There aren’t many here because I misplaced the ones that came in on paper (rather than electronically). The others will probably turn up eventually (I’m a big believer in the law of conservation of matter and energy, and these are probably still matter), and when they do, I’ll add them. That’s despite the fact that I suspect no one will notice the difference. Hey, I finally found them! (They were apparently stuck in a filing cabinet when I moved classrooms, and I had just never looked in the right place until I cleaned that drawer out… eight years later.) I still think no one is going to notice the difference, but they’re all here now.

In the words (below) of Elizabeth Pachal: “Remember, a doughnut is a pastry with no beginning, no end, and no middle.”

 

 

Dear insert name here,

I hope you take these words of advice into consideration for your next year of school. I wish I had had someone to remind me what I needed to get done, and to make sure I completed homework, projects, essays, etc. ahead of time rather than slack off on it. If you’re anything like a typical IB student, you will always say you won’t procrastinate, but come on! You know you will, but try not to at least.

As for the classes and teachers, they aren’t too bad. Your enjoyment depends on your teacher, so good luck with that one. ToK is an easy class that can actually make you think, and maybe even change your outlook on the world. Trigonometry is a great class, but don’t put off working on your portfolios! English is not that difficult of a class to get an A in, even if you haven’t always been fan of that subject. Mr. Goss will at times annoy you with his off-topic stories, but you’ll probably do fine on the AP test (as long as he isn’t off on his guess about the DBQ by a few hundred years). Psychology with Mrs. New is fun and you’ll enjoy it because that class is a relaxed type of class. And last but not least, stay on top of your physics work because there are A TON of worksheets.

Now that the overview of the classes is done with, it’s time for the miscellaneous things. CAS hours are important and it’s not a good thing at all if you fall behind. Try to have half of them done by the end of the year. They aren’t difficult to complete; you just need to keep listening for opportunities. Make sure your friendships aren’t damaged by all of the stress. Do not blame your problems on other people! It’s a bad idea. Your classmates are your friends for another 2 years, so it’s kind of a good idea to be nice to them.

Enjoy your junior year!

Sincerely,

Lara Holimon

 

I am very experienced when it comes to being an IB junior. If you want to succeed, you only need to follow a few bits of advice. First, use your time wisely. Secondly, make sure you get your sleep. Lastly, remember to have fun. If you follow these three bits of advice I’m sure you will succeed at life, but maybe not at IB.

The most important part of going to school is to have fun, not learning as many would want you to believe. If you’re not having fun, you’re definitely not paying attention nor learning, unless you are some kind of robot. It is also very important to do your homework, unless it gets in the way of sleeping or having fun. Remember to use your time wisely. If the teacher isn’t teaching anything (which happens about 70% of the time), you might as well catch up on your sleep. Contrary to belief, a desk is very comfortable for sleeping in, although not as comfortable as a bed. I’m sure we all have important stuff we need to do besides school, i.e. computer games/hangout with friends. Because most of this important stuff cannot be done in school as teachers do not allow it. It is important to do them while you aren’t in school and save school for more productive things such as homework and sleeping. Although it is not required, homework can be completed before/during class most of the time which saves much time at home for actually important stuff.

Since I’m a slacker I think I’m done with this essay. This should be enough to help you succeed. Anyways I think this is enough advice to get 15 points. Hope you do well.

Viet Nguyen

 

Dearest Underclassmen,

Your junior year of high school is about to begin, good luck. I some advice to give you that I have collected over the year and would love to pass on to you.

First off, choose everything you do wisely! Your science that you pick must be what you really want to do, same with your math class. The worst thing to do is to spend a semester or more in class that you hate and can’t excel in like you would want to. I would most definitely suggest that you would pick Trig for your math. Many people say that choosing to go the other route, taking Mrs. Cobb math, is the more intelligent choice. I would tend to disagree. The work load for the classes is an obvious difference between the classes so it would seem. But let me tell you, in Mrs. Cobb’s class, you do work! The only acceptation is that the work has extended do dates and is a less structured environment. I would still suggest that you take Trig, how you know that you are not going to succeed in Trig if you never try. the class is so much fun. Make sure to call Ms. Frisbie “Frisbie Frizz!” She loves it!

Next, your science. Totally choose physics, you’ll be glad you did. Mr. Keers is the coolest, nicest, most interesting teacher you will ever have. But I also offer caution to you, the work load is there. Each day in physics you will do a worksheet and a lab. These are important to your grade. There are only tests every nine weeks if there is time. So do your worksheets!! If you miss one and have to make it up, he will accept it until the end of the grading period. This might sound like a plus, but just think if you have to make up two or three worksheets, you still have to keep up with your current work. It becomes a lot to handle when you have six other classes full of work. So pick wisely. Be sure you can handle the nightly physics homework. If you choose physics, you won’t be disappointed. Every day we get to play with lots of expensive toys and we get to play with fire!

Last, have fun! This can be one of your greatest years in high school. You’ve spent two years with these people and are really finding out who your true friends are. Make sure to keep room in your study schedules from time with your friends and time for yourself. Get involved, you’ll love it. Plus, as a double-dip you can get some CAS hours, which is a must. Get your CAS hours now, you’ll thank yourself later.

I hope that your junior year is as great as mine was. Just a last bit of advice for you … listen to your teachers when they tell you to read a book, study for a test, or learn a few Spanish verbs, they actually know what they are talking about. Imagine that!

Good Luck Next Year,

Erika Nicsinger

 

Junior year isn’t too bad. Don’t get stressed. You should be able to drive, so use that to your advantage. Don’t be a nerd and study during the weekends. Do something fun with friends instead.

In Frisbie’s class do all your work. Also, the test reviews really help if you do them. Pay attention and take notes for the notebook tests. Also, take physics if you’re good at math. Take Keers’s notes and don’t fall asleep (he doesn’t like that).

Outside of school do other stuff, too. Get involved. Get your CAS hours done. Read some books sometimes. Don’t be afraid to take a nap after school. The key is to realize that straight A’s aren’t amazingly important compared with other things you do. Stay active, play a sport, join some clubs. You may even get a job.

Just chill and junior year is swell.

Phillip Madrid

 

Howdy Stranger,

So you’re an IB junior. I know it’s a daunting thought, but be proud of yourself. You’ve made it this far and with just a little effort and a whole lot of emotional control, you, too, can make it to senior year. First of all, if you’re going to drop out, do it now. There’s no point in going through all the trouble and stressing yourself out for nothing. Go back to your home school, take a bunch of electives and graduate as valedictorian. It’s a pretty good setup, really, so if that’s the way you want to go, go ahead. But if you’re ready to take the plunge and finish it off, then sit back and hold on.

You’re going to hear this advice a lot, but don’t spread yourself too thin. It’s high school. There will probably be a lot of things you want to be involved in and that’s great, colleges love extracurriculars. But don’t overdo it. Commit yourself to what you really like and do it. It is truly more fulfilling to do what you really love and do it well than to do ten different things every year and never plant any roots. Even so, you may get lured into more than you’re prepared to handle. In those cases, you just have to say “NO.” You may want to try to please everyone, but that one little word can work wonders. Hopefully your rejected club will understand, and you will be able to regain a small bit of your sanity.

As far as the work goes, it’s not really too bad, but you need to do it. I’m not going to say “don’t procrastinate,” because I do. I will admit, however, that every time I do, I spend the entire time freaking out and complaining that I’ll never get it done. But I always do, and it usually ends up being all right. The point is, if you work well under pressure, fine, do it. If you don’t, do it early; but either way, you have to do it. The easiest way to fail all your classes is to do absolutely nothing and somehow, even that requires some sort of special effort. I’m always amazed when someone manages to do it, and yet, it continues to happen. Just do the work, and if you get stuck, seek help; but don’t just not do it.

Finally, remember that you are a teenager, and these are “the best years of your life.” Don’t waste them. Have fun. Hang out with your friends. Create a movie night. They’re great. Don’t drink or do drugs, but don’t sit alone in your room all the time either. You don’t want to look back on these four years and wonder why you were miserable and friendless. Unless you really do. In which case, I hope that works out for you and you become a very successful, if not entirely fulfilled, adult. So as you enter your junior year, don’t panic, take care of yourself, be nice to others, and if you give your classmates candy bars once in a while, they really seem to enjoy that.

Yours truly,

Kimber L. Wiggs

 

Junior year takes the IB you’re used to and adds a few more things on top. For the first time, you have to worry about the Extended Essay and CAS hours.

I’ll try not to say too much about the obvious suggestion of not procrastinating, but since many of the teachers will allow you a little more responsibility in getting your work in, it’s important. The other obvious things are studying and talking to your teachers; these are more important now than ever.

It’s also important to keep perspective. I assume that most of you are planning on attending. Junior year is your last chance to bring up your GPA before you start applying to colleges the next year. Just do your best and keep in mind your larger goals.

Jonathan Kleissler

 

Dear Sophomores,

Junior year of IB will be the hardest you have done so far. Remember not to procrastinate and try to keep up with all your work. There are things that  you will want to do that you will not be able to, so remember to only do things you are really dedicated to. Study for all your classes and try not to miss school. Once you get behind it is hard to catch up again. Try to get CAS hours in during spring break and Christmas vacation when you have time.

Eat healthy foods and get as much sleep as you can. You will burn out much faster if you don’t keep your health up. However, be prepared to have some all-nighters studying and doing homework, especially if you are in bio. Get the phone numbers of all your friends and call each other during these; most likely you are all staying up all night, and it helps to have someone to complain with. Just don’t let it turn into hour-long procrastination.

It is abstractly possible to have a life during junior year. Don’t stop doing the things you like, just do them less often. Good luck with junior year, and just think, senior year will be worse. Remember, a doughnut is a pastry with no beginning, no end, and no middle.

Good luck,

Elizabeth Pachal

 

There is much advice to be given on classes in the next year. First and foremost is the English class. The journals are a must, and they must be completed on time. DO NOT put them off until the last minute or you will regret it. Many a sleepless night have been spent over these. Do the vocab. It’s easy points that boost your grade. Don’t be afraid of the tests, but be prepared for extremely specific quizzes.

Biology is another trouble spot that many students have. Always do the extra credit. It is astounding at how that helps one’s grade. Labs are not hard, just long. Don’t put them off, either. To rephrase a previously stated sentence: You’ll lose a lot of sleep if you aren’t prepared. Don’t be surprised if the extra credit on the tests are easier than the real questions, it’s usually like that. And most importantly: The answer is always “Hydrogen Bonds.” (No, not really, it’s just a saying.)

Finally, the class that all need some degree of help in is American History. Everyone has a strong point and a weak point. You just need to find yours. May test questions come directly from the book, so study! (I mean this, there have been a few practically verbatim from the text.) And of the utmost importance in this class, one must remember that essays must have a thesis! This is the key to a good essay. It will “carry your paper,” as we have been told. It is very important advice.

Overall, the English, Biology, and History classes are the ones that merit the most study and preparation. Such advice that has been given will aid tremendously in this preparation.

Chelsea Benoit

 

My advice for upcoming juniors would be this, and this alone! Do Not Break Mrs. Frisbie’s Stapler! This is the most important information a junior could have. If you don’t talk while she talks, and don’t break the stapler, Mrs. Frisbie will like you. Other minor things that juniors could use are: don’t take notes in Goss’s class, but read each chapter; for English, read the books and you’ll do fine. Whatever science you take, you will need to learn stuff for the AP test, so don’t slack. Psychology is easy, but don’t give Mrs. New a hard time, I think I gave her a complex this year. Play a sport to get CAS action hours, and start getting creative hour ideas. If you do this, you will survive junior year.

Cpt. Ian Parker

 

To all of the poor kids entering junior year,

Let me start out by saying congratulations! You’re halfway done with high school and you’re ready to enter IB. Now, the easy ride is over. Instead of slacking off and sleeping all day, you really need to study or do some CAS hours. If you ever feel bored, open a book and read or do Teen Court to get some CAS in. Just make sure you don’t play around all year.

The absolute most important thing for you to do in class is PAY ATTENTION. Most teachers will take offense by it and grade essays and such harder and will be more asinine about details if you don’t. One really good thing to do would be to talk to them like they are a friend. (They are people, too.) One person in particularly is the one and only Frisbie-Friz. If you ask kindly she just might explain it to you.

Another thing you need to watch is your behavior, or is it behaviour? (IB tests will consume you.) Anyway, please don’t complain over every test, assignment, and essay. No one really wants to hear you whine and moan about the B you got on a history test. If you find all of the people in your class are getting on your nerves, simply talk to people from other classes. You just might find them really interesting and a fresh change from everything else.

So, in conclusion, keep up the good work. Don’t even think for a second that you want to leave IB, because at this point you simply cannot. You’ve made great friends who would  hate to see you leave, and not to mention disapproval of your teachers. It seems difficult at times, but do what I do! Think of all of the people that have gone through it already. They did it and everything is great for them. You can do it, too.

Denny Kilgore

 

Dear IB friend,

In regards to your decision on which math and science to take, I would suggest doing what is the easiest for you. If algebra II was a breeze, take Trig. If you hate the chemistry and biology teachers, well in my case the biology teacher hated ME, take physics. Physics is the “slacker’s science.” You don’t want to be stressed out during your last two years of high school.

I would also suggest that you play some sports. High contact sports are recommended because they relieve more stress. I decided to play soccer this year and although it was tough, I am glad I did. I’m serious, if you have a bad day, just slam a few girls to the ground and you’ll feel MUCH better. Exerting all that energy helps you sleep much better at night, too.

My last and final suggestion: DON’T PROCRASTINATE! This is the ultimate IB kiss of death. You will learn VERY quickly (probably on your first trig portfolio) that procrastination is dangerous for your health. Sleep deprivation and an overconsumption of caffeine will do CRAZY things to the mind. This may be the reason why people think IB kids are so strange, but anyway, get your work done in a timely fashion and your life will be much easier. The theory that IB kids have no lives is a BIG misconception; if you manage your time wisely, you will have a social life — trust me.

So anyway, take easy classes, play a sport where you can knock some people around, and just DO THE WORK. Don’t try to fight it, we’ve all tried — and we’ve all failed. Save yourself the grief and… enjoy your junior year!

Your friend,

Elise Greer

1. S.: Just ask Freddy — don’t get on Vetter’s bad side, that’s just asking for a miserable two years of high school!

 

Dear future 11th grader,

I am writing this letter to you to inform you of the best ways to go about your junior year. The three things I suggest you do are complete work ahead of time, do your journal questions as you get them, and work on your portfolios as soon as you get them.

Journal questions in English can be particularly overwhelming if you wait until the last minute. Ms. Smith gives the questions every week and if you keep them up, then you will be relieved when they are due. This is one of the big parts of the year because it is essential for orals.

The second thing is to start doing your portfolios for math as soon as you get them.  These things can pile up and cause you to overstress. If you get these done early, you will be thankful.

If you follow these steps, your year will be fine and enjoyable.

Sincerely,

Jack Murphy

 

Dear future juniors,

The journey you are about to take is neither an easy nor an impossible one. Though it will be filled with the frustrations of pre-IB past, if you keep yourself on the right (less-traveled) path, you will encounter fewer obstacles on the long, dwindling road of flourishing knowledge.

The best advice I can give, and wish I had used myself, is that of time management. Obviously, time management refers to weekly homework assignments but more importantly, longer and more time-consuming endeavors. Life would be so much easier if days when I had no work for the next day were utilized rather than written off as a free day, despite the overpowering urge to sleep and do nothing. Instead, if I had then worked for an hour or so on big projects (portfolios, labs, essays, etc.), I would be ahead of the game. This would result in greater productivity and less stress in the long run.

The next best advice I can give is to find your interest and pick your elective accordingly. Even if physics is an “easier” science, if you are more passionate about biology, you will most likely have problems doing labs, keeping up and the like because you’re bored. Work really does go faster if it is interesting and what you are learning is important to you.

So, good luck and work hard,

Rachel Gates

 

So, underclassmen, while I hate to be exactly like all the kind seniors before me who bestow advice that you probably will not heed, here I go anyway. In regards to school, as many times as you hear it, because it is important, do not procrastinate! That does not mean do every piece of homework the moment you get it, but be self-motivated and semiorganized (even if your bookbag isn’t). Don’t put off all your homework until Thursday, either; it has caused stress and late nights for numerous friends of mine.

In regards to sleep, you need it. I have a close friend who has pulled a great many all-nighters and then driven to school. Driving and sleep deprivation are dangerous, considering that less than six hours of sleep is equivalent to driving drunk for most people. Sometimes you have to say no, because until you get acclimated, you might not have time to do everything. Be very careful what you commit to, because you can be easily overwhelmed.

Finally, please make sure you have at least one or two activities you enjoy. Watch what you commit to and try not to complain when/if  you get in over your head; everyone else is in the same boat. Just make sure you take time for yourself, and don’t stress too much. Teachers are there to help you. Whatever you do, don’t put any IA off until the night before; it’s not fun.

Katie Pazda

 

So here’s the lowdown. Take it from me, rising juniors, that this year will not be easy. Not only is the workload going to be no-nonsense, but your teachers no longer will believe in holding you by the hand and walking you through. Face it — move on, you’re in IB now.

Your best friends should be initiative and planning (plus those teachers that will help you out on deadlines every so often). Now if you are friends, rather, with procrastination and denial, the best energy drink is probably Sobe Energy, which is yummy citrus flavored.

Don’t let us or Mr. Keers intimidate you when he gives his “the next year of your life will be Academic Hell” speech. Take it easy, go out on Fridays and work while you’re burning daylight — not your retinas by that glaring computer screen light… It’ll be okay, dozens have made it through and passed. Trust yourself and your teachers — and then work until graduation to earn that trust. Good luck. 🙂

Cece O’Leary

 

Dear “Hanley,”

IB is a great program that exposes you to excellent teachers and intelligent people, but it also takes some effort. During your time in IB, you will experience a lot of emotions and situations that may seem overwhelming, but through focus and hard work you will grow through them. In order to take advantage of the extensive possibilities provided in the IB program, though, you must dedicate yourself to learning and development. An open mind is essential, for you will find many differing beliefs and you will benefit from this diversity because it forces you to question your convictions and make them fit you better.

As for the actual schoolwork, you will find that through some application of yourself it will be pretty easy. The key to succeeding is to stay on top of your work, though, because with the 4×7 schedule it is quite common to miscalculate and find yourself pulling “all-nighters” to catch up. Just force yourself to complete projects promptly so that you can relax while everyone else is stressed and worried. Be sure to maximize your “high school experience” as well; playing sports, being involved in clubs, and just having normal teenage fun can be a good escape and will come in handy when you’re struggling to come up with examples of your contribution to the school for college apps. Stay on top of CAS hours (you’ll be happy when you’re done in your junior year instead of waiting).

Most of all, though, enjoy the friendships you will make and don’t let academic or athletic competition come in their way. Be true to those you care about, because not only will senior year suck when you’re sitting alone all by yourself in the corner, but the way you treat your relationships in high school probably gives a glimpse of how you’ll be later in life. Mainly just be yourself and work hard, too!

Ansley Wales

 

Howdy:

As you embark on your journey as an IB junior, many people will tell you to work hard and not procrastinate. They’ll also tell you some other stuff which I’m sure, after a while, you will be sick of hearing. SO, I’ll leave you with some advice that, interestingly enough, the seniors left us. Take advantage of this, for we had to hear this advice at the end of our junior year; you get to hear it just as you began your 11th (hopefully) year of school.

Rule #1: Don’t be a martyr, that is, don’t think &at YOU are the only person that has any work. Some in our class constantly complained about how hard they worked and how nobody understood them. Blah Blah Blah. Bottom Line, we all work hard; all of us, at some time or another, will pull an all nighter, abandon our social life, or just feel like killing something. So don’t ever think you’re better than everyone else or feel sorry for yourself. It’s not true, you’re not that special.

Rule #2: You’re special. All of us have our special talents, some will be rewarded more than others, but stick to what you got. Don’t abandon your talent just because someone else’s achievement is flaunted and applauded more than yours; you’ll be glad that you decided to grin and bear it when you’re all grown up.

Rule #3: Remain United. Class of 2007, you seem to have that rule covered, but it won’t hurt to repeat it. A disunited class, like 2006, just isn’t that fun. Factions, cliques, and inter-group fighting just damper the entire high school experience. So stop acting like spoiled brats: be sure to compromise, accept, and love.

With these 3 rules, as well as the various others about school that the other children will leave you, you will have a wonderful junior year. College is just around the comer so you shouldn’t do anything too stupid, or maybe you should while you’re still young. Eh, you’re almost an adult so that will be your decision to make. Speaking of decisions, you’ll be making a lot of them. Don’t live in the past. Live more towards now and tomorrow-hopefully that will help you in making your decisions. Enjoy it while you can because kids grow up fast.

Yaou Dou

 

Now, most of you are juniors, part of the upper echelons in the IB program. Right now, you may feel quite good about yourselves making it this far; half-way through IB, but don’t inflate your heads just yet. A great many obstacles still mark the path to this year’s finish line. There will be times when you will be up until 2:30 in the morning composing a last-ditch effort to complete some portfolio or an essay. There will also be times when you can afford to watch another episode of Family Guy. Most of you whether you like it or not, will procrastinate. Do not much despair, for there is hope. I know I’m sounding like an elf from the Lord of the Rings, but I’ll tell all of you the truth. Remember to have some fun.

As from the movie Van Wilder “Don’t take life too seriously or you’ll never get out alive.” Take it easy, otherwise this year will be a pain. Don’t freak out too much because your grade will drop a few points. This year will be harder than anything you have ever had to do, at least school-wise. Also, don’t think too much.

Thinking is good, but when you over think; you get headaches, even migraines. Have some sleep, you will need it. Laugh at other people’s eye bags and also laugh at your own. Don’t be a martyr. Never elevate yourself from other students just because you go to IB. Don’t forget that you chose this path and you can always take the easy way. As for me, I’ll keep going. Make sure to grow some, share all your candy, brush your teeth, take regular baths, play some music, dance, try new hats, and listen to the Doc from Back to the Future.

“Fasten your seatbelts, kids. This is gonna be one hell of a ride.”

Brandon Tan

 

When taking your next misguided step further into the IB program, there are several tips to remember before you take that first leap and the leaps following that second leap. Really the first piece of advice before you even start is “Don’t panic”. It’s really very simple. Just don’t panic. Panicking is understandable, but is not constructive. Panicking leads to poor sleep. Poor sleep leads to bad grades. Bad grades lead to more stress, more panicking and really more bad grades. I think you can see the connection.

Next is about your sacred half elective. For this there are two points to remember about it. Point one: take an enjoyable elective. You only get a half; then your schedule gets shot to Hades. And point B: don’t complain if you take an academic elective. It’s not the Physics student’s fault your insane and wasted your half elective on a second science class. Really, it’s okay to complain a little… a little. But in all actuality, no one but yourself can be held accountable for your actions.

Now the last tip is toward your science class. As you know, you will be presented with three choices: Physics, Biology and Chemistry. Here’s how you choose. If you got a consistent “A” in chemistry and routinely set the curve, take it next year. Chemistry is all about having that niche for chem. As for Biology, if you really enjoy mass amount of paper work, memory and three hour long labs, congratulations IB has the class for you! Physics is the class for all slackers. It’s structured like a college course, but with homework. Keers and the labs are really there to help you learn by yourself, but even so you can still earn an “A”.

David Houston

 

Dear upcoming junior,

Next year will not be your easiest. Basically all your classes will be harder, except maybe English, which is about the same. Now I should probably give you the advice of “DON’T procrastinate,” like everyone has been telling you since freshman year, but it’s not that simple. Yes, we can all procrastinate less, but there is no way to eliminate procrastination completely. The workload significantly increases for junior year, and essentially what happens is you have so much stuff do the next day, that when you finish it, you are too tired physically or mentally to do something that is due in a week. It just doesn’t happen. The best advice is that you prepare yourself for the long nights that may last until 2:00 or later. They happen, to nearly every IB student that cares the slightest bit. You just have to know they are coming, don’t-complain too much, work really hard those nights, and get it done somehow. If you have super dedication or work ethics-like most of us-wish we had, and you can make yourself not procrastinate at all, by all means do that. The thing is that everyone tries to do that at some point but they just-give up, because they want to have some nights where they can chill out or actually have a life.

Now onto having a life. This is very important. If you don’t have fun sometimes, then you’ll burn-out a lot quicker, or if that doesn’t happen you will just hate life. Neither are good options. You should try to hang out with friends and try to play sports. After all, you need the sports for CAS action hours anyway. .It is good-to stay healthy and in good physical shape because it makes your work easier. You will relieve some of your stress in sports. Plus, staying active gives you endurance, which will help on those long nights I talked about. Another very important thing, enjoy your weekends. Set up something fun to do each weekend because it’s a stress reliever. It is also good if you set the weekend as your goal. My philosophy is just survive the week no matter what it takes, and then have fun and relax on the weekend. Typically set aside Saturday afternoon or Sunday for homework catch up (this is where you don’t procrastinate), and then have a lot of fun Friday AND Saturday night. Realistically, you’re not going to be doing homework at 6-10 on Friday or Saturday, so DO SOMETHING! Go somewhere and-don’t be a bum that sits at home. The only excuse for being that bum.is when you get your 10-12 hours of sleep on Saturday and. Sunday morning, which is physically necessary for IB survival. This will get you through the tough year, or at least it did for me.

Back to wonderful academics. Something you shouldn’t do: stay home when your slightly sick or just tired. Trust me it’s tempting, but it KILLS you in the long run. Missing days of school gives you so much work to make up, because on top of the homework that was due that day that I know you didn’t do, you also have homework due the following few days that you missed instruction on plus tests and class work to make up. Basically, only miss school when absolutely necessary. Late passes are awesome, but save them. In math, you need to do the homework so you understand the next day’s lesson and so you’re prepared for the test. If you don’t use them you get extra credit anyway. Oh yeah, don’t use a late pass if half your math homework is done. Think about it,-you’ll probably miss 3-4 points on the homework, but the late pass is worth 5 points EC. Do the math. For biology, save the late pass for when you have a lab or giant worksheet due the day before another lab or giant worksheet. Then the night you would be working on the first item, you can work on the second. Then do the second assignment on the weekend (ok that’s a little hypocritical because I never could make myself do that. Onto the next situation, you don’t understand something-.in a class, now what? Stay after and ask for help sometime. Nearly all the teachers are willing to help (thanks Ms. Frisbie). You can stay after school or ask questions before school. .Additionally, I am sure you’ll have some friend that is an expert .on what you can’t do and he or she will help you during lunch and teach you in like 5 minutes. Well I will try to start wrapping this letter up. Make sure you choose the right science. Biology is the most work, but you can still do good in the class if you work. Chemistry is less work, but probably overall harder than biology in material difficulty. Physics is harder than you think, according to nearly everyone, but you STILL have to work, it’s just that you can turn pretty much everything in late, there is EC, and tons of assignments so one screw up doesn’t ruin you. Furthermore, it is vital that you don’t get caught up with the little things or waste time on trivial stuff. Last but not least, work hard in the beginning and end of quarters. Somehow I got straight A’s first quarter, and they weren’t 90s. This really helps because you don’t have to work your butt off later to raise your grade. Plus you have more work ethic in the beginning. Most important however is that you don’t waste tons of work to end up with an 89 or 79 for the semester. Those grades are killers, so put forth a little more work in the beginning and right at the end so you don’t have to mess with that. Well, that’s about all my advice, don’t know if it will work for you but it did for me. Assuming I don’t bomb any upcoming finals, I will finish better overall this year than freshman and sophomore, even though this year is much harder.

Sincerely,

Bobby Rombola

 

To The Incoming Juniors,

Welcome to your first year in IB, it will be extremely eventful with your classes, friends, CAS hours, and maybe even a job. These helpful tips will help you to succeed in your upcoming year as a junior.

First and Foremost, DO NOT PROCRASTINATE! Let me repeat it again DO NOT PROCRASTINATE! I know that you have heard this over and over again but seriously DON’T. If you put off your work until the last minute you will live on coffee. I know the past two-years in IB have hard but not nearly what you will experience this year especially the second semester. Beginning your extended essay might be scary but as long as you don’t put it off, then you will have decent time management and will be able to accomplish everything. Time management will be essential to your success in IB, without it, then you fall in your classes and see a spiral downfall in your grades.

Secondly, make sure that you surround yourself with friends that will be there to support you in the times when you feel the worst. I know that without my friends to encourage me I would have completely fallen out of IB. No matter how hard IB gets never give up, just keep up with work, and look to your friends to encourage you, and it will get better. I promise.

Third and finally, take time out of your day to do something for yourself. Read, Swim, Play Sports, Run, do whatever, as long as it’s for you and not someone else. It is a necessity to do something for yourself, otherwise you will crash and bum and want to give up. I know that most of the juniors this year hit a fall out, and stopped work, because they were burnt out from doing only their school work. If you do something for yourself then you will be a happier person and happy people are more likely to succeed.

Well GOOD LUCK in your junior year, and if you need any help turn to anyone of us for help, we are here for advice.

Amanda T. Reecer

 

If you’re in trigonometry, make sure to use your late passes wisely, if not ever. Assignments are fairly easy if you understand the work. So, don’t be lazy and slack off on an easy A. When a big history essay, biology lab, and psychology project are due the same day, lack of late passes can cause ulcers.

Choose a fairly easy elective for your half-semester. They come in handy when one forgets to do one’s English sentences on Friday. Also, the elective barely counts for anything, so why put more burdens on yourself?

Do not stress about ToK. As long as you keep up with the journal assignments (that have more bark than bite) it is pretty much an easy A. Not only that, but with an open mind, it can be fairly entertaining.

As funny as this sounds, Spanish IV isn’t that bad. But now that I think about it, you will have a different teacher than I did. Good luck with that! French people, you’re on your own.

English was probably my least favorite. The first semester wasn’t that bad, but when the second semester rolls around, she begins to toughen up. Make sure to read the book that you are doing your informal orals on. Also, do the journals (which have more bite than they do bark) and do them early. Many a long night have been spent writing and taping. They come in handy when formal orals arrive, too.

I’ve heard from this year’s seniors that they never used Dust Tracks on a Road for their World Lit papers in senior year, so I’m guessing that it isn’t as important as Mrs. Smith says it is. I didn’t read it, so you probably won’t either.

History is fun if you liked Mr. Rhoden. If not, then history won’t be fun. Personally, I liked Mr. Rhoden, so history wasn’t too bad. In reality, Goss teaches you more than you realize, and it comes in handy come AP time.

Finally, for those of you entering Physics – turn your work in on time! Mr. Keers’s leniency is like a wolf in sheep’s clothing. When labs start piling up, grades start pummeling down. You’ll figure out what I mean.

Matt Carlton

 

By now, you’ve all heard how horrid the junior year is, what with portfolios, TOK, and CAS. Having survived this first year of “real” IB with decent grades, I can assure you that it isn’t that bad if you don’t let it become the monster. Each subject has its difficulties, its good points, its “man I’m swamped I hate this workload” moments, but you too can survive, you so long as you plan your schedule, stay on top of things, and FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, don’t procrastinate!!! I cannot stress that enough, no matter how funny you think it is to say that procrastination is the IB tradition, I don’t want you speeding down Bartow Highway at 70 miles per hour on only 2 hours of sleep. Now that many of you are driving, sleep is more important than ever, because you can total your car with 8 hours of sleep – fewer than five only increases those chances.

How, you may ask, and I intend to tell you. Mind you I like giving advice, so read carefully. Use your planner, its free and very simple. You can leave notes to yourself in it and more effectively give yourself time for assignments and projects. Especially in Trig/Analyt – it’s very easy to lose track of homework, so when she gives you the 9-week schedule, write all the assignments in your planner. (Provided there aren’t hurricanes to constantly mess the schedule up.) Also, don’t use up late passes – they are worth more as extra credit, and the assignments shouldn’t take too long. If you have trouble, you can always ask Miss Frisbie. Or if you can’t do that, don’t be afraid to ask a friend who is better than you in math, because yes, you can explain math problems over AIM. Also, the review worksheets are a big help if nothing else.

Outside of math, the next biggest issue are the English Journal questions. You may or may not have heard about these – but they are killer if you procrastinate. The first set of journals, I got 1.5 hours of sleep, and the second set, 3. I’m not kidding either. Don’t try and get them all done at once, it’s much easier if you do a few each day. If you follow the goals you set, you’d be surprised how much you can accomplish. Working on projects like these requires you to be good about being able to sit down and do your homework – no AIM, no gaming, no boredom trips to the kitchen. Along with English homework is the looming threat of CAS hours – but they aren’t really that hard to get. Get involved with a sport (like swimming!) or service clubs and that will help with a good portion of your hours. More importantly, document them as you go along * it’s much easier than backtracking.

Other classes require different levels of work. Chemistry students: read the chapter so you’ll do better than I did on the tests. It really does help. Also, all the physics kids talk about getting behind with the all the worksheets. To the French students, get used to busy work, and while you’re at it, do it, If you don’t, your grade will drop a lot, which is really silly considering how simple Amsco exercises are. Listen in Mr. Goss’s class, he knows what he’s talking about (as do all your teachers), and it comes up on the AP test. TOK isn’t bad at all, except the extended essay. For an incoming junior, the only recommendation that fits is to have a topic or subject area in mind ahead of time, it makes things much easier.

Overall, it may seem like a big change from Pre-IB to IB, but as long as you stay on top of things and don’t panic if you think you are falling behind, you can manage. The biggest difference is that you really can’t get away with doing all your homework at 1l o’clock the night before, or during lunch, anymore. You will be in IB, and if you are going to stick it out all the way, you owe it to yourself to work hard and not screw around wasting everyone’s time. Things will get chaotic, and I can’t say I’ve always lived by my own advice, but when I do, things are a lot less stressing. You can cope with the difficulties of IB and of growing up and having a life – friends, family, sports, hobbies – if you can address them in a clear and logical way. Good luck! 🙂

Maggie Tyson

 

Okay in general I would advise three things. First, in the very beginning of the year fix your class schedule especially A days. This may not seem important at the beginning at the year but as the year progresses and you get more and more homework and more and more lazy it will be imperative that you make sure your easy classes are in the beginning of the day that way you can get your homework done. Although it is very disrespectful to the teachers (sorry Ms. Frisbie) sometimes you get so much and every so often you accidentally fall asleep.

Second piece of advice is to talk to people about what you are going to do in a class. This is especially helpful in classes that have “pop quizzes” such as English and American history. Not only will you be able to be study beforehand, you will lose less of the information because you will not be stressed when the teacher “pops” the quiz on you.

Last piece of advice is to use YJP time efficiently. Instead of wasting your time listening to the current affairs of the world you could be doing a chemistry lab or English sentences. The amount of time allotted will be different depending on the teacher but is usually long enough to get a substantial amount of homework done. The more you do during this time the less you will have to do during lunch. Trust me taking a test on an empty stomach is not fun at att.

Benjamin George

 

Dear “Suzie”,

This past year, my junior year of high school, was the most fun year I’ve had in high school yet. It was filled with a lot of exciting events and changes in my life. However, accompanied with all the excitement and fun were the stresses of IB. Though it is not as stressful as one would expect, it did get overwhelming at times. I’m writing you this letter to give you some tips on how to minimize the stress in your upcoming junior year.

First of all, you should go in to the school year with an optimistic attitude. It will certainly help! Secondly, I will run through the classes that you will encounter and give you the best tip I have for each. In Trigonometry, always take notes and if you need help don’t hesitate to ask Ms. Frisbie. She is always willing to help. In psychology, just try not to procrastinate too much and have fun with Mrs. New. She’s funny! Next, the main rule you must always remember in history is not to argue with Mr. Goss. It will ALWAYS be his way or the highway. In English, just always remember to read. There will most likely be a quiz on the reading. Also, don’t procrastinate on your journal questions; there are tons! In physics, there is one major piece of advice I have and that is to not procrastinate!! It will definitely get you very overwhelmed at times. In TOK, simply learn to speak your mind and pay attention. Mr. Keers knows when you aren’t paying attention and he will catch you off guard! Last but certainly not least is Spanish. Make sure you know all your verb tenses and conjugations. Also, enjoy first semester because second semester gets much more difficult.

Despite worrying about classes, tests, and homework make sure you have fun! I’ve been told that high school years are the best years of your life so enjoy it while it lasts. IB can be stressful and difficult, but you can certainly do it if you balance yourself and manage your time. Go out and have fun from time to time or simply engage in a pastime to relieve yourself from the burdens of school.

These are the main tips I have for your upcoming year based on my own personal experiences. Take my advice and enjoy the year. It will breeze by quickly.

Sincerely,

Chelsea White

 

As with all things in life 11th grade in IB is exactly what you make it to be. It can either be intensely hard or it can be bearable. Personally I made some parts of it much harder than I should have yet other parts were easier for me than for other people. Mainly my advice to upcoming juniors is to have a routine that is efficient and effective yet very flexible.

Our year started with a series of hurricanes that interrupted our schedules and putt us behind so for the rest of the year we had to play catch up. But no one can blame the hurricanes on any school related problems in my opinion. We all were given the chance to take advantage of the hurricanes but few people actually did. It has come to my attention that in IB, at least part of breaks should be taken to review and go over current and past material as well as get work done that has been assigned. Procrastination is deadly in IB. It is what killed me. It’s not that is becomes impossible to finish the work. It’s that you forget to what all is due because so much is due. This becomes especially true when you start skipping. The assignment pile up and you don’t know what is due.

Some classes may seem very easy but they all require a fair amount of work. All of the classes can be difficult and depending on your personal strengths. It’s wise to take advantage of one’s strengths but not to overestimate them. It is dumb to think just because you are good at a specific subject that you don’t have to study because that is so very not true, unless you are Phillip Madrid. But I don’t recommend working as hard as Snoop, that just for some reason seems unhealthy yet both of the methods work for those individuals. Also don’t spend all your time working on one subject. First of all it will drive you to hate that class and the teacher. If you hate a class don’t give up on it, try to do the work and put some effort into it, because just because you hate that subject and are bad at it doesn’t mean your GPA should suffer greatly because of it. But if you really don’t like it, don’t force yourself too hard to do well at it, just do what you can and let that be it.

Finally don’t take grades so seriously. I know everyone says this but you really should not stress to the point of illness over grades or one assignment. yes I feel it is very important to do your best and to work but if you don’t get the grade you want you should let it pass and not get upset about it.

In general the junior year is harder than the previous two years but it is not a killer like some people say. As long as you know your assignments, are diligent, on time to class and you pay attention in class, the year shouldn’t be so bad not good, well because it is school, but not painful. Good luck.

Will Reschly

 

Dear Friend,

As you begin your junior year, I have some advice to pass on to you. Junior year is a difficult year for almost everyone. I know you can do it if you try. I hope this advice will help you in the coming year.

For my first and most important piece of advice, Don’t Procrastinate! I know that you hear this all the time but it is really important. The important thing with this is time management. Don’t put everything off until the last minute. Some of the assignments not to procrastinate on are trigonometry portfolios, English journals, and science labs. For these assignments, it is best to work on them in small increments. Also, try to finish as many CAS hours as possible because it will help you in the long run. The best thing to remember when it comes to this advice is that good time management really helps.

My second piece of advice to you is to make sure you have some fun. Enjoy simple pleasures because they can keep you connected with the real world. If you don’t take time for yourself, you are most likely going to burn out. I know junior year will be hard, but remember to take some time (not too much) for yourself.

I wish you the best of luck in all your endeavors next year.

Sincerely,

Heather Johnson

 

Dear upcoming junior,

As you know, your time in Pre-IB is over, and now it’s onto the big leagues, the real IB, with harder classes, less electives, more work, and less sleep. Honestly, it’s really not as hard as most people are led to believe. As long as you try not to procrastinate (I know sometimes it can’t be avoided), and remember that not everything has to be perfect (a 100 and a 90 are both As), than you’ll be fine. My most important advice to you is to have fun, don’t worry so much about your GPA and whether the classes you’re taking are weighted, I promise you that if you do well in all of your required courses, your GPA will be high no matter what electives you take. So take classes you enjoy, don’t try to fit in another one or two AP classes if you’re really not interested in the subject, all that’s going to do is stress you out. Here’s some advice for each of your classes next year:

Trig/Analyt: This is one of my favorite classes, and one of the easiest for me (that’s probably because I love math). Make sure that you take notes in class; it’s really helpful for the notebook quizzes, and DO YOUR HOMEWORK. A lot of people think that because the homework is only worth 10 points, that it doesn’t really matter, but 0/10 in four or five homework assignments can really hurt your grade.

English: My best advice for English is to actually try and read all of the books (that’s one thing I neglected to do), and do all of the journal questions, even though they’re redundant and tedious, they really help with the orals and are a good way to boost your grade.

Spanish: Since we aren’t going to have the same teacher it’s kind of hard to give you exact advice, but just really challenge yourself to speak the language and use the complex tenses you’ve learned. Doing this will help prepare you for the AP test (which I’ve heard is crazy hard), and might help you gain some extra college credit.

ToK: ToK is a very unique course that you’ll start 2od semester of your junior year. My best advice for this course is to take it seriously, really challenge yourself to think about where knowledge comes from, and why we think the way we do. This class will give you a nice break in the day from the traditional classes and allow you to think outside the box.

American History: It’s not hard to do well in this course, just take the notes, pay attention to Goss’ lectures, and read the book. Make sure to remember the authors, books, and women that you learn; the AP test loves literature and feminism.

(P. S. This site http ://www.course-notes.org/us_history/outlines/ has really helpful outlines of the chapters for the tests)

Psychology: Psych can be a really fun class if you’re interested in the subject (it didn’t really interest me, so I found it boring). No matter what you think of the subject though, all you need to do to get a good grade is do the classwork. There is really little homework and not many tests in the class, so it’s a low stress class, but if you neglect the classwork then you’ll be scrambling at the end of the nine weeks to make up the work. Also, don’t procrastinate and the internal assessment, it’s really not hard and can be interesting, make sure to pick a study that interests you. (The Stroop Effect is a really easy one.)

Chemistry: Chemistry is my hardest class this year. You don’t have a lot of work in the class but the tests are very difficult, there made up of questions from old AP exams. The class only consists of lectures, labs, and tests, so each lab and test grade weighs heavily on your overall grade. Make sure you study, read the book, and turn the labs in ON TIME. One bad test grade, or a couple bad labs, can really hurt your chances for an A in the class.

Your 3rd year of IB won’t be bad if you remember to stay on top of your work, and don’t stress yourself out. Also, I know many students who will pull all-nighters trying to study, but it’s my opinion that a decent amount of sleep is more important than extra studying because you can’t ace a test, no matter how much you studied, if your falling asleep during it. So be sensible in how late you decide to stay up, and don’t fall behind on sleep because it’s almost impossible to complete your work load when your sleep deprived. Enjoy your first year of the real IB program!!

Brad Sipe

c/o 2006

 

My Advice to Upcoming IB Juniors

Dear New IB Junior,

Well, you have quite a road ahead of you for your junior year. Looking back on it, I know my junior year wasn’t particularly easy, but I, along with my other classmates, managed to get through it. So the first piece of advice I have to give you is that junior year really isn’t as hard as everyone makes it out to be (so don’t fall for all of the scary stories about it!). You will have more work to do, not to mention you will also have CAS hours to worry about; however, in the end, as long as you keep your head on straight, you should be alright.

Make sure that you manage your time as wisely as possible. It will really help you if you don’t procrastinate (although we’ve all had our fair share of last-minute homework and projects). Try to set aside a certain time in your day to work on homework, and spend the rest of your time relaxing as much as you can, because we IB kids definitely need a little rest every once in a while. That way, you will (hopefully) feel less stress about school and you can stay more focused on the schoolwork at hand. Also, try to get as much sleep as you can because you’ll definitely need it.

As far as your actual classes go, just try to find the unique rhythm of each of your teachers and use that to your advantage. You’ll be able to get a better feel for what they are asking for in their classes, and you will find a balance between all of them. That will help you stay on top of all of your homework, and still allow you enough time and energy to enjoy extracurricular activities and other simple pleasures (i.e. eating, sleeping, watching TV, and chatting online).

Stay motivated to do your work, and you (and your grades) shouldn’t suffer. Keep up with everything as well as you can and at least try to pay attention in class the majority of the time. Don’t let yourself get too sidetracked with other things, because ultimately you want a good school record and you can only really get that by working hard.

Finally, try to make some good memories and share with your classmates in this IB experience, because one of the scariest things I see ahead is the fact that I won’t be with my IB buddies much longer than this next year. So make it all count. Do some fun crazy things that you will never forget, and those experiences will help carry you through all of the tough times. Remember that we seniors have already gone through everything that you’re about to, and we will be here for you if you ever need anything. Have a great year!

Best regards,

Kelly Harbaugh

 

After several minutes of failing to find my math formula packet tonight, I decided to start on my essay, giving advice to the underclassmen. So, my first bit of advice would be to remember where you put the formula packet, or at least to find it before the night before the test, although you could probably survive the majority of the year without it, if you had to do so. I would not recommend memorizing all of the formulas, mainly because they are half written in Greek, and if you are awake half the night before the test memorizing formulas, you may be prone to forgetting how to read Greek. It happened to me a few times, except for the studying part. On a broader scale, though, being organized is more important this year than ever before. You will have days where you may have multiple assignments in each class, and losing points because you forgot where you put the paper is not fun. I would recommend buying an accordion folder with at least seven pockets. You can use each of the pockets for a subject. I did this and it worked really well, until I had so many papers in the poor thing that one day I picked it up and it fell apart. Clean it out before it gets that full, even if you have a regular binder or whatever. You will have an enormous amount of papers to keep track of (or, ‘of which to keep track’, for those of you obsessed with grammar), and most of your supplies will not be able to handle the stress, unless you buy the industrial-grade binders and backpacks. So.,. be organized.

The most important thing you can do for yourself this year is to take the best classes. Unless you have found deep within yourself some special aptitude for chemistry or biology, take physics, but take it seriously if you do. Similarly, take Ms. Frisbie’s class. There are plenty of reasons for both of these choices which everyone else will probably talk about for a long time. The two complement each other, and even if you have a bit of a hard time with math, you should consider taking them.

Finally, there are all the other aspects of Junior year. By this time, everyone in your class will be tired of everyone else. It happens. Be nice to your classmates, and they might let you cheat off them once in a while. Although surely, it does not matter, as none of us would ever cheat on any of our assignments. Speaking of which, learn to read cliff notes and such other materials after reading the actual book to help you figure out what the books were actually about, as the themes are sometimes quite hazy. Do not work yourself to death; easier way outs are not the same as easy way outs. Force yourself to spend a few minutes a day relaxing, no matter how much you need to do. No amount of work is more important than sleep. Be social, even if you do not feel like it. Buy Surge illegally on the black market for the unbearably boring classes. Most of all, though, just do your best. Junior year is not as bad as everyone says, and you can get by if you try and remember your friends when they need you, so they will do the same for you.

Brenton Wildes

 

My first suggestion to anyone taking the same classes as me next year would be to avoid procrastination at all costs. I learned the hard way this year that putting off work until the absolute last minute will do no good. This even holds true in Mr. Keers’ class and Mrs. New’s class, in both of which late work is accepted. Even though you have the opportunity to turn work in late, save yourself the stress and the ulcers and turn it in when it’s due. The same also holds for English journals – do them before the night before they’re due, get some sleep that you otherwise would have lost, and give yourself the opportunity to mock those who waited until 10 P.M. the night before to start them (just kidding about the mocking part). But, in all seriousness, don’t procrastinate.

Another suggestion I have is to do something extracurricular. IB classes are rigorous and the homework is time-consuming, but having something to do for fun is one of the only ways to not go crazy. I personally did band and drama this year and, while the hours were certainly long, such as staying at school until 12:30 A.M. striking a set with drama, it was certainly worth it. Compounded with homework, the hours will most likely stretch into the early morning hours on several occasions (especially if you procrastinate on your English journals – something I experienced all too sleeplessly quite a few times). However, it will give you something to do and will provide an outlet for the stresses of school. Doing an extracurricular activity is certainly a good idea for those that will take the same classes I did.

Finally, I would suggest that someone with the same course load as me take time during the hectic IB life and smell the roses on the side of life’s winding road. Remember that this is only one part of your life, and that what you do now can affect your life later. Also remember that, even though the programs gets incredibly stressful at times, that staying in and getting the IB Diploma will save time and money when it comes to college life. Even if it doesn’t do that, rest assured that college will be much easier if you stay at it and don’t give up. I’ve even heard of IB graduates taking extra classes in college simply because they were bored. Take time every once in a while to enjoy life and reflect on what you have. It will put things in perspective and provide you with a second wind to help you finish strong.

Cory Taylor

 

First, I must congratulate you for having completed the first two years of pre-IB, and for choosing to “stick it out” for the next two years. You are one brave soul. In my experience, junior year at IB has been one of the hardest years of my life. It is very different than pre-IB, so don’t be fooled into thinking that IB is a “piece of cake” because your freshman and sophomore years have been relatively easy. Countless sleepless nights have been devoted to diligently finishing Biology labs, studying for tests, and the likes. I don’t know how many times I had wanted to scream this past year. When you are taking, on average, more than five tests a week (sometimes four in one day), and with the constant reminder of AP/IB tests looming in the not-so-distant future, you would want to scream too. Trust me. Now that I have painted a rather negative image about your junior year, I would like to add that not all aspects are negative. I acquired tremendous amounts of knowledge this year, and I’m sure you will too. In addition, if certain steps are taken, then your experience will most likely prove to be more pleasant than mine.

If you chose Biology as their science, read closely. Do not, I repeat, do not procrastinate on labs!! I realize how hard this is to do, given the amount of homework you will get from other classes as well. But procrastination only leads to messy labs. Try to do a little a day, as you will have a week to complete it. If you try to cram an entire lab into one night (as I oftentimes did), then not only will you probably not finish (you might fall asleep in the middle), but be aware that it will probably not be a high-quality lab. Start early, especially on the Drosophila lab, the longest and most tedious lab you will do next year. On the subject of the Droso lab, be sure to keep up with your flies. Do not stick them in the freezer and forget to count them. They can get freezer burnt, in which case their physical characteristics would be hard to determine with the naked eye. Once you get to this lab, you will better understand my advice. Finally, do study for Mrs. Kennon’s tests, as they are difficult. Lack of studying will result in a bad grade on her tests. To back up my point, the first semester I studied really hard (even read the chapters in the book…not an easy feat) and got over 100% on her tests. When second semester came around, I began to get C’s because I stopped studying and reading the book. Again, I must stress the importance of studying and doing the labs, as these will make up a large portion of your grade. Worksheets also count, so be sure to do a good job on that as well.

Now, I will give some general tips for success. First, do try and study for all your tests. I know this can prove to be difficult (especially if you have four in one day), at least make an effort. Reading part of the History chapter is better than reading none of it. On the subject of History, Amsco is a wonderful guide. Don’t forget to use it, especially if you find that you won’t have time to read the book (this has happened to me on more than one occasion). Also, reading all the assigned books for English for the first semester, and take good notes in the margins. These works will be what your formal oral (worth 15% of your IB English grade) will be on come April. If you are taking Trigonometry, do the review worksheets that Ms. Frisbie gives you!! They are not for points, but they help tremendously with understanding the material in the chapter (and also the format of the test). For psychology, I recommend turning in all the work the day it is due. Even though Mrs. New is good about taking late work, it will be to your benefit to turn it in early. Finally, the extended essay. Really think about a topic that you are interested in, and one that you would like to do a 4,000 essay on. Once you have chosen your topic, select a good supervisor who can help you with the essay-writing process. Begin to research your topic and take notes. These will be your foundations to the essay, so get a good start on it! I wish you much success with your junior year. May you not make the mistakes I have made, and follow at least some of my advice. Good luck!

Lisa Zhang

 

Dear underclassman friend,

You are about to embark on your junior year of high school, and your first year of IB. You will encounter much in this next year, be really stressed and sleep little. Your classes, extracurricular and other choices you may make will be important in getting you through this.

Obviously you must take certain required classes, but u have three choices, your science, your math, and your elective. Your science is a vitally important choice, depending on your different skills and preferences you must choose one of either physics or chemistry. Oh right, I guess if u like tons of work and squishy things there is biology. Physics is for those among us who have an affinity for math and formulaic manipulation. Biology is based on tons of facts that u just have to know, and chem. is somewhere in the middle. Choose wisely, cause switching is not easy to do. Ok your math, you have a choice of Ms. Frisbie and Ms. Cobb, both are excellent teachers. If you rock hardcore at math go for trig., but if you’re ok and know you’re going to need as little stress as possible go for Cobb’s class. Finally your half year elective, take something fun and easy. DO NOT take something hard, you’ll need the down time, seriously.

There are a million and one extracurriculars at this school. Choose one or two that you will love doing, and that will give you an outlet for the crazy amounts of stress. Sure they take up loads of time, but that’s ok, trust me you’d rather not be home than sleep some days anyway, well, if you’re anything like me, which the prompt says you are. They will keep you sane, and give you an outlet, and make you look diversified to colleges. Woot.

Ok so then there are all those other choices you have to make. You’re going to be presented with a wide variety of situations and options on how to deal with them. All I can really say is that stay close to your morals and ethics. Stay close to your faith, if you have one, it can lead through some dark times.

Ok well that’s all of it, all my knowledge packed into 5 paragraphs. Oh wait, one last thing, this is of vital importance, seriously. Good Luck.

1. Rahul Banerjee

 

Dear Anya, (and her friends),

Maybe you’re freaking out that you guys are going to be juniors next year. But it really isn’t that bad at all. It didn’t seem that much harder than last year– except for maybe chemistry, In chemistry, all we ever do are labs and tests, You have to make sure you understand all the concepts and stuff, Some people read the book and failed, and others didn’t and got 100s, so I guess it’s up to you to figure out what you need to do. In English, never read ahead.. I did for The House of the Spirits and I got like fifty percents on the quizzes, Make sure you pay attention to the most minute, unimportant details because that is what you’ll be tested on. Do your journal questions the day you get them, it sucks having to do three books in one week. For the summer reading, make sure you explain why you liked/disliked The Scarlet Letter because if you don’t, she’ll take off like fifteen points. Other than that, English is pretty easy. We didn’t do as many projects or activities as we did in Ms. Hardee’s class.

TOK is the easiest class in the entire universe. If you don’t know the answer, bs it, All the worksheets are completion anyway. Make sure you sit with people who you’ll get along with because if your class is big and you don’t have extra tables, you might get stuck with some really annoying people. I don’t know that from experience, I’m just saying. Psychology is the second easiest class in the universe. Ms. New gives you worksheets and if you don’t finish them that day, or that week, you can just tum it in sometime before the semester ends. Just make sure you behave in class and pay attention, because you don’t want to make Ms. New mad. My class never made her mad, actually I don’t think any class did. But still, just in case. By the way, paper 2 for the IB test is so easy. And the AP test is easy, you can just read the entire AP book before the test, and you’ll do fine,

History was easy, You just have to read the chapters, Trig is run, Ms. Frisbie is really cool, just don’t interrupt her when she’s trying to say things. But don’t take trig if you know you re bad at math, because it’s not hard, it’s just you don’t want to add extra stress to your life. And finally, French. French was awful this year. Ms. Dietert is nice. But French is so boring. It saps the life energy from you. Mr. Lenker’s class is a lot more fun. There are some plusses to-Ms. Dietert, I guess. She’s nice. She gives you a lot of extra credit. And we do a lot of learning, also known as workbook exercises. Just make sure you aren’t too loud or obnoxious, because she might hold you after class and you might miss the bus.

Oh yeah. Having a license and a car is very useful. Overall, junior year wasn’t that bad. Just take it easy, and don’t try to do too much.

Michelle Valderrama

 

This year took a lot of perseverance. If I had the chance, I don’t think I would do it over again. But it really wasn’t all bad, I mean the teachers are all pretty cool and help you a lot and they all have a good sense of humor for the most part. As in all schooling, you have to learn to read your teachers and figure out exactly what they expect and how they want it done and that really helps a lot.

I would tell you don’t get behind and don’t procrastinate, but I have a feeling you will anyway. But things get a lot worse second semester so I would suggest getting your grades up at the beginning of each term so that you have a margin of error so to speak. In math class, don’t use your late passes right away because you may need them later in the nine weeks. Do the reviews because it really helps to check your work with the answers online. For homework, just do it, there are only like 10 problems. And if you get absolutely stuck don’t give up, write an explanation about exactly where you are confused so you can get credit for doing everything and then be able to ask her in class how to do it and get the points for getting the right answer. Don’t depend on makeup tests to bail you out because your two test grades average together and it’s a pain to stay after and make stuff up and you still end up studying anyway. Oh and portfolios… the horror… get them done ASAP, you don’t want to do those at the last minute and plus you can get some sort of help, or direction, if you get them done early. Take notes, too, because you will have notebook quizzes that consist of how good of notes you took and they help when you have homework or tests.

And in physics, don’t get in the habit of turning things in late unless it’s absolutely necessary because you will regret it later when things really pile up. Just sit down und do things, it usually won’t be as hard or take as long as you think. Get the labs done, they’re easy. Take notes because you won’t remember all that stuff in his lecture when you do the worksheets. Really try to pay attention to his lectures, too, because you may actually understand what is going on. Oh and do all the extra credit.

In English, really just read the stuff, it doesn’t take that much effort and it is important for-your orals at the end of the year and for next year, too. Just read the books and you will be grateful later on. And I know the journals are a big pain but just do them the day you get them so you remember what she has said and don’t let them pile up on you. Don’t put down a bunch of BS either because they will really help you when you have to do your orals and remember everything about the books from the beginning of the year.

For history class once again just read the chapters and you will do well on the tests. Mr. Goss is really cool and makes a lot of bad jokes but he really knows his stuff so listen to him and you should do well on your AP test. Oh, and try reading the Amsco book , I never did but I regret it now because it looks helpful.

If you take art, be thinking all year about your concentration, look through your works and see if you have a trend of interest. Don’t slack off on your research workbook or trust me you will get a failing grade. I usually do them in class so I don’t forget and then turn them in right there. They aren’t hard really, just talk about what you are working on and what influences or inspires you and sketch your ideas in there. Once you have your concentration you can really put a lot of research in there on your topic. And don’t let your concentration be too vague. Keep working, too. Art is NOT a study hall. If you goof off, not only will Pie get really irritable, but you will be way behind on your art and have to rush at the end of each term to get a passing grade and have to stay after school and the whole 9 yards’

In Spanish, vocab…vocab….vocab…verbs…verbs…verbs. You need to study your vocabulary once a week if possible or more and just look over it when you have a chance, it will be a big help on quizzes, tests, and AP. Learn your verb tenses and know what they mean and how to use them, try to figure out Seguir because that one always trips me up. And learn all the expressions you can, they really impress the teacher and the AP examiners.

TOK is a really easy class as far as grades, if you do it you pass, if you don’t you fail. You get a lot of worksheets and they are simple but you just have to do them. If you don’t they pile up like crazy. Do them in class. And if you miss a day make it up quickly, like I said it isn’t hard but when you have a whole bunch you tend to avoid it and it gets worse.

Do as much CAS as you can this year and document it quickly, the paperwork is a pain but it is a necessary evil and once you have it documented you don’t have to worry about it. It will take a big strain off you to get it done. Talk to Ms. Smith extensively about what you can count or not, you need to be sure about it and sometimes rewording something can make it work. You don’t want it to just slip by her because there are IB auditors who can reject your hours when you are in Senior year and you really don’t want that. And really try to do something you enjoy, it’s a chance to take a break really and do sports or a play. I did a play and it was a ton of work and took a lot of time and balancing homework, but I loved it. Don’t count on doing all your hours over the summer because you can only get 35 hours total during the summer. Try to look for projects to get hours in the thing you find hardest to get hours for. Mine is action because I don’t play sports so I’m going to try to get that done first this summer and next year but I wish I had tried to get it done at the beginning of this year with walker’s club or something.

The main point is just do the stuff. Worrying and avoiding doesn’t get anything done, makes your grades go down the tubes, and gets you farther behind then ever. It’s really true that well begun is half done because when you actually sit down and start something you find it so much easier to finish. Don’t stay up half the night trying to do stuff because you really need your sleep or your health will disappear quick-and you’ll catch every bug that goes around. Eat healthy, too. Avoid too much sugar because it will make you sick and caffeine is not the answer to everything. Fresh fruit and protein really make a difference. Just bring an apple with you. Like I said this year just takes a lot of perseverance. The more you get things done the better you feel and the more time you have to relax a little. Don’t forget to take your well-deserved breaks and to unwind, but don .t let it turn into being lazy either. Don’t lose sight of what’s important either like family, friends, hobbies, your religion, or whatever. Remember you can ask your teachers and guidance counselor for advice or for help, they really are there for you, and be supportive of your entire class, don’t gossip but try to help one another. It’s not as bad as you think and you’ll get through it fine. The year will go by really quick.

Evelyn Smith

 

Dear incoming Junior:

Junior year is harder by far than freshman and sophomore year, but not because the work is difficult. It is just the workload and stress level. The work is not overwhelming unless you procrastinate and don’t keep up a decent work ethic. The stress involved in this year is also an illusion. Don’t worry about your horrible grades that have never been lower, because just about everybody else is having trouble keeping up their grades. If you don’t worry about your grades being perfect then you eliminate just about all of your stress. Don’t start to drown or lose sight of what is really important to you.

A more specific piece of advice is: do not take chemistry. It doesn’t matter if you were pretty good at it in 10th grade or if you think it is interesting. Unless you are the chemistry genius of your class, do not sign up for it. You will do worse than 10th grade year, no matter how much you study. I hear biology is not much better, so don’t take that either. Take physics. It is much easier and you don’t have any real work.

The last thing I can say is, do all of your major assignments right away. Don’t wait until the last day to start on your journal questions for English, especially when you have them from more than one work. If you speed through them and skip a few, you will get a crappy grade on them. She will see that you didn’t finish them all and take off for completion, and then the one you didn’t do will be the one that she spot checks. Don’t wait until the weekend before your trig portfolio is due to do it, you will think you know how to do it, but the end always gets more complicated and if you don’t really understand it at first, it usually makes sense if you come back to it a day or two later. So do it early so you have lots of time for reflection. If you don’t do it early, you won’t always fully understand, and you won’t do as well as you would like.

So, basically, learn to manage your time and don’t waste your time worrying about things you can’t fix or drop out now. :o)

Cori Melton

 

Dear Adri,

I’m very proud that you flew sophomore year with much less trouble than I ever had, and in part, I think it was due to my awesome advice I gave to you the year before. I know you will be able to handle junior year with many less sick days, stressed days, and have-to-ride-the-bus-else wise-will-fall-asleep-at-wheel-days. So here were my biggest flaws this year in the classes I thought were most challenging:

1. Goss. You may be able to joke most of the time, poking fun at his outlandish idiosyncrasies and horribly cheesy jokes we’ve deemed “Goss jokes,” but when it comes right to it, read the book. It helps… A LOT. Pray you don’t have a horrible memory, and hope you can recall things he’s said in his lectures and in his notes, but truthfully, the notes aren’t much to study. The notes are not on the test; the book is. Still take notes, but it helps if you can pull off reading the chapter(s) the night or two before the test, that way you recall the notes and it is fresh for the test. Plan ahead so you know if you can’t read it the night before, and I’ll give you the address for the outlined notes! There will be much AP talk. So much it will anger you. But that’s okay, because he mostly knows what he’s talking about with AP; he’s been guessing and preparing students for it possibly since before we were born. And one more fatal flaw: arguing with Goss does not work, even if the textbook disagrees with him. He is not as willing as Rhoden to say he’s made a mistake. And be prepared to have things due in his class that he never told you were due.
2. Kennon. Labs are fun. Lab write-ups the night before they are due are not. Don’t freak out on them, as they are worth only about ¼ of a test grade, and splitting them up over two days or so makes it bearable. I would suggest physics, but then I wouldn’t be able to help you through some of the more difficult units, and through some of the worksheets like Jon and Jess tried to do for Katie and I this year. Also, focus more on studying for TESTS. They are worth the absolute most, so doing poorly would seriously affect your grade. Spend more time studying for a test than you do writing up a lab, and tell me just how much better you do. Lastly, don’t let Kennon scare you; she’s a lot different to her junior class than to freshmen, and you can call her on the phone if you get confused about something. Seriously, she yelled at us this year for not calling more, except for Bobby, of course, who began to annoy her by the end of 1st semester.
3. Frisbie. You will learn much in trig, But Beware analyt. Much harder than trig. Make sure you know what you are doing, and this can be accomplished by missing 0 days of her class. Makeup work is the worst, especially because it leaves you in the dark about how to do things. PORTFOLIOS…ne procrastinate pas! Seriously, those things are IB grades, not just trig grades, so span them out at least three days ahead and work on them in chunks. Again, doing them the night before does not help, and because of it, I am needing to do a few over the summer just to be sure I can pass IB requirements. You have a week to do it, so use the whole week to work on it. I know you have many other classes demanding things, but this one should take priority.

Well, I hope this will help you be a much better junior than I was. I don’t mind you surpassing me just because I like you best. But don’t necessarily pass this on to other people in your class; I would hate to see an entire class do better than me in their toughest year, which is all of ‘07 for you!

Rita Scott

 

To all of you upcoming juniors-

Well, you’ve made it through the first two years of IB- halfway done! I’m assuming that because you’re reading this, you’ve decided to stick with IB. Good for you! I think it will be beneficial in the long run, even if it kills us now. Remember to have a life on the weekends, because otherwise you might go insane! Here’re a few pointers for making it through your junior year:

• History: Ahh, Mr. Goss. He’s a pretty funny guy, if you understand his puns. If you need to get out of taking a quiz, simply talk about baseball and other sports because it’ll get him off topic. For the most part, just do your work and pay attention in class. Take notes, but mainly study the textbook for your tests. You’ll do fine if you actually read the chapters. The AP test is okay… reading the AP Review Book makes it much easier.
• Psychology: Well, this class was kind of a joke this year. I’m not sure if it will be as easy next year, but for your sake, I hope so. Again, read the AP review book. For the IB test, look at other IB schools’ websites and review the psych notes. That should be sufficient.
• Trig: If you’re good at math, you’ll do fine in this class and it won’t be too hard. If you’re not good at math, don’t worry, because Ms. Frisbie’s an awesome teacher. If you stay after school, you can get whatever help you need. Do your homework!!
• English: DO YOUR JOURNALS IN A TIMELY FASHION! If not, you’ll be up all night, just like everyone in my class was. The tests are kind of hard, be sure to study the background notes. Other than that, English is not too hard. oh yeah, and the practice AP tests that you take are a LOT harder than the real test, so don’t freak out.
• Science: I’m in Physics, which is easy as long as you don’t procrastinate too badly. If you’re in Bio or chem, do your labs on time and good luck!
• Language: I’m in Spanish. For me, it’s the hardest subject. Since we have different teachers, I don’t really know what advice to give you other than to learn your verb tenses and vocabulary.

Overall, I think this year has been all right. The first semester is definitely easier than the second. Just remember to have some fun, but you should also do enough studying so that you are prepared for the tests at the end of the year. Hope you are successful!

Rachel Helm

 

To all the IB students who have made it this far:

Get out while you still can and run! No, not seriously. But be forewarned that your Pre-IB life was a piece of cake in comparison to IB. Not that IB wasn’t fun or the teachers good; it was just HARD fun and the teachers good ‘n HARD. And even though you scoff now and think, “No way were my freshman and sophomore years easy!”, think of the upper classmen who looked down (or up, in my case!) on you underclassmen and wistfully thought of happier times. And while you will most likely not pay the least bit of attention to this advice, at least try not to totally ignore it or worse, snore.

“Do unto others as you will have them do unto you.” Basically, if they need help on a paper, give it to them. It creates harmony, a sense of purpose, and better yet… they now owe you a favor. (So use it on the next assignment!) Besides, it’s not cheating; it’s using the full potential of your resources. And writing bull is not merely bull anymore; it’s the usage of rhetoric to obscure a lack of content. Don’t you just love IB?

“lnsanity: a perfect rational adjustment to an insane world,”~R,D. Lang. Perhaps you already identify with this quote. Don’t worry, things will only get worse! So, to cut down on all that stress, attempt not to procrastinate too badly. Or at least hone your fine skills of BS, writing a paper during Jacket News, or making an entire English presentation the night before. We’ve all done it before, just some better than others. But try not to own the title of BS King or Queen. Despite your nicely enlarged ego and pride, the title isn’t all that great when it comes down to it. So don’t do all your English journals the night before. It’s fun to boast, but hell to live. You’ll know what I mean later.

“You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.”~Joe Lewis. So, skip class at least once before graduation, participate in a food fight, get in a fight and whup the other kid’s *censor*, watch a sunrise and sunset, etc. IB is also one of those things you only get one chance at. Those IB and AP tests at the end of the junior and senior year sure seem far off, don’t they? Yep, and that kind of thinking is what screws all of us over. So have study sessions with your buddies later on or whatever works for you; you’re bound to get at least 5 minutes of knowledge before it becomes play time. You’ll learn. Oh, you will learn.

I wish I could give more advice to you, but I’m tired of writing, and I’ve got my 3+ paragraphs for this memo to you, Note: it’s okay to be an overachiever, but know when the extra effort is not necessary (like ToK journals). I’m wishing you the readers the best of luck, and I hope you do the same for me. Either these mere words on paper had a profound effect, or else they were simply amusing to read. Whichever floats your boat, To wrap it up, here are some more quotes that may encourage or help. Just read; you’ll need all the help you can get,

1. Maelynn Alley, C/06
   (and proud to be under 5’)

 

“There are always two choices, two paths to take. One is easy. And it’s only reward is that it’s easy.” ~Unknown

“You were born with wings. Why prefer to crawl through life?” ~Rumi

“Very few burdens are heavy if everyone lifts.” ~Sy Wise

“The person interested in success has to learn to view failure as a healthy, inevitable part of the process of getting to the top.” ~Dr, Joyce Brothers

“It is by tiny steps that we ascend the stairs.” ~Jack Leedstrom

“Effort is a commitment to seeing a task through to the end, not just until you get tired of it.” ~Howard Cate

If you are reading this, you are about to embark upon the horror that is junior year. Just kidding! Junior year is really easy and you shouldn’t worry. I would definitely recommend taking physics for your science, as it makes far more sense than any of the other sciences, at least to me. Also, it’s easier than chemistry and biology. If you didn’t take art then you will be taking psychology. Psychology is basically an easy class, and despite how it seems, Mrs. New actually does teach you everything you need to know for your IB and AP exams. Also, when it comes time to study for the IB tests, go to Google and type in “biological perspective” or “learning perspective” or “cognitive perspective” and select the first item you get in return. These sites will help you an incredible amount.

Now, you should also pick trigonometry. I have good sources that report that they do an excessive amount of work. In trig, we learn, and you get to have Mrs. Frisbie as a teacher, if you didn’t already know, she is awesome! This year you will have Ms. Smith as a teacher. Here’s a helpful tip: Do the journal. You can tell yourself, “I’ll do it tomorrow, it’s no big deal, it’s not due for a long time,” but eventually, it will catch up to you and you will have a terrible weekend trying to get it all done, and you’ll end up with a 67%. Also, don’t be afraid to have a sense of humor, without one you’ll have a difficult time getting through all the stress of hearing what you will have to do during senior year.

Last, but far from least, when it comes time to do your TOK project, be reasonable. My group and I have spent upwards of 32 hours on our project, and we are probably going to get the same score as everyone else who spent one hour on their project. Regardless of how super awesome or super cool your project turns out in the end, you will spend at least an equal amount of time crying and wishing you had done something simple. So if you take my advice on only one thing, let it be the TOK project. DO SOMETHING SIMPLE!

David Flax

 

 

To follow in the footsteps of one of the greatest in any respective fields is difficult. Think of how the physicist cleaning out Einstein’s desk must have felt, or the rookie who inherited Babe Ruth’s locker. Those two greats didn’t even hang around long enough to clean up their personal effects, never mind instruct their replacements on how to rival their accomplishments. Well sophomore, be not concerned, the following paragraphs contain step by step instructions on not only surviving the upcoming year, but equalizing and, depending how proficient you are, surpassing the expectations established by this class, my class, the Class of 2007. Don’t worry, take a deep breath, now even you, the members of the Class of 2008, can approach the greatness of 2007, then, maybe you can rewrite these guidelines to greatness. Until then, enjoy!

Well, student, welcome back to school and your very first day, hah, don’t panic; your very first class is I.B. Trig. AHHHH! Right? WRONG! First thing is first, you must continue doing this, this year, in your very first I.B. class, like you have been doing your entire life. AIR IN, AIR OUT. Sure, Ms. Frisbie will blow you away with her general assault and destruction of concepts you knew were simple, but not that simple, and then she will confound you with her knowledge of concepts that could be in Greek for all you know.  I won’t lie to you, this happens to the best and brightest of us, trust me, however, you need always realize that Ms. Frisbie is a professional, she knows what she is doing and she knows how you are reacting. She will not stop teaching until everyone is on board. Knowing this will smooth your ascent into greatness. As you turn from first to second period, you might be amazed at the apparently stark contrast between Ms. Frisbie, and Mr. Rhoden. Rhoden, the best teacher of A.P. World History in the world, might not immediately seem like he knows what he is doing, or might never look like that. However, at the end of the year, you will realize that the accolades were not flukes, HE IS THE BEST, so just roll with him and you will be surprised, unless you recognized his greatness earlier, then you deserve a freaking sticker, or pencil, or something.

After second period you stroll to Digital Electronics. Like Rhoden, Mr. Harrison might seem to not know what he is doing. To tell you the truth, that is to be determined. However boring the class might get, learn to value this class, as it is the only time you might have to seriously connect with Bartow students. Branching out to Bartow kids is highly recommended as it comfortably fortifies your social status around the school, allows you to interact with various personality types, and helps to dispel the stereotypes surrounding both Bartow and I.B. kids. Plus, I like Mr. Harrison, he has got this charm about him. Hopefully you will notice it to. After Harrison’s class you stroll to the pods to take A.P. Stats with the I.B. math pimp, Mr. Nakamura. Personally I have never had him as a teacher, so I can’t give you any advice there except, to me, he seems like an all-around great guy so don’t anger him. Course wise, never be afraid to use your calculator, it should be your best friend in that class. If it isn’t, you have crappy friends.

Fifth period brings English and Mrs. Hardee. I like Mrs. Hardee, and consequently I like the class. In the beginning, the course volume seems overwhelming, however, by the end of the year, you get used to it and you get a six on F.C.A.T. Writes, so just shut up and do the work. You will benefit. Chemistry arises after six periods. Mrs. Bond has a dry sense of humor, and her wit can turn on you in an instant. As long as you can take her personality with a grain of salt (I still find her hilarious), just listen to what she has to say in her lectures. However boring the lectures might be, I have come to learn, unfortunately too late in the year, that everything she says in important. In addition, Mrs. Bond is readily available to shed light on Chemistry, so utilize the chemical wealth that is her brain, or you will regret it. Finally Spanish three and seventh period. Your teacher, Sra. Salcedo I know nothing about, thus good luck. For the course, the only thing you can do is study your butt off, it will make it so much easier (sorry slackers, I have seen both sides of this coin, and studying, even though it is a pain makes Spanish so much easier).

Do not take this guide for granted, or regard its contents as irrelevant. To do could possible the worst mistake of your young life. Read these paragraphs, study these paragraphs, internalize these paragraphs, love these paragraphs, do whatever you have to do children. This is your chance. To fail is to not only to fail yourself, but to fail all those around you who are counting on you to do as well as your predecessors. It is not going to be easy; who said it was going to be easy? This is almost like war! Yeah, all right, it is not even close. Just remember, it will be tough, however, each and every one of you guys can do this. This is your time game time. Put your cleats in that locker, you have got a homerun to hit, a mission to accomplish.

Brendan Mattina

 

Dear Sophomore student:

Your final year in the Pre-International Baccalaureate program will be one filled with work-requiring, somewhat demanding courses. You will be required to work and study hard, but this may not always be enough for you to have a prosperous 10th grade year. By finishing your work before enjoying recreational activities, taking pleasure in the doing your school work, and having prospects for the future, your sophomore year in the IB will prove to be extremely more exuberant.

Having fun with your friends, playing sports, and just relaxing are all important things in life which you need to make time for. But, before you bring out the basketball or dress up to go watch The House of Wax, be sure to get your homework finished. If you don’t, your subconscious will keep reminding you of the dreaded Trigonometry portfolio you have to finish or the five page long analysis of the House on Mango Street. Also, another benefit from finishing your work ahead of time is that you won’t have to risk getting a poor grade on the assignment because you were forced to complete four AP European History essays in forty-five minutes. Think ahead: it’s just going to bring you benefits in the future.

By actually “getting into” your work, and having a positive attitude about your work, you will learn the information more easily and you may have a fun time finishing it. So instead of dreading that awful culture project due next Tuesday, think of it as the wonderful learning experience which will enlighten you about your family heritage.

Keeping your future in mind will help give you the drive you need to succeed through all four years in high school. By keeping in mind what you want to do and where you want to go in your life, you will have some reason to hammer on through the piles of work which will be set before you. Just remember, everything you are doing is going to pay off immensely, as you will learn when you’re driving around a brand new Rolls-Royce.

Your high school years are supposed to be the best four years of your life. It’s up to you to make them that way. Work hard, enjoy your extracurricular activities, and keep goals for the future, and your tenth grade year will be one of immaculately pleasurable experiences and events.

Bhakti Kadiwar

 

To those to follow,

Remember that things will go quickly. August is tolerable, because things are new, but then things–be there hurricanes or none–can seem endless. But there is an end; I have nearly made it there. Breathe deeply and believe that there is an end, but then stop waiting for it. Enjoy or dread things as they come, but take everything one night at a time.

Sophomore year is pleasant. Chemistry is not, and English can be drudgery, but the year in general is a pleasant one. As a sophomore you are past the introductory hoop-jumping of 9^th grade Pre-IB, and the general routine becomes more enjoyable. Beyond that, you’ll find yourself more comfortable, I hope. Faces will seem more familiar–or perhaps just more your own age–the school will seem more yours, rather than you the school’s, and IB and Bartow will become more a part of you. Better still, is that little is expected of sophomores. There are not yet CAS requirements, or standardized test woes, or college concerns to worry about seriously. I write of all these things, but as a sophomore, I have known little of them. Clearly there are expectations–due dates to be met, forms to be completed, often very stupid projects to be done–and these should be met, completed, and done well, as is expected of you. But relax a little, and keep your feet on the ground. Mrs. Hardee’s projects are not life altering, nor are Mr. Rhoden’s reading quizzes, nor Chem. chapter vocab. quizzes. So keep things in perspective.

This does not mean that things are going to be easy; they’re not. Balancing two AP history classes and two math classes can make the workload seem twice what it should be. For me, the workload often was. But you must realize this, accept it, and then decide to deal with it. To do this, work as diligently as you can while still remaining happy. Make happiness a priority. I don’t encourage hedonism; you learned the danger of that in the disturbing Ray Bradbury works which were part of the English I curriculum. What I mean is consider your limits, consider your goals, and then work towards those in order to find fulfillment. And remember to laugh, even at stupid things.

There are specific things, less glowingly general or overly trite than these, that I would advise you to consider. Read your chapters if they are assigned–and, in Chemistry, even if they are not –pick your chemistry lab group well, and realize that English projects will invariably take more time than you anticipate. Prioritize, and realize that, with happiness, sleep should also be paramount. Above all, remember that the whole thing is feasible. Those before me have done it, I have done it, and in what will someday seem two short semesters, you will have done it as well. And enjoy it. Above all, enjoy it.

Sincerely,

Kathryn T. Mammel

 

Dear Future Member of the Sophomore Class,

You will find that next year in the IB Program is more challenging than freshman year, but not much more difficult. Since the workload is still not nearly as great as it will be junior and senior year, I recommend you challenge yourself in preparation for next year. Perfect your study skills and try to take one or even two challenging classes (AP if possible). With two open elective slots, this is very feasible and probably worth your time.

This year, I took AP Statistics and AP European History. Both courses were challenging, but neither proved to be unbearable and though some nights I had plenty of homework, I always managed to get through everything. Taking these courses not only boosted by grade point average, but it also helped me perfect my study skills. More importantly, it was a challenge, and one that will pay off in the future, especially when I apply to college. The core curriculum of sophomore year is not dreadfully difficult, so looking into taking at least one AP course is probably a wise choice. The challenge presented by ao AP course will only help you learn to study and prepare for next year’s workload as well as the exams you will take in junior and senior year. Solid AP scores look great on college applications. Sophomore year is your last year before the “real” IB program begins, so take the opportunity to challenge yourself and improve your class rank.

Taking an AP course may seem a bit daunting at first, but from firsthand experience, I know that the benefits far outweigh the workload. If you are willing to work, then taking an AP course is an extremely wise choice, one that will help you far into the future. A challenging schedule will help prepare you for your junior and senior years and help when you apply for college.

Sincerely,

Michael Smith

 

Dear Rising Students,

I know that you have completed what may be considered a rigorous year in pre-IB and are more than ready to meet the challenge as you rise into yet another level of the pre- IB program. However, before embarking on your journey into the wonders of sophomore year, please allow me to impart to you a few tidbits of good advice that I have picked up this year in my experiences. As you read on, I hope you find them informative and of note in your journey into sophomore year.

First of all, although I know that my warnings fall upon deaf ears, I would like to address the evils of procrastination. It is of pivotal importance that you try and keep up with various due dates throughout the year. If you wait till the last minute to try and complete your assignments, you may be rudely shocked to find that several have crept up on you at once and are all coming due at the same time, leaving you at a loss for time to complete them. Although offering a brief and easy reprieve in the short term, believe me when I say that no good can come from procrastination. Many a good student has fallen to its seductive, often destructive, lure. Please heed my warnings and do not fall into the same trap.

As for chemistry many will tell you that it is a difficult and daunting course that will more likely than not destroy you, however, I have found this statement to be less than accurate. If approached with the wrong attitude; then yes, I will not lie to you; chemistry can be quite an imposing course indeed. However, if approached with an open mind and a certain willingness that is not predisposed/destined to failure, I think you will find that chemistry is not all that difficult to master and is, in fact, quite enjoyable.

Another course arousing fears among rising pre-IB students is English. Although it is true that you will be going more in depth this year in your English course, believe me when I say that if you heed my advice about procrastination that you will be absolutely fine. So long as you keep in step with your English assignments, there is no reason why you cannot receive an admirable marking on each and every one. It is also advisable that one actually read the books assigned in her class rather than just purchasing a copy of the Spark Notes. Although Spark Notes can be a good study guide/review and may prove invaluable on many of her assignments, they cannot, in themselves, present an adequate enough understanding of the books to allow you to fully succeed in Mrs. Hardee’s class.

This is the advice that I have to share with you, my fellow IB students. Please consider it as you begin your embarkation into sophomore year. The two most daunting courses that you will face, and the keys to succeeding in them have been here revealed. Other than this, all I can tell you is to be sure to read the AP review book early in AP World History, I neglected to read it until later in the year and found myself unpleasantly caught off guard on the AP test. I wish you all the best as you begin yet another year here at Bartow High School in the IB program.

Cody Narciso

 

Dear Freshmen,

As you make your way through your freshman year at IB, remember that sleep is your best friend. A lot of sleep can make some of your problems seem not as bad as you make your way through the year, but lack of sleep will make every day seem like complete murder. One of the best pieces of advice is DON’T PROCRASTINATE! It’s a disease that tends to plague IB students after the first day of school, but don’t get caught in it. Learn to try and get your projects and work done as soon as you can, don’t put it off until the night before it’s due. Also, get involved in the school, play some sort of sport, join several clubs that you think will be fun and exciting, or be a part of the band. It really helps you to meet new people and it gives you a chance to relax and just have fun. Don’t be shy, even though you are only freshmen, go out and meet people from other classes above you even if they do look like scary monsters. They really aren’t scary….well most of them aren’t. As for your classes, do anything and everything in your power to get earth space science first semester and biology second semester. You’ll find that you will enjoy both classes more that way. Finally, don’t stress out too much about school and just have a blast!

Monica Bhutiani