Most of these were written by juniors, to advise new juniors. The last two are from a sophomore and a freshman. They are otherwise in no particular order.

 

Dear sophomore,

Believe your teachers when they tell you that next year will be hard and that you will yearn for sleep in a way you never knew was possible. To make your junior year slightly easier, I’d like to give you the following advice:

First, take Ms. Smith seriously. On the first day when she talks about orals, listen to her, and don’t stare at the clock and count down the minutes until lunch. Pay attention during discussions about the books, especially individual passages. This information will be very helpful to you when April rolls around and you have to give that oral commentary Ms. Smith has been warning you about all year. Also, the words “syntax”, “diction”, “allegory”, and most importantly “appearance vs. reality” should become part of your everyday vocabulary.

Next, as hard as it is, try not to procrastinate. Sleep is very valuable, and you will definitely learn this your junior year. Don’t wait until the last minute to do your portfolio because you will be up until four o’clock in the morning completing it. (Trust me.) Also, stay on top of your journal questions for English. Complete them as soon as they’re given, because if you don’t, you’ll be stuck with them all the night before they’re due. (Again, trust me.)

In addition, if you made the same mistake that I did and chose Chemistry as your science, change to Physics. (Just kidding!) Learn net ionic equations at the beginning of the year. They appear on every single test, and if you can do them, they will improve your test grade. As painful as it may be, try to study a little bit of the Chemistry chapter every night, and don’t try to cram it all in the night before the test.

I hope these suggestions were helpful and that you don’t make the same mistakes

Magda Schmitzberger

 

IB just keeps getting harder and harder. I don’t expect things will be much easier senior year. But there is a HUGE difference between sophomore and junior year, and not so much of a huge difference between freshman and sophomore year. Sure, there are still those “naturally brilliant” people who don’t have to study and still get the same grades as you. However, junior year is when you realize which people actually learn the material as opposed to simply memorizing things. Freshman and sophomore year, I was a memorizer. I looked at review papers just long enough to be able to spit the information back out onto a test. This year I’ve actually had to study though, and study hard. Guessing doesn’t work as well anymore!

If you are a procrastinator coming into this year, chances are you won’t change, and I’m not going to try and make you. I’m a procrastinator myself. I tend to schedule my life down to every little detail, and then never follow my plans. But then I realized that it doesn’t really matter when you get things done, just so long as you do them. In fact, cramming for a test works better for me because I am more likely to remember what I just read as opposed to something I read a week ago. But if you are an individual prone to stress (obviously I am not such an individual), I highly suggest getting things done ahead of time. Also, if you find yourself panicking about an assignment that’s due tomorrow that you haven’t started yet, or the fact that you have not reviewed at all for your semester final, remember to take a step back and look at the big picture. Seriously, what’s the worst thing that could happen? Do some grade calculations if that makes you feel better. And no, it’s not the end of the world if you get a B. If you think about the grand scheme of things, would you really have learned that much more in a particular class if you earned an 89.4 instead of an 89.5? Yeah, I didn’t think so.

Now some class specifics. I don’t even know if you’ll have the same teachers, but I may as well give a few pointers. In Ms. Frisbie’s class, just do the work, read the awesome reviews online before the test, and you’ll be fine. I swear she could teach math to a tree, so just ask her if you don’t get something. Mrs. Kennon’s class is a lot of work, so if you’re a slacker, don’t even think about taking biology. Physics had typically been the easy class, but that may change. And I don’t know much about Chemistry; there’s a new teacher coming in so it won’t be the same anyway. Spanish definitely depends on which Senora you have, but I have noticed a trend. The people who didn’t bother to learn Spanish I, II and III are having a lot of trouble this year. So if you haven’t learned it up to this point, expect to work a lot this year. English isn’t too bad, you should read the books, or at least some type of online summary/analysis. The quotes on the tests could mess you up though if you don’t actually read it. And make sure you put effort into your projects, you will look ridiculous if you don’t. And for the sake of all that is good in the world DO YOUR JOURNALS!!! Even as I’m writing this I know you won’t, but don’t say you haven’t been warned. History is a lot of fun with Mr. Goss, but yet I believe it is the only class in which we went through the whole textbook. He likes analysis, so make sure you have some insightful comments and/or questions for class. He is kind of obsessed with good questions. I’ve only been in TOK for one semester, but Mr. Guice is pretty cool. The class is somewhat laid-back, but some very interesting discussion goes on in there. And finally, Psychology. The only advice I have is to do your assignments when you’re supposed to, and utilize class time. So many of my classmates have found themselves at the end of the nine weeks with about fifteen missing grades, and that messes up all their other classes because they don’t have time to do anything but Psychology.

I would like to conclude this somewhat rambling treatise with a few tidbits of general advice. 1) Pay attention during class. This will require getting homework done the night before. 2) Don’t try to do too much. If you’re an average IB student, you’re doing great. 3) Have fun! The happiest students are the ones who make the best out of what they’ve gotten themselves into, and try to make things interesting and amusing. 4) Do things outside of IB. Sometimes a Friday or Saturday night out with friends makes everything seem so much better. 5) Respect your teachers. They’re smarter than you. No, really, they are.

Jenny Claire Valenti

 

To: all the new, fresh Juniors

From: an old, tired Junior J

Hey guys, first of all, let me congratulate you on making it this far in IB, it really is quite the accomplishment (and it’s only getting harder…). Looking back on this past year, there are a few things that really stand out to me — so I guess I’ll let you in on some life-changing secrets.

My main piece of advice is please, please, please, DO NOT PROCRASTINATE. IB kids seem to be notorious about this one (take a wild guess on when I’m writing this — a. 5 days early; b. 1 day early; or c. 5 hours early). Guys, I know it seems impossible, but seriously, do your best to get things done in a timely manner. I’m not going to pretend like I’ve mastered this, because I’m far from it. But trust me, it’ll make life so much easier. Also, the journal questions and the big bad portfolios aren’t really the devil, they just seem like it at three in the morning on the day that they’re due. The thing is, you can do it. You will do it too, but whether or not you spend your time wisely will definitely affect your stress levels and overall happiness.

Something else that will help your junior year go by smoothly is staying on top of your CAS hours. And that doesn’t mean actually getting hours, it’s much, much worse. It means doing the paperwork! Really, it’s way easier to fill out the evaluation questions right after you’ve done something then, say, eleven months later. You’ll thank yourself later, I’m serious.

Okay so I feel like I should warn you: Junior year is hard. Like, at times, you’ll just want to cry (and probably will if you’re anything like me). But, soon after every rough patch comes a break. I guess the appropriate words of advice here come from our friend Dory (remember, from Finding Nemo?) — “Just keep swimming!”

Well, I’m pretty sure I’ve covered the really important stuff, but if you find yourselves needing anything, I’ll be here, ready to help J.

©Allison DiGioia

 

My advice to you, an incoming junior who is taking the same courses I have just completed, is more than what I can write. A few of the high points, though, are as follows: Stay on top of your home work; Do your projects ahead of time; and read the chapters in any book assigned to you.

First of all stay on top of your home work. Being on top of your home work can change your grade from a “D” to a “B” or an “A.” My grades dropped from an “A” in math to a “C,” so stay on top of your home work. Also staying on top of your homework helps you study for the classes because you are constantly working on it so it never leaves your mind. So remember to do your home work AND to turn it in. I cannot remember how many times I would do my work and lose it or forget it and just lose the grade. Do your homework.

Second, do your projects ahead of time. Don’t wait to the last minute to throw together a project. Plan ahead, take time on them and answer the questions or the prompt or the topic to your fullest. Take time on your portfolios and study them so you are sure that you completely understand what it is asking you for. Work hard on your biology labs so that you don’t have to worry about getting help from people at five in the morning the day they are due. It will help you all around if you just do your projects before the day before they are due.

Lastly, read the chapters in every book you are assigned. This includes the Biology book, the Psychology book, the History book, the Math book, the English books, the ToK articles, and the Spanish book. I didn’t and, well, my grades are not bad but they are not great by any means. Hopefully you read the book in all the classes; it will help you in studying for your tests, quizzes, and all the AP tests you will be taking at the end of the year.

Well these are my parting words to you, the incoming juniors: Just remember school is here to make us better — if we don’t cooperate with it how will we ever aspire to anything more than what we are now? If you work with the junior year it will help you in more aspects of your life than you think.

From the way cooler than any incoming junior,

Mark Keeley

 

Dear Junior-to-be who will try (but will most likely fail) to be as amazing as me,

How are you today? I hope you’re feeling great, because that general mood may fade away during your Junior year. That is, of course, if you don’t follow my advice very closely. I am a seasoned veteran of this battleground that we call “IB,” and I have a set of guidelines that will probably save your life (or… just your academic career). Quite simply, the two rules to follow are: take Theory of Knowledge and Art/Psychology seriously, and take some time to get to know your teachers. This might sound easy enough, but there’s a lot more to it than you think. Let me explain.

You will be required to take a course named the Theory of Knowledge during your junior year. Going in, you won’t really know what to expect, but you will soon realize that ToK (acronym) is incredibly easy. Too incredibly easy. So easy that you just-so-happen to forget to do practically all of the worksheets that Mr. Guice hands to you. This proves to be a problem later on when you receive your interim report and notice that you have a “D” in, what should be, an easy “A.” You then filter through your backpack of wrinkled papers and frantically finish all of the late work during class, only to gain a “B” on your report card. This problem is primarily caused by the average Junior’s carefree and silly attitude towards the class. But, seriously, there is no reason to slack off in ToK. It’s easy enough. Don’t make things difficult for yourself. Also, Art and Psychology have a similar setup to each other, in that you are given a set of assignments. These packets of assignments are due at the end of the quarter, so you’ll have time to do it at your own pace. The key word here is “pace,” which implies that you work on it gradually over time. Trust me when I say that you need to pace yourself while working on long assignments. Teachers can tell when you completed an entire set of assignments in one night. Not good!

The teachers in the IB program have very unique personalities, which is an important thing to pick up on. It’s almost like they’re actual people. You should make sure to talk to every one of your teachers and get to know them. Learning about each of their likes, dislikes, and so on allows you to figure out the ideal ways to act in their classes. Talking with your teachers also creates a close relationship that will last for {insert desired period of time}. More importantly, however, make sure you know whatever each teacher hates the most! For example, Ms. Frisbie absolutely hates it when anyone attempts to complete her sentences. This is mainly because she knows what she’s trying to say far better than you do. Occasionally, she will even know what you’re trying to say better than you do. And that’s just sad. Back to the point, get along with your teachers and try not to piss them off. You have to deal with these people for the next year or two, so it’s beneficial to be on your teachers’ good sides.

That’s really all of the good advice that I have for you. If you want to learn about the many ways to scare/annoy/surprise/bother the teachers, find me. Otherwise, don’t talk to me. Ever.

Good Luck during your Junior year.

Sincerely,

Ryan Wehle

 

Entering the real IB can be like traveling along a dark, ominous, never ending pathway, or it can be a journey filled with success, accomplishments, and memories. If you’ve heard disheartening queries about entering junior year IB, then you must have heard the procrastinator’s side of the story; not to say that I myself have not procrastinated, but that IB only becomes the luminous enraging monster when one slacks on their work. There were times when I deemed it near impossible to complete the requested tasks, but focusing on the end goal guided me through it.

Primarily, your success and the grades you earn are dependent upon your attitude. IB can be challenging and may seem ominous. but only if you perceive it this way. If you continue thinking of only negative aspects, then IB will leave you with a negative experience thus diminishing your interest, patience, and enthusiasm to deal with its rigorous coursework. However, if instead you look upon IB as a challenge that will teach you not only education, but life skills, then you will find you have the energy to do whatever task is placed on your dinner plate. If you believe you are the one in control, then you will handle your work and assignments and not let them take a hold of you. The worst thing is to let yourself stress about how much you have to do. My personal motto in situations where I have had 200 journal questions, a portfolio, a history test, and a biology lab was to not think about what I had to do, but rather attack each assignment one by one and finish them.

Furthermore, IB can seem much more difficult if one procrastinates. Might I recommend that like standing up a date, standing up your homework has negative consequences that may not be apparent at the present moment, but seem to come out of hibernation when you’re least prepared for them. For example, there are several big assignments that you’ll have to complete depending on what classes you’ll have. If you take biology, you’ll have a plethora of labs and worksheets aimed to help prepare you for the AP exam. If you take Trig and Analytical Geometry, then you’ll have four portfolio assignments aimed to help one discover math processes. I believe the same applies to math studies however in a less algebraic, functional manner. Everyone will take English so everyone will have the notorious journal questions as well as an informal and formal oral to accomplish. Chemistry is also hounded by labs, and for upcoming Psychology students, there are many opportunities to become insightful when conducting your individual study for your internal assessment. All in all, no matter what classes you decide to challenge yourself with, you will be plagued by work; there simply is no easy way out unless you’re content with failure, which I highly recommend not to be the attitude you take. I know I’ve just described an entire laundry list of assignments and I’d be lying if I stated the list stopped there, but the goal is not to scare you with the upcoming assignments but to advise you on what’s approaching and to tell you to prepare and manage your time with these projects in an efficient manner or else you will undoubtedly be overcome. I know from experience that trying to answer 200 essay-type questions in a week as well as juggling in other homework leaves me up late hours in the night and extremely tired the next morning. If you attack journal questions little by little or dedicate one weekend to finish as much as you can, you’ll thank yourself later as you will be able to get sleep the week they are due as opposed to fellow classmates who haven’t been as sensible and are now trying to race against time to finish them.

Finally, although homework and projects occasionally get to me I try to look towards the goal at the end. What is the goal? The goal actually consists of several components each equally gratifying. The first component is the finish of IB. Finishing IB and attaining your diploma grants you the upper hand when colleges look as applications. It also prepares you for college so on the first day of school in college you’ll be able to can your classes in the bag! The second factor consists of the sense of achievement and accomplishment. or at the least relief if you decided to procrastinate thus doing a job attainable of a “C.” Nonetheless, when you’ve finished the assignment, the largest wave of relief and accomplishment passes over you as you have put forth time, work, and dedication, and can now leave the burden of that assignment in the dust. The final component of the goal can consist of anything you desire it to be. What I mean by the preceding statement is that it’s beneficial to establish a goal at the completion of an assignment. This is further defined as self motivation and can stimulate your motive to accomplish the feat when nothing else can do the trick. Some self motivators I’ve used are going out with friends, being able to go shopping in which my father had to consent and participate, and sometimes certain foods such as Chocolate! For example, I have an affinity for chocolate and during a time of the year when I had a lab due, I decided to withhold from ingesting any type of chocolate until I had finished. As incredulous as this might seem, it was a difficult task for me since chocolate is my confidant during stressful times, even more especially when I must complete an assignment. Whatever you decide your self-motivator to be, you’ll soon realize that this will infuse you with the desire to accomplish the tasks ahead.

In summation, you must always remember that IB consists of only 2 letters, spelled out, 2 words. You can accomplish anything you put your mind to; you just have to adjust your mindset to think positively. Keep in mind IB is only as horrid as you make it out to be. Procrastinating can be your nemesis, or in more creative terms, your personal Darth Vader. Motivating oneself with what goals lay ahead will truly help instill the desire to complete the lurid tasks. Always remember to keep on striving and to stay focused, for if you do this you shall succeed.

Priyanka Surio

 

Reflecting on the past year, I realize how much I’ve learned, and how much I still need to know. My advice for upcoming juniors is going to be the same as everyone else’s: get your labs done on time (no matter what science you take), read the chapters in Goss’s class (it will make studying for the AP test much easier), do your journal questions for Mrs. Smith (you don’t want to get stuck doing 250 questions in the middle of all your AP tests, trust me), and, don’t pull all-nighters doing your internal assessment and portfolios (they give you time to work on these for a reason!). No matter how many people give you this advice, you will still procrastinate; it is, unfortunately, a fact of life.

Because I know that 99% of you will still procrastinate, I would like to give you some different advice. Focus on what will teach you more and what will count towards your diploma. Study! When it comes down to it, the person who did all of their homework but didn’t once actually study is going to do worse than the person who only studied. That, more than anything, is what I have learned this year. IB forces you to either learn to study or squeak by doing OK. If you don’t study, you are hurting yourself in the long run. AP and IB tests are extremely daunting, especially when you haven’t studied all year. Don’t waste your time on the little assignments if you have a big test the next day, and if you have time for those little assignments, pay attention to what you are doing so that you don’t have to study so much later. Learning things a little at a time makes the work load much more bearable.

Another helpful hint, when you are not doing anything in class, get work done. I know, talking to your friends is so much more enticing, but you will cut out about an hour of homework if you just do it in your downtime at school. Do the psychology preview questions when you are sitting in psychology, or work on a worksheet when you are given time to work in ToK. If you have the materials to do something, just do it. Stop planning out how much work you need to get done in order to make an ‘A’ or a ‘B’ and just do the work. If you would spend half as much time working as you did ‘strategizing,’ you would be in bed by 10:00 PM every night. Just enjoy high school; after all, ‘IB’ is your high school.

Breanne Parker

 

Hello Dearies,

This past year has taught me quite a bit about IB and I have a few suggestions that I would give any of next year’s juniors. I learnt about classes, teachers, and friends; even a bit about myself. I feel the need to warn you all about the horror you are about to continue on in.

First things first, DO NOT PROCRASTINATE. You will, I know, but the longer it takes for you to begin, the better off you are. Studying, as much as you may hate it, becomes a tad bit more necessary in your junior year. That includes reading your History book AND your English ones (Ms. Smith has some crazy quizzes). Sleep is another thing that will become more important; however, you probably will not get very much of it. One way to maximize your number of hours of sleep is to do homework in other classes. You will be amazed at what you can accomplish in a limited amount of time, especially when your essay/worksheet/sentences etc. are due next period. YJP will become homework time as well. So long as you get everything done you will get through it.

Class wise, the most important piece of information I can give you is, if you are a slacker, do not take biology. If you do, chances are you will stay up all night working on labs, only to get a mediocre grade on it. If you are a French kid, prepare to have no idea what Mrs. Dietert is saying. Do not be surprised if Mr. Goss calls you a pinko commie pig or a scum bucket, it’s a sign of affection. Be an art kid, we are cooler (GET TO WORK!). In trig, actually do your homework; do not just copy it out of the back of the book. Homework helps when test time comes. Theory of Knowledge is the magical land where you have amazing conversations you would never have time for otherwise and Mr. Guice has entertaining ties. Ms. Smith is crazy and adorable. Everything else you get to find out on your own.

During junior year be prepared to have a bit less of a social life, especially if you take bio. Within IB, be prepared for extra drama and your friends dating (oh yes, it IS awkward). Chances are you will really learn what kinds of people your friends are (you only think you know), along with who your “friends” are. You will learn what you can and cannot do under certain amounts of pressure, as well as when it is time to spend a day away from school work having fun. I highly suggest staying close with some non-IB friends or meeting some cool BHS students; it gives a nice break from the crazy.

Stay Sane,

Andrea Goulet

 

Flying Puke! It’s a Trig Essay!

Dearest Incoming Junior Student/Estudiante/Elève,

In an attempt to enjoy myself as much as possible, I will present to you a Mad Lib narration about a boy/girl much like yourselves, beginning to go through his/her first year of the true IB programme, in hopes that through filling in the blanks, you will learn something about what exactly you are getting into when you become an IB Junior:

Once upon a time, there was a sophomore named ______ (your name), who was terribly ______  (synonym for “anal”) when it came to his/her grades. Every night before going to bed, he/she would either check Pinnacle Grade viewer online, pine over the last interim, or pray to ______  (deity of choice) for the divine means with which he/she could use to maintain that healthy 4.0 unweighted average. Although the BESTT plaque was the only thing to culminate from such an endeavor, little        ______ (your name) would strive to achieve another trinket for the miniature shrine of High School awards.

The next year finally rolled around, after a summer consisting almost entirely of ______  (name one or both of your summer assignments); it was already ______ (scholastic year, e.g., 1990-1991) and ______  (your name) was a bona fide IB junior, ready to tackle the menace of journal questions, the bureaucracy of CAS, and the legendary workload and snide remarks of ______  ( Kennon or Goss). But nothing could possibly prepare poor ______  (your name) for the vicious work cycle. There would be things due every day because all the teachers would love to assign as homework about tenfold the amount of work they made one do during class. By the time ______  (your name) reached December, that goal of getting a ______  (GPA of your choice) was de-romanticized into a goal of getting less than 5 0’s in one class. His/her only joy in this first semester was ______  (your 1st semester elective, unless if you were nuts and chose an AP class) where he/she had the choice of sleeping or doing something he/she actually enjoyed. However, this one and only joy would only last for ONE measly semester and soon, the storm after the calm of Winter Break would rear its ugly head.

Again was ______  (your name) plopped into the second semester IB workload. Only poor ______  (your name) found out how frustrating it was to have that one enjoyable elective taken away and replaced with the heretofore obscure class called “ToK,” taught by the heretofore obscure Mr. Guice. ______  (your name)’s mannerisms diminished into those of a robot with skin, since these new assignments had already rocked his/her poor psyche with enough stress to prolapse an elephant’s rectum. Yet at least once during this part of the year, ______  (your name) would find out about new and exciting things, such as how ______ (malpractice of choice) on “busy work” assignments could lighten the heavy load or how therapeutic ______  (30 minute activity ;D) could be. And     ______  (your name) would begin to warm up to all the teachers when he/she would realize how much more work they have to do; since even that obscure Mr. Guice would be up to his A$$ in IB papers. “Somehow,” ______  (your name) would finally say to himself/herself, “I might just get through this.”

Love, Paolo (future male supermodel for Armani, baybee!)

Paolo Mercado

1. S. — In no way do I condone the use of malpractice or collusion in ANY work <cough, cough>.

 

Dear Abby,

With this year almost over, I know that, as the persnickety little girl you are, you are already entertaining thoughts of next year and the excitement and/or torture it will bring. As your adoptive junior, I take it upon myself to informally induct you into your third year of IB and to offer helpful hints for survival.

First and foremost, although every IB student has always been told this and every IB student has in turn warned other IB students, even though no IB student to date has actually taken this seriously, I must say: DO NOT PROCRASTINATE!!! Entering your junior year you will be expected to begin your internal assessments for several classes, namely English, trigonometry, and whatever science you choose. These are not to be taken lightly. They represent a potentially huge burden in addition to all the other work you will have (and you will have work, let there be no ambiguity about that). Internal assessments are usually huge assignments in comparison to normal homework, and putting them off will mean that you will probably have to pull one or more all-nighters just to get them done. This only jeopardizes your scores on the assignments and more importantly you’ll get that disgusting feeling when you stay up all night and drink a quart of coffee from Dunkin’ Donuts just to stay alive and when you get to school you realize that you forgot to change out of your pajama bottoms and that it’s a B day and you only have your A day stuff.

The classes themselves get a little harder, also. You’ll be taking all or mostly AP classes, which means not only pressure to pass the class, but pressure to prepare for and do well on the AP test, as well (not that I doubt that you will do either, but the pressure is still there). Knowing you, I’m sure that your schedule will be full of a lot of challenging classes, including electives. If, in the event that you take AP Statistics, make sure that you concentrate the first semester and get all the fundamentals down. THIS WAS MY FATAL ERROR. In retrospect, I didn’t study as much as I could have and as a result I got an 86 the first semester (which I will balance out with a 94+ next semester, don’t get me wrong). The point is, though, that while the classes do get harder, they are certainly not impossible and I know that with your dedication, you will do well.

The final piece of advice I have for you, dear Abigail, is to make sure that you are involved in several extracurricular activities. I know, it’s another overused piece of advice, but it’s a good one. These activities keep you at least momentarily distracted from the stark raving mad creatine-induced unrelenting whirlwind of academic activity that will be your junior year. Specifically, you are going to continue to do A-Team. Notice, this one is not advice. It is a command. I command you to spend time in our company and shoot for the county (and possibly state) team. I must warn you, I am unrelenting on this particular issue. While everything else in your junior year is ultimately your choice, this is not. You are on the A-Team. Yes, the A-Team is an academic extracurricular activity, so you really won’t be distracted from your classes per se, but I know you love it, and since it is an addictive diversion and you’ve already, done it for two years I also know you’re hooked at some level.

All these morsels of information I leave you in hopes that they help you to become the best student you can possibly be. I personally have made myriad mistakes this year and I hope that you, as an already more diligent and responsible person that I, will not repeat them. When all is said and done, though, I have complete confidence that you will put your talents to good use even if you do succumb to the dreaded IB disease. Like the quote goes, “this above all: to thine own self be true!”.

Christopher Lioi

 

Dearest Barely a Sophomore but Not-Quite-a-Junior:

Congratulations! Not only have you made it through your first two years of high school, you’ve gotten through Pre-IB, which is an admirable feat in itself. However, you still have two more years to go. You’ve reached the Big Leagues, the Granddaddy of All things Big, Scary, and Academic: you’re about to enter the International Baccalaureate Program. It’s a thing of fearsome might, a program that seems to be designed to send procrastinating bum and dedicated student scrabbling for shelter under desks and college level test books.

Never fear though, the IB program doesn’t have to induce nightmares if you go about it the right way. In fact, you can not only do well in your Junior year, but you can absolutely master it. Allow me to guide you on your quest for total ownage (pwnage, if you will) by offering you some advice I’ve cultivated through analyzing the successes and (probably more importantly) mistakes I’ve made this year. I’m sure some of this you’ve heard before: from seniors, from other juniors, from your teachers, and well, from basically anyone who has been in the IB program. But trust me, no matter how many times you hear it, the advice is pretty true, and if you follow it, will help you out a lot.

My first tidbit of advice you’ve heard over, and over, and over, and over again. You’ll hear it from me, you’ll hear it from Dr. Vetter, Mrs. Kennon, Ms. Smith, and maybe even from Joe across the street: DON’T PROCRASTINATE. Really, don’t put it off. I know you’ll find that as you get into your junior year, the assignments, the requirements, the projects and assessments will pile up, and you’ll start to prioritize. That’s understandable — we all do it. That does not mean that you should put off something that isn’t due immediately, because you know what kiddo? It’ll be due sooner than you realize. The biggest example of this is journal questions for Ms. Smith. I’m sure you’ve heard us complaining about them, and have heard the seniors complaining about them, and chances are, you’ll complain about them when your time comes. My advice on those? DO THEM. And don’t do all of them the night before. I know it becomes hard to balance everything, but try and spend some time ever few days, or even once a week or something, to work on them. I really, really wish I had. Trust me, the night before journals are do, you do not want to have a date with the Prince of Denmark. The iambic pentameter and analysis may sound fun, but by 3 AM, both Hamlet AND you will have gone insane.

*As a side note, the same thing goes for Trig portfolios. You DO NOT want to have to be solving and creating rational functions at obscene hours of the night. For most people functions are aggravating enough one their own – after half an hour of sleep and some fruitless prayers to the caffeine gods, they’re darn near impossible.

I think you get my point about procrastinating. Don’t do it. Don’t succumb.

I would love to go on and on about the do’s and don’ts of the IB junior, but do to some time constraints (1 procrastinated, and now really really need to go study for my Trig final), I will briefly offer some advice on some of the teachers you may face next year:

Mr. Goss: Mr. Goss teaches AP US History. Don’t be afraid of him, really. He’ll try to scare you with his insane DBQ and essay interpretations, his 5 chapter tests, and his sporadic tendencies to bash liberals, pound on desks, and yell. But he’s really a nice guy, and you’ll get used to him fast. Don’t try arguing with him, it won’t work. Oh, and don’t be afraid of his hands. As big as they are, they can’t eat you.

Ms. Frisbie: If you take trig, Ms. Frisbie is probably one of the best teachers you’ll have. And I swear, I’m not just saying that because she’s the one grading this essay — she knows her stuff. She knows her stuff and then some. And, she knows how to teach her stuff. To be honest, I’m not particularly skilled in understanding math — my brain just doesn’t seem to enjoy graphs, numbers, equations and what not — and came into Trig really worrying that I wouldn’t understand anything. However, Ms. Frisbie does a great job at explaining and teaching math, and I’ve found that not only do I like a lot of what I’ve learned, but I’ve done fairly well at it. Just remember, do not interrupt her and DO NOT finish her sentences, unless you want a death sentence.

Ms. Smith: Is a really nice lady who gives some really mean tests. For your own sake, read the books she assigns. Spark Notes won’t save you. Do your journal questions in a timely manner. Don’t be alarmed if she growls at you (although chances are you probably deserved it). Don’t be alarmed when she tells you she’s a SLUT and her daughter is a Hoe. It will all make sense in time.

Mrs. Kennon: If you’re taking biology, you’re going to have to face Mrs. Kennon again. Don’t take that negatively, I love the lady to death, but sometimes she can be downright scary. Mrs. Kennon is a really great teacher, and can be a lot of fun to interact with, despite the killer worksheets and murderous tests she gives. Study study study. Use note cards, read the notes, read the book, get a review book, work hard! Don’t put off her labs, especially not the Fruit fly lab. If you use to internet to get your answers, do NOT tell her — she WILL call you stupid. Don’t be discouraged if the answers you need aren’t in the book or in the notes — chances are they’re in the red and black book she keeps in the back of the room. When Mrs. Kennon is in a good mood, she’s one of the best people to be around. You’ll have a lot of fun in her class, you’ll have a lot of stress in her class, but it will be worth it: by the time AP exams roll around, bio is one of the tests you’ll be the least worried about.

Well darling, that’s all the time I have to offer. I hope that through this essay I provided you with some advice (and some warning) about what is to come. You’ll do great if you work hard and keep your chin up. It will be hard, no doubt about it, but you’ll survive, even if it takes a energy drink or four.

Now, I really need to go and study for that trig test. Remember, don’t put it off.

Your loving almost senior friend,

Teal Seltz

 

Upcoming juniors,

The yearbook has used the term “Junioritis.” Junioritis is apparently a disease similar to Senioritis where students sleep in class, come to class tardy (or skip the class entirely), and choose not to do homework. This is unfortunately true. I personally have slept in class, skipped some classes (don’t tell the administration), and have chosen not to do some of my homework, which Ms. Frisbie and Naki can confirm. These ill behaviors are common in most juniors and undoubtedly you all will perform these behaviors. However, you should not fret (which you probably aren’t). I can offer some words of advice.

The many teachers that will be teaching you next year (that’s kind of redundant) are stubborn yet fair and insane yet enjoyable to watch. My first advice to you is DO NOT take biology. Mrs. Kennon has her good days and her bad days. On her good days the class is quite enjoyable. On these days you can get away with anything, such as murder. On the other hand, on her bad days she is very menopausal. She screams at every small thing and is easily annoyed. With Mrs. Kennon’s moods also comes biology homework, which at times can overwhelm anyone. Be prepared to procrastinate and spend all night doing your bio homework. Gary Lyn Goss is another story. He is a great man and a good teacher. However, you should try to get on his good side. This is easy to accomplish; cook him food, or rant about your hatred for pinko-commies. Don’t be surprised if he starts threatening you with “burning your house down” or starts to make fun of your mother saying phrases such as “your mother is left handed” or “your mom wears combat boots” or simply “your mom.” There are other teachers, such as Ms. Smith, who is easier to suck up to. The most effective way is to not be brown. If you are a “brown person” as Ms. Smith calls people from the Asian or Latino community be prepared to be made fun of (we all love Ms. Smith and her SLUTS). There are smart mouth teachers as well, which is oddly refreshing and enjoyable. First, there is Ms. Frisbie. Ms. Frisbie usually has a sarcastic adage to say, especially for those who sleep in her class or are studying for another subject. Her witty humor is especially enjoyable in the morning. Next, there is Mr. Guice (or Mr. Juice). His sarcastic humor is subtle, but is easily found and is out in the open. I prefer these kinds of teachers. They are great at teaching there subject and are sarcastic. Lastly, there is Mrs. Laurent: Graham calls her “saucy.” If you had Salgado you had Laurent. They are sisters separated from birth. The only difference is that Mrs. Laurent is more tolerable. Every teacher is different, so learn how to work with them.

With this simple yet very informative advice about the teachers, you should do somewhat okay (after all I said nothing in particular about the actual work load or how to compensate for lack of sleep and procrastination).

Have a great and dreadful junior year.

Shanley Ladia

 

Tarnation Train

I was on a train going 378 miles per hour. This train… it had a name… What was its name? It had a name, but I’m not too sure. I think I was conducting this train that had a name that I don’t know now. But I do know that it was the biggest pain. I know now that I was driving too fast, and I didn’t pay attention to where I was going or where I was coming from. I’m still on that train, and I’m so close to getting to the next platform, but I’m afraid that I don’t have the proper papers. I’ll be in a new country, and they always want to see your papers. But if I put all the brakes down now, it is so certain the whole train will breakdown now. It’ll flip over and slide and get off track. So I can’t quit it now, you see?

Now I hear you’re planning to take the same route as me. Are you sure you want to be doing that? It was a little bit scary and a tiny bit stressful, but I’m still here. I’m still well. Remember to keep everything in check and to be focused. If you ever feel a tug of irresponsibility, you are probably doing something wrong. Don’t let a small furnace fire become your hell. Make sure to keep your important papers in order. If you don’t, the officials in the country that you’re trying to get into will reject you back to your motherland. Always know what the weather will be like that day, and keep track of your agenda too. It helps to look outside once in a while to see where you’re at. Getting lost is not conducive at all. Just follow the tracks laid out for you, and you should be fine.

Hopefully, that was helpful. Soon, you’ll be speeding fast as I am now, after the journey has gained momentum. I think I remember the name of that certain train now. It’s called Junior Year. And you, little sophomore, will soon get off your local mall’s choo choo.

Cya Bustamante

 

Wow, it’s May again and I can hardly believe it. The years have just started flying by. This year especially has been a fast and action-packed year, full of a lot of hard work and many, many complaints. Junior year is a huge year and unlike anything I have ever experienced before. And yet, as much as I’m glad it’s coming to a close, I can’t help but feel happy and grateful that it occurred, because I learned so many things about myself and how to handle the workload. Hopefully, I will be able to impart some of the knowledge I have attained as a consequence of this year onto you soon to be juniors. And you won’t end up making the same mistakes that I made.

First off, come into this year prepared to work. If you don’t, you will be in for a very unpleasant surprise. You will get behind, sometimes drastically, and you will have to work twice as hard to make up for it. So I would greatly advise that you stay on top of your work from the very beginning. You will love yourself for it in the future. As much as this is a good thing, you must also realize and embrace the fact that although you are ahead of the game does not mean that you will not always be working, because in truth you will be working a lot of the time. This includes weekends, especially if you take biology as your science, because of labs and other assorted assignments. Now you may be saying to yourself, “I don’t want to do all this work if I don’t have to,” but trust me, you will be very prepared for the AP Biology test. I absolutely do not regret my decision to take biology. Also, take advantage of the fact that your teachers are there to help you. If you’re having trouble understanding a tough concept, you should run directly to your teachers. They’re always there to help you (or at least Ms. Frisbie is). If you can’t find a teacher or don’t have the time, ask a fellow student who has a good grasp on the subject. The absolute worst thing you can do is pretend you don’t have a problem understanding the concept, and/or feel ashamed to ask for help. The most important thing is that you learn the concept, not how you learned it or the amount of time it took.

Now that I’ve told you what it takes to be successful on the academic side of your junior year, I’m going to tell you what it takes to stay sane. Your junior year will make you miserable if you do not have an outlet to let off the stress of the week. My recommendation is a good group of friends that you can have fun with and forget about school for awhile. This will be very beneficial to you in the long run, as long as you understand that there is a very tight line that you have to walk on between friends and school. It may take you a while to find the perfect balance, but once you have found what works for you, you’ll be happy you did it. Also, large quantities of homework does not equate into you not being able to play a sport or participate in a club that you enjoy. There are many students who play sports and participate in orchestra, drama, and A-team to name a few.

Well, I can’t believe it’s coming to an end. Junior year has had its ups and downs, but mostly ups. It can be fun for you, too, as long as you stay on top of your work and have a great group of friends to support you. Oh, and never forget these words of wisdom, “DO YOUR JOURNALS WHEN YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO!”

Phillip Gonzalez

 

This year, as a junior in IB I have learned a great deal. This year has been extremely difficult with the amount of work and responsibility that was given to us. For students coming into their junior year of IB, I’m not sure what advice I could give, other than work hard, and don’t make things more difficult than they have to be. Every person goes about things a different way and certain things work well for certain people, but I can say that it is important to find a good system of dealing with the workload that comes with being an IB Junior. It has been said a thousand times, but it is true, procrastination and disorganization can be your downfall. If you don’t procrastinate (which is not easy to accomplish) you can drastically decrease your stress and workload. Organization will also help get you through, if you aren’t well organized, there are tons of problems you will face with the amount of responsibility you will receive in the coming years.

The problem though is not just school work. As a Junior, and as you get older, more and more responsibility comes your way. After-school jobs, clubs, sports, community service, and various other responsibilities become even more prevalent as a Junior and it is extremely important to manage this workload in addition to your academic workload. If you keep up with all of the things that you need to take care of by being organized and focused, then everything should fall into place and you are sure to be successful in your many rewarding endeavors.

To be honest, this advice isn’t very easy to follow. I can’t seem to follow it myself. Getting yourself organized and disciplined in everything you do can be tough, but I can assure you that the alternative is a much more difficult path. So, in short, this next year will undoubtedly be a difficult one, but if you go into it  with the right attitude, and you work hard, I promise you won’t be disappointed with the result.

Ricky Schuler

 

Dear soon to be juniors,

With your sophomore year coming to a close and your junior year about to begin, you will soon learn what makes IB IB. It is no doubt a step up in terms of difficulty. The three main steps to remaining successful are to pay attention in class, perfect the art of the thesis statement, and most importantly don’t procrastinate.

Step number one is to pay attention in class. This will, of course, help you know what’s going on. Also, you might actually know how to do stuff such as math or science. This quality of attentiveness is most useful in the Spanish/French, math, and science courses. Not paying attention in any of the classes will likely send your grade plummeting, as many of the current juniors have witnessed. This is by far probably the easiest advice to follow as long as you can stay awake.

Next is mastering the art of the thesis statement. This mainly applies to Mr. Goss’ history class. And yes, it is an art all by itself. This seemed beyond difficult to master this year. At times, it seemed like he changed the methods behind his madness. You can write a thesis statement given you have time and expect it to be right but Mr. Goss will usually find a way to make it wrong. If you can master this art form you will go far in Goss’. Unfortunately, there is no advice to give as to mastering it.

Most importantly, just don’t procrastinate. This is the main key to success, especially in IB. Although some teachers have very lenient due date policies, well at least one teacher does, do the work when you get it. You will save yourself a lot of time and frustration. If you do procrastinate, the end of the school year will likely greet you with much stress. You’ll have AP tests to study for, Ms. Smith’s journal questions, and more than likely an entire nine weeks worth of psychology work to do. This is not a fun combination at all. Doing work on time is fairly easy the first semester, but procrastination replaces oxygen in your body during the second semester.

Overall, the junior year in the IB program can be somewhat bearable and maybe even enjoyable, as it is a year with MANY great teachers. The main things to remember are to be attentive in class, perfect the art of the thesis statement, and just don’t procrastinate. Another tip is to actually get adequate sleep so as to be able to face the next day, in other words don’t be like me and randomly decide to go to Denny’s at 12:30 in the morning on a Monday night/Tuesday morning.

Your elder and advice giver,

 Steven Kopec

 

To whomever it may concern:

Your junior year in IB could be one of the best that you experience, if you decide to make it a fun year. Personally, you will meet and overcome many obstacles that at one time you saw as insurmountable. It is my personal opinion that your junior year will shape you into the individual that you will be in the future. I see individuals as being the most malleable in their junior year; however, if you choose to not take this challenge and quit after your sophomore year, then you are nothing more than a coward who refuses to challenge himself or herself, and, frankly, an individual who refuses to challenge himself or herself never amounts to anything. It is those that constantly rise to the challenge that will become the future leaders and businessmen of America. If you choose not to be in this category, then that is fine; you will simply be another worker-ant in today’s industrial society.

Another factor that you should take into account is that your grades will drop from your sophomore year to your junior year. This is not anything to be afraid of. You must first see the dark before you can see the light. Just remember it does get better, well, after senior year at least. Honestly, grades do matter for college, but if you do your best, then you know that you are at your full potential; however, if a classmate makes higher grades then you do, just remember that you could one day be his or her boss. Grades are not a determining factor in how successful you are in your career. Whether or not you decide to reach for the stars will determine if you become successful; also, success is subjective. Maybe your idea of success is different from that of another individual. Remember you should study, but do not burn yourself out. There is no reason that you should not enjoy your junior year. Just think about it; you finally have the car and you can now go see a movie with your friends or drive to the park for a nice quiet afternoon. You have the ability to go anywhere. Now that car could be used as a parallel to your life. Make of it what you will, but just have fun with your friends because odds are that two years from now you will not see them for a very long time, or if you are like me, you will move to some far off deserted island and not see anyone again.

Finally, you should respect your elders, who happen to be your teachers. Now this is not to say that you should be as blind as a sheep and believe everything they say. Ms. Frisbie will deceive you with mlope, and Mr. Goss will worship the ground that Joseph McCarthy walked on; basically, think for yourself. This is not to say that you should not pay attention to them, as they are your teachers. Remember show respect, but do not be a “teacher’s pet” because people don’t like brown-nosers. Also, Ms. Smith will probably tell you that you live in a cardboard box, but you will find her relaxed and easy to joke with. Another good teacher to joke with is Ms. Frisbie, just do not juxtapose words into her sentences. I was nearly crucified several times for this. Mr. Goss is another wonderful teacher to joke with; one should repeat phrases like “McCarthy is great, puke-bucket, and I love the Puritans” and Mr. Goss will like you. Now repeat this Gossism after me: “AP stands for Analysis and Post-It Notes.” Also, Naki is great to meet in a movie theatre and joke around with, especially when the movie is Blades of Glory. Take Statistics because it is helpful in math. Overall, I believe the IB staff to be a caring group of individuals, who honestly want to give you a better chance for success; therefore, do not intentionally fail tests or the FCAT because you are just ruining the work of so many others that want you to succeed. If you don’t like it, get out of the program. Otherwise, welcome to the first year of what may appear to be Hell, but remember that people in other countries might have it worse than you.

The last and final paragraph is for the express purpose of ethics. Those that cheat on an exam should be ashamed of themselves. Cheating is WRONG on any test. Now, if you do want to cheat, you WILL get caught. You cannot escape fate or justice because what comes around goes around. Just be honest; if you do cheat, think about it; do you really deserve this grade as compared to someone like Mark Kavesh, who has actually studied and prepared for the exam? The answer is no. You are entitled to nothing. As you can see I am a social Darwinist. Only the strong do survive; this is best summed up by the Beastie Boys statement, “You have to fight for your right to party!” On top of this, you should dress appropriately. So please do not show your undergarments or your midsection skin. Do not conform to this godless age of the Hip-Hop artists and drug-ingesting rock stars. Please, show respect and tuck in your shirts and stop thinking, looking, and acting like Hippies. This applies to the rest of you. Congratulations to whoever is not part of this group. You are your own leader; do not be part of the sheep that are goaded around by Tom Cruise, Rosie O’Donnell, and Donald Trump. Goodnight and good luck to all of you.

Sincerely,

Dino Teskeredzic

 

Rising juniors,

I don’t know if I can give you any profound words of wisdom. I’m still trying to figure it out myself. When they say junior year is the toughest year because it, like freshman year, is a transition year, they are right. The classes are harder and their work load heavier. The work is definitely harder. Biology is by far the toughest. Spanish is probably next. Journals in English make it frustrating. History isn’t bad if you study. Trigonometry, psychology, and TOK are like breaths of fresh air after the others. Like I said, it’s a tough year, but it is survivable if you know the tricks.

Biology. Where do I begin? I am not a science person so it was my hardest class. I often find myself saying had I known biology would be 80% of the workload I wouldn’t have taken it. When we’re told it’s a lot of work sophomore year we can’t even begin to comprehend what a lot of work is. Labs are brutal. They’re so long. Have fun with the fruit flies! You can spend 24 hours just typing the write up. The worksheets are also brutal. I know I have it sound like hell on Earth. It isn’t as bad as I make it sound. I wouldn’t go back and switch sciences if I could. I feel prepared for the AP Test, and that’s the most important thing. If you work on time management and have study groups you should be fine. I never accomplished the former, but I can’t count the number of times I have had my classmates explain photosynthesis and respiration to me. Mrs. Kennon really does give you what you need to know. There are times when the class is almost independent study, but you can’t even imagine the feeling of accomplishment you feel after plugging along with no break for weeks and then seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. Now I’ll move on to something less stressful than biology.

Spanish was a bear for me. It has never come naturally to me. Our year was the first year of the new AP Test. I didn’t take the test, so I can’t tell you how it is or what the criteria are because there are no criteria the first year. I can tell you that if you study vocabulary and conjugations (especially conjugations) you should be fine. English isn’t so bad the first semester. Ms. Smith gives you time to work on journals in class. Take advantage of it! You won’t get a whole lot of time second semester to work on journals because orals take priority, and they begin as soon as you get back from Christmas break. After Christmas break journal questions come in heaps. The number of them for each poet is insane, but Ms. Smith is right when she says if you keep up with them they’re not so bad. Once orals begin you have to give Ms. Smith a break. She is really stressed. In class informal orals take up way too much time. The formal orals aren’t as bad as you think they will be. When Ms. Smith says journals help, she isn’t kidding.

US History isn’t bad. I’m sure you’ve heard that Mr. Goss is particular. He is, but if you do as he says and suppress the teenage desire to disobey you’ll be fine. You probably won’t like how he wants you to do the essays, cookie cutter style, but like he says, you don’t have to do it on the test, just for him. You have to ask Mr. Goss about how he and Mrs. Goss got engaged. Mr. Goss is a player!

When I say Trigonometry, Psychology, and TOK are breaths of fresh air I don’t mean they’re easy. If you pay attention in class and let your teachers teach you, you will learn what you need to know with limited outside effort on your part. Of the three, Trigonometry is the hardest. Ms. Frisbie keeps you challenged, but she wants to learn and will answers any questions you have. She puts more time in than any teacher I’ve ever had. Her website is amazing. You should take advantage of the review answers with work posted on her website. I can’t tell you the number of times they saved my test grade. My class was right after lunch when everyone was tired. Frisbie is the only teacher that doesn’t freak out when people sleep in class. She seems to enjoy watching people turn into human bobble heads. You have to ask her about mlope! Mrs. New and Mr. Guice are awesome too. Their classes are very laid back. You have lots of discussions. TOK is mostly discussions. Guice lets you share your opinions and verbally duke it out. It’s always nice to have such an open atmosphere. Both of them allow you lots of time to work in class. Sometimes they even let you work on other things if you keep up with their class and work diligently.

Take advantage of having lots of teachers that really want to help you be successful. It’s a rare thing to have so many adults care and be willing to help you succeed. If we were in regular high schools we wouldn’t have the tight knit and accepting group we have here. I don’t know how close your class is. I’m not going to tell you your class is going to be one big happy family with no divisions. I felt like we were told that, and we definitely aren’t. I can say though that I have never felt as accepted for who I am as I have this year. Being yourself really can work. I probably haven’t told you anything you haven’t heard before. I know you won’t heed my advice. We’re all teenagers, and if teenagers listened to their elders it would be the apocalypse. I do hope you can tell how much I have grown this year. I hope you look back on your junior year and are as pleased with the progress you’ve made as I am with mine. I barely remember the person I was at the beginning of this year.

Chastity Bobo

 

Dear incoming IB student,

Although it would be easy for me to preach to you on the importance of resisting procrastination, I feel this would be a waste of time — you have heard the sermon a thousand times. In fact, you will find that, in most cases, you simply do not have time to complete long-term assignments right away. That is why prioritizing is so important. One thing that has helped me “keep my head above the water” and not feel too overwhelmed is creating a homework schedule at the beginning of every week. Every Sunday evening, I sit down and plan what subject or subjects I will focus on each night of the week. It is best to distribute the load evenly throughout the week, unless other obligations keep you from doing so. Also, complete all the “little stuff” first. There is nothing that can make your mind feel more cluttered than a lengthy to-do list of busy work. I know these pieces of advice may seem trivial, but it is so important to go back to the basics every once in a while and decide whether your style is the most efficient.

The one exception to prioritizing, for there must be at least one exception to every rule, is journal questions. This year, as in years past, there were not specific due dates for the individual sets of journal questions distributed. You will have journal questions for each work studied but there is only one collection of your responses per semester. It is so easy to put these assignments “on the back burner” when they are not the number one priority at the moment. The downfall of this luxury is the week before journals are due. Sleep is precious and often hard to come by and 247 questions to complete in a week’s time are not conducive to getting any rest. Although seemingly illogical, it is wise to request a due date for every set of questions you receive. Set yourself accountable; you will appreciate yourself later when everyone else is skipping school to complete an assignment that really was given to you a while ago (meaning you have no argument of injustice to use). Obviously, the journal question issue is an important one — I did write an entire paragraph on it.

Now I would like to tell you about specific classes other than English. You will love Psychology (for all those taking it) because it gives you a break from the traditional rigor of other AP courses; however, you must be aware of the AP and IB tests you will be taking at the end of the year. Panic starts to set in about a month prior to these exams if you have not treated the class as an AP/IB course. Again, keep yourself accountable. History is not as bad as everyone claims. Just read the chapters assigned — that’s it. It is much easier to endure thirty pages of history than to fish around the Internet and AP review books as alternative ways of studying. Trigonometry really is the best math class you will have taken (no, I am not just saying that because this is technically a Trig assignment). Do not wait until the night before to do your portfolio assignments. Even starting two or three days before they are due will be beneficial, without compromising the stated prioritizing rules. Spanish is centered round the AP test — do not resist AP test practice work even if it is not formally graded. Remember — practice makes (as close as possible) to perfect. Finally, Biology requires more time than all other courses combined. It is important to understand this prior to making your final higher level science decision. You w ill feel very prepared for the AP exam at the end of the year, but it takes a lot of work to achieve that feeling of comfort. Once you get past the first semester, the work load lightens up, so just “hang in there” to finally see the light at the end of the tunnel — it will eventually shine.

Congratulations on making it half way through high school and good luck in the next half.

Sincerely,

Rebecca Barry

 

Dear Cheyenne,

As you become a junior and a full member of the actual IB Program, I wanted to impart some knowledge to you that I have gained. First, think about something pleasant when you are with Mr. Goss. He yells rather than talks, and it may seem harsh, but it’s just him. Read the book, not just the Amsco. Take the standardized tests seriously. They are the majority of your grade, so study and prepare for them.

As far as Spanish goes, the key to success is to know as much vocabulary as possible. If you start with the basics and then learn more advanced words, you will master the language. Watch television in Spanish and read books in Spanish. Exposing yourself to the language in as many ways possible will help when it comes time to take the AP test.

There are only two tricks to doing well in Ms. Smith’s class: doing journal questions on time and actually reading the works. If you do not read the books, your grade will catch up with you. If you do not do the journal questions, you will pay in hours of sleep and tears. If I were you, I would select one of the works from the beginning of the second semester for my informal oral. If you choose either of the last two, your informal oral will be very close to your formal oral. That is extra stress that can be easily avoided.

When you are choosing your science and your elective, pick courses that you think you will enjoy. Your science has the power to dictate how much sleep you will get each night. Physics gives more sleep than chemistry which gives more than biology. On the other hand, your science should be something fun for you. I honestly enjoy chemistry. If I did not, the hours spent studying for tests would have been truly miserable. Since you only have half of an elective, go for something that will make you happy. Private study orchestra was a blessing for me. I could relax by playing my violin, take a nap, study, or finish some homework.

Psychology is the best required class ever. The work load is flexible, and the material is fascinating. Mrs. New is really nice about turning in late work; however, you have to be careful as to not get too far behind. Psychology may seem like your easiest class at times, but work diligently. You have to take the IB Psychology exam at the end of the year. Keep that in mind the entire year.

Do not fret about Theory of Knowledge. Mr. Guice is really awesome. He is really good a guiding conversations in a way that is productive, but not boring. If you are open-minded about all of the articles that you have to read, they are much more enjoyable. Overall, Theory of Knowledge is not as bad as I thought it would be.

The best advice I can give you about the year to come is to find something that makes you really happy. This something should relax you and bring you to your “happy place.” Mine is Star Trek. Whenever I feel like there is too much going on or when I can’t sleep, I watch part of a Star Trek episode and immediately relax. You should try to find something that can bring you out of school-induced depression. When Mr. Goss is yelling at you for failing a standardized test or Ms. Smith sets a due date for journal questions that you have yet to start, just think about your “happy thing.” It will get you through the tough times.

Exhaustedly, but devotedly yours,

Emily Trogolo

 

Dear Upcoming Juniors,

Thinking about my experiences throughout this year, I’d like to take a moment to tell you what I wish I had known before it even begun. The best advice I have for you is that you not procrastinate, learn how to write effectively, and constantly think independently.

Foremost, you should get through with assignments as quickly as possible, so you have more time to move on to other things or even just relax. Think about it. When you play space cadet 3-D pinball for an hour because you don’t want to write your U.S. history paper, you’ve lost an hour that you would have had after the paper was finished to go running or watch T.V. If your thoughts just aren’t flowing and the assignment isn’t due for a few days, you’re better off moving on to something else instead of staring into space or doodling aimlessly on a piece of notebook paper. Overall, you’ll end up getting more stuff done, having more time to yourself, and having to pull a lot fewer late nights.

Secondly, you need to learn how to write effectively. You are going to have paper after paper due for classes such as U.S. History and Spanish. Training yourself to spew out good quality work in a short amount of time will give you a huge advantage in terms of your efficiency, let alone be exactly what you’ll need to do in order to do well on exams. Don’t get caught in the trap of going around and around in circles. Make your argument, and move on. This should help you maximize the number of points you earn for your relative effort.

Finally, always try to think independently. Although it can be useful to get inside the author of your textbook’s or your teacher’s head, you are rewarded more for objectively analyzing information yourself. Instead of merely copying notes or sentences from a book to write an essay or complete a worksheet, come up with your own ideas instead. You’ll not only be forced to think more deeply about the subject, but you’ll gain the ability to effectively criticize the subject as well.

So to conclude, the best advice I can offer you is that you not procrastinate, that you learn how to quickly produce good essays, and that you maintain an independent mindset. Above all else, I might add that you keep from getting discouraged. From my experience, I’ve learned that giving up on one thing loosens your tenacity to achieve another. Have confidence in your capacity to do the work.

Sincerely,

Mark Kavesh

 

El año pasado

This year has been much more stressful than the previous two, and the main reason is Biology. When one class has a larger workload than all the rest, something is wrong. In order to decompress junior year I would definitely recommend not taking Biology. However, Phil and I both plan on going into medicine, so we both decided it would be a good idea. I love Mrs. Kennon and she is an awesome teacher, but her class makes grades in other classes suffer. Nevertheless if you accept this and really like Biology, she is the best teacher for the job. You will be so prepared for AP and IB exams, it’s comical.

The other major hassle is Journal questions for English. Do Them As You Get Them! I know, no true IB will do this, but it would help a lot. Journals have the nasty habit of being due during exam week at the end of the semester. During exams the last thing we need to be doing is six hours of scribbling fake journal answers, hoping and praying she doesn’t actually grade them.

I also just took the AP Spanish exam about three hours before I wrote this. Anyone who has delusions of passing that with anything but a scraped 3, better start speaking with Hispanics now. We had Sra. Salgado for the first two years, and we didn’t do much speaking in class. Sra. Laurent tried to salvage our class, but that test was really hard. The written part wasn’t so bad, but speaking made up for it. Sra. Laurent promised the listening section would be easy to hear and understand, but they talked super fast with mumbling and slurred speech. Gracias, Sra.

Shawn Simek

 

To an incoming junior,

Congrats on surviving IB for two years. But that was pre-IB. Now you’re going into the real thing. If you haven’t discovered already, time management is key, along with dedication to studying.

But not everyone is “perfect” and has those two admirable qualities. A deficiency in management of your valuable time leads to no enjoyment on Sunday afternoons and limited activities after school. It’s important to not procrastinate so you can optimize your time and your life.

And what’s doing things on time without being dedicated to doing/completing some work. It’s really a great idea to do your homework. On the other hand, sometimes it’s better to do one assignment over another – like a 30-point History worksheet over a 10-point math homework, which you have a late pass for.

So, try your best to do your work on time… especially English journals. Once your grades start slipping, you’ll try harder to do your work, but it may be too late. Do what you can, when you can.

Sincerely,

a procrastinator whose grades slipped the second semester

Theresa Rowe

 

Dear upcoming juniors,

Junior year is quite an adventure. Though you have more freedom than in any other year due to the ability to drive, this year is very tough. You are almost guaranteed a couple of sleepless nights and many, many tearful nights. You will be pushed farther than you ever thought possible but you just have to remember that one day it will be worth it.

The teachers in junior year are pretty awesome. Señora Laurent cares so much about her students she stresses out more than we do. She is also the only Spanish teacher who has ever taught me something. Mrs. New is amazing and is very laid back, which is very welcome in such a strenuous environment. Mr. Goss is hilarious! He has many Gossisms, as he calls them, such as “puke on you” and “your mother is left handed.” Ms. Smith is a sweetheart, though her journal questions will cause you grief. Ms. Frisbie is a great teacher, though you have to watch out for her making things up (mlope will stay with me forever!). Mr. Guice is just like a little kid, but his TOK discussions will make your head spin. You won’t have Mrs. Bond for chemistry because she is retiring this year, but her tests would have caused you a lot of pain. Fortunately, her labs usually made up for the abysmal test grades.

I know that you have probably heard about how bad junior year is. For the most it is true. You have a ton of homework and for the first time you have to deal with the stress of doing things toward your IB diploma. English orals, though they seem like they will kill you, really aren’t that bad. Psychology is very straightforward and shouldn’t be that hard. However, the most important thing is to not procrastinate. Do things on time! If you don’t, you will have fifty times the stress as well as fifty times the work. All in all, enjoy your junior year because once it is done you will finally be a senior!

Sarah Haskins

 

As junior year is coming quickly to a close, I have realized that IB is super stressful, annoying, and time-consuming. From my experiences over this year, I would most of all tell my friend that he/she shouldn’t get a job, because if you do, your grades will suffer greatly. With me having a job, my job time seems to always outweigh the school time. If this happens, I get behind in school, stop studying, and fail tests. The stress of working combined with the stress of a job, seems to almost cause me to have a nervous breakdown. I advise you not to let this happen to you, because if you are not careful, it will happen.

Secondly, I would say, “don’t procrastinate,” “do your journal questions” exactly when you get them, and “study for all chemistry tests” (only if taking chem). These three statements will cause you: (1) to be a lot less stressed out and (2) to pass chemistry with a B. If you don’t do your journals on time, say goodbye to life, because when Ms. Smith says they are due, and you haven’t started, you spend all day and night working on those things. If you procrastinate, STOP, because your life will be a living h*** if you don’t. If you take chemistry, study for your tests; if you don’t, you fail.

Last, your classmates that you see every day are going to get extremely annoying at times, but don’t let drama break you apart. The friendships you do have are important to your sanity, and drama just breaks them up. Be the first class not to have drama, and it will make your lives a lot easier.

Sabrina Tolbert

 

Dear Friend,

Thinking back on the past school year, there are some things I’ve done right — but many more that I’ve done wrong. In hopes that you won’t make the same mistakes I have, I’d like to give you some advice.

First of all, do the easy work. Even if it isn’t worth many points, it can make a great cushion for your grade, so that when you come to the difficult assignments and semester finals (such as the one I’m about to take) you don’t have to worry quite so much. Basically, if it doesn’t require a lot of effort and gives you points, then you might as well do it. Don’t be an idiot.

Another suggestion I have for you is to not complain. You aren’t going to die — things could be much worse. Furthermore, chances are that if you are completely swamped with work, it may be because you haven’t used good time management. If this is the case — well, first of all, don’t complain — and secondly don’t go wallowing in self-loathing; you still won’t be getting it done, and on top of that, you’ll be depressed and discouraged. The best thing you can do is to just shut up, work hard, and be happy.

Finally, make sure you have a life. Go out with your friends on the weekends; do fun things during lunch. I finally learned the vast benefits of this recently. You see, if you happen to be a daydreamer like I am, lack of good social interaction can push you off into another world, which can cause so many problems. You’ll spend your supposed study time thinking about things you wish you could be doing, and you’ll be led to have a distorted view of reality. Just stay in this world, and you’ll be fine.

Have a nice summer — enjoy it while you can!

Your friend,

Jaclyn Nelson

 

Dear fellow sophomores,

The junior year is one of the busiest school years of the four. My advice to you would be not to procrastinate and to work on your community, action, and service hours during the school year. Also, it’s important for you to start on your extended essays as soon as possible and beware of biology labs. English journal questions should be done on time also, to avoid a huge workload at the end of the school year.

Try to get all your action hours or cultural hours done since these seem to be the most difficult to get. Participate in sports like cross-country and track. These will allow you to get hours really quickly. The 5000-word extended essay is one of the things that will be introduced to you during your junior year. It will be in your best interest to keep track of your schedule and deadlines for this. Biology labs have proven to be horrible, especially the formal ones. These can range from 15-25 pages. English journals are horrible, there are a lot of questions and they will all be due on the same day. Don’t wait!

There are benefits to being a junior. Don’t be too tense. Relax. The classes can be fun, too, especially Theory of Knowledge, where anything goes. Art can be exciting and a stress reliever. These classes can be life savers, especially if you didn’t listen to my previous advice of not procrastinating.

Good luck,

Hanh Huynh

1. S. — Don’t finish Ms. Frisbie’s sentences. She will get angry.

 

This was an awful year for me. I disappointed and cheated myself, my teachers, and my parents. All I have to say is that the workload increases in second semester, it is imperative that Mrs. Smith likes you, and you can’t miss trig classes. Extracurricular activities and laziness are a detriment to GPA, and I should’ve won the Mustang.

I don’t feel like I’ve succeeded at almost anything I’ve done this year. My grades are substantially worse, my self-confidence is down, I got kicked off the basketball team, I never won a wrestling match, and I got injured. Beware taking too much on your plate.

Basically, stay focused and work hard. You don’t think you have to because you get A’s and B’s first semester, but as the third nine weeks rolls around and the lower part of the alphabet starts appearing, don’t say I didn’t warn you. My girlfriend has helped me keep my resolve and determination through it all, though. Give no quarter, because none will be given in this war zone.

Kaleb Delk

 

Dearest Friend,

I have recently come to the realization that your sophomore year is coming to a close and your junior year is swiftly approaching. My best advice to you? Carpe diem! Take full advantage of the time you have and do your best not to procrastinate. Do not allow yourself to get behind in your classes, because it can be hell trying to catch back up. Though the junior year seems intimidating, it isn’t all bad if you take things into perspective. Don’t sweat the small stuff and keep your eyes on the prize. Focus and work hard so that success may be yours.

However, I’m not going to lie and tell you that life in your junior year will not be frustrating, especially if you’re well rounded and participate in many extracurricular activities. There will be times in the school year when that hangman’s noose looks really inviting because of all the stress. My only advice: HANG in there, ha ha! Be optimistic in your view of school and try to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Whether you’re dealing with a trig portfolio, a Goss essay, or Smith’s journals, just remember it all shall pass. However, the worst times, and the most trying times, are when the crap hits the fan and you have all three at once! I just ask that you keep in mind that instead of giving up, look at all those who have gone before and realize that although it may seem impossible, it really isn’t.

Hence, as I said before, and I realize I sound like your mother, don’t procrastinate. Though it is tempting at times to turn in all your psychology work at the end of the nine weeks, it isn’t worth the hassle and stress. If you stay on top of your work, stay involved in your extracurriculars, and do your best, then you can never be truly disappointed with yourself. Please keep my advice in mind as you enter your junior year.

Your friend,

Ervin Goad

 

So you are about to be an IB junior? I hope you do something better than I have. I know you think you can figure things out on your own and you don’t need my help, but my advice might just spare you sleepless nights and a lot of stress, not to mention nagging from your parents.

First of all, try not to procrastinate. I know it’s hard, it’s like a part of the IB program, but it would be so much easier to deal with everything if you didn’t wait until the last minute to do it all. OK, perfect example — I didn’t do my journal questions for English ahead of time (or on time, some might say) for first semester. So I had to do most of them the night before they were due, which just happened to be the same night as the IB Pinning Ceremony. That was not a fun night. And I’m in the same boat now with journal questions, rushing to fit them in among all of my other last-minute homework. Just take it from me, you will be less stressed and better rested and get better grades if you don’t procrastinate on your work.

And another thing, since you’re going to be taking Biology, don’t go out of the country — or on vacation anywhere for that matter — during Thanksgiving vacation. You have to do a HUGE fruit fly lab over Thanksgiving, and if you’re on vacation, Mrs. Kennon couldn’t care less. So you have to find someone else to pawn your fruit flies off on for a week. It’s hard, because I had to give one of my friends twice the work so that I could sit on a beach for a week in a foreign country. And it’s a big grade, so it’s not like you can just not do it. The whole situation is a big pain the bootay if you ask me.

Even with that little side note about bio, my major advice to you is not to procrastinate. Procrastination is what will get to you, stress you out, lead to bad grades, and make your parents ride your butt about doing your school work.

KK Niemeyer

 

As junior year comes to a close, I think back on all of the struggles, successes, and setbacks that have defined this year in the International Baccalaureate. After considering all facets of my educational experience at IB over the course of the previous year, the key advice that I have for a friend who is a year behind me is to not procrastinate, to avoid sleeping in class, and to not take anything that Mr. Goss says seriously.

Procrastination, probably the most prevalent “sin” to which us IB students are prone, is deceptively dangerous, and should be avoided at all costs. Until this year, I had managed to avoid this pitfall, sparing myself the pain of the late night scramble to finish an essay due the following morning. However, with the gradual but steady increase in workload over the course of this year, my desire to “live” my life rather than crusade to remain an intangible “step ahead,” resulted in occasional “slips” into the dark realm of procrastination. For example, journal questions, which were always at the bottom of the list when prioritizing, eventually catch up with you! As I sit here writing this essay, I am attempting to put off the inevitable ordeal of several hundred journal questions.

Another detrimental behavior that should be avoided is sleeping in class. I have occasionally “rested my eyes” in class, but have never fallen asleep, but others have slept so soundly that even when the classroom discussions turned to the subject of their sleeping, they did not awake from their slumber. This is not a good behavior because (1) it puts you in a teacher’s “bad book”; (2) you miss important information being taught; (3) you risk being awoken by a book crashing to the floor with a “THWACK” and being startled so much that you nearly have a heart attack. Furthermore, in US History class, if Mr. Goss catches you sleeping, he will threaten to send you to the office!

Of all of the advice that I can give, though, the most valid to incoming IB juniors is to not take Mr. Goss seriously. Mr. Goss is a commie-phobe, a great admirer of McCarthy, and sees no distinction between liberals and communists. He remains firmly rooted in these preposterous idiosyncrasies, so you must excuse his somewhat daft and narrow-minded opinion on this subject. Otherwise, he is a fascinating and entertaining teacher. Nevertheless, his mannerisms can be “peculiar,” so do not mind his playful insults, and return fire with insults of the same caliber. Despite his outwardly conservative demeanor, he is (excepting his opinion of communism) quite moderate. His class is interesting, informative, and (if you behave politely) can involve amusing class discussions.

In conclusion, by taking this advice, you can avoid at least some of the “potholes” of the road of your IB experience, though undoubtedly everyone will experience other different problems in their International Baccalaureate education. I can assure all incoming juniors, though, as long as they keep trying their hardest, they will succeed/survive junior year.

Nicholas Piotrowski

 

Dear upcoming Junior,

To start off my letter I must first give the disclaimer that right now I am basically on the brink of a breakdown because of my seven upcoming IB/AP exams, the 300 journal questions I have to do this weekend, and the homework that many teachers continue to pile on even with AP tests so soon. With all this said, most of my experiences in IB have been great and I wouldn’t trade them for anything. However currently, I am not so much in love with school.

So, first and foremost, please learn from the stress that I am under. It is early May, the time when you pity your family for having to deal with you and the entire class has sunken eyes with a glazed over stare. As if a straight week of exams isn’t enough to deal with, nearly my entire class, me included, has put off around 300 journal questions since about Thanksgiving. Yes, we would like to say that these came out of nowhere and this dilemma is completely the fault of Ms. Smith. However, to be honest, we were given these journal questions little by little since Thanksgiving and we procrastinated. We all had the best of intentions, however, other assignments such as Fly Labs and History tests always seemed to be the priority. We all had the naïve hope that the journal questions would somehow just be forgotten. These journal questions have only exacerbated an already dreary situation. Just for kicks, I’ll give you the list I have made for this weekend: Trig Essay, 2 Psych choice assignments, Preliminary Outline for Extended, 300 Journal Questions, CAS forms, Study for AP Spanish, Study for AP history, Biology Extra Credit assignment, 2 practice AP Bio essays, and study for the math final. Thus, I am here at eleven o’clock on a Friday night trying to check a few items off my list. My point is, more than anything, do not wait to the last minute to do Journals. If you do, you will have as many sleepless nights as I am about to which will only add to the anticipation you feel about the AP exams.

Now I am going to give you a few hints about Goss. Goss was one of my favorite teachers this year. He really is a nice guy so long as you do things exactly the way he has done them for the past, oh, hundred or so years. The book you will (or will not) read out of is the same that he had in college. Thus, he has notes on the subjects on yellowing paper that looks like it might have come from the National Archives. Probably the most irritating part of Goss’s habitual nature is his extremely structured ideas about essays. At the beginning of the year, he will give you a sheet that has a list of “indicator words” on it. Never forget this paper. Although you would never actually do an essay on the AP exam as the IW says to, just regurgitate the information when asked. Goss will never change his mind about the IW paper, although we sort of distrust this paper as it uses “asses” in place of “assess.” A piece of advice for those who aren’t so keen on always reading the book, there is a blessed little site called coursenotes.org. This site has an outline of The American Pageant which can be read in place of the book and, if read well, can get you A’s and B’s on tests. Goss can be more flexible in other areas. For example, if you are grossly overworked and you stupidly chose to take Bio, feel free to ask Goss to move a test. He is really a good guy most of the time, as long as you approach him in a calm and rational way.

Alex Ellison

 

Junior year is almost over; for me, that is.  This year’s sophomores will experience the same things next year that I did this year.  Therefore, I am willing to give them a few hints and a little advice that might help them throughout their junior year in high school.  Undoubtedly, they will be a little nervous about all of their exams throughout the entire year, so I can give them a little advice for how to handle all of that stress.  Also, homework is a major issue during junior year, because everything is raised up a step.  Then, there’s always CAS hours to worry about.  Maybe a little advice will help get them started off on the right track, and help them stick it out through the whole year.

First, junior year starts off with all the horror stories about all the AP exams.  This will cause a ton of stress throughout the entire year because all the work you do during junior year builds up to those tests.  Being nervous is normal, and the exams should be taken seriously, but if you keep up with the work in all of your classes and make sure you get everything clarified that you don’t understand, there should be no problem.  Some classes are just naturally more difficult, such as Spanish.  Junior year is all about preparing for the AP test.  For some people, this idea is ridiculous because they do not have the previous knowledge to be up to an AP level at the moment, but try not to stress out about it.  As long as knowledge is gained throughout the year, instead of cramming at the last minute for all of the exams at once, next year’s juniors should be fine.  Stressing out is the worst thing to do, so they should try to find something to go back to that keeps them sane.

Also, junior year has a much larger homework issue.  In some classes, there is less homework than there was in previous years, such as math, but taking biology means homework every night that will take from the time you get home until you are ready to go to bed to complete.  I don’t think that some of the teachers realize that there are six other classes, each with their own homework and projects.  Although, these teachers wouldn’t care, so homework has to be done if one expects to make it through the 11th grade.  Juniors should just try to remember that there is only one year left, and all this work is just helping to get them prepared for all those exams at the end of the year.  As long as they don’t wait until the last minute to try to do everything at once, they should be fine managing the homework load.

Then, there is the issue of CAS hours.  CAS hours are a beneficial experience, both for the students and for their communities.  CAS hours get the students involved in activities that they would not usually involve themselves with.  Sometimes, these hours can be a burden, and sometimes challenging and annoying to get.  As long as you keep up with them and try not to do them all in a two-week period of time, they are actually no problem.  Yes, 150 hours seems a lot, but once you get started, those little two hours here and two hours there really begin to add up.  You will have those 150 before you know it.  Just try to remember that you are helping others out in the process of getting your IB diploma.

In conclusion, junior year is complete with stressful situations, but it goes by very quickly.  Later in life, all those all-nighters will seem like nothing.  The AP exams should be all right as long as you prepare for them throughout the entire year, instead of waiting until the last minute; the homework load is heavier, but believe me, it can be done; and CAS hours are not so bad.  Just keep in mind that after junior year, you have one more left in high school.  Some things are easy, and some are hard.  Just remember that life goes on, and it will be over before you know it.

Amber Spivey

 

Dear Friend,

Upon finishing my junior year, I would like to advise you about the classes you will be taking next year. All in all, the junior year of IB is full of stress and many fun times. I encourage you to put your best efforts forth to complete all of your assignments and make good grades.

In Trigonometry, I advise you to always do the homework because the 10 points add up and can really help your grade. If you do not have time to finish the homework assignment, you should definitely write the answers down out of the back of the book and you may receive 6 out of the 10 points. I only did this one time but the person who sat behind me did this on various occasions. Study for the tests and read the reviews online. They are usually pretty comical and a great review for the test. Take the portfolio assignments seriously because they are a part of your IB grade! Don’t sleep in class because Ms. Frisbie will talk about you and then you will wake up and be really lost because the class moves fast.

In AP Biology, I advise you to study really hard for the tests and always do the worksheets. Everyone complains about this class but, it really isn’t that bad and those people are just complainers. The worksheets are usually really long but they help a lot on the tests. Biology labs are super long and take a lot of time. You should definitely start them when you get them and finalize them the night before they are due. If you do your work and act right in class, you will do fine. Mrs. Kennon is a nice teacher if you actually get to know her.

In AP Spanish, listen to the teacher and read a Spanish newspaper occasionally. Don’t speak English all the time because it tends to make a teacher mad when you are in your fourth year of the class. Know your vocabulary words and study for all the tests. This class is not too difficult. Many people struggled in this class so study extra if it doesn’t come naturally to you.

In AP English, read all of the books and do your journal questions when she assigns them. Listen to the lessons she gives before reading the book because she likes to test you on the history and culture surrounding the era in which the book was written. Always write your vocabulary sentences and study a few minutes for the vocabulary quiz. If you are not good at memorizing vocabulary, you might want to study the night before.

In AP U.S. History, study for the standardized tests! These 150-point tests can be detrimental to your grade if you do not study. The workbook assignments are a good way to motivate you to read through the chapter before he lectures on that chapter. I typically slept in class or read the chapter while he was talking. This was only permitted because I sat in the back row and behind a tall person. So I advise that you take some notes if he is watching you. The tests are straight from the chapter and are fairly easy to pass if you actually read the chapter.

In AP Psychology, I advise that you do your work at your own pace and make use of your free time. Be nice to Mrs. New and don’t turn your work in too late. This is a fun class, so take advantage of the relaxed atmosphere and learn!

Have fun and learn lots so that you can pass all of your AP and IB exams!

Best wishes for your future,

Ashlea Loaring

 

Dear rising junior,

This will be your third year going into IB, and I know you’re probably already tired of it! Well, if you thought sophomore or freshmen years were hard, junior year will definitely change your opinion. This year will be filled with a bunch of all-nighters due to portfolios, journal questions and biology labs (that is if you take trigonometry or biology, I highly suggest not to take the latter). Make sure you have a stock of energy drinks and amazing friends to get you through this never-ending year!

I can give you plenty of advice, but the one that matters the most is don’t be a procrastinator. I know everyone is probably telling you the same thing or you all might have heard that procrastination is the IB way to go; well now you have a chance to change this unhelpful motto. Make sure you stay on top of your work and study for the tests. If you are planning on taking AP Statistics I advise you to study for the tests, because ultimately those tests determine your grade (statistics was my first and only C for a semester). Junior year will change your views on many aspects of your life (IB).

Also stay on top of your journal questions (I can’t stress that enough)! Because when Ms. Smith finally tells you the due date, you will live in HE double hockey sticks till they are due (after pulling several all-nighters). In trigonometry make sure you take notes, notes are good and they’re your friends when you have a notebook quiz! The courses are hard; I promise you’ll adjust.

Well enough about the bad stuff of junior year let’s think positive! This is the year you will get very close to your class. You will all be on MySpace the night before a big assignment is due. You will have many “hook-ups” and fights, but you’ll love them (and if you don’t, you might want to consider to do something about it because you’ll have one more year with them). The teachers this year are also amazing, you will call, e-mail, go to eat with them at Moe’s (Gary Goss), and visit them at their houses multiple times during the year (I promise it isn’t weird or awkward). This is your “first” year as a real IB student, live it up, have fun, but make sure you study!

From someone who cares and feels for you,

Chandni Patel

P.S. this year most of you guys also get your license!!

 

Dear Friend,

This past year at IB has been very interesting to say the least. There’s been a lot of work to do, but a lot of knowledge that has been acquired as well. New relationships have been developed and we have all grown up a little bit. To do your best next year, you need to know a few things. First of all, avoid procrastination at all costs. If you want to make your life easier, finish assignments when you get them so you don’t have that last second rush. Just remember, sleep is your best friend; without it you won’t feel like doing any work and you’ll find yourself in a huge hole. Get sleep! That is seriously the most important thing I have found that will help you in school.

As you know, I’ve also had a job this year so make sure to use your time wisely. Like I said before, if you can get sleep then you will have plenty of energy to keep things in order. Some potentially life-saving advice is to avoid unreasonable women. I’m not talking about teachers or anything, or even friends really, but mostly about the girls you go after. They will leave you disappointed and will always be wanting more of your time, money, and effort. Unreasonable women don’t seem to understand that you need to sleep or that you have a job and school and play sports. They will most likely want attention so just watch out, I’m saving you tons of trouble here. Reasonable women are perfectly fine and tend to be very understanding. These are the women who are good for your life and it is highly advisable that you seek out women from this specimen.

My last bit of advice is to find someone you can trust in IB, and get through knowing that they’re getting through too. Having a best friend or even someone you can talk to is very helpful, as it is a constant motivator and a great source of encouragement. You’ll see many of the Bartow kids with no homework and easy lives which can sometimes be discouraging so this person will help you face all of the tough IB obstacles. The hardest of these will be the math portfolios and English journals, so always have a trusted friend to talk to.

Well before I go, I figure that I oughta divulge my true feelings about IB. I’m moving over the summer so I don’t have to do IB anymore. Honestly, I think that it’s a total waste of time and energy and you do not get nearly as much out of it as you put into it. Living in North Lakeland, it’s 40 minutes to school. Add to that a job, and now spring football, and there’s no time. I’m smart enough to get into college and my parents did it the traditional way so I know it can be done. This is supposed to be a fun time of your life, and I want stories to tell my kids, not about how I did homework. So if you need a reason why I haven’t been doing as well in school there you have it. IB takes the fun out of learning and honestly makes you hate school. You’ll always be outperformed by those that try harder, which is annoying, because who really cares about stupid things like theory of knowledge. Plus, journal questions and math portfolios are bogus, they are dumb and a huge waste of time. Basically, I say go look at my SAT and ACT scores and that’ll tell you how smart I am, not stupid grades in a school I don’t care about. IB is like college in high school, and I say why rush life, why go through college in high school? Life is not about money or success, shoot. I’d rather have a good, healthy family with plenty of stories to tell than work all my life to try to be successful and never succeed. Don’t get me wrong, I’m going to work in life, I’m not saying all of this because I think I’m going to coast through life, but what I’m saying is that IB is not worth it. It takes up your life if you let it, and honestly, I never have. I’ve never tried all that hard. Oh, well. When the valedictorian of a class can be president of 20 clubs and get 5s on all AP tests and can’t get into Ivy League schools, you have to wonder if it’s worth it. If I could do it over I would never have come. Simply put, IB is for people who like studying. So if you like school and like studying and like working hard, then IB is no doubt the place for you. But if you’re like me, then don’t even bother. You’ll end up hating school and learning and become lazier than ever. And plus, there are barely any pretty girls at IB anyways.

Your Friend,

David Stark

 

IB in junior year is definitely a lot more challenging than I was expecting it to be. As everyone says “junior year is your worst year.” I was stupid enough to underestimate what they were saying. I suppose that all in all this year has brought our class closer as a family and taught me the importance of not procrastinating. I’ve learned more in these past 8 months than I ever have before (which I suppose counts for something) and really felt like my teachers knew what they were talking about for once. The best advice I can give is to not procrastinate and really try your best in everything you do.

As you begin your junior year, you will begin to see the immense changes in your curriculum. Trig portfolios from Ms. Frisbie, Bio labs from Mrs. Kennon, and Oral Assessments with Ms. Smith begin to consume your life and time and make you feel as if there’s no way out. Despite how you might feel at the time, it is possible to complete it all and do well on what you’ve worked on. Many days, you feel like even if you were to pull an all-nighter you wouldn’t be able to get it all done or at least not to the satisfaction of yourself or your teacher. The key is to not procrastinate. It’s very tempting when you’ve been working for 5 hours and you have that one assignment that isn’t due for another week and all you want to do is sleep, but the truth is that just getting it done will make your life better in the long run. It doesn’t get easier, only harder. So not doing it when you actually have the time to do so is just going to end up biting you in the butt later on. Although it feels overwhelming and like a never-ending cycle of homework, labs, projects, and AP practices, the truth is that your teachers do know what they’re doing and if you do the things you’re given when they’re assigned, your life will end up being a lot easier. Regardless, those sleepless nights will come and those emotional breakdowns full of tears and hopelessness will continually come and go, but in the end you’ll realize you’re still alive and you’ve made it this far. The biggest assignment I could ever suggest not procrastinating on would be Ms. Smith’s journal questions. Those things are beastly and take more time than you’d think. Although she assigns them as you go through the books and poems, you have so much other stuff to do you blow it off and then when you get the week’s notice for the due date, all’s over and you feel like your life and freedom are coming to an end. Definitely put your heart into all you do and keep a’going when the going gets tough.

In addition to not procrastinating, which is oh so appealing at times, my other advice would be to really put forth your best effort in everything you do. Everyone’s excuse becomes, “It’s IB” and “I have too much other stuff to do” when they copy each other’s homework or try to finish a big assignment during lunch or just put down random answers for the Bio worksheets. The truth is, that isn’t an excuse. Regardless of how much you have to do, you should never lower your standards for an assignment and just “write stuff down.” Putting 110% into everything you do is what I feel is part of the reason you’re actually in this program. If you were just a slacker like everyone else, you wouldn’t be in one of the most rigorous high school programs there is getting one of the best educations you can get. In all honesty, you can put forth that extra effort and can do the work. The key is not to put yourself in a slump by (point A) procrastinating. All in all, I believe that everyone is capable of making A’s and B’s and attaining “above average” grades. People make their excuses about not having time or just not caring, but they do care or else they wouldn’t be here. You really can do it; it’s very possible. Without even trying to or even believing I was up to the task, I made it into the top 10 and I’m now tied for number 8 in the class rank. How did I get there? I did my work, studied my butt off, and didn’t just sit around and complain about the workload we had when I could just shut up and do it. Was I surprised when I got there? Heck yeah, I was. I wasn’t expecting it for a moment but that goes to show you what a bunch of hard work can do.

At this point in your time in IB (junior year that is), you really start to realize what you’ve gotten yourself into and how much you’ve actually learned in the program. Life begins to be reality and you come to find how lucky you are to have this education, even if it feels like it’s strangling you to death at times. The IB program (and especially junior year) might be rigorous and test your endurance, but I firmly believe that in the long run, it will all be worthwhile and you won’t look back with regrets.

Erin Walker

 

Poor soul entering the depths of… I mean fellow student,

I am here to impart to you some advice I have gathered from the past school year at IB @ BHS.  Some may say junior year is the hardest of them all, but don’t be fooled.  If there’s one thing I’ve learned at this school, it’s that every year gets progressively worse than the previous.  On a more serious note though, I feel there are some things you might find beneficial when dealing with the courses you will encounter this upcoming school year.

The one thing deadlier than cancer, car wrecks, heart disease, and Mad Max films combined is one single word:  procrastination. Don’t let the pro fool you, procrastination will leave you in a world of hurt.  You will put homework and projects off until the last minute, you will pull all nighters on Trig portfolios and journal questions, and you will survive that following day by consuming dangerous amounts of caffeine and sugar.  Don’t be alarmed though, because procrastination is a fundamental step in learning how to cope with the IB criteria you will be faced with.

To survive through the junior year, you must hone your time management skills.  When you receive your schedule, study it carefully.  Pray (or change your schedule) for the easiest classes in the mornings, so you won’t be scrutinized for being exactly on time, or for forgetting to finish your assignments.  These early classes will find you dozing off to sleep (from lack of sleep) or chattering with your friends about the previous day’s activities.  Keep a sharp eye on the last three classes of the day, for these will be the classes in which you can maneuver your time around.  All homework assignments in these classes will be completed during lunch.  As for the pre-lunch classes, you will be subject to finishing the homework in a timely fashion, be it either the day before or the period before it is due.  The spare time between getting out of bed and leaving for school is also valuable homework time.  I have found this especially helpful since I drive to school and can afford to leave at varying times for school. In regard to tests and quizzes, I will pass on this advice:  studying what you can at home is great, but the most profitable study session is the last 10 minutes of the period before the class of the test.  The time Channel One and YJP consume also permits additional study time for 3rd and 4th.

Now for the individual classes:

English Lit —  Try to read all the assigned books, as many of us have found this to be detrimental to our grades in that class; Mrs. Smith is ruthless when it comes to book quizzes and tests.  The weekly vocab studies will be a godsend to your grade, assuming you complete the sentences and learn the spellings and meanings for the quiz every Friday.  Take special care when it comes to your internal assessment, as there is a noticeable difference between a thought-out plan and an improvisation.  Don’t be scared of the IB orals either!  They go by in a flash and Mrs. Smith is outstanding at preparing the class for all the material. As a side note, any kind of candy or talk about Southern traditions will get you brownie points, because Mrs. Smith holds these closest to her heart (save her family).

Trig/Analytical Geometry — You will regret the day you piss Ms. Frisbie off (and you will multiple times), because she owns you at everything.  I truly believe she knows 99% of everything, and I’m not being facetious.  The homework assignments aren’t bad at all, because Frisbie does a thorough job of explaining the material at hand.  She is also kind enough to pass out handy assignment sheets that show the schedule of assignments and tests that occur every grading period.  Try not to forget homework assignments in order to boost your grade with 10 extra credit points you will receive for turning in your late passes.

Art – Piekarski’s art class is the most unique class you will find on campus.  The creative atmosphere of the classroom relieves the stress caused by academics.  Unlike the first two years of art, Pie gives you a much broader base for assignments, so you will be able to explore subjects of interest, which lead to much more meaningful works.  Another aspect of this class that I love is the time we take to order and consume food from Jackets To You.

American History – I hope you’re a staunch conservative (I guess you are if you’re my friend), because Mr. Goss has no mercy on “those Pukin’ Pinko Commies.”  Try not to sit in the first 3 rows unless you enjoy getting drenched in saliva.  Sometimes you will question Goss’s reasoning behind his obscure grading techniques, but in the end you will love him for it.  He enjoys passing out ridiculously hard worksheets that you will toil for hours over and still receive a mediocre grade on.  Nonetheless, by reading the Amsco book and studying chapter notes, you will get a decent grade on his tests.  Do not read from The American Pageant.

French – Is extremely hard and extremely boring.  You will do all your French assignments in other classes or during lunch the day they’re due.  The best way to fight off sleep in that class is by stabbing yourself with a sharp pencil on the palm of your hand, or biting your tongue.  Expect half the class to be absent.

Physics – Buy the IB Physics book off Amazon as soon as possible.  You will have a great deal of fun in Webb’s class and will feel utter pity for those in Biology.  You will quickly learn that entire Physics labs are shorter than the opening paragraph of a Biology lab.  In short, Physics labs are measured in hours; Biology labs are measured in days.

Stats – Coming from the sophomore class, you have already experienced Naki.  Therefore you shouldn’t be surprised to find that he assigns a lot of homework.  The wonderful thing about the class though (like Trig) is that you review the work in order to better comprehend the material and all the questions are usually answered.  Don’t fret over a 70 C on a test.  They come and go as does your grade if you don’t study.

Theory of Knowledge – Everybody loves Guice, because he is a great person.  After a few weeks of class, you will pick up on his subtle sarcasm that he uses on everybody.  If you think you know an answer to one of his questions, he has 5 other answers to refute your claim.  Homework is reserved for essays and all worksheets are completed at school and in class.  Make sure to relieve yourself before entering this class, otherwise you will be “peeing in the corner.”

So my fellow IBer, I hope you take my advice to heart and enjoy your junior year.

Graham Foreman

 

Dear future junior,

One day you will become a junior like I am now, and you may possibly follow the path I have taken.  Although you may think it wise to go that way, you could have gone the right way.  So I’m going to leave a few notes to lead you to the right road.

Firstly, you should do well throughout the year.  Work very hard all year long.  You might work your best at the beginning of the year, then decide you can slack off during your second semester.  Don’t do it.  You should not be awesome the first half of the year, and then stop, because your grade will not keep up.  So, be awesome all year long.

Secondly, you may hear it constantly, but no one actually makes it a habit: not procrastinating.  This applies to journal questions, or essays or portfolios.  Especially if you choose to damn yourself to hell with biology, it is definitely not wise to put off any assignment of notable size.  I haven’t found journal questions especially difficult, but a number of them are time-consuming.  Also, it is possible to forget key points mentioned during class, key points that you will need to answer those abnormal questions.

Thirdly, choose your science wisely.  If you know you’re going to brush assignments off, you shouldn’t choose biology.  This is also why I chose physics.  Not only consider the workload, but I also think you should consider your interest in that science or if it will be helpful to your planned career choice.  Note: physics is a nice science and it’s not necessarily a slacker’s science, but think about buying a book for self-study.

Again, the three major points I present you: [1] being awesome all year, [2] keeping the beat, and [3] being smart about science.

Jessica Ren

P.S. Although it’s a pain and really stupid, read your history book when you’re supposed to, or even before you’re supposed to.

 

Dear Friend,

After completing the Junior year of IB, I have much advice to give, in terms of managing school, sports, and a reasonable social life.  First off, sleep as much as possible, outside of class.  This is most definitely one of the most important pieces of advice I have to give.  A lack of sleep will cause primal instinct to take over, and for an IB student, that number one priority is usually sleep.  More on that later.  In my letter to you, I shall prove that sleep is yours to lose, and not your teachers’ to take.

In school, I really would not recommend taking biology if you procrastinate.  I believe that procrastinators cannot help what they do; it is a sickness that must be dealt with.  So, if you procrastinate, do not take biology.  It is not an easy class and will not lead to an easy A, or B for that matter.  Also, do your work when it is due.  In that, I mean don’t turn work in late as it will cause you a lot more trouble when you are doing it, as helpful classmates will not be able to answer your questions.  Be nice to your classmates and to your teacher.  They can and will help you if you try to be cooperative.  Everything else, don’t take so seriously, and that includes your grades.  If you think of your teacher independent of your grades that generally will cause you to be more friendly and witty to them, and in turn will help them get to know you.  This is important; my mom always says don’t burn your bridges, and as I get older and older, I see more and more wisdom in this remark.  But, you can only be a pleasant person if you are alert and more importantly, awake.  So don’t procrastinate if you can help it… if not, avoid biology.

In sports, play aggressively and with reckless abandon.  I never fully understood that saying, but do it, coaches like that.  Also, hustle and have a positive attitude.  But, under no circumstances can you take crap from anyone.  Especially if you have an apparently “hot” sister and you care about her.  What you do on the field translates to how people treat you, at least outside of the classroom.

Finally, be nice to everyone, as mentioned before, because… well, I guess why not?  Everyone deserves a chance, and anyone you like may even require multiple chances.  Forgive, don’t forget, but don’t hold a grudge either.  Don’t get mad, get even, and eventually everything will work out how it is suppose to.  And try not to sacrifice your sleep talking to a girl or checking out myspace pages.  The myspace pages will be there tomorrow.  But, do have a myspace, as it provides instant connection and contact, as well as information.  And not just socially, but also school related.  I think the technological world is moving toward that direction, both socially and scholastically.  The whole idea of a “profile” can say a lot about an individual.  Oh, and one more thing…do not, under any circumstances, try to talk to more than one girl at once.  A, it won’t work out… B, they will find out… C, girls are scheming and they will take revenge (good principle though, don’t get mad, get even).  And if you do happen to make mistakes with the opposite sex, learn from them, and act upon your findings.  If you don’t have to mess up to learn, all the better.  My dad always told me that intelligent people learn from their mistakes, while geniuses learn from the mistakes of others.  I believe this doctrine, but live your life and enjoy it, too.  Don’t always take the advice of others because only you know yourself the best.  “Stay true to yourself”… cliché, overused, but one of the most important pieces of advice one could savor and act upon.

In the end, you’re going to live how you want to, so make good decisions about what you know about yourself.  Enjoy life, but don’t live so outrageously that you regret your actions.  Learn from your mistakes and don’t take anyone or anything too seriously.

Sincerely,

John Mahoney

 

To all juniors + Cheyenne:

First and foremost this year has been in some ways very difficult and in others quite easy.  I suppose the junior year in IB differs for each student in both academics and extracurricular components, but there were ups and downs throughout the whole year for me.  This knowledge I wish to pass on to my oncoming juniors (especially Cheyenne — she’s my favorite sophomore). Anyway there are important decisions that are coming up soon for sophomores and my experience and that of other juniors is essential to making the right choices for next year.

Obviously there is a choice of math for the sophomores moving up.  There are two choices; math SL and math studies.  I chose the better of the two, future-wise as opposed to workload-wise? This means that while trig is a better class for my future, the other class would’ve been way easier on my workload.  Also I have never heard a math analysis student complain of their test grade, while I continually fail on mine — this is not to say that trig is especially difficult because many of my peers have no qualms with it, and yet I suck.  Oh well, students must choose based on their math ability. (P.S. Do not finish Frisbie’s sentences for her — she is way smarter than you. She went to Princeton, remember? Where are you going to college? That’s what I thought. Shut up.) Also Naki lies when he says that Statistics is an easy course… do not fall prey to his deceit.  I barely scraped an 80 B and that was with all my effort. Do not trust Asians.

Also there is a choice of Sciences for the next 2 years. Do not choose Chem! I didn’t take it but all of the people who did hate themselves for it now.  But the Biology kids also want to kill themselves because of the Kennon Bio workload!!!  They envy us Physics kids now, but they won’t when they pass their IB/AP tests and we don’t. First of all, physics kids have a new teacher who had no IB (smart kid) or AP teaching experience at all. As long as my IB/AP test is completely vectors I will pass with flying colors, otherwise I’m dead. This made my junior year more fun and with less to worry about, but when I’m dying in my exams next year my “good choice” will not seem so good.

My last bit of advice would have to be that you shouldn’t let yourselves get caught up in drama, even though there will inevitably be a lot of it.  Don’t get your heart broken — it will affect your grades.  Don’t take good teachers for granted, they are there for you (especially Ms. Frisbie —she’s at the school 24/7!). Make sure that Señora signs you up for the AP test early…or else she won’t.  Don’t talk Politics in the Art room; Pie will tell you to “shut up” and that your views are “stupid.”  In history don’t sit in the corners of the room like Molly and I; you will invariably fall asleep every day and then Goss will like you a little less (therefore no breaks on late work).  Be nice and listen to Mr. Guice — he’s pretty much awesome at being a person and he is a really good listener himself (plus he likes softball and came to a game!). Finally, get Mr. Webb talking about space and you have the class period to yourself. At least it helps with homework time management. And DO YOUR JOURNAL QUESTIONS!!! Later, you will regret not doing them right away… I promise.

Kat Black

 

Dear Soon-To-Be-Junior,

This past year, I have found myself hating my school at times and loving it at others. This extreme attitude fluctuation can occur monthly, weekly, daily, and even class-ly at times. I hope that these few bits of advice will help you experience a plethora (do Ms. Smith’s vocabulary work…it’s an easy grade booster) of “I love my school” days, and less of the “I want to give up” days.

My first bit of advice: Do not take biology unless you have a serious passion for the subject. This may sound cheesy, but I am convinced that it was a mistake for me to take the class. It is a great class, but it’s so much work that if you aren’t headed for a career in which you will utilize the knowledge, it gets to the point where it seems a bit absurd if you don’t absolutely love what you’re learning. If you think you’ll love it because you got an A freshman year, or because you love Mrs. Kennon, you’re mistaken. It’s just a lot to take in and it requires a whoooole lot of work, and because of all that needs to get done before AP time, it moves very quickly. Mrs. Kennon has probably told you guys that, but it didn’t really sink in for me when I heard it from her. So, if you are amazed by photosynthesis, cellular respiration, diffusion, osmosis, plant parts, mitosis, meiosis, each system of the human body, and about fifteen other topics that the course covers, I recommend that you take biology. If not, it would be wise for you to look towards another science.

Secondly, do not shut yourself off from Mr. Goss because his political speeches drive you crazy. He’s a really nice guy and a great teacher. It took me the whole first semester to realize this because his Democrat jokes frustrated me greatly and I automatically assumed that I was destined to be miserable in his class. The jokes won’t stop, and you’ll hear the phrase “hug a tree” at least three times a week for the whole year, but don’t let your disagreements get in the way of respect. Just having a better attitude helped me to do so much better in his class, and made things much easier. Also, if you look past politics, chances are that you will get along with Mr. Goss.

Finally, do your journal questions second semester! The first semester set was truly all right to cram into the last minute, because I wasn’t swamped with AP studying and last-minute end of the year problems. The second semester set is much larger and there’s just so much going on that journal questions for books that you read six months ago seem downright pointless. And the matter of the fact is that you can avoid all of this. You will think you’re busy first semester, but let me tell you… just wait! There are too many other things that are too important at the end of the year. Do yourself a favor, and work on journal questions throughout the year. After you read the book, do the questions. I told myself I was going to, but didn’t, and I’ve regretted that every day for the last week. You will want (and need) your time to study for finals and AP exams. The last thing you will want to do is your English journal.

Good Luck!

Kelley Godfrey

 

Dear Sophomore,

Looking back on the past year, there is a lot of advice I can offer you. Overall, there’s just a few things that can be said in general: try your hardest to not procrastinate, study, do your homework, take notes, and try not to miss school or get behind in your work. This is the year when most of the grades start slipping, so it’s important to keep up with everything. But you still have to remember to have fun, and have a social life. Also, remember that you and your IB class are going through the same problems (stress, homework, etc.) and it’s always good to work together and help each other.

First let’s start with Mr. Goss’s AP United States history class. I would definitely advise you to read the Amsco (the smaller book of the two) that he gives you, to prepare for his tests. Also, get ready for lame jokes and the phrases “pinko commie pig” or “your mother’s left handed.” Oh, and you can’t forget the adjective “puking” as it will become part of your everyday vocabulary (whether you like it or not). But in general, his class is pretty entertaining and yet, still educational.

Next is Ms. Smith’s AP English — one of the easier classes on your schedule. Most importantly for her class, make sure you take notes whenever and on whatever possible! They are actually helpful and she will test you on them. Oh, and you might not want to lose them, or lend them to someone irresponsible because they’re helpful for your oral at the end of the year and for your senior English class, I’ve been told. Not only do you need the notes, you might actually want to read the books too. I know in Sophomore year you could slide by not reading them, but this year… you have the dreaded orals for which reading the books are just slightly helpful. Speaking of the orals, they are not extremely terrible… just make sure you prepare yourself well for them, really well. But in the end, Ms. Smith’s class (despite the orals) is good, especially when you have breakfast/lunch feasts during class. She’s a pretty amazing teacher, but watch out… she growls.

Another class, if you choose it, like I did…is AP Biology with Mrs. Kennon. You’ve all had her before so you know how she is, although she does lighten up in certain areas your junior year. Take notes, take notes, take notes! Although, most of them are not helpful on your homework or tests. But, they are pretty good notes to prepare for the AP exam. Also, try not to miss any class time… especially on lab days and when it comes to the Drosophila lab, do not procrastinate on it or you’ll be up to three in the morning doing it (which is not fun). Do all your homework to the fullest, because you will need the points in her class most likely. Good luck with this class, you’ll need it.

The next two classes are trigonometry and AP Spanish. In trig, you definitely need to take notes (they’re pretty helpful for the notebook quizzes) and doing your homework pays off on the tests. Also, another major thing are the portfolios. I suggest that you don’t wait till the night before to start it otherwise you better pretty much prepare yourself for an all-nighter. The portfolios are probably the hardest part of the course so take your time and do well on them. Also, if you’re having trouble on anything, talk to Ms. Frisbie — she’s always willing to help. As for AP Spanish, listen to her lectures during class, take notes, study, and do your homework! — all the usual advice. You may even want to get a tutor if you know Spanish is not your best subject because if you don’t your grades probably won’t be what you want them to.

As for your elective classes — they will save you! I suggest something that will be a “break” for you during the day and something you’ll enjoy. I ended up taking chorus as my half-year elective this year… and it was the relaxing moment of my day (especially knowing I wouldn’t get homework). It’s up to you what you choose, but make it a wise choice… because it is an elective — it should be fun!  After Christmas break your elective will switch to TOK (theory of knowledge), which is also a “relaxing” class. But, keep up on your work (the worksheets and essays mostly)… cause you can get way behind fast. Mr. Guice is a pretty hilarious and understanding teacher — he’ll be one of your favorites, I’m sure of it.

Well, I hope this letter will help you in your Junior year, and good luck! Do your best!

Kristen Reecer

 

Dear Incoming IB Juniors,

If you think last year was hard, there’s a rude awakening awaiting you. What you’ve heard is true; Junior year is by far the most difficult year of schooling you will encounter up to this point in your life. But, it’s not impossible.

First and foremost, procrastination is not an enemy if you turn it into time management. For example, let’s say one night you have a biology lab to do and a history test for which to study. Do the biology lab at home and then study for the test on the bus. This will avoid pulling an all-nighter. Besides, sleeping on the bus is impossible with the horrible shocks those things have. But, this way, you procrastinated and still finished everything. It’s a beautiful thing. Also, you probably will do well on the history test because everything will still be fresh in your mind. Ta-dah! Procrastination can be your friend.

You’re going to feel like the weight of the world is on your shoulders, especially if you take both Mrs. Kennon’s class and Ms. Frisbie’s class. It’s all right; labs and portfolios really aren’t that hard. The times when a portfolio, a lab, and journal questions for Ms. Smith are due will be one of the worst weeks of your life. You’ll probably ask someone to kill you, just make sure you do it as a joke. Suicide and murder are bad. You might feel like you never do anything but homework. At this point, it’s probably true. But, just think about how easy college will be in comparison and how good that 4.0+ will look on applications!

Do a sport. At the very least, it will be a stress reliever. But, it will also introduce you to new, non-IB people. It will force you to manage your time better and will help you finish those CAS hours early. No lie, CAS is pretty much the devil. But, if you take advantage of every opportunity to get a few hours here and there, you will be able to do a majority of it your junior year when you have far less exams and such about which to worry.

The best piece of advice I can give you is to keep your friends close to you. You’ll want to let off steam sometimes, and that’s okay, but don’t ostracize yourself from the people who have helped you get through the last two years. When it’s all said and done, your friends are more important than a five on an AP test. Don’t let tests and homework get you down; you don’t need 7 hours to study for a Trigonometry final. Spend two hanging out with your friends and you’ll feel more relaxed when you go to actually start cramming studying.

As for your teachers, here are some tidbits about the ones I had this year:

Gary Goss – He’s the most passionate teacher I’ve ever met. Call him a pinko commie and don’t try and fight about points he takes off for stuff; you won’t win.

Deborah Kennon – If she’s in a bad mood, just stay quiet. If you’re in a bad mood, just stay quiet. Do the work. Use her notes to study, although they usually won’t help on homework assignments. Again, don’t fight about points. You will not win.

Sharon Smith – She’s a sweetheart. Be nice to her and she’ll be nice to you. Participate in class and she’ll love you even more. Don’t make her sign late CAS forms if you can. Her book tests are usually ridiculous, but if you do the vocab, it will be okay.

Anthony Piekarski – He’s awesome. He knows more about everything than you think he does. He’s really understanding, but don’t take advantage of him. He knows when you are, and then he won’t be in such a good mood.

Peggy Frisbie – She could teach a rock how to do math. Do the homework, don’t sleep in class, and you will do well. Also, the online reviews are really helpful. I didn’t discover this until 3-D vectors.

Chris Guice – Listen to him; he’s really funny. Theory of Knowledge is a hard class to teach. Don’t get behind on the worksheets or else it’ll backfire horribly.

Señora Laurent – You won’t have her for Spanish, but she’s amazing.

Good luck!

Marian Maloney

 

Dear Upcoming Juniors,

Congratulations on making it through your second year of IB, well Pre-IB at least. Now the real fun begins. If you are here because you want to make the most out of high school and be prepared for college, you have the right attitude; if you are here because your parents made you, I suggest really evaluating if IB is the place for you.  If you thought reading one chapter from your World History book and studying for a test on quadratic equations for Naki’s class was difficult, well then you are in for a bigger treat my friend. I’m sure you have already chosen your science to take for your junior and senior year, but beware…choose wisely. I chose biology (I know, what was I thinking?); if you did, too, then be prepared to work. Mrs. Kennon is tough, demands nothing but the best out of her students and expects you to be a hard worker. This is fair, I mean, it is IB after all. Junior year is a gigantic leap from what you have been doing the last 2 years, so be ready.

If you chose to take an extra AP class as your elective during your sophomore year, then you made a good choice. It will help you grow more accustomed to the AP testing situation because most of you in your junior year will have 5 AP exams, and 2 IB exams. If you take psychology, it is an easy class, the work has no real due date, and it’s easy bookwork. But don’t take advantage of Mrs. New, she’s really nice in allowing the workload to be so much lighter. I never read a single chapter or ever studied outside of that class and still got an A. But, make sure you do study throughout the year because like me, in one week, you’ll find yourself scared to death because your AP psychology exam and IB psychology papers are near, and you aren’t prepared.

Take Math Methods, the trigonometry/analytical geometry, and Calculus math classes with Mrs. Frisbie. I was never a math person, but she has shown me how to learn to like math. She is extremely helpful when you have a question about your portfolio and when you e-mail her, she responds usually within 10 minutes, it’s amazing! One major thing to remember is do NOT procrastinate. I know you’ve heard this a million times already, but it is so true. When your portfolio for trig is due tomorrow, it’s a good idea if you don’t start on it at midnight because you won’t ever get it done. I am lucky because I’m one of the select few who doesn’t have a procrastinating problem, but it’s no fun to see my classmates pull all-nighters and be literally dead the next day.

I’m not going to bore you much longer, but here are a few helpful hints I wish someone had told me.

Type up the biology labs ASAP, Mrs. Kennon is telling the truth when she says read the lab before it is done in class.

If you have a question, ask. Mrs. Cavanaugh is wonderful for helping with any question anytime.

If you need extra help because you aren’t getting the tone of the passage from The Scarlet Letter, or the correct function to type in your calculator, ask your teacher. They are there to help you.

Do your journal questions as soon as they are given. Enough said.

Most of all, enjoy high school. I know we’ve chosen a path more rigorous than the average high school student, but don’t forget to have fun because you can never get these moments back.

Make the most of your high school experience and good luck with all your endeavors!

Meagan Bailey (Class of 2008)

 

Dear your name here,

It has come to my attention that you are in dire need of advice and guidance for the year to come and courses you will take. Since I have been through all of these, out of the kindness of my heart and also for my Trig and Analytic Geometry final, I have decided to be that guiding hand to your still naive and fragile mind. To begin Trig is a great class to take the math is not as bad as it may seem, there is little homework, and the material is usually easy to grasp. The one thing I had trouble with was probability. Although it seems like an easy concept now, it will no longer be when it comes to binomials. So be prepared. If you have come to the decision to take Biology as your science class next year, I advise you to stop to reflect on the life you have now. Do you still have somewhat of a life? Do you enjoy many after school activities? Do you have full when you’re not doing homework? Do you value your free time? If the answers to these are yes, imagine that all of that has gone and been lost in the abyss. Now I ask you, do you still want to take Bio? To be positive it is a very interesting class, as well as stressful, but it has its benefits. That’s where the positive thoughts end.

On a lighter note, if you are not in art, you will have psychology. Now have no fear, Mrs. New is here. She is a fantastic teacher who you will come to appreciate more than you have any other before. Psychology is just easy subject matter; you will understand and leave with a strong sense of knowing that knowledge. If you are in French, I now warn thee that the good days are over. The walks, the food, the silly songs, or any songs for that matter are of the past. Now you will have Mrs. Dietert, there will be no games, no fun, only work. It will continue bell to bell. I advise thee not to get cocky and think you have the language down by the time the AP test comes around. If you do so and do not head my warning you will find yourself at a loss of words, loss of hope, and a loss of AP credit at the end of the year. In other words, it will suck. Do not take the days with Mr. Lenker for granted. They were and are the happiest times of French you will ever have. Oh, and you will absolutely love TOK, love Mr. Guice, and love the work in his class due to the reason that there isn’t much of it. There will be times where you find yourself asking yourself, “What am I doing here?” and be very afraid, but these are all delusions that your mind has created due to your regular workaholic ways. This will be a long overdue experience for you; embrace it.

Mr. Goss will become your new best friend. U.S. history, although I have yet to master the art of remembering the dates, is quite interesting. Make the best of the time you have in class and make an effort to participate, even when it may have nothing to do with the subject; this could lead to bigger and more intellectual conversations that can only be had in the presence of Mr. Goss. The proceedings in Mrs. Smith’s class are quite different from those of Mrs. Hardee. She is quite a colorful person. Be sure to ask her to growl for you. You shall see. Overall you will enjoy the readings and just read them all. Quit being lazy and taking the shortcuts, they won’t help in the end. And for all of the chocolate covered cherries in the world I could not find it within me to do my journals, instead I procrastinated as it is quite famously done among the IB students. Do not, I repeat, do not do this. It is not a good idea. Let’s leave it at, if you don’t, you die. Don’t take this lightly.

To resume, I hope that this has been of benefit to you and that you have come to have a clear understanding of what lies ahead. Do get worried, it is only new material, new people, new classes; unlike anything you ha   ve seen before. Ok, well enjoy

Sincerely your friend,

Tatiana White

 

Well, I’ve gotten through a year of Trig, so anyone can. Still, for all my friends who are finishing Algebra II, I’m sure a few tips would be appreciated. Most advice I can give is pretty much common sense, like take notes, stay awake in class. I had some trouble with this, but you seriously should stay awake and pay attention. I also have to stress how important it is to not panic, especially Asami. Relax! Panicking doesn’t get anything done, and it could hinder you from being able to think or concentrate.

As far as work goes, the homework helps infinitely. The work we do really sums up every part of the lesson very well, and even if you don’t understand something after class, if you look at the examples in the book and try, you should not have a problem with the work. If you still don’t get it, it is necessary to ask about it the next day. Don’t be afraid to ask because you don’t want to look stupid; you need to know this stuff. Also, unless you have a really good memory, notes are essential. Write down equations and rules in particular. And don’t lose any handouts with equations on them. They can be really useful later on, like when finals roll around.

As for tests and large assignments, notes can be your biggest friend. Again, unless you have a really good memory, notebook quizzes will be mean. Also, when studying, find a place you can concentrate, don’t work on other work at the same time, like say, English, or you will have trouble remembering the math part. Really, who need English? I dusn’t, it useless. Well… anyway, it would be annoying to be remembering an equation and think, y = x(past participle), wait, dang it!

Also, everyone’s heard it, everyone says it: Don’t procrastinate on portfolio assignments! You could be in for a mean night if you do, no an EVIL night, double capital. Anyway, overall, just relax, try hard, and you’ll be fine.

Daniel Buey

 

I have just completed my freshman year at IB. While most of my classes were fairly easy, there were a few that were challenging. First off, I have been taking high level math since 4th grade. This has never really been difficult for me until this year. I struggled more than usual, even though I still came out with good grades in the end. I think this may have been because I was not exposed to the same styles of teaching and the stronger background that they received in math from Mr. Nakamura. The only thing that really was helpful was that Ms. Frisbie has a gift of communicating with people. She can say the same thing in 5 different ways so that 5 different minds can comprehend it. However, I would not recommend taking trigonometry in freshmen year like I did because it is quite stressful and that stress on top of the adjustment to new friends and IB is at times very overwhelming. Even now as I study for my final I realize I am working twice as hard as many other kids in my class who sleep their way through Mr. Garrison’s class and still get an A.

The aspect of freshmen year that made it most frustrating was my sciences. No matter what teachers will say, I know from experience that Biology 1st semester and Earth Space Science 2nd semester is much harder than Earth Space 1st and Biology 2nd . As luck would have it I got the harder course situation and let me tell you it was truly “suckful” as some may say. The Biology teacher, Ms. Kennon, makes 1st semester work very hard just because she’s fresh and willing to do so. By the times she gets to 2nd semester she is tired and not willing to work as hard and she has warmed up to the freshmen and therefore doesn’t feel the need to torture them as much. On the other hand, the Earth Space teacher Ms. Longworth is lazier 1st semester and doesn’t make students do much of anything and then does a 180 degree turn by 2nd semester and makes us work like crazy. Oh, and regardless of which semester you have Ms. Longworth, do not count on it being organized or being well-informed about anything. The class is a lot of self­-study and you learn not to listen to what she tells you because she will give you wrong information or say one thing and do another. So, do as she does not as she says.

The last piece of advice I give you is in Ms. Patton’s class of Government/Economics and Geography. If you keep your grades very high on the homework and class work, the tests won’t affect you as much. And in her class keep in mind that a bad test grade may drop you about 5 points, but then a good one (and I mean a REALLY good one) will only bring you up about 1 or 2 points. Study hard for her tests in Geography because the tests she gives have minute details that you think you don’t have to know but you actually do. In economics, just pay attention in class and know your vocabulary and you will do fine on her tests (unless you can’t read diagrams well which was actually a problem for me towards the end of the semester). For your elective, you should take art. It’s a nice creative class and it’s a really relaxing period (art made B days my favorite!). If you are thinking I’m not creative AT ALL it’s okay because I wasn’t either, but you really do learn. If you look in the beginning of my sketch book, my sketches and drawings were awful, but once I got more into and learned to shade and look at things more like shapes than objects, they got really good! You don’t just draw though; you do clay, too, which was my favorite! Quick note, I would recommend taking foreign language summer school if you are considering Spanish because it definitely helped me a lot, but I can’t really say anything about French except for they don’t do any work in that class unless you really have the desire to learn and I mean REALLY.

Well, now that it is close to the end of the year and I’m going to have new problems to deal with I wish you the best of luck! Oh and last thing, give IB a chance and don’t just think short-term high school, think long-term like getting into good colleges and becoming something great! IB can do that for you and not many other schools can say the same thing!

Emily Bhutiani