These were written by seniors and juniors in the International Baccalaureate program who took AP Calculus AB during the 2013-14 school year. The essays are in no particular order.

 

 

There are basically two pieces of advice I would give to freshmen (or anyone, really) and both of them I learned at band camp my freshman year. (1) No one cares, and (2) don’t stop.

So my first day ever of marching band, Eckman made a comment about someone’s hat and then said something like, “It’s fine. No one cares as much as you do.” As I’m kind of a nervous person, that’s usually what I end up telling myself before presentations and other things. In IB, lots of people freak out about things (assignments, tests, whatever) when it’s really not as big of a deal as you think. Honestly — no one cares as much as you do. Not colleges, not the class you think is about to judge you on your Spanish oral, not your teacher (usually).

Of course, this also means you have to take care of yourself. Maybe people will temporarily sympathize with your design lab grade, but it’s up to you to fix it. (Side note — no one wants to hear you complain every day. Complain in moderation.) Be prepared for things and take responsibility for yourself.

Eckman also asks us before we run the show at practice, “What’s rule number one?” Rule number one, in band and in life, is “Don’t stop.” In IB, you will get through everything as long as you just keep going. Just keep working on your EE, just push through every assignment and you’ll be good. Even if you miss some homework, don’t let it get you down. This works for every aspect of IB.

By the way, IB is worth it. Not because of college credit or any of that, but knowing these people as intimately as you do for four years kind of feels like home. (This is getting cheesy, so I’ll stop now.)

Jea Naseer

 

As an upcoming freshman, you will have to do certain things in order to “survive” the IB program. First of all, get into your head that IB is not that hard. The main problem with freshmen is that you guys are unorganized and procrastinate way too much.  A simple fix is to keep track of your hw, and do it in a timely fashion; don’t wait until the day it’s due to do all of your hw.  That way, it’s easy.

Secondly, find an extracurricular activity, like a sport, or band, or something so that you’ll have a broad group of friends and won’t feel lonely. As weird as your classmates might be (and they’re mostly normal) you want to get to know them, since you’ll be with them for four years. Thirdly, do not take biology in your junior year unless you like it. Everyone now complains that bio is too much work. If you’re good at math, do physics, and don’t do chemistry in general. Fourthly, always read the book. I know this will be hard, so try to prioritize. As the years go by, you will learn time management skills.

Don’t listen to what your friends say about IB because you’ll realize later that they’re a bunch of lame tools. I’m a senior and I’ve been through all of the IB challenges. Don’t let other people influence  you; just because they’re dumb, complain, and are weak doesn’t mean you are. You’ll feel really good after you’ve graduated. Also Get  Sleep.

Jesus Martinez

 

Okay, hear me out freshmen, when it comes to IB take  your education seriously. If you don’t like working hard, just quit now. This program is not for everyone. However, if you as a freshman acknowledge that you want to learn how to work hard, then IB is the place to learn. To put it bluntly, it’s either you do what you have to and succeed, or fail.

There are several pitfalls that you want to avoid. The most important one is ignoring busy work, followed by not paying attention in class. IB has busy work and in your journey towards graduation you will have to learn to do that busy work. Yes, it might be useless, but it teaches you how to deal with difficult, time-consuming work. Pay attention to the material in class: It decreases the amount of studying that you will do, if you freshmen study. Learn to manage time well.

Pragmatically, some classes are more difficult than others. With that, everyone gravitates toward different strategies when dealing with their priorities. That’s  fine, however a sound plan is to learn everything you can. This year (your freshman year) will be easy and it gets much harder but as an IB senior the benefits are worth it. If you ask what benefits I’m talking about, here they are. They vary from person to person. Being with others that are above mediocrity is the biggest payoff IB has given me. I would rather talk to my IB companions than the stupid Bartow kids (I’m using a stereotype, but it’s kinda true). Another is knowing that you’ll be placed in a position with a greater chance of success, based on what you learn. “Do or do not, there is no try,” said Yoda, one of the wisest yet fakest fictional characters ever created. If you’re in IB, there is a try, so try and if you don’t like it, get out.

Jose J. Martinez

 

Dear freshman,

High school is nothing like you’ve ever experienced. You will have some of the best times of your life, and also some of the worst. But don’t worry about it too much, the bad things really don’t matter that much. Or at all.

You should also know that getting the difference between having a 93 or a 94, or an 83 or an 84, is not worth staying up an hour later studying for a test the next day. In fact, you will probably do better if you don’t study and go to sleep because your brain will be fresher and your memory will work better. But if you stay up all night playing video games, then I wish you the best of luck.

The most important thing you can do in high school is take classes that are interesting to you. Don’t slack off, but your life will be so much better if you’re learning about what you want to learn about. In other words, don’t take more rigorous courses just because they might make your GPA look better. If you do that, high school will not be fun for you.

Daniel Minter

 

Dear freshman,

If you’re reading this, it’s probably because you need help. First off, I’m sorry you’re upset; it will all be okay! I promise! I know bio with Kennon can sometimes be scary, color marking is annoying and you accidentally fall asleep on your homework sometimes, but personally, I think it’s worth it in the end. I’m not going to push you and tell you “DON’T DROP OUT” because only you know if you’re right for this program. I will tell you that I have very seriously considered dropping out, but I am veryglad I didn’t.

I have three older siblings who have all been through IB and all three either went to or are currently going to UF. As college students, they only talk about how GREAT IB was and how much it has/is helping them in their studies. However, they complained about and hated IB just as much as the next kid, trust me, I had to live through all the tears and sleepless nights with them.

That’s another thing, you always have people to talk you through this. Whether you go to a teacher, guidance, a fellow student, or even an upperclassman (like me!), someone will know how well you’re feeling, will be able to relate, and can help. Well, now that I’ve turned this letter into a suicide help line, it’s time to be a little more positive and give some “happier” advice!

So right now you have biology and next year you’ll have chemistry and physics for a semester each. Then, for junior year, you have to choose only one of these to “master” in. A lot of people have strong views on such a decision. I’m going to tell you this: I chose Bio, but I wish I would have taken physics. I don’t say this because physics is easier than bio (which it is), but because I am not interested in biology. AT ALL. Don’t pick your science by ease, pick by what you enjoy. Also, if you have your first B right now, don’t freak out, that is pretty normal! Plus, the grades only get worse from here. You’ll get used to it : ).

Well, you should probably get back to homework, so I’ll let you go! If you ever need to talk, I’m sure you can find some way to contact me. After all, there aren’t many Gina DiGioias on Facebook! This is goodbye!. Good luck — may the odds be ever in your favor.

<3, Gina DiGioia

 

Freshman,

Congratulations on becoming a member of the IB program! I’m sure someone somewhere is very proud of you. As you are likely very intelligent, you are probably well prepared for some of the horrors of IB. As a senior with 3½ years of experience in the program, I feel that I can provide advice which you would find helpful in your future years at IB.

At IB, you will have several choices to make which will greatly impact your entire experience. Freshman year, you will choose a language to learn in addition to English. I would recommend Spanish, as it is much easier to write than French, unless you already have experience in German or French. As your electives, choose things which interest you but are at an honors level or higher. When you choose a science junior year, don’t choose Biology just because people say you can pass. Take your favorite science, not the one people tell you to take.

Junior year and senior year will test you, not just scholastically, but also emotionally. Due dates, especially for IB internal assessments, are immobile. Do your work when you can, as well as you can, and you will be fine. To deal with stress, talk about your problems to your parents, friends, or guidance counselor. Good luck, and don’t let IB get to you.

Matty Patty (Matt Patterson)

 

Dear person I don’t know,

Here is a list of things you should know as a freshman. Freshman and sophomore years are the easy years. If you have trouble keeping A’s and B’s in 9th and 10th, get out now or work harder. However, don’t stress about one C in 9th grade. Because, FRESHMAN YEAR DOESN’T REALLY EVEN MATTER. Colleges only really care about junior and senior year. So make sure you don’t screw up later on… that will mess everything up for you.

Even with me telling you not to, you’re probably still going to procrastinate. Just don’t let it get out of hand. I really wish I had learned how much procrastination can mess up your whole life lol. If you can, try to get your assignments done as soon as you can. Why wait and stress when you can just get it done and relax.

Studying tips… make sure you study hard for biology. If you take bio in 11th and 12th, the stuff you learn in 9th will really help you. The “learning stuff for the test and then forgetting about it” is not a good idea with any subject. Everything you remember from freshman year will help you later on.

Good luck, and don’t drop out.

YOU CAN DO THIS!

Nadia Mir

 

Hello incoming IB students!

There are many of these essays being written and you should take the time to read them. The essays written are created by the people who have been through this rigorous program and have made mistakes and have learned from them. That is my first piece of advice, as I have not had the same experiences as everybody else and drawing from a larger pool of knowledge will benefit you more. My second piece of advice is take these essays seriously. They are not just written for a grade, but also to share the wealth of knowledge accumulated over the course of our high school careers. If you take advantage of the foreknowledge provided you can avoid many hardships that myself and others have had to endure.

This being said, the IB program is still one of the most challenging programs a high school student can take. To be successful, develop a healthy work ethic. Coming from middle school where I was never challenged, I had almost no sense of how to handle due dates properly and space homework so I was not cramming. To this day, as a second semester senior, I am still struggling to handle the workload properly. A work schedule should be developed in freshman and sophomore year. These are your easiest years and they can make or break a student. By developing a work ethic these years, the transition to junior year will be a breeze.

The last piece of advice I have to offer is to pursue what makes you happy and interests you. There is much talk of how biology is the only science that you will pass. I listened to this even though I was more interested in physics and I still regret it. Biology is not a bad class, but it is a lot of work and when you are not interested in the course material it can be a drag. If you despise a class you tend to not care as much which can result in poor grades and poor test scores.

I wish you luck in your endeavors as an IB student!

Dominic Fezzie

 

To the Future Weary Student,

Congratulations on getting into IB. It truly is a feat. The greater challenge, though, is going to be to stay in IB without watching your GPA plummet or losing your sanity. If you are as prideful and bigheaded as I was as a freshman, then you’re already dismissing me as another whiny senior. Right now, you’re thinking “Maybe IB is hard for you, but I work hard and I’m super smart so it’s going to be a piece of cake for me.”  Well, let me be the last to have to inform you that IB is going to be hard, and it’s hard for everyone; in fact, it’s more like a molten lava cake than a birthday cake (if you watch Master Chef you’ll understand).

IB isn’t easy for anyone because that would defeat the purpose of IB. IB aims to teach students to be diligent workers and intelligent, inquisitive learners. And if you are as “super smart” as you think you are, then I promise you that by your senior year you will search knowledge out like a bloodhound even when it’s not for a research paper or homework assignment. You want to learn because you want to learn. When you realize that there is no material thing more important than knowledge, you will understand why IB is. But because of the knowledge you will gain from IB, the four-year struggle is worth it.

I’m not going to be the one to tell you to suck it up and stop your crying when you hit junior year and feel like Atlas. I know that it sucks not having time for friends and having to do so many useless assignments and having to read books you never would have read on your own and having to have a CAS project, etc. The people you will encounter who say, “It can’t be that hard…” don’t understand. However, while releasing some of your frustration verbally is fine, never resent IB for your unhappiness. First of all, it’s not IB’s fault. You’re the one who is sticking it out, martyring yourself for the sake of knowledge. Secondly, it’s only four years and then it’s all over. In terms of a lifetime, it’s like ripping off a Band-Aid. “This too shall pass.”

The following are some tips I’ve compiled to perhaps make it pass a little less painfully.

1. Don’t take Business as your sixth subject just because people say it’s easy. If you want to be an artist take art (really, it’s awesome). If you’re interested in psychology, take psychology (duh?).
2. Find something that you love doing that will help you get to where you want to be one day. I wake up every day wanting to take pictures and write stories (I want to be a cinematographer), so I take pictures for art and write stories for English and the Literary Magazine.
3. If you are not willing to actually do work (a lot of work) don’t take Biology as your science. You’ll be happier with life.
4. If you are going to choose Biology as your science, take anatomy in sophomore year. Take my word for it; you will get A’s on every Bio test senior year.
5. Don’t ignore English as legitimate class. In junior and senior year especially English is an important subject that should not be difficult to pass.
6. Use pen on math tests. It’ll make you feel smarter and more confident.
7. Get your Driver’s Permit the day you turn fifteen. You’ll want to be able to drive yourself junior and senior year.
8. Join A-Team, even if you think you’re not as smart as other people. You are.
9. When you have down time (which is almost never) spend time with your family or your friends because when things pick back up you’ll begin to regret not.
10. DON’T PROCRASTINATE. Procrastination is like the black death of IB, and it’s idiotic in the hugest sense of the word. To prove to you that I’m not being a hypocrite, I’m writing this at 12:40 a.m., Sunday morning. This is not due until this coming Wednesday at approximately 2:08 p.m. Get your work done, get sleep, stay awake during class, do well on tests. It’s not hard, it just takes a lack of stupidity.

I leave you to brave IB with these parting words by Ray Bradbury (coincidentally whose work I wrote my extended essay on).

“Don’t worry about things. Don’t push. Just do your work and you’ll survive. The important thing is to have a ball, to be joyful, to be loving and to be explosive. Out of that comes everything and you grow.”

Godspeed,

Sabrina Grimes

 

Dear Freshman,

Is IB worth it?

That is a question that you need to answer yourself. Personally, I have decided that IB is worth all the late nights and stress. Many of the past students who have gone through the IB program also believe that IB is worth it. The program earns you a ton of college credit and probably would save an average student a good amount of money when it comes to college. It’s a challenging program that will make you feel unbelievably hopeless at times, but I think the good things that come out of the program outweigh the bad. Endless opportunities are provided for you in the program. I must say, the teachers (most of them) know what they are doing! Let them guide you to becoming a better student and a better person. Your class basically becomes your second family, so don’t take them for granted.

It is easy to get buried in the work that the teachers assign you time after time. After all, most of us are here because we breezed through middle school with A’s. Make sure you give yourself time to adjust to the course load and don’t ever think you’re alone. I know you might not believe me on this one, but A’s aren’t everything! The experiences you come across during your years here teach you lessons no other school could provide. If you know you have worked your hardest, then that should be enough for you to accept your grade. Life goes on and people move on. Don’t fret over minor bumps in the road.

Time management is also something you should learn early in your high school career. To put it into basic terms, don’t “diddle-daddle” because you WILL regret it when everyone is asleep and you’re still typing up an essay in the middle of the nights. Figure out what your priorities are and put them at the top of your list of things to do. I promise that if you plan accordingly, you will have time for social events, friends, extra-curriculars, and sports. It’s pretty easy once you get the hang of it.

Some more helpful advice… (1) Don’t expect your teacher to make exceptions for you. What’s late is late and you, my friend, are probably going to get a big, fat, zero. No pity. (2) It doesn’t matter what your grade in a class is, do all the extra credit that the teacher makes available. You won’t regret putting in that extra work. (3) Join some clubs or participate in a sport. It will help you meet people outside of IB and outside of your grade. It’s always nice to know you have people there for you. (4) If you’re athletic, but not artsy, please find something creative to do before your junior year. If you’re artsy, but not athletic, you should also find something artsy to do. You might not understand now, but in a year or so you will learn about the joys of CAS. (5) Enjoy your time here. I’m halfway through junior year and I can remember my freshman year like it was yesterday. Time moves along faster than you think.

Best of Luck,

Linda Guan

 

Dear incoming freshmen,

First of all, let me congratulate you on being accepted into one of the bets schools in the nation. The IB program at Bartow high school is an exceptional program and should you make it through all four years, you will see that all of your hard work does pay off. As a senior I hope to give you some words of wisdom that will hopefully get you through four of the hardest years in your life. Yes IB is difficult and very demanding, but it is totally doable. Think of all the students that have come before you and have made it through. Every time you feel overwhelmed by your workload, find comfort in knowing that your classmates have to deal with the same thing. You are not alone in this and if you ever need help just ask. If you don’t feel comfortable asking your friends for help, you should talk to one of the guidance counselors. Everyone at this school wants you to succeed and they will do everything that they can to help you do so.

Freshman year is a difficult year because many of you have never truly been tested. If you were like me, middle school was easy and you never had to try. Well, unfortunately that changes. The work will get harder but if you were admitted into the program than you can do it. It’s not that the work is terribly hard, but the sheer volume of it is what gets to most students. In order to avoid being overwhelmed you should do assignments in a timely manner so that they don’t pile up on you. I know you are probably tired of hearing it, and you will be hearing it for the next four years but DON’T PROCRASTINATE. Procrastination is seriously the worst thing you can do. Don’t ever fall behind because the work will just keep piling up, and don’t bite off more than you can chew.

Most students coming into IB think they have time for everything. Some of your classmates will join every club on campus and be super involved in school events. Extracurricular activities are great and you get to meet amazing new people through them, but they are not for everyone. If you don’t have time to finish your homework then don’t join more clubs. Homework and school come first and sometimes you have to give up your clubs to concentrate and do well in school. If you really want to be involved then pick one or two clubs and devote your time to those too. Remember colleges don’t look at how many clubs you were in but at what you did in those clubs. Being a member of two clubs for four years and being super involved in them is better than being in ten and not participating in any of them.

I would give you some more advice but I had to figure these things out on my own and you should too. Just remember you’ll be fine and ask for help when you need it. You are all very smart.

Sincerely

Josue Guerrero

 

IB at Bartow is not your average high school. It demands the very best from each student and will push you. I have three major points to push: do not procrastinate, do not procrastinate, do not procrastinate. Each point is very important and will help you as you adventure through the IB program.

First, you should not procrastinate because it allows your work to be well done. The student who plans ahead and does their work over a period of time wild usually have done their work thoroughly and well. On the other hand, the student who waits until the night before at 2 a.m. to start, let’s say, their journal questions, will usually have less satisfactory work. As is true with every IB student whether you like it or not, you care about your grades. For this reason, I advise you not to procrastinate so that your work can be done well and therefore receive good grades.

Secondly, it is a bad idea to procrastinate because you will definitely lose sleep. Most IB kids will complain to you about the lack of sleep they have, but it can be avoided. If you stay on top of your work and do your work as you get it assigned, not the night before it’s due, you will be able to get more sleep, be better rested, and do better on tests and quizzes the next day at school.

Thirdly, and lastly, it is important not to procrastinate because you will feel better. Putting things off to the very end is a very stressful life. Your life will already be stressful because you go to IB and will overthink things; however, this stress can be avoided by simply not procrastinating.

I know this all seems cliché, but that’ really the best advice I have to offer. DO NOT PROCRASTINATE!

Anna Koretchko

 

Dear upcoming IBer,

As a junior this year, I have learned to cope with the loads of work to do in the little time that I have. This is some advice for junior year. English for example, you will have journal questions that I suggest that you do not put off until the night before. I have tried and succeeded with an all-nighter, which was definitely not fun. If you’re going into calculus or pre-calculus, you will definitely have fun in Ms. Frisbie’s class because she makes the learning experience a little more fun by allowing you to catch her mistakes in class for candy and sharing random information that seems to float around in her noggin. If you are going into Biology, I would suggest not studying till the last minute or putting off labs. The labs are really not that bad, only time consuming, which is why it would benefit you to get started on them immediately. APUSH was not really my best subject, but with the help of wikinotes and some good study partners, you will get by much more easily. If you are in French, I suggest that you study for the idiomatic expressions because they are usually the extra credit for the tests. For anyone going into Business, Mr. Brennan is a really funny guy. Although he does curse a lot, he makes learning business much less painful to understand, since he can give you first-hand experience of just about anything in the industry. My last advice to anyone reading this is to remember to have fun by hanging out with your friends and spending time with family. It will always help you deal with stress and make the school year pass by quickly. Good luck to you and enjoy the rest of your IB career.

Charlie Manalo

 

To the new freshmen coming to BHS/IB, I would probably tell them to make sure they stay on top of their work. If you don’t procrastinate, then life will be much simpler. The work won’t as overwhelming and you have more time to other things like study or extracurricular activities. Another warning for incoming freshmen is to be aware of the jump from middle school to high school. In middle school many of us could have blown off studying or working hard and were still able to get good grades. Now, coming into BHS/IB, that approach/strategy will not work. You will have to work a bit harder and spend some more time at home studying or working on projects and homework.

Another pitfall that I would be aware of if I was an incoming freshman would be extracurricular activities. Do not do more than you are capable of. If you stretch yourself too thin, your grades and performance will suffer. Before agreeing to several clubs and sports, make sure that you are able to handle the workload that you will receive. Extracurriculars are important but not the most important.

The class that you will probably have to spend the most time on is biology. There are a lot of assignments that are worth quite a bit. In addition, Mrs. Kennon does not take late work, so make sure that you don’t forget major assignments or labs. In your foreign language classes, don’t slack off because if you fall behind now, it will be extremely difficult to catch up.

Good luck on your first year!

Jeremiah Masseus

 

Dear freshman,

I remember being in your situation not so long ago. I was an eager freshman ready to enter into a new phase of my life. I was nervous because even though I had heard some IB horror stories I really didn’t know what to expect. I am about to impart some words of advice to you based on the wisdom I have gained during my two and a half years at IB.

First of all let me start by saying DO NOT PROCRASTINATE. If you are an upcoming freshman going through some advice letters you will notice everyone, and I mean everyone will tell you not to procrastinate. You would think that we would have learned from our predecessors’ mistakes yet we continue to follow in their footsteps. One rule to follow would be to never say, “Oh that’s just a simple worksheet I’ll do it later.” If there is time to complete any work take advantage of it. In class, after school, car rides, or plane rides take advantage of any free time.

Also, in a program like IB there are hosts of students who never had to study for tests during elementary or middle school. The days when you coasted through tests with only the knowledge you absorbed during class are behind you. So start making some good study habits! For Spanish class Quizlet can be a huge help when trying to memorize vocabulary words. For math classes the best way to do well on test is to do practice problems. For biology Khan Academy will your new best friend. For art class pay attention to your work and note where your interest lies. Such a habit will make things simpler when working on your body of work (in junior and senior year). For APES get a review book early and use it! It always helps to review things before a test by reading your review book. We have plenty of resources available to us so take advantage of them when necessary.

Although you are in IB and always seem to be worrying about school, it’s important to remember life is about more than school. So don’t be afraid to venture out of your IB bubble. Get involved in plenty of clubs and out of school activities. Freshmen year is the time to be adventurous and try new things. Figure out what you enjoy and find worthwhile because there may be times in the future when you have to make some sacrifices. Once someone told me, “You make time for what’s important.” So l always made time for family, for friends, and for faith because without those parts of my life I could not be happy. Getting straight A’s during freshman year is defiantly within your grasp so work hard and stay happy.

Wishing you only the best,

Ashley Mathew

 

So many things are going on in life that I only have a vague memory of what it was like to be a freshman.  Therefore, the advice I give is probably not entirely credible although its value is not diminished.  I have enjoyed my experience at IB for the most part, but every person finds a different way to make it through.

This may seem a bit hypocritical, but my first piece of “advice” is to not take advice from everybody that tries to influence you. If your life is spent listening to others so that you make appropriate decisions, what is the point of having a head with which you can think?  In my mind, the most important and valid opinion always comes from yourself.  You may not be aware, but most times you already know what you want and you just need to be bold enough to step forward and take it.

Now for the academics.  I would suggest to those who did not take geometry in middle school to go ahead and take it at the same time as algebra II.  It is very beneficial in the future, or at least I think so because you get exposed to more topics earlier. Probably the most interesting classes in my opinion are psychology and physics.  The reason is that as a kid in middle school, both of those areas were never strongly covered and it feels like I’m discovering something entirely new.

Some classes definitely take more study time than others, but it varies on the person and their individual talents.  One major pitfall is probably time management, but I don’t worry that much about it.  I just accept the fact that ultimately, all my work will be complete and at a standard I am accepting of.  It hasn’t been too often that I stay up late to finish work, so that is good.

As you take on the challenge of high school, I wish the best and success to you.

Erick Meza

 

Dear Freshman,

First, like every other essay of this kind, I would suggest that you try your best to not wait till the last minute to complete assignments. You should try to do your homework ahead of time since this will give you more free time to join a lot of clubs and maybe some sports. Plus, this way you would have more time to study which will lead to higher grades. Don’t get me wrong. I used to fall back on homework all the time, especially freshmen year just because I was not used to the workload. However, now I am actually staying ahead on my work and it is making the year relatively less stressful. So definitely do what you can to stay on top of your assignments.

To be honest, I like freshmen year the best out of all two and a half years that I have been here. It was the most entertaining and wasn’t actually too difficult now that I have experienced having to do so many things like the Math Exploration and the Fly Lab around the same time frame. I will warn you, though, Kennon’s class is pretty tough. You should definitely try to take as much time and effort as you can to work towards studying the material for her tests since they are no joke. Also, when she says that you have a “quiz” don’t believe her. It’s actually an 80+ question “quest.” I’m pretty sure you will enjoy your math class whether you’re in geometry with Garrison or Algebra II with Naki. Garrison is very laid back about the way he runs his class and Naki will tell you all kinds of fun and entertaining stories. You should ask him to tell you the Walmart story.

Overall, I think that the IB program isn’t too bad. No doubt there are days when I am just completely exhausted and stressed with workload, but I will tell you that you will not meet any better people than your fellow classmates. When they say you guys will be “like a family” they are pretty close. Over the last three years, our class tends to have get-togethers fairly often. For example, just over winter break, a few friends and I organized an ice skating event for all of the IB Class of 2015. You should try to plan some events like that so that your class can get close. You will be spending 4 years with them, might as well try to be friends to make the pain and suffering more tolerable.

Good luck!

Amol Patadia

 

Dear Incoming Freshman,

Well, you made it. I don’t know whether to congratulate you or to just laugh at the foolish choice you made. I’m just kidding. I.B. isn’t all that bad. I think you made the right decision (or in some of your cases, your parents made that correct decision for you). You’ll meet some pretty interesting people who by the end of all this you’ll be proud to call your friends. The majority of the teachers at I.B. are wonderful and you will be able to learn a lot from them and how they teach. Of course, I’m implying that there are a few not-so-wonderful teachers as well. I’m not going to name any names; you’ll figure it out on your own pretty quickly. Welcome to the most exciting (and sometimes downright nauseating) roller coaster ride of your life thus far. I have two main pieces of advice to give you as you begin your journey. First, do not procrastinate. I know, I know, I can practically see you rolling your eyes at my statement. But, I mean it. I.B. is a ton of work, and I think they use freshman year to weed out the ones who cannot handle it all. The work load will only get worse from freshman year onwards. Time management is a must. I.B. kind of slaps it into you by the end of the first month. If you cannot manage your time wisely, you’ll pretty much drown in a pile of homework (mostly from Mrs. Kennon).  So, I hope you take my advice. I wish someone had told me this before I entered for my freshman year. It would have made the transition from middle to high school much easier. Second, your friends will be your lifeline, so keep them close. Not everyone who doesn’t go to your school will understand what it is like to go to an I.B. school. But, your friends who are in class with you will understand, because they are going through the exact same thing as you.  Don’t get too bogged down in work (remember time management?) so you can go have a social life with these friends of yours as well.

As far as things that I think deserve the most study, devote your time to things that interest you the most. I’m not saying to not do your math homework just because it doesn’t interest you, but rather to find a balance. You’ll find something that intrigues you in at least one of your classes, so stick to that thing. Who knows, you might make a career out of it one day. Well, I think I have said all that I want to say to you, so I will leave you here to start you high school experience. Just as you start your new experience, I will be starting a new experience of my own that was four years in the making (college, baby, college). Have fun, and remember my advice.

From,

Shefali Patel

C.E.O. and Queen of Shefali’s World in 7th period Calculus AB

P.S. You’re a freshman, which means you’re a peasant – remember your place.

 

Dear Incoming Freshmen:

I remember being quite apprehensive about starting my freshman year at IB; the new environment, new people, and new teachers were all daunting at first. Contrary to my belief, it was actually pretty easy to adjust to everything, but I definitely had to make a concerted effort. You have to be willing to budget your time properly and handle all of the work that you get if you expect to keep up the high grades you made in middle school. A lot of times it will become very overwhelming, but that will just be a part of the adjustment process.

You definitely earned the right to be in this school, so don’t waste it by instinctively thinking that it will be too much to deal with. You might only be in the school because your parents forced you to go—many of my friends were in the same situation, but they all ended up liking the program a lot. Some of your teachers might seem intimidating on the first impression, and I won’t name any names, but Mrs. Kennon sure comes to mind. Don’t let them deter you, and you’ll have to (metaphorically) “just keep swimming.” Subjects that you should most certainly keep an eye on are biology and environmental science, especially because it will be your first AP course.

Although I can guarantee you that many of the people you have talked to in IB, including myself, don’t always manage time as effectively as they should, you should try your hardest not to be one of those people. Time management will make your adjustment process a lot easier. You won’t have to stay up late many nights and you’ll have your work done ahead of time. Besides that, I also think paying attention in class will aid you greatly. Your teachers are incredibly knowledgeable, so whatever the class is about will help you understand everything clearly, and you can also save time studying.

Overall, it is most important that you maintain a balance between school and your own life. Keep your grades up without letting school dominate your time—it is actually a lot simpler in freshman year than you think. Make sure you have a good stress relieving activity. Play a sport. Join band. Hang out with friends. Read a good book. Wrestle an elephant. Do something to have fun!

Best of luck,

Neel Shah

 

6 TIPS FOR THE TYPICAL IB FRESHMAN DUMMY

Sup incoming freshman,

So it’s the beginning of a whole new era. First, you dreamed of growing up in preschool, then you experienced 6 years of memorable elementary years, and afterwards you faced a quick 3-year middle school transition, took a little test to see your ranking and then BAM!!~Now you’re here.  IB. International Baccalaureate. Just recently #2 high school in the nation. It’s Jam-packed with Crazy Geniuses and so many talented students along with top-notch teachers that can basically read your minds who also know each subject like the back of their hands! From the day you learned of your acceptance, you’ve probably heard the news of how tough this school is. So much homework, so many projects, very little sleep, so many IA’s, EEs, APs, CAS hours, EOCs………….Well the truth is, all that’s true. But you don’t have to worry about that right now. ~In middle, after all the perceived gibberish that you accumulate in those eardrums of yours, immediately you reassess your decision and ask yourself: “is it really that bad?” “If it is, is it for me?” “Do I belong here?” “Will I really lose my social life?” “Will people think I’m a nerd?” Then suddenly, after strenuous work on that Mythology book and preparation with those note cards for Mrs. Harb, you are an hour away from the official commencement of your freshman year. With blood pumped, you anticipate the arduous tasks and the teachers. You take a ten-minute shower singing your favorite tune, take three minutes to get dressed in your most fancy clothes, brush your teeth for another two minutes. Afterwards, you spend another minute to make sure your hair is perfectly combed to gain the best impression from your teachers. You spray some deodorant. Then, you take a single bite from a hot pocket but your stomach is full of excitement and has no room for food. Finally, you grab your bag and head off to school, heart pounding with eagerness. And then… Your first day begins……..

So let’s face it. This is probably how you somewhat approached IB, well it’s how I did. If not, you’re definitely not regular…well now thinking about it, all IB students aren’t regular. Speaking of that, first thing first….TIP #1-BE YOURSELF. You’re here for a reason. You’re not here to find a niche in the pre-IB system, the school system finds the niche for you. If you’re a passionate athlete, stay an athlete. If you’re a passionate musician, stay one. Don’t let the IB stereotype that all student’s study their butt off 24/7 change your lifestyle, because trust me, you will come to realize that your expectations of IB and the actual experience you will face will contradict each other. Remember, at the very end of high school, that last thing that you want to feel is “Regret.” Do what you love. For me? I played Bartow basketball here for the past 2 years in a half. I’ve also played piano for the past 11 years and am still continuing that streak. So just because of the vigorous schoolwork, you don’t have to give up what you love. Next up, just as important, TIP #2- Have friends. Don’t start off the school year with the mindset that everyone is your enemy and competition. In such stressful four years of work, your IB peers are the best things you’ve got; so don’t take anything for granted. In the end, everyone is just one BIG family, and you’ll realize how much you guys have gone through. As everyone here knows, the only people who truly understand what you are going through other than yourself are your IB friends, so make sure to establish a close bond with everybody, or you’ll be having a rough and boring time through the four years. Next up TIP #3- HAVE FUN. Yeah, I should’ve saved this for last, but I placed it specifically here as my next three tips will be have a more educational purpose and tone to it. Ongoing, having fun is very important. As mentioned before, you do not want to have any regrets, and you also don’t want to view your friends as just students. They’re your family. On weekends, chill with them at their house, go watch a movie, go bowling, play some basketball or football outside, or play video games. Whatever it is, don’t just allow your four years to revolve around schoolwork. If done properly, your IB years will definitely be an “interesting” ride.

Well now that those tips are done with, it is time for the education advice. Clearly, you chose this school for a reason. It may be just for the challenge, peer pressure, motivation and preparation for college, or just because your mom told you that you pretty much had no choice. Well if the latter relates to you, don’t feel alone, as my mom told me I would be a disappointment if I didn’t go here. But then again, I was pretty much pressured since my older sister thrived in IB so yeah, sibling rivalries FTW. *sarcasm intended. Anyways, my first tip in regarding your success in your studies is TIP #4- DON’T PROCRASTINATE! DO NOT DO NOT DO NOT DO NOT PROCASTINATE! And even if you’re good at that, still, DO NOT PROCASTINATE! This is IB, not your average high school. Teachers’ expectations are high. Our principal Dr. Vetter expects you to achieve greatness. And what’s the best way to accomplish that? DON’T PROCASTINATE! I’ve learned that the hard way. Procrastination has been a habit for me since 9th grade ever since those Mythology index cards. I did them like two days before they were due and my associated grade definitely reflected my procrastination. If I recall correctly, I received something like a C, but eventually finished off with an A. IMPORTANT: Start a good habit early by doing your homework two days before the due date. As you may already know, the school days are split into A days or B days, so homework is due two days later. Don’t wait ‘till the next day and get behind. Do your work on the day assigned and get it over with. Furthermore, use the weekends as catch-up days. Trust me, this will save your bootay a lot of time and stress in the long run. My wakeup call was just a few weeks ago. In AP US history…. I procrastinated so much. As a straight A student my whole life, I had the worst scare. Standardized test #3….I waited, and waited, and waited till the last moment to study. With my grade at a narrow 90, I couldn’t have cared less, having confidence in my procrastination ability. I crammed the day before I took the test, cramming and cramming and cramming and pulled an all-nighter. I ended up getting an F on that test. YES an F! A flipping F….dropped my grade down to a C of some sort and my semester grade to a very low B. If you’re curious, I ended up with an A. I worked really hard on the weekends and right after school. I shut down my computer and phone and focused solely on history. This leads me to TIP #5- TOT AKA TURN OFF TECHNOLOGY…Spending all that time on Facebook stalking others wastes valuable time. Texting others for no reason does the same. SCENARIO: Just think about it this way. You get home, spend 2 hours on FB, twitter, YouTube or Ifunny, then do some homework, watch some television for an hour, then spend 30 minutes on your phone texting. Then, you double this amount of time on the weekdays…After two weeks of executing the same routine, you suddenly need to start your Fly Lab (you’ll find out what that is in 11th grade). Now just imagine all that time you’ve wasted with technology… that’s approximately 3.5 hours a day, or 17.5 hours on schooldays in the week, and an additional 14 hours on weekends to an aggregate total of 31.5 hours per week or 63 hours for that entire two week span….Yet, exhausted, you are squeezing in those last 4 hours of your valuable sleep time trying to finish hour lab. How frustrating would that be? So make sure to turn your technology off unless it’s for school related purposes. The last and final advice is TIP #6- DON’T CHEAT. First off all, Dr. Vetter hates this, and if he hates this, then don’t do it. It’s simple as that. Next off, there is WAY too much risk involved. Remember, you’re in Pre-IB ready to be an official IB student. You’re here because we students know that we are capable of handling the abundance of assignments handed to us daily. In addition, grades to most of us are like jewels. Just getting caught once= breaking that jewel. It’s not worth it. Next off, cheating won’t help you learn. This is self-explanatory. Basically, don’t cheat at all. It can easily bite you back. Never copy each other’s homework. Teachers will catch you right away, no matter how duplicitous you think you seem. Also most likely, you’ll be kicked out of IB. All that hard work will have gone to waste.

So yeah, if you’ve read this far, I’m pretty darn sure you are dedicated and will be a great fit to this IB program and I really do wish you a great time here. You will definitely learn a lot of information, but the lessons you’ll acquire through hardships in IB are what make this place significantly more special than other schools. Here, everyone’s different. We are all accepted as nerds, athletes, band-geeks, jocks etc…the fantastic part about IB is that you’re free to do whatever you want and no one here can judge. No one cares how weird you are, as everyone in this school has their own weird side. There are such a variety of religions, cultures, and ethnicities here. The experience is magnificent, and I really do hope that you’ll practice the advices I’ve mentioned. These are just basic though, as clearly, you guys are bright enough to understand on your own what or what not to do. Just remember, I’ve been in your position before. In addition, I’ve faced my doubts, worries, and reconsiderations, but in the end, I’ve come to realize, this place here really is a second home, and as long as you stay true to yourself while working hard, you’ll have a fantastic and memorable experience once these brief four years terminate!

Thanks,

Your hermano de otra madre,

Peter Yao

 

Dear Incoming Freshmen,

So here it is. The beginning of your high school life—four years that may be characterized as either the best four years of your life or the worst. You’ve done something that an average kid wouldn’t do: pick IB. Actually, I take that back, you may have been forced by your parents to attend this school, but you’re here, nonetheless. Now, onto the senior advice. The primary and most obvious suggestion is definitely going to concern procrastination—don’t do it. Yeah, you’re probably thinking, “There’s no way I’m going to procrastinate. I’m going to be super diligent and studious and perfect and blah blah blah”; however, one’s mindset is easily susceptible to change once you’re in it. Not to sound super pessimistic, but really, the majority of IB students experience a gradual, constant decline in motivation levels over the course of four years in this program. Actually yeah, that was super pessimistic, but hey, that’s the truth—it happens. Instead of trying to be unrealistically uplifting, I’ll try to be honest as possible. This program is difficult, but doable. Doable being the key word—you actually have to do your work. Get this out of your mind: you cannot solely rely on your intelligence to get through these four years. Yes, you were accepted because of intelligence; however, you must put effort in if you expect the success of an IB diploma out of the IB program.

You will become exhausted, weary, frustrated—all those negative states—which is a given with all the assignments and other responsibilities. The most important thing is, however, to not let all the stress of the program completely consume you and thus have yourself burn out when you reach senior year—the most important year—which is when you’ll need the most energy, motivation, concentration, and diligence. Don’t waste time and energy frantically worrying about calculating the number of points you need on a certain assignment in an Excel spreadsheet to have a certain A grade for the quarter; don’t even think about trying to argue with Mrs. Kennon for an additional point on some stupid worksheet. It’s petty, insignificant, and a waste of time; you can take heed of my advice or find out the hard way when Mrs. Kennon snaps at you for being so stubborn with a few points. Of course try your hardest to do your best, especially at the beginning of your IB journey; however, just don’t overdo it, or you’ll regret it later. The constant worry and exceedingly high standards that most of you overachievers will most likely set for yourselves aren’t worth it. Remember: you’re supposed to have fun in high school, too.

Another thing about IB worth mentioning is the community. First, IB at Bartow has the most excellent teachers that you’d ever find, so don’t take them for granted. They’re committed to helping you grow and develop while also aiding in building the foundation blocks for the legit IB years (junior and senior years) you’ll have to face. It’s hard to keep this in mind when you’re frustrated at a grade they forgot to put in or a few points taken off your labs even when you didn’t deserve it; nevertheless, believe me when I say you’ve got the best of the best. Let me be a little more specific. Mrs. Kennon is the best biology teacher you’ll ever have; she may be a bit intimidating and harsh in freshman year (I was actually terrified of her myself), but she knows what she’s doing to toughen you up for the upcoming years. If you start off math with Naki, you’ll have the time of your life in there. He makes everything so much more interesting and animated with unexpected stories here and there—you can never go a day without laughing in his class. He’s honestly one of my favorite teachers—but not just because of his personality, but because of his teaching style. Although this is subjective, but I felt like Naki made everything so much easier to understand and remember; he’s also extremely determined to make sure that you understand the material, rather than worry about the superficial grades in his class. There are other amazing teachers as well, but those two were my favorite underclassmen teachers who stuck out in my mind as I was thinking about what to write; the teachers will only get better with each grade level, though (all hail Queen Frisbie). Besides the teachers, the obvious people that you’ll be interacting and growing closer to everyday are your own classmates. You may start out as a loving class, with everyone getting along with each other right away; or you could end up like my class (2014) who started off with separate little cliques and hating one another. But really, the end results of each IB class seem to resemble each other, nonetheless. You’ll grow closer. You’ll find the best of friends—friends nothing like those in the “normal” high school world. You’ll form a special bond by the end. Since an IB class is so small, the classmates have that opportunity to grow into a little IB family. What I’m saying is super mushy gushy and possibly cliché-ish—and it’s true, maybe the nostalgia’s starting to set in because it’s the second semester of senior year now—but it holds true.

Despite the rumors you’ve probably heard about IB—the nonexistence of a social life, mountain piles of homework per night, rolling tides of tests and other assessments weekly, decline in sanity, etc.—there are positive aspects that aren’t often brought into light. But really, your experience in IB depends on what you decide to make of it—how you decide to approach your academic obstacles; how you decide to view and behavior towards your classmates; how you decide to let IB control you; how you decide to control IB. Nevertheless, a challenge is always worth overcoming to gain something of value in the end, and that something is a high school experience like no other. Blood, tears, sweat, and more tears—I honestly would do it all over again.

Best of luck, freshman.

Karen Bui

 

Dear Reader,

Congratulations on getting accepted in the I.B. program! You should feel very proud of yourself and confident in your intelligence. Just remember that as you endeavor to succeed in a rigorous and life-changing program. It’s not always going to be pretty, and you’re going to need to find your “rock” to keep you grounded through the hectic four years. Maybe it’s your best friend who is going through the program with you, maybe it’s your dedication to soccer, or maybe it’s a loving parent. Just make sure you keep some steady positive influence on your life as I.B. can really bring you down.

Enough of the gloom (For now at least), let me tell you about the positive aspects of I.B. You will be privileged to have some of the most dedicated and competent teachers in Polk County. Mrs. Frisbie, for example, will constantly remind you of assignments, give you numerous chances to improve your grade if you slip up, and often will offer extra help if you need it after school. A small percentage of teachers will do that much for you so be grateful and don’t make her attempts to make you succeed be fruitless. Undertaking the challenge of I.B. earns you well-deserved respect so treasure that.

The hardest part of I.B. is time management (and stress management). You will have slam weeks where 7 big assignments and 2 tests are all due the same day. Plan ahead. You’re going to hear this a million times but let it start sinking in your head right now to NEVER. EVER. PROCRASTINATE. Procrastinating will put you on your “I.B. death bed.” You will not sleep. You will not get good grades on your mediocre work and you will get cranky. Do your best to prepare for slam weeks by working ahead during easy weeks when not much homework is due. Always spend the most time in your hardest subject. Take your time to do good quality work because your teachers will have high expectations of you. Work hard and set mini goals for yourself to make big tasks seem less threatening. This strategy will help you keep sane through I.B.

Best of luck,

Amanda Jean

A friend ☺

 

Hi Student,

I’ve been in IB for about 2 and a half years now and I have learned a lot about what not to do. Furthermore, I have also learned about many things that one should do in order to make use of the experience here. The first “pitfall” that you, student, should be aware of is the fact of procrastination. This misconception among many people in the IB programs what makes them tire, sleepy and grouchy most of the time. (Of course, you could just not do any work, but I don’t recommend that from and academic point of view).

Another common pitfall that IB students tend to succumb to is the concept of organization. I personally feel that I would be the best person to teach you, student, about this topic because I have experienced disorganization for a long time. Therefore, three words: don’t do it. One good way of keeping yourself organized is with the use of two book bags. This strategy allows students to keep work from one day in one bag and the other day in the other, it’s perfect! Another problem that us “IB people” have trouble with is involvement in extracurricular. Many people as freshman forget the importance of extracurricular activities due to school. Over time, as they become juniors and seniors, it is too late to join these activities because they are too old (and old people are not athletic people ).So basically, join multiple clubs and sports and simply drop out of those that you don’t seem to like too much.

Overall, I hope this short advisory note was beneficial. This short note is also another lesson that can be learned from IB. It is not the length of what you write that counts, but rather the content. Unlike other schools, teachers at IB actually read your work (I know it’s crazy, but it’s true).

Good Luck Student,

Jay Khatri (#swag)

 

So you’ve decided to join the IB community, congratulations! There’s a large change going from normal middle school to pre-IB, so us juniors want to help you get yourselves prepared. There’s a great deal of lifestyle changing, and although they seem dumb and worthless now, you’ll soon realize their importance.

First off, waiting until the last day to do your work (which you more than likely do normally) is completely off the table. Trust me, it’s a common trait among IB students. No one hates you not doing anything, but there is a large difference between resting and procrastinating. There’s quite a bit of work, and from experience there are a lot of assignments that are literally impossible to do in one night. Save yourself the pain, and start doing a little work over time, instead of cramming the night before.

Also, don’t be afraid of getting help from others. IB is a very diverse course. We all have different strengths and weaknesses, and no one will laugh at you for asking a question for something you don’t understand. From either the students or the teachers, you can get help from us at reasonable hours.

And above all, you need to RELAX. This is a challenging course, and running and being frantic won’t change that. Keep your head cool, and you’ll find this program easier than you think. There’s many stressful things in IB, and that’s because of the rigor of the course. Your grades will more than likely drop from your normal straight A’s from middle school, and that’s okay. Your last two years of school, having more B’s than A’s is not as abysmal as you think. This is a tough course, and you aren’t a perfect person, so if you’re getting really stressed, try to calm yourself, because it’s not as bad as you think it is.

You’re going to have a great time in the International Baccalaureate program; I know it. So keep your head high, your mind sharp, and take pride in the fact that you’re part of the (officially rated) #2 school program in the United States!

Sebastian Lunsford

 

Dear noobs Incoming Freshmen,

Remember how all throughout elementary and middle school, you made pretty much all As?  Well, it’s time to put that behind you, now.  Prepare to get dominated by biology.  In other words, do your work, don’t make Mrs. Kennon mad, and you won’t get your head bitten off.  Everybody loves Science Fair!  Get ready for that, too.  In a nutshell, Freshman year is the year in which you realize that IB is much different than what you’re used to.  Oh, wait, the first two years are PRE-IB.  So, unless you want to get kicked in the butt, do not, under any circumstances, complain about having too much work within earshot of a Junior or Senior.

 

Dear Incoming Sophomores,

Not really much to say, here.  This year will pretty much be the same, if not easier than last year.  ENJOY THIS YEAR, FOR IT IS YOUR LAST IN PRE-IB.  Whenever you have free time, USE IT WISELY!  Do you want to know how I’m spending my free time?  I’m writing an essay for Ms. Frisbie to turn in tomorrow morning in the library.  Why?  Because when I was taking a shower about twenty minutes ago, I saw red ink on my left hand reminding me about the essay.  If you have a planner, please write down assignments and due dates and what not; it helps you stay organized and prepared.  Last year before real IB. ENJOY IT.

 

Dear Incoming Juniors,

Very wise wisdom was given to us when we Juniors were Sophomores: DON’T PROCRASTINATE ON JOURNAL QUESTIONS.  That previous sentence could quite possibly be the single most important bit of advice this year.  Seriously, I was up all night yesterday, desperately trying to do my journal questions, and between that time and the time I spent at school today, I finished the questions for Act II of Hamlet.  By the way, there are FIVE acts of Hamlet.  HEED MY WORDS: THIS IS SERIOUSLY NOT SOMETHING YOU CAN DO THE NIGHT BEFORE.  JOURNAL QUESTIONS ARE THE MOST TEDIOUS THINGS IN THE WORLD.  So, whenever you get a sheet of them, do them the following weekend.  Unless, of course, the new English teacher doesn’t require journal questions, be guided by that wisdom.  Ah, yes, don’t forget that since this is real IB, you might want to get ready for the hexagon.  Your first IA is due in November!  Yay!  Think about your extended essay in the second semester!  Yay!  CAS CAS CAS CAS.  Okay, I am really hungry and tired so I’m going to call it a night.

Logan McFarlane

 

Dear Freshman,

Congratulations on being accepted to the Bartow High School International Baccalaureate program! I’m not going to lie; I expected freshman year to be very easy based on what I heard from my older sister and other upperclassmen but it was not the smoothest transition for me. Don’t get discouraged if you struggle in the beginning. IB may completely change your work ethic.

I can still recall the day I read my sister Bianca’s letter on Ms. Frisbie’s website three years ago. I completely concur with past advice, but you (like me) may possibly not realize the significance and validity of some of the advice until you have lived and learned through it yourself. If you ever need a boost of motivation, though, this is a prodigious place to find wise words.

Freshman and sophomore years are the time for extracurricular activities and sports. Marching band took up most of my time in the fall (as will most sports if you decide to try out for a team). I participated in other clubs, too, and I’m sure you’ll find something you like – there are numerous activities to choose from at this school. However, that being said, it’s important to still stay completely focused on your schoolwork and not underestimate how much time a sport will take. I’ve missed a lot of school due to extracurriculars; the most I’ve missed in one sitting is a week, and that happened twice, once for science fair and another time for a medical robotics conference. I know from experience that it is insurmountable to make up schoolwork when more and more keeps piling up until you’re drowning in papers and your grades are compromised. To add to your stress, some of your teachers may not be able to relate to your situation and will not be pleased if you miss school, even if it’s for the most academic reason. Try not to miss a lot of school unless you absolutely must.

I’d say my hardest class freshman year was Biology, because I often had trouble retaining a large amount of information for the tests. If you find yourself struggling, explore different ways to study and learn the content. I make flashcards on Quizlet, write concepts on a dry erase board, take my own notes on my computer, and (attempt to) read the textbook frequently (not just the day before the test). Just remember that if you shoot for high A’s now, by junior year, you will have developed a strong work ethic and will have an easier time adjusting.

The PSAT, AP tests, SAT, CAS project, extended essay, and college applications will hurl themselves at you like a load of bricks if you do not brace yourself to receive them. Don’t worry too much now though; 11th grade is the time to really focus on them. Try to stay organized and on top of these assignments and study at every opportunity available to you. IB is not just about learning the syllabus for basic courses – you will find yourself to be shaped into a well-rounded individual as you go along on your journey.

There will be many long nights ahead when you have to stay up all night finishing homework and want to cry and pull your hair out in frustration (trust me, I’ve been there). These nights are more common if you participate in an overload of activities or waste time in the afternoon. Procrastination is the worst habit of most IB students and our greatest enemy. It is human nature to put assignments off until the last minute. We think we have more time than we actually do, but we’re repentant when it’s 3 o’clock in the morning and there’s a colossal English paper due the next day. Studies have even shown that there are huge health costs to procrastination including compromised immune systems. From a personal standpoint, my level of efficiency is always tantamount to my grades. When I waste precious time, my grades show it. Sleep will become your best friend. Procrastination is your enemy. And time is precious.

I think of IB as a giant 5k race. When the starting gun goes off in August of your freshman year, after you have become acclimated to the program, you release your pent-up energy and progress rapidly. By the time junior year comes along, you might be nearing the 1 ½ mile mark and you start to get slightly tired. The hardest part arrives at around the 2 mile mark. You know there’s so much left to go and you are working as hard as you possibly can but the finish line doesn’t seem to be in sight. You start to question why you even decided to run this race (be in this program) when you could be at home sleeping in (attending a normal public high school). You may even become torpid and sluggish (get a few bad grades). However, by this point, your muscles are firm and you can feel the strength building up as you try to overcome your exhaustion. At the end of senior year, you finally reach the finish line, tired yet exuberant. Throughout your race, always remember that your parents, teachers, and friends are all on the sidelines cheering you on. Although not everyone can relate to your experiences, they ultimately want you to achieve success.

In the words of Colin Powell, “Success is the result of perfection, hard work, learning from failure, loyalty, and persistence”. Brace yourself for the journey ahead; it’s no walk in the park. I still have a full year and-a-half to go and the worst is perhaps still yet to come for me. You will mature more than you can envision in these four years. Some days will be long and grueling, but some days you will wish high school wasn’t flying by so rapidly. Just remember that when you walk across the stage senior year and receive your diploma, you will be appreciative that you decided to embark on this endeavor and surround yourself with remarkable and intellectual teachers and students.

Good luck and never give up!

Sincerely,

Annika Mulaney 🙂

 

To whom it may concern,

High school- the last stage of school before you move out and start pursuing your dreams. So now that you’re finally here, what do you do? Well, to many people freshman year is the easiest year for kids, but you have one other thing to worry about, and that’s that you’re at Bartow IB. High school is definitely a huge step away from middle school. I remember going to middle school, coming home and being able to play outside and actually sleep. Throughout my years at Bartow IB, I have seemed to forget what the concept and importance of sleep is and I seem to be running efficiently on less and less sleep each year. But no matter, life will still be pleasant if you follow my advice.

First, your classes you have are all going to be Pre-IB, which is a fancy term for Honors with a set of IB teachers. For certain classes, I recommend catching up on your sleep, such as Government and English. Mrs. Harb may get onto you, but if you’re on her good side, she doesn’t care what you do as long as you do your work. Now for your other classes- I highly advise paying LOTS of attention in Biology and reading the textbook. This class takes the most studying all year and don’t be a fool and underestimate Mrs. Kennon (after science fair, she becomes nicer and you can occasionally get her to sing the answers to the tests). Also, I’m warning you about Ms. Allison, don’t let her get to your head and make you exit her class room all steamed up. Just ignore all of her rude comments. And get this, you actually learn Spanish! In middle school, Spanish 1 is some kind of a joke and no one ever learns anything except simple words and phrases that can help you survive, like “Where is the bathroom?” Or “Food,” “water,” “home,” and “Where is…?” This year in Spanish, you’ll learn how to speak a little more and your sentences won’t be in Spanglish because of the addition to the past tense. Math class won’t be that difficult as long as you pay attention.

For your elective, it’s an amazing idea to do something easy and fun that can help you relax, like band! Join band, you really won’t regret it. We go to state each year and bring home straight superiors and it’s a class where you get no homework but is weighted the same as all your honors classes. Plus we do nothing for the last 2 weeks of school and the midterm is a playing test and since all 50 or so kids have to play for the teacher, the semester exams lasts 3 minutes (that’s if we even have one) and you can hang out and socialize or study for other classes the rest of the time. The only way you can’t get a 100 in band is if your attendances to practices are bad and you don’t have an excuse and make it up after. Marching band is an amazingly fun extracurricular to do and you get to bond with your fellow band mates. Well, at first, all you’ll do is attend practice which isn’t that fun, but the football games and competing in competitions and spending a whole day with some of your best friends all makes marching band worth it. Because of the homework change from middle school to high school and the addition of extracurricular activities, marching band may seem like it takes up a lot of time and it does, I won’t deny it. But it’s almost like teaching 150 kids a new set of choreography in dance, and many of them are either really bad at dancing or have never danced before in their lives. Also, just because you’re in IB, it doesn’t mean you won’t have time to do any other extracurricular activities. My freshman year, if you look at the year book, I’m in like 5 different clubs and in band. I think I survived that year pretty well. Some of you may have heard of Freshman 15, which is where you gain 15 pounds during your freshman year of college. Well, high school is slightly different. You’re still into sports from middle school and you keep up your weight, but soon, you just don’t have the time for sports. NO! You always have time; you just have to find it. Spend a little less time on social media and cell phones and manage your time so you don’t end up getting fat during high school. At the end when you graduate, we still want all your clothes to fit you because spending money on a new wardrobe is bad since you have to start paying for college soon.

If you can help it, don’t drop out. It seems hard but that’s because motivation will be low at the beginning. I’m also going to stress the point of procrastination. I know, I know, you hear it from everyone that is in IB to not procrastinate and you say you won’t. But if everyone is saying it, there must be some correlation. It’s because everyone procrastinates, even if they say they won’t do it. You’ll soon realize that if you procrastinate, more stress will just be added onto your shoulders. And stress causes headaches and breakouts of acne and pimples.  And no one in high school wants to be seen with that! Especially that giant zit that can’t be hidden behind make up or hair. I also advise to stock up of face washes if you’re one to breakout due to stress, or just save money and not procrastinate. Time management skills will be developed as well and as the year goes on, it will take you less time to do homework; not because it’s easier, but because you work diligently and you crave sleep and live for the cat naps you take. Organization skills start playing a role in your life because the teachers aren’t as lenient as they were at your old school. Writing in your agenda really helps you plan everything and it’s a perfect place to have a to-do checklist of your homework and space them out incorporating meetings and practices.

In conclusion, freshman year isn’t really that bad, it’s just a huge academic and social change from middle school. Study, don’t procrastinate, eat your vitamins and have fun! You’ll make some of your best friends during the next four years of your life. You attend the second best school in the nation and so be proud of it and don’t leave this great opportunity.

Sincerely yours,

Mira Patel

P.S. I hope you’re not reading this letter as you procrastinate!

 

Dear Ishali,

Although you are still a while away from high school, I have some tips for you should you decide to enter the vigorous IB program. This can apply to many students besides my sister, but since I don’t really understand how usual IB kids think, but I know my sister very well, this is a much easier way for me to write this. 🙂

It’s incredible to believe that it’s already been three years since I was an incoming freshman reading these advice letters myself. One thing you should always remember throughout IB is this: Hard work always pays off. Although you may not see the benefits of your work at the time, you have to take a leap of faith that what you’re doing right now is going to benefit you tremendously in the future. Plus, you have an extremely supportive family behind you that will be there with you every step of the way, including me. Speaking of support, it is also important to surround yourself with a couple of friends that have your best interest and will have a positive influence on you (which I’m sure you’ve already learned). A great way to make friends in high school is band (I’m a little biased), and other extracurricular activities, like basketball (again, I’m a little biased). Seriously, my first day of high school I felt like I saw familiar faces everywhere I went! I didn’t feel nervous because I was already extremely familiar with the two most important places on campus: the Band Room and the Gym. Band is great because over the summer you have a week of marching band camp to get to know new people that you will be spending a ton of time with. You also get to know two amazing teachers that honestly have had a huge impact on my high school career so far. Mr. Eckman, Mrs. Mulligan, and Coach Murvin made starting high school a very easy process for me. But beware, sports and IB is a very ambitious endeavor… At least for varsity basketball, the schedule for practices and games is packed- year round in fact. Not all sports are like this though, it just depends. But never fear, you can do it if you have the drive. Between band and basketball, I think I spent more time at school than at my own house! Don’t be afraid to do homework on bus rides, at marching competitions, or before practice. If your friends make fun of you, don’t sweat it, chances are you’re going to get a better grade than they are. When it comes down to it, the work has to get done at some point. YOU HAVE TO MANAGE YOUR TIME REALLY WELL! You know your schedule, so do what you know is right, regardless of what other people say, and it will all work out for you in the end.

Okay, now for school. You’ll learn on your own what works best for you to study for certain classes, each subject is a little different, so just adjust what I’m telling you for each of your classes and you’ll be golden. All I’ll say as far as specifics go is that I hear nowadays APES will be your greatest struggle, and you should do practice exams and not wait until the last minute to study for the AP Test in the end. Learn from my mistakes. Besides that, honestly, my study habits were pretty well developed when I started high school, and I know that we’re training you to have the same work habits that I do. No, it’s not easy, but yes, it is better to develop these habits early on (middle school) and maintain them rather than having to break bad habits when you get to high school because you realize that you aren’t succeeding because of lazy habits. Remember, starting in 9th grade, you are now putting together your GPA that colleges are going to see! Keep that in mind, but don’t think too much about the end result because that is more likely to stress you out. Just work hard and do your best. Although it’s good to strive for straight A’s, a perfect serve, or hitting a high note on your trumpet, one thing I’ve learned is to cut myself some slack. When it comes to your junior year, there really isn’t enough time to do everything exactly to your liking; your schedule just doesn’t allow it. As long as you know you did your best and put in all the effort you possibly could put into an assignment or whatever based on your schedule and other homework at that time, than you should feel proud of yourself. That’s a heads-up for even further in the future, but you should put this into practice before you have a mental breakdown. Don’t compare yourself to other students. You’re your own person with your own strengths and goals. Although a lot of your friends may be math whizzes, perhaps you’ll be the bio genius! That’s okay! Make sure you get enough sleep and eat right, and don’t get too stressed out; it’s bad for your health. You’ll have late nights, but don’t make that a routine thing. Don’t procrastinate. But you will, so just try to keep it at a minimum. Oh, and I would advise not getting your heart set on some hard-to-get-into college your freshman year. Don’t worry about the end result and just focus on working hard. Your hard work will get you into whatever college you want when it’s time to think about that.

The most important things about high school are to work hard, be confident (by sticking to your values), and be happy (smile!). Remember that the purpose of school is learning, not to get good grades. This is something I read in some advice letters a couple years ago and didn’t really believe. But I’ve realized as you go farther in school, your subjects go into more depth, and things start to connect. Focus on understanding, not memorizing (although that’s kind of important, too). Enjoy it! At Valleyview Elementary, they would always say, “Do your best and your best will take care of the rest.” You’ll be surprised the knowledge you use later on in high school from 9th and 10th grade and even from years past. Everything that you think seems useless has more use than you think it does. Also, do what you love. Homework is something you have to do. Balance that out by doing things you love to do and that make you happy. Play volleyball, join band, spend time with your family, call your big sister who’s away in college, or watch Frozen and sing-along to “Let It Go.” Seriously, it’s okay to be a kid. And just to clarify, I’m not telling you not to care about your grades, you should definitely be aware of how you’re doing in every class and pay attention to what you need to improve on. In the end your habits create your end result, and I’m simply saying that if you have good habits and a positive mindset, the end result will take care of itself. Good luck, even though you don’t need it… I mean, you are my sister after all!

Have fun,

Sujaya Rajguru

 

Advice to Descendants

It’s not often that one gets the opportunity to hear from their predecessors, so listen up. The International Baccalaureate program is not something to be taken lightly. It is a privilege, not a right to attend such a school. That being said, it sucks. I know what you’re going through. I worked hard throughout my entire high school career to achieve something that is essentially intangible. All said, the diploma means nothing. The experiences that you have at IB and what you take away from your dedication is worth more than any silly piece of paper. I know that this is hard to hear, because it is hard to type. Even now, as I am finishing off my Senior year, I can’t help but wonder if it was all worth it. I got a couple pencils. Whoa. I got a medallion or two. Whoa. And I even got a couple stickers. With the value of these items being cumulated, I worked my entire high school career at IB for about $0.0000000002 per hour. Maybe per day. I don’t know. These statistics are made up. Probably like most of the work that you have submitted. I’m writing this essay in a single paragraph form because it will in all likelihood make it less attractive to the eye. (However, I have made sure that if it were split up, it would achieve the paragraph count, for I genuinely need the points from this assignment) This way, nobody will read it. Also. wen ur lyin on ur deth bed do u think tht anybdy wll care if u cood rite a propr essy or not? Do you honestly believe that when it has all boiled down, the neatness and care which you placed in your essays will be the shining beacon of your personality? WHAT YOU NEED TO DO IS TO DO WHAT YOU LOVE AND TO NOT WRITE IN ALL CAPS BECAUSE IT LOOKS LIKE YOU’RE YELLING AND IN ALL LIKELIHOOD YOUR CALCULUS TEACHER WILL NOTICE IT AND BE MAD. Seriously, though. Do what you want. Unless what you want is drugs. Drugs are bad. Accept the good kinds of drugs. Like medication. Stay healthy. I’m sorry if you have made it this far through this essay. My advice to you as you continue your journey through this program is to enjoy yourself. Have fun. If you’re thinking about taking the day off, do it. You deserve it. We all do. We work too hard. Also. Never make eye contact with Ms. Delk for more than two seconds. Never ask stupid questions in Calculus. Never sleep in Shuff’s, he will kill you. Never eat school burritos. And never give Dr. Vetter a reason to say more than hello to you, for if the conversation persists, you probably messed up. Don’t mess up. And that is all I really have to say. Ms. Frisbie, if you are reading this, I apologize for the lateness of this essay and for all of the grief that I have given you. I genuinely appreciate your course and how dedicated you are to your students. Stay frosty, Madame.

Sincerely,

Matthew Hewett

 

In my years of being a student in the IB program, I’ve learned a lot about myself: what field of study I’m interested in, my study habits, my time management skills, how much of a load I can handle before I experience an emotional break-down- basically the type of person I am which includes the good and the areas which need improvement. One thing I would advise to incoming freshmen is to not get caught up in the grades. For a long time, I had my identity rooted in my grades. My grades were always never good enough and I took bad grades (anything less than A) really harshly to the point of emotional abuse. Like literally beat myself about it. That’s not a healthy way to handle schooling or an accurate way to define oneself. First of all, grades should not be the number one motivator for learning- the desire to learn should be driving us towards pursuing knowledge. Second- bad grades happen but that doesn’t mean the student is necessarily a bad or inadequate student. Don’t embrace that mentality. A person is worth more than his or her grades and his adequacy shows in more ways than school.

The IB program can help foster healthy study habits and prepare him to take on a number of responsibilities in a timely manner and successful manner. In my senior year, I juggled all of IB, CAS, friends, and family all with two jobs. And I managed to survive somehow. A person becomes aware of his limits and this is important when he tackles on bigger responsibilities in the future. Especially with college when deadlines and tasks matter a whole lot more, a person will be more prepared to complete whatever needs to be done.

My final advice to freshmen who are starting out this thing called IB is to not get totally wrapped up and caught in the middle of it that everything else in their lives get ignored. IB does not have to control the lives of the students involved in the program. Be sure to maintain important friendships outside of school and most importantly, stay in touch with your family. It sounds weird to think you’d lose touch with people living in the same house as you but it happens. Your family will always be there to support you and sometimes, it’s better in the long run to spend time with people you love even if it means sleeping less.

Hanna Larracas

 

Alright let’s get the cliché advice out of the way first: don’t procrastinate, always study, don’t do drugs, etc. Now let’s move on to the stuff that you may not hear from other students. Some of this probably won’t apply to you until you’re a junior though so you may forget about these valuable life lessons but if you pay close attention you will retain the information. First off, you should definitely split Stats your junior/senior year if it will fit in your schedule and you actually enjoy math to some extent. It’s just such a nice default class to take, plus its AP and college credit is very nice. Second, enjoy every minute of ToK, even if it seems boring. Eventually it will be gone and you won’t realize how interesting it was until it’s over.

Third, and this is probably the most important, take whichever science you will actually use in your career field. If you’re going to go into a career that is heavily related with biology, then great, take bio. But if you want to go into something physics-related, take physics. Don’t listen to the rumors that you will fail the IB and AP tests unless you take bio. You can pass if you want to and you try to. Don’t take biology just because some upperclassman tells you that you will automatically pass the tests in biology, because it’s not guaranteed. You still have to do the work. Take whichever science you’ll need in your future. Now obviously you still have time to decide, and your dreams may change. But for now, go with what you think is most interesting, not which one you think will get your diploma. I’m doing great in physics because I actually care about the class. It all depends on what you do. If you don’t plan on going into a science-related field, then take physics, because Mr. Webb wants YOU to join the physics army.

So that pretty much wraps it up. I would advise you to participate in Donut Wednesday as frequently as possible but alas, the gloriousness has been eliminated. Oh, almost forgot. When you’re a senior, don’t bother applying to FSU. Cause come on, FSU, really? You can do better, like PSC.

Adam Moss

 

To the new freshmen,

IB isn’t so bad once you get through the jump from 8th grade to Pre-IB 9th grade and 10th grade to IB 11th grade.  There are numerous opportunities in the program itself, and while we seniors collectively complain about how much the workload sucks, it really is worth the time.  If you’re one of the ones who don’t want to work or find that the program is too hard, then you should probably drop out because—why put yourself through the stress of something you can’t do?

That said, a lot of students complain about staying up into the wee hours of the morning to finish a design lab (which will be the bane of your existence unless you actually do well), but from that way I see it, that’s all part of the plague that is procrastination.  Yes, procrastination.  I think one student praised that a classmate of ours goes to bed at 11PM—and not to toot my own horn—I go to bed between 10 and 10:30PM.  Oh, my God, how do I do it?  I work on my homework as soon as I get home.  Sure, I go on Facebook or YouTube and eat a snack, but there’s only a thirty-minute window for me on that.  Doing your homework as soon as you get home and not taking a nap is how you get more work done.  You can’t be expected to do every assignment in the span of two hours (after 6 being that time when your brain just says “nope” to everything), but do what you can until you can’t anymore.  On those special IAs and projects, you have to sacrifice your playtime to get things done whether or not you procrastinate.  If you wait until 8PM to do your work, then it’s your own fault for not getting things done in a timely matter.

I would also suggest that you get involved with a sport, because once CAS enters your lives…getting action hours is going to really, really put a damper on your lives.  Start early with hours in Pre-IB and actual IB so you don’t end up falling behind and stress out about not reaching the quota.

The subjects that you should really pay attention to are most definitely the language you are taking, all of your history classes, and your science classes.  This doesn’t mean to forget about the other classes—it’s really just focusing on what you can’t do and trying your best to make it through those classes.  History is a cumulative subject, so the IB exam will be pulling from all of the histories from 10th grade to 12th grade (I don’t think US Government and Economics are part of the exam, but I don’t know). Don’t throw away your notes from Biology if you’re planning on taking Biology in 11th grade, because Kennon herself will say, “You should look at your stuff from freshman year to review some stuff.”

If you’re going to take an elective, take something that you will enjoy.  If you take an elective for an easy A…well, that’s just wrong.  For clubs, I recommend A-Team because it’ll probably incline you to study and you can meet a lot of great people, maybe even some students that have already graduated.  If it’s still around, Thursday Group is a great club to get hours that complete the global aspect in CAS.

Lastly, enjoy your time in high school.  Don’t make it into some crappy melodrama of who’s dating whom or fool around and fail.  High school is your make-it-or-break-it for college.

Amanda Swiger