it…it is high school, after all.
With love and best wishes,
Lindsey Ward
Dear Freshmen,
IB is a lot of work and uses up a lot of your time, but it is worth it. The hardest thing about entering as a freshman is adjusting from middle school life to pre-IB life. The transition is a bit difficult at first, but after a few weeks you’ll find that you are getting used to things. Most incoming freshmen are accustomed to having very little homework and aren’t used to the amount given to IB students. But as long as you don’t put it off until the last minute, it’s not impossible. There is a lot of writing in IB, so get used to it. Essays are the worst things to put off until the last minute (except math portfolios and bio labs), so don’t.
The classes freshman year are also a bit hard to get used to. For a lot of people taking two sciences at once is a lot of pressure, but you can do it. The classes seem crazy, but you wouldn’t be here if you couldn’t handle it. After a while you adjust to having two sciences along with all your other classes. Freshman year elective classes can be a relief to go to. Choose something you like to do, not just something you think will be an easy A. Electives are often a little break from all the stress of other classes.
And lastly, get involved. It may seem like you have so much homework and studying that you have no time for anything else. But with a little time management and prioritizing you will find time for other things in your busy schedule. So join some clubs, play a sport, or volunteer. BHS and IB offer a variety of different clubs and there is something for everyone. Not only do clubs look great on college applications, they’re fun too. Sports and clubs are both great ways to make new friends and get involved with your school. And many clubs offer volunteering opportunities so you can have fun while you fulfill that service requirement.
Good Luck,
Addy Warren
Dear freshmen,
I am writing to you as a peer who has suffered through, presently, a little less than four years of IB. Bartow IB is, for obvious reasons, not the easiest school to attend. I will not stretch the truth and try to convince you to stay in IB, because this school is not something to take lightly. I have watched my class size decrease from about 85 to 50. I have witnessed friends and peers dropping out like flies fleeing from the labs and essays. The coursework is brutal and if you are not personally attending IB because you want to, the chance that you will reach senior year is possible, but really not probable. I am not trying to be pessimistic, but self determination is the most valuable ally you can have while attending IB. If you happen to stick it out till the end, I guarantee you that, aside from wanting to go into a self-induced coma, you will have gained life-long friends and a learning experience that will last you a lifetime.
Along this journey to self-fulfillment, you will come across many pitfalls. Personally, as a dominantly right-brained person, my many pitfalls included Chemistry and Calculus…along with the extended essay, design labs, TOK papers, and world lit papers…basically anything that required long-term thinking skills. The most valuable advice I can give you is, as cliché as it might sound, IT COULD ALWAYS BE WORSE. And eventually, it does get worse. By that time, when you look back at your darkest moments, they seem like nothing compared to your new monstrosities called assignments. I mean, if you’re a major procrastinator like me, you need to obtain the skill of getting things done when it counts. You need to focus and do your work when there is no more room left for procrastination. Take charge of your time and make sure that you know what you’re doing at all times.
Lastly, if you’re going to take anything from my letter, it should be that you should always stay humble. Yes, Bartow IB is a rigorous program and yes, you have major props for getting accepted. HOWEVER, you must realize that other schools exist, such as Jefferson County IBS, which is a part of the top five best high schools in America. Humility, though simple, can help you appeal to a wider range of people, especially the chance of being friends with some of the Bartow High kids who…are really…not…that…bad…. Anyways, work hard and maybe one day, you will get into your dream college, which definitely came true for me.
Best of Luck!
Leadz Dorcé
WELCOME.
You have now been initiated into the IB Program. Your experience will be much different than mine, your teachers have different mandatory curriculum and in some cases you’ll have different teachers… because of that, I can’t explain exactly what you’re facing, but know, it’s doable.
I’m a senior which means you’ll never get the chance to share these hallways with me or stare at me as I shout something strange out in Mr. Guice’s room during lunch. You don’t know me, but I’m asking you to trust that I have some semblance of an idea of what high school is like.
Speaking of which, high school is just a giant paradox. It’s important, your grades will determine what colleges want you therefore you should definitely try your hardest. But at the same time, you need to remember that in four years you will be saying goodbye to all of the people who you’ve grown up with and eventually will leave to live your life. YOUR life, that’s right, YOURS. If you don’t want to graduate from the IB program of your own volition then you should probably try a regular high school or even someplace like Harrison School of the Arts. The key to success in the IB program is self-motivation. I’m still in this program because I want to be in this program. My best friend left sophomore year, this wasn’t the right environment for her. She’s not the only one who’s left. My graduating class currently consists of 50 students and we started out with 90-some. That means 40 some people left. There’s no shame in leaving, some people simply aren’t made to work and work and work. If you don’t want to occasionally pull all-nighters, this program probably will not be your best friend. (DISCLAIMER: I’ve pulled two all-nighters throughout the course of this program but I’ve also gotten my fair share of Bs. It’s possible that if I stayed up all night I’d be able to get an A.) Remember, IB is NOT a trap. It’s a great learning environment for people who think the way IB wants them to think (So while it may not be a trap, it’s totally a conspiracy… please don’t take my sarcasm for seriousness).
Anyway, throughout high school you’re going to have to make choices. Those choices range from the easy (“what sixth subject will benefit me the most?”) to the more difficult (“will going to this party compromise my integrity?”). Don’t do drugs. Don’t have sex. DON’T CHEAT ON TESTS. Especially the cheating part. I know of SO MANY students who have been kicked out for cheating… maybe you don’t know this, but when you submit college apps if you’ve ever been disciplined for academic misconduct *cough*cheating*cough*, you have to tell them. Think that’s going to affect your chances of getting into Dartmouth? Oh heck yeah.
I don’t remember if I said this yet or not, but remember not to sweat the small stuff. I have to take a couple of exams tomorrow that I’m honestly not the most prepared for but I’m going to have to deal because my family has been in total emergency mode all day today. Remember your priorities, Hermione Granger thought school was her number one, but that doesn’t mean it has to be yours. My family tends to rank in front of my school work. My friends often also rank in front of my school work. I’m by no means a bad student, I get As and Bs and for the most part I pay attention in class. At least, I wouldn’t consider myself a bad student… KEY POINT: There will come a time when you have to pick between doing what’s right and what is easy. Your schoolwork may factor into either one of those options.
IB teaches life skills too which will be very helpful for you young padawans. I learned not to worry about what other people think about me (I play quidditch, enough said) and met people that I hope will be in my future life after high school. IB allows you to grow into yourself, find your niche and really just live life to the fullest.
Finally, have fun! I had a blast these last four years and took biology and a whole mess of AP/IB electives at the same time. You’ll find that some courses are more fun than others. TOK was my favorite class by far that I’ve taken in the IB program, and biology is always a challenge but a great learning experience at the same time… If you’re reading this I’m assuming you chose to take IB Math and not Math Analysis/Studies and congrats to you! There’s nothing wrong with Math Analysis, but I’ve found IB Math to be more rewarding even when I have felt like a complete fool because I forgot the product rule. (Don’t worry about it, you’ll learn it all in time).
I think the best way to describe IB is by breaking into component parts. The academics allow you to learn more about the world around you. TOK allows you to learn more about yourself and the way other people’s minds work. CAS allows you to really learn to love helping other people and how you fit into the world at large.
“May the Odds be Ever in Your Favor”
Leslie Graham
So what advice would I give a freshman? Well that’s a question mostly that everyone jokes about by saying things like “RUN!” or something to terrify them. In all honesty, however, I would tell them about the one comforting thing they will have in IB amongst everything possible, the IB family. This family system keeps people from going insane in IB, makes sure you know what’s coming for upcoming tests, and, most importantly, lets you have enjoyment from the chaos.
Now a freshman may consider me crazy if I say that to them, but myself and almost every one of my fellow brothers and sisters can agree. In IB, you do get to keep friends from outside the program, but the majority of your friends will be this knot which will make sure you pass. The Class of 2013, my class, is probably one of, if not the biggest IB class ever, and with my 66 brothers and sisters, we go through the endless work together. Now there will be a few who don’t become part of this bond by their choice, and they will suffer greatly due to it. Do NOT be that person, for no one will help them and I would think it makes IB that much harder.
As you proceed through your first few weeks in IB, you will see the creation of the family. An IB family is closely knotted, and they will become your friends, your co-workers, and your tutors when needed. This IB family keeps the year running smoothly with missed lessons, a person to rant about that teacher whom everyone goes crazy over (Yes they exist and you’ll know their names soon enough), and they are an audience for a great joke. Every year this family is formed, and your year will have a family too.
I love IB. It’s not about the credits, the extra perks, the deep-thinking courses, or the location. Especially not the location. I love IB because of my family. I didn’t think an educational program can have so much influence, yet here, at the International Baccalaureate at Bartow High School, it does. This is where I belong. So please, enjoy the family which you will have soon, upcoming freshman. Welcome.
Erik Hutchison
Hmm, my experience here. Well, I can honestly say that it is all worth it as a senior. If you’re looking for advice or just browsing, here it is: stick in the program. The learning environment here is like no other in Polk County. The amount of knowledge you accumulate here in 4 years is ridiculous. Take your classes seriously, each and every one of them. College will be no problem, since you’ve basically done it for 4 years already.
Take your classes seriously! Even if it is physics, that is one of the hardest itself, because your chance of passing is from the start low. In my opinion, biology is the best science to choose, because Kennon has the most experience and her pass rate is enormous. Pay attention in Guice’s classes. He’s a friendly teacher, but by no means think there is not much to learn. TOK is one of the most intellectual classes offered here, enjoy it.
Each and every one of your classes you take here is important. Every teacher you meet will affect you in some way. Get to know each other well. You all are going to be together for the next few years, like it or not. As you rise up through the classes, you will realize that we in IB are all dependent on each other. The bonds you make here will carry through your life, whether with friends or with teachers. Being in IB gives you one of the largest privileges available to high school students.
But after all this, look back on your experience with joy. This is a journey hundreds of other have gone before you, so don’t get too stressed, pace your coursework, and above all, stay optimistic.
Gabriel Lopez
Dear Ickle Firsties,
I am here to tell you that you should prepare to give up whatever social life you have or were planning to have. One thing you need to make sure you are able to do is manage your time. Without time management, you will not go very far. More homework will be given to you than you have ever had before and it is imperative that you begin your homework the day you receive it. I am a senior now and I still fail to manage my time effectively, so I don’t sleep much. Additionally, if you are planning to have a job or play sports, don’t plan on doing both at the same time; it would be impossible.
From my personal experiences and from what I have gathered from my classmates, I would say that the most common pitfall is procrastination. Don’t do it. Seriously, do not do it. EVERYONE will tell you not to procrastinate and you will tell everyone you won’t or that you’ll be fine, but you won’t. Also, don’t take yourself too seriously. For the first time in your life, there are going to be people who are smarter than you and who will make better grades than you. So, don’t let it get to you, just do what you can and don’t worry about anyone else.
For me, the classes which I enjoyed most and think have the most value are Anatomy and AP Statistics. Although Anatomy isn’t a strictly Pre-IB or IB or AP class, it was really fun and I learned a lot that was very helpful for both AP and IB Biology. I’m not quite sure why I like Stats, I just do. So, you should take those classes. Also, Southern Literature was super fun/easy and it was weighted, so take that one too.
Regards,
Done With IB
Morgan Murphy
Dear incoming IB freshman,
Congratulations on your entry into the program; you’ve made the right decision. Please take the time to acknowledge that you will not sleep for 4 years. Just accept it, resistance is futile. When asking anyone for advice on easing the stress of IB, one answer will always prevail: don’t procrastinate. I know you’ve heard it a million times, but it’s true. Try to plan ahead and allot time for doing certain assignments and allot time for fun things (hobbies, sports, etc.). When you have a balance between fun and work, the process seems less stressful.
While on the topic of stress, make sure that you figure out how to deal with you own personal stress. At many points in your IB career, you will be swamped with work and you’ll be stressed out of your mind. The key is to know how to deal with it. One method is to complain. Although complaining and talking about how much your life sucks is cathartic, it will thoroughly piss off the classes above you. As you move through IB, you’ll realize that the work you had in the past is nothing compared to the work you have in the present. Just remember that there is a group of people who are going through the same stuff at the same time. Don’t do this alone. Start study groups on Facebook, have study parties, etc. Rely on each other to get through the tough weeks. If you can feel yourself starting to “give up”, ask your friends to help keep you on track. If you all help each other get through each week, one week at a time, you’ll be at graduation’s doorstep in no time.
Remember that this is high school and you’re supposed to have some fun (within reason). Don’t throw away all of your hard work and all of your future potential by doing something stupid. Some of you will be confronted with the option to smoke smokeables, drink drinkables, and snort snortables. At the end of the day, you want to be here for a long time not a good time. Keep your goals in perspective.
Hopefully my advice helps you in your journey through the IB program.
Congratulations and good luck,
Aatish Patel
IB Class of 2012
Hello incoming freshmen. Welcome to the International Baccalaureate School. Well, to be honest, you’re not a part of IB until Junior year. So. welcome to pre-IB. You’re probably worried about the homework and all that poop. But the amount of homework shouldn’t be a problem as long as you stay focused in class and at home. Yes, there’s lots of homework here at IB, but that doesn’t mean it is unbearable.
Yes, there are some classes in which you can sleep and talk and generally disregard the instructor, but you won’t always be able to pull off a passing grade. Pay attention in class, take notes only if they help you, and feel free to ask questions. You know, be a model citizen student. I also find that bribing your teachers with holiday gifts can come back to aid you later. When that 89 jumps up to a 90, you’ll be glad you brought in that Christmas card. For those of you who come from Lawton Chiles, don’t feel compelled to keep organized binders like you did in middle school. Organize or don’t organize however you like, and remember that you have to carry your binders around.
As for actually getting your homework done at home, just remember “work before play.” When you get off the bus, get yourself a snack and SIT DOWN away from the computer. By getting to work right away you can continue the academic momentum. Stay away from Facebook for as long as possible. It is of the devil and brings about wasted time.
May the Mass times Acceleration be with you,
Harrison Pincket
Dear Freshmen,
Coming into the IB program, you probably are dreading the fact that you’re not going to have a life and you’ll be swamped with homework every night. Well, I’m here to tell you that’s not true. Freshman year seems to be overwhelming while you’re in it, and that’s because it’s just a big change from middle school. You’re given more work and the material is more difficult, so it all seems to suck at the time. Trust me, if you just buckle down and find a good routine that works for you and DON’T PROCRASTINATE, you’ll be fine. I promise.
The most possible pitfall that you’re going to experience will be the devastating effects of procrastination. Everyone does it. There’s no way that you’re going to go through high school, especially IB, without procrastinating. However, procrastination is going to make everything harder for you. It’s in your best interest to do your homework when you get it and not put it off. I know that sucks, and I know it’s hard, but honestly, your life will be better if you do.
When I was a freshman, I didn’t take geometry, I took Algebra 2. That, along with biology, were the subjects where I devoted most of my time. I didn’t take APES as a freshmen, because we were the last class to have geography, so I don’t know how difficult that is, though it is an AP class, so I would expect to devote some time to that as well. I also didn’t take American Government/Economics with Mrs. Devore, so I don’t know the difficulty of that. I’m in French, and Mr. Lenker is pretty chill as a teacher, so you should be fine in his class, if you’re in it. In general, most of your freshman year classes are going to be pretty chill, especially if you have a good, easy elective.
In freshman year, the thing you have to do is find a routine that works for you and stick with it. Since IB is a major change from your middle school, it’ll take you a little bit to get adjusted. Also, procrastination will make you hate life and yourself. So my advice: don’t do it. Just focus on getting through freshman year, and before you know it it’ll become a lot easier. Good luck!
Sincerely,
Kylie Werk
Dear Incoming IB Freshmen,
Welcome and congratulations on making it into the program (Please note that I wrote “problem” instead of program the first time I wrote this sentence. Freudian slip? I think so). There are multiple ways to successfully work through and finish IB, although that does depend on your definition of “successfully”. Well, my advice would be to not just skate by doing the bare minimum, but if that’s how you roll then I can’t stop you. BUT, if you’d like some advice about how to complete your work as best you can and to achieve the best grades possible, continue reading.
There is absolutely one fatal flaw in all IB kids – don’t try to deny you do this, because everyone does – they procrastinate. Procrastination is the killer of all grades. If you can get a handle on your time management, you’re golden. Of course, everyone is different on how much time they need to sufficiently complete assignments to a good standard. Doing an assignment the period before its due is NEVER enough time, however. Some people need time to do their work, so starting a bio lab a few days ahead of time is not a bad idea, but if you’re one of those lucky people that can bust out an A+ biology/chemistry/physics lab in one sitting, more power to ya. It will take some time to figure out what you’re good at doing, since now your teachers will expect more work out of you. Just go through the first few weeks finding your strengths and weaknesses, and then finding out how you can manage your schedule to not procrastinate. Some classes that will probably take up most of your time include: anything that has AP in front of the name, algebra (because Naki likes to give a bunch of problems) and your foreign language class, unless you’re just awesome at languages. You’ll figure it out.
Another main aspect of going to IB that you have to have in mind is that YOU CAN GO INSANE IF ALL YOU DO IS STUDY AND WORRY ABOUT SCHOOL. No one human can handle thinking about work 24 hours a day. So, my advice, go find something you’re passionate about that’s fun for you and do it! Even if you’re that person who likes to go do scientific research in a lab; hey, if it’s fun for you, go have a ball looking at cells under a microscope. Take some time for yourself, and it will help you be able to buckle down and study when you need to.
All in all, your parents are right when they tell you that IB is a great opportunity and will help you get into college and start your future off right etc. In reality, they’re just happy that THEY don’t have to go through what you’re about to do. I’ll admit, it is difficult at times, but it is never impossible. Just try when you need to and relax when you can, and you’ll make it through to graduation. It really does goes by faster than you think.
Happy Studying!
Christina Vallejo
The week before Christmas Break, I had to do five essays, two of which were 1,500 words, prepare and give a 20 minute oral presentation, do and turn in 3 biology labs, do a biology worksheet, study for a biology, Spanish, and psychology test, outline the psychology chapter and do note cards, and study for a history test (they are very hard senior year) on top of working three days that week. I’m not trying to impress you all. I impressed myself that week and don’t really need your approval. I’m simply trying to say that IB is hard. Harder than anything I’ve ever done before and probably will do in the future. The worst part is, I don’t even know if the grueling work will pay off as I wait impatiently to receive college acceptance letters. But I do know that I have learned more than I ever could have at Lakeland or Jenkins. No one can take that from me, no matter what college I do or do not get in to.
If you plan to stay in IB, and I do advise that you do, I’d like to try and help you make it through. This senior year has not been my favorite. The work is nonstop. It is just hard. Last year I was able to cope by going out with friends on a regular basis, but this year there is not even time for that, sans an occasional Friday night when we’re not all too tired to even get off the couch. Looking back, all I could tell myself to do differently is to have handled my stress better. I would have tantrums where for an hour or two all I could do was sit to avoid the work. I yelled at my parents all the time because the simple question “How was school?” stressed me out so much. I was out of control. I have since fixed the problem, but I realized I had no outlet for my stress. Find an outlet, and find it fast. You will need it.
One more word to the wise that you will hear a thousand times over, don’t procrastinate. Who am I to judge though when I write this paper in the last 3 minutes of lunch the day the paper is due? You’re going to do it, so instead of just not procrastinating, learn to procrastinate effectively! Learn the realistic amount of time it takes you to get your work done, and plan accordingly. Don’t be scrambling to finish worksheets in the car and then the library, walking into class 20 minutes late with a crappy worksheet. It’s not a good thing to do, and the teachers always know what’s up.
Good luck my friends, the lunch bell just rang, and I must go. You’ll make it, we all did before you.
Eric Helm