These were written by seniors and juniors in the International Baccalaureate program who took AP Calculus AB during the 2012-13 school year. The essays are in no particular order.

 

 

Dear Incoming Freshman,

Your choice of attending the International Baccalaureate School at Bartow High School is one of the best decisions you have made so far in life. This program is the ideal way to challenge your intellectual capabilities which will adequately develop you as a person and student to be successful in the real world. The first couple of weeks at this school will be quite overwhelming for you, but don’t worry it will get better. Stay on top of your work and help each other out and within no time you will be walking across the stage receiving your diploma.

The most important advice I can give you as a junior is to stay focused. Staying focused now will make life in college much easier. Also, staying focused allows for better work quality, which will result in better grades. In addition, DO NOT procrastinate. IB students are notorious for procrastination and it is probably the worst thing you can do. Personally, I like to finish as much homework as I can during the weekend. This frees up time to do the work that I just received instead of working on homework we were assigned the week before. Finally, I would advise you to start volunteering and participating in extracurricular activities as soon as possible. This will make you a well-rounded student that colleges love to see.

Overall, I would say getting good grades and making lasting friendships are probably the most important things you should be focused on at this point in high school. Making friends is the easy part but getting good grades is another story. When studying, I advise you to log off of Facebook and turn your phone off. Being distracted prevents you from properly studying. I feel that this technique will help you get good grades in Biology, English, and Math, which I feel are the most important and hardest classes to do well in. Last but not least, good luck! I know you will do great.

Sincerely,

Dhaval Jivanji,

 

IB Junior

Dear IB Freshman,

First off, congratulations on being accepted to this program, that in itself is quite an honor and something to be proud of. You are about to engage in the most strenuous and time consuming program in the entire county. The amount of stress and work will push you to become efficient if you wish to maintain decent grades and get more than 5 hours of sleep each night. As daunting as this all sounds it is not something to be afraid of, rather it is a challenge that you are capable of accomplishing. Thinking back to my freshman year, I was scared to death from coming to school here due to all the “no life” rumors that I had heard from my friends. Now looking back as a junior, although it has been one of the most difficult experiences I have ever gone through, I can honestly say I am glad I didn’t go anywhere else. There have been very many times that I have wanted to quit, drop out and just start somewhere that I didn’t have more than an hour of homework each night. But I challenge you to come into this year with goals set in your mind. If you set goals and ways to accomplish them before you begin the task you are much more likely to accomplish them successfully. As a freshman, the first semester is quite an adjustment and may be very different from the middle school system that you are used to. For example, I was one of the top students in middle school 8th grade class, didn’t have to study much and still made straight A’s. But when I came to IB, where all of the “top 8th grade students” were combined, I found myself falling in the “middle average” of my class. I now actually had to study before the day of the test and practice what was being taught. Come into this first year, with a clean slate. You don’t know what to expect so therefore you have nothing to lose. Although your first year may seem negligible it is actually very important, so take it seriously. This is where your GPA starts; don’t slack off in the beginning so that you won’t have to struggle to bring your grades up at the end. Be confident in yourself and believe that you can do it; you wouldn’t have been accepted had that not been the case.

In your experience through IB you’ll quickly realize that the most detrimental thing to do is procrastinate, as it just comes naturally. The overwhelming amount of work gives you the urge to “put it off till later” but don’t do it. At least start the work the day you get it, if you can do a little bit each day. That way it doesn’t seem that you’re doing so much every day but when the assignment is due you also won’t have to do the entire thing the night before. Also, study for tests and ask teachers questions. That’s what they’re there for after all, right? Don’t feel intimidated to ask something you don’t know because if you don’t then that will only cripple yourself. Even the smartest people need to have questions. Stay organized. Keep all of your papers in separate binders or folders, one for each class so that you don’t lose any of them or mix them up on different days. Use your planner to right down important test dates and due dates for assignments and projects. Plan ahead over the weekend by thinking what is due throughout the coming week and how do you need to prepare individually. IB was different for me because after I left middle school, everything academic I did was completely on my own. I kept track of my own school work, extracurricular, clubs, volunteer hours and work schedule all on my own; your parents won’t be able to prod you get that lab done, write that English essay or study for that history test. You are your own motivator so get that started from day one. You also need to find one or two things you can do to help you relieve stress. For me, it’s running and other sports. Whether it’s reading a non-school book, playing an instrument, dance, whatever it is make sure you have easy access to it so that whenever you feel over the top you can take a break and breathe. Avoid thinking of yourself as better than other students in your class. In the end, these are the people that will go through hell and back with you and you need them if you’re going to survive.

As far as studying goes I would encourage you to evaluate your strengths and weaknesses. For me, writing and English have always been my strong points but math has been one of my lower ones. I still do well in calculus but I have to work at it much longer than any of my other friends do as it comes easily to them. If there is a class in particular that you come across that is difficult for you, don’t simply accept the thought that “you’re just not good at it”. Keep working at it and place more emphasis on this class sometimes to see if you can become better at it. Quizlet and other online websites come in handy when studying vocab and key terms for English, Spanish and US History. Also, study some sections of the AP Review hand books throughout the year so that at the end of the year when testing season rolls around the material in the book at least looks somewhat familiar to you. I would emphasize studying for math, sciences and English. These are your core classes and you want to make sure that your grades have a solid foundation to start out with. I wish you the best of luck in your high school career and hope that you find success throughout this program!

Sincerely,

Heather Ryan,

IB Junior

 

As a freshman, if you are planning on making it through your IB life, be prepared to have to prioritize. Sometimes you just can’t do everything you want to be able to do, and that’s OK. Just be sure you try your hardest, and do the most that you can do. Push yourself to the limits, and make sure you do the best you can in everything that you do. One thing that I can really say is that grades are important, but they aren’t life-changing. Do your best, and try your hardest, but what difference does it really make if you get a C or a B for a nine-weeks, and still pull a B for the semester?

As for the helpful hints to any IB student that cares to read them, the 10 Commandments of IB follow… 1) Seriously? Don’t cheat. I know lots of people who cheat, and it just isn’t worth it in the end. When you cheat, you’re not only depriving yourself of knowledge, but also making it unfair for others. Life is already unfair enough as it is. 2) Turn in major assignments on time. 3) Start large projects early. You have no idea how much easier life was for me because I didn’t wait until the night before to do design labs, extended essay, math portfolios, etc. I would suggest starting them the weekend before they’re due, and it really helped me keep out from under procrastination’s pitfalls. 4) Do have fun. There will be weekends where you don’t have homework, and go hang out with friends, go on a date, spend time with family, or do something you enjoy. 5) Take up a stress-relieving activity. Whether it be marching band, baseball, playing piano, or writing poetry, do something you enjoy on a weekly or daily basis. Make time for it, and you’ll be able to focus more and do more that you expected. 6) When you get to a class you don’t particularly care for (my worst class is history), sit up front if you can. You’re more likely to pay attention, and less likely to get distracted. Then, you’ll learn better and will agonize less over tests. 7) If you’re in a time-consuming activity, like a sport or marching band, be sure to plan your week out. Especially junior and senior years, this helps a lot with scheduling and maintaining a sleep cycle. Which brings me to 8) Maintain a sleep cycle. Whoever says that you can’t go through IB without pulling an all-nighter is wrong. I have never stayed up past 11 pm on a school night, and I was only up that late out of choice. 9) When you go to write your Extended Essay, pick a topic you enjoy. And write the outline during the summer. I know it’s difficult, but keep organized and your senior year will be so much better because of it. And finally 10) Apply to colleges early. You feel so much less stress when you apply in November, and get decisions in January or February, because you have “a future” earlier than most. I applied to USF in September, and was accepted before the end of October. That was my back-up school, and now I have “a future.” (By the way, rolling admissions are fantastic).

Last but not least, I just want to wish you good luck in all of your classes, and just want to tell you to keep working hard. If you’ve already started IB, it gets harder, but I think it is totally worth it in the end. If you haven’t yet started IB, good luck, and be sure you have fun along the way. Make friends with your classmates (don’t make any enemies) because you’ll be stuck with them for four years, and be sure you keep in touch.

WIth Best Wishes,

Alana Snyder

 

Dear freshmen,

If you’re starting IB, you either won’t give a crap about reading these letters and probably won’t see this message or are extremely panicked by all of the crazy stuff you’re hearing about having to do later in your IB life. Here’s my message for that second group.

First, procrastinate wisely. Everyone else is going to say not to procrastinate, but we all know you’re going to do it any way. So, if you’re going to do it, do it smart. Things like journal questions/colormarking, anything for biology (especially labs), and reading the text for history/psychology/World Religions are NOT things you want to procrastinate on. Things like worksheets and vocabulary are things you CAN procrastinate on. Other things you can avoid altogether. Reading for English? Spark notes. They are your best friend during freshman year. Sophomore and junior year, however, you should probably read at some point because the teachers get wicked detailed in the quizzes/tests.

Second, ASK QUESTIONS. Make sure you do not leave class confused or else you will still be confused when you see a question on that subject on the test. This is especially applicable in history and science classes. This is also applicable in really boring classes that have teachers who are easily distracted.

Third, really work hard on whatever language you’re taking while it’s still easy. You learn all of the grammar within the first two years, the last two are just review. Practice all the time and try to understand everything now because you won’t get as much of an in depth lesson later on. This will be a life saver later on when you have tons of homework to do and you’re still confused about what half of your French/Spanish homework says. Plus, the AP/IB exams for language require you to be proficient in listening, reading, writing, and speaking. Don’t want to be screwed? STUDY DURING FRESHMAN AND SOPHOMORE YEAR.

Fourth, AP review books are your friends. Buy them from whoever is in the grade higher than you or get them from the library if you can. You won’t regret it, trust me. I am a fan of 5 Steps to a 5 and Princeton Review.

Good luck! I wish you the best.

Naomi Correa

 

Dear upcoming freshman,

I’m sure you’ve heard a lot of bad things about IB, and I can tell you for the most part, they aren’t entirely true. Since you’ve already been accepted, I would say you should go ahead and come try it out for yourself because not everybody gets this chance. Though I’m only a little more than halfway through this “journey”, I can honestly say I wouldn’t change my decision. IB gives you a wonderful opportunity to challenge yourself and teaches you time management skills that you can’t find just anywhere. There’s a saying that you can only pick two of the three things in IB: good grades, sleep, or a social life, so I guess I’ll go through and address those because it’s possible to have them all. Mostly.

Good grades. Although it may be a bit of a transition from middle school into Pre-IB, they are the easiest years. It’s really important that you take them seriously and get good grades while you’re taking only one AP class freshman year versus the seven I am now juggling in my junior year, but don’t let that scare you. If you can, getting all A’s or close to it freshman and sophomore year will give you a nice boost in your GPA, as well as a cushion that you may have to use later.

Sleep… something to be cherished. I really don’t like those people that have always gone to bed by 10 pm, but mostly out of jealousy. Just to go ahead and throw it out there so as not to deceive you, there will be nights that you may have to stay up into the wee hours of the morning, but they can be kept to a minimum if you don’t procrastinate! I know it’s easier said than done, and you’ll probably end up putting stuff off anyway, but at least I tried to warn you. I know my life would be a lot easier if only I could take my own advice, though it is possible to get a healthy amount of sleep every night, and if not, you’ll quickly learn how to cope with staying up late to finish your work.

Maintaining a social life can really help to keep you sane. Playing sports is an easy to make new friends and force you to get away from your desk and into the sunlight for a few hours a day. I run cross country and all but one of us are in IB, so it was helpful for all of us to have a little break from work, or even cut the practice short because we had a Bio lab and English journal questions due the next day…. Just didn’t tell coach. Through IB I have made so many wonderful friends because your classmates are the only ones that know exactly what you’re going through since we’re all in the same boat.

With all that said, it is possible to have all three for the most part if you can manage your time properly. Although you’ll have your down days, it’s also really helpful to keep a positive attitude the majority of the time. The situation is always the same, no matter how much you stress about it, so try and not let IB suck all your joy, which is where your friends can help you keep things in perspective. You only have four years of high school after all, so enjoy making life-long memories!

Best of luck,

Hannah Fitzhugh

 

When I recall freshman year, the first thing I remember is sitting in Mrs. Patton’s class waiting for the bell to ring every morning. She is the sweetest teacher I have ever had. Freshman year was a cake walk and the only thing I ever worried about was doing biology homework, which really only took an hour. Any freshman that comes to IB is forever marked by the terror of going into Mrs. Kennon’s classroom the first day of class. She is not that strict but it is smart to stay on her good side and to do everything for her on time. The best strategy for any freshman is to start of the year giving 120%. Scheduling things and doing homework in advance (or at least right after school) will help and it will set great work habits for later.

I think the worst pitfall I fell into was the sand pit of disorganization. Once you start the habit of not writing things down and jamming papers into your backpack to get out of class easier, you start sinking fast. This habit screws you up because it breeds laziness into work habits and into other areas where you need preparation. You lose papers quickly and you forget to study for tests in Government and Biology easily. Another aspect of freshman year I missed out on the most was missing my friends’ sports games. I realized just a few days ago how awesome a Bartow Girls Varsity Soccer game at home is. To be more sociable, I joined Key Club. It’s a great club to start out at in high school, but that should not be the only club you join freshman year. I regret not joining more clubs because I ended up just wasting time on the couch at home or sleeping in on Saturday mornings instead of helping out the community or making new/hanging out with friends.

Biology was definitely the hardest class I had. Mrs. Kennon made us study to earn our test grade. Studying for that class paid off and taking time to comprehend the worksheets helped. Copying facts out of your textbook is ridiculously ineffective unless you take the time to read what you wrote. Overall, freshman year was a chill transition to high school. Bartow is a friendly place (most of the time) and I have learned to cherish this place despite the plethora of irritation I get from tests, classes (cough, cough **Spanishh**). If you are still thinking about coming to IB, you should get on the boat. This is a place where friends become as close as family for four years.

Joshua George

 

As you work your way up in IB you’re going to change as a person. Sure, maybe it is IB that changes us a little bit, but the biggest factor has got to be that we are still just growing up. Even though we may be taking college level courses and even hold jobs during high school, we are still only kids, and you should let yourself remember that from time to time. It’s okay to make mistakes. I know that in my freshman year I thought I knew a lot more about life than I did. Sure, I knew a lot objectively speaking, but I look back and I see that I have accomplished and learned so much between then and now. I’ve come a long way in my journey from freshman to IB junior. Maybe, just maybe, reading this might help you a bit along your journey as a student and as a person.

In coming to IB you might have gotten a little bit of a culture shock. You likely have classes with people you’ve never seen in your life and teachers you’ve only heard of from orientation or someone you know who’s in IB. Things are going to change a lot. The workload only gets bigger and the teachers are probably like nothing you’ve ever experienced before. In your freshman year you start of pretty easy, the teachers know you’re just kids and the workload isn’t anything you can’t manage. The biggest thing is just doing the work. Learn what your teachers expect of you and stop trying so hard to overachieve if you’re “that kid”. You’re competing with “the best of the best sir! With honors!” and you just might not be the cream of the crop anymore, better get used to it while you can. Don’t let the stress crush you, this is no big deal and you can do it. Just keep doing what you do, you’re brilliant and that’s why you’re here. Stay on top of things.

One of the biggest aspects of dealing with IB is getting to know yourself and getting to know what you can and cannot do. I’m not going to tell you not to procrastinate, since I do it myself, but I certainly will advise you that it’s a bad idea. There are certain things not to procrastinate on. One of them is the journal questions you get in AP English and one of them is Internal Assessments. These are projects so large that you simply can’t hope to do A+ work on them in a single night. Sure, you may look at that packet of analysis questions on the Scarlet Letter and think you’ve got in the bag but 12 hours later and 4 hours before school starts don’t come crying to me about how it sucks to use quotes as justification and that Google doesn’t have all the answers. Coming to school the day journals are due and knowing that yours are done is one of the best feelings. Maybe you can pull all nighters and succeed, maybe you can work on the bus ride to school, or maybe you can crank out that lab in two hours, but that’s one of the things you have to learn by yourself and you just might have to learn it the hard way. If you’re planning to experiment with how you handle workloads I suggest you do it in sophomore year, they aren’t trying to weed out the quitters anymore, nor are they making you do serious IB work, and they’re a bit more forgiving.

Always remember that the teachers at IB are here to help you. They aren’t going to give you the answers, they aren’t going to take your BS excuses, and they aren’t going to give you credit for doing nothing, but they will most certainly help you. If you have tried your hardest and don’t know what to do then, for the love of God, ASK. Your teachers do have the answers and they do want you to succeed. Pay attention in class, do the work, read the book, and if you have to ask a question then ask a question. You have a brain and you should be using it. You have all the natural talent any kid could ask for and you are in IB to apply yourself, so get to it. The teachers at IB are amazing people who know their stuff, know how to teach, and actually want you to learn it. They are one of your greatest tools in succeeding. Get to know your teachers and get to know that they expect, that’s how you make it to the top. 100% of teachers expect your homework to be done when you get to class, not when they’re coming around to check it. I can guarantee that your history teacher really likes it when you read the book by the time they’ve asked you to. Your science teacher definitely doesn’t like your excuses about unfinished or sub-par work. Not sure about their expectations? I’m sure they’ll explain them if you just ask.

All the drabble I’ve written about finding your way in IB can be condensed into a few main points. Get to know yourself and how you study. Get to know your teachers and what they expect. Learn what you can get away with in prioritizing your work. Don’t let the stress crush you and remember that everyone else is nearly on the same level as you academically here. Above and beyond that, I want you to remember that you are just a kid and that you are an individual. Always listen to what advice people have to give to you but remember that you are your own person and what works for one person may not work for you. You are only a kid. You still have so much to learn about yourself, school, and life in general. Go outside every now and then. Get a hobby or go for a jog. Go see a movie. Throw a party. Make some flippin’ friends, you dweeb. There is so much ahead of you that you can’t imagine. Relationships will come and go (friendships as well as romantic ones even if you don’t think they will). Interests will fade and new ones will take their places. The world is changing and so are you. School is a priority, never forget that, but don’t let the immediate weight of school come into the way of your happiness or what you want to be doing with your life. Make smart decisions. I apologize for the wall of text.

Best of Luck,

Amanda Giggy

 

After four long years of grueling hard work, my time at IB is finally coming to an end. After experiencing the first semester of senior year, I can say that I now have an understanding of each of the four years. Each year successively gets harder, so that, in hindsight, freshman year was not bad at all compared to the workload I’m getting now. Some advice I would give to a freshman would be to learn to time-manage, DON’T procrastinate, and to never give up. Although cliché, these three pieces of advice really do help to motivate you to push forward throughout the course of IB, as it has for me.

Time management has been my most effective tool throughout my high school career. I have a mindset in which I need a strict schedule of when to do assignments and when they should be done, so that I can plan around appropriate free time and help get homework and projects out of the way so that I can relax later in the day. Usually, I will get home from school around 2:30-3:00 pm, and from the time I get home to 4:00, I relax, eat, and watch television so that I can take a break from a busy school day. Following 4:00 pm, I start homework, which usually lasts until about 6:00. After I finish, I can do whatever I want, while other students that procrastinated are scrambling and complaining about getting their homework done in time. After my experience in IB, time management is the tool that I most strongly suggest in helping you get through with the workload.

The concept of procrastination is pretty much the antithesis of time management. So, I would like to stress that you should NEVER procrastinate. I know that piece of advice has been said over and over again but there’s a reason for that. Also, procrastination happens to the best of us. Despite my previous paragraph talking about my time management skills helping me so much, I often procrastinate and my schedule shifts around as a result. Getting stuff done earlier is always better than getting stuff done later. So, the most important thing I can say about procrastination is that you should try to divide up a big project in different days instead of doing it all in the night before the day it’s due. It’s easier said than done, but the rewards are plentiful and a lot of stress would be relieved.

The final piece of advice I can give is probably the most important: never give up. There are going to be a few times throughout the IB course that you’re going to want to give up and go to another school. Don’t do it! Regret is a powerful emotion and one day later in your life you’re going to experience that feeling if you quit the IB program. The fellow students you have at IB become really close to you throughout the years, and by the end of senior year, your entire class will feel like a second family. You may be suffering through IB, but at least you’re not alone! So, good luck freshman!

Jonathan Joseph

 

While thinking back on my experiences in I.B, I have come to the realization that I could have done more information about the I.B. program. If the higher-ups told me more on what I should do then I would have been better prepared to tackle these obstacles confidently. For the next upcoming I.B. student who reads this, I bequeath to you advice that should have been given to me.

First and foremost, a new I.B. student should be notified immediately of the multitude of internal assessments he or she must complete in order to graduate. Those who take the program seriously would be better prepared for what’s coming to them in the future if they were notified about the internal assessments, besides the required Extended Essay. I would also advise upcoming I.B. student to begin their CAS hours once their junior year. The earlier they get it done the better off they will be. Lastly, new I.B. students should set up a manageable schedule so they can deal the hectic, chaotic, stressful life that is I.B. If the new I.B. student is capable enough to manage his or her time well, then the next four years of I.B. will be the best in his or her life.

Now based on the tone of voice I was using in the previous paragraph, I want to inform you, the new I.B. student, that I am not trying to scare you into believing that I.B. is an overbearing program and they should quit before they have started. On the contrary, I am instilling the notion that the I.B. program, though strenuous at times, is an exhilarating experience. If you are able to take my advice and apply it to your daily routine, then you will see that the majority of the stress that comes from I.B. will be lifted from your shoulders before it takes root in your cerebellum.

Kyle Martin

 

As an IB senior, I have experienced the majority of the program. Each year does get harder and so, looking back, freshman and sophomore year were not as difficult as they seemed. The best advice that can be given is to always do the absolute best that you are able to. It is also important to manage your time in order to enjoy the time that you have in the IB program.

I came to IB without knowledge of what a GPA really is. I was always an A student and so I assumed that getting Bs were okay since I was in IB and IB was supposedly ‘harder’. Don’t make this mistake! Your GPA really does matter later on and there is a big difference between receiving an 89 B versus a 90 A. There were many classes in freshman and sophomore year that I could have easily gotten an A in but I decided not to put the extra work in. It really is important to try your best at all that you do in IB. It only gets harder and you’ll wish you had a higher GPA as a great foundation in your senior year as you apply for your dream colleges.

Another essential piece of advice for surviving IB is to learn good time management skills early on. Creating good habits and a schedule will really help you through the next four years. For instance, I record every assignment on its due date and plan out my week based on this to assure that everything will get done in a timely manner. I get home and briefly relax before I get started on homework and finish in time to relax again. Of course, each day does not work out like this, but, for the most part, I am able to sleep at a reasonable time and not be too stressed.

I have really enjoyed my time in IB. I was lucky to become friends with those in grades above me who offered wise advice for surviving IB. It’s really worth sticking through and you will get very close to everyone in your class. As long as you maintain your grades, do your absolute best, and manage your time well, you will be successful in IB. Good luck in all that you do and have enjoy the next four years!

Katelyn Meeks

 

As a freshman, everything is new; new books, new school, new friends, and now a new way of living. As dramatic as that sounds, it is true. You are about to embark on a very long and tiresome journey through the program of high IB. Look around at the kids sitting next to you — I promise that there will be many who decide that IB is not for them. It is okay if IB is not what you want or it’s not for you. But I can promise you that if you stick through, you will be given so many opportunities and benefits. I was one of the predicted students who would not make it through the program, but here I am, a senior, giving you the best advice that I can, as so to help you get through the rough points in high school.

First off, do not let someone’s opinion of you prevent you from getting your crap done. If they tell you that you are dumb or you cannot do it, then that should be even more incentive to prove them wrong. You got in to the program. Show them why you were chosen! You will have plenty of other things to worry about, so choose your battles wisely. If I had been told that, perhaps I would have avoided many dramatic fights.

You’ll hear not to procrastinate. You really should avoid this nasty habit. But it is understandable if you do end up procrastinating. STRANGE TO HEAR THAT. I know. It is possible to start on the Math Portfolios or your English Orals the day before they are due, but keep in mind, everything you do reflects you, and in the end, the work gets added up for some points (This will make sense in a few years. Trust me). If you procrastinate, you take precious time away from 1) sleeping 2) reviewing and editing. Those do not sound like a necessity. They are, though, because if you skip editing and reviewing, you’ll miss STUPID mistakes and you’ll just sound dumb. You do not want the IBO to think that you are dumb. And sleep is important because… Really? Do I have to go over that? No. Be smart. Get sleep and don’t put things off. If you want the extra stress to work against the clock, then by all means. Procrastinate.

Ladies and Gentlemen- Mrs. Cavanaugh (the guidance counselor before Ms. Craven) had read us some tips from the seniors when I was a freshman. I laughed at one tip. I thought that they were being facetious. Nope. They were serious. And now I am telling you the same: Do NOT date everyone in your class, the class ahead of you, and the class behind you. It’s not good. You can be plenty smart and attractive, but your reputation always gets the best of you. Books before boys! (Or for you guys… come up with something similar). Focus on academics. Come senior year, you’ll want to be offered tons of scholarships because of how many AP classes you passed, not how many relationships you were in.

Finally, the types of relationships you should keep healthy are your friends. They will truly understand you and the stress because they will be fighting through to get to the final goal. When you have a rough day, a laugh or a school free time will be your remedy. Studying is imperative. But to survive, you need to have fun. This does not mean go out and party every night. Hanging out with a group of friends, IB or not, will take some of the pressure of school off your shoulders (HINT: Some of the cheapest get-togethers can make the best memories).

Those are only some of the advice I can give to you. There are so many more, but if you can get the ones I presented to you, you’ll be fine. You just need strive, time, and friendships to get through the program. If you really want to make it, you will do everything that you can to get it done. Do what you gotta do to get what you want. Good luck!

Cayla Newman

 

For upcoming freshmen, I can only say one thing: be prepared! When you enter high school and start your classes, you need to hit the ground running and don’t need to stop working until you walk across the graduation stage. I remember when I first entered high school, all I worried about was making new friends and hanging out with the right people and my grades suffered from it. I know most students don’t pay much attention to grades, but they are extremely important to your future. Grades are a major factor in many colleges’ decisions to accept you or decline your application. I learned from my mistakes quickly enough to save my grades, but some kids really mess up their GPAs in their first year of high school.

Grades aren’t the only dangers in high school. There are several other factors that high schoolers need to complete in order to draw colleges’ attention towards them. First, service hours! Helping the community really looks good on a college application. Picking up trash, helping at a soup kitchen, or working at your local Salvation Army are all good ways to acquire service hours. Also, I know you think you’re too busy to do anything after school, but I’m telling you extra-curricular activities, such as chess, band, and Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA), are very important for a college application and they are really fun to be a part of.

I now want to address the actual classes at our IB school. Junior year is where the teachers really start buckling down on students because by the time junior year rolls around, you will be taking at least 5 AP classes and at least one IB class. AP Biology can be difficult because of the vast material that needs to be covered, but it’s manageable. AP Calculus AB can be a tricky subject, but Ms. Frisbie does an excellent job explaining it. Mr. Goss is a really fun teacher for AP American History but just trust me, if you don’t like baseball then you better learn, because that is his life.

Hunter Ponder

 

Dear who/whomever it/this may concern,

The secrets to your success and what would “behoove” you to know are right here. I’ve done all this… ok enough of me sounding wise and what not. Here are just a few basic tips on how to do well-ish not only in pre-calculus but in IB generally.

Don’t procrastinate, you hear this quite often so I won’t expand upon it. If you want a high GPA for what not just for fun, don’t select a (sounds bad but) 4.0 elective. Choose AP classes or at least honors classes. I chose a 4.0 elective and wow, big mistake. Learn your trig values and radian conversions and what not. They come in handy not only in Calculus class but also the SAT and subject tests which you will surely come to know really well if not already. Make the calculator your… buddy. There will be lots of times when  knowing exactly what your calculator can do will help. Conic sections? Your calculator can totally analyze the… crazy our of conics. Want a vertical line so that you can form an intersection and be able to hit (menu 6, 4) find intersection? You can totally do that with (menu 3, 2, 1, 2) graphing a vertical line. Make friends, they love you, you probably love them and the whole shebang. Don’t take life too seriously, or classes too seriously. You won’t get the big picture. Sometimes it’s best to just step back, take a deep breath, and tackle the problem later. It’s never too early to do anything, unless that thing is sleep. You’ll be craving for sleep so sleep when you can. Make the calculator your… person whom you are really close to. Always check that your calculator is in the right mode. Always have something to do, whether it be Netflix on your phone, texting, bike racing, books, family guy, or perhaps even homework; something to do beats nothing to do. There will be days when about half your teachers will be gone and all the subs don’t know what to do and the work the teachers leave only occupies you for a total of 5 minutes. Don’t just stare off into space, at least sleep or something. Make Microsoft word/excel/mathtype also your… friends. Remember that ALL strippers take cash. This is not only important in (pre) calculus class but also on most standardized tests. When there’s extra credit, do it. Unless you have like a 105 in a class. Then you’re just over achieving, but hey, that’s not bad, is it? Don’t forget to turn in your late homework passes at the end of the semester to Ms. Frisbie, that’s money in the bank right there. If you actually made it to here and read all the way through then 1.) you’re crazy 2.) you won’t have much trouble fitting in, after all, we’re all crazy 3.) you’re probably gonna do well here, so have fun and remember this is high school!

Sincerely, and completely honest and well wishing,

Youlei Li

1. S. Don’t be pessimistic, it’s not good for you nor for people around you, optimism is the way to go. #optimismftw

 

Dear new students,

After four years of IB I have learned about dealing with assignments, grades, and stress. When I was coming into high school I was convinced that I would not be able to finish IB because I thought it would be entirely too difficult and completely impossible to do unless you are a genius. Well, sitting here as a senior, I can say I was wrong. You can do it, too. Don’t worry about the horror stories you are hearing from people trying to convince you otherwise.

At times it will be difficult and you will wish it is over, but I think in the long run it is worth it. So stay positive and think of it as a wonderful opportunity to learn. Some advice that may help your high school journey be a little less painful is don’t procrastinate. Staying organized and ahead means more sleep and a happier, less stressed you. Also, work hard now and it will help your GPA later. It matter when you start looking at colleges and filling out applications. And, the main thing I can say is know you can do it. It really is not horrible, and is very possible. You will still have a life even if you choose to work hard in school.

So, with this advice, I hope you enjoy high school. It really can be a lot of fun. Live in the moment and don’t rush it because it goes by super fast. I feel like I was just in your shoes yesterday. You will be fine and you can do the work while maintaining sanity. You wouldn’t be here if you couldn’t. Good luck! I hope you have a wonderful four years at BHS. Go Yellow Jackets.

Your friend,

Danielle Yost

 

Dear Incoming Freshman,

Welcome to high school! It seems like just yesterday I was in your position. Make sure you enjoy your time as a high schooler, because it truly does fly by. The most important piece of advice I can give you is this: Try to have an equal balance of work and fun. High school is a time in your life where you are given more freedom, and you still don’t have to hassle with responsibilities which will come later on in life.

I would highly suggest joining an extracurricular activity. Through baseball, I am able to have a separate group of friends from IB, feel pride in my school, and have a source of relaxation. However, an extracurricular activity will take a lot of time and effort. So, I would make sure that I was prepared before joining a club or team. However, I have found baseball keeps me so busy during the season that I can’t help but have good time management.

However, academics is without a doubt the most important part of the high school  experience. it is very important to get all of your work done to the best of your ability. For the majority of students, academics get you into a college and they should not be taken lightly. It is important to live a balanced lifestyle, but academics should without a doubt take precedence. If done the right way, high school can be some of the best years of your life.

Joey Starling

 

Dear freshman,

I know you are already thinking whether going into IB was a mistake or not.  It’s definitely not a mistake.  I’m not going to lie, at times you are going to hate being in IB, but I promise you that it will be well worth it in the end.  To make those times much less frequent you should take my advice.  First, don’t’ think about everything that is due and coming up all at once. It will overwhelm you.  If you take what you know will be due and make a plan for how to tackle it, you won’t feel as stressed. Make sure that you do not procrastinate.  I’m sure you’ve heard that from everyone, but if you can try not to procrastinate with at least large projects it won’t be so bad.  You also need to make sure you have time for something fun!  The only reason I think I was able to finish this program was by giving myself time to wind down.

I know that you are only a freshman, but if you can remember this your life will be so much better later on.  The summer before your senior year you need to make sure you do your extended essay!  If you can do that a lot of stress will be eliminated.  Also you need to make sure you make a plan for how you will apply for colleges and scholarships.  When you are making this plan, make sure you use all of the emails and information from Mrs. Craven because it truly is helpful.  As long as you make a plan you will be able to stay ahead of things.

Some have asked me what class is the worst, and I know you don’t want to hear it but all of them are (except research). For each of your history classes if you don’t read you won’t do well on the tests.  For English don’t fight with the teachers and just accept what they say even if their interpretations sound like crap.  In your foreign language try not to just study for the test, actually try to learn it because if you do, you will succeed.  Don’t just use TOK as a homework class, try and listen and think about things in a different way because I believe it is helpful to look at things from another point of view.  In your math classes make sure you review before the tests and you will be sure to do well.

My last little piece of advice is to not give up.  It’s going to get hard, you are going to hate it but when you’re done you’ll come out feeling so accomplished and ready to do it all over again.  I would go through IB all over again, I loved it, and I hope you feel the same.  I wish you the best of luck and hope no matter what whether you decide to stay or leave the program that you are prosperous.

IB Senior,

Bree Lawhead

 

As a freshman, it is more important than you may think to keep your grades up. Making Bs freshman and sophomore year is my biggest regret when it comes to academics because the first and second year classes are the easiest classes you will have and are also weighted differently. The 3.5 weight from a B in an honors course will hurt your GPA later and make you have to work really hard in the 5.0 weighted classes so that your GPA can be above a 4.0 weighted. Something I didn’t understand as a freshman is that your 1st and 2nd quarter grades are averaged for your semester grade (3rd and 4th are the same). So if you get a high B first quarter, don’t give up. You can get the low A needed to have the 89.5 that rounds up to a semester A!

I also suggest joining a sport or getting really involved in a club your freshman year. Don’t be afraid to try out for sports just because you are a freshman and be open to trying new ones, such as cross-country! Key Club and FBLA are good clubs in which you can eventually have a leadership position, which is helpful for college applications. Plus they seem really fun.

Take elective courses that you will enjoy. With so many academic classes it would be nice to have a relaxing elective. I took two extra IB certificate courses for my electives and although I am happy that I learned a lot in these courses, the added pressure of extra tests and assignments isn’t always pleasant.

Be realistic while still remaining ambitious. Make time for things outside of school as they will provide a much-needed break from your classes. Try to stay on top of schoolwork and get involved in the school and you will be sure to have a good experience in IB.

Julie Van Hart

 

As a freshman, IB already seemed impossibly difficult, but it only gets harder. I recommend really taking advantage of the easier classes and getting high A’s, because as a senior it can be struggle to even get B’s. Also, I wish I would not have committed to IB art. It really narrows your possibilities because you have to take it for at least two years (I took it for four years) and I would rather have left that space open for maybe another AP class.

Procrastination would seem like a personal time-management problem, but as the classes got more rigorous, sometimes you will not have a choice. Eventually I got used to all the cramming and late nights, and now I have become a more efficient procrastinator.

In my opinion, the classes that are most important overall are the ones which carry over to the next year, such as math and science. Biology is an especially difficult class, but my grade reflected my success on the AP exam. History has been less important in the scheme of things; the knowledge is not really necessary for doing well in class the following year.

Maggie Younginer

 

Dear freshmen,

As you embark on your journey through IB, remember that school is something you should take seriously even when you don’t feel like doing the assignments, because eventually your work will pay off in one form or another. Make sure to do your best freshman and sophomore year and make those A’s while you can because it just gets harder as you progress through the program.

Another thing to remember is not to procrastinate. I procrastinate a lot, but in hindsight procrastination has never helped or made things easier, it just makes your grade suffer and makes you tired and bitter toward IB when you are trying to finish that assignment that was given to you a week ago the night before. Especially do not procrastinate on reading the stuff Shuff assigns or writing up your design labs.

One of the most important things you should remember is to get out of the house and live a little. You shouldn’t let school rule your life, you need to seek to be well rounded. Make sure to go do something fun with friends when you can or do something that relaxes you. Although grades are important your life is about more than just a report card, also an A is an A, don’t complain about having a 90 or 91 when you would rather have 100, because guess what? Someone who’s listening to your complaints would love to have a 90, especially if it’s in a class that’s not their best.

Don’t be arrogant, don’t be a cheater, and don’t be a quitter. You’ll make it thorough IB, it won’t be sunshine and rainbows all the way, but it will pay off.

Katherine Anthony

 

Dear Future IB Student,

As a senior who is practically done with the IB program, I feel that I’ve learned many lessons, not just academic ones, over the course of the past four years. Some of these lessons would have been very helpful upon beginning IB, so I’m going to tell you what I’ve found to be helpful, and to be avoided, at least by my experiences. There are three main things at I consider necessary qualities or behaviors in an IB student, at least if he or she wants to be successful. These characteristics are not being a procrastinator, understanding the sacrifices necessary, and balancing school and other aspects of one’s life. I realize these qualities or behaviors may sound very serious and a bit intimidating, but I’m sure they aren’t messages you haven’t heard before. Now I’ll explain about each of them, and why they’re not so scary!

First, let’s debunk the most cliché message. It’s been said that in IB, you’re given three options: sleep, good grades, or a social life. You can pick two, at the expense of one. Most people pick sleep and a social life, or a social life and good grades (notice the common factor a social life, because I’m going to come back to it later). Now let’s continue… Eventually, people try to have all three, which is actually possible. However, many go about trying to achieve all of them simultaneously, without a change in behavior from when they were maintaining two of the three options. Don’t do that! You can always choose to make that kind of sacrifice, which many people do, so that they don’t have to change their behavior, but its costs are much greater over time. Achieving sleep, good grades, and a social life simply requires some changes in behavior, which brings me to my next point.

I’m going to throw another clichéd message at you, but this one actually has value: DO NOT PROCRASTINATE. I repeat, do not procrastinate, because if you do, you can’t have all three options we discussed earlier, and I know you want those. Procrastinating is the bane of an IB student. If you procrastinate on something, especially large assignments, studying for tests, or IB requirements, you will not get sleep the night before due dates, you will not receive the best possible grade you are capable of, and your social life will suffer, either because your parents get angry at your poor school performance and irresponsibility, or because you have to spend your weekend frantically completing assignments you could’ve done over the course of a couple weeks, or even a month. I know that procrastination is a hard habit to break, but if you start early, like freshman year, then by the time junior year rolls around, with the heavier workload, IB requirements, and college planning, you’ll be better prepared and less prone to putting things off. If you can master control over this vice, then you can move on to my final point.

As I mentioned before, life in IB is broken down into three main components. Overcoming the influence of procrastination will help you to better balance these components, so that you get a more fulfilling experience from your high school years. Firstly, an adequate amount of sleep is necessary for you to remain healthy, period. A lot of us in IB like to say we’ve mastered the art of functioning with extreme sleep deprivation, but the truth is that lack of sleep causes us to function less than our best, especially as we go longer without sleep. Therefore, no matter no unnecessary sleep seems, especially in the face of getting good grades or talking and hanging out with friends, you should always try to go to bed at a decent hour. Getting your 8 hours is a lot easier if you don’t procrastinate. I know people who don’t start their homework until 8 or 9 at night, and, as you can guess, they are up until the early hours of the morning working frantically, sometimes inadvertently falling asleep with their work undone. If you start working when you get home from school, or even before 5, you’re much more likely to go to bed at a decent hour, along with having time to relax after. Mind you, that’s undistracted working, which means no texting, watching TV, or being on Facebook. Another part of not procrastinating is getting work done on weekends. If you get your first A and B day work done on the weekend, then you can do the new homework you receive the same day you receive it, which seriously makes the school week much easier. Weekends are also a good time to work on long projects, like EEs or ToK essays. If you can successfully balance sleep and school, then having a social life is no problem. I know that some people might eschew a social life because they desire good grades, but socializing is equally as necessary as sleep. It’s scientifically proven to be necessary for proper integration into society, and the respite it offers from the monotonous challenge of school can help prevent a burnout. Because of this, I encourage you to make time for doing something you enjoy, whether it be a casual game of basketball with the guys or dinner with your girlfriends on the weekend. Even if you only do this sort of thing a couple times a month, it’ll make you a happier, more balanced person. These are just a few of the things I’ve learned through my years in IB, and I think that if I had known them or understood them better when I first began IB, things may have gone a bit more smoothly. But as a freshman, you have the opportunity to avoid mistakes I made, so that you can make your own experience the best it could possibly be.

Good luck,

Gabby DiLullo

 

Hello Pre-IB freshman, welcome to the most challenging but also the highest level of high school education offered in illustrious Polk County (note: correct pronunciation is “Poke County”). Like most students that enter the IB program at BHS you probably already know a little or have heard the stories of just how horrible IB can be. I am here to tell you that at some point in your IB career you will come to find out that those stories were actually true. Most students that become part of the IB program at BHS will at some point ask themselves, “Why the **** did I go to IB?” Don’t worry, doing so is merely human. While so far this description may seem not so appealing, all is not lost; the positives things that you will find in IB from the amazing teachers to your fellow peers far outweigh the negative.

Starting with the negative side of IB, do not plan on being able to do anything else other than your schoolwork and extracurricular activities directly related to your school life. Simply because of the amount of coursework and the mandatory amount of studying that has to be done if you hope to maintain that “Oh so important GPA”, doing things outside of school is not the best decision. Having priorities, or more so obligations, outside of school even in normal high school let alone in IB can definitely cause problems with one’s academic career. I unfortunately have experienced this since the tenth grade when I needed to get a job. Personally speaking, I feel that having an obligation like having a job has negatively affected my ability to do my best in school. With the main reason being that having a set schedule in IB is so important and when you have obligations that take up so much time it can be quite difficult to hold together any type of schedule. So my advice, if you are a person that wants to do things outside of school like competitively play sports, have a job, etc. would be to really buckle down early while you are still a freshman and create a sense of mind inside yourself as to keep your real priorities straight. A short list of a few other important negatives you will find in IB are: lack of sleep, lack of sleep, lack of sleep, lack of sleep, lack of sleep, lack of sleep, lack of sleep, lack of sleep, lack of sleep, lack of sleep, lack of sleep, and I think you get the idea.

While the last part of the second paragraph may not seem too appetizing, the following description of the positives of IB will likely make you feel better about the whole ordeal. Starting with the teachers, they are by far the best and most influential teachers that you will ever have in your life. Although you may not have this point of view at first because of certain things, like a freshman Kennon test blowing your mind, or a Shuff test (soon understand you will young grasshopper :D), the things that the teachers of IB do are for a reason. Later, most likely in your first year of college, all will become clear as you breeze through your classes with ease. While your college classmates sweat it over having to write a 1,500 word essay, you’ll think back to IB and just laugh. Now, likely the best part of the whole IB experience, I am going to talk about the people. At least in my class of 2013 we are close knit group. While it may seem a bit cheesy to say that your IB class will become like a second family, the reality is that it’s the truth. Had you gone to another high school you would have likely been an oddball or cast off as a nerd, but in IB everyone is a nerd even if they don’t appear to be one from an outward appearance. Another factor that I feel plays a big role for me in choosing to stay in the IB program is the affect that it has on the college experience, I quickly touched on this before. If you, and yes I mean you, choose to stay in the IB program I have no doubt in my mind that you will see a difference when you get into college/university. Once you get to be a junior/senior in IB, other students as well as yourself may start to talk about whether or not IB is really worth it (brought up in T.O.K. quite often, ← fun times there), but really everyone discussing the question already knows that answer. That answer is yes.

Overall I feel that my IB experience has been a positive thing, molding me into the person that I am today. Even though you may not notice it at first, IB can change your life in many difference ways. For example, in World Religions we had a speaker come in a talk to us about his religion of Jainism, his beliefs, and outlook on the world. What I heard in the classroom that day actually changed my outlook on the world. So to sum it up, although IB can often be rough around the edges at the center of it you will find amazing teachers, people just like yourself, and an experience that will shape you for the rest of your life.

Kyle Goodwin

 

Hello freshman. This will be an interesting journey for you. You start freshman year all excited and not too lazy. By senior year, all that will change. I promise you. One of the best advice I can give you is to make close friends with everybody. And find a best friend who you can go to for support and encouragement. Don’t be lazy. So freshman year is pretty easy. It will seem incredibly hard as you make the transition from middle school to IB, but trust me, once you get on your grind, things will fly by. The hardest class freshman year will be biology with Kennon for you. Just try to stay on top of things with work.

As you finish freshman year, you will see that IB is like a family. You will start developing bonds with people. Get to know everyone and be active. Play sports and join lots of clubs. It’ll look good for college. And as long as you manage your time well, you will be good. You should not be pulling all nighters freshman year. Maybe one sophomore year. A lot more junior year. And a couple senior year. Don’t be scared. You got this.

Now sophomore and freshman year you have your set classes and a couple electives. If you want a high gpa go for the ap classes. If you want to not die take a couple easy honors classes. In junior year, you’ll have to decide a science to concentrate in. It’ll be either chemistry, biology, or physics. Do not take chemistry. My friends in chemistry can spend hours just ranting about how terrible the teacher is and how she can’t teach and does not know anything. If you take chemistry, you will die. Do it if that’s your dream. Biology is excruciatingly difficult. I took it. I kind of regret it. If you want good grades and an easy class, take physics. The teacher is not good. But it’s tradeoffs. Kennon is a good teacher. Out of all three sciences teachers, she is the best teacher. So yea. IB is hard. But you do you. Go hard. Good luck.

Eugene Kim

 

To someone starting as a freshman, I would say enjoy freshman year. It was my most favorite one, because the years went by, they became more serious and things in life start mattering more. On a side note, stop complaining. It just focuses you on the problem, which is usually how much homework you have, and does nothing to actually solve it.

I think procrastination is a student’s worst enemy. There are those who don’t face this problem, and there are others who have to fight the urge to procrastinate every day. The best thing to do to avoid procrastination is to think of how you’ll feel when everything is done and just get to work. Start using cost-benefit analysis on what you do throughout the day. Do you really need to watch that YouTube video? Wouldn’t it be better to start reading history? You should do that.

I guess a pitfall to avoid for high school in general is to stop comparing yourself with others because no one really cares, in a good way. I think high school is when you find out that you don’t need approval from anyone, just yourself. You’re gonna do a lot of growing up in high school and end up changing in one way or another. The most important thing to remember is to have fun through these 4 years.

Thazin Latt

 

Welcome to the best and worst years of your life. The bittersweet memories of the IB program will be forever branded into your persona – the rigorous and exhaustive curriculum will meld together with the many wonderful reminiscences of close and long-lasting friends. Creating an overall overwhelming presence, the battle between your resolve and IB’s demands can easily be turned with a few simple strategies. The use of such strategies can make or break it for many students – in respect to grades, mental capacity, or simple social pleasures.

I won’t waste my time preaching to you about not procrastinating – I know you and majority of your class will do so – but rather let’s discuss smart procrastination. Be sure to have a backup plan for the backup plan of your backup plan, no joke. Things happen every day in high school that are out of your bubble of control, in order to have your bubble not abruptly pop at the first hint of pressure be an efficient and plan-powered procrastinator.

Another one of the most important keys to success in the IB program is to remember to spend time relaxing and simply enjoying the company of your fellow classmates. In my class, it was almost an unspoken rule that, unless a dire emergency arose, lunch was lunch. We sat, we ate, we talked amongst ourselves and our relationships grew this way into the healthy and amazing friendships we all have today. If all your time spent with a person is studying, discussing school, and doing work then that person will began to be associated with these tasks and you will be missing out on a wonderful community that resides in every IB class. So kickback and chillax every once in a while.

With love and rainbows and shit,

Kalil Lamont

 

Incoming IB freshman:

We have never met before, and I do not know if we ever will.  Although this may be true, I know who you are.  You are a hard-working individual, and that is evident because you are here today.  I cannot foresee your decision to remain enrolled in the International Baccalaureate or not, but I do know that you have the potential, the attitude, the ability to succeed in finishing this hard-hitting and demanding crucible.

Keep in mind that what you are about to face these next four years are going to be total hell, with each year rising in difficulty. You will be forced make sacrifices—from sleep to social events—and it is absolutely paramount that you do so, to attain and keep the grades you desire.  The IB is not a joke, and you will soon come to realize this notorious fact.  In the end, though, you will be able to say to yourself that you did it.  You completed one of the toughest curriculums ever spawned.  Take pride in that when you have reached it, and do not let anybody’s condescension of your work and persistence get in the way of achieving your goals.

As I have said before, I do not know you, so it may appear informal for me to ask something of you this soon.  I ask you, nay, I implore you, I beseech you to not procrastinate, to not slack off, and to not overestimate anything.  It will, and I promise you this, catch up to you in the end, when you are applying for colleges and beginning to move on in life.  There will be times when you think that what you are doing is incredibly ridiculous, i.e. staying up until two in the morning every night, studying for semester exams, but think about what is important to you.  What are your priorities?  You will have the rest of your young life to sleep in, so put in the work now so that it will pay off, later.

I will leave you with that.  Good luck, freshman, and congratulations for being accepted into the International Baccalaureate.

Sincerely,

Brandon McFarlane

 

Dear Incoming Freshmen,

Oh my goodness! I cannot believe I am finally here… Senior year. It has been a journey. I remember coming into ninth grade expecting to gain all A’s… every year. I thought nothing could be “too hard” for me. I was invincible! But, oh, how wrong I was.

Although coming in with confidence helps you, you also must come in with humility. The confidence will help carry you through the trying times. For example. When the smartest kid in your class questions your answer in Algebra, your confidence can help you support your answer and possibly prove that you are right. In addition, your humility could help you through trying times, as well. For instance, if you receive a test back from a teacher and notice the given grade was lower than expected, then you can allow your humility to take control. By using humility you will let go of your ego and accept that your present and future years in I.B. will not be easy. However, you must accept the failure, but use it as your momentum. You MUST push yourself past the difficult classes, long nights of homework, and sleepless nights in order to be a successful student.

Therefore, all of the three previously explained qualities will help you to survive the terrifying monster, I.B. Come in with confidence, endure with humility, and leave with intense drive that pushes you to be a person known for their success.

~Sincerely,

Nneka Ofuani

P.S. i’m finally done… YESSSSS! *starts doing the cabbage patch*

 

Hey there,

Before I leave these high school hallways in May, I wanted to give you a few wise words about your next four years. As an upcoming freshman, you must be feeling a mixture of excitement and anxiousness. I’ll admit it, I was absolutely terrified my first day of high school, especially since I didn’t know a single person in IB. Transitioning from middle school to high school can be tough; let’s face it, it means a much larger campus, unfamiliar faces, and new teachers. However, change is not always a bad thing. Make the best of your time here.

It is important to remember that grades DO matter. When I was a freshman, I didn’t try my hardest. I still did exceptionally well in comparison to others, but now that I look back, I realize that I could have done better. It’s a good idea to start high school with a high GPA because it’s easier to maintain a good GPA than to try to raise a bad one. You might feel overwhelmed by large amounts of homework that you might not be used to in middle school. The most valuable advice I can give you is to NOT procrastinate. No matter how many times I tell you not to do it, I know at some point you will still get trapped into the pitfall that is procrastination (let’s face it, it happens to everyone). But remember that putting off your work until the last minute have negative consequences. You lose necessary sleep, write those 3 am essays that aren’t worth reading, and add more stress to your day. To avoid this, learn how to manage your time and do your work as soon as you can.

Although homework is important, you should have an outlet to escape from school. I engaged in several community service and career orientated clubs, and I enjoyed it. We may not share the same the interests, but find something you’re passionate about and stick to it. My problem was that I took on too much at one time. There are days with lunch meetings, after school meetings, and pages of biology homework, and there are not enough hours in a day to tackle everything on your to-do list. Recognize that you are only human, and you will eventually burn out from all the work and extra activities. Learn how to prioritize! With all of that said, good luck with your first year.

Best Wishes,

Elaine Rivera

 

Dear underclassmen,

Even though I am a senior of International Baccalaureate, I do not think I am qualified to give you some advice on how to make freshman year more successful, just for the fact that each student works differently. However, I can still tell you one way to have an amazing freshman year—my way (for the record, this is not the only way, or the best way). As a senior, I regret not joining more clubs during freshman year. I think joining clubs and sports is a great way to meet new people (as cliché as that sounds, it is true) and it looks great on college applications. I would recommend volunteering as much as you can, get as many hours as possible. Clubs and volunteering are a great distraction from academic work, and trust me, you will need a break. Take your classes seriously during freshman year; it really has a great effect on your GPA and ranking.                 Do not let the work and the teachers intimidate you. That is what they want. They want to know who has the work ethic to stay in the program. For me, freshman year was the worst, so stick through it.

During your four years in the International Baccalaureate program, you will experience many pitfalls, there is just no way to avoid them, but there are different ways to handle it. Everybody tells you not to procrastinate, but let’s face it; it is not going to happen. You just have to be smart about how to procrastinate. Do not procrastinate on your internal assessments or projects. Do not get used to having all-nighters, it is not healthy, once in a while is nice, it gives you some kind of thrill.  Do not be afraid to ask questions. If you knew everything, then you would not need to be at school, now would you? Take advantage of your schedule. TOK is a great class to get ahead on your homework or projects. Do not be afraid to make new friendships. They will help you along with the long journey, and will understand what you are going through. Do not be afraid to challenge yourself and take risks.

My journey at the International Baccalaureate is coming to an end this year, and I still do not know whether I would do it all over again. The work is hard and overbearing, but the things you learn and the people you meet are incredible.  I have learned so much about myself, including my strengths and weakness, and I have been able to succeed and do things I would have never thought I could do with the IB program. I think it is great that schools offer such an amazing program for us nerds. You should feel honored to be part of it. Many are called but few are chosen, and you were one of the few. Whether that is a bad thing or a good thing, that is for you to figure out. I wanted to drop out, take a few classes at Polk State College, and be done, but I can honestly say that I am glad I did not.

Ruby Arvizu

 

Dear Freshman,

The first few weeks of high school, I was terrified. I wasn’t used to being on such a large campus, constantly surrounded by such a large number of strangers (I knew exactly three other people in my class), and waking up at 5 a.m. wasn’t so great either. I’m here to tell you that I’m still alive, that you’re going to be alright, and you too can survive the four years of insanity known as the IB program!

In your freshman year, be sure to make friends with your classmates and establish good relationships with your teachers. These people will be around for the next four years and they can really help you get through some tough times. Also, don’t complain about freshman year. Trust me, it’s so easy and the fastest way to annoy teachers and upperclassmen is by complaining. It’s really just the beginning! Enjoy the simplicity of freshman year, don’t take things too seriously but establish good study habits, etc.

By all means, enjoy your sophomore year. You have an extra elective — use this opportunity to take something fun or try something new! I mean, if you absolutely love history then take European history or if you really want to take anatomy then do so, but if this is not the case, why be miserable and do lots of homework when you could enjoy yourself in your last year of Pre-IB? I took judo in sophomore year (I’ve been competing in judo since 8th grade) and it was a really great experience — I got to make new friends, do something that I enjoyed, and the homework was minimal.

I won’t lie, things start getting ugly in junior year. It’s no longer enough to just memorize the facts — you have to understand them, and you can’t get by on a minimal amount of analysis. Your most difficult class will depend on what you are and aren’t good at — history was by far the hardest class for me. Many people realize this and drop out before the beginning or in the middle of junior year. I don’t think anyone can go through IB without having at least one moment where they seriously consider dropping out. I hope you won’t have to contemplate dropping out too much, but if you think you might want to, make sure it’s for the right reason. A lot of people in my class dropped out because of laziness even though they were really smart and had potential. Don’t be one of those people.

For me as well as others, procrastination reached its peak in senior year (in fact, I’m procrastinating on some history essays by writing this letter). Don’t fool yourself into thinking that you’ll never procrastinate. It’s going to happen at some point even if you make an effort to work ahead — things just get that crazy. The best thing you can do is practice good time management, try to get some sleep each night, and just take one day at a time. Oh, and the earlier you get your college applications in, the less stressed you will be.

Just remember, the overall goal of high school is to get your high school diploma and possibly your IB diploma. IB is not the only thing that matters in life — try to learn as much outside of the classroom as you do inside. Work hard, take each day as it comes, have a good sense of humor, and just chill out in a while — and you’ll be alright.

Best wishes on your next four years,

Miranda Schwabe

 

Dear IB Freshie,

IB is hard. I am not saying that to be cliché or to scare you, but IB is hard. I know when I heard that I thought, “I am Jackie Caron, it won’t be hard for me.” I was wrong it is hard. I think it’s important to realize, that you aren’t in middle school anymore. IB requires you to study and do homework. I think it’s important to start IB with the mindset that you can do it. Don’t start saying, “Oh, I am not really sure I can do this.” You can do it if you put your mind to it. I also think it’s important to make sure you want to do this. If you parents make you do this, I am not sure how successful you will be. If you don’t want to be here, it will be very hard to find the motivation to do the work. As a freshman, you should make friends in IB. If you don’t have friends at IB, it will be hard to survive. It’s nice to have friends that go through the same things you go through on a daily basis, Friends that can encourage you and understand you. I think it’s also important for your class to not make cliques. IB is supposed to be like a family, it is much easier to make it through IB if you don’t feel like you are doing it alone.

I think every IB kid has one pitfall, procrastination. No matter how many times I tell you not to procrastinate, you will still do it. WHEN YOU ARE A JUNIOR, DO YOUR JOURNAL QUESTIONS THE DAY YOU GET THEM, NO IF ANDS OR BUTS. I did them the night before they were due and it was torture, so please do them when you get them. That’s the only thing you can’t procrastinate. In history classes, READ THE BOOK. If you want to pass Shuff’s class and you want to get a good grade in Goss’ class, swallow your pride and just read the book. When you get to junior year, you take about five-six AP classes. It’s really easy to just settle for a B because you don’t think you can do any better. You can do better and you should try, really try to do better. Everyone just becomes complacent with their grades because they don’t think they can do any better than they did the first quarter, but they can. So just keep trying and don’t give up.

I am really terrible at history, I just don’t like it and I don’t get it. So that’s what deserved the most studying for me. I am also not great at Spanish. I have gotten better, but I am still not good at it. So history and Spanish deserved the most studying for me. I don’t want you to think I only study for history and Spanish, I study for everything, but the subjects I spend the most time on are history and Spanish. You just need to find your strengths and weaknesses and then allot your time from there.

YOU CAN DO THIS. You will do this. You can make it to the end. Don’t give up. Don’t let anyone convince you that you cannot do this.

Good luck,

Jacqueline Caron

 

Dear Freshie,

Yes that’s right, I called you freshie. It’s a term that the upperclassmen, basically anyone that is a grade or more above you, like to call the 9th graders. Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it, mostly because it makes sense when we don’t know your name. “Why are you acting like a complete evil man?” you ask. Well, because I’ve seen things… in IB. And that is why I am here to help you get through the 9th grade year quick and smooth so that the other freshmen will be jelly.

So remember at the congrats-you’re-in-IB meeting and some of the volunteers said, “Don’t procrastinate”? If you do, well good job. If not, DON’T PROCRASTINATE. Procrastinating, from what I have done, is a serious major disadvantage in IB and can really screw with you in junior year. Freshman year and sophomore year are the best opportunities to get rid of that. Do you know what the biggest source of procrastination is? The Internet. No not Wikipedia; not Yahoo! Answers, but Facebook. Facebook will make you completely distracted with the pictures of people who take a photo of themselves with a mirror, people who became single, IB Memes, whatever. Turn off Facebook when you do your homework. Sure you might say in a whiney tone, “Oh, but this homework assignment isn’t due until next week.” But suck it up; you’ll be so glad that you did it earlier than doing it late at night jotting half answers as quickly as possible. Of course, I procrastinate a ton, but I can’t get rid of my disease, it’s too late for me. That is why it is my mission to save you from it.

Next is the romance in IB. Just kidding it only happens to about 10 of you guys. The other 60 or so are probably going to be dating some other person in another school. Anyways the real next tip: the other students. I cannot express how important it is for you to be acquainted with the others. Sure you might associate with other people than the others, but it’s good if you know them to a certain degree, but not stalking them to their house. In my class, that didn’t go so well. Everyone was in different groups, everyone had a burning passion to hate someone else, and so on. However, in junior year I noticed that everyone started to get along better; probably because we’re all emotionally unstable due to the work load. Seriously though, we all get along well now and can tolerate each other because in junior year, you’re probably going to need all of you to get through IB in the end.

A last tip before I go study for my calculus exam (see, I’m procrastinating when I should’ve done this earlier and I’m going to pay for it dearly tomorrow): the teachers. Ms. Kennon is a nice lady, yet strict. Take her work seriously and remember: hydrogen bonds. For Miss Allison, I don’t know what to say about APES, I didn’t particularly enjoy it. All you need to know is how to save the environment. If you have Naki for Algebra 2, understand what he is doing and laugh at his stories. I didn’t have Mr. Garrison, but I heard you do soooo much matthhhhh. Mrs. Devore and her Government and Economics, you have a 30 minute window to sleep, but you better know what she is talking about. Ms. Harb is a nice lady. She can tolerate the frivolities the class can pull, but her quizzes are hard. Oh and Spanish…. I had Calvo and I don’t want to rant so just understand the language. Take French, oh wait it might be too late.. Uhh good luck in Spanish! Those are the default classes of freshmen year. From that point on, you’ll apply what you learned to other classes so take it seriously!

Those are the tips I will give you for now. With these tips, you are about ready to embark on a life-changing journey towards a magical land. A land called IB. Enjoy IB and the next four years. It’ll (most likely) be worth it!

Your friendly neighborhood Peter Chang.

 

My advice to a starting freshman in IB is even though you’re in IB remember you are in High School. Enjoy being in High School. Get involved in extracurricular activities; get to know students in your Bartow classes as well. Everyone is unique, and learning different personalities is a part of life; this helps to make High School more fun. If you plan to be involved in leadership roles, acquaintance with as many students as possible is a plus. Also, it’s ok to ask questions in class. We are all intelligent. Students just learn at different paces; your question will not only help you but someone else as well.

Pitfalls to avoid? It doesn’t get easier as you move through the years. Try hard to pad your GPA during your  9th and 10th grade. If you can take a Polk State College class during the summer- either on line or on campus, take something easy, to boost your GPA with a college class as well. Padding your GPA will be helpful in case it drops during the 11th and 12th grade.  Do not be a loner, build a study group who wants to work hard, you’ll see these people for the next  four years, and who knows they will possibly be your good friends all the way through. Colleges love to see these extra upper level classes.

What has been most important? Any of your Core subjects that you take for more than one year, start early to study and review. If you mess up early, you will be behind for the rest of your high school classes in that subject. The core classes build each year on the previous year’s information and are hard to understand if you do not understand the foundation. Also, choose your sciences and six subjects carefully; you cannot just switch out of these when you please.

Remember play hard but work harder, and you will be okay.

Adrielle Conner

 

Dear Freshmen,

Starting IB was one of the hardest, most time consuming things that I have had to do in my life. The classes that I had to take were the hardest that were offered and I had to have the willpower to push through them. I had a hard time with some classes such as Spanish because I just did not have the time to completely understand it. That being said no matter how you do in a class make sure that it is in your best effort.

The most common mistake in IB is underestimating the amount of work that you actually will receive. When I first entered IB, I thought that I would have the same workload as I did in middle school; however, that was not the case. I had to learn how to make better use of my time so that I would be able to complete all of my work. Although, I still do not have the best time management which is my biggest recommendation.

In my opinion, there was not a “most important” subject that I had to study in IB. Every class that I had deserved the same amount of study because they all had around the same amount of work. There were a few mellow classes, but those are still important and are worth spending time with. Really, you should spend the same amount of time on all of your academics, but spend a little more on the ones you have trouble with. Also, academics aren’t everything in school. You should focus on academics, but also take the time to do the things that you want to enjoy. Extracurricular activities are just as important as school work.

Matt Dotson

 

Hello Freshman!!! Courtney Gleaton here!:) Sooo welcome to the lovely world of IB. As a freshman you will just be getting used to everything and not really think it’s that big of a deal. However, the worst is yet to come! IB is a roller coaster full of fun experiences with your friends and awful sleepless nights. Quick hint, get some friends! Your friends are your main support base! I don’t know if I would still be here without encouragement from friends. They are able to relate with exactly what you are going through and can help you out of your slumps, which will occur daily! Lol

Now listen closely, VERY CLOSELY! This will be the best, most beneficial news to know!

DO NOT TAKE CHEMISTRY AS YOUR SCIENCE!

Your life will be much more worthwhile if you actually spend time on a subject with hope.* Hint hint BIO!* Although biology will be more work, you will appreciate the knowledge you gained at the end of the year. Just to be safe, stay away from chemistry 🙂

The most important subject I took, that was not a waste of time would have to be my math classes, taught by the BEST teacher I know! Ms. Frisbie is the “Almighty” when it comes to math! She gives the best explanations and fills the discussions with random fun facts or stories:) I always felt a sense of security knowing Ms. Frisbie is always there for help. You can email, text, or call her. [Editor: e-mail is best, or Edmodo. Don’t call me.] What teacher does that?! She seriously has all necessary tools for you to succeed in Pre-Calc and Calc. Enjoy her expertise and soak up all the knowledge you can. You won’t regret it! Of course you will have to take math in college, so it’s a great idea to build up a strong base from her, since she is such a good teacher!:)

Anywho, my new freshman…ENJOY THE GLORY DAYS because unfortunately they will come to an end (sorry to break it to you)! However you have the courage and strength to finish, shoot I did it! You are in IB for a reason. Exceed your expectations, reach for the stars and strive to be the best! Don’t get discouraged, stay strong! You got this!!

Much Love,

Courtney Gleaton<3

 

Dear Freshman I.B. student,

I guess I should start out by congratulating you on acceptance into the I.B. program. That shows something about your work ethic or natural skill. Whether you have chosen to partake in the I.B. program or whether the decision has been made for you by someone whose word is more final in your household—I fell into the former of the two categories in choosing to come to this high school—you should know some things about I.B. which can help you better enjoy the I.B. program or, at least, make it as painless of an experience as possible, some things I wish I had really taken to heart three and a half years ago. Let us begin…

I want to start with something I still have not learned as I write this essay at 10:30 PM, correction 10:32 PM; my mother just came in the room to ask me if I were planning on going to bed anytime soon; I told her “Maybe.” Do not procrastinate. I know that you have heard this, and you have probably heard this meta-lecture about procrastination as well, but I just want to stress how vastly important proper allocation of time resources can be in having a happier experience. While some people handle deadlines better than others, completing projects just before they are due next period and skirting by, such a practice becomes increasingly difficult as students progress through the I.B. program. This might be a good point to tell you my view on the perceived difficulty of I.B. years. Sophomore year was the easiest, Freshman the next, Junior the next, and Senior the worst thus far. It does get harder, and things pile up, but you must stay strong, which brings me to my next point.

While organizing yourself to avoid the pileup of work which ensues without teacher-mandated completion of larger products, you, a young and budding I.B. student, must not forget to relax. For some of you, this will not be hard. Others take work too seriously, and that can be dangerous. Find an anchor to which you can hold on, whether you enjoy reading, athletics, video-games *cough cough,* set aside a part of every day you can manage to spend some time recuperating from the field labor which is the note-taking, home-working, test-taking, and thinking required by the pre-I.B. and I.B. teachers, not to mention CAS, although I think that will all come in good time.

Besides these, I really do not know what else to tell you. Study hard, pay attention in class, math is cool. I don’t really know, so maybe that is what you should leave with. If you remember one thing of what I say, let it be this: “Don’t be a Jarrad.” I skate by on late-night adventures which leave me drained and tired during the weekly occurring two days of freedom. Do not do this. Instead, do your homework, have some fun, sleep at a reasonable time, preferably before 12:00, or 11:00, or 10:00, or maybe 9:00—I really do not know what is normal anymore. Enjoy your time and try to make the best of your high school experience. I.B. may not seem like fun right now, me, writing this essay at some time that is slightly past when I would prefer to go to bed on a school night but probably have not succeeded in reaching in a few months and you, reading this instead of doing the homework which you almost definitely either forgot about or are ignoring, but with all the nights I have had to traverse wearily with blurred vision and vanishing supplies of caffeine and willpower, I would still never trade the experience for any other high school’s in the universe. Hopefully your experience can be as fruitful and interesting as mine was. Welcome and good luck with all your endeavors!

Sincerely,

Jarrad Pazda

 

Hello Freshman,

Welcome to IB. I’m sure you’ve heard tales of horror and success about this school. You’ve probably heard that you will have no social life and no sleep. That all your free time will be spent doing homework and studying for exams. These rumors are not true. They might be for some students, but it is your choice how much work you are willing to put into your studies. You may be feeling apprehensive, but there’s no need to worry! You can do this. No matter what you feel as you pull all-nighters to finish a biology review sheet or to write an essay, this school is worth it. You are preparing yourself for college and getting the best education that you can while you are young and able to retain the information.

Don’t be lazy with your school work. Get work done while you can, because there will always be more the older you get and the farther you proceed in the program. Time management is key. Earn good grades while you can because trust me; it will get much, much harder. You also need to accept that you might not get the grades you are accustomed to getting in middle school. This might be a hard thing to accept, but as long as you are doing the best you can then don’t sweat it.

Play a sport at least when you are an underclassmen because you have time. Involvement in any sport gives you a network around the school. Don’t confine your friend zone to IB. Diversify yourself. There’s a possibility of meeting equally wonderful people that attend Summerlin Academy and Bartow High School that you will not regret meeting. Talk to new people and you might be surprised who you will meet.

Good luck,

Amanda Schell

 

Dear Incoming Freshman,

Congratulations on making it into the IB program at Bartow High School! Looking back at my time and experience at BHS/IB, the main advice I would want to give any freshman just starting their academic career at IB would be to savor the moment and even though academics are very important, try to enjoy high school at the same time. When looking back, at times I did not enjoy IB and did not experience everything it had to offer. In addition to that, I was not able to savor the regular high school experience. Thus, I believe you should have a good balance of academics and then other activities so that you can enjoy your high school time while not being overwhelmed with IB.

When looking back, I can also provide some possible pitfalls that any freshman should avoid. My major suggestions one’s freshman year is to get active with clubs and sports and remain studious. During the first year, you start building habits of studying and schooling that follow throughout one’s high school career. Thus, if you don’t start early, you will probably not build good habits. Also, the worst thing in IB and in high school is to not be friendly and make connections with other people. Friends are truly the thing that will get you through IB.

Lastly, what seems to have been the most important and deserving of the most study has to be the core subjects of math, english, history, and the science of your choice. In my opinion, those subjects are the most important and require the most attention. However, like I’ve said before, do not overwhelm yourself with academics completely. They are one of the most important objectives in your young lives but I do not believe people she agonize over it, especially in IB since we will get into pretty good colleges. Enjoy your time and make sure to leave everything out there.

Sincerely,

Mausam Trivedi

 

Hello fellow IB students. I’d like to first congratulate you on deciding to come to this wonderful school located in Bartow, Florida. That was one of the best decisions you’ll ever make. This program will prepare you for life in so many ways. Since I’m only a junior, I can only say this to you because I’ve had three other siblings that went to this same school, graduated in the top ten of their class, and now either attend the University of Florida’s Medical School, teach English as a second language in the Dominican Republic, or attend University of Florida as an English Honors student. I would say they’ve proven that IB gets you places. Their achievements have definitely shown me that IB is worth the work. But I’m supposed to be giving you advice so now that I’ve convinced you that you could find at least some validity in my statements, here it is. Take it or leave it.

The teachers are there to help you. One of the first things my sister (she was salutatorian of her IB class so I’m guessing she knows what she’s talking about) told me about IB was that I should appreciate my teachers. Some students in IB think all teachers want them to fail every single class. This is simply not true. All of my teachers this year have been extremely helpful and understanding about mostly everything. Though I wouldn’t ask Mrs. Kennon to sign a pre-excused absence form the day before the day you’ll be gone. She either won’t sign it or ask you millions of times why she wasn’t informed of your absence a week or so earlier. Just a friendly tip. She’s a great teacher though and if you haven’t decided which science you’re going to take yet, Biology is probably the way to go. Other teachers such as Mr. Guice, Ms. Frisbie, and Naki are great as well. You’ll have some of the best teachers in IB as a junior, so make sure you appreciate them while you have them. They really do want you to succeed and do the best you can.

Procrastination is bad, but everyone does it. I think it’s mostly your personality that determines whether or not you’ll actually get things done on time, but yeah. Don’t procrastinate if you can help it.

As a soccer player (and tennis, but this is my first year and I’m not all that great so I don’t count that sport as much. Track I guess too, that is fun as well. The meets take forever though so I advise you to run freshmen or sophomore year if you want that experience), I think sports are a great way to keep you focused. If you’re not an athlete, I understand. But playing sports helps you meet other people from different classes and basically forces you to become more organized throughout the year as you adjust to time constraints and everything. Team sports also help you cooperate with others and you also meet students from Bartow and Summerlin that you wouldn’t otherwise know.

I wish I had more advice to give you, but I can’t think of much else for now. I have to study AP US History too though so that might be a factor in finishing this essay slightly faster than I otherwise would.

Benny Valenti

 

So I’ve been asked to give you people that actually care enough to read this whole thing some advice on IB. Now I would say that I am not the best student at IB in my year due to failing to realize the amount of work that this program would put us through; however, I think that makes me probably one of the better people to actually give you some advice since I was the one to experience more failures and pitfalls than most others in my year. The very first thing that should be said is to not underestimate the program when you first come in. You have to be ready to do work and take that work seriously especially come junior and senior year when your work is sent abroad to be graded by IB examiners. This means not letting any activity come in-between you and your work, even if it means skipping a meeting for an extracurricular activity so you can do a paper properly. Remember that CAS is also a part of your workload as well and that you need to have a project in mind or being formulated by your senior year, else you are not doing your work.

Now on the topic of studying I believe that with the amount of practice work and material that our teachers give us in class, a large amount of studying is not necessary and could get in the way of your work. Of course some studying is required in order to perform up to the standards of IB, so to those of you that haven’t really studied in the past I would say to learn some techniques early on when you can spend some free time learning how you study best. Even if you don’t need it these first two years, it will be a critical skill for you to have when preparing for AP and IB exams that test us at the college level. If you find that you are not performing up to standards in a class, I recommend studying for about an hour per day specifically for that class, much more than that and I find myself falling asleep or not absorbing the material. Hopefully you aren’t failing all of your classes and can spend some quality time on the few classes that you think you need to do better in. If you really need help though and you are not able to correct a problem in a class on your own, go to a teacher and ask them for some help. There is no harm in asking and a majority of our teachers, even if they can’t spend time going over things with you, can at least recommend practice material or key areas to focus on when studying. That’s what they are here for, to help us be the best students we can be and to prepare us for the coming storm that will be college

Now that I’ve touched on our academic life, I want to give a less school based suggestion to all of you who actually read this far. Find something to do in your free time that will calm you down and act as a stress reliever for your health. Seriously, some people this year are incredibly freaked out and stressed over work and from what I have seen the sophomores and freshmen of this year’s class are all incredibly stressed too compared to what I remember our class was like. You need to take the work seriously, but you need to remember that your mental health is the most important thing and being stressed will not help with the quality of your work. If you can manage it, put aside some time for a stress relieving activity. Go out on a date, exercise, read a book, or just sit around and lazily listen to music, whatever works for you and allows you to unwind a little bit. Try and do something like that at least once every two days or every day if you can manage. It is a critical part of your life to just live a little as opposed to only working, so you need to find time to do that. This seems to be a lesson that people are sorely lacking in so I want to try and put it out there.

This program is by far one of the most awesome things that I have experienced so far in life. Our community is tight knit and most everyone is friendly, something that doesn’t always happen in a normal high school. Not to mention we have a stellar group of teachers and we receive one of the best high school educations in the entire United States, let alone Florida or Polk County. If you managed to read this far, I encourage you to stay in if you have thought about leaving or not joining up in the first place. It is definitely worth your time, effort, and a few sleepless nights in order to be a part of this program. If you ever need help along the way and need some advice, Mrs. Craven and Mr. Guice are by far some of the nicest people I have ever met and are willing to take time to listen and steer you on the right course. Stick with it people, it will be worth it in the end, and do not be afraid to ask for help when or if you need it. I want you all to succeed just as I have, and the teachers around you do too.

Jacob Gollert

 

Dear freshmen,

By accepting to be a part of the IB program you have accepted a challenge many of us before you have questioned. Freshman year is just a taste of what’s to come because each year the work escalates and apparently you don’t stop until around February of senior year, when IA’s are turned done with. No one will have to tell you how hard it’s going to get because you won’t truly believe it until you experience it yourself. I believe that your minds are prepared for the challenge, but no one has the upper hand in this school. Many of you come from different schools and I bet you were each one of the top students in your middle school. Being in IB makes you realize where you stand among other very brilliant people, and from there all you can really do is accept your ranking and be happy to give it your all. I guess since I can’t suggest don’t stress out and complain, I’d say that when you just need a break from it all do something with your friends even for just a couple of minutes to help you relax. By outlet was watching reality TV I liked how sometimes I could just escape and then return to my reality just a little bit more sane. I also suggest that no matter what’s going on at one current point in time, to never just go about your business without talking to anybody because it only makes you more depressed. Sometimes, without noticing, I would lose the desire to talk to anyone and I was in a bad mood until I finally plugged myself back in. Take advantage of all you can because near the end you’re going to miss your favorite teachers and the friends you’ve made when you disperse to different colleges.

If you will take my word for it, junior year do NOT take which science you believe to be the less work of the three. Even if it’s more work take the science that you believe you understand the best because when you are actually about to do IB testing and you realize what a crappy decision you’ve made…well the ones that did choose wisely get a laugh out of it. Nothing you will be challenged with is above your capacity; you’re in IB for a reason and I’m sure you’ll all do fantastically. I’m not even in the top 20, but I am very happy with all that I have learned from this experience, so your rank in the class sometimes is not the most important thing. This is where you just accept who you are because you’re in a competitive field and only those that never lose their game make it through. Senior year is definitely the most challenging of the four and I suggest you study extra extra extra hard for Calculus and History of the Americas; they are by far the MOST rigorous classes you have taken to this point.

I realized a long time ago that I was not a person that could be good at everything I tried. Maybe you just can’t get straight A’s in every class, but it’s not impossible because some of you are there as I speak. You should never envy those above you because that’s not right and everyone receives back the effort you put in. What each of you decides to be your most important classes really just depends on what you like and what you don’t like. I focused my attention on English, French, and Calculus. They are a mix of what I like, what I find easy to learn, and what I will use after I’m out of high school. I like to plan ahead so that when I’m presented with an obstacle I at least won’t feel lost and I have some way out of the situation without panicking. Best of luck to you all and I hope that you all learn your own lessons from this…experience!

Brenda Meza

 

IB is one or the most challenging experiences that I have ever done, and with this knowledge that I have gained, I would spread my knowledge to a newbie. A piece of advice that I would give a freshman would be about time management. I have lost hundreds of hours of sleep, and I would not want that to happen to the freshman. He or she needs to start homework pronto. I would recommend getting the homework before it is assigned if that is possible. This method would make you go to bed at an early time and be the envy of your sleep-deprived friends. A pitfall that I would avoid would be not writing in your agenda. It seems insignificant, but occasionally I would forget the homework or do the wrong homework. Also, the order you do the homework is important; do the harder homework first so that if you have questions, people will still be on Facebook. I believe that the subject that requires the most study is Spanish, because if it makes perfect logical sense in English, then it is wrong in Spanish. The most deserving part of my IB study was the sciences, because we got to choose a more personal approach for our futures. Also, you are surrounded by a group of people that share the same academic interests as you.

Nick Troiano

 

The first and most important piece of advice I can give you is this: Do not procrastinate. You’re going to hear it over and over and over, but it really makes a huge difference in everything; when you don’t procrastinate, you don’t have to stay up late to do big assignments/projects, and you get enough sleep, which, in turn, allows you to perform better at school, be more time-efficient in doing assignments at home, and have a better day overall.

With regards to studying, no matter how smart you think you are, you will have to do it eventually. I’m sorry to burst your bubble if that comes as a shock to you, but it is (unfortunately) true. Dedicate a small amount of time each day/week/weekend/whatever to studying so you’re not overwhelmed by trying to study for one of Shuff’s tests and writing both of his essays the night before.

Don’t be afraid to follow your passions. If you really enjoy a certain subject, take that class; it won’t be a hassle for you if you enjoy it. It’s been shown that students do well in subjects that they enjoy, so be sure to take the science that you enjoy, no matter what anyone else says. I took Physics (against the advice of nearly everyone I know), and I don’t regret it – I have learned a lot, I got a 730 on the Physics SAT Subject test, and I’ve loved the class. All of those benefits, plus the fact that I don’t have much work to do for the class compared to the Biology and Chemistry kids, make me EXTREMELY happy that I took Physics instead of listening to the advice of the Biology kids (who were telling me to take Biology, obviously).

The most important thing to remember, though, is that IB isn’t meant to kill you, and you only go through high school once. Don’t be afraid to try some extracurricular activities and get involved on the campus. Once you get to the end of your senior year (as I am now), you’ll be glad that you were active on the campus and that you made the school your own. If you think that having extracurricular activities is too much of a burden, try picking one or two and sticking with those; extracurriculars are VERY important in college admissions (and scholarships), and they aren’t much of a burden as long as you keep up a decent work ethic and habits that aren’t terrible.

Colby Troutt