These were written by seniors and juniors in the International Baccalaureate program who took AP Calculus AB during the 2014-15 school year. The essays are in no particular order.

 

 

Dear Freshman,

Congratulations on getting into IB! You may have heard horror stories from people talking about how it’s nearly impossible to get good grades and have a social life, but to be honest, it’s not as bad as you think it is. Yes, there will be times where you stay up past midnight to complete an assignment or study for an exam, but as long as you manage your time carefully and not get distracted (I know, easier said than done), you will survive IB with your grades still intact. Here are a few tips to make your next four years more manageable:

Tip #1: Prioritize your classes. You only have a limited amount of time (and brainpower), and IB is going to push it to the max. So don’t spend too much time on studying for subjects that you know you excel in. For example, let’s say that there’s a History and a Calculus test on the same day. You know that your grade in History is pretty good, but that it’s awful in Calc. No matter how tempting it may seem, forget about History, and study for Calc. It’s not the end of the world if you fail the History test (because your overall grade is high enough to handle it), and your improved grade in Calc will definitely be worth it. IB is a juggling act; you have to be flexible and devote more time to the classes that you aren’t so good at.

Tip #2: Join some clubs! Not only will this help keep you sane, but being an active member of a club is excellent for college applications and community service hours. Just do any after-school activity that you genuinely enjoy. Love debating? Join Youth in Government. Love volunteering? Join Key Club. Doing these activities will help you meet new people and maybe even gain valuable leadership experience one day.

Finally, don’t freak out when you get your first B. It’s not the end of the world. Believe me, you’ll have more important things to worry about a year or two from now. Just work hard, try not to procrastinate and remember, you’re not alone. There are about sixty other people that are going through the same hell that you are. So stick together, and you’ll be fine. Good luck!

Saher Kidwai

 

Dear incoming IB freshman,

Before you are completely immersed in the IB program, it’s best that you prepare yourself for what you’re getting into. First things first: you need to start off strong in IB. In your first few months of IB, it is important that you put all your effort into becoming accustomed to the IB lifestyle. Study hard and raise your grades as high as possible. Certain classes (especially Spanish) will become considerably harder as the year progresses, so you need to score as high as possible in the first grading period so that you’ll have a little bit of room for error in the second semester. Time management is absolutely essential. You need to make the best use of your time everyday afterschool to make sure you don’t end up staying up too late. Avoid naps as much as possible and do your homework as soon as you get home. I always recommend that you study for any tests prior to beginning your homework because homework can be done when you are pretty sleepy, but if you try to study when you’re tired, you’re not likely to remember much.

It’s definitely not worth your time to spend several hours studying for each and every test for every subject. Obviously, you’ll have to study harder for your weaker subjects, but there are also some classes that will require more studying regardless of your skill in the subject. Biology definitely requires more effort than all other classes because the tests are super specific. Study the notes, not the book. Ms. Kennon’s tests are 100% based off of the notes. Government and economics are a breeze if you just pay attention in class. You don’t really need to study too much out of class. Algebra II isn’t bad at all if you pay attention while doing your homework. In general, pay attention in class, take notes, and pay attention while doing your homework. This will make it easier for you to grasp the information early on and you will be able to spend less time studying while still making good grades.

Don’t give in to the stereotype that IB students don’t have a social life or don’t sleep enough. If you manage your time effectively, you can definitely find time to hang out with friends and sleep enough. The trick to successfully balancing academics and social life is to plan social activities for days or times of the year when you don’t have too much work. After semester exams is a great time to relax a little and spend some time with friends. Every now and then, you’ll have a relatively free weekend; those are good times to catch up on sleep. If you follow my advice, I am sure you will be able to be successful in IB.

Best of luck!

Divya Ravinder

 

Dear Bartow IB Freshman,

I would like to congratulate you on your acceptance into the IB program. It is not one to be taken lightly; you are entering into a 4-year long journey. Think of it as a “real-life version” of The Odyssey, a wonderful work you will read during the summer before freshman year for Mrs. Harb’s class. Odysseus’s voyage is anything but pleasant, but in the end, he reunites with Penelope and Telemachus in Ithaca. Your Penelope is receiving the IB diploma and your Telemachus is getting accepted into your number one university. I know you can do it. If you want to reach the golden shores of Ithaca, keep your eyes on the prize. Focus is perhaps one of the most important things you need to succeed in IB. Here are my tips on how to focus for the next four years and the most important things on which you must focus:

1. Be yourself. Plain and simple, do not let others influence your morals, work ethic or sleep habits. Do not be afraid to explore what options lie ahead in terms of clubs, athletics, competitions, and courses. IB is a competitive program, but do not make your friendships centered on college admissions. Make it a priority to form relationships with others because school is not just 300% about the books (maybe it’s only 200%). That other 100% should be dedicated to your support group, the people you go to when you are having the highest highs and the lowest lows. Plus, it will be much easier for you to find social groups in IB because students have such diverse interests.
2. You might have heard that IB is notorious for procrastination. Part of the problem is viral. Procrastination is kind of like a disease, so make sure you wash your hands and get your shots, if you know what I mean. The best organizational tool I’ve used in my life so far is my agenda. I write down reminders for my homework, chores, projects, forms, dues…everything goes in the agenda. When you get home, you can view a complete to-do list waiting to be completed. Don’t doubt the powers of the agenda; it is EXTREMELY helpful.
3. Don’t pull all-nighters. They are neither good for your health nor helpful in the end. If you have studying to do, but you have a squash tournament coming up, plan ahead, and schedule time on the weekends and school days leading up to the game to study for the Biology test. Another way to prevent all-nighters is to break up the material into chunks. Study section-by-section, and experiment with different resources to find what works for you. I’m not a flashcards person, but you may be. Try Khan Academy videos, outlines, STNT (APES should help with this) style reviews, and online textbook summaries to help you manage the information more efficiently. You will be taking many AP courses for the next four years, so form these study habits now. In addition, I advise you not to spread yourself too thin. Join the clubs and sports which interest you, but also leave time for stress-relieving activities which may be in the arts or even community service for that matter. You just need to tell yourself, “It’s not impossible; I CAN do this.”
4. I would suggest taking the SAT, ACT, and/or the PSAT at least once during freshman or sophomore year. Getting early exposure to these exams will alleviate some of the testing pressures you will face in 11th and 12th grades. Use your scores as diagnostic tools, and make sure to speak with your parents and our guidance counselor, Ms. Martinez, about special test prep opportunities available to you. More importantly, do not wait until the last minute to start studying for AP exams. I suggest you review some prep books, notes, etc. starting sometime in late March or early April. You will have a much easier time retaining information and learning test formats.
5. Real talk—GPA. You will find that many of your fellow freshmen will be running around like decapitated chickens after GPAs are announced in the spring. Although GPA is important for college admissions, it is not the only thing that matters. I strongly advise you to take courses based on your interests and career goals while you are in IB. Taking AP Psychology sophomore year just because 25 other people took it is not a valid reason to enroll in a course. If you do not like the subject, chances are you won’t do as well on tests and assignments because you have less motivation to work hard. I mean, don’t get me wrong, you will find mandatory classes to be somewhat unappealing at times; however, you must adapt. In the same way, you must adapt to the GPA system. Aiming for the top 10 is fine, and setting high goals is completely okay. Taking five extra courses through dual enrollment, compromising your straight A record, and ultimately learning nothing are not okay. In the end, if you are concerned about college, just remember that universities want to see passionate, goal-driven individuals, not just number-driven robots. If you really want to learn for the fun of it, and you cannot find opportunities at PSC or FLVS, I suggest looking into open courseware (MOOCs) online.
6. Writing is a skill which is not valued enough in today’s public education policies. You should take writing assignments and essays very seriously. By the time you have reached AP level English courses, you will find that most of the evaluations are conducted through essays. Essays do not go away; you will face them in graduate programs and beyond. Because writing skills cannot be improved in just a day, take the time to review your writing skills carefully during ninth and tenth grades. Ask your English teachers for help if needed, write essays well ahead of the deadline to allow for editing and review, and sincerely put forth a good effort for the journal assignments you will receive in junior and senior year.
7. Take a breath and relax. Take life day by day, and do not obsess for hours over small things. High school is very much a “big picture” thing. Your mental and physical health come first, so make sure you take time to relieve stress and have fun. Remember, your parents are your number one supporters. Speak to them about what’s going on at school if you are having troubles, and communicate these issues with teachers as well. Although you might think your teachers are scary and want you to fail, they don’t. In fact, they care about your wellbeing and your academic success. Just try not to irritate them to death with petty questions and distractions.

I hope you take these words to heart, and I’m sure you will because you are an overachieving IB student. Upperclassmen may appear to be monsters, but we are not. If you ever have any questions, feel free to talk to me if you see me around campus. I wish you the best of luck on this long adventure.

See you in Ithaca!

Kriyana Reddy

 

Hi (Freshman) Friend! J

Welcome to the world of challenging classes, lots of homework, and no sleep (oh my). It might sound rough, but guess what? I believe in you, and you should, too. Congratulations on being accepted into one of the best high schools in the nation; you’re in for the ride of your life. Of course, IB has a notorious reputation of being terribly difficult—no social life, hours of studying, and rigorous classes. However, there is hope. All you need to do is keep one essential thing in mind: IB is what you make it. You choose how you live your life, so your mindset about everything will be crucial for these next four years. With that being said, welcome to the best (or worst) years of your life—you decide.

You’re going to be tested in many ways during your IB career. Stress levels will hit an apex and breakdowns might increase tenfold. The stakes are higher than ever. You’ll be tempted to get out alive, no matter the costs. Passing a test or earning a semester “A” will seem like a much higher priority than, let’s say, your integrity. After all, isn’t the assurance of a passing grade worth the unlikely chance that you’ll be caught in an act of fraudulence? The answer is simple: cheating is not worth it. Never place your integrity on the line. As the old adage goes, “respect takes years to earn and seconds to lose.” Why place yourself in such an unworthy gamble? There will be times of desperation when you’ll want to use your phone to search up an answer to a government test, copy your friend’s answers for a workbook page, or tell others about the biology essay question. There is one thing you should keep in mind about IB: word travels fast. Sooner or later, someone will know; therefore, don’t place yourself in that situation. Abstain from collusion, and when tempted, ask yourself: “Is it really worth a tarnished reputation and the possibility of expulsion?”

All seriousness aside, remember to have fun! You’re in high school now. Make new friends, try new things, join new clubs, make a new and improved you (not that there was anything wrong with your middle school self, of course). Involve yourself into activities in the school as well as the community. The best way to do this is to join clubs. As a freshman, I joined almost every club I heard of. Then, I slowly dropped some and became more involved in the ones I truly care about. Also, play on a sports team. Sports are one of the best ways to meet new friends, especially from Bartow and Summerlin. The bonds that you’ll form after a season of being on the same team will be unforgettable so don’t miss the opportunity.

Find your own style of completing homework and studying. I don’t want to tell you not to procrastinate, because I know you’re going to do it anyway. So as a compromise, don’t procrastinate to the point that you’re staying up until 2 AM in your freshman year. There is absolutely no need for you to be sleeping that late every night, especially in your first year of IB. Seriously, save the late nights/early mornings for the fly lab (junior year) or college applications (senior year). Learn material as you go instead of cramming for it in one night. High school includes midterms, finals, and AP tests. We all have the habit of forgetting about logarithms right after the chapter test or the structure of DNA after a bio quiz. This is a bad idea, a very bad idea. You see, at the end of the semester, there will be midterms. You will need to either remember or relearn all of the material. Then in May, there will be AP tests. Once again, your memory will be required to perform ‘miracles’ of retention to ensure a passing score. So advice: learn the material gradually the first time so it stays longer; don’t just cram it in. I promise you, you’ll like yourself much more if you don’t have to relearn 10,000 years of history (no joke, 8000 BCE to present) in one weekend before the AP World History exam (fortunately I am not speaking from experience).

Find things that are important to you. Focus on these things, but don’t allow the others to slip away. If you care about sports, invest more time into conditioning for soccer, but don’t forget to study for the math test. If you care about your GPA, take higher level classes, but don’t forget to maintain your health. If you care about your social life, hang out with your friends, but don’t forget to complete your APES lab.

Random helpful suggestions to make IB better (in no order of importance)

• Always do extra credit (89s will hurt badly)
• Don’t ask Ms. Kennon to sign a pre-excused absence form the day before your absence
• Filibuster in Mrs. Devore’s class
• Don’t take classes because people say they’re “easy”
• Eat at Haciendas
• Learn the difference between “much” and “many”
• Don’t be late to Señora Calvo’s class
• Ask Ms. Kennon about her opinions on Kanye West
• Buy a fleece blanket and fall in love
• Get your permit/license ASAP (not a week after your birthday, ON your birthday)
• Befriend people in other grades
• Color mark AS you read, not AFTER you read
• Maintain close relationships with your friends!!
• Find motivation and keep it
• Don’t take extra classes if you can’t maintain As in your normal classes
• Drink smoothies
• When in doubt, hydrogen bonds (you’ll get it later)
• Wake up as late as possible so you can sleep more
• (Most) upperclassmen aren’t as scary as they look
• You’re a freshman; earn respect and work your way up

Keep an optimistic mindset, my friend, and life will be so much happier. Try to spend less time complaining about the amount of work you have and more time enjoying high school. Be the best version of yourself and leave your legacy. You’re going to do great things; believe in yourself.

JJJ Smiles,

Manzhen Chen

 

Dear Freshman,

First of all, good job on making it into the International Baccalaureate Program at Bartow High School. It is no easy feat to be chosen to be a part of one of the highest ranked high schools in the nation. That being said, everything you have done up until now will not compare in the slightest to what you will soon experience in IB. Even if you were able to smoothly cruise through your elementary and middle school years without so much as lifting a finger, IB will force you to work. However, do not be discouraged! A little hard work (probably) never killed anyone!

Your freshman year of IB will no doubt be your easiest year. Nevertheless, do not take your first year of high school lightly because the grades you earn as a freshman will follow you up until the graduating day of your senior year. A single low grade caused by carelessness as a freshman can totally ruin your GPA, and once the damage is done, it is extremely difficult to repair. Try your best in all the classes you have, no matter the difficulty, and work hard to earn the grade that you desire.

You have probably heard the all the horror stories about the insane amounts of work that the IB program will pile on top of you. Sorry, but most of what you have heard is completely true. IB is a lot of work no matter how you look at it. Fortunately, you will learn to adapt (or die), and what appeared to be a mountain of work before will soon seem like a small hill to conquer. Repetition and consistency will transform you into an efficiency machine able to pump out essays and homework assignments with ease. Although many people will tell you not to procrastinate, everyone is different and if that’s the way you do your work then that’s fine. The important thing is that you complete the work on time to the best of your ability.

In order to live a balanced and healthy life, it is important that you participate in extracurricular activities. Clubs and sports teams are an excellent way to spend your free time and always look good on college applications. I met some of my best friends by joining a sports team and forming a club. (Hopefully the tennis club I formed will still be around by the time you read this.) IB is extremely stressful and unless you have a way to blow off steam you will surely burn out and end up miserable.

Taking everything into consideration, choosing to attend IB Bartow and stick with it has been one of the best decisions of my life. I suggest that you do your best to stay in the program instead of dropping out prematurely because, even when the going gets tough, at the end of the day you will surely come out of IB a vastly new and improved individual.

Sincerely,

Aaron Sandoval

 

Dear freshman,

Congratulations on being accepted to the lovely but challenging IB program at Bartow High School! You’ve probably heard numerous rumors in middle school about IB kids not having a life outside of school and that the amount of homework every night is so insane that you won’t get to sleep. While there is a lot of homework and studying required, you will have time to do things with your friends, enjoy whatever hobby you have, and most importantly sleep. After all, most rumors are lies.

A major pitfall to avoid is don’t come into IB thinking that receiving A’s is as easy as it was in middle school. In middle school, you were probably one of the top students in your class and you didn’t have to study for any tests and still got A’s. Here at IB, to get an A, or even B sometimes, is a challenge. So here’s my advice. Always do your homework! Always do extra credit because it will fluff your grade, especially in subjects that are not your high point. Always study before tests too. You never know, those 10 minutes of studying could be a difference between getting an A or a B on the test. Find a study method that works best for you. Some people like to use Quizlet and others just read out of the textbook. Most importantly, remember that grades are not the center of the world (but don’t let them go down the drain because you didn’t try). Receiving a B for the first time isn’t the end of the world. You’re not going to die and your parents are not going to kill you. Remember that IB is very rigorous. So, be proud of yourself for your hard work. Don’t stress too much over grades and whatever you do, do NOT procrastinate. Procrastination is the reason some people have to pull all-nighters or overly stress. You definitely want to avoid it. So, learn to manage your time.

GPA. If you care about your GPA, then don’t take any 4.0 classes. Try to take AP classes or at least honor classes. AP Human Geography is probably the easiest AP class that you can do as an elective. So I would recommend taking that. However, don’t take AP classes lightly. You want to pass the exam so you can get college credit. Also, you can take dual enrollment classes, but don’t overload yourself with classes to the point that homework controls your life. While GPA is important, don’t make it the focus of your high school life. Don’t let competition for ranking, which is based on GPA, destroy your life or friendships.

As a freshman, you have to take biology, which is taught by Mrs. Kennon. She can be intimidating at times, but she does this to help you focus during your freshman year. Always study for her tests and do the extra credit projects, which are actually fun in freshman year. Also, stay focused and study in whichever math classes you have. You have to take math all four years and it all builds up. You’re going to hear concepts about geometry and algebra in AP Calculus.

Finally, remember that you are still in high school and you should still have fun. Don’t dedicate all of your time to homework and studying. Join a club, play a sport or instrument, go out with your friends, or take a nap. Do whatever it takes to relax a little. Stress doesn’t help you focus or learn in school. You have opportunities to do have fun if you manage your time well. It’s important to laugh and make memories with your friends. Your friends are going to be the ones helping you survive IB. Make new friends and keep your friends really close to you. Don’t forget to spend time with your family either. Find a balance between school and personal life.

Good luck,

Brenda Wang

P.S. Don’t give up. Going to IB will be one of the best decisions in your life. You learn so much and you have some of the best and funniest teachers teaching you.

 

Dear Freshmen,

I hope at this point you have heard what you are getting yourself into by deciding to join the IB program. It is no walk in the park, but it will be worth it. The first semester try to make as many friends as possible because they are going to be the only people who understand why you are so stressed, since they will have most of the same classes and will comprehend the amount of work required to be completed. Also, it is beneficial to be able to study with others. They will become your own support group that will help you get through the program.

As well as making friends, do your best to join as many sports teams or extracurricular activities as you can manage without spreading yourself too thin. The sports and extracurricular activities will help you to take a break from all of your schoolwork and try and get rid of stress, or at least lessen the amount you feel. Also, it is a good idea to know other people besides the students in your IB class, such as some of the old IB students. It would be helpful to you so that you are able to receive advice whenever you need it and in many ways they could serve as a mentor to you.

Last, but certainly not least, are the academics. With the amount of work assigned, you are going to have to learn to prioritize. You have to know what to devote more of your time and effort to, compared to other things. For instance, if you choose the biology track and are in calculus AB junior year, it will comprise of at least 70-80 percent of your time. However, it deserves most of the time for the reason that it builds on the information you previously learned. Therefore, you should try to really understand the material, which would take more time, instead of just memorizing it for the test and then forgetting it. However, do not slack on the other classes either because they are also important.

Good Luck!

Haley Fitzhugh

 

Dear Freshman,

First of all, congratulations on your acceptance to the IB program!

As a new IB freshman, here are some things to keep in mind as you progress through these next four years. First, always follow the golden rule of IB — don’t procrastinate. It might not affect you that much freshman or sophomore year, but bad study habits catch up to you later so make sure you nip it in the bud and do your homework the day you get it. Additionally, don’t study the night before a test, you’re more likely to remember things long-term if you study a little bit every day.

Third, take classes you enjoy. Although your GPA and ranking matter, don’t over-do yourself if you can’t handle it.

Another thing I want to address is volunteering. Get your volunteer hours for IB/World Language Honor Society/Spanish club out of the way as soon as possible so you don’t have to do them towards the end of the semester or year when you have seven tests to take. Also, keeping up with the dates you volunteered and signatures is a pain after enough time has passed. Also, don’t stop volunteering once you have the required number of hours. Getting more volunteering hours always helps to impress colleges and could even help earn scholarships later on.

Finally, join clubs. I recommend Youth in Government. It’s really fun and a great opportunity to better your speaking skills. There are many other clubs to choose from as well such as HOSA, Spanish club, French club, German club and even FBLA. Join sports that you’re good at or like to play. Just remember to be involved in the school.

Make the best of your four years in IB. Good luck!

Prajakta Kulkarni

 

Dear Freshmen,

First off, welcome to the IB family. IB is a very serious program that is rigorous and requires dedication. IB is all about managing your time well and also not procrastinating. Procrastination is a BIG part is creating stress and making the IB program harder than it needs to be. Another tip in handling the IB program is you have to want to be here because it is not getting any better. IB is a unique opportunity stay fully devoted and it will pay off in the long run. IB is far from social suicide, in fact it is a place to develop a close knit group of friends to enjoy your high school years with.

Although IB is different than a normal high school, there are many things you should try to participate in including sports, clubs, and of course going to homecoming and prom.  It is important to develop lasting relations and friends that you will have for life. IB is tight knit and it’s important to have good friends to get you through the struggles of IB. I strongly recommend taking electives that will push you in subjects that you enjoy. NEVER take a class that you don’t enjoy because there will be no motivation to do the work.

There are some things that you must avoid when going through the IB program. Always do your work even if it seems pointless because it will help you succeed in the course long term. Also a necessity that comes with IB is the ability to time manage. Time management is a life skill and it is also important in school. Even though procrastination seems like it will make everything better it doesn’t. Things just keep on piling up and life becomes more stressful.

The IB program entails a lot but remember to take all your courses seriously what you do now will pave your path for later in life. It is also important to develop friends out of the IB program so that you can have friends that will support you in all times. Time flies — enjoy it and make memories that you will remember forever because once the time is gone you’re not getting it back. When it comes to choosing a science or your CAS project do something that you like otherwise there is no motivation to complete the required work. You should develop positive relationships with your teachers because one day you might need a recommendation letter to get into your dream school so don’t disrespect your elders. Your friends are a key part to getting through IB after all they are pretty much your second family. Good luck with IB and enjoy your high school life because you only get one chance to live life to the fullest.

Wishing you all the best,

Keegan Schaal

 

Dear Incoming Freshman,

Hello, I’m Lauren, and I will be your guide to the do’s and don’ts of freshman year in the IB program. Let’s start off with teachers. The core classes you will be taking are government, biology, AP environmental science, English, Spanish 2, and either geometry or algebra 2. Mrs. Devore teaches government and she is very nice. As long as you pay attention in class and do all the worksheets she gives you, you’ll be sure to get an A. For biology, just start crying. Mrs. Kennon is the nicest scariest person you will ever meet as a freshman. She can be a loving grandmotherly type, but at the same time you’re scared to death of her. Prepare to study a lot for that class. Ms. Allison teaches AP environmental science and a tip to get on her good side, study up on Auburn. She loves that school, also don’t talk much in class unless she asks you questions and you’ll be good. For English you will have Mrs. Harb, now the books you read you will hate. Heads up, Wuthering Heights is the worst book in existence. The class isn’t too bad though; just make sure you complete those summer Greek mythology cards! For Spanish 2 you have Señora Calvo or Portillo. Calvo is super sweet and just adorable, I don’t know much about Portillo since she is new to teaching IB. For math I had Mr. Nakamura, but everyone just calls him Naki. He teaches algebra 2 and is super funny, ask him about stories and you’ll have a fun class period. He’s a good teacher as well, and will help you with any questions you may have. For geometry you might have Mr. Garrison, I never had him but I heard that he was pretty nice!

The classes you really need to pay attention in and prepare to study a lot for are biology, AP environmental science, Spanish 2, and possibly your math class. If you have geometry you won’t have to study as much as someone who has algebra 2. Pretty much just prepare for all-nighters. Biology will require a few of those; also take what Kennon says with a grain of salt. In junior year she tells you everything she’s been lying to you about in freshman year. For APES, the tests are pretty challenging. If you read the chapter a couple times, though, you should be okay. Her STNT questions are what kill you, they take a while to do and she has started cracking down on newbies, like you guys. For Spanish just study and study and study. If you get Portillo, then I’m so sorry. you might not learn much. Apparently, she’s a yeller. Oh also, just because you are freshman does not mean that you have to be an upperclassman’s slave. If they try to order you around stand your ground! The worst thing that they will do is pull out their calculator and challenge you to a math off.

A big thing to try to avoid freshman year is procrastinating on things such as big projects. I know that it seems like a good idea at the time to play video games or watch the newest TV show instead of starting homework, but after a few nights with 3 hours of sleep you’ll start to think twice about doing that again. Then, of course, you’ll just continue to do it, because that’s just who we are. Coffee will be your new best friend, since you won’t have time for any others. Oh, try to get the teachers to like you as well. It will help a lot, or just try not to be obnoxious in class. Try to have fun in the little time you have that is homework free. Join a sport and intermingle with the other students at school. Just breathe and relax, it may seem like a living hell while you’re going through freshman year, but that’s just because you aren’t used to the whole doing work thing. Trust me when I say it gets so much better, then much, much worse… but sophomore year is lots of fun! You’ll be fine, and the benefits outweigh all of the negatives and pains of going through IB. It’s really worth it, so just try your best and you’ll learn to strangely love it here!

Sincerely,

Lauren Vaughn

 

Let’s be honest, living life whilst enrolled in the International Baccalaureate Program of Bartow Senior High School may in fact not be worth living.  Excessive I know, especially as the first sentence to the first paragraph of the majestic essay that I’m certain you’re enthralled to read, but such levels of excessiveness should become expected due to your particular decision in educational institutions. Is the program worth it? To be honest, maybe, I mean how would I even know? What I can say is that you have essentially strapped yourself in for one of the most physically, emotionally, and psychologically taxing rollercoasters of your young life. If you really plan on making it through this you need to be prepared to give up any semblance of a social life you may have once had as well as your current sleep schedule. “Is that it?” you may ask with your young, ignorant little mouth. No. If it was as simple as secluding yourself from social interaction and learning to become nocturnal then any raccoon could pass this program. Dedication, motivation, drive, these are all nouns, and very relevant ones at that. You’re going to need all of that and more (oh also don’t cheat, collaborate, commit malpractice, or collude unless you’re REALLY sure you won’t get caught, or maybe just don’t at all either or).

So this paragraph is basically going to outline the dos and don’ts of IB, starting with the dos. Do your homework, not to get the grade but to learn. The grades for the homework seem important, and are relatively easy to obtain with the right online sources, but seriously it’s not that hard and if you try to play it off like you’re too “lazy” to do it just get out, because junior year will chew you up and spit you out. Do study. I don’t care that you’ve made it this far in your life playing Call of Duty and eating Doritos every day from 3 to 11 p.m., just learn to manage your time better and study. You think Kennon’s tests are hard? Just wait, wait until you take your first Shuff test, then you’ll know why you should have learned how to study when you first entered the program. Now for some don’ts: Don’t procrastinate UNLESS you have a plan to make up the time lost, because let’s be honest you will procrastinate. Don’t forget to check your grades. Grades in IB can change incredibly quickly in a very short time. Just because you have a high A at the beginning of the nine weeks doesn’t mean you will continue to have an A after a few tests. Don’t rely on other students to keep up with deadlines or remind you of when things are due. You will be that guy, I promise, and no one wants to be that guy. You get a planner at the beginning of the year; just use it.

Finally I’d like to remind you not to take all of this so seriously. Yeah the school is “prestigious,” yeah the coursework if rigorous, and yeah you’re going to be stressed but you need to remind yourself that this whole IB thing is just a stepping stone towards college, which in itself is just a stepping stone to finding a job to get some money. Don’t become over competitive to be in the fabled “top ten”, don’t forget that it’s just high school, and don’t let yourself get so sucked into academia that you forget to live your life. Just find a balance that leaves you happy in life. Don’t stay if you don’t feel like you should be there, or quit just because you don’t like the change of lifestyle. Also don’t do drugs and stuff because they make you dumb and that’s not good.

Rayce Pion

 

Freshman year sucks but it gets better. Don’t take bio junior year. Learn math on your own time. DONT TAKE MATH ANALYSIS. Be nice to Frisbie, Allison, Kennon and all your other teachers. Naki can probably rip your head off with one hand so tread lightly. Don’t take German please don’t take German. German is the worst thing on the face of the earth. IB is easy as long as you do your work and stay focused. You’ll get through it and college will be much easier. The substitutes that most teachers get are kinda scary. Mrs Iwaniec is worse than any teacher ever. There are good teachers too, however. Ms Frisbie is the best math teacher I’ve ever had, she does so much work to organize and help her calculus and precalc classes. Mr Guice is a great English teacher who really cares a lot about you guys. Mrs Kennon is great, even though it doesn’t seem like it during freshman year. The best feeling in the world is getting an A on a math test. Study hard and you’ll get through math class, and maybe have a little fun doing it. IB is fun if you make the most of it.

Nevada Carter

 

Some advice that I would give to the incoming freshman is to not procrastinate. Procrastination is one of the biggest sins in IB. You will not survive the wrath of Debbie, Adele, and Ola if you procrastinate on your studies. Biology is a course that you need to constantly study on a fixed interval in order to keep an A. If you study for a Bio test at the last moment, you will surely be overflowing with information and will not be able to sufficiently test well the next day. Believe me, I tried that. Also it’s a good idea to stay organized. My opinion is that freshman year was the busiest year I’ve had so far. Freshman year can be fun if you love your friends and are kind to everyone. It’s important to form strong bonds with your friends. It’s even more important to form strong bonds with your teachers because they will be the ones giving you your grade. If you heed my advice, you will make it through freshman year and maybe have some fun with it.

I’ve also learned that it is a wise idea to follow the rules. As the troublemaker that I am, I tend to stay on the boundary of the law. My experience as a trouble maker, I sometimes don’t pay attention in class, and that’s really important, especially in Calculus. Middle school and algebra II can get you pretty far in precalculus, but Calc is a whole new ball game. You’ll be getting new topics every day and you’ll have to be constantly reviewing them, otherwise you’ll get tripped up. Also, if you’re good at math, TAKE PHYSICS. Biology is a really tenuous course that requires rote memorization, a lot of busywork. However, Kennon’s AP biology has the highest pass rate out of all three of the sciences, so Biology would be a good option if you are aiming for college credit.

IB isn’t about being smart, it’s about being a hard worker. Staying organized will help you endure the IB and earn your accolades. Keep strong and persevere, and you will find what you need.

Love,

Rohan Nakka

 

There’s plenty of things that you need to know if you want to be make it through IB. To avoid stress, you’re going to have to learn to deal with some things. Most of you are coming in with straight A’s, having never made a B before. Just know that this won’t last. For some, it might, but for the majority of you, you will get a B along the way. When going through IB, you should not come in expecting to make straight A’s, because the chances are you will be disappointed.

Remember to always stay on your teacher’s good side, because you’ll probably have them again throughout the next four years. Let’s make an example of this. You’re in calculus, and Ms. Frisbie is teaching. You have your computer up, doing whatever (clearly not math). The wrong thing to do here is continue, and keep doing this every single day. Do not do this. The right thing to do is to stop, and close your computer. Make sure your teacher never sees that thing ever again.

Remember that these are the same teachers that you will be coming to when you need recommendation letters for various programs and colleges. They will be writing them according to your behavior in class. Obviously, you do not want to have a teacher to write a recommendation if you do not behave in their class. Please, behave.

AP classes are important to study for. They are worth more to you GPA, because getting an A in an AP class can give you a GPA over 4, and this is very helpful. Not only does this look better to colleges, but it also gives you a cushion for your later years in high school, when you may not do well in other classes. Your GPA carries on over the years, and every single one of your grades matter until the day you graduate. Give 100% from the start of freshman year to the end of senior year, because it will be worth it.

Shivam Patel

 

Dear Freshmen,

Congratulations on being accepted to the very well-known IB program! At first, IB can seem a bit intimidating; however, it is really worth all the stress and work at the end. Not only do you receive a great education from one of the best schools in the nation, but you also receive more benefits such as college credit in high school. This saves money and time for the future. Basically all IB graduates enter college as a sophomore. That means you get to skip an entire year of college! IB allows students to go far and beyond regular standards. Even though the program can be overwhelming at times, just remember that you receive endless amounts of opportunities at IB including being instructed by great teachers and meeting new friends.

At times, you will be assigned large amounts of work to do or study, which can seem impossible to complete at times. Make sure you do your best to manage your time, so the work seems less stressful. Also, don’t think you have to deal with the hardships of the program alone. All of your classmates are dealing with the exact same situation as you. IB is not impossible. Many, many people have completed the program, and so you can too. The experiences you receive at IB will teach you lessons that other schools can’t. Make sure you try your hardest, and you will be so proud even you graduate knowing you completed such a rigorous program.

I know it might sound a bit crazy, but A’s are not everything! If you get a B in the course, it is not the end of the world. It is better just to try your best, and whatever you get is what you get. A great way to keep the highest grades you can receive is to not procrastinate. I’m pretty sure everyone who writes an advice letter to high school students will tell them to manage their time properly. It is not a good feeling to have to stay up until the middle of the night to finish an essay or assignment. Also, not procrastinating allows you to have more time for friends or other extracurriculars. IB students can have lives like normal high school students too!

Some more advice is, to always make sure you do your work. Teachers do not accept excuses or make exceptions just for one student. Teachers are likely not to give pity; if you don’t do your work, then you will receive the appropriate grade. Make sure to do all extra credit that is given to you. Trust me, you’ll need it. Also, try to participate in activities that you enjoy! For example, join a sports team or other club. This way, you get to do something you like and you will probably meet new people outside of IB. Just try your best to make your experience at IB rewarding and as enjoyable as you can. I still remember the first day of freshman year like it was yesterday even though I’m nearly half way through my junior year. High school goes by really quickly.

Good luck!

Thinzar Zaw

 

Dear Freshman,

I am so tired right now, last night I slept a grand total of one hour. This was a bad plan, because I almost slept through my History midterm. Sometimes sleeping is better than studying. Also, I should probably be writing this essay when I am more awake. Despite my one hour of sleep, I felt pretty happy today, which I strange because I had French this morning. DO NOT TAKE FRENCH! If you are concerned about class rank then DO NOT TAKE A 4.0 WEIGHTED CLASS. The medical academy is a WASTE of time, just take Anatomy sophomore year. Kennon is NOT mean, so take Biology as your science. If given the option, double up on math, colleges love seeing Calculus BC on your transcript. Make sure to buy an AP review book for every class, at least two months in advance of the AP test. Study for your SAT or ACT during sophomore year, because there is not time junior year. DO NOT pick Kennon as your EE supervisor, she hates supervising EE’s. Above all else, TAKE AP HUMAN GEOGRAPHY!

The top tier colleges receive thousands of applications of students who have perfect grades and great test scores. In order to get in then it is important to stand out. Try to have as many fun adventures as possible, while performing some community service act simultaneously. Participation in Habitat for Humanity one summer is one example. Sophomore year, you will be given the opportunity to apply to be in National Honor Society; if you do not have any leadership hours then they will not accept you.

Do not forget to have fun, your IB class, they really do become like your family. It was not until this year that my class has really started to hang out as a group, going ice skating, trips to Busch Gardens, and nights out in Orlando. Sometimes I feel like the only reason I made it through this program is because of my friendship with Sammie. I have never had a friend who completely understands who I am and accepts me for it before. There are many advantages to this program, and given the option I would do it all over again exactly the same.

Good Luck,

Abigail Haynes

 

Greetings upcoming IB student:

Over the past two and a half years of IB I’ve learned some things. First, I have the clichés to talk about, don’t procrastinate, try really hard your freshman and sophomore years and turn everything in. Don’t leave assignments as zeros and try not to die in Spanish. Seriously, dying in Spanish is not fun.

More importantly, you want to know: should I stay in IB, is it worth the work, what about my social life…

I’ll start with a story. My best friend since the beginning of middle school was in IB his freshman year. But, he left right before his sophomore year. Anyway, had he not left, I am fairly sure I would never have branched out, made new friends, become less aggravating, etc. The moral of this story is while your old friends are great, make sure you don’t hold on to the past and that you spread your friend group out. Moreover, you WILL have a social life despite what people tell you.

Finally, if you should drop out. I’ve always been in the mindset that I’m in it for the long run, but for those of you who question, here’s my advice: If you don’t want to be here, drop out. If you’re doing this for your parents, stop. There’s nothing here that will make your life better. What I say is that the people that drop out make IB prestigious. They are what makes IB so important. If anybody could do it, they would. And I don’t mean to do this to scare you, because you can always get by in IB. Trust me, I’ve done it. But enjoying life is important, and I think I enjoy IB more than I would’ve enjoyed Jenkins. For those of you that make it, nice job and don’t let the IAs and EE kill you. Have fun!

Nick Christoffersen

 

To anyone that will be starting the IB program, I have some advice that I wish I had known coming in. I heard how hard it could be, but it truly hit me during freshman year, although one would think that the first year would be easy. It wasn’t like middle school, when I didn’t have to study or pay attention. Many times I let my guard down with this feeling that I didn’t need to work as hard and helplessly watched as my grades dropped. I needed to be mindful of my assignments and my grades. It took me some time to learn that needed to stay sharp and study hard throughout the program.

A problem that can obviously be found in all the four years of the IB program that I particularly had some difficulty with in the beginning freshman year was procrastination. I soon learned that it was much easier on me if I did all my homework the day it was assigned and not the day before it was due. This helped relieve some of the stress that the workload put on me. Although it did take some extra work to get myself to do homework when I didn’t necessarily need to, it ended up being a very beneficial strategy at the end of the day.

Lastly, I want to address organization. Without it, the year would have definitely been a disaster for me. In freshman year, two of the teachers used to do planner checks to make sure that students were actively using the planner; it is very helpful and you must try to use it for all of your classes. The planner is still an essential tool for an organized student, a key to success in this program. I was never caught off guard with tests and quizzes because I always had my planner to remind me. The workplace should also be well organized, as homework can easily be lost on a desk flooded with papers and trash.

Yasmine Elmasri

 

Dear upcoming freshmen,

I know you’re probably wondering if IB is worth all the stress and late nights that I’m sure you’ve heard about. Why wouldn’t you just take the easier way out? Well, I think that IB is definitely worth all the stress in the end and so do many of the other students that are enduring it right now. Yeah, there might be a lot of work and effort you have to put into completing the program but that’s how the rest of life will be too. If you’ve got the potential, you might as well start applying yourself now in my opinion.

The thought of starting high school alone is kind of a scary thought, but embarking on the journey of IB is probably a little scarier. I get it. I think you should definitely set yourself in the mindset that you’re going to try your very best from start to finish and give it all you’ve got. Don’t psych yourself out. It’s going to get stressful but that’s why you’ve got a great group of students around you that are going on the journey with you and teachers that are trying to help you succeed, even though it’s a big challenge. Take advantage of that and help each other out. There might be some days where it all becomes a bit overwhelming, but if you just take it day by day, you’ll make it. Also, just put in the work the first time you’re given an assignment or a project so it’ll save you time later when you have to make up for it and it takes you even longer than it would’ve if you had just done it in the first place. It’s inevitable that you’re going to procrastinate on some assignments; IB students are notorious for that. But try not to wait until the night before to complete your work, especially for the big projects. That will definitely save you from some all-nighters. My last piece of advice is to just appreciate your teachers and what they’re doing for you. They have a lot of work to do too and they are understanding about your workload.

I’m halfway through junior year and I’ve had a lot of stress and hard days, but I’ve also experienced so much in these past few years. We have great teachers and a great class of students that become really close. You can definitely have a life outside of school work and maintain a social life while getting good grades. I think it’s super important to just have time to relax, play a sport, hang out with each other! It’s really rewarding to know that after you go through all of this, you’ll come out of it happy that you persevered and also, hopefully, made some really close friends that you’ll know for some time to come. It’ll show people outside of IB too that you stayed throughout the hard times and that these qualities will carry over into your job and lifestyle.

Best of luck!

Stephanie Joseph

 

Dear freshman, I know that it is confusing and scary to finally start this IB program. Although it has its ups and downs, we all have made it through, and you will too. One thing I stress the most is to not let the stress you are about to face get to your head. Nothing is more important than your personal health, not even the Bio or APES test. If you ever feel as if you may lose your mind, stop right away, and take a break to calm yourself. The one thing I’ve learned is that the more worked up you are about the test, the harder it is for you to concentrate. Also, IB kids have the tendency to join an unnecessary amount of extracurricular activities thinking they can reach all of them. I advise that you join clubs you may truly be interested in and focus on a couple of things at a time. That way you can fully be involved in the activities you have chosen to do. Another really important detail is to STAY AWAY FROM TV SHOWS!! Many of us get addicted and then have a hard time concentrating on the important work in front of us.

I believe that at times the classes may get a little bit overwhelming and it feels like you can’t do anything to make things feel better. I suggest that you definitely take advantage of the skills that you learn from IB, to help you with time management, decision making, and social skills. They will help you in difficult times like midterms. Never procrastinate on anything, although I know it’s the specialty of most International Baccalaureate students. Also, don’t over think anything, because it is not worth it. Stick with your gut and use all the skills that your middle school teachers have taught you. You are ready! I’m sure! Oh, also, DO NOT make the mistake of comparing yourself to the other kids around you. We are all different. The more you compare yourself to the crazy smart kids in your class, the lower your confidence will get. Everyone works and learns in their own pace, so embrace your work style and learn to work with it and not with other people’s beliefs. Also, cheating has caused a great deal of chaos in IB. Believe me, it is not worth it to cheat. It is much easier to just go according to your own knowledge and skills.

Lastly, certain classes I warn about are biology, APES, math classes starting from Pre- Calculus and onward, and Spanish (if you are taking it). The hardest out of them has to be Biology. It is a very rigorous course and there is a lot of work involved. Get used to having all-nighters for that class. I am sure it will get hectic around science fair time for you, but remember, that is when you can practice your time management skills. The math classes may also get pretty difficult but make sure to keep practicing the methods and ask questions as needed. At last, Spanish, or any other language, is something you cannot study last minute. It takes time to get the hang of a new language so do not waste any time. As time progresses, classes and courses will get harder, but your skills needed to survive IB will also improve. So, just work smartly and soon you will be in 10th grade.

Prit Patel

 

Dear freshmen students,

At this point, you have completed your first semester of high school.  Congratulations, only seven more to go!  But, do not worry; it will all get easier from here.   Although the coursework will get harder, your knowledge and understanding of the material will also increase.  Here are a few things to keep in mind as you continue on the path to graduation:

• Almost any assignment can be done with ease given the appropriate amount of time is dedicated to its completion.  In simpler words, do NOT procrastinate.  At this point it may seem like a cliché to say this, but it is absolutely vital that you take control of your time management skills and establish an effective work/sleep pattern.  This will make all the difference when trying to complete multiple Design Labs, Internal Assessments, and the Extended Essay.
• Another important thing to remember is to not doubt yourself!  This can be by not changing your answer on a test (hint: always stick with your original answer unless you are sure that it is wrong) or by taking a chance and applying to a school you think you may not get into.  An appropriate amount of risk is always a good thing in school.
• Thirdly, if you ever get that feeling that you are “so done with this” (a.k.a. senioritis – which can occur prematurely) do not actually quit.  Try changing something in your daily routine up.  As a senior, I can testify to the fact that senioritis is a tragic epidemic that can take over with little warning.  A balanced diet of schoolwork and activities outside of school has proven to be an effective method of treating senioritis.

The most important thing to remember is to try and enjoy your time in High School.  The years will pass by a lot faster than you think and before you know it, you too will be taking your senior photos, applying to college, ordering your cap and gown, and preparing to walk across the stage towards the rest of your life!  I wish you the best of luck!

Looking forward to your continued success,

Laura Dinwiddie

 

Hello there, my name is William Gibson.

So, you’ve made it into the IB program, and have at least made it through to Ms. Frisbie’s class. Congratulations! From here on out your experience within the program will be that much more challenging; I guess that is how every year seems. The IB program is the most rigorous endeavor you will undertake, so be ready to work that much harder from here on out. To me, it seems that the classes we take aren’t particularly impossible — if you can put time into learning the subject, your classes will run smoothly. The only serious problem arises when you do not manage this time accurately; when this happens, you get hit hard. I mean letter-dropping hard. This severe punishment for a lack of time feels unfair, and you may decide to drop a few activities or sports to give time to AP Biology or American History. But that’s where I feel many of us IB students go wrong.

You need to be social. You need to do activities. You NEED to participate in something beyond the classroom for your sake, even if it does make getting that A harder. It’s not about struggling through for four years to go off to college. These are your high school years, you need to enjoy them. This is where you’ll go to your first big dance, take your first date to a movie, and feel camaraderie between friends unbeknownst to you beforehand. But all of this will remain foreign to you if you don’t let yourself explore, if you contain yourself to your desk and your textbooks alone. The only times in IB where I have felt powerless are when I tried to push out everything to give my full attention to my academic studies, to make sure that this one class is at least a 90 or to make sure my midterms go well. I did that for two years in IB, and the result was the loss of my closest friends from my childhood. I became too busy for them, and they grew apart from me, seeking others to fill my space. And I was left without them. You do not want this. I of course have those in IB who I have bonded with throughout the years, but to lose those who shared my childhood with me was a hard realization.

This is why the extracurricular life is great, even essential, for you to have. And don’t think it’s impossible to succeed in sports and do well academically — I’ve played varsity soccer for four years and my GPA leaving second semester is a 4.6995. I will concede that the journey has been strenuous and full of many nights where I watch the sun both set and rise, but I believe and will always believe that those nights were more than worth it. There’s been stress, anxiety, and only a little sleep, but what I’ll remember for the rest of my life is the enjoyment I received from everything I did with my friends outside the classroom. And let me say this: the grades I have made in high school are not the memories I will hold after this year. What I’ll remember is my teammates, not my essay scores. What I’ll remember is my nights on the town with my friends, not my nights studying for an exam. And what I’ll remember is my dates in lakeside village, not the due dates on the IA topics. What I’m trying to show you is what really matters in your last years before college, at least in my experience. Grades are important now, but keep in mind what’s important in the greater scheme of life.

Strive for success, but don’t forget to enjoy the trip. This is my advice to you as a senior.

William Gibson

 

Dory, the best fictional, forgetful, erratic, and lovable fish out there once said, “Just keep swimming.” Yes, they’re 3 silly words out of a children’s movie – but they’re so true for getting through IB. I will create no false pretense that IB is an easy program, because it’s not. It will be tough, but you’re a trooper.

There are bright sides. You have classmates and they are going through roughly the same things. Make friends with these people. Most likely, they’re easy to get along with and on those weekends after you finish the Extended Essay or a Design Lab, you guys can go out and try to have fun without talking about homework (you’ll probably end up doing that though).

Stay motivated. Set goals and work hard to get there. But don’t forget that along the way, you should do what you like. If you want to become involved with art, or band, or cooking or what have you, make it happen. Doing any extracurricular that can be an outlet after a long day of school is something worth keeping up with. Don’t sit around and wait for the prestige of IB to make your future brighter – you need to take the initiative to do that yourself.

One more thing: keep a positive attitude. I understand that after an all-nighter, you’re not feeling very chipper. Been there. But remember, everybody else was probably up late studying for that Shuff test too. Everybody complains and whines to each other, but don’t overdo it. Also, you can admit that while it’s motivating to have such intelligent people around you, it can get intimidating. This is where the positive attitude kicks in. Where natural ability may be lacking, you can make up for in persistence. Do that. JUST KEEP SWIMMING. In turn, I hope this program and these people and have a positive effect on you.

Sammie Kunin

 

To the upcoming freshmen class,

First of all, I just want to say congratulations on being selected to be part of the IB program. The next four years of your life will be a roller coaster ride but don’t worry; it’ll be a memorable one. Coming to the IB program at Bartow has been an experience that has changed my life. I have learned a lot academically but I feel that I have learned more in terms of culture and society. Although you may not know your entire class just yet in a few years everyone will grow to understand more about each other. Every class has a diverse group of students, each with their own academic strengths and weaknesses and backgrounds. I feel that learning more about the backgrounds and cultures of my classmates has helped me to look at the world in a different point of view and become more understanding of issues that face the world today. IB life can get rough at times and it’s soothing to know that you’re not doing it on your own but have several others who are going through the same struggles.

I know people say that the biggest hurdle of IB is the mountain load of work piled on by your teachers. I’m not saying that there isn’t a lot to do but I do know that it is possible to finish it all. My advice to you all for the next four years, and even afterwards, is to never allow yourself to feel overwhelmed by the amount of assignments coming your way. At first it may seem daunting but when you find yourself doing the assignment you will realize that it isn’t as bad as it seems. Just remember that your teachers will never give you more than you can handle and they do work together to make sure that two big exams or projects aren’t due on the same day. Also, it is important that you keep track of your assignments and other important deadlines, school centered or not. It is easy to lose focus when school and other activities coincide so it is essential that you plan out when you will do homework and so forth. This is something that I have had to do on many occasions, especially weekends, and I am glad that I planned out my events prior to avoid clashing.

I just want to add one more piece of advice. Although you are an IB student you are not confined to the stereotypes of IB students. You don’t have to spend all your free time studying and staying up pulling “all-nighters.” Truthfully, as a senior I have never had to pull an all-nighter the past four school years. Granted, my life is not like every other IB student but I am saying that you can enjoy your youth. So I encourage you to join sports teams, participate in clubs, and interact with people outside of IB. It will keep you away from closed mindedness and break the stereotypes surrounding IB students. You are also a high school student and these are years of your life that you will remember forever. Even though I am beyond excited to graduate in a few months and start the next chapter of my life I know I will truly miss the experiences at this school and the memories made with friends and teachers. Again, I just want to welcome you to the craziest four years of your life! Enjoy!

Angela Mathew

 

Dear Freshman,

Welcome to the beginning of a new and long journey! Your freshman year here at Bartow IB will be one crazy year but it will get worse and it will get better one day. As you start your first day try to make new friends or stick with old friends so that you don’t get scared or lost without having someone with you. We will get to the lunch situation later, because if I might say, the lunch schedule here doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. Your classes get better each year but they also get tougher. You will have days where there’s nothing to do so you might hang out with new friends but be careful with the friends you choose; you want them to help you not hinder you.

As a senior here in the IB program, I have learned what to do and not to do, although I still slip up occasionally. The most important aspect of maintaining grades in IB are to do your work thoroughly and never procrastinate. As a freshman, you may think things are getting a little rough and you can’t handle the workload, it will get worse but you can handle it. Your freshman year you should never have to pull all-nighters, that won’t happen until junior year when the work is slammed on you and you feel as if you’re drowning. You’ll break down occasionally and not know how to handle all the work but just know in the end you will walk away knowing way more than you did sitting in your freshman classes. As you progress through the years, you will find that sophomore year is the easiest of them all and it feels like a cake walk. You’ll think you’ve gotten the hang of doing the homework and studying but you don’t, so don’t slack off. If you slack off in the slightest, junior year will hit you like a train and you’ll feel like a freshman all over again. My sophomore year I slacked off and made the great grades but I also started hanging around the wrong crowd. Make sure that you keep your head on your shoulders and don’t surround yourself with kids taking their life nowhere but back to their parents’ couch after high school. If you do what I did, junior year will wreck your social life and your GPA.

Junior year starts the all-nighters you’ll pull, the staying up until three in the morning trying to finish the biology “worksheet”, which consists of eight pages front and back, and trying to finish the Canterbury Tales. You’ll start having thoughts about dropping out but don’t do it; you’re almost done at that point. It will not get any easier but at some point, way after high school and college; you will see that it was worth the struggle, worth the sleepless nights. Junior year is where you will need to start your CAS, creative, action, and service, Project or your senior year will go far worse their your junior year did because of your slacking off sophomore year. Try to find a project that is fun, it will make it easier to get the hours done. Junior year is where some of you freshman will take your first IB Exam, but I did not because I decided to take a science as my sixth subject. As a senior this year, I will take all of my IB Exams like most of my class will. It took me until junior year to figure the whole lunch situation out. I’m just going to tell you right off the bat that the best place to eat lunch is Naki’s, Guice’s, Frisbie’s, or Wright’s room. Unless your fifth period class is right next to the lunchroom I suggest you bring your lunch. The lunch line will take you most of lunch to receive your food, giving you no time at all for talking to friends or even eating.

Don’t stress yourself out too much; IB isn’t worth the stress it brings upon one. But if stress is the only way to make you study then by all means do it but don’t let it get the best of you. As a freshman you will learn that Biology is one class you can’t just breeze by. Please study as much as you can for Biology and Spanish. Although Spanish may start out being easy it will not remain that way as you go into sophomore year. The other classes will be fairly simple freshman year. Sophomore year make sure that you pay attention in Chemistry and Physics so that you can properly choose your science. I, personally, enjoy Chemistry and Biology so I took both and it has been well worth the sleepless nights to finish the labs. As a junior you will want to participate as much as possible in Theory of Knowledge and if you take Biology, do not allow yourself to fall behind on homework or wait until the last minute to finish the assignment. Whatever you do, do not fall asleep in Calculus, Mrs. Frisbie will wake you up and it will not be pleasant. Also, if you sleep you won’t understand what is going on and then you will struggle for most of the year and into your senior year.

Senior year hits you at the speed of two or more trains. You will have weeks on weeks without a single break to relax and sleep. You will feel stressed past the maximum stress level you have but don’t give up; you are closer each day than you were the day before. Most of you will turn eighteen senior year and you will think you can do what you want now, but you can’t. Sure you can check yourself out and work as much as you want to make money but it will just increase the stress. I started working at McDonald’s as a junior but being only seventeen, I could not work more than thirty-two hours a week so I stayed working around twenty. But the second I turned eighteen I began working forty plus hours a week on top of all the school work we had to do. I rarely slept the first semester of my IB senior year but I am going into my last semester here at Bartow IB hoping it will be a little less stressful.

As you begin this long, painful, but rewarding journey you will encounter that you dislike some or many of the teachers but you will find the select few that you can confide in. Do this, you can’t always count on your friends or parents to understand what you are going through but a few of these teachers will be able to help you and guide you down the right path. They will make you feel like you can accomplish things that may really not be possible but at least you will feel good about yourself. Don’t allow others to bring you down and don’t think you need to prove anything to anyone. Although I still try to prove to other people I am better than they think I am, I have learned that it doesn’t matter what they think, it only matters what you think. So, enjoy your four hectic years here at Bartow IB and walk away at the end knowing you’ve done something most can’t do. Walk away knowing that one day down the road you will look back and realize you had no social life but now you do and you also have one amazing job that you worked very hard to get to. Enjoy your summers this year because the ones to follow will not be so much fun! You can and will succeed if you put your mind to it! Enjoy yourself and little social life you have while you can.

Sincerely,

Britney Meadows

 

Class of ‘15

Hello, my name is Matthew Murphy and as a senior this year that is almost out of the IB program, I feel that I finally have some credible advice to give, as I am about to complete the program, which may help you in your struggle to succeed. During these past four years I have had enough late nights, cram sessions, and stressing out to tell you that there are some ways to make it easier for yourself, even though I myself did not follow these ways.

The way to make it all tremendously easier for yourself is a way I’m sure you have already heard: do not procrastinate. I am sure that you have heard this from everyone, as I did before, and did not pay much attention to it thinking that you can get the work done anyway. It is even worse when you procrastinate on big projects, like the extended essay or internal assessments, which usually take a lot of time to complete. While you may still be able to get the work done, it is much less stressful on you and you will end up having much more sleep if you do not procrastinate and even work on assignments ahead of time.

Another piece of advice that is similar to not procrastinating is to stay organized and on top of what you need to do. Many times have I remembered about an assignment last-minute and have been forced to hurriedly finish it in an attempt at a good grade. Planners may not be for everyone, but I know that a planner helped me stay on track of my assignments and may help others as well.

IB may seem too hard, even impossible, but if you follow those two pieces of advice even a little it will become much easier to complete. As a fellow student who was once a freshman and heard the same advice that you are hearing now, I am sure that you will most likely not listen and have to find out these truths on your own, like I did. However, if you do choose to listen to my advice, you will not only save your grades, but also a lot of time and stress.

Matthew Murphy

 

Dear Freshmen,

IB is hard, no joke. It’s probably the hardest program you can find so if you like a challenge then you will probably do fairly well at IB. It will be hard and there will be sleepless nights; there will be assignment that you procrastinate on (you really, really shouldn’t but it’s a broken record everyone says not to procrastinate and there will be one assignment that you will wait too long on and will do in far to less time) but you will do it just like we all have.  IB’s a difficult school; everyone I know outside IB procrastinates with something fun, but IB students procrastinate by doing other assignments that seem easier.

IB is hard, but you have friends to do IB with and complain with and they will complain too; that’s just how IB works. You complain, your friends complain, the upper classmen complain, the lower classmen complain and someone will complain about everyone complaining. Do you see a trend because if not, statistics would probably be a good thing for you because so far the probability of complaining is very high.  Within the IB population, all of your friends will be going through the same thing as you and you will be an incredibly tight knit group because of this shared struggle.

This school will be very difficult. It is a struggle, but if you continue, it is your struggle and it’s your friends struggle, it has been previous students’ struggle and it will be future students’ struggle. You will probably make it out more or less and you will make great friends that will help you get through the rough times. Just about everything will seem easier after IB and you will be able to function on less sleep than any normal human should ever be able to. If you put your mind towards it IB is very possible.

Good Luck,

Andrew Noonan

P.S. – If you are reading this while you should be doing some other assignment you should definitely get working on that.

 

Dear Freshmen,

First, welcome to the coveted IB program, where dreams and morals are shattered and remolded. As daunting as that sounds, your high school experience can be either pleasant or terrible depending on your actions. Use this letter as a guide for the next four years.

Don’t let my blunt description faze you; IB has its perks. Although IB has been Hell a great majority of the time, I am thankful to have been admitted to the program. The IB gods designed a curriculum to create a well-rounded individual who is not afraid to question. Also, don’t forget about the credit you can earn through your IB diploma and AP exams, as well as the intelligent environment you are surrounded by. So my first piece of advice is: TAKE IB SERIOUSLY. It’s both a blessing and a curse, but it is fruitful if you just apply yourself. Don’t let yourself go. Find your motivation, whether it be intrinsic or extrinsic, and stick with it to the bitter end.

I’m sure many of my peers will touch on the subject of cheating in their letters as well. It is one of the more sensitive issues of IB because it is such a serious issue. We all know of a friend who has used their phone during a biology exam, or plagiarized an English essay, or taken photos of tests to share with their allies. Do not succumb to their immoral means of getting good grades. Wouldn’t you rather sleep well at night knowing you earned the grades you got? In the end, you are only cheating yourself by cheating. As I mentioned before, IB gives you the opportunity to absorb giant amounts of information and to cheat is to throw it all away. More relatable for most students, if you cheat, you will be seen. Whether someone reports you or not you might never know, and even if someone doesn’t expose you to administration, you better realize that everyone else will know about your dirty deed. Teachers and peers alike hear our gossip. So bottom line: if you respect yourself, your teachers, your peers, your parents, Dr. Vetter, and your education, DON’T CHEAT.

A good idea would be to develop as many good relationships as possible during freshman and sophomore year. Teachers are always usually willing to help and you will definitely need it on your road to graduation. The majority of our teachers are the cream of the crop and are amazing people in general. Where else in Polk County will you find a Princeton alumna, an English teacher who speaks English as a second language, and an ex-resident of Berlin under one roof? You can imagine the stories they have to share. In addition to students, upperclassmen are scary at first, but once you prove yourself worthy, we aren’t too bad. We can offer tutoring, advice, friendship, and even peer recommendations for college.

Sophomore year is the easiest and therefore should be devoted to building on extracurriculars and your social life. Go to that party even if it means you have to stay up the next night. I really regret how unhappy I’ve been throughout high school and I blame my lack of socializing outside of school. IF YOU LOVE YOURSELF, YOU WILL TAKE ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY WITH MS. ALLISON. It is hands down the best class I have ever taken. You learn so much without even realizing it and it’s a godsend during AP/IB Biology. PLEASE DO NOT TAKE CLASSES JUST FOR THE GPA BOOST; OH MY GOD, MY CLASS DID THIS SO MUCH. Colleges see right through the act and they will appreciate your being dedicated to a particular passion much more than a high GPA. Junior year, prepare for anxiety. The first nine weeks are atrocious. SENIOR YEAR IS SO AWFUL. I have never gotten such bad grades. ARRANGE FOR THE WORST. Get involved with competitive clubs, like HOSA, FBLA, and Spanish team; so many good memories come from state competitions! PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD DO NOT BE THAT PERSON THAT DOESN’T KNOW WHEN TO SHUT UP IN CLASS. Be mature and respect others when they speak, which means SHUT YOUR MOUTH. Go volunteer with your friends because you’ll probably enjoy it more than getting wasted in the long run. Don’t worry about being a normal teenager… I’ve learned to accept that I’m a thirty-something-year-old trapped in a teen body.

If you take anything from this lengthy letter (sorry): 1) don’t be a dirty cheater because they are pukin’ scumbags, 2) make solid connections early, and 3) take classes that interest you. IB, especially with the help of ToK, has made me a hardworking, self-aware skeptic. Taking the program seriously will bring nights of tears, fun, and accomplishment, and when you walk across the stage during graduation, it’ll feel picture-perfect seeing the people who endured Hell by your side in the audience.

Dhara Patel

 

Taking a look at four years in the IB can be daunting; luckily you have juniors and seniors who write letters to you in order to guide you through the web of IB. First of all I want to assure you that it is entirely possible to make it through, no matter how tough it may seem. Sometimes, you just need to take a step back and realize that it’s only a bad day, night, week, or semester. It will pass! Do not lose heart. Another thing that is essential to remember is that it is only school. Yes it is important but it’s also important to be a normal teenager at times. Go have fun, be with friends and family.

I know that you’ve probably heard this a thousand times but believe me when I say procrastination is not worth it. Instead of spending the afternoon watching TV, do your math homework, or get started on your Biology lab. Procrastination does not only make you have countless sleepless nights, it adds to the stress tenfold. Having a big assignment looming over your head is worse than having to do it at the last night. Save yourself stress and sleep by being organized and on time!

Last thing to address is what classes you take. Senior year your required classes are your language, a math (be it calculus or math studies), a science (chemistry, biology, or physics), English, History of the Americas and TOK. Your language is most likely already set in stone but I personally think that putting a lot of effort into your language course will benefit you a lot in the future. When choosing your math, know your limits! Honestly, who cares what your peers say, some people are not cut out for calculus and that is okay. When choosing your science, take the course that you personally are the most interested in, not the one you think you have the best chance at passing or think is the easiest. The IB program allows you to choose what you want to specialize in for two years; don’t waste them on a class you hate! Lastly I want to urge you not to take TOK course for granted. You will learn far more in that class than the areas of knowledge if you let yourself. You can learn how to listen to other people’s opinions respectfully, learn how to support your own opinions skillfully, and learn a lot about your classmates that otherwise you would have never learned. Pay attention and enjoy it!

Grace Valenti

 

IB is a journey. You have to just live day by day and week by week. Whoever is the most prepared ahead of time will be the most successful. If I were a freshman right now and could do it all over again I would study harder and be sure not to mess it all up during freshman and sophomore years.

Every year is just as important as the next. Your freshman year in terms of GPA is just as important and is valued the same as senior year. Don’t just not turn in assignments because you’re too lazy to finish them. Laziness and procrastination will cause you to fail is what everyone in your life will tell you. That is not entirely true. Everyone can be lazy and procrastinate on every assignment and still get straight A’s. Your life will be one hundred times more stressful and tiring if you do actually procrastinate and are lazy. Everyone says that IB is so difficult during junior and senior year but really they are no different. It’s the extracurriculars and the clubs and sports during those years that make them harder than freshman and sophomore years.

The courses freshman year that I would study for the most would definitely be bio and Spanish or whatever language you are taking. Sophomore year you should not get a single B but should focus on whatever foreign language. Junior year everything takes a little studying but nothing really takes more focus than another.

IB only takes dedication. If you are dedicated enough to study sufficiently for every class and are well prepared then IB will be easy. By finishing everything early and staying up late some nights working efficiently then you shouldn’t have any issues in IB.

Chris Campbell

 

My experience at IB has overall been great, albeit incredibly stressful. There are a few common pieces of advice that you will get from everyone and I will repeat it here too. Do not procrastinate!!!! Procrastinating on assignments just adds to your stress. Life is much easier if you complete all of your assignments the day you get them. I always completed my assignments the day I got them even though we have a block schedule. Especially do not wait to complete your science fair projects, I was up all night doing mine and it was awful. Also, if you choose to take biology your senior year, make sure you start the fly lab early. So many people skipped school the week the lab was due in order to complete it and many more people scored really low on it.

I would also like to advise you not to stress too much. I got a little too obsessed with maintaining my A average and this stressed me out too much. It is okay to get a B once in a while, after all it is not your nine weeks grade that matters, it is your semester grade that matters. I would advise you to learn how to prioritize your classes. For example, I always worked first on the classes that I had the lowest grades in. I believe that there are a few classes that deserve the most attention, like Calculus, Biology, and Spanish.

One strategy I always followed was making my grade as high as possible the first nine weeks so that my grade is safe when the semester finals come around. This strategy has helped me maintain my grades and helped keep me from getting too stressed out during midterm week. I also advise you to take advantage of all and any extra credit opportunities available. Furthermore, make sure all of your teachers like you. Do not annoy your teachers. Life is much easier when your teachers actually like you and trust you.

Neeshi Patel

 

To those now entering the program, congratulations on joining one of the top programs in the country, your hard work is appreciated. You have a lot of ideas formed in your head about this idea (or should I say lifestyle) known as IB. First I am going to address to you that some of what you have heard is true but there are portions of this program I thought to be true but in fact are false. From the eyes of a middle of the road IB student, here is what IB is really like.

Entering the program, you have a conceived notion that this program is hard. It is. It takes diligence and management of your priorities to make it through this program. Know that your first year is for weeding people out; they have a committee to help do just that in the teachers that you will have your first year. This is very stressful, but I urge you to persevere on. The people you meet in this program are all interesting in their own respects and you will come to cherish the time you spend with them and you be friends for life with a few of them. After you start to make it into the year you will find that your classmates support you, everyone starts to become concerned when you hint at dropping out its crazy. Though if you start to waver in if you want to be in IB, you can leave, it’s ok. Don’t feel bad about it, it’s your life so you should live it your way.

You will be stressed and tired (get ready for your first all-nighter not having fun, but studying) so I recommend getting a hobby or joining a club THAT YOU ENJOY. I started to apply to many different clubs in my senior years, love every one of them, hate not doing it sooner. But spending four years doing a club only for the college resume is plain stupid, join band or the chess team, play football. Don’t just be a go to school go home and study kind of person, they don’t succeed. Oh and another thing, you still have to work hard to go to the college that you want, being in IB isn’t the golden ticket to an Ivy League school, it is earned.

Will you have time for these clubs? More than you’d think. After four years I have found that you can get through your homework pretty quickly if you buckle down and just do it, the workload on most nights is not hectic if you can get into a rhythm of doing your homework over the weekend and getting ahead. Essays in the future are very important, don’t let the time slip away, you’ll want it back. Teachers that offer extra credit, thank them for their service to humanity and do it. Really this program more than anything should teach a person that they can do anything they want to do as long as they manage time well. Some kids even have jobs and work 40 hours a week, just saying.

Most importantly of all, I have found entering the final stretch of my IB career, appreciate your family. They can see that you’re tired in the mornings and need to sleep in the afternoons and they’ll leave you alone. They are there for you at all points in your experience at IB, don’t push them out. If you think that your friends are the basis of your support you are dead wrong. My mother is always trying to keep me healthy (as during this program I lost considerable amounts of weight and have gone through stress related complications) and is there when I need help offering tutoring and other items to keep me on top of my game. My brother keeps me social inclined, I can’t shut myself out of the world, and I really appreciate it cause of the person I have become because of it. Really what I’m trying to say is, love your family because they do too. Even when sometimes it doesn’t feel like it, they always have your back.

So there is IB in a nut shell. Whether you have a good experience or a bad one is up to you. I wish you the best of luck.

Ben Esper

 

Just do it. Seriously man just suck it up and do it. Everything sounds like it’ll be super hard, but nothing is hard. Get that in your head. Nothing in IB is hard. EE? It gets done. Design labs? They get done. IAs? They get done. Orals? They get done. You just have to do it. Stop thinking about how hard it’ll be or how long it’ll take, and JUST DO IT. Believe me, it’s never as bad as it seems. You wanna know the best part? You’re going to be so ready for college by the time you graduate. You’ll find yourself spewing superb essays in under an hour, while college students complain and worry about a 1,000 word assignment that’s due the next week. Psh. 1,000 words? Yeah, you’ll be able to do that in your sleep soon. You’ll be comfortable presenting in front of a group of people dying to tear your presentation apart. You’ll know how to deal with every question or counterclaim that is thrown at you. You’ll learn how to think on your feet in literally every single subject. It’ll be great. Don’t drop out. It’ll look bad to colleges. If you drop out, you’ll basically be saying, “Hey colleges, I can’t handle the most rigorous program available to high school students.” Yeah no. Doesn’t look good. Don’t be that guy.

Okay, first of all…get it out of your head that IB is a one-way ticket to your dream college. Is that out? Alrighty, good. Disappointing? Yeah…well…don’t completely lose hope just yet. I know that Dr. Vetter makes IB sound like the most amazing program on the face of the Earth with his dramatic “We have students at Harvard, Yale, Stanford…” speeches, but the truth is that your chances of getting into a top university will NOT increase just because you’re in IB. Think about it. All your life, you’ve been around people who probably weren’t as smart as you. It was easy to stand out. But here, you’ll be in a program with students JUST AS SMART AS YOU IF NOT SMARTER THAN YOU. I’m not trying to be pessimistic; my point is that you have to try, and you have to try hard. It is definitely possible to get into an amazing university, but it will not be just because you’re an IB student. You need to maintain stellar extracurriculars and grades, and you need to do well on your ACT/SAT tests. Oh! Side note! Take some SAT Subject Tests. Oh! Other side note! Take Algebra II in 9th grade with Geometry. Trust me, it’ll be worth it. Top universities love math. If you take two math classes in 9th grade, you’ll be in Calc BC by senior year. That’s impressive, man. Do it. Alright back to my point. You gotta try. By try, I don’t just mean try at school. Dual enroll too. During the year and during summer. Don’t take dumb classes, take real courses that will help you (ahem, ahem…lots of math courses). It sounds terrible, but you’ll find something to complain about anyway so you might as well get the most you can out of these four years. Just do it.

No but really back to the whole don’t drop out thing. It’s not just for the colleges. IB matures you. It MAKES you grow up and it opens your eyes to the world.  You don’t understand how lucky you are to be HERE in this program. I cannot even begin to fathom going through IB with any other teachers. I don’t know how he did it, but Dr. Vetter managed to find the perfect teacher for every single subject. Guice…oh, Guice…I don’t think anyone else has the ability to teach TOK or English as well as he does. No, scratch that. I know no one else has the ability to teach TOK or English. You will walk into your ACT/SAT test and walk out with a perfect on the English section. He’s good. TOK may seem pointless, but I promise it’s not. Honestly, I think every student in high school should be forced to take TOK. So. Pay attention in that class if you want to stop being an ignorant and arrogant human being. Ohhh and Debbiecakes. Debbie, Debbie, Debbie. Again, you don’t understand how lucky you will be to have these teachers. Debbie Kennon is the only person who can even remotely teach Biology. Every high school student I’ve ever met (yes, I’m being serious…everyone. Not exaggerating at all) does not understand any part of Biology. You’re lucky to have Kennon. You’re lucky to have all these IB teachers who genuinely care about your education. OH SIDE NOTE! TAKE ANATOMY TOO IT’LL HELP WITH BIO YOU WON’T HAVE TO STUDY AT ALL FOR ANYTHING SENIOR YEAR IN BIO IF YOU TAKE ANATOMY. Alright back to how you’re lucky. I’ve sat in regular Bartow classes, and let me tell you man, if I were a normal student I would probably drop out of high school. IB teachers are FUN. You’ll develop such a personal relationship with each one. They’ll be like your BFFs. So basically, you’ll have seven friends already going into this program. Yay you.

Alrighty. I’m done. Basically, try hard and be appreciative of the opportunity you’ve been given. Just kidding I’m not done. One more thing. Cheating. It happens. I would love to tell you that the cheaters lose in the end and that they will never succeed, but I would be lying. They will not lose and they will succeed. They will accomplish their goals. Sorry. You can either join them (and deal with the guilt of being a dirty dirty liar who doesn’t deserve anything good in life) or you can just suck it up and deal with it. I would suggest you do the latter. Yeah now I’m done. As much as I hate the IB program, I couldn’t imagine myself anywhere else. It’s been worth it.

Haneen Ottallah

 

Dear Freshman,

Welcome to the IB program at Bartow High School. If you are willing to power through all four years, you will have had one heck of an amazing education! Some say it isn’t worth it, others say it is. I’ll put it to you this way: it is worth it only if you’re willing to actually do work. If you don’t do your work, obviously you’re going to fail. It sounds harsh, but honestly, students who are in IB but aren’t actually willing to work hard are going to suffer, whether it be physically or mentally. Also, IB can either bolster your GPA to heights unimaginable by the normal high school student, or IB can plunge your GPA into the depths further than the Underworld. But that all matters on how hard of a worker you are. If you’re willing to dig your heels in and grind it out, then this is the program for you!

Now that we’ve got that introduction out of the way, let me give you some noteworthy advice. I know you are going to ignore me (trust me, I ignored all this advice too), but might as well say it again (and again and again): DO NOT PROCRASTINATE. Trust me, unless you want to be a fool like me and stay up until the wee hours of the dawn (you know, like 3 to 4 am), you will do your work early. But hey, since you’re not going to listen to me, good luck staying up! Oh and I challenge you to accomplish this without a single ounce of caffeine. Try it, I dare you.

Another great piece of advice that I wish to pass on to you is to find some form of relaxation or release that you look forward to. Ideally it would be doing something academically stimulating for fun (like A-Team) or playing sports (like tennis — by the way, tennis club every Friday!). Definitely do not do something illegal. But this release can be a great form of motivation that you can look forward to at the end of every week. Basically, having some sort of motivation is what allowed me to write my Math Exploration in about a night or so (hopefully, Ms. Frisbie has stopped reading this far since I’ve written a lot. If not, then that stuff about my Math Exploration was a lie :D).

And so, I would like to think I’ve written enough to get a good grade on this assignment, so I shall be bidding you a farewell and good luck!

Yours truly,

Zachary Sandoval

P.S. If you’re still reading this, your time management skills need some work 😉

 

It has definitely been an eventful four years for me. As I look back I am amazed I made it this far with all my friends. Looking back, I can definitely say IB was the most difficult I’ve been through. That being said, I do have some great memories with the people here.

I know for the people who make it through, they will have a lot of memories made to reminisce about in the future. Enough with all this nostalgia talk; first they have to get through the program. The best advice I can give is don’t procrastinate. I am aware it is overused, but it is the truth. Many who listen will be like me and shrug it off, but they will regret it. Other advice is actually study if you struggle at it. I know from personal experience with Spanish that ignoring it doesn’t help.

Honestly, I’m not the best person to ask advice on this matter. I can tell people how not to make IB terrible based on personal mistakes. Study, do the homework more than half the time, get help where one struggles, and they will get by just fine. I barely did any of that and I got by, but I wouldn’t know where to start on how to be successful in IB. Every freshman will figure out how to cope with IB or that it’s just not right for them just like our class did. Take it one day at a time and don’t wait until the period before to write this essay.

Anthony Sartin

 

My experience in IB has been incredibly difficult. The studies that I have completed in Bartow IB have been the most tedious and stressful tasks I have ever encountered. Now that I am halfway through my final year of high school, I realize that several steps could have been taken to ease my pain and mental suffering. I wish to pass on the strategies I have formulated to the rising generation.

If you are an IB freshman, don’t drop out. It is absolutely true that the program gets increasingly difficult each year, but even the highest hurdles may be overcome with proper conditioning. First, you must turn in all of your work on time in order to succeed. There are teachers who are less strict than others, but you shouldn’t push your luck. A teacher may do something unexpected as well. Overdue assignments with simply pile up and still need to be completed along with new work. Second, you must study for tests in areas you do not excel in naturally. Tests may either boost or obliterate your class grades, so studying thoroughly is a given if you cannot easily ace the test. Third, do not overwork yourself. What I mean is that you should not involve yourself in an absurd number of clubs or activities that take place outside of school. The required volunteer hours and rigorous advanced courses an IB student must execute are already sources of a sufficient amount of stress for the average young adult. Engaging in extra tasks makes completing work on time excessively difficult and hurts your GPA.

Finishing the IB program to the best of your ability will help you get into a quality college and have an easier time handling the workload and exams. The studying and test-taking techniques you develop in IB will give you a great advantage in the pursuit of your dream career, so muscle through the program and remember the steps I have taught you.

Mason Gore

 

As a graduating senior with only one semester left, I would still drop out right now were I able. This program has not fulfilled its promises to me and I am embittered. So, I say to you that if you are looking for your magic ticket to Harvard, Yale, Princeton, etc., then you should leave now unless you plan on being valedictorian.

If, however, you are instead seeking the best educational opportunity in the county, perhaps in the state, then stay. The teachers here are generally good and the curriculum is rigorous enough that you will be forced to learn your fair share.

Should you choose to stay, then I’d say don’t take it too seriously. You should do things you like even if it means sacrificing a grade or two. Pick from any of the great clubs here, like sports, A-Team, chess, or table tennis. Have fun.

The last and most important piece of advice I can give , applicable to all areas of your life, is as follows:

WALK WITH PURPOSE.

Nobody likes the crowd of 25-freshman herds migrating slowly from one class to another and blocking passage in the 500 hallway. Do not lollygag. Do not crowd around a teacher’s (Mrs. Kennon’s) door waiting for her to show up.

Uninvolvedly,

Ted Ammon

 

A Word of Advice

High school life is a big social experiment.  It is the segment of our lives that leaves an indelible mark on our ever-growing psyche.  It is our rite of passage to adulthood.  It is the litmus test for the friendships we will eventually cultivate.  How we respond to the challenges that are presented before us during this time will serve as the training ground for how we deal with the real world once we are outside the confines of our high school buildings.

As someone coming onto the high school scene, you’ve undoubtedly been inundated with a constant barrage of “wise words and what-not.”  Do not cheat; do not procrastinate; study hard; join all the clubs; volunteer as much as you can; choose your friends wisely; avoid negative confrontations; make sure to have a social life;  use your planner; be better organized; develop good time management skills…the list can continue to infinity!

There is, however, one piece of sage counsel that I believe is truly propitious but is typically overlooked… even by the best of us.  It’s investing in people and relationships.  This is the one valuable key that has helped define who I am and the path I now embark on.

The perspective of “investing in people” means different things to different people.  For me, it encompasses more than just hanging out with those in my inner circle of friends or with like-minded people; tutoring students; or volunteering at the local hospital or homeless shelter.

It is simply more than the time you invest in others, but also taking a genuine interest and effort into getting to know and help the people you are with.

Let’s be real.  We all want our relations to be easy, convenient and straightforward.  We invest much of our time and effort in getting to know our inner circle of friends because we know them and are comfortable with them.  We pour ourselves into people that we consider worthwhile.

Unfortunately, we also tend to shy away or disengage from those people we perceive to be different and difficult; and not from our circle.  Why?  We just choose not to and naïvely decide that it is not worth the time or effort.

I can fully attest to the benefits that come from investing yourself in the people around you.  It forges a strong enough bond that makes people want to show you the same genuineness that you have shown them.

After all, people will always remember how we made them feel…even if they don’t quite remember what we did.

Gabriella Liwanag

 

In my time at IB, I have learned many things about being a student that I really couldn’t have learned anywhere else. After going through most of the four long years that this program has to offer, I must say that it is an experience like no other. If you are looking for a rigorous program that will give you an edge when it comes to colleges and challenge you until the very end, look no further than IB. If not, I suggest getting out while it is even remotely convenient.

As far as advice goes, I have little to offer that has likely been said by hundreds of other people, but I’ll offer what I can. First of all, get your work done. On time. Getting behind in IB is quite possibly the worst experience ever and I don’t recommend it to anyone. You might blow this statement off, but if you take nothing else from this essay, take this statement. Secondly, do anything you can ahead of time. For example, you may be aware of the 20 hours of split volunteer work and “cultural hours”. My advice is to start there and complete things like that well in advance. It will go a very long way, especially when it comes to the 150 CAS hours you have to complete over Junior and Senior year.

On a completely different train of thought, IB is a very small program in terms of class size. Because of this, it is very easy for a class to have a great deal of camaraderie and closeness between them. It’s like a little family that you will be with for four long years. So if you aren’t really a social person, I recommend starting now. Get involved in the class, socialize, make friends, and most importantly, do not under any circumstances make enemies. You will find that your experience is much more pleasant. This goes double for your teachers. Make sure that you stay on friendly, or at least amiable, terms with them. This will help you out if you ever struggle in a class or need help, because then you need your teachers. Additionally, they will be writing your recommendations for college, among other things, so try not to make them hate you.

So, let’s recap in case you don’t want to read all of that. Do your work, hit deadlines early, be a little bit social, and stay on your teachers’ good sides. And above all else, if you ever get behind, talk to your teachers about it. They are way more likely to help out if you do it earlier, rather than later. This is, of course, all easier said than done, but that is the true hallmark of an IB student: Perseverance. If you follow these guidelines well, you’ll do a much better job than I did, I guarantee that much.

To all of you who want to undertake this seriously demanding task. Good luck. You’ll need it.

Zachary Gollert

 

Dear Freshmen,

Welcome to IB. As you enter the system, please take care to not fall victim to the same mistakes that my class has. IB is very difficult, but there are ways to avoid as much pain and hardship that current IB students groan about. Many of my classmates refuse to acknowledge the fact that they have these problems, but it is the truth. Thus, I highly suggest you take heed to my suggestions.

First and foremost, take care that homework is your first priority. It helps to actually remember what assignments are given to you, a problem I personally have trouble with. Another issue is the dreaded “IB insomnia”. There is both truth and falsity behind this claim. It is undeniable that IB will work you hard. However, IB does not require you to stay up to 4 o’clock on a daily basis. The reason for this, and my classmates will deny this, is that many IB students decide to use their phone until 11, take an hour to remove it from arm’s reach, and use the four remaining hours for homework. Furthermore, the 60 or so IB Juniors, of which I am a member, have a terrible problem with procrastination. They tend to wait to the last day to do a project that a sane human being would spread out over a month. In essence, do your homework first, relax second.

Another problem is that IB students tend to believe that because they are intelligent, the teachers will put up with their shenanigans. And two and a half years in, they still seem to have not gotten the memo. Persuasion does not mean repeating the same whines over and over again, as my colleagues will believe. And the teachers are not just going to bow down to your every whim either, so don’t think they will, else they will get mad. And that is one of the biggest mistakes a student can make, regardless of which school you attend.

I hope my advice is of use to you. Good luck in IB!

Ian McKinney

 

Calculus is an area of mathematics that involves the study of the patterns and relations in change. There is a much larger emphasis on conceptualizing ideas and concepts rather than memorizing equations. Looking back on my IB year, I see a number of pitfalls I had fallen into. Some of them had easy solutions, while others could only be solved through several hours of extended study on a Saturday afternoon. In an attempt to help any who read this essay, I will lay them out as clearly as possible.

First of all, students have to understand that there are a number of things you must memorize for this class if you want to stay ahead. Remember to have a firm grasp on the unit circle, as well as the rest of the trigonometric functions in relation to one another. Flashcards are indispensable for this task. Don’t put off the job of writing out flashcards. Remember to write down any equations that come up in class. Specific focus should be placed on the derivatives and antiderivatives, especially for the trigonometric functions.

Also, when reading the textbook, take notes from the summary pages at the end of each chapter. They oftentimes have all the highlights and equations from the chapter. However, remember to still pay attention when you go over homework in class, as real-life experience helps solidify the concepts in your mind. Make sure to give each chapter a full read before you take notes from the summary page, however, as the notes are only helpful as something to review for reminders, not to learn and understand the whole concept. Also, don’t be too proud to read from the Idiot’s Guide to Calculus. The book does a good job at simplifying the concepts and providing examples, while remaining neat and orderly (perhaps unlike the textbook).

If you remember to follow these tips, you’ll definitely be prepared to take the AP Calculus course. Good Luck!

Arthur Christoffersen

 

Dear Freshmen,

The advice I would give to a friend who is just entering the IB program would be to remain focused on your goals. If you allow yourself to be distracted from your main goal then you will be drowning before you even realize that you are behind. You don’t have to think that you will have no life due to being in IB. If you complete your assignments in a timely manner then you will be able to enjoy your free time stress free.

DO NOT compare your workload to your Bartow High School counterparts. Even though they might not be up to their eyeballs in homework they don’t have the quality of teachers nor the quality of education that you have. In the end, IB is preparing you for college and in the future when they are trying to figure out how to handle the work you will be skating down easy street. Accept the fate that is IB and embrace it.

Time management skills may be one of the best skills to have in this program. The workload isn’t as hectic as it seems unless you let it stockpile and limit yourself on the time you have to do it. The best advice I could offer is to suck it up and do the work or you will regret what results from not caring at all. It may be less stressful not to care but it will catch up to you in the end.

Eva Richardson