Congratulations, you’ve made it into IB, now what? I’m sure you’re fully aware, but the road ahead will be anything but smooth. I’ve personally had plenty of late nights and pushed a record of going to school on three hours of sleep (a minor feat compared to some of my peers). With proper time management, you can avoid things like this, mainly don’t take on too much and actually keep yourself on task at home. But I’m not making this to talk about the ideal study habits, Mrs. Maeda will do that with you soon enough. Instead, I’d rather focus on the ideal attitudes to have as an IB student. To me, the ideal student is prideful without being stuck up, and recognizes the benefits of a studious attitude.
You’re in IB, big deal 😐. Don’t let it get to your head too much. Now, I don’t mean to undermine the reputation of the IB program too much, obviously you should be proud for being here. When you feel overwhelmed and, as a result, inadequate, it’s perfectly fine to remind yourself that you are a high school student learning college level material and feeling that way is more than justified. That case is an example of having a healthy amount of pride for this program. Some, as you will find out, take their pride too far. If you talk to most high school students outside of the program you will find that the general impression of us is that we’re bunch of students who — though undeniably smart — are stuck up annoying little –. There certainly are people who fit that stereotype here, but most are genuinely nice. Don’t reinforce that stereotype.
As well as having a healthy amount of pride in this program, the ideal IB student recognizes the benefits of hard work. You don’t have to be “inherently smart” to be a good student at IB. Work ethic and being studious are significantly more important. I don’t mind sharing that, in elementary school, I was no “gifted” child, and actually was something much further from it. For a long time, I had to be taken out of class to be given extra tutoring since I was considered “slow.” Now, I’m ranked 15th out of 45 students in IB, and 15th out of some 400+ students in BHS. This isn’t meant as a brag, but a reminder that you should never think that you aren’t smart enough to be in this program, if you are willing to put in the hours, you will yield results.
All in all, if you can make it through four years of this program, you certainly have something to be proud of. But don’t be overly proud. What makes an IB student isn’t their natural intelligence, but their work ethic. Really, anyone with the correct mindset can start and finish this program, a statement that can either be discouraging or encouraging depending on how you read it. You may take it as saying, “you’re not special,” which may be what you need to hear if that’s how you read it. Or you could read the statement as saying “no matter how low you may think of yourself, you can succeed with effort.” Really, the greatest advice anyone can give is to do your best, even if you fail, you won’t have the regret of not trying.
Robert Beltran
Dear student,
These next 4 years will likely include some of the hardest things you have ever faced. Don’t be discouraged by this, you can handle it. If there’s one thing I had to keep reminding myself, it’s that I made it into this program for a reason, and that I would not have been able to make it this far if I was not meant for the program. One of the many good things about this program is that you are surrounded with like-minded people. You will eventually get very close with these students, and you will form important relationships that will probably last long after you leave high school.
One of the biggest things I needed to learn when I came to IB is how to ask for help. I, like you, have probably never needed help in school before, and sometimes asking for help is pretty scary. You might feel this immense pressure thinking that asking for help is some sign of weakness or a sign that you’re not as smart as the rest. You’re not alone, I’ve also felt this way. Sometimes you just have to bite the bullet and ask, and I can promise you that your teachers will not think any less of you. If anything, I have noticed that they will actually appreciate you putting in the extra effort to try and understand.
Another piece of advice that I have for you is that you must learn how to study. As a senior, I have never really had to study all that much, and it does eventually catch up to you. I cannot stress this enough; try you figure out the study method that works the best for you. One thing to keep in mind is that someone else’s study method may not be good for you at all. The sooner you figure out your preferred method the better. In my experience, it is not the best idea to wait until the last minute to both look for and accept help.
Best of luck in the program!
Luisa Cordova
If you are starting out here at IB as a freshman, they you are about to experience a journey where you will develop critical thinking skills as well as become more open minded in your perspective. I think that you should approach IB as something hard, but something that is your choice. It’s easy to complain about the big workload, but think about how you wouldn’t be getting as deep of an education in other schools. Also, as you go through your classes, try to think about real world application as you will have to do explorations into these topics in the future with your extended essays and internal assessments. And aside from all the school stuff, remember to have fun because if you start to see this as a punishment, it will start to feel less rewarding. Make friends with your classmates and hang out to decompress. If you remember to keep balance in all areas of your life, you’ll be fine.
A pitfall that you should avoid in your time at IB is procrastination. This will probably be what everyone will tell you, but it is very easy to not listen. For me, others telling me wasn’t enough to not procrastinate. I had to go through the experience. So maybe it will connect with you if I tell you my experiences. When I started procrastinating in freshman year, I thought that I was just waiting a little bit to do some of my assignments, but this snowballed into me waiting the night before to do all of my assignments. I ended up sleeping at 12 or 1 am every night and had a very bad sleep schedule. This routine made me feel really bad throughout the day because I was so tired so I decided to sleep every day at 10 pm and use my time efficiently to finish my homework before late at night. I then started to manage my time ever better so I could do things after school such as go to the gym. If you make it a priority to do all your homework on the day you got it, you will have more time later on and therefore more flexibility in your schedule.
The most important aspects of IB that are worthy of study are obviously the strenuous courses that will give us a deep general knowledge of the world around us whether it be mathematics, history, the natural sciences, or language such as English and Spanish. I would also recommend that you engage in extracurricular studies more too instead of seeing them as an activity that will take away from your time to study for your tests. This is because there are so many activities that can fuel whatever you are passionate about. For example, I participated in film competition in HOSA and FBLA and mixed some things I was passionate about. You can participate in theatre if you like acting or band if you want to further deepen your musical knowledge. Overall though, broaden your mind to more than just your classes and making by and instead see this time as a time to thrive and appreciate all your classes and the opportunities you have.
Ohm Patel
To incoming freshmen, I would heavily advise thinking very carefully about whether or not you can keep up with the workload, since I know many people who have dropped out because they could not keep up. Balance is incredibly important and, if you can’t maintain it, then you end up in a situation much like my own; ahead in some classes, just caught up in others, and way too behind for comfort in others. Probably the most helpful thing for a student would be to stay calm and keep a level head while completing their assignments and studying for tests though it can be very difficult when managing school alongside extracurriculars and other commitments.
While it may be difficult, really try to avoid procrastinating and do your work the same day it’s assigned to you if possible. It gets increasingly more and more tempting to hold off on an assignment if it isn’t due the next day, but it can lead to some big struggles later on, such was the case with Internal Assessments and the Extended Essay among several of my peers and perhaps even myself. Another pitfall could just be succumbing to stress. It will definitely be overbearing at times, but keeping a level-head is one of the most important things to try to maintain, especially on tests. Tests can go very poorly if you start panicking.
It’s very hard to say what singular subject deserves the most studying, since everyone has their strengths and weaknesses. I, for one, have been struggling to keep up with sciences as of late, but then focusing so much attention on that led to me not focusing on math and Spanish as much, so it’s safe to assume that I’m also looking for a balance as I write this. Balance is probably the most important and hardest thing to reach since it’s rare that anyone gets through a full day without at least one assignment being added to the list, but those who can manage it will see themselves striving. I’m probably not the most qualified to give all that much advice, but I think each student should, in general, just focus on doing their best without getting too caught up in whether or not they’re on the same level as their peers. Friendly competition can be good, but I’ve very often seen it go too far.
Miguel Sueldo
Starting IB can be quite overwhelming; the new atmosphere, semi-aggressive teachers, and the abundance of new people to meet, but as the year goes on things tend to get easier in the social aspects and a bit more complicated in the academic region. IB is many things but primarily a wild goose chase as students will be running around trying to complete a mountain of assignments and trying to fit into this little bubble of expectations; but with all that IB at BHS does have teachers and administration that do care about the students.
In my years at IB I know it can be quite overwhelming with the course load as some weeks there will be very few assignments and others where it will feel like you’re drowning. my best advice for a situation like this is to heavily schedule out your assignments, whether it is by date, time, or week it will immensely help with the workload. In my own experience having a schedule has helped reduce my anxiety and panic attacks with worry of not meeting deadlines and has given me plenty of free time to do many hobbies, although it seems like a small task it does help make things easier over the weeks. Another piece of advice is to not take advantage of the teachers, there kindness only goes so far and although they do care about the students, they are very capable of keeping a grudge, so just be respectful and kind to them.
When entering IB students can easily fall into a rabbit hole by not doing their assignments or assuming the class is easy enough to not put much effort into, this is a mistake. Even if a class’s lesson seems easy it is always good to do the assignments and study as it is very easy to fall behind. In my first year at IB a girl once missed an entire week of classes and did not bother to makeup a missing assignment, she fell behind and had to drop out as she was not able to keep up to the demanding course that IB is. As you go through the course many students develop a sort of arrogance towards IB, as if they have figured it out, this is another mistake as many things change with IB every year. There are many things to figure out and try to understand and it’s best to go one step at a time with each as not everything is what it seems.
IB is a demanding and tedious course, but it allows students to develop skills and put critical thinking to the test. At times it doesn’t seem like it is worth all the mental suffering but in the end, it will allow you to go further in your academic career especially if you do out of state. IB allows students to challenge themselves and look at things in a different perspective which is why it is a valuable course.
Sammy Valich
Looking back at the last four years, I have learned that overall health and sleep matter so much when it comes to surviving this program. Of course school is indefinitely important; however, I think freshman and IB kids in particular tend to overlook the importance of one’s own sleep and most importantly mental health. With that in mind, I would suggest creating a schedule that incorporates some sort of mental health break or nap to help better yourself. Another important thing that I have learned is that perfectionism is the death of all IB kids. Of course you are going to want to get straight “A” and be at the top of your class, but I can guarantee you not everything is going to play out the way you want it to. The IB program is designed to challenge higher level thinking kids like us, so there are going to be times where you feel like you don’t have control over your grades and get distressed. If and when you get that grade you don’t want, don’t overwork yourself over it, there are still going to be time and opportunities to fix those problems and learn from your mistakes.
Furthermore, try to remain as humble as possible in this program. Higher-level thinking kids tend to be too arrogant with their grades on certain harder classes, which may cause certain kids to feel as though they are inferior to the kids that got higher grades. Of course there is a certain standard that you are doing well in your classes but that doesn’t mean you can bully kids over their intellectual ability. Similar to you, they are trying to the best of their ability to push through a program that is not common for kids at our age to indulge in. If it makes you feel better, always remember your quality of education is so much better than the average high schooler and you are trying so much harder for a reason that will benefit you in the future. Similarly, this program is a board game; you have to play your pieces correctly. Within your first two years of the program, figure out what your strengths and weaknesses are. This is because in your sophomore year you are going to begin picking your IB classes and examinations thereof. With this in mind, you want to take your harder classes with topics that are easier for you rather than classes that are going to brutally destroy your GPA. Similarly, it also makes your chances for receiving the IB diploma easier and makes your IB experience easier. However, do keep in mind that post-secondary institutions want to see that you are challenging yourself to the best of your ability while still maintaining good academic standing.
In all, the most cliche suggestion would be do not procrastinate. YES, I have fallen into this trap numerous times and still do to this day. Would I recommend this? No. As an IB kid, it is inevitably true that organization will have to be created for when and how you do your school work. Figure out how you study best or get work done. Furthermore, MAKE FRIENDS. Yes, IB kids tend to lack social skills and yes it is hard to talk. However, they will be your best friends and your biggest helpers in this program. I guarantee you, if you make good friends, your time at IB will become ever so better. Furthermore, the IB kinda forces you to make friends in the sense that you have to do a CAS project that requires cooperation with classmates and your community. So, try to the best of your ability to make those friendships. Always remember that you got this and that there is always light at the end of the tunnel!
Kevin Rodriguez
Dear future Senior,
The idea of Senior year is exciting. You are becoming legal adults, submitting college applications, and probably getting more freedom from your parents. However, while all of these things are exciting, you will feel the stress of the things you need to complete in your senior year. For example, as soon as you come back from summer break, you are going to starting your science IA. My advice towards that is to utilize the time in class Ms. Kennon and Ms. Loweke offer to get it done at school. It is a headache that does not need to be thought of at home. In fact, this goes for all IAs that you have time to work on in class. If you are taking research next year, utilize that time to get your work done.
The other big thing that needs to be done senior year is your extended essay. I know the 4000-word essay sounds terrifying, but when you start writing, it’s going to go by fast. Only if however, you research your sources completely. It is a research essay, and the researching is the part that takes the most time, not the writing.
My final piece of advice is towards your college applications. Start them in summer. Your can access common app by July. Start doing the easy but tedious work. Write your college essay. Research what you want to write for your supplements. And do most of it in summer. When you come back to school you might feel overwhelmed and feel that you can do it later, but you should not procrastinate on this. If not to relive you of stress, do it during the summer so you can sit back and watch all of your classmates flounder around trying to get things submitted last minute.
Have a great senior year.
Your almost done, you got this!
Navpreet Kaur
For freshmen who are starting out here, I would absolutely recommend learning how to use the planner given to you by the school, or at the very least purchasing a calendar to hang on your wall. Assignments can have due dates that sneak up on you, and in order to manage your time effectively and avoid being caught unaware, you will need to learn how to monitor your own dates. IB will seem incredibly daunting and terrifying when you first start however, once you start learning and understanding what methods of organization work best for you, the experience will become far less stressful and far more manageable.
The largest pitfall you are likely to fall into is procrastinating on your work. This will happen to every IB student at some point and can be destructive if you let it snowball into a large problem. The best way to avoid this happening is to do your homework the day it is assigned. Even if it’s a 5 or 10 minute worksheet, even if you have a lot to do that day, do your work the day it is assigned and you will have a much smoother time at IB and your grades will improve immensely. Another common pitfall I see many students making is turning their entire life outside of school into studying and doing academic work. Yes you should absolutely study your notes consistently, and yes you should absolutely do your homework, but don’t forget to be a teenager. You never get these 4 years of your life back, so please do not forget to go out and do things with friends.
Ultimately, the most important thing you should be studying at IB is not any particular class but rather yourself. Study the kind of person you are, learn how to reflect on your actions, and try and each year be a better and more interesting person than you were the year before. It’s easy to compare yourself to the students around you: they might get better grades, or be more athletic, or funnier. At the end of the day, the only person to compare yourself to is the previous version of you.
Jimi Hocking
Dear Incoming Freshmen,
Student life at Bartow IB can be quite a rollercoaster. Between finishing assignments, tests, and writing papers, I’ll be honest, it’s a challenge. Is it a worthy one though? I’m still trying to determine that and I’m in senior year. So far, the curriculum has left me questioning how something that feels so useless has become so useful in my day-to-day life. I wish I could say that I’m talking about writing essays and working out simple math problems, but I’m really referring to the ability to communicate effectively.
Throughout your time in IB, you’ll find that many people think differently than you. Some of you will embrace it and learn from it, others will push against it and run from it. If I had to give any advice right now, I would say to keep an open mind. Work to understand the views and beliefs of others around you. Because IB is so culturally diverse, it proves useful to know a thing or two about fellow classmates. This concept of keeping an open mind makes integrating into the program less difficult and more rewarding. Instead of disrespecting fellow classmates and creating rifts in relationships, you build bonds that help provide reasons to continue in the program. If you really want to stay, build relationships.
This brings me to my second point for advice: don’t be afraid to connect with people. The students that often thrive in the program are friends with at least a few people. Because of the size of IB, just knowing a few people can lead you to create many new friendships. Just like in any good video game, strengthening relationships can lead to new opportunities and an easier time when trying to learn different subjects. Although it helps to reach out to the teacher themselves, let’s be honest, that’s a little terrifying. It helps to surround yourself with fellow students who share the same classes and understand the things you don’t.
The final piece of advice that I’ll give is to find a mentor. I know that’s terrifying because, well, upperclassmen are intimidating. In my first year I never spoke to the Juniors or Seniors, and the only Sophomores I spoke to were in class with me. In the long run, though, I regret not asking them questions about the difficulty of the curriculum or how to write an A-Level essay. Because they’ve gone through parts of the program, they know what to expect and they’ll teach you how to approach each situation. Personally, I recommend talking to either the Sophomores (Class of 2025) or the Seniors (Class of 2023) because the seniors can explain their entrance into the IB Diploma Program and the Sophomores can explain how to make it through Freshman year. Some will even explain how to procrastinate effectively because it’s difficult not to build a habit of procrastination.
Anyway, I hope this helped somewhat. Knowing most Freshmen, my words probably fall on deaf ears. Hopefully your year goes well, and you never have to experience a second thought about joining the program because it really does get better.
Makayla Hays
Dear IB class of 2026,
Congratulations and welcome to the IB Diploma Program!!!
This program is difficult, but I promise in the long run it will be worth it. This program will teach you so many things. You will learn how to manage your time, acquire new studying techniques, and of course, learn A LOT.
Some basic tips are of course, don’t procrastinate… I know you will… but try not to. USE YOUR PLANNER. Plan ahead of time and keep track of your dates for assignments and tests. Also, study even on the days that you are not expecting a test for that week.
Make sure you take care of yourself. Your mental health comes first. If you are struggling mentally and you find yourself falling behind, talk to your teachers and advocate for yourself. I promise they will understand and they WILL help you.
The most important tip that I have to offer:
Don’t be obsessed with the idea that you have to always do better than someone. I know it is human nature to be competitive, but my advice to you is that if you’re more concerned about scoring higher than your classmates instead of actually setting a goal for yourself to improve as a student… you will become miserable! Focus on your own grades/rank/GPA etc. Do not drive yourself crazy trying to compare yourself to others. You are you. Everyone is different and everyone has their own way of learning and balancing their IB life.
Also my wise words from last year that I still stand by: “I encourage you to try your hardest and not let IB get the best of you. You are more than just a GPA, a grade average, or SAT/ACT scores. Do not let these things define your academic ability and who you are as a person.”
You got this! Don’t drop out… 9th grade is rough for everyone. try 10th grade then make up your mind. Lol anyways, BEST OF LUCK!!
Victoria Odikpa xx
Hi! Welcome to IB.
Get ready for a journey you will not forget. Here you will be able to make friends who exemplify your beliefs and understanding in the academic field, and they will be with you through each step of the way, and you will be able to depend on them when you need a little motivation. I know right know not only will you be dealing with starting High school, but also a program that will cultivate you into rising young academics. One of the most important tips I think is extremely helpful to freshmen is time management. By now you probably already heard about it, but it is really important that you pace yourself with your workload, so you do not overwhelm yourself. Also do not forget that there are teachers who are willing to help you through this journey, and Mrs. Marsh will always be only one email way, and whenever you need something, you can always count on her and out amazing teachers.
One thing that I cannot fully express the importance of, to you, would probably be finding a suitable study method that helps you study for multiple exams at the same time. Here at IB even though the teachers try not to overwhelm the students with multiple tests at the same time, there will always be something out of their control that causes these types of issues, and to handle these certain types of issues, you should already be prepared. Having a study method that works fast and efficiently helps with overcoming these problems without too much headache or issues, and it allows you to be adaptive to certain problems. This is one thing I have seen a lot of my peers’ struggle with, and it causes a lot of stress, but already having a solution before the problem occurs really does decrease the amount of pressure and stress put on you.
However, contrary to popular belief, IB students do enjoy the program because there are certain activities we get to participate in during certain days, and NOT everything is about work and studying and exams. I recommend that you have fun and enjoy the journey along with doing your best and stiving to achieve the best while you are here at Bartow IB.
Good Luck!!
Sawida Nisa
Dear incoming freshman,
Welcome to the IB program! You’ve made the first step towards a lengthy journey full of unknown challenges and obstacles. Looking back to my freshman year, I entered the program with limited knowledge about IB, very few friends, and pressure from my parents as my only motivation. I was sad to leave my middle school friends and intimidated by such an academically rigorous program. Now as a junior, I’m very thankful that I persevered past these concerns, and I cannot imagine myself anywhere else.
The most important habit one in IB should attain is time management. The word “procrastination” is included in nearly every IB kid’s advice essay of what not to do. Writing down all your assignments—both short and long term—can help you prioritize and keep you from falling behind. Personally, I try to get my assignments done on the same day it is assigned or as soon as I can. The information from class would also still be fresh in your memory, so it will also be easier to get them done sooner than later.
There will be some points where you will fail. It’s inevitable, but it’s okay. I don’t necessarily mean you will get an F in some class, but sometimes you will not meet your own expectations and end up scoring lower than you thought on a certain test or assignment. What is more important than the final grade is to persevere past these scores, as discouraging as they can be, and to motivate yourself to do better next time. It might feel like the end of the world in the moment, but years down the line you will see how insignificant the one grade becomes if you push yourself to do better in the following assessments and learn from your mistakes.
Be kind to your peers and teachers. You should take the time to introduce yourself and meet your peers in class or through clubs. For the most part, these are the people that will share your endeavors and struggles for the next four years of your life. You should develop good relations with your classmates because they will understand your problems better than anyone else outside of IB. Not only should you be kind to your peers, but you should also respect your teachers. There may be times where you are not performing as well as you would like, and you want to blame everything on the teacher. No teacher purposely wants you to fail, and they are willing to assist you if you reach out and ask for help when needed.
If you are still reading this or continuing to read my peers’ advice, then that means you have some aspiration to do well in this program, and I commend you for your ambition. No one said that IB is easy, but dedication, perseverance, and support from others will help you overcome the upcoming challenges.
Good luck and take care of yourself,
Chi Pham
Dear Future Student,
I am supposed to write about some possible life changing advice or tricks that I have hidden up my sleeve. These tricks will help you get through your years here at IB. I’m going to be completely straight up with you. There is no trick up my sleeve or anyone’s sleeve as far as I know. No tricks… and no I am not kidding. The IB program is hard, especially your freshman year. My freshman year was filled with anger, tears, hatred and an ocean of stress, there is no tricks to get through it, you just do. Some things that might help you though is getting your big boy/girl floaties on and just sit back for the ride. What I mean by floaties is a friend group. Not one that you jump into because you feel you aren’t good enough for another one, but a friend group that you love, a friend group that loves you and certainly won’t laugh at you, make fun of you, or drown you so they can stay afloat. Believe me that kind of friend group that does those toxic things are no good. I have fallen into that trap many times and still do. You want a friend group that is sturdy and fills your floaties up with air instead of popping yours so you sink. A friend group should be your number one goal to acquire in IB.
Another thing that might help you get through is some good old healthy sleep, although I certainly get the least amount of sleep in my friend group. Sleep in this analogy will represent the temperature and movement of the sea you are in. It should not be a competition with your friends to see who can get the least amount of sleep. You are better than that and should be watching your mental health and nourishing it through finding balance. One thing that can set your mental health/ life at IB off balance is choosing not to sleep. Getting a good 8 hours of sleep a night should be your goal… always…, but I recognize that it is not always possible. 8 hours of sleep a night will not only give you warm waters to float in, but calm waters that will allow you to excel instead of being tossed around like you were in a washing machine. Outside of the analogy, you will be in a better mood, less stressed, and be able to think more rationally when tackling schoolwork.
Some other tips are of course trying not to procrastinate, even though we all do it and it is totally expected for you to do it. Still try not to. Another tip I am required to give is to study. Less procrastination leads to more free time or study time for big tests and quizzes. I find Quizlet very useful when it comes to studying, but I recommend reviewing for your math and science classes along with history. Studying may not be something you are used to doing at this point, but it may just save you from a couple of F’s/ holes in your floaties. Good luck and remember don’t procrastinate, study (patch those holes), stay in warm and calm waters and find the best floaties that fit you.
Cheerfully,
Megan Flynn
Dear incoming freshman,
Congratulations on your decision to enroll in the IB program! Being part of the IB program is a challenging, long-term commitment that will require perseverance and dedication; however, I have come to learn throughout my time at IB that many of the negative details of the program people warned me of before my freshman year were quite over exaggerated, and in many cases, not the truth. I won’t lie to you and say that IB has been easy in any way, and I have struggled a lot at certain points. My two and a half years at IB have been filled with successes and failures, but because of these ups and downs I have had, I feel that I can provide some necessary advice to help you avoid some of the mistakes that I made.
For starters, I think it’s very important to get involved with a club, sport, or some other activity at school where there are other IB kids present. One of the best things about the transition to high school is that you have a variety of clubs and sports available for you to join for the first time ever, so take advantage of that! I don’t play a sport, however, I did join quite a few clubs at the beginning of my freshman year, and I am very thankful that I did. Being in clubs allowed me to bond with not only the people in my grade, but also allowed me to meet IB kids who were older than me and helped me get through my freshman year. Your freshman year, specifically the first semester, will be a challenging transition from middle school, and it is incredibly helpful to know others who have gone through that transition as well and can provide encouragement when you need it. Speaking of bonding with other IB kids, I think it is really important to be as nice as possible to everyone you meet and make a genuine attempt to get to know everyone in your class. I was a lot more timid at the beginning of my freshman year than I am now, and I was really scared to have to make an entire new friend group at IB since most of my friends went to other schools. This is something that I really regret, and it has taken me until this school year, almost two and a half years later, for me to really get to know everyone in my class. Don’t do what I did. Get to know the people in your class early on in your freshman year because it will make your experience here much easier and provide a support system for you if or when schoolwork begins to get overwhelming.
As for academics, I think it’s very important to take all of your work seriously. If you’re struggling in a class, ask your teacher for help. For me, math classes have always been deserving of the most study time. In fact, I really struggled in the first semester of Algebra 2 my freshman year until, one day, I finally asked Naki what I could do to understand the material better. Naki replied with something to the effect of “well, you don’t ever really ask questions in class, so that may be a good place to start. You have to advocate for yourself. It’s your education, no one else’s, so it doesn’t matter if other people think your questions are dumb”. That piece of advice has always stuck with me, because once I started asking questions in algebra 2, my understanding of the material increased dramatically, along with my grades. If you’re struggling, you need to remember that it’s okay to struggle, but it’s not okay to struggle without asking for help, especially since you have teachers who are almost always more than willing to help you with your understanding of their class. As cliche as this phrase is, there really is no such thing as a dumb question, and you shouldn’t let a fear of appearing dumb to others in your class stop you from receiving the academic help that you need like I did.
Lastly, I think the most important piece of advice I could give you as you begin your time in the IB program is to take advantage of every opportunity that comes your way and to step out of your comfort zone. This really applies to everything — academics, social life, clubs, sports, etc. For example, maybe there’s an extracurricular you’ve always wanted to try but never have, and you now have the opportunity to join it. Join the extracurricular, or at least try it out, and don’t make excuses as to why you shouldn’t. One of my biggest regrets is that I didn’t get involved with the theater program at school when I was a freshman, and I wish I could go back in time and give it a shot. Maybe there’s a class you want to take that no one else is taking or seems really challenging. If you’ve thought it over carefully and feel confident that you can succeed, take the class! Once you finish algebra 2, you will have to choose between taking math studies (many people consider this to be the easier route) or taking the calculus route of IB math. I really considered taking math studies because I didn’t think I would be successful in calculus and taking a harder math class was very out of my comfort zone; however, I ended up taking the calculus route, and I am really happy that I did. I spend a lot of time studying for this class, and it has been really challenging at times, but I have been able to do well and doing well after putting in a lot of effort has been really rewarding. So, if you have the opportunity to do something that’s out of your comfort zone, you should really consider doing it. It may provide you with some really great experiences that you could regret losing out on if you take the easier path.
Again, congratulations on choosing to go to IB, and I hope that you find it rewarding and worthwhile. You will struggle at some point, and you may have some (very) late nights, but your time spent here will shape your work ethic and prove valuable if or when you choose to pursue higher education. Work hard, do your homework, and don’t give up when things get tough. I believe in you, and I have no doubt you will do amazing.
Your friend,
Samantha Pattey
My most sincere and honest advice for anyone who has just entered the program is to seriously evaluate in your first few weeks and quarters if attending IB is really worth it. As you move up grade levels, the work will only increase and your course selection will only decrease. If you cannot handle IB now, do not bank on magically being able to handle it later. You have to either change or leave. You cannot procrastinate and pull all-nighters forever. Your grades will get impacted, which will in turn impact your college admissions chances. You need to have both an unwavering discipline and will if you want good grades. You will be doing work for hours. The tests are difficult and require much more studying than middle school. Additionally, there is a high focus on the humanities over stem, so if you are interested in pursuing a stem degree, you should take extra classes or dedicate some of your free time to a project if you want to get into a good stem college.
Although in many senses the workload of IB is no joke, many other aspects of Bartow IB are. You will encounter a lack of empathy, respect, and rationality from certain people. You will work for hours on assignments only to have a 260 point test decide your grade. You will deal with certain people who refuse to admit anything is wrong when it is clear as day that something is. All of this is extremely frustrating, but there is a point to IB: the diploma. The diploma is a coveted representation of all the hard work you have done for the last four years in your life. Colleges find it impressive. And most importantly, thirty years down the line you will have a piece of paper on your wall that says “I wasted what were supposed to be four of some of the best years of my life writing down redundant sentences and stressing over exams”. Now this is all very grim, but you will learn stuff in a unique way. The calculus teacher is likely one of the most gifted mathematicians in the county or state. The English teachers will teach you well how to write formally and analyze texts, which is useful especially if you want to be a lawyer. The chemistry teacher will make you one of the brightest students in your college chemistry class. The question for you is is that worth it? It may be or it may not be. But if you think it is, I will outline some advice for courses.
English will be difficult and will require time and dedication. However, such time and dedication should easily get you a good grade. Biology is tough and will also require time and dedication, but is manageable. Algebra or geometry are more relaxed classes in which understanding is required over effort. APES or AP Human Geo may require some time as AP classes can be hard to get used to. These are likely your four toughest classes, which separate are not too bad. Together, things get challenging. You have to determine if you are capable of such. But do not stay on a sinking ship, because it may take too long to get out. In full disclosure, I am extremely dissatisfied with my current situation in IB. I want to leave, but I cannot as it is too late, which really sucks. Do not make the same mistake I did. You do not have to go to IB to be successful. You do not have to go to IB to be successful. You do not have to go to IB to be successful. You do not have to go to IB to be successful. You do not have to go to IB to be successful. You do not have to go to IB to be successful. You do not have to go to IB to be successful. You do not have to go to IB to be successful. However, make the decision that you think is best for you. Kim Jong-un made the decision he thought was best for him and stayed at IB. He turned out as the leader of a country, so maybe IB is not all that bad.
Keshav Singh
Hello,
I hope all is well with you. As someone who was once an IB freshman, I think I can provide some helpful advice. The one big piece of advice (and obvious) is DO NOT procrastinate, trust me don’t do it to yourself. Now that that is out of the way I would like to give you more insightful advice. Freshman year goes by in a blur, so create good study habits because if you don’t, you probably never will. By good study habits I mean to find out what your learning style is and curate your studying to it. For example, if you are a visual learner, first find reliable videos (khan academy is a great website) and watch them. The same goes for the other learner types. Some classes are harder than others depending on the person. To determine what is deserving of the most study is up to you and what your strengths and weaknesses are. There are always resources online and at school that you can use to be successful so don’t be afraid to use them.
Next, do not be afraid to ask questions. I promise you no one actually cares if your questions are ‘stupid’. The point of questions is to understand something. If someone naturally gets a concept and you don’t that’s okay because if you ask your teachers I promise they WILL help you. Another piece of advice is learning the format of AP exams. AP exams are in a league of their own; they test your knowledge in difficult ways, so it is important for you to learn the test. By learning the test I mean learning the format, wording, type, timing, etc of the test. Take official practice AP exams for your respective subjects, I promise they will be extremely helpful in preparing you for the exam.
My last piece of advice for you is to always work hard. I know that may sound generic, but in IB there are times when you just want to do nothing and wing it. That my friend is called burnout. Believe me, they are the absolute worst; however, to avoid burnout and to deal with one, always stay organized and on top of things. I read somewhere that finding ways to be organized — lists, planners, binders, etc. — provides a sense of control in one’s life, so even if you have a lot going on, you will feel as if you are in control and cope better with stress. And just imagine how happy you will be once you ace your exam or project. The moral of the story is never to get discouraged and continue working hard. For those of you who are perfectionists I would like to say, from personal experience, that sometimes perfection is the enemy of action, so pick and choose wisely what is actually worth the effort.
In conclusion, I know you probably won’t listen to any of the advice here (I didn’t), but that is okay because learning from our own experience seems to be how we all grow instead of from others’ mistakes/experiences. I hope this was a bit helpful and maybe you will learn from my experience to make yours so much better.
Sincerely,
Khushi Chauhan
Dear Freshman,
When I look back at my experience at IB I see many things and believe it or not they are not all bad. From the outside, IB may seem brutal and not worth it but when you actually go through it and experience what it has to offer it’s not that bad. Life becomes a routine and once you get used to a schedule that’s effective for you the years will pass by so quickly. I am so lucky that I found people that I can trust which makes the ride much smoother. When I think back I often let my workload isolate me from my family and friends and that’s why I recommend that you try to facetime with your friends when doing assignments or sit with your family. It’ll keep you motivated so that you don’t feel alone all the time.
It might be hard to figure out a schedule during the weekdays that works for you but try your best to keep everything consistent. I think that time management is the only way you can go through IB without being sleep deprived. Make sure that you split up your longer assignments such as presentations or essays. I also recommend studying for a test in intervals. For example, do a few chapters every day until it’s test day. This will give you time to process the information so you are not stressed about cramming. Another way to stay on top of everything would be to do an assignment the day it is due so that you don’t feel overwhelmed the night before. Even if teachers allow late assignments try not to put assignments off because it will pull you back.
Even though you might think you have to sacrifice things you love for IB you can continue your hobbies if you have a good schedule. I suggest that you participate in an activity that you love at school. For example, play a sport or join a club. This will help you meet new and different people while doing something you enjoy. It will also give you the motivation to keep going even during weeks that might seem like too much. Don’t lose your personality and identity because of a work overload.
Nirja Patel
Dear freshman student,
Congrats for getting into IB here at Bartow! Although the next 4 years of your life will be full of tests, homework, and quizzes, I promise that it will be worth it. Even though everyone’s experiences at Bartow IB are different, I can give you advice on some of the most common pitfalls IB students, especially freshmen, can recognize and avoid.
Perhaps the most frequently discussed problem is time management, which may lead to horrible procrastination and a bad sleep schedule. Based on my conversations with other peers about this problem, people generally have a slightly different definition of procrastination or a “good” sleep schedule. Personally, I aim to get my work done the day it’s assigned while giving ample time to study, allowing me to sleep at around 10-11 pm for around 7-8 hours. For me, procrastination is doing an assignment the night before. However, I’ve listened to other people say that procrastination is waking up 2 hours early to do an assignment the day of. Regarding sleep, they take a nap right after school and sleep around 5 hours at night. Although I can’t imagine doing this, their schedule works for them and allows them to function well, so generally, I’d say figure out a schedule that works for you, even if it’s different from the typical one.
I am currently a junior in high school right now, which means a schedule full of AP courses. When I was a freshman, the counseling department required us to take at least one AP course between AP environmental science and AP human geography, which may mean the same for you. You will find that that AP course may take up the bulk of your time, especially getting used to College Board and the AP format. Study well for these courses, and although you might earn your first B, it’s not the end of the world. However, don’t let that B frustrate you. Use it instead to gain more motivation to do better, even if it seems like a blemish on your perfect record. Straight As aren’t everything, and colleges want to see more than academics.
Speaking of colleges, college may seem far away for you, but it will be time to do applications before you know it, so it’s important to start building your resume in freshman year. If you know what you like, find a club or sport that reflects that. If not, try different clubs and see which you like the most. Bartow IB’s clubs are numerous and diverse, so there are many choices for you to choose from. If you stick to a club, you may gain a leadership position when you’re an upperclassman. This is important for college resumes and for gaining acceptance into clubs like NHS.
Good luck, and I wish you success on all your future academic endeavors!
Caroline Yu
The IB coursework and homework creates many challenges for students coming from an ordinary middle school. One big challenge I have found is not the amount of homework, or the time management skills to deal with it, but the motivation to do homework and study every night. In fact, I believe making it through IB is purely a factor of how motivated you are. An unmotivated student will not be as enthusiastic to learn, they may not do their homework or wait to do it, and they will not study for tests, and thus will receive lower grades than the motivated student. The motivated student does their assignments on time, listens and takes notes in class, and studies for tests, and thus will receive better grades. But it is hard being motivated in IB sometimes, so allow me to share ways to be motivated that I have found.
Some days I get home from school after attending a club meeting and I feel done with the day, yet I know I have to finish an essay, do a math assignment, and study for a chemistry test all while being tired from the school day. There are several solutions to this problem depending on what kind of person you are. Sometimes it is best to take a break to reset your state of mind, so I would recommend when getting home from school taking about an hour-long break before starting homework. Sometimes even a nap is necessary to lower your tiredness. But what personally works for me is to just start. Let me explain, having an assignment that seems like it will take hours is daunting, so the hardest part is just starting. If one can overcome the overwhelmingness of the assignment and just start on it, they will find they will continue on the assignment once they start, and soon enough they will complete it. Sometimes it is also best to, before starting on homework, to do something you actually feel motivated about. For example, sometimes before starting on homework I exercise to give me a sense of productivity and this usually pushes me to start on homework to continue the productivity.
“But what about long-term motivation?” you might be asking after hearing ways to become motivated for just a day. For some students it can be hard to find the motivation to pay attention in class, take notes, or even care about grades. A good way to be motivated in the long term is to set goals for yourself. Focus on achieving these goals, whether they are to do homework on time, or to study every day. It may be hard at first but try to make habits of these things. If you want to study for an hour every day, then try studying for just 5 minutes for the first few days, then 10 minutes, and keep slowly increasing the time, and eventually it will become a habit. Although this works sometimes, it can be hard to become motivated for a long period of time just by yourself. I have found that the best way to become motivated in the long term is to hang out with people and friends that are motivated. For example, if all your friends do their homework on time and study a lot and seem to be doing well, there will be peer pressure for you to do the same. Allow the motivation of your friends and classmates to inspire you to become more motivated and do better. Altogether, I hope my methods for motivation have helped you possibly find a way to become more motivated at your time here in IB.
Luke Slaughter
Dear IB freshman,
First week in IB huh? Well, I’m only 3 semesters away from graduating, so let me give some advice. My first advice is to focus on your grades freshman year. I know that everyone says that junior and senior year matter the most, but it’s the easiest thing to boost your grade in freshman year so you have an easier ground to begin with. Also, don’t focus on what other people are doing. Focus on yourself, everyone goes at a different pace and the pace you go on should be the one you continue with. However, I believe the friendships you make freshman year last (speaking from experience).
Pitfalls to avoid is not asking for help. I know that when you were in middle school, most things came easy. That’s the main reason why you’re in this course, however IB is way different and its always helpful to ask questions. If I had asked questions when I was in 9th grade, I might have been on a better ground than I was now. Also don’t be afraid to ask your classmates questions, when it comes IB, the environment is supposed to be friendly. Therefore uplift each other rather than bringing them down. DO NOT PROCRASNIATE, this is honestly a very hypocritical statement because I am doing this the night before it’s due, however if a junior (me) can go to bed before 10 p.m. every night, then I believe that you can too. Last, in my experience 9th grade was the hardest year by far, probably cause of covid, but still, I was new to the program and though I already took honor classes I wasn’t used to PRE-IB honor classes. Remember these rigorous courses are why you’re here, they will help when it comes to the future.
In 9th grade, one of the most important classes that I carved out time for was APES (ap environmental science). This class drained me, and the studying honestly paid off. Another class I tried hard for was biology, I’m not good at bio (which is why I’m in chem) however I did try to maintain an A in that class. Though these classes did take time and brainpower, I still tried through it and worked hard.
The memories and experiences you make in IB is not like any other school. Although the courses are difficult and contain rigorous content, the ‘IB FAMILY’ is an amazing reason to work through. DON’T FORGET, ask for help if you need it.
From, a caring junior
Ashley Thomas
Dear incoming freshman,
You are about to enter a program that is notorious for being difficult, and from my two-and-a-half years of experience, what you hear is true. IB is a lot of work when compared to other schools, and it is definitely not for everyone, but that doesn’t mean the program is impossible. In my opinion, a person’s success in the program is most heavily influenced by the dedication and effort they put into it. Hopefully, this letter will give you a better understanding of how to approach and succeed in the program, or at the very least, give you a better idea of how being in IB will affect your life.
To start off, I would like to offer some general advice that has helped me through freshman year, sophomore year, and the first semester of junior year. You’ve probably heard this countless times already, but I’m not a particularly creative person, so I’ll say it again: don’t procrastinate. Procrastinating causes your work and stress to build up, making your life unnecessarily worse. Also, try and take an AP class during your freshman year if at all possible, because doing so will get you used to AP classes from an early stage in the program, and both options are good courses to take. AP Human Geography will help to prepare you for the free response questions on your later AP History classes (AP US and Modern World History), while AP Environmental Science will help you with a lot of your science classes (especially biology). If you need help, don’t hesitate to reach out to other IB students, including those outside of your grade, because they have been through what you are going through and can offer some of the best support you can get in the program. This leads me to my last piece of general advice, which is to maintain good relationships with your classmates. They are your primary support system throughout all four years, with whom you will share countless memories, uniquely strong relationships, and many of the experiences you feel as your work through the program. Keeping on good terms with your classmates is crucial to your success in the program, and I can say with certainty that I would rather have poor grades but get along with my classmates than have straight A’s but go through the program alone. Seriously, it’s impossible to get through the program without getting along with your classmates. I know I couldn’t.
I would also like to go over course selections and recommendations, especially in the second, third, and fourth years of the program, which are when you have the most freedom over your schedule. With respect to math, you will have Algebra II with Mr. Nakamura (Naki) at some point. After that, I recommend taking IB Pre-Calc and AP Calculus with Ms. Frisbie, who is surely the best math teacher in the region, and as an elective, AP Statistics with Naki, which will help with IB Precalculus and some of the papers you have to write for your IB Diploma. With respect to science, you will take Pre-IB Biology with Mrs. Kennon or Mrs. Hamm in freshman year, and Pre-IB Chemistry with Mrs. Loweke in sophomore year; both are incredible teachers who are very knowledgeable in their respective subjects. After that, you will have the choice of doing the AP and IB versions of biology with either Mrs. Kennon or Mrs. Hamm, chemistry with Mrs. Loweke, and potentially physics with Mrs. Loweke. As of right now, I am taking both AP Bio with Mrs. Hamm and AP Chem with Mrs. Loweke, and in the spirit of full disclosure, I am learning a lot more in AP Chem than in AP Bio, and I greatly prefer AP Chem. For this reason, between the two sciences, my recommendation lies with Mrs. Loweke and AP Chem, although chemistry is more difficult in terms of content, so I would only recommend the class to those who tend to be more disposed to math and science classes. I am sure, however, that AP Biology with Mrs. Kennon is also a great class to take and will help you to learn a lot. With respect to English, you do not get a choice of what classes you will take, although you will learn how to write better and analyze literature more thoroughly with Ms. Rossi, Mr. Guice, Ms. Harb, and Ms. Chevallier, all of whom are amazing teachers. Concerning social studies, you also don’t get a choice of classes. Other electives I recommend are AP Psych and IB World Religions, both of which will teach you a lot and tend to have easier workloads.
Though difficult, the IB program is perhaps the best education in the county, in that you will both learn much more content and will become a more open-minded student and person. To put things in perspective, much of what will seem easy to you as an IB student will be quite the opposite for people outside of the program. For instance, in AP Chem we are learning about kinetics and the rates of chemical reactions. If someone asked my classmates and I to determine if a particular reaction mechanism was a valid explanation of a chemical reaction, and that the rate-determining step occurred before other elementary steps, we would consider that question to be quite simple. In the IB program, problems like this one would make complete sense to you as you work through your classes, while to others outside of the program (such as yourself as you are reading this), your coursework may look like rocket science. My point is that the IB experience is unlike anything else you can find in the area’s schools, but in a good way. This is, above all, what I hope that you can take away from my letter and those of my classmates.
Good luck on your intellectual journey,
Jimmy Barrios
Dear Freshman,
I come to you with the knowledge of an IB student who has faced her first three years in the program. This letter contains advice for you for your first year in the program, advice on how to avoid falling into black holes, and tips for managing your time and focus.
For your first year in the program, everything is daunting. From AP classes to new teachers who do things slightly different than normal teachers do. My advice is to not let this scare you. Every new environment is daunting until you become fully acclimated. Many people leave IB before they even give themselves the time to adjust. This is a mistake because once you become used to the procedures, the learning environment becomes one of the best you have ever been in. The freshman teachers are there to scare you and challenge you. In a twisted way, they are scaring you because they care about you. By challenging you, they test your ability to adjust to the environment and see what you can and cannot handle. Yes, freshman year is considered one of the hardest years, but that comes from the people who don’t even give the environment the chance before they give up.
After you get through the acclimation process, there are some black holes that are easy to fall into. One of the most obvious being the procrastination that occurs when you really don’t want to do one your assignments, so you push it off till tomorrow since it won’t be due for another day. In most middle schools, the homework is due the very next day while in IB there is block schedule which gives you an extra day to complete assignments. The goal is not to promote procrastination. The goal is to give students ample time to work ahead and stay on top of their assignments. By staying ahead, you immediately jump over that black hole. Another black hole that students fall into is that school is everything and that just because you get a B you mean nothing. IB curriculum is significantly harder than any middle school curriculum, so it is expected for a student who normally gets high As without studying to struggle to maintain that A. The first B is not the end of the world. A college will not turn you away upon first sight if they see that you have a B. They understand that you come from an IB school where the material is harder and maintaining As and Bs in the IB program is still outstanding in the eyes of colleges. So, understanding that the program is meant to challenge you is key in jumping over the black hole of feeling like nothing based on your grades.
If you are determined to keep those straight As in the IB program, there are adjustments to your routine that will need to occur. The days of not studying and getting As are gone. You will need to study to pass your classes. Not one IB class I’ve been in has been a freebie class. They are rigorous and meant to push you. However, this is not meant to be a deterrent. There are ways to work around this. In my opinion, the best way to succeed is to manage your focus. I do the assignments the day they are due, but I do fall behind and procrastinate like any human being. When that happens, I put my focus on to the most important tasks, like the ones I know I cannot miss. From there, I work on assignments in descending order with respect to importance. I also like to look at what assignments will take me the longest. By doing the assignments that are the longest, and most likely the ones that you are least likely to want to do, you jump over the biggest hurdle. After that, the assignments are shorter and will seem easier. You also have to accept that you cannot put 100% effort into every assignment and understand that you’re not always on your game. Once you are able to manage your focus and understand that everything doesn’t have to be perfect, doing the work in IB becomes less daunting.
After reading my letter, I hope you have found some inspiration or push to keep going in the program. In my opinion, every late night, and every struggle I have make the reward even sweeter in the end. You are doing this for a reason: to be in a learning environment that’s fit for you and prove that you can work through the program and get that diploma. IB is a beautiful program made up of wonderful people who are just like you. Yes, it gets a bad reputation for being extremely hard, but once you learn to get used to the environment, it really isn’t that bad. So, I hope to see you someday soon, and if you do read this letter and take inspiration, come find me and tell me.
Sincerely,
Abbey Johnson
You may be wondering about what school life will be like in IB, and that is an extremely valid train of thought. I expect that you have heard of the workload that you will receive, but you have probably not been told completely about how to deal with the consequences of the workload. Time management is a painfully obvious solution to most of the academic issues associated with lots of homework, but there can be more than just managing your time that must go into dealing with a heavy workload.
Apart from the widely known and given academic aspects of properly dealing with stress and time (doing your homework on the day that it is due, studying a little bit every day, etc.), there are some emotional and social aspects that truly affect how one performs in IB. Having peers to talk to and to socialize with is a very important part of high school. Make sure to find good friends, so you can support each other and rely on each other whenever things get too stressful. Having someone to talk to can greatly improve how you cope with stress, and you will be more likely to think clearly through tougher times as opposed to panicking alone. A mistake is thinking you can go through IB completely alone, but you will inevitably find yourself relying on your peers from time to time.
While the social aspect of high school is very important in remaining levelheaded, the individual aspect is much more significant. Your friends may be there as a lifeline, but they can only go so far when it comes to your own performance in IB. Be disciplined enough to do your work and to take responsibility when things don’t work out the way you want them to. If you keep deflecting problems that arise from your actions onto other people or situations, you will never realize that you have issues to work out. Try to think things through and reflect on what causes an unwanted scenario before refusing to take the blame. Once you identify the issue causing the unwanted scenario, you will have a much simpler time finding a solution to it. Overall, dealing with IB is much easier when you not only have other people to rely on, but also have yourself. Don’t hyper fixate on one aspect of dealing with IB but instead try to find a method that suits your needs.
Patricia Nuñez
To Future Freshmen
As a junior at IB, the most important thing you must learn is time management. This skill will be very useful when coming to do big projects. For instance writing an essay, if you would break the essay into parts over the course of a few days, on the day before its due you won’t feel stress over the whole thing. This skill of time management would also affect your everyday homework load. A good advice to take would be to do the homework on the day it’s due for you to clean up some time for studying a big test coming up. I believe as a junior and as a student at IB for 3 years now time management is a really great skill.
On top of that, I believe that as you enter IB and when you have problems, ask your teachers. The teachers at IB are really dedicated to help you. I believe one of the most dedicated teachers to help you is Ms. Frisbie. I would remember multiple times that I have questions about math problems, and I would ask some of my friends, but I couldn’t understand well enough that I decided to email Ms. Frisbie my questions and in about 10 minutes she would have an email with my questions answered and explained. That is a great example that teachers are there for you and you should really take advantage of that resource. (I mean don’t email them at 12 in the morning, they won’t answer your answer.)
Lastly, I believe if you run into trouble, there are other upperclassmen you can ask, and they would understand you better because they have been there. When I first started as a freshman, I had some problems and I decided to ask an upperclassman my question and they were concise and a great help. Getting into a IB is a commitment into rigorous courses, but don’t be afraid to ask. The important things you should really know are Time management and seeking out for the help when you need it (I needed some work on speaking up), but I believe in each, and every incoming freshman can make it through the program just put your mind to it and you will find out IB will help you in the future.
Sincerely,
Joyli Zheng
Incoming Freshman,
You will hear from basically everyone to avoid procrastination, but if I gave you that advice I would be no better than a lousy hypocrite. I procrastinate on every homework assignment and while sometimes it works out in the end, other times it really does not. Remember, procrastination and lack of time management skills are not the same. So instead, my advice to you is the following: become friends with the right types of people, those with a goal and those who are driven. You need to have a positive mindset before entering IB if you want to succeed.
Not everyone who comes into the IB program has the intention of staying all four years and earning the diploma. So, I recommend being social from your first week of school and trying to expand your horizons, not just socializing with those from your middle school. That way, you can meet all different kinds of people with varying educational backgrounds. Once you find that one person who has similar interests and mindset as you, that bond formed will grow exponentially as you struggle and overcome challenges in this program. You can hold each other accountable, study together, and develop core memories.
In my opinion, the most important advice I have ever received from upperclassmen was to not think of IB as a limiting factor for your social or athletic life. Plenty of people in the program are both in clubs and get good grades. Just because IB is more difficult and more demanding than other schools, it does not mean that you have to study every night until three in the morning. In fact, I strongly recommend against it because you will begin to regret your decision and will create doubt. While it is important to be on top of your grades, if you come into IB thinking you will have no life outside of school, that negative mindset will follow you to the end. Set a day every once in a while where you can relax, meet up with friends, do your favorite activities, or even just sleep at home for thirteen consecutive hours. Having those times for yourself are critical for your mental health, and consequently, your physical health.
According to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, people are more highly motivated to fulfill basic needs before working toward the fulfillment of more advanced needs. Well how does this apply to you? If you are mentally drained and lack proper sleep, then you are less likely to grow as a person, or improve your academic career. If your physiological needs are not first met, you will not be in proper shape to tackle the challenges that IB throws at you. So, take care of yourself. Find the friends that will push you to be better people. And be that friend for others. You’ve got a support system around you, and you are not alone in this program.
Michelle Berrios
International Baccalaureate. Welcome to the most challenging years of your life. The environment here is much different from your middle school, but not necessarily negative. Obviously, the main pieces of advice that was probably given to you was “do not procrastinate”. However, I am not here to tell you what you already know, because you already know it. I am here, mainly because this is a grade, and also because I don’t want you to make the same mistakes that I, and countless others, made.
First off, manage your time. It’s really easy to say that you will, but actually doing it is pretty rough. When you arrive at the later grades with assignments that are more long term, there is a tendency to forget about them. Set a schedule, allowing you to distribute the assignment’s given time to match every day or every two days. This not only is smart, but is less time consuming. Having to do three hours of work on one night versus 15 minutes a day over 2 weeks allows you to finish, with an extra day. The basic idea behind “surviving” here is to be attentive, and finish your work. By now you must’ve realized that I said I wouldn’t talk about procrastination, and that is exactly what I did, because it truly is an important concept to remember. If managing time is a skill you can master, you will be excellent here.
Another highly important thing to give advice about is the atmosphere of this campus. I would suggest to not feel like you are in power here, because this school is composed of others like you; all toppers in their class. The teachers here are mostly reasonable in their assignments, although some may be a little unexplainably excessive. Do not take classes your friends want to take or be in, take something beneficial for your life and one that won’t “kill” your G.P.A. Other than that, doing your homework and paying attention in class is pretty much all you have to do in order to excel.
Sammarth Gautam
Hello, incoming freshmen! I know you may have many questions regarding the program, and probably have heard many conflicting opinions regarding what it is we do here. Some of those opinions may raise this program to a high standard, while others may have scared you and made you think that you will have piles of work and persistent all-nighters. After three years here, I honestly can’t say that one stance or the other is right; if I’m being honest, the outlook I have on the IB program changes every day. I’d like to discuss with you some general advice, move on to some specific things you should know about your first one or two years, and end by giving my honest opinion.
First, some generalizable and most likely familiar, if not cliche, advice that I’d like to impart. You may have heard this before, and this is for a reason: do not procrastinate. It’s so easy to lose track of time and make excuses (trust me, it’s screwed me over worse than anything else these past few years), but especially towards the latter end of the program, you’ll get buried in work and not be able to recover if you don’t approach things in a timely manner. It’s going to take you some time to figure this out (I’ve had three years and I’m still nowhere close), but the sooner you learn that you’re only making it worse for yourself by putting off what you need to do, the better. I’d also like to advise you to consult your classmates; some things in IB will remain constant, and one of those will be those kids in the grade that you just can’t seem to tolerate. Does this mean that every student in this program is problematic? Of course not. Some will piss you off, but many more will prove to become good friends, and you’ll soon view them as family, united by your shared struggles and experiences in this program. Your friends are your most valuable resource. If you can’t figure something out, odds are another student has. If they haven’t, odds are that one smart student has, and is probably more than willing to help. Make whatever group chats you feel is necessary, and learn to lean on and depend on each other to make it through this program in one piece. Also, make sure to reach out to upperclassmen for help. Although we’re among the busiest in the program, we also are the most willing to help you figure things out because we’ve been there before and seen it all when it comes to your workload. Please ask us. It’ll do you wonders. Lastly, please make sure to be respectful to your teachers. This goes without saying, but the IB program here would not be feasible without the amazing teachers that teach here. You won’t have these teachers until at least next year or maybe after, but among my favorites here are Ms. Loweke (the chemistry teacher), Ms. Frisbie (the precalculus and AP Calculus teacher), Mr. Guice (the 10th grade English and TOK teacher), and Ms. Santiago (the IB Spanish IV teacher). They truly are among the most amazing, friendly, knowledgeable, and hardworking teachers I’ve ever had, and I promise you that if you stick with the program, your teachers will only get better and more chill.
Next, the more specific advice. For freshman year, you’ll have to pick between German and Spanish. For your world language, especially if you haven’t taken any classes for it in middle school, it may seem challenging and overwhelming at first. I guarantee you that you’ll pick it up faster than you’d think; already after less than three years of Spanish classes, most of which were interrupted by COVID, I find myself to be very proficient at Spanish, and can even hold conversations with native Spanish speakers. The same pattern will hold true for your sophomore year. Although more emphasis will be placed on learning grammar initially, and it may seem difficult to memorize all the conjugations and language conventions, these become second nature within a few years so that you can focus more about what you’re actually trying to say, rather than how to say it. For English, I have to admit that Ms. Rossi is a tough teacher, and she did come across to me as rather blunt and demanding when I first had her. I couldn’t have made a more incorrect assumption about her. Although the demanding part is accurate, the work you will do in her class will prepare you for the harder demands of your later English classes. I must admit that her English class did make me cry a few times, but I also gained invaluable experience that makes annotating books and analyzing texts far easier now. Make sure to start her work on time, however; her class is one in which BSing your work last minute will not get you anywhere. Your 10th grade English class with Mr. Guice will be much more fun, especially because you did a lot of the initial hard work in your freshman year. He truly is a fun and engaging teacher, and I hope that you’ll find his class to be one of your favorites. Regarding your science classes, you’ll first start off with Pre-IB Bio. I’m going to have to be honest: I didn’t like that class very much. Just make sure to review your notes because those are pretty much exact copies of the tests, and to make sure to ask your teacher if there’s any confusion. As for sophomore year, your Pre-IB Chem class with Ms. Loweke should be more fun. Personally I found it better because it was more math-intensive and I find myself to be better at this, but if memorization is your strong suit, then perhaps bio might be better. Just remember to learn those polyatomics; they seem tedious but like many things in this program, will become second nature after some time and practice. For your math class, I don’t have much advice to give you since I didn’t have Geometry or Algebra II here, which is what almost all freshmen take. I do know that Mr. Nakamura and Mr. Reber are very hardworking and willing to explain concepts to you if you find yourself confused, and that for those classes the best strategy would be to work as many practice problems as you can. I do suggest not growing too dependent on your calculator; although many students are fine, some people may find that they have forgotten how to do basic algebra or geometry or trigonometry in their head or by hand since they’re so used to using their calculator. Lastly, I believe that you’ll have the option of taking an AP class, specifically APES or AP Human Geo. If you believe that you are capable of doing so, I highly recommend taking at least one (I preferred APES). The initial experience with an AP class will serve to be invaluable for the next few years, especially because you will have two or three in your sophomore year, and possibly around five in your junior year.
Lastly, I’d like to give my honest opinion of everything regarding what I’ve seen in the program. I didn’t want to come here at first, but my parents insisted that I try it out. Many of my friends have dropped out and switched to other schools, and are probably much more happy and less stressed than I am. Some of my friends have stayed, and are adapting (I say adapting and not thriving because it’s not that the struggle ever really stops, but rather that you just accommodate and grow to face it). I went through a phase when I made fun of the people who left or dropped out or disliked the program, chalking it up to them being too dumb or lazy to handle the program. This was a grave error, and pure ego and stupidity on my part. Those who leave are not weaker than those who stay. People have different priorities, and sometimes those priorities won’t necessarily line up with what the program demands. I also went through a phase when I hated this program more than anything else, and blamed it for making me unhappy and stressed. This was also a mistake on my part; I soon discovered that it was not the program that made me unhappy, but my own demands and expectations for myself. Having not struggled whatsoever in middle school, I came here expecting to have all 100s in my classes and finding it easy, and I could not have been more wrong. I soon began to become more realistic about how well I could perform here, not to the point where I stopped trying, but to the point where I was satisfied with an A so long as I had a few hours of sleep. Since I’ve come here, I’ve tried to take myself less seriously. Although I still take on many extra classes and place demands on myself that I don’t need to, I’m also trying to find balance, and I think that this is something you should strive for. Sleep always felt like an option, and something that I could sacrifice if I needed to finish an assignment. It’s only now that I’m starting to prioritize my mental and physical health by taking breaks and setting realistic expectations for myself, and I believe that freshmen could benefit by having this mentality earlier on. Your grades will not determine your future if you barely survive through high school operating on an hour of sleep (multiple all-nighters are not fun, trust me). I wish I could tell you that you made the right decision coming here; I still don’t know if I did, but I do know that only I can figure that out for myself, just like only you can determine if it truly is worth your time and effort to stay. I do want you to know that this program has a lot to offer you if you are willing to put the effort in to reap the benefits, but that there is nothing wrong with you for believing that it is too much and not worth the trouble. Please know that you do not need the IB program to be successful, and that many people who go out and change the world for the better did so without having an IB diploma. If you do choose to stick with the program here, I wish you the best of luck. Here is a quote from Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken” for you to ponder:
“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.”
Neil Dave
Throughout the past two and a half years, I have learned a lot about how to live through the tough times that IB tends to give students. I still remember the perspective of life that I had as a freshman, and I’ve grown a lot as a person. IB was a pretty challenging program to adapt to when I easily earned good grades in middle school, so the lingering perfectionist mindset had me struggling to appreciate my achievements during high school. My advice to freshmen is that not everything always matters. It will not matter five years from now that you didn’t have the time or motivation to finish a worksheet before it was due, and that certainly does not mean you are a terrible student. Not every single assignment, quiz, or test must be as perfect as you can make it. Now, this doesn’t mean you should just relax through class and put zero effort. If you try your best to be a good student, you will feel much more accomplished and satisfied with yourself. Not everyone will have the same struggles as you, so don’t compare yourself with others. It’s easy to think low of yourself when it feels like everyone else is doing much better in class, and this will cause you to lose motivation. Recognize your own accomplishments instead of others’ accomplishments, and think of how you can better yourself instead of how you can be like everyone else.
The biggest pitfall to avoid is to not procrastinate. It is very easy to let assignments pile up until there are too many to complete them all. Having fun while you have work to do is not going to be as fun as having fun when all of your work is done. If you do the work sooner, you will have more free time later, and less stress overall. It’s normal to get overwhelmed with school, and sometimes it feels like it’s impossible to get all of your work done on time. I have personally felt this stress, and my advice for this is to make sure that you prioritize your work from most important to least important. If you have a huge essay to write, it is more important than a 10 point worksheet that you can turn in with a late pass. Sacrifice the assignments that have the least consequences. There is no such thing as going through IB without struggling, so just know everyone in the program can sympathize with you if you’re struggling.
Recognize which classes you need more work to be successful in and spend more time studying for these classes so you can be prepared for the class. Personally, I struggle the most with history. I just don’t understand the subject as well as I can understand subjects like chemistry and math. I was able to find a way of studying that satisfied my needs to be successful in the class. It is important to be able to understand yourself and understand what you can do to help yourself. It is better to be proactive about yourself and have good grades than be lazy and have your grades suffer.
Overall, have your priorities sorted out, and don’t judge yourself. If you spend too much time worrying about what has already happened, you won’t be able to focus on the present and future. If you do your work to your fullest extent and focus on working hard, you will do just fine.
Lara Elibol
I think it’s so important to find the niche that you fit in when going into high school. For me, when I pursue something that I can find interest in, it puts me in a good state of productivity to do well both academically and out of it. I would recommend also having good friends around you, those who can help you become a better student, rather than those who exude negative energy and make you not want to work hard for the program.
I feel as if science is the most difficult subject to get accustomed to in IB, solely because of the sudden rigor that one has to face. It is very important to take out the time to focus on the subject and understand topics that you didn’t understand in class. Additionally, it is important to overcome any stigma one may have in asking questions to a teacher, because the teachers here are willing to help you outside of their designated school time, especially to help you when you feel like you are going through a rut.
Finally, either realize or find the true reason for your academic pursuit. Think about the goals and dreams that you wish to gain from this journey; the ultimate end goal that you strive to meet. This does not even have to be a very far-off goal, it can just be finishing the week to meet your friends, or any other simplistic indulgence in life. Try not to envelope yourself entirely into IB, try to gain some perspective outside of it. It will help retain a better mindset on it overall, and help you do even better when you come back into the more productive mode.
Acsah Lukose
So the one piece of advice that I would give to anyone joining IB is to NOT PROCRASTINATE. Procrastinating in this program is the only thing that will cause you to possibly fail and dropout. If you take your time with assignments and do piece by piece of it each day, you will most likely do pretty well in IB. The other piece of advice I would give to upcoming IB Freshmen, which is pretty much the same thing as what I already said before, would be to practice time management. Although working all the time seems like fun (just kidding), if you are going to stay in IB for more than two months, you are probably going to need to get a schedule of all your clubs, assignments, tests, etc. so to stay sane. To conclude, the final tip I would give a new freshie is to RELAX. In this program, it is especially easy to become so involved with your schoolwork that when you don’t have any work, you start to stress out about other work! So whenever you have finished all of your work for the night and you don’t have to worry about any future assignments, take a breather (or if you’re me, a nap) and try not to worry about stuff for like an hour. DO NOT DO THIS IF YOU SHOULD ACTUALLY BE WORKING! As an IB student though, you should be responsible enough to tell the difference.
Of course it is very dependent on the person, but the class I found that I had to study the most in was Chemistry. Although as upcoming Freshman you will not have Chemistry, you still should probably keep this in mind when you become a Sophomore and are forced to be in Chemistry. I myself find Chemistry to be very interesting, but at times I do find myself staying up super late studying for a Chem test. On the other hand, I could have honestly avoided all of that if I had just created a schedule and not procrastinated to the day before the test to study. Another class that I usually study for a lot is my foreign language, Spanish. In the IB program, I would say that the Spanish program can be a lot to take in if you didn’t take Spanish in middle school (me with three years of Mandarin). First year Spanish in IB is basically Spanish I and II crammed together, which makes actually learning Spanish really difficult. Then came my second year of Spanish (during COVID by the way) and I basically didn’t know anything. Luckily however, I had Mrs. Santiago this year and she only speaks Spanish in the classroom, which weirdly helped me to learn Spanish more? I don’t know how it works either, but it did, and I can basically speak a pretty good basic level of Spanish (not to brag or anything 😉).
So to sum up everything I have said so far, the two classes I found to be the ones that I need to study the most are Chemistry and Spanish. Ms. Frisbie teaches Math very well so you don’t have to worry about getting lost and having to study for five hours (and I’m not saying this so Ms. Frisbie will raise my grade… 😉). IB is a really great program with a lot of great people. Because of how exclusive and small IB is, everyone is really close to each other and knows one another, rather than Bartow which there are so many students that basically everyone is a stranger. IB is a great community to be a part of and I believe that it will really help you in the future. Just remember though not to follow my pitfalls (forgot to do this part of the prompt earlier 😊) and make sure to avoid procrastinating and not managing your time wisely.
Raiden Saunders
Dear freshman,
If you have found this while you are actually a freshman, then I applaud you. Mrs. Frisbie doesn’t teach Algebra 2, which most freshmen take. I didn’t read the advice of my upperclassmen while I was a freshman or sophomore, and you probably have crazy spare time to be wandering onto your future teacher’s website and be interested enough to read these (even if you aren’t a freshman). But if that’s not the case, who am I to stop you? Despite my doubts that anyone who has decided that they have enough time to read these advice essays will have anything to actually learn from the spiels of complaining juniors, I hope that you can at least feel slightly satisfied having read this.
Although your experience in IB may vary depending on when you read this advice, you have most likely already had at least some sort of struggle during your time here. You have probably also already heard the dangers of procrastination and writing that essay in the last hour (perhaps like I am right now). However, despite others telling you to always “be organized” and “don’t procrastinate,” you are bound to struggle at least once during your time here and miss some expectations. As a result, it is sometimes best to remember that your main goal in IB is to learn, and not to earn perfect scores as you may have done previously.
Many people treat IB Bartow as a 4-year long challenge, and admittedly, the program is difficult to keep up with at times. Nevertheless, you must remember that you are in IB for its vigorousness and difficulty and are here to learn from that. Learn from your struggles and don’t let your pride overcome you and your perseverance. Learn from that all-nighter that caused you to fall asleep the next day in class. Learn from that late assignment you decided not to turn in until the end of the quarter (and the teacher didn’t grade). Learn what to accept and what not to accept. As I have been told, these skills will be useful in the future. Don’t forget your shortcomings just because they’re over with.
But most importantly, try to understand the content that you are taught. Be interested (at least slightly) in your classes and take notes properly. Spend enough time on your homework to understand and work out the problems all the way. Even if that results in your homework being late, you comprehending the material is the most important aspect in learning. You are in school and are here to learn, however much you don’t want to.
Now that the mandatory advice is over, I’ll include my motto that I stole from the name and lyrics of a song: “Keep on Keeping on”, by SawanoHiroyuki. Some of you may feel that you don’t have a choice but to keep on keeping on, but that’s just an illusion created by the pressure of your parents, your pride, your peers, etc. If you do keep on keeping on, make it your own choice. If you do, you’ll experience that choice-supportive bias and you’ll feel just a bit better about things even if you’re lying to yourself. Also, feel free to listen to the song and watch the anime, Aldnoah.Zero, that it originates from.
Overall, I have no idea how low the chances are of you stumbling upon this particular essay on a website containing the essays of hundreds of other past IB students telling you generally the same thing. Sure, it may be interesting for now to read the questionable satire that everyone includes in these, but please, get that worksheet done for your own sake.
Yi Su
So, you made it, you are an official Bartow IB student. So, what’s next? There is no clear answer because everyone choses different paths and everyone has different ways of handling things but I am here to share some of my tips. Now this won’t be some silly “don’t procrastinate” nonsense because I myself am I major procrastinator (I started this at 11pm and it is due at 11:59pm) but to be fair I worked from the end of the school day till 9:30. Yes, I have a job and still manage to survive IB. I am in clubs, I have a job, I attend church, I do my homework and still have free time for Netflix. IB is not as bad as everyone puts it out to be… except for the few all nighters which could be avoided.
As I said earlier I won’t just say don’t wait until last minute because that would be hypocritical. My teacher is going to be reading this but she is really cool and I don’t do this on her assignments so I won’t mind admitting this but, I often do my homework in the parking lot before school or on the bus when I rode the bus. One thing I did learn is teachers can tell when you do that and they do not show any mercy, a lot of them will call you out so at least do yourself the favor and do your HOMEwork at home. It took me three years to learn that and now I am finally doing HOMEwork at home.
One of the biggest questions freshmen ask is how to have motivation. One thing you can do is do your work at the dining room table away from your room. Another thing you can do is give your parent your phone until you are done. Now, I don’t do either of those things and I am truly a bad example so, I am trying to help you based off of my own mistakes. But, there is one thing that really helps and it is a spotify playlist of songs I know and can sing to easily because music is one of my biggest motivators. For example, while writing this I am listening to the Red (Taylor’s Version) album and it is the only reason I am still awake.
Aubrey Warren
The biggest advice I would give to an incoming freshman would be to be accountable for yourself. You should understand how much you can handle and how much time you should have to relax. Whenever I first entered IB I overthought and solely focused on my work. This caused me to slowly lose the energy I once had towards work allllll the way to winter break. Following my two weeks of reflection — and fun — I vowed to have fun for the rest of the school year and, eventually, my grades lowered as a result. I had to find a good medium between the two. For you, incoming freshman, I believe that easing into having fun is the greatest way to make sure.
What you should study the most in freshman year is probably your AP science class — if you take one —, your pre-IB science class and your English class. Math and government were easy to me but this may not apply to everyone. What you should learn how to do overall in freshman year is to find how to study and take notes to optimize your time. I have memorized lots of important information through sites such as quizlet for biology and Spanish. I have personalized my notes to only simply information that I won’t remember — I know it’s hard to copy everything.
The biggest obstacle in your way for the upcoming year is changing your mindset from one to all. You are surrounded by like-minded individuals who all have the same goal as you — being the best that they can be. If you have notes that others don’t, sharing is caring, if you need someone to teach you before a test, ask and you should probably, maybe, receive. If it’s not like that at the beginning… trust me it will definitely change. I know be the change you want to see in the world is a much-overused quote but you should definitely take at least the first step to a healthy IB freshman class — the first of its kind.
Mycah Armes
Hey new IB freshman. How’s it going? Are you nervous? If you are it’s okay. The transition from middle school to high school can be scary. Especially to IB. Here at Bartow, we have about 2900 students. That’s a lot of students. I came from a middle school that had about 250 kids in total. It was a big transition for me but it’s okay because I got through it. I’ve made friends here that I will have for the rest of my life. I’m not going to lie to you IB is hard, and it will not be easy unless you put the work in. One piece of advice to you is to stay on top of your work. If you’re sitting at home on your phone, get up and go get on your homework. The biggest reason why people decide to drop out of IB is because they let their workload snowball and pile up and it gets to the point where you can’t handle it. However, if you’re reading this now then you’re already a step ahead of your classmates because it shows that you want to better yourself.
Since Bartow is so big sometimes it can feel very lonely and overwhelming. My advice to that situation is to find a solid group of 5 friends that value the same things you do. And I say to you that you should hold on to those friends so you guys can grow together and make each other better. If making friends is hard for you, that’s okay. One way you can overcome this is to join a club or a sport. Bartow offers a lot of clubs and sports. Personally, I’m involved in the debate club, the football team, and the lacrosse team. I have made my best friends through these. I have friends that I can go to whenever I need help and I’m very thankful for the opportunities to play these sports and be involved in these clubs.
If you struggle with procrastination, then that needs to be worked on. IB will not be doable if you cannot manage your time. You will have homework almost every night. It is extremely important for you to stay on top of your work. However, if you just have so much homework where you feel like you can’t do it, you must be able to decipher where you can sacrifice in some areas. But if you can avoid this then you should. Just remember you have the ability to do anything you want to do. Keep your head up. You got this.
Brayden Glogower
When I was a freshman, I had no idea what IB was like. The most I heard was horror stories of “6 hours of homework every night” or “You’ll have no social life”. Fortunately, none of these rumors are true. I have found that my time in IB has helped me grow a lot as a person and develop good habits in regard to studying and doing work. The best advice I can offer to an incoming freshman is to be kind to yourself and to start working on time management as soon as possible.
When one first enters IB you were often the first in your class. First to answer the questions, first in grades, or even just a higher achiever. In IB, everyone was the first in their class, so that means that there is a ton of smart people all clamoring for first place again. As a junior, I think it is more important to achieve the best you can do, rather than trying to compare yourself to others. Don’t be tempted to be swept up by all the grade comparisons and competition. From my experience, this only makes one more upset with themselves and does more harm than good. This leads to my next point which is to be kind to yourself. You may or may not succeed the minute you start IB, but either way, beating yourself up for not getting the grade you want only hurts you. It won’t raise your grades and it builds a toxic mindset with schoolwork that will burn you out before the year is over. Instead, reflect on the grades you get; how can you get better? Do you need to study and if so, what method works best for you? Be kind to yourself and accept whatever grades you receive. Focus on improving rather than tearing yourself down.
At the beginning of the school year, the teachers like to ease you into the work before giving you the hard-hitting assignments, take advantage of that. Building healthy study habits and time management techniques does not start overnight. Find a way to organize yourself that works for you, be it an agenda or folders for each class. Personally, I use my school agenda to record assignments and then keep my ongoing/outgoing homework in a folding binder that has seven pockets. All my finished work I store into a 3-ring binder, and I record notes for my classes into notebooks. I have also found that doing homework the day it is assigned rather than the night it is due keeps me more organized, on task, and allows me more free time to play games.
Overall, there is a lot to give out to prepare one for being in the IB program, but I think that the best advice is to be kind to yourself and to have good time management. Some may say that IB kids have no social life or that they can’t have fun; however, that is untrue, because this advice should help you to become a successful IB student.
Gianna Mantegna
Hi Incoming Freshman (or whatever you are),
From my experience of being in our IB program for about three semesters so far, I learned some decently valuable to not so valuable lessons that might be valuable to incoming freshmen that I can divide into three sections: friendships, competition, and other miscellaneous advice.
Currently, our class is pretty small, about 40 kids at the moment. The program can be quite exhausting, up to the point of crying sessions sometimes, so it’s understandable that your class may dwindle in size, smaller and smaller each year (especially freshman and sophomore year). Anyway, the point is to not only focus on your academics but also your relationships with others, especially those in your own grade. Forming greater bonds with your new classmates or even those outside your school will allow you to have some balance in your life. Those in your grade may just be as lost as you, so helping each other whether face to face, group chats, or private messaging for things like homework or even citing is key. In middle school, many people warned me that I would not be able to have a social life if I attended Bartow IB, which is not true at all by the way. Just don’t overdo the socializing part and try to make academics a priority, whether it be getting straight As or trying to get a good education.
This somewhat relates to my previous paragraph, but competition. A healthy amount of competition can be healthy and is normal in the type of setting we have in IB and cultivates motivation. However, too much competition among your classmates can lead to toxic environments. Competition in academics is likely to happen since we are part of a rigorous academic program—but that doesn’t mean bring each other down so that you can or seem better. Also, competition due to trivial things such as drama is quite dumb because again, your class will likely be small so you need each other. Drama is lame and drains your energy, just leave that in middle school. These are the people you’re going to see and interact with for the next four years. It’s way easier for you if they’re your friends. You don’t have to be close friends with everyone, but at least try to be friendly to everyone you meet. Honestly, just be a decent human being. You’re all going through a difficult program together. Don’t make it even more difficult trying to bring each other down.
Time for miscellaneous advice! To be honest, I don’t really know what to talk about here, except to emphasize that yes, the other essays are correct. Procrastinating just causes you more stress in your life. It’s completely normal to procrastinate (most of us are guilty) sometimes since we’re all human beings, but it’s best to try not to on most days. Most (if not all) middle school programs didn’t require you to study for tests and allowed you to do most of your homework during the school day to avoid taking home, so you lack study and time management skills coming into high school. Take freshman year as a learning opportunity to learn such things (more like you should for your grades). Moving on… most people come here for the benefits such as a better education and a higher chance at college acceptances, perks, and scholarships. Good, use that as motivation to keep staying in the IB path. Lastly, it’s important to be physically and mentally healthy, not just to survive IB but for you. Anyway, that’s all I have to say for now, byeee.
Kaylee Nguyen