Most of these were written by juniors, to advise new juniors. The last several are written by sophomores, to advise new sophomores. They are otherwise in no particular order.
Hello, my name is Eric Helm. You can’t tell me your name(s), but that’s okay, I love you just the same. Presumably, you are about to enter the IB program at Bartow High, and I have an assignment to give my advice to you. The IB program is no easy task, in all honesty it really is quite a challenge, and the reason you’re here is because you want a better education and want a challenge. If you are here because your parents made you, this program will be much more difficult for you for the simple reason that there won’t be as much motivation for you. If you are here on a mandate of your parents’, I would advise you to find motivation, whether it be to make your parents proud, stay with the friends you’ll make in the program, get into a great college, whatever it may be, find something to drive you. When it’s 1 am like it is right now and you still have a 1500 word paper to write by tomorrow, desperately muttering the words of the college you’re dying to go to or your best friend is often a god-send.
Everybody is going to tell you not to procrastinate, manage your time, do homework first and then watch tv, yadi yadi ya. But come now, we all know it’s not going to happen. I came home today, watched a few episodes of the acclaimed abcfamily original series Gilmore Girls [editor’s note: Nope, this was on the WB, and then the CW. It’s only been on ABC Family in syndication after its original run], then went on facebook for about an hour, set an alarm to wake up from my nap at 8, woke up at 930, and began my 1500 word essay at 10. I have had this assigned for 9+ weeks. Trust me, I am not alone. A long list of my fellow IB Juniors are online and active on facebook chat, doing the exact same foolish thing as me. You’re going to procrastinate, so may as well embrace it sooner than later. The one thing that has truly, honest to god helped me this year have been my friends. As I mentioned earlier, everybody needs something to motivate themselves. For me, it is my group of friends who I hold near and dear to my heart. This will sound really lame, but they honestly give me the strength to keep going through the night, because I know tomorrow they will be there, just as excited to see me as I them, with arms wide open to take me into their consoling arms. I suggest that you find a group of friends and stick with them to the end, they’re invaluable.
Obviously, you’re in IB and will work extremely hard. Much harder than any Bartow, Summerlin, Jenkins, Lakeland, Kathleen, or Tenoroc kid. It’s just a fact. But don’t forget to be a teenager. Have fun. If not, you will literally go mad. Instead of going home and immediately jumping into your depressing mound of work, maybe go hang out with your friends for half an hour to an hour and McDonalds, or give yourself some alone time to watch tv, read, listen to music. You need time to have fun in order to maintain your sanity, and let’s not forget, no matter how brilliant you are, you can still be ridden incapacitated by madness.
I’m not really sure how coherent or helpful this is, but to sum up, motivate yourself, find a good group of friends, and have fun. You have to work hard here, but there’s no need to be a perfectionist and make it harder than it is. Only one student has ever literally perfected the IB program and received all of her points for the diploma, and she was only 3rd in her class. There’s no difference between a 99 and a 90 in the eyes of the colleges, so if you can work a little less and still make great grades, do that. You will be a happier person.
One last note. DO NOT GOOF OFF FRESHMAN YEAR. It is INCREDIBLY easy right now, trust me. Try your hardest to make straight A’s while it is still possible. Those 3.5 weights (B’s for honor/pre-IB classes) will really bring you down later.
I wish you all the best of luck. Appreciate what you’re being given here. It truly is a great program — it can take you wherever you want it to. Don’t take it for granted.
Eric Helm
Congratulations on succeeding through the first two years of IB! You’re in for quite a treat next year. The junior year of IB was a surprise for everyone, and it will be for you as well. I hope to, at least, give you some advice on what you’re going into.
Biology: the motto of this class is “abandon hope all ye who enter.” No matter what you do in this class, Debbie will circle half of your paper and write a big red “NO!”) Don’t give up, though. It becomes decent further on in the year.
French: French is a lot different from the first two years. You are actually expected to be able to understand the basics of French! But, once again, this class gets better as the year goes along.
- S. History: In this class, Goss will prepare you for the AP exam, whether you like it or not. To pass this class, I really only need to say one thing: read the book. The book has EVERYTHING you need for his class.
TOK: TOK is a pretty fun class. I really got to know Mr. Guice in this class, a lot more so than last year. I am really looking forward to next year.
Precalc: Precalc is a lot like Naki’s class, in that if you do the homework, you should be fine. Ask questions if you need to.
English: The best advice for this class is to agree with her, no matter what the subject. That is the only way to do well in her class.
Chemistry: The second Bio! I personally like this class, but mixed with all my other classes, I basically died. This class is pretty easy, though, so you should be fine if you pay attention.
Well, that’s my schedule, and will be yours soon enough! Hopefully you do as well as you’d like next year.
May the force be with you,
Adam Elkhayat
Dear Friend,
You’re going to be an IB senior next year! Congrats! However, there are some things you should know about next year. The first lesson I learned this year was: DON’T TAKE BIOLOGY! Biology will kick your butt more than any other class. It may be more beneficial to sign up for any easier science course in order to spend more time on your other classes. However, if you think you can handle another difficult class on top of all of your other responsibilities, go ahead.
Another lesson I learned was to have some fun! I’ve been on the soccer team all three years of high school and it was the best decision. Soccer gave me an outlet to the rest of the world. I was also able to meet a lot of people I wouldn’t have without soccer. Exercise was also good for my health. Soccer was a healthy activity for my mind and body.
The last lesson I learned was to not make friends with b*tches. This year I thought I had some long-lasting friends at this school. I was wrong. Make sure you make friends with good people. If everybody thinks that a specific group of people are rude, mean people… they are. Do not be fooled because they will turn on you. Just make sure you realize who you surround yourself by. There are good people out there, but this is high school. Drama is bound to come. You’re gonna have a great time next year. MAKE IB YOUR B*TCH!
Love always,
Shannon Lyons
Dear Sophomore (soon to be Junior!),
In a nutshell, IB is about being a superhero. You must be able to deal with all kinds of people and teachers, be able to manage your time effectively (the hardest thing because it requires discipline), and juggle school with family, friends, and any outside activities you decide to add into your crazy schedule (oh, and still keep your sanity). I know it sounds ridiculously unattainable, but it’s actually possible. I’m not at all saying I’m living proof, but I’ve witnessed many people conquer IB life.
Some advice for you? Well, I’m sure you’re tired of hearing it, but really, you HAVE to discipline yourself. It’s a mindset you have to master. It’s not an option. My trick: I psych myself out and just think thoughts like “You’re going to enjoy studying for this!” or “This is actually kinda fun ☺ .” Yes, they are all obviously outlandishly false statements, but they (along with yummy snacks and colorful pens) get me through everything. Another helpful tip, don’t freak out if you aren’t perfect at everything. IB makes us all have to be a “Jack of all trades” and unless you’re God, or a superhero of course, you can’t always be #1 ☹ I’m not saying you shouldn’t try to be the best at everything you do, but sometimes, you just have to be happy with your personal best; because if you aren’t, you’ll spend your hours doing all of that homework for nothing. Personal satisfaction is all that matters….well and not failing :p For the last tidbit of information I will divulge, PLEASE DON’T DROP OUT AFTER JUNIOR YEAR. Does that make any sense to you?! You just put yourself through the hardest year, and unless your heart stops beating, or you end up in an asylum, why quit now? All you’re doing is throwing away three whole years of hard work, brain cells, and probably tears (p.s. don’t be afraid to cry. Most of the time it actually helps. I promise ☺)
Now for the reinforcement that you made the right decision in accepting the invitation to IB. Both my older sister (she’ll be 21 in six days), and my older brother (he’ll be 19 in about a month) went through the roller coaster we like to call IB. I watched them go through it all: the good and the bad…and the all time lows. But what really made me choose this route, was the light at the end of their tunnel. Both Allison and Nico were accepted into the University of Florida (Go Gators!) with flying colors. Allison was even accepted into the honors college, and Nico barely missed that mark. As a result of the extra AP classes and credits from high school, both of them went straight into college as Sophomores. Allison is actually done with college after her third year, and she even took a semester out to take an internship opportunity at Disney (She started out majoring in Engineering, but switched to Family, Youth, and Community Sciences with a minor in Business Marketing.) Nico is majoring in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, also with a minor in Business Marketing. He was just offered a summer internship at Madrid Engineering and is making $11.50 an hour! These great payoffs showed me that the light that I thought was the end of their tunnels was, in fact, just the beginning of a new one. Now I will admit, IB isn’t for everyone. But for those that stay past second semester of junior year, IB will open up a whole new world of opportunities.
So you can choose to look at the glass half full, or half empty. I just pray you choose the glass half full…probably of an energy drink ☺
Your emotional cheerleader,
Kristen DiGioia
Hello Little Rising Junior,
Congratulations you are walking through the doors of the living hell! You are finally about to be an official IB student with your pin and all! However, there are a few things you should know before you start your junior year. To make your life easy and not as stressful, because I promise you will spend countless nights without sleep, do NOT procrastinate and stay on the good sides of the other students in your class. With these two little concepts you won’t want to kill yourself next year! Also don’t sleep in pre-calc you WILL not know how to do anything!
The most important thing that pretty much all of are accused of doing is procrastination. Next year you will have multiple assignments due on the same day, so if you know something is due a week in advance, DO IT! There is no better time than the present. Don’t complain about all the homework you have, if you dwell on it I promise you will never be successful! Plan your time wisely and just finish your work and study and you will be set!
Also I have learned, this year, that we all lean on each other to get through this rigorous program. We may all seem like we hate each other, but with the amount of sleep we get none of us have the patience to be super happy. Do not make enemies with your classmates! I promise the first time you say something about someone else, it will bite you in the butt; we are in high school you know. Your friends are all trying to make the grade, and if you need help they probably do too. For this reason there are many times when people can help you, but if you don’t have friends you’re screwed!
See your junior year won’t be that awful if you follow these two easy steps; do NOT procrastinate and stay on the good side of all the kids in your class! This will be the worst year you have had, but once you’re through it a wave of relief will hit you. Have a great summer and get some sleep, it will be the last for quite a while!
Have Fun,
Kayla Sundean
Dear kid who decided that IB was a smart idea for their future,
You aren’t wrong; IB is going to help you with getting into college, experiencing some of the best teachers in the county, and receiving a great education. At the same time, this experience has taken away a lot of “normal” high school opportunities. I didn’t have a lot of free time to try out a bunch of random activities, or hang out with friends outside of my IB group. On the other hand, I did get to do a lot of things like join the swim team at BHS, be a part of Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA), and meet a lot of new and awesome people I am proud to call my friends. In a different way the IB program doesn’t take away your high school experience it just provides it in a different way. No matter how much homework you get, or how stressed out you find yourself the week of exams you should never regret the decision to come to IB.
There are some survival tips you must know that have been passed down from generation to generation of IB kids that you should never forget. First, always pay attention in math classes like algebra two with Naki and precalc with Mrs. Frisbie. Even if it seems like easy math now, it’s the “building blocks” for the hard math like calculus, so don’t blow them off they know what they’re doing. Secondly, no matter how much you ignore the advice to do you English journals early, you really need to do your English journals early. If you haven’t finished them yet and you think you have a free night without other homework don’t waste your time talking to friends on Facebook, just do the journals then laugh at everyone else who hasn’t done them yet the night before. In the same aspect, never put off biology labs either (assuming you do in fact choose to take on Mrs. Kennon’s ridiculous biology class because you know you want to get a chance at the IB diploma). Biology labs require detail, Mrs. Kennon complete sentences and perfection that cannot be acquired in a few hours the day before it is due.
Most importantly, having fun and enjoying your experience in high school should be your goal. If you go into the year with a dismayed attitude, you will never find out that the year isn’t as hard as everyone says. IB junior year is not impossible, just look at all the people who have conquered it. With good time management, organization and a nice sleep schedule you can conquer next year too. (Actually, I know more than a few kids who didn’t even have that and survived, just use your resources wisely and you should be okay.) Make IB your high school experience. Embrace your inner nerd. And seriously, seriously don’t procrastinate.
Sincerely,
Kelsey Noris
Dear future Physics junior,
Junior year is tough. Even without AP Biology, it is a different experience. Sometimes, you might find that some people in Biology are doing better than you. At least, that is what I found out; so, my advice to you mainly is to TAKE ADVANTAGE OF YOUR NON-BIO SCHEDULE! At first, you might want to see how the other classes feel to you, how difficult they are for you, and if you should focus and divert your attention to the other parts of your academic studies. If you find that you’re completing all of your work early and often go home with nothing to do, do other things! It is a great idea to get into service projects and sports, but only if you are NOT busy with more important school-related things. You’ll find that this is extremely helpful when preparing for your final CAS ventures during the summer and early senior year. Also, when you plan on doing these things, document, document, document, and get used to using Managebac!
Now, about the classes, they are much like your previous classes except you’ll find the teaching techniques to be extremely varied. Get to know the classes early. Think about how you feel about that class and distribute your time evenly. AP Physics is, honestly, nothing to worry about grade wise if you do the work. The main worry is the AP test. Take it upon yourself to study from the beginning. AP Spanish is easy to maintain if you give it time. Do not give into the temptation to speak English when given an opportunity to speak Spanish! On the AP Spanish test, it is VERY useful if you know how to say basic expressions without pause. This will help you out a LOT on the speaking portions of the test. As for AP US History, read the book! Read the book! Scan it. Read it. Post-it note it. Look up summaries online. Just read the thing! Most of his tests are based on the book, and I did not realize that until the end of the year. Theory of Knowledge is probably the most relaxed class you’ll have this year—and only for the second semester! Take advantage of this class. Do the work for it early, and as long as you pay attention to Mr. Guice, you can often use this period for important last minute work. Please, pay attention, though. Mr. Guice is a great teacher, and he allows you a lot of freedom. This class requires that. Don’t make him regret it. Now, Pre-Calculus will undoubtedly be the most structured class you will have. You will always know what is expected of you and what you are supposed to know. There are many resources for you to use for the class, and do not mess it up! You can easily get an A in this class. Don’t let it slip away from you. You will appreciate all of the A’s you can get. AP English Language and Composition with Smith will sometimes seem…confusing to you, especially after things slow down after oral commentaries. At first, you will read many works and have semi-difficult tests, but this class is definitely not a stress class. As for the oral presentations, I would advise picking someone you are interested in and (if possible) one of the people that we study later. After people have presented, you will feel much more comfortable with creating your presentation. Another thing, you will never say all that you planned, so make sure to have notes for important parts. As for the oral commentaries, you will be fine as long as you write down all that you can on your passage and do the journals. The time goes by like water, so do not get distracted. Lastly, AP Psychology is a really easy pass. I am not sure how the class will be structured, but it is, in reality, a big vocabulary class. Take advantage of that. Know what things are, and you will be fine on the AP and hopefully IB tests.
Finally, there is an important topic I would like to discuss. I would like to call it the “nine-week cushion”. The first nine-week periods of every semester are very important. You will find that at the end of every semester, you will be looking to keep your grade high enough to maintain an A for the semester. With a high A in the first nine-weeks it will be much easier to obtain that goal. It can be difficult, but when preparing for semester exams as well as AP tests, you will find that your “nine-week cushions” relieve a lot of stress. Also, at the end of the year, after AP tests have been taken, you will find that class work dies off—especially without Bio. You will have trouble raising a grade with the very few assignments given out. Obviously, it is always better to have A’s and not rely on “nine-week cushions”, but they are a very useful asset.
Overall, junior year is a really great experience. Even with the stress and self-doubt, you will pull through, and your class will grow together as a family. I believe that junior year is the settle-year, the year where everyone finds their place, their friends, and accepts that these are the people that you will graduate with. You learn to rely on each other and share each other’s strengths and weaknesses. At the end of junior year, you will feel either exhausted or happy that this year is over, but intermingled within that dismay is the feeling of togetherness, community, and reliability. This year tells you, not only what kind of student you are, but also what kind of person you are. Cherish it. Do not let it get to you. Keep your head up, and you will make it. After all, I did, and I’m sure you are much more wonderful than I am! 🙂 I believe in you!
Your future elder,
Belinda Adam
Dear Rising Junior,
First of all, I am sorry for…I’m not sure what. The copious biology labs you’ll have to do? The never ending math portfolios? Possibly just this programme’s existence? The fact that I just spelled programme that way? This year will be tough even if you chose to take physics as your science, French as your language, and ceramics as your elective. Well, on second thought, maybe not. But chances are you are going to encounter some brand new scary challenges. When people said junior year would be tough, I didn’t listen. Ever since kindergarten I’ve been told the next year would be more difficult. “We’re giving you all of these subtraction problems because in second grade you’ll have to solve equations like 27 – 11!” my first grade teacher told me. Back then, I took it seriously. But I had become conditioned to these lies of the next year being much harder so that over the years this fear turned into a slight apprehension and finally a gratuitous internal eye roll. But this time, they are not lying. Junior year is the worst. So here’s the very best advice I can offer you to navigate through your various classes and assignments. I do this because I want to help you and have your very best interests at heart (but most of all because this is a grade).
First off, do your biology labs ahead of time. I know you won’t. I won’t next year. But following this little piece of advice could save you massive amounts of stress. Read the book if you don’t understand the notes. Kennon has created her very own language and rules for grammar that some (mainly me) do not pick up on as quickly as others. This will be especially important when it comes to the 4th nine weeks and you’re studying anatomy. Do the extra credit project well; write lots. However, don’t write long answers on your evolution questions in the 2nd nine weeks — your classmates will be mad when they have to write two and a half pages on the bottleneck effect. Start your fly lab at least one week before it’s due. I’d recommend two really. Don’t squash your flies. Make sure they’re dead when you take them out of the freezer. Don’t let them out in your house (your mom will be mad).
In French, study for tests. Do the workbook pages. People say you’ll understand Dietert speaking in French by the end of the year. Unfortunately, I have not reached that point, but hopefully you will. Use the subjunctive. Pas de sucre et electroniques, si-vous-plait. Also, vite-vite.
In English, read the book, do the journal questions. Do not wait to do journal questions until the night before or you will cry many tears (or if there is no dramatic flair in you, maybe you will just stay up late to finish them). Mrs. Smith’s quizzes are frightening to say the least. But simply memorize every line from the book and you should be fine (I’m over exaggerating…kind of). Fortunately, Smith makes up for these horrendous quizzes with vocabulary tests. So do your sentences and make sure they make sense. She does read them so any odd bits of information you put in about you or your friends will likely be noticed and remembered and possibly spouted out to the rest of your class so try to avoid talking about Jim’s weird rash if you can. And make sure Mrs. Smith growls for you sometime. You’ll know it when you hear it.
History is very easy if you read the book, but don’t tell Goss I said that. Humor him and at least glance at his learning objectives. Goss ends up making you do these weird timed essay planning things which will probably stress you out; just remember to spend around 30 seconds on the outline and as much time as you can on the thesis because that is the part which counts the most. If you are into being a teacher’s pet, (1) grow out of that, (2) for Goss, become extremely conservative. He will like you either way though as long as you’re not rude and participate in class. If he asks you a question in class that you don’t know the answer to, giving him a big smile will get you out of most things, I’ve found. He tries to be intimidating, and sometimes he succeeds, but mostly he’s just a sweet guy and quite a character. Ask him about how he met his wife sometime; it’s a great story which is guaranteed to take up at least 15 minutes of class time. Also, if you don’t want to do work, mention (a) basketball, (b) the Gators, (c) pukin’ liberals.
Advice to psychology students: I don’t know. Read your book? In my experience, cramming 24 hours before the psychology test will give you sufficient knowledge although I suppose this is not the best way for one to go about learning the information. You’ll have a new teacher and I don’t know how things will work.
Advice to the new psychology teacher: Don’t hide your plastic bags filled with weed in your mouth. Or just don’t use marijuana. That’s probably a better idea. Do either one though, it’s up to you.
In ToK, turn things in on time. If you’re like me, you won’t listen to this and you will end up with a 51 in one of the easiest classes just because you didn’t do your outline and forgot to turn in a couple of WoSYs. Fortunately, Guice is generous with due date extensions so as long as you get things in before the last day of the nine weeks, you can bump that 51 up to a 97. Try not to wait until the last minute to write your practice ToK paper at the end of the year and even then procrastinate by writing a 1,400-ish word advice essay for precalc that was supposed to be around three paragraphs that poor Ms. Frisbie will have to read. Also, Guice likes when you listen in class, I think, so do that. Most of the information is interesting; don’t let your initial studies of knowledge issues determine how boring the class will be (listen to this information though; it will be important come time for your oral presentation).
Finally, PRECALCULUS! The first semester is a piece of cake. In the second semester, however, you will have to calculate just what percentage of the whole cake that piece is, find its standard deviation on a normal curve, then figure out its velocity vector and graph it. How do you graph cake? I have no idea, but you will likely feel that you have bitten off more than you can chew. Well, to that I recommend reading the book and taking notes. Watching YouTube videos (math videos, not videos of cats no matter how cute they are) online is often helpful. And listen to Frisbie in class. Just don’t slack off in either nine weeks because you will make grades lower than you would like. You will regret it come time for semester grades when you have no padding for the final (which is extremely difficult). Do not, I repeat do not, forget to bring your formula packet to class on the day of the midterm exam or final. If you have Frisbie first period, be on time to class. Leave your house at a reasonable hour; yelling at the construction truck in front of you going ten miles below the speed limit that this is the fourth time you are going to be late and you don’t want work detail will not make things move faster and will not help your stress levels. Also, and not that I necessarily have any experience in this, Ms. Frisbie will laugh at you for your tardiness, and it may become a joke among your class so just watch out for that. Most importantly though, start your portfolio the day it’s assigned. Seriously.
In conclusion, junior year is really hard, but you will make it if you simply follow step by step my revolutionary advice. One last thing though, although it may be cliché, be friends with the people around you. Embrace their quirks and yours, and don’t act like you’re too cool to be weird. Enjoy your time, but know that it’s okay to occasionally feel sorry for yourself. If this happens, eat some cookie dough and then suck it up and go finish studying for the three tests you have to take the next day. Maybe don’t do homework on Fridays when it’s not absolutely necessary. Just make sure to have a little fun, I guess.
Best of Luck,
Bailey Benningfield
Dear New Junior,
This will be your first year in IB and it will most definitely be challenging. The workload increases dramatically and your teachers expect even more of you than your previous teachers ever have. You shouldn’t fret though because if you stay focused and manage your time as much as possible you should be successful.
Time is definitely limited this year and weekends probably won’t feel like weekends. If you are taking Biology it would be in your best interest to stay on top of your work, especially labs. Labs are never due until a week after they are completed and therefore it is very tempting to put them off until the night before they are due; however, there will be a couple weeks in the first semester that you will not sleep very much if you put them off until the last minute. Besides labs, Bio is not that bad; just study for tests and pay attention to Mrs. Kennon when she goes over the notes, she’ll often add in little tidbits that will be on the test and are not in the notes.
Another class it is important to keep up with your work in is English. Ms. Smith doesn’t assign much work other than journals and vocab. Vocab quizzes and sentences are easy free points so you should do the sentences and know the words for the quizzes. Also, you will be assigned journal questions on every book you read in the class as you progress through it. The questions aren’t due until the day of the test, but it is important to keep up with the questions as you get them or at least jot the answers down as Ms. Smith will go over most of them with you. If you don’t keep up with questions you will pay for it sleep wise and on the test. Ms. Smith’s tests are pretty difficult; make sure you take notes when she goes over the background of the work you will be reading because this information is often on the text. Her tests are very detailed so it won’t help much if you don’t read the book. Easy points are valuable in her class so make sure you bring in your books on the day she tells you to bring them because it is often a grade.
My language this year was French, so those of you that have French this paragraph is for you. Ehhh, I don’t have many nice things to say about French. This year was basically a review of everything we learned last year with a few new twirks. Ms. Dietert teaches directly out of the book so if you have other stuff you need to do during class you won’t miss much. Homework’s pretty easy but you’re going to have it every night (compared to last year’s once a month) and she doesn’t like to assign it until the bell rings and you are trying to escape from her class. Tests are not too bad because there is always extra credit on them, the extra credit questions are the idiomatic expressions you receive in class each week so write them down and keep track of them. You will suffer but you will make it through the devastatingly boring class. Your favorite expression will be “Comment dit-on …?”.
History. Goss will tell you, I am going to tell you, and I’m sure other essays will tell you, READ THE BOOK! I did not listen and basically did not have enough time to read the book, but come fourth nine weeks I decided I would start reading the book because I wanted to get an A in the class and I did. My grade went from an average of 85 to 95 the fourth nine weeks simply because I read my book and post noted it and studied. It seems very tedious and it is but it is extremely helpful for passing the tests and studying later for standardized tests and the AP test. It was also important for me to read the book because Goss never finished a set of notes and we were left alone to study the rest of the notes. So basically, read the book and you will be fine.
The other classes you shouldn’t have a difficult time with, just pay attention to Ms. Frisbie (try to catch some mistakes). Use Edmodo for notes and clarification later on. Do your homework also, the questions will help reinforce the material and help with the tests. I can’t help you much with information on Psychology because I don’t know who the new teacher will be. However, make sure you start studying IB Psych early in the year. Most of the students, including myself, crammed a whole year of Psych into the two nights before the IB test and it was not fun at all. I think I passed but it took a ton of energy and brain space to learn that much information in one night.
After all, you will get through junior year. It will be tough and you will want to quit but if you stay focused and keep on going you will be alright. I played volleyball and basketball this year and there were many nights I did not get home until 11 pm but I got my work done and finished this year with Course grades of two B’s and five A’s. It is possible to do well and still have life outside of school. In fact, I think that it is important for you to have an outlet. Without sports I don’t think I would have stayed sane this year; you are going to need time to focus on other things than schoolwork so find an outlet that works for you where you are still able to manage your time and get your work done. Good Luck!
Kelsey Broadhead
Dear Rising Juniors,
Wow, you’ve done it. Your academic vessel has now crossed into the realm of the true IB program; props to you! I am sure you have now decided that this grueling program is for you. Looking back at my own junior year, I can say that though this year entailed by all means the most work I’ve ever had, it also came along with the most fun I have ever had as well. Now, as I have completed my junior year, I suppose I should share a few pointers and good advice.
Well for starters, everyone will tell you how horrendous this year will be. IB Myth Number One – Busted. Though this year was the most taxing, it is totally doable. The hardest part of transitioning into this program, in all honesty, was effective time management. Well, what is there to balance? Let’s see: oh, just the usual math portfolios, bio laboratories, English journals, Orals, AP language lab, CAS, history workbook exercises, time with friends and family, and the golden snitch of your junior year: sleep. You see, now that you are in the IB program, your teachers are going to expect far more of you from day one. The work won’t be that hard, just be sure to plan your time accordingly. The lovely saving grace of procrastination won’t quite work out so well this year with the lovely variety of assignments of greater depth. A bio lab and math portfolio really aren’t that bad alone. But an English project, bio lab, and math portfolio along with a swim meet the night before? Oh, yeah that wasn’t too pretty, take it from me, I would know. But you’ll learn what works and what doesn’t; this year is completely survivable if you can master the wave that is work. They come in waves at first, and by the end of the year you’ve become accustomed to life here among the IB.
Some final tips: 1) space out your work-you don’t want to do it all in one night. 2) find a healthy balance to exercise — play a sport or break a sweat it’ll help with the stress relief 3) find time for yourself in all this and do something you love to do-essentially find yourself a creative outlet.
And with this I bid thee adieu. Remember to stay on top of things, and overall just have fun! Keep a positive attitude and you’ll be golden. I wish to you the best of luck on your Junior year, and may the Force be with you, young IB padawan.
Yours Truly,
Andrew Canto
Dear Junior,
Junior year was… better than I expected. It was still difficult but if I can do it so can you. To make things easier, you should definitely, absolutely, seriously not procrastinate but I know this is just going to go right through one ear and out the other. You can procrastinate on little assignments like vocabulary sentences but not on those biology labs. Oh no, not on those labs. And especially not on reading the books for Smith. She gives quizzes to see if you’ve read the book and not just Sparknotes. Things go by way easier if you just read The Scarlet Letter, House of Spirits, and the assigned Shakespeare novels. I’m saying this from watching my friends not read, take the quiz, and fail. I mean, at least read while watching the movie… although TSL and House of Spirits might not be rated PG-13. To delineate on those BIO LABS, keep up with the fruit fly lab especially. Kill your flies well and observe them well. If you do that, you won’t have to resort to the lowness of a dishonest person who lies about their fly lab results. I was very stressed out about this lab in the beginning but it turned out I was wrong to dread it; it was actually pretty easy considering I received an A. This advice also goes for the Psychology Internal Assessment. Just pick a study, replicate it with some tweaks, and do it. Don’t stress out about it either. Start collecting data as soon as you can or when you have time and don’t lie. That’s the thing (or things) about IB – just do it, try your best, and don’t lie, collude, cheat, or plagiarize along the way.
From the above, you can guess that I took AP/IB Psychology as my sixth subject aside from my other classes, AP Biology, French IV, AP Statistics 1st semester, ToK 2nd semester, AP English, Precalculus, and AP U.S. History. In total, that is 4 AP classes and 2 IB exams for Psychology. (I split stats and tok so my AP stats exam is senior year). That might sound crazy impossible but it’s not. Review books really help but don’t cram the day before unless you really don’t have time. And to study for the IB Psychology exams, just read online outlines if your teacher doesn’t give you study packets. You’ll be prepared for the biology exam and the English one was easier than those practice tests Smith gave us in class. You might want to really review for APUSH because I’ll admit that I found that exam somewhat beast-like. Throughout the year though, keep up with reading the chapters for the APUSH tests. My advice for that class is: READ THE PAGEANT TEXTBOOK FOR THE REGULAR TESTS AND READ THE AMSCO BOOK FOR THE STANDARDIZED TESTS. I made this realization but no one listened to me. I promise you it works. And if you decide to take stats, make sure you really want to take this other math because I found myself struggling in there. If you’re taking Precalculus, don’t NOT pay attention because Frisbie posts the in-class notes online. Pay attention in there and read the chapter before every test. Oh, and don’t be afraid of the two Portfolios. You may be crunched for time all the time and then the Portfolios are due but take one weekend to just do them. It would be helpful too now if you had a TI-nspire. Know how to use whatever calculator you have but know how to use this calculator because that’s all you can use for the tests. For ToK, don’t postpone those Extended Essay due dates. Do it for Guice who is an awesome teacher and do it for yourself because it will keep you in track on this part of your diploma while you keep up with your tumultuous academic life. Before I forget, I just spent my entire weekend doing the biology extra credit assignment on the human anatomy. I’ll admit that it’s possible to do in two days, but DON’T BE stupid. Kennon warns you 10 weeks in advance so it would be wise to just do one human system a week – not 11 human systems in 11 hours because you’ll probably end up with 11 points out the possible 155.
Now that I’ve talked about the academic nightmare of IB, I’m going to describe the good side to junior year. Primarily, friends make IB better. (I’m sure you have at least one friend.) Whenever things start to become too much and you feel like you can’t handle it anymore, you should know your friends will always be there. They’ll be in the same situation. Hundreds of others have been in your situation so suck it up and go to the movies with these friends. Or take a nap which is less expensive. Or take up a new hobby. For example, I took up going outside and riding my bike. I would stop whatever I was doing – usually biology – and ride my bike. Just because grades, homework, and projects exist, doesn’t mean your friends don’t. They seriously are the best part of my day and my life because who doesn’t like laughing about Koolaid hair right before taking a biology test about genetics? So, if there could be a remedy to the nightmares of junior year – I would say friends and laughter are good options. Also, don’t stay too long staring at the computer… which reminds me – FORGET FACEBOOK. It is the epitome of the IB devil because people are always on there doing nothing. It might be a good outlet to just relax and chat for a while but log off after 30 minutes. Don’t stay on simply “liking” stuff because then you won’t like the grade you get in your classes if you spend more time just sitting there staring at the newsfeed rather than doing those English journals that are absolutely necessary, useful, and could hurt your grade if they’re not done. Phew. Another thing to make things easier: volunteer for a couple hours a month. It will not only be useful for CAS but it will make you forget about all the work you have. Helping others helps you by making you feel good about yourself. Just try to be optimistic junior year because having a negative attitude will not help at all.
Once again, if I made it though junior year without going crazy, you can do it too. Believe in yourself because you’ve already gone through two years – you can make it through two more. Good luck! Don’t procrastinate!
~Survivor of Junior year,
Vanessa Colchado
Dear JUNIORS (das rite u iz a joonyur) (just kidding, I’m not ghetto),
Ha, it feels nice not to be a junior anymore. Anyway, so, you’re coming into junior year from sophomore year, the easiest year of IB. All I have to say about that is I hope you enjoyed your nice little vacation, with your “sleep” and “free time” and “standing up during lunch when there are perfectly good seats to sit in”, and get ready to be enrolled in boot camp! Junior year really has been as hard as everyone told us, but it’s also been a lot of fun. So I guess I’ll walk you through the classes I took this year to advise you on what to do/not do.
First period! Pre-calculus! I hate having to learn math in the morning, my brain just isn’t ready for math that early. Now some of you are overachievers that took it this year, making the juniors feel slow when they constantly outperformed us on tests (except I’m younger than a lot of you guys so ha!). For the rest of you sane people who stuck with Algebra 2 last year, pre-calc isn’t that bad I suppose, a lot of it is review, and some of it will be new, but Miss Frisbie has gotcha covered. Watch out for mistakes that she makes while teaching, they lead to her giving you delicious candy (not that I would know because our class never got any, but I won’t complain because I never really contributed to catching the mistakes because, again, brain + morning = no math). Don’t do the portfolios the night before, they are important, and take quite a while so do them a while beforehand. Oh, and if you have a hard class the next period or something that you have to study for (you will, trust me), try to multitask and listen to Miss Frisbie as well. Wow, that’s way too much to talk about one class, I’ll try and shorten it.
Second period! French! God I hate that class. Nothing against Madame, but I just really don’t like that class. She just talks at you in French, and I know you haven’t learned much in the past two years, so just go with it and say “oui” if she calls on you. You should try and remember stuff as you learn it, because that will help during the essays you’ll have to right. Oh, and “pas d’anglais” (like that’s gonna happen)! Anyway for you Spanish kids, I have one word for you. Naranja. That is all you have to know. But I don’t know you’ll have to refer to other letters for Spanish tips. And French kids, you will always feel behind while listening to the Spanish kids, just accept it.
Third period! BIOLOGY. This was usually the class I was studying for in pre-calc, and you will understand why soon if you take bio. Anyway, keep on Kennon’s good side, do the labs, STUDY, and just put up with the worksheets. She will get you where you need to be even if she’s a little frustrating at times, but I love her, and she will make you pass the AP test, gosh dang it! Oh, and when in doubt, choose hydrogen bonds. If you take Chemistry, I’m sorry you would do that to yourself, and if you take Physics, enjoy the free time, and be afraid of AP exam time. (TAKE BIO BASICALLY.)
Fourth period! Stats/ToK. If you’re looking for a good class to split for ToK, Stats is a good option. It’s a nice different kind of class, not too math-y, just based on the calculator really. ToK, you’ll probably blow it off, but at least try and pay attention and take some notes. Don’t let the zeros accumulate too badly, or you will see the effect on your grade.
Fifth period! English. Please, try and avoid having 5th period English. The main reason being Mrs. Smith will make everything due the day before everyone else and her wonderful quizzes the day before too. I hope you enjoyed the days of having English quizzes that made sense! They won’t anymore. So, do the journals, try to do them not on the night before, or you will feel the pain. The oral commentary is kind of stressful, but you’ll get through it, and the oral presentation can be fun if you make it fun.
Sixth period! APUS History! Wow. So yeah, all I can say is put up with Goss’ unique teaching technique, it works. Be on his good side by making Moe’s references. Read the book. Study hard for the AP tests. Yup.
Seventh period! Psychology! Well. As a result of certain recent events involving Gummow, you will no longer have him as a teacher, and I don’t know who the replacement shall be. Psych is a good option for your sixth subject for IB. Actually do the internal assessment, don’t make up data, it can be a fun thing to do. The AP test was super-easy, mainly a vocabulary test. IB is a little more challenging, because you have to know dates of studies and specifics, but if you prepare enough, you’ll be fine. We were pretty much self-taught, so if you have a teaching teacher, you’ll probably do swimmingly.
Speaking of swimming, you should join the swim team, because it’s an awesome sport and it gets you action hours. Do your CAS, keep on top of it, enter your projected activities before you do them. Anyway, I wish you a good junior year, I know you can make it, because I did. Good luck, young Jedi.
Nikolas Colley (the British one)
P.S. Try not to procrastinate. I know you will, but I tried to warn you.
Dear lil baby sophomore,
I can’t lie to you and say this year isn’t going to challenge you, because it is, but I think there are a couple things you should remember before you start and while you endure this treacherous journey.
1) ALWAYS have fun on Friday night. You just completed a week of horrible work-filled misery so it’s time to have some fun and deprive this stress. Without Friday night release, you will get grumpy and have no friends by the end of the year. (and I’ll come back to laugh at you). Friday night is when you see your friends and catch up. You’ll need that time.
2) WORK TOGETHER on big projects. When you get hard projects and things of the sort, EXCEPT THE PORTFOLIO, you should always try to work with your hard working friends on it. Not the lazy do-nothings that will distract you, but the ones who are focused and will help better your project. Study groups almost always help. When you discuss the subject, it makes you process it deeper and on another level and that helps you remember it better.
Last and certainly not least. TAKE BIO. Everyone is going to keep telling you that it’s too hard and blah blah blah. But it’s not. You just have to buckle down and do it. If you space your time out right, it’s not bad at all. Always get ahead on labs, she gives you a week every time so there are no excuses. Also if you take physics, you won’t learn, and I don’t how Mrs. Brooks is, but I know Mrs. Kennon is a glorious teacher and you will be sure to pass the AP and IB tests.
In conclusion, do what I said because I’ve been here and I know what’s going to happen.
EJ Commons
Dear simple sophomore soon to be a junior,
After going through the first real year of IB I wish to give you some simple advice that I could have used when first starting out. The three best pieces of advice are to not procrastinate, sleep, and enjoy this high school experience. If you follow these three main guidelines you can enjoy a stress free junior year. Your grades will increase, you will feel better, and be healthier.
So let us start with my worst issue this year. I procrastinated worse than a lot of people. My grades took a hit as I forgot to do an assignment or I did not study for a quiz. Slowly but surely this hurt me in two main ways. I lost key points for my grades and as you may know the lessons build on each other so I didn’t know what I was doing later in the year. I also lost points in classes as I did the homework at the last minute and made careless mistakes. Sometimes I didn’t even turn in my assignments. These ten points here and there may have been the difference between an A or a B in the class. And all of your grades matter as you try to get into the colleges of your choice. So in order to keep good grades to make your life better you must not procrastinate.
Furthermore, SLEEP no matter what. SLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP! Sleep is what helps our bodies to recover. During sleep we sort through and better our memories from the day. We need sleep in order to function normally. Get nine or ten hours of sleep every night. Now when you sleep you wake up ready for the day. So you won’t ever be late to school, and you shouldn’t ever sleep in class. Now this helps your grades which keeps you happy. Sleep allows your brain to make permanent synapses and make lasting long term memories which includes information from all of the darn text books. Also, sleep helps you to grow big and strong. With such heavy backpacks and workloads we need to stay strong and fit so as to not be brought down by such great weights.
Finally, just enjoy high school! Hang with your friends and play videogames. Do whatever you want in order to relax and blow off some steam. With too much stress you will never have success. Go hang with your friends. Your friends help calm you down. They can take your mind off of things and tell you when you are stressing way too much. It is all about staying calm cool and collective while ever one else around you is freaking out which makes them do bad on tests and freaks them out even more. Just relax and enjoy all parts of your experience because after it is over you will never get it again and you do not want to have any regrets.
Yours Truly,
Caleb Dean
Dear current juniors,
I would like to start off by reminding you all of how far you’ve gone. While being bombarded by the massive amounts of homework you’ll be getting this year, especially from Biology and History, it’s hard to keep yourself motivated enough to have the determination to even do your homework. I’m sorry to say this; but, life, in general, will not be getting any easier; therefore, it is absolutely pertinent to start managing your time. It is almost impossible to fit sports, homework, long-term projects, and a little fun into life at IB; however, it is entirely easier to accomplish if you don’t procrastinate and if you have a good support system.
Depending on the classes you choose as your elective, different people in your class will have varying amounts of work to do. Those of them who chose Physics and Math Analysis will have even less to do. Nonetheless, it is important to keep on top of things. In Art class, the one advice I have is to actually use your class time for art-related activities. Art might seem like the easiest class to keep track of; but, the assignments take the longest to finish. For those of you taking French, just, don’t worry about it. Chances are, if you’re awake for, about, the last ten minutes of class, that’s all you’ll need to pass. The next order of business is Biology. Biology is like the best friend who betrayed you and stole your lover, which, in this case, is sleep and dignity. You have to literally chain yourself to your biology and anatomy book in order to have any hopes of passing this class. Next is Stats and TOK, it’s all good, if you just try. In regards to English, READ THE BOOKS AND DO THE JOURNALS. After, about, the third book we read, sparknotes starts not working anymore. Teachers learn to go around sparknotes and ask questions that they know that aren’t answered on the site. Next is History, read the textbook and all will fall in place. And finally, pre-calc. It’s not really a big deal, honestly, all you need to do is your homework – which is not that much in the first place – STAY AWAKE in class, no matter how soothing Ms. Frisbie’s voice is, and pay attention in class. Frisbie is a super talented teacher, and if you’ve been trying in class and still don’t get something, she will totally help you out.
That’s all I can say… and if you lose hope, remember: if anyone can do it, you can. You got into IB for a reason, and it’s time to prove to any and everyone that you can do anything you set your mind to. Good Luck! Junior year will go by in a flash! ☺
Leadz Dorcé
Young scholars,
So you’ve decided to “accept the mark of the beast”. Let me begin by saying, “congratulations!” but also, there is no shame in quitting now. IB is hard, and it may not be the best choice for YOU. I suppose that’s a big point that I should address. If you are going to continue in this program you need to be motivated by your own goals. If you’re here because someone else wants you to be, GET OUT NOW. This program is hard, not impossible, mind you, and it’s perfectly possible to have a social life (I did). BUT, to have a social life, you’re going to need to A) read the book, B) stop procrastinating and C) take it seriously.
Okay, so first of all, READ THE BOOK. This applies to pretty much every class. I mean, Smith’s reading check quizzes are extremely difficult unless you THOROUGHLY read the book. Kennon’s tests and quizzes become a lot easier if you “read” the AP biology book, and then THOROUGHLY read your notes and the Cliff’s AP review book. At first, you can get by in history without reading the book, but the tests at the end of the year start getting a lot harder. READ YOUR REVIEW BOOKS! They will be your friends when your friends abandon you for their own review books… Just read everything, okay?! Don’t get lazy.
Next, I’m sure most if not all of you have been bitten by the bitter bug of procrastination at least once during your time in pseudo-IB. It’s not a good idea to continue this practice unless you are a ‘planned procrastinator’, in which case it becomes less procrastination and more just really bad planning. Anyway, there are a lot of “big” assignments, mainly the internal assessments that you’ll be doing this year, but also labs for your science, and some essays for other classes. DON’T SAVE THEM FOR LAST MINUTE. You’ll think you have time until you find out that you have three mandatory events on three consecutive nights, PLUS you have to take the SAT that Saturday, and all of the projects are due that Monday. This will cause you a great deal of stress, and you do not want stress, STRESS IS NOT YOUR FRIEND. During this time, facebook/your choice of Internet blogging site, is also not your friend. They typically will result in more panic.
I guess what I’m trying to tell you is that you should take it seriously. IB is not a joke, and your goal should be to get the IB diploma. If you’re a junior, shoot for those As, but don’t get too bent out of shape if you wind up with some Bs, just try harder next time. Cs aren’t great, but if you do well the next semester, remember you can always bring up your grade. And even through all of the work IB is a lot of fun don’t forget to enjoy it. I wish you luck!
Leslie Graham
PS: DO YOUR CAS AHEAD OF TIME!
Dear Juniors,
There are three things that are critical (opinion) to you completing the gauntlet that is junior year: the first is to manage your work well, the second is to exercise, and the third is to find an enjoyable outlet. I should also say if you are a sophomore reading this, calm down, your life will be more strenuous next year, this year is easy.
There are times when it is more important to sleep than to study or pay attention in class. This, though often argued, is a simple fact. Also, it is helpful to do work for your hard classes during your easy classes. I will not name the hard or easy classes as this might endanger myself, but you will figure it out rather quickly. Exercise is important. Good cardiac conditioning enables you to stay focused and alert longer than those that are not in such condition. If you are up at 3 am doing a biology lab, pushups are more effective than coffee at keeping you awake.
Finally an outlet, ultimate frisbee for me, is important. It allows you to forget that you are indeed a nerd who is doing a large amount of sometimes unimportant work for the sake of doing it and being able to claim that you have done a large amount of work. Just remember, there is always a break after every hard week.
Enjoy your junior year,
Blaine Helmich
Dear Junior,
I’m sure you’ve heard that junior year is the toughest year of high school. From what I have experienced so far, I would say that junior year has been the most rigorous year of my high school career. However you can make it easier on yourself by following these few tips for surviving junior year.
- Do not fall asleep in any class! If you do, you will soon realize it was a mistake when you’re taking a test and come across a question that you don’t know because you were asleep when the teacher taught or reviewed it.
- This tip works well in any class, but try to pay attention in French class. It’ll come in handy on the test.
» Pay super close attention in Pre-calc and catch five mistakes a week, and Ms. Frisbie will reward your entire class with candy.
- Do not wait until the night before to work on bio labs. If you do, I can assure you that you will not get much sleep that night.
- On that note, just don’t procrastinate at all. However if you really feel the need to, just know that you’ll spend several sleepless nights….crying here and there.
» Complete ToK and English journals as soon as you get them. They may not look hard, but if you keep putting them aside for later, telling yourself, “Oh I’ll just do them this weekend”, you will find something else to do that weekend and they’ll just keep piling up. So yeah, use the time your teachers give you in class wisely and you won’t have to worry about a thing.
- Read the chapters in history, this will help you a lot on the tests and also will make Goss very happy.
- Do as much CAS as you can during the school year because you can only get credit for 30 hours during the summer.
- Don’t let school keep you from having some fun here and there.
Good Luck!
Richu James
Dear Juniors,
First of all, you are about to enter one of the toughest, if not the toughest year of your life. Junior year IB is like having all the worst things in the world happening to you at once. There is so much work and studying to be doing for school and on top of that you need to make sure you think about ACT and SAT and prepare for those tests as well. This year is going to bring out a lot about you and will give you a preview of how tough college will be and just life in general. I must say that junior year was just hellish for me and I am so glad that it is over, but I also must say that I had some of the best times of my life during this year. This year not only marks a lot of school work, but also a lot of blooming friendships with people you wouldn’t have even expected to ever talk to. Having been a junior last year, I suggest you follow some of the advice I will give you guys here.
I know I made the introduction to this sound really bad and horrible sounding but I promise it will not be that bad. The most important thing to NOT do during junior year is procrastinate. There just is not time nor room for such a malicious little habit. The past two years of IB has just been a breeze for you I suspect and you could easily get away with procrastinating. Leave the habit in the past, it will only come back to do you so much harm. Not only will the procrastinating cause you to probably drop your grades and lose a few hours of sleep, but it will also cause you to have many regrets. When you get an assignment, finish it that day. Say you start off on a Monday, you should get your homework for that day from your various classes. Well being a Monday, you should have already completed the homework that will be due the next day over the weekend, leaving you with only the homework you got assigned that day left. You should do it that day because you never know how hard an assignment the next day might be. This is especially true whenever you get your math portfolios or IAs for your other classes. Leaving it for the last minute will give you less quality in your work and also you might not even finish because the portfolios are very challenging and takes a lot of time to get used them. So I swear you will love me forever if you just do not procrastinate next year. You should also tackle each assignment with a positive attitude and not dread doing it because then you will get bored really quick and have a negative feel for the assignment, which is not good for the quality of your work. Even if you have to lie to yourself to make it seem like you’re going to enjoy the assignment, just go for it. A few lies won’t hurt anybody. In Pre-calc especially, don’t pull a Brian and sleep through almost every class (every day in all subjects) and make sure you listen to Ms. Frisbie teach and enjoy her awesome sound effects in class. She is probably one of the best teachers you will ever have in your life, so please don’t screw that class up. If you listen to her lectures in class and then go back onto Edmodo and see the notes and do the homework, I promise the class will be easy as heck for you. Whatever foreign language class you end up taking, make sure you keep up with all the vocab and don’t dread any orals or preparations for them because when the time comes where they matter, you will be happy for everything your language teacher has taught you. Sleeping in foreign language classes is not recommended either. If you end up taking Biology, make sure you do all your worksheets and studying at home and don’t come to school and take your class time for those things because you need to listen to the teachers on what they’re teaching. For English, Ms. Smith is a great little lady to talk to and have fun with. Make sure you get on her good side though; otherwise you get blamed for everything in the classroom. Doing your journals and writing the notes she gives about each book will prove to be very valuable when her tests come as well as the orals you will have to do. Goss is a champ. I love that man. His class is fairly easy as long as you read the textbook/Wikinotes. Make sure you make fun of his age. Anyways making sure you keep up with your grades and try to keep your GPA above a 4.0. Don’t get discouraged by one test that you do bad one, but just learn your lesson from it and study harder the next time. Life isn’t always fair.
Secondly, I would like to address that each and every student should be making tons of new friends this year. This is the year when all the IB class really starts to grow together as a class. Having a best friend throughout the whole year will make it much more bearable for you. For the times when you are stressed or discouraged, it will be nice to always have someone there to support you and bring your self-esteem up. Do to others as you would want done to you. This means if you want someone to be able to lean on when times get tough, make sure you’re there for that person when they need you as well. Avoid drama at all costs because high school drama is some petty crap and definitely not worth the trouble. Just deal with how things are and move on. Love thy classmates.
To conclude, although a tough year is at your hands, with some of the advice I have given you and what you’ve heard from other upperclassmen should help you get through it. DO NOT DROP OUT OF IB. Just don’t. It is simply one of the best educational opportunities you can have during high school and will prepare you for college. Don’t procrastinate, listen to your teachers, and always have friends to talk to because all these elements together are going to make junior year a breeze and teach you how to manage a lot of stressful events in the future. Stay strong IB juniors, you got this!
Brian Joseph
Dear upcoming victims,
If you’re reading this, then you’re probably a junior/sophomore. Whatever the case, you go to IB, so expect some work. You go to one of the best schools in the state, and never forget that. The amount of knowledge you will gain at the end of this four year thrill ride will dwarf what you can imagine. It’s both amazing and terrifying. But don’t worry! Plan ahead, take it one step at a time, and you’ll survive. Take courses you’re interested in, but don’t take the easy road either. Take as many AP courses as you can, it will pay off in the long run.
When doing all the schoolwork though, never forget your friends. The friends you make in IB will pull you through more than you think, they help you stay awake while studying, and practically save you’re but the rest of the time. Abraham Lincoln might have been wise, but you shouldn’t keep your enemies anywhere near you. In fact, don’t make any. IB is a much more enjoyable ride if you have people that care about you and vice versa.
Lastly, take your work seriously. Don’t think that just because you have an easy class or a class that you can slack off in that you should do so. It will bite you in the butt later, trust me. If there really is nothing to learn, then use that time to do homework or to study for other classes. You come to school to learn, not to waste time. Do that at home. But always remember, hundreds have gone through this program already, and so can you.
Good luck with it all!
Gabe Lopez
Dear Incoming Junior(s),
So, the next year of your life will be pretty challenging, but not necessarily terrible. Even though there is a TON of work, I have to say that junior year was also one of the best times of my life. The people in IB, teachers and friends, are all so awesome.
I know everyone tells you this, but try your best not to procrastinate. By procrastinating, you just stress yourself out more until you’re about to explode. Make lists. I love lists. Here’s some more specific information:
First, let’s take it class by class.
Pre-Calculus: Math gets a lot more challenging this year. I’m definitely not a math person, but I’ve managed to survive. Ms. Frisbie is so dedicated. There are multiple resources that she provides of which you should definitely take advantage. Use Edmodo and her website. You can find pretty much anything there. And, if you have questions, Ms. Frisbie is ALWAYS there to help. Try not to use your late passes because you’ll want the extra credit at the end of the nine weeks. Do portfolios at least four days ahead of time. And if you get a bad grade on the first one, don’t freak out. Only one is sent into IB, and if you try you will be able to improve your score dramatically on the second one.
French: Mrs. Dietert is really nice, but you can only talk to her in English during lunch or after school. In class, you have to actually speak French. Ridiculous, right? Anyway, try to keep track of all the basic verb conjugations and stuff, because the fundamentals come in handy when you’re attempting to do an Oral. French involves less written work than some of your other classes, but if you can I would consider devoting some solid study time to the language, because it will pay off later.
Biology: To make things clear: Mrs. Kennon is an awesome teacher and has the best/most unique personality. Do not insult her. Her class is very, very, difficult. Sometimes it will feel like you’re going to fail or you don’t know anything. Homework and labs are never-ending, and the tests are…challenging. Just do your best, and try to study. You will get through it all. And you will be rewarded, because taking Biology is the best science option.
English: I honestly suggest that you read the books for the year over the summer. I know it sounds really nerdy and like too much work, but it really helped me this year. Do your journals ahead of time.
ToK: ToK is a super interesting class that tends to get neglected because of challenges in other classes. Please pay attention to Mr. Guice. Stay on top of your Extended Essay. If you don’t, that’s okay, too, because you have the whole summer to change your question and research.
Psychology: This one is hard to write. Firstly, I’ve only taken a semester so far, so I’ll be taking the second semester with you! And with the teaching changes, I don’t know what’s going to happen. Do your vocab…and yeah, I don’t know what else to tell you…it shouldn’t be that bad.
APUSH: I loved this class and Mr. Goss. Read the textbook. Don’t worry if you lose the papers he gives you…you can still get an A, I promise.
So, I’m in Band, and I love it. Music helped me to survive junior year. I’m also in a ton of other clubs/activities. And I still hang out with friends and family and have fun. Don’t EVER let people tell you that you can’t get through junior year and still be involved. If you don’t take the opportunities that life presents to you and get involved in areas that you like, you will regret it. And your grades can drop either way. It just depends on your dedication. Please follow your passions, whatever they are.
So what happens when you don’t follow my advice? What do you do when you leave all your stuff to the night before? How do you deal with day-to-day real IB? Well, most of the time I was that student. The one who does stuff at the last minute. The one who relaxes instead of studying. And my grades are still pretty good. It’s okay that you procrastinate. In fact, you will procrastinate. And even if you don’t, there’s just too much work. Take everything one step at a time. Focus on a single task, the next thing that’s due, and then continue. Don’t be afraid to stay up late to finish your work. Accept the fact that you will receive horrible grades sometimes on assignments, and move on with your life. Do not let one single assignment lower your morale and stop your progress. What’s done is done, and the only thing you can change is what you do in the future.
It’s okay to be a dork and talk about grades all the time. IB is just one stress after another. Keep your friends close. They’ll help to get you through the year. Don’t cheat. It’s wrong. You know that. So don’t do it. The feeling of accomplishment that you get when you do something great is priceless.
As Ms. Frisbie says, “If you don’t have questions, then you’re not in the right class.” Or not challenging yourself enough. Something to that extent. You’ll survive. And feel free to come talk to me. I know some of you.
You can do it! Good luck,
Emily Lubin
Class of 2012
The next year, as you decide that you don’t mind sleepless nights or minor trips to the deepest levels of hell, you will find that IB can be tough, impossible even. Trust me, when I was a sophomore, I was pretty scared about starting Junior year, “The worst year,” people told me. But at the end of this year, I am here to tell you that it’s completely survivable, with us doing it, and the graduated seniors doing it, and the graduated seniors before that doing it, you get it. Even though it’s doable, it wouldn’t hurt to get some street tips we learned so you won’t fall into the same traps as some of us did this year.
So first, I can’t stress how important it is to actually do your work. Now I know you’re probably thinking, “Work? We’re IB kids, we don’t do work and if we do it’s the absolute bare minimum because we have it so rough blah blah”; however, trust me, the work actually means something this year, especially in English where you reading the book actually matters as you have to do Internal Assessments on what you’ve read your junior year and then take IB English the next year. That’s just an example, but you get it. The work means a lot this year, and by you doing it, it’ll help you know the material so you don’t have to study hard at all the next year (like Frisbie’s class; if you actually do the homework and try to understand it, you won’t have to study…which is good).
Second, be active in your school. Junior year will most likely knock you down and repeatedly kick you in the ribs for the first few months, so you may not want to do anything but just go home and do your homework and repeat. Every. Day. But trust me, being active in the school will not only get your mind off of IB and work, but also get to you to meet new people and have fun, because you’re going to want to get all the fun you can get next year. This leads me to my other bit of advice: get close to your friends. You won’t believe how much of a support group they are. Junior year will be much more bearable with yo frans. Well, I think that about sums up how you get through Junior year…oh yeah, one more thing: do not date in your IB class…it’s just a bad idea since you’ll be stuck with them for the next two years if things don’t pan out for you guys. Anyways, good luck and I know you’ll guys do great, but not as great as the Class of ‘12. Sorry.
John Maksimik
So you think you want to take the same courses as I have? You’re a bigger idiot than even you thought you were, but since I have to turn something in for this assignment I guess I’ll give you a few hints. These hints will be split into two different paragraphs, the first for IB kids and the second for anybody else taking this course. (P.S.: If you said “I didn’t think I was an idiot” in response to the second sentence you really need to come off your high horse.) I hope you enjoy these few tips.
Ok first up comes the IB kids since, unfortunately, I am in IB classes. Notice I said I am in IB classes and I am not an IBer, which I have taken pride in not being called. Ok the first tip is, if at all possible, drop out of IB. This will save you a couple more years of trouble and save you from having to deal with all the nonsense that comes with this school. Second of all do not be so egotistical, you ain’t nothing special. I am a redneck taking this course and I am 100% sure that there are Summerlin and BHS kids taking this course along with you. The final piece of advice I will give to all you IBers (pronounced ibb, not IB) is the one that applies most to the class itself, don’t be your usual, awkward selfs, Ms. Frisbie will be the one teacher that would write you up. I was kind of hoping for this to happen this year, but unfortunately nobody reached the point to cause her to do this.
Now to move on the all other students, which could include IBers. First of all do not steal somebody else’s book. I speak from experience and it is kind of irritating knowing that you never brought your book home, but it hasn’t been at school all year long. Next, try and get some sort of graphing calculator, trust me you do not want to have to search the internet trying to find a decent website to do your math on and not finding the tool you need to do any of your homework. Finally, do your homework on time. It’s nice to have those passes she hands out, but she does not hand out enough. So try not to get in the habit of turning in her homework late.
Ok that is all I could think of to tell any of you fools that want to do eveything I have. For the IB students, not IBers, try to escape if you can before it’s too late. Other than that try not to think highly of yourself, and try to work hard and have all the materials you need for class, I think it would make the class a lot easier than what I had to put up with. Good luck, dummies (yes I know it is spelled with a “b”).
Calvin Moore
Dear Upcoming Student,
First of all, I would like to say, “Good luck” because you’ll need it. The junior year is not for the faint of heart. Be prepared to do more work than you’ve ever done and don’t expect it to be easy. Although many have survived, many have also perished at the hands of the junior teachers. I wouldn’t say that the work itself is necessarily harder than that of freshman and sophomore year, but there is ten times as much of it. The classes for which you need to watch out include (but are not limited to): Biology, History, Spanish (if you are in Spanish), and English. Those classes seem to present the most problems, along with the most work.
Biology is by far the hardest class I had this year. Although it wasn’t impossible, it did seem like it most of the time. The first semester is a lot more work than the second, just because of all the labs. At the beginning of the year, it seems like you’re doing two labs a week. But by the end, it calms down and you hardly do any at all. Also, DO ALL THE EXTRA CREDIT. Even if you think you don’t need it, do it. It NEVER hurts to have extra points in the grade book; you never know when Kennon will throw in one of her impossible worksheets. Yes, I said impossible. It would seem that some of the questions don’t have answers, not even online. However, do not fret, you’ll get through it.
History, although not as challenging as Biology, is quite time consuming. I would highly suggest reading the textbook, however, I’m not sure it’s worth sticky-noting. Reading the chapters do take awhile, but it’s definitely worth it. Also, if you want to distract Goss, just say, “baseball” and he’ll be off on a tangent for at least ten minutes. You could also start talking about Commie-Pinko-Pigs, Sarah Palin, or Barack Obama to obtain the same effect. Whatever floats your boat. Always just do what the old man says, don’t argue and don’t question him. He’s the teacher and he will always be right (at least to himself). History really won’t be all that bad.
Spanish, if you’re in it, should also pick up a bit. The actual homework assignments and whatnot got easier, but the in-class work is much harder. Everything is graded on the AP Scale, so there is little room for error. You really should take all of the AP Practices seriously and speak Spanish as much as possible; you need all the practice you can get and it never hurts. You should also take everything your Señora says seriously; she knows what she is doing.
English gets one thousand times more annoying junior year. All of the journals and impossible tests really grate on your nerves for awhile, but you can’t help but love Mrs. Smith, after all, she is a SLUT. Vocabulary practices can also seem to be ridiculous, but it’s okay. Those words actually did show up on the SAT and were important to know. Also, no matter how ridiculous something seems, Mrs. Smith is always right (kinda like Mr. Goss).
All-in-all, junior year is a lot of work, but it’s worth it. You’ll learn a lot about yourself and your classmates. I hope you Succeed.
Your upperclass(wo)man,
Morgan M. Murphy
Lessons Procured from My Numerous Misadventures of Junior Year
Becoming a sophomore is, contrary to what this year’s yearbook claims, actually very easy. It is probably a piece of angel food cake in comparison to junior year. I’ve somehow survived, but I’ve also acquired quite a bit of hindsight throughout the struggle.
- MANAGE YOUR TIME WELL.Good time management is the key to making the upcoming school year (and probably the rest of your life) easy, or at the very least, less painful. Do this and everything else will fall into place. All of the other advice given throughout this insight into your penultimate trek through IB will most likely be linked back to this first step. There will be days when you’re just so exhausted that, when you finally get home, you’ll fall into a sort of special type coma which only allows you to watch Oprah and eat ice cream. And then you look at the clock and it’s 5:30. Do you know how many hours get wasted like that? The hours you could have spent doing your APUSH workbook, bio lab, et cetera.
- Do your work when it’s assigned. If Mrs. Kennon gives you an extra week to do your lab because there was a freak storm and not everyone had power that night, DO NOT WAIT UNTIL NEXT THURSDAY NIGHT TO DO IT. She will reprimand you like I just did, except with actual, tangible sound and fury. Don’t wait until the weekend before it’s due to start your human body project (Kennon gives it to you ten weeks before it’s due). Do a system a week. Do not assume that you can finish your APUSH workbook assignment during lunch; you can’t.
Do not wait to do your online lab at five in the morning before returning to school after winter break, and definitely do not call your friends at 5:22 in the morning asking about said lab (Emily Lubin did exactly that to me. And then I pointed out that I don’t get up until 5:25. So the next three times she called me about an assignment was due that day, she graciously waited until precisely 5:25 a.m.). Do your work as it is assigned, not at the last minute, and you’ll thank yourself for it later when everyone else is scrambling and not sleeping, which brings me to
- SLEEP. It is important. In fact, some could argue that it is essential. I get about six hours a night on average, but I know that, if I go to bed at 11:30, I’m barely staying awake during the day and fall into a vegetable state as soon as I get home (see #1). However, if I go to bed at 10:30, I sleep great and get through the day just fine. And there’s a point where your head will become a concrete block, and no information for your English final the next day is going to stay in your brain (for me, that’s like 12:30 a.m.) and you’ll be forced to call it a night.
- Spend your time worrying about yourself, not other people. Do not concern yourself with what your classmates got on a test, because their studying and getting a good grade will do nothing for you, except maybe make you feel pathetic. Instead of asking your neighbor how many English journals they got done, concentrate on finishing your own. In short, don’t waste your time and energy worrying about others, because you’ll have barely enough to worry about yourself.
- Keep your cool. There will be weeks where you have a bio lab, English journals, two APUSH tests, and a math portfolio due. Just take a deep breath and plow through. If all else fails, time won’t. It will pass and that hell week will eventually end. In any situation where you feel like you’re going to lose your head (which will probably happen on several occasions during the year), stop. Breathe. Repeat.
- Have fun. Despite the torturous workload, junior year is a lot of fun. Laugh when you can, go to the movies with your friends, have relaxing weekends here and there. You’ll need them.
Briana Naseer
Dear rising pre-calc student,
Here are a few pieces of advice:
When it comes to math, make sure to pay attention in class; Ms. Frisbie is there to teach and does know what she is talking about. So do not waste her time. Actually do your homework, no matter how tough, and do NOT rely on Bob because sometimes he falls off his rocker and gets the wrong answer. Plus, you will do better on tests (imagine that.) Finally, try your best not to use your late pass unless it’s an extreme emergency because it will be helpful for those 89ers.
If you are taking Ms. Smith’s English class, you should read the books because if you do not, those quotes and multiple choice questions will make you fail, miserably. Do the journals because she sometimes all of a sudden will say “lemme have ‘em kiddies!” Oh, and make sure to learn the words for the vocabulary quizzes because they will give a little boost to your grade if you do. One last thing, make sure to not get on her bad side; she will take it out on you and blatantly mock you.
Basically, IB for juniors is not as bad as everyone talks it up to be. Yes, you will have nights, even weeks when you seriously debate your sanity, but do not fear, you will make it through. It is possible. Do not get freaked out when you get your first B, or C in some people’s cases, on your report card; just remember to work hard the next quarter and your semester grade (which is what matters) will balance out. Enjoy your time; actually go see a movie, play a sport or whatever suits your fancy. You can get through it because it is not too terrible.
Best of wishes,
Alison Palmer
So, this past year of IB has gone by pretty quickly. I’m surprised that I’m basically almost a senior. There have been some awesome times this past year, but there have also been some times that were, well, not so awesome. There is plenty of advice I can give to upcoming juniors to avoid the bad times, to excel in all of their classes, and to, of course, have a copious amount of fun.
First of all, sophomores should definitely not procrastinate. I’m sure that they have heard that over and over again, but work isn’t the same as it was in sophomore year. It actually catches up to you. I was not a procrastinator, thankfully, so I really didn’t have this problem, but I’ve seen my classmates suffer from this “disease”. Especially since they are going to be taking at least 4 or 5 AP classes, it is important for them to keep up with work because it will be non-stop coming at you. I had straight A’s throughout this year. I think the reason for this was the fact that I was pretty organized. Whenever I got home, I made sure I finished all my work/ studying first, so I could have the rest of the day or night to do whatever I feel like doing. It really helps. Plus, being organized helps you get a sufficient amount of sleep, which will definitely help you stay awake and focused during class. That also tends to help.
Along with advice dealing with actual studying skills, it is important to have fun in the junior year. Having fun really relieves the stress that is thrown upon you by all the assignments in your classes. One way of doing this is by playing sports. I played two sports this past year, soccer and tennis. Both of them helped me relieve stress because they allow me to just go out on the field or court and focus on the game-play. I even thought that these sports helped me to organize my time because of the fact that I came home so late. I knew that when I had a soccer match in the next couple days, I had to finish whatever assignment early, so I wouldn’t be cramming the night of the match, when I’d be really tired. Furthermore, “having fun” doesn’t only constitute playing sports. I joined a lot of clubs this past year, one of them being FBLA. I also made it to FBLA state competition where I met a lot of new people and became friends with them. Therefore, I would recommend to these sophomores to join clubs and sports because they can make new friendships with people that can make a positive impact on their life.
Lastly, not only should a sophomore try to make new friends and have fun, but he/ she should try to develop long- lasting relationships with the people he/ she already knows. Junior year was the year where I really got to know some people and become really good friends with those people. And it has definitely been worth it, becomes sometimes you just need a person, or maybe more than one person, really close to you that can help you get through the tough times. These friends can also relieve stress, which is an important thing to try to do junior year of IB.
Vishal Patel
To the upcoming IB Junior,
Most of my peers will use this opportunity to write heartfelt, endearing, and encouraging letters about the joys of becoming an official International Baccalaureate student. I have chosen to cut the B.S. and give you the real scoop.
For the average student, IB sucks. There is homework by the wheelbarrow. Essays are as long as the Nationalized Healthcare Bill. Projects seem to line the walls of your bedroom and calculator batteries seem to need changing every three days. For the average student, IB is a hell worth avoiding. But you are not an average student. To have endured two grueling years of the Pre IB program at Bartow High School shows that you have the capability to great things. To you the homework will not seem so bad. The essays will become second nature and projects will be a piece of cake. You have been trained like little puppies by all of your teachers for this very moment. Mrs. Kennon has built up your hand muscles to prepare you for all of the writing you’ll be doing very soon. Mrs. Harb and Mr. Guice conditioned you to read and color mark novels faster than any other students. Your math teachers have fine tuned your calculator skills. Every teacher has “house trained” you so that you’ll be able to run with the big dogs in IB. If you are worried about the scary stories from upperclassmen, just remember that you are fully capable of handling everything that’s gonna be thrown at you.
There are a few specific hints that I can give you to make next year go more smoothly:
- Biology worksheets are the most frustrating assignments that you will receive. It seems impossible that an answer to a question on a high school biology worksheet does not exist on the internet. Search if you wish but some answers can’t be found on the internet. So, be sure to take good notes in class and start your worksheets early. DO NOT wait until the last day to do your biology worksheet unless you really hate getting more than twenty minutes of sleep.
- Don’t you dare procrastinate on English journals. Begin to answer English journals as you receive them. If you wait until the night before, you will become dizzy from the all the empty lines to fill. Be sure to mark in your book during class discussions to help you answer the questions.
- US History is a class that you will never forget. Gary Goss is the only teacher who can give a firsthand account of the journey on the Mayflower. You will have ample fun making fun of what a dinosaur he is. You’ll come to love all of his Goss-isms and his unhealthy obsession with baseball. But beneath the fun be sure to take the lectures and assignments seriously and READ THE AMSCO BOOK. Try to disregard all of Goss’s spelling mistakes and be patient when he is on the computer, he’s not used to technology yet. (He upgraded to a cell phone from a rotary dial just last week).
Well, that’s really all that I can say at the moment. The year to come will not be easy. You will have to work you butt off. There will be many sleepless nights and you will curse you instructors with every fiber of your being. Upon completion of the eleventh grade, you will come to appreciate all that your teachers will have put you through, just as I do now.
Good Luck and Don’t Screw It Up,
Aatish Patel
Dear upcoming junior,
Here are a few things that I think you might want to know for next school year:
You’re in real IB now, so start acting like it. One thing that makes junior year even more difficult is if someone won’t approach IB in a positive way. Try not to complain, it doesn’t help you at all. Instead, try to get things done effectively and be humble about it; it’ll make you a better student. Don’t cheat! You are going to have to learn all the material you cover, so put extra effort in and do things on your own. The teachers don’t give you any work that doesn’t contribute to learning. You need to think more about SAT, ACT and your GPA this year, because by the end of the year you will look back on what you should have done better, and you don’t want any of those things to be on that list. Oh, and get used to being sleep deprived. Bio labs get beastly and with those and other stuff I’ve pulled several all nighters throughout the course of this year.
Get a life (outside of school). I know fellow students that completely emerge themselves in school work. Trust me, if you want to have work all of the time, you definitely will. So instead, try being part of a social group, get a significant other, join a sport or start a club. All of these things will give you an escape from all of the stress and some even CAS hours. In fact, take advantage of CAS by playing sports and starting your CAS Project in junior year, you won’t regret it. Also, having a group of friends to rely on and have fun with is the most important thing you can do to get away from your IB life. Be friendly to everyone (but not too friendly) and try to find someone that you can hang out with outside of school. Colleges love to see that you can do stuff besides being a student, so try to be open to interesting ideas. Also, holding a leadership position is very important, so run for NHS, FBLA, HOSA, SGA or Class office every year. You’d be surprised how easy it is to win office for something, and it’s definitely something impressive to put on a resume.
Show some school spirit. Get involved in clubs and sports as much as possible. Don’t make excuses, you can do IB as well as do extracurricular activities, so get active. Trust me, I did two sports, got really good grades, did First Responder, and still had a social life. You need to accept being a Bartow student. You go to Bartow IB, not just IB. Remember that Bartow is a somewhat great high school regardless of whether or not there is an IB school there. Get along with the Bartow kids. Make friends with them, they’re cooler than most IB kids. You should definitely go to all of the football games and do skin team and everything. Also, go to homecoming and prom! Try to enjoy yourself and take advantage of all the cool school activities that go on all of the time. Also, definitely go to the Band’s Bluegrass and BBQ Festival.
I hope those suggestions will do some good, but really, you need to experience all this for yourself. Just keep an open mind about everything all of the time and take advantage of every possible opportunity you can. Good luck! You can do it!
Sincerely,
Guillermo Prichard
P.S. My favorite saying — “In IB, you can pick two of the following: Sleep, Social Life, or Good Grades.”
(I didn’t choose sleep)
Junior year has been many things. The most notable of these things? I would say that this year has been almost unusually stressful. But while junior year was indeed mentally, physically, and emotionally taxing, it was also a lot of fun. There are several things that I know would have helped me get through this year with much less difficulty, and things that I have learned this year allow me to move forward in life, using past experiences to make future decisions. However, if I had to pick some of the most relevant pieces of advice to give that pertain to this year, I would choose punctuality, an early bedtime, and involvement.
To be punctual is to be prepared. I don’t just mean being on time for classes; I mean turning in assignments on time and studying for tests in advance. Not procrastinating is one of the most important and efficacious ways to ensure success during junior year. By having your work done on time, you ensure that you have free time to work on other assignments, and if you find that the assignment was done incorrectly you have time to go back and adjust it. Studying more than a day in advance for a test is also beneficial because you have more time to memorize the material and let it sink into long term memory as you continue to view it; also, you have more time to learn additional material to supplement and build upon your prior study materials.
An early bedtime is the best way to make sure you get through junior year. So many students go sleepless because of bad decisions: procrastination, going out instead of doing homework, and putting other priorities ahead of school. A refreshed, relaxed mind allows you to function optimally during the day, helps you to be more ready to learn, and also lets you be in a better mindset about school. Plenty of rest also helps one avoid burning out, which happened to many juniors this year.
Overinvolvement in extracurricular activities can cause a problem. From playing sports to having a project to holding down a job, bad time management with respect to these activities can lead to you not having enough time to do work. Grades can suffer because of commitment to other activities instead of school, and the lack of sleep one experiences as a result will increase exponentially. Make sure that you do not become too involved in other things and that you always make time for school. In this way you can ensure that you will be balancing your time and keeping your grades up.
Femi Sobowale
Dear Rising Juniors,
First off, I’d like to congratulate you for making it through your Pre-IB years. However, now is when the real test of your will begins. Junior year is difficult, there is no way around that, but there are a few tips you should keep in mind in order to make the process as easy as possible.
First off, I know it’s difficult for IB Students, but DON’T PROCRASTINATE. It will be the death of you. I am proud to say that I’ve had semester A’s all through junior year and have not once pulled an all-nighter to finish assignments. So it IS possible. This advice is especially pertinent if you’re taking AP Biology. Labs are not fun to do at 1 o’clock in the morning. OH and this also applies to CAS hours. You don’t want to get to the end of junior year and realize you either a) have completed no CAS hours or b) have done them but not entered them in ManageBac, so now you have to back track and do all the paperwork over summer. Just manage your time well and you’ll be fine.
Next, ask your teachers for help. They know how stressed you are, they understand your work load. If you’re confused in a class or just need advice, don’t be afraid to go to them because they will be happy to help you. (I know Ms. Frisbie and Mr. Goss are really good at helping out students who ask them).
Finally, make sure to schedule in some time for yourself. There are gonna be times in junior year that you’re gonna think “What in the hell did I get myself into?” but being able to take time out for yourself will help immensely with balancing out the good and the bad. It seems kind of corny, I know, but it does help. Go hang out with friends, go to football games, go see movies, whatever. Just don’t forget to have fun.
Well, those are all the words of wisdom I have for now. I wish you all luck on your treacherous endeavor into the depths of the dreaded junior year, but know that it IS possible to be successful. If you are reading this and want more advice from me, you can probably find me on Facebook or around the YJP studio.
Best of luck,
Christina Vallejo
Future IB Junior,
The junior year of IB is by far one of the toughest things I have ever been through… ever. I wish there were certain things that I had been informed of before delving in, and that is why I will arm you with the knowledge you need to help make next year more bearable.
My first piece of advice involves AP Biology, the class that was so easy to put a little ‘X’ by on paper, but that will end up pushing you to your absolute limits. Though I know from experience that this is easier said than done, I HIGHLY recommend writing up labs over the weekend (you will always be given one weekend between a lab and its due date). Many, many weeks were plagued with the impending due date of a biology lab, with seemingly no time in which to complete it. Keep up with bio work, and Kennon biology tests are NOT among the tests that you cannot study for and still expect an A or B on. You will do plenty of complaining, stressing out, and the occasional cursing about bio, but Kennon really is a great teacher who will prepare you sufficiently for both the AP test and future biology studies. Appreciate her efforts, even though the frequent unexplained point-deduction will try your patience.
As a second little piece of advice, I must warn you that IB junior English with Mrs. Smith is not the typical “easy because I know this language” class. If you do not study for reading quizzes, you will not do well. Even, sometimes, if you do study for the quizzes, you will not do well. Keep up with journals, because if you let them pile up, it becomes not just a few questions here and there, but a whole weekend of nothing but reviewing books and answering questions. As for oral commentaries and presentations, I will warn you that they are stressful (especially the commentary), but also that they are do-able. If you read the books and go into the oral with a calm attitude, you will find that it’s a lot easier than you think, and you will experience, for the first time (trust me) the overwhelming relief of having completed an IB oral.
For the other classes, I can only tell you to do your best. Actually speak Spanish in Spanish class. Speak Spanish outside of Spanish class…it will help. The AP Spanish test is ridiculous in level of difficulty, but it is conquerable if you take the time to read, speak, and listen to the language outside of the classroom. For APUSH, you will quickly learn that three tests in one week is indeed possible. You will stress over tests, become frustrated over sketchily-defined essays, and wish fervently that there weren’t so many presidents, but the work ends up being worth it; so pay attention. Mr. Goss is intimidating at first, I will admit, but let him get to know you, and you will soon find yourself looking forward to his eccentric lectures and baseball anecdotes. For pre-calculus, I will tell you from experience that paying attention really, really does matter. I had the unfortunate circumstance of having pre-calc right before bio, so many lessons were missed in the frantic struggle to maintain a high grade in biology, at the sacrifice of understanding math. Ms. Frisbie is a brilliant teacher, and if you allow her to improve upon the book’s given methods and to make connections for you, the concepts will come a lot easier.
Above all, I just need to tell you to have fun in the hectic year that awaits. You will be overwhelmed at times. You will pull all-nighters and STILL not complete everything to the extent that you wanted. You probably will have a few minor break-downs. But, when it comes down to it, this is the only junior year you will ever have. I spent much of my junior year worrying and freaking out, but I also began some amazing friendships and worked to involve myself socially with the people around me. This is very important, and school can be very enjoyable if you enjoy the people you’re with. Remember that everyone is going through the same things that you are, and you will discover that a willingness to help and a strong camaraderie will develop within your class that will bring you all very close. Cherish your time, and try not to take it too seriously. ☺
Sincerely,
Lindsey Ward
Dear incoming Junior (oh noes) ,
Instead of sugar-coating this I’ll just be straightforward with you, Junior year is going to, well, beat the crap out of you. No, it will not just shove you to the ground and spit on you, nope, it’s going to shove you to the ground, curb-stomp you, and then throw you in front of a twitchy hamster with a machine gun (I’m not kidding). Okay, I may be exaggerating a bit but junior year is seriously the hardest year you will have up to this point. Sorry, but sophomore year was the best it was going to get in the IB program. However, I can give you some advice that may let this coming year be less of nightmare for you.
Starting with the most obvious piece of advice, don’t procrastinate! Now, I’m not saying to start on a long-term assignment the day it was assigned, but I am suggesting that you give yourself at least a week in advance for a serious project, particularly portfolios, Bio labs, and journals. However, if you do end up doing it last minute, let’s just say that you won’t be getting sleep that whole entire freaking week. I can almost guarantee you that your new bedtime will be about 3:00 A.M. Yes, that starts with an “A,” it would be really sad if I meant “P” seeing as they’re nowhere near each other. The issue though, is that you’re already a procrastinator, aren’t you? Well, sing it with me:
“I don’t know how I got this way
I know it’s not alright.
So I’m breaking the habit,
I’m breaking the habit
Tonight”
–Breaking the Habit by Linkin Park
Now, for another piece of advice, remember that you only have one more grade to go before you’re finally a senior about to graduate with a nice, leathery diploma that you can brag about to all the colleges. You have to remember that by going through this year of hell on earth, you’re bringing yourself one step closer to getting into that dream college of yours. Heck, when breaks come around, go and visit one of your top colleges. There’s nothing better to fix your morale than visiting a college who’s student body you may be very well apart of in two years. Of course, that new-found motivation is going to disappear right when you get back from break, but hey, at least there was a lapse in all the gloom-and-doom of junior year. In fact, just because you’re a junior doesn’t mean you can’t go out. Granted, the opportunities are fairly rare, but it’s still something fun to do. Now, the song for this piece of advice:
“Dream on,
Dream on,
Dream on,
Dream until your dreams come true”
–Dream On by Aerosmith
So, I’d just like to say good luck to you this coming year and to remember that you’ve already come this far, might as well “Finish the fight!” (hehe, Halo > CoD, just saying).
“Don’t hang your head in sorrow
And please don’t cry
I know how you feel inside
I’ve been there before…
Don’t you cry tonight,
Don’t you cry tonight”
–Don’t Cry by Guns N’ Roses
Vienhang Yeung
Dear As Yet Unnamed Friend,
This year I found myself tackling my final pre-IB courses. As I progressed through sophomore year, I made several errors in my approach to school and schoolwork. Though I have enjoyed this year greatly, I must caution you to avoid losing focus, and take very detailed notes.
In the beginning, teachers said “pay attention” and “write this down”, and students listened, and all was well. Unfortunately, all good things come to an end. As the end of the year drew near, I stopped taking notes and started goofing off in class, counting on the mercy of the teachers to help me through my tests and finals. I found myself starting homework at later times, dragging on from eight o’clock to nine, and eventually 10. These mistakes rose up and struck like a snake in the bushes. My test grades dropped, and soon, the lack of sleep started affecting my judgment, causing me to pay even less attention. This self-perpetuating cycle could easily have been avoided had I just continued my earlier behavior. Please heed my advice, and keep vigilant against the corruption that is sloth.
The destruction of my former studious ways soon led to a deficit in the “good notes” department. When taking any academic course, this could be fatal. The lack of notes soon reared its ugly head and spat in my face. When trying to find formulas for physics, I was at a total loss (side note, make sure all your notes are legible. In fact, just make sure you have legible handwriting). My frustration never led to reform, however, and I continued my no notes policy until the end of this year. I can honestly say that writing notes would have helped me retain the knowledge I needed to know to answer questions on my finals. Trust me, I’ve been through this. Take excellent notes.
This year has been a true “learning experience”. In fact, sophomore year is arguably the easiest if you can just remember to focus and take good notes. My personal anecdotes might make you despair, but take heart; If you heed my advice, you will be fine.
I wish you good luck,
Tom Zhang
This year has been both good and bad for me. Freshman year, everything was new, the workload was horrible because we were just coming into the world of “IB”. We spent the many sleepless nights and did all the procrastination, BS, and Mrs. Kennon’s bio class that IB is famous for, and by the end of the year we were used to it. It was old hat, predictable. Throughout the summer we had our fun. Did the summer homework and came back to school expecting the worst pain possible to come back and the complete destruction of our free time as before.
But that’s not what happened…
I came into sophomore year expecting more of the same but what I was greeted with was a surprisingly light workload. There was no more of the pointless repetition of the same kind of problems 30 times that was the bane of the previous math class. There was an English teacher who turned out to be my favorite teacher, and a math teacher who was incredibly brilliant and sometimes funny. I had so much free time that I didn’t know what to do anymore. The one class that gave me problems was the first AP class, AP World History. Throughout the year there were periods when I would be able to go to sleep as early as 10 if I wanted, but also periods in which the homework just got dumped on (especially around portfolios) and I could barely stay afloat.
The last of these times was just before the AP test when the end of the year was rapidly approaching and there was still so much to do. Physics class was the break class, full of nothing but BS and fun. I don’t know how I’m going to pass the exam. My favorite thing of this year was the bond that grew between my classes. With the same 75 odd students to choose from for all of your classes the class becomes more than just friends, it’s more like a family with all the drama that comes with it (except the dating thing). And just like a family, you can’t live with them and you can’t live without them. just hang in there and you can survive. Don’t give up!
Terrence Commons
I’m not liking the “three or more paragraphs” nor the “letter form” thing, so I hope you can still accept this format. This… block of text may be sporadic, but it may not be. Anyways, this year’s actually been fun. From messing with science teachers, to constantly finding only FOUR MISTAKES IN A WEEK FOR MATH TEACHERS. Procrastinating can be done, but only if it’s done smartly. You have to prioritize your procrastination, and that can be a challenge. Pre-calc was amazingly easy, except for a few subjects. Doing the homework and listening in class pretty much can teach the subject, but then again, it’s taught by an amazing teacher. Chem/physics is a joke, especially physics. Chem is ridiculously easy because of the mass amounts of extra credit. English becomes harder, but I’ve never been one to enjoy that subject anyways. Guice makes it superfun nevertheless. Stats is pretty easy, but some concepts are difficult, especially if you weren’t there in class. After the AP test… even more fun. 😀 Anatomy I have nothing to say about other than it’s a TON of work and memorization (kinda?). But it’s still a relatively easy class. It’s also fun to mess with Allison. :] APWH just sucks, but Ted’s probably changing how he teaches again. Like English, however, I’ve never been one to like it, so you might be fine. It’s still a hilarious course due to Ted. But just trek on and you’ll do fine. Finally, Spanish is just horrible, and I still hate Spanish. Though, Calvo can be fun at times. Still, remember to study study study on that. That’s all my classes, and what advice I have for them. Really, this year was fun, despite the total destruction of sleep cycles (mini-EE during last quarter… -shudder-), but hey, just have fun, enjoy yourself, and do great in school. This IB life is still good. 😀
Kevin Ren
Future sophomores,
Freshman year was pretty easy if you got your work done and put in effort, but sophomore year is a bit harder. If you just work a little harder and do all your work on time you should be fine. Procrastination is the main problem, so try not to procrastinate. Doing a math portfolio the night before it is due is not fun. Staying organized is also really important.
Try to get your work done on time. And don’t put off math portfolios, important essays, or projects. It just doesn’t work out very well. If you do it last minute it won’t be your best work and you’ll end up extremely deprived of sleep (especially for the math portfolio). Try to plan out your work schedules when you know you’re going to have a lot to do for homework, it helps a lot.
Staying organized is also very helpful. Keep a folder for every class and actually put your work in it, not in the bottom of your backpack (which is where some of my work always manages to end up). I also find it useful to have folder where you can put random papers and various things that don’t have a specific folder to be in. And make sure you have everything you need for homework out of your locker BEFORE you leave school. If you forget an assignment or a textbook it makes doing your work pretty difficult.
My last piece of advice is to get into the habit of filling out all forms on time and turning them in on time also. For example, service hours, the forms aren’t difficult to fill out so don’t wait until the end of the year to fill them out. If you do, you will find you seem to have forgotten what you did and when you did it. At least write down when you did each activity and for how long so you can easily fill out the forms later.
Addy Warren
Dear Rising Sophomore,
Congratulations! You have made it through a full year of high school and pre-IB! I want to start out by saying that this year coming up for you, your sophomore year, will be a lot easier and more laid back than your freshman year was. That being said, it isn’t a breeze, it’s still pre-IB. However, if you’re very stressed for this upcoming year, don’t be! This year is a great time for things outside of school work, as well as focusing on school and your grades. In this note to you, I hope to ease your mind and give you a little guidance on your second year of pre-IB.
Pre-Calculus
I guarantee you will see this in every other letter, but I’m still going to say it: Ms. Frisbie is an amazing teacher and you can really learn from her. If you have a question, don’t hesitate to ask because she truly cares if you understand. I suggest NOT falling asleep in her class. One, because she will make the most obnoxious and annoying snoring sound where it’s impossible to sleep peacefully and the people who are conscious will just get aggravated. Oh, and remember those Grade Recovery Quizzes she mentioned at the beginning of the year? THEY ARE DIVINE. You might be thinking, Psh, I’m a mathematical genius. I don’t need a grade recovery quiz. Well to that I say, get over yourself and realize that these quizzes are 5 multiple choice questions and each question you get right, you get 10% of your lost points back. Do you realize how good of a deal that is? You could go in and Christmas tree the quiz and still maybe get points back! Now I don’t suggest doing that, I’m just stating that’s an option. Pre-calculus will not be a stress to you if you just stay calm, and take what is offered to you.
Physics
I’m not going to spend my time and waste yours on this. Physics is physics and if you stress it, see a doctor. Just do the work that’s given, and you’ll pass, guaranteed.
Chemistry
Mrs. Brooks is a pistol and a stickler for the rules, but she’s a sweetheart. Take notes and just follow her rules and you will pass her class with flying colors. Also, she gives a lot extra credit which I suggest doing if you have time, it’s a nice cushion for your grade.
AP World History
This will be a chill, but at the same time stressful, class. I suggest reading his assignments because the quizzes are brutal without them, in my opinion. However, don’t think that you are going to fail the class or exam if you don’t document every word in the book. Get this year’s 5 Steps to a 5 review book. I say this year’s because every year’s review book’s practice essays tend to be similar to one or both of the essays (not the DBQ) on the exam. However, the class itself should be fine. Just do the work that’s assigned, and definitely do the notes because they help your grade a lot.
French
It’s basically the same as it was freshman year. You’re going to learn more grammar, and it doesn’t go away, so keep those notes and learn it! The class is chill, there’s not much to worry about. You’re going to learn how to speak in French more, which is a big thing, so definitely keep with you what you learn from that.
English
Read the books. That’s my biggest piece of advice for that class. Also, pay attention when Guice goes over grammar stuff, you’re going to need it. Other than that, English is a pretty chill class, so don’t stress it.
The Year as a Whole
Sophomore year is easy, so take advantage of this year to improve your grades and GPA and boost your extracurriculars. I was a member of a bunch of clubs this year, did a lot of volunteering, and got involved with youth groups and YJP. Now, I’ve gone to a few state assemblies, I’m going on a trip to Greece, and I was given the opportunity to attend a national conference this summer. After getting involved sophomore year, it’s going to be a lot easier to stay involved junior and senior year. However, don’t overwork yourself because then your insanity, social life, grades, and GPA will suffer.
Finally, I must say that you shouldn’t procrastinate. I know, I know, it’s impossible not to procrastinate at all, but it really is a bad habit that you should entertain as little as possible.
In Conclusion
Well, I think that you can make it through sophomore year without a problem! Good luck, and I wish you the best!
Sincerely,
Kylie Werk
This coming school year there’s a few things you should keep in mind in order to survive sophomore year. First of all don’t procrastinate. I bet your parents tell you that and you think that you can do it and survive. You would be wrong. There have been nights where I was up till 3 and 4 in order to get projects complete. It sucks, so please, don’t do it, just get it done right away so you can be done with it and not have to worry about it.
Studying wise, I would recommend you study each subject for about 15 minutes. Trust me, it might not seem like a lot but it helps a bunch, especially with quizzes and tests. Just 15 minutes per subject, every day, that’s it. Now, I’m not saying “onlystudy 15 minutes and you’ll be fine,” that’s a lie. So study hard and sophomore year will be a breeze and you’ll have lots of fun!
When in class, do NOT sleep. It’s extremely ironic I’m telling you this because I sleep all the time. Sleeping in class once or twice isn’t a problem, but don’t make it a regular thing. Just pay attention. If it’s hard to stay focused, write notes. You can even draw pictures or make up funny things in order to remember it. Paying attention in class will help in the long run ESPECIALLY with finals.
Finally, work smarter, not harder. Split up notes between friends and find the simpler way to do things. If you just do these simple things, you will survive sophomore year. Good luck! ☺
Alex Hollen
Congrats on making it this far already! It might seem like you haven’t accomplished a lot, but making it through freshman year is already a huge achievement and a whole lot of work completed! Sure there’s a long road ahead, but you can do it. Take it step by step. When things get rough, don’t get discouraged. Just pick your head up and push through. When you get to the end of the task or the year you will be really proud of yourself for not giving up. I think perseverance is the most important thing to remember.
Second is time management. It’s hard, but try not to procrastinate. Especially with AP tests and portfolios. They are impossible to get done in one night. Do all of your readings for Wright throughout the year so you aren’t trying to cram it all in last minute. With portfolios, start thinking about them the first day they are assigned, during class while Ms. Frisbie goes over stuff. Then decide how much you should do each night and set mini deadlines for having things done. MAKE SURE TO FOLLOW THEM. This will help a lot.
Last but not least, make sure to enjoy yourself. Find an activity you love and do it. Don’t pay attention to what others say about it. If you love it and it helps you be a better person, do it. If you have an activity you love, you will be much less stressed out. If you don’t think you have time, make time. It is important to have good grades, but it is just as important to have balance and be well-rounded. If you spend all your time on academics, you will get burnt out very quickly. I know I didn’t listen to advice from upperclassmen as a freshman, but hopefully you will listen to this. Best of luck!
Christina Wiley
Hello, incoming IB Students.
First off, pre-IB is to weed out the weaklings. Stay on top of your work and study a little bit each day. Join a sports team, preferably cross-country. If you join Ultimate Frisbee you will be wealthy and your posterity will spread across the earth.
As far as social lives go, what are they? But seriously, don’t date chicks in your grade. Go to Harrison for that.
Video games and Facebook provide excellent ways to waste time. I suggest you limit Facebook time or delete the account altogether.
On classes:
If you aren’t set on having the highest GPA, then take Carpentry. The class is laid back and you’ll get some Bartow friends.
Mr. Daniel’s computer class is an awesome class, although sometimes it can be boring. I just passed my A+ essentials exam and can’t wait to complete my certification.
French: easy.
Harrison Pincket
Dear Not-so-Newbie,
If I were going to write you a letter to “warn” or “help” you about the upcoming year, I’d probably give advice in two major areas: procrastination and anti-procrastination.
When the older kids say stuff like “oh, I just did that whole project in 2 hours last night. nbd.” it really means “when I got home yesterday, I sat and stared at a blank Word document for three hours while my mind screamed at itself for waiting so long to do the assignment that was given to me two weeks ago. I opened a Google browser, got linked to Wikipedia, ‘used the information’ and did my project in ‘no time.’” I can’t describe the mental stress that your mind goes through when you have to do an entire math Portfolio, two lab write ups, a foreign language essay, and fifteen pages of History notes in one night. Of course, the Portfolio would take precedence over all other assignments. The Portfolio gets done after 9 hours (to account for Facebook, food, and general distractions). This means that at the very least, it’s 11 pm. And pal, you’ve got A LOT to do. But hey, you need your sleep… so you’ll just sleep for 5 hours, set your alarm for 4 a.m. Suddenly, it’s 4 a.m. and your body says no. Two months later, your math grade is down to a 73 because your Portfolio sucked so bad, your History grade has a 0/30 in its timeline and your mom is FLIPPING OUT (you’re probably going to be grounded for life), your labs weren’t that bad as the lab is fairly easy to scribble down in two minutes, but worst of all, that foreign essay you didn’t do… it’s the same essay you’re going to have on your upcoming test. Way to go. You’re going to have a B in Spanish/French for the semester. You’re going to get a B?! In IB?! Unacceptable. And everyone knows it. You’ll feel like you’ve failed yourself for the rest of your life. Not even being the slightest bit hyperbolic. Don’t procrastinate. Be that dork that has everything done three nights before it’s due. Everyone will secretly know that you’re the smartest/most organized/coolest kid in town, and you’ll eventually believe/know you’re not a dork…you’re just fantastic.
If you are already the organized, binder-keeping, planner-writing student, I want you to know that you’ll have no problem in Sophomore year. When I was a Freshman, I always heard “oh, Sophomore year is the easiest of them all.” But I, at the end of my Sophomore year, strongly disagree. And that is because I’m not the organized, binder-keeping, yadda yadda student. I really wish I was, though. There are plenty of students in my class who are the “perfect student.” They all seemed to just float on through Sophomore year like it was nothing. Many others still struggled. Basically, “you better check yourself before you wreck yourself.” Literally, make a checklist of your homeworks to be completed, and follow through, before you wreck your grade. Who knew Ice Cube was so applicable to IB?
Katie Ammon
I find myself at the end of my second year in the (pre)-IB program with an amassed wealth of knowledge and experience about the program. While I’m only halfway through the program and the “hard years” are yet to come, I still feel like I have some sort of wisdom I can impart upon the younger IBers.
The class struggle sucks. I mean social classes, not academic classes. The upper classmen will be jerks, without a doubt. It’s okay; even if they don’t remember it, they were in your shoes not too long ago. They will say degrading and condescending things and it will make you feel bad / mad / sad / inferior / whatever. Just know that no matter what they say, you are roughly the same level of intelligence, and you two equally scare the jeebus out of most regular BHS kids. Try to remember this when the older kids are being douches to you and carry it with you to when you are that douchey older kid; maybe you’ll spare some poor freshman his confidence for a day.
Studying… have you done it before? If you have, continue doing so. If not, learn – now. There’s always the kid that takes it as a personal challenge to not study (hint, hint) and sometimes they succeed. That is NOT an excuse to try it. It is miserable; you will be stressed, you will get angry, and you will hate yourself. Learn to study. Practice it. Take notes, even in the dumb classes. Keep binders for your classes and keep yourself organized. You do not want to herp your derp as hard as I did.
In conclusion, keep your head up, keep your pimp hand strong, keep your pockets protected, and keep your belongings alphabetized. That’s all you need to survive IB.
Dominic Chiampi
Dear Lowly Pre-IBer,
If you are taking the same classes that I took, your life will be pretty easy. AP World History will be your main concern for homework; the notes can be a killer sometime. AP Stats will treat you rough too unless you pay very close attention to Naki. Other than those two classes, sophomore year won’t be all that bad. The workload is relatively small and your teachers will be relatively laid-back and lenient on most issues.
The toughest struggle for me was staying entertained throughout the year. If you take your classes too seriously, you’re almost guaranteed to be miserable. Also, make sure to never isolate yourself from friends outside of IB and BHS. No matter how much you like the people here, you will probably eventually get sick of them. Try to stay close to positive people that support you and share similar interests. Also, if you’re like me, then IB kids will get extremely irritating. It’s probably a good idea to take up a full contact sport. A lot of IB kids do Judo, but that’s for suckers and the weak. Wrestling and boxing are your best bet for letting off the inevitable steam that’ll build up over the year.
I strongly suggest that you never, ever forget to do AP world history notes. Even if you’re extremely strapped for time, and I mean like bound and gagged in the trunk of a car, find a way to do the notes. As slack as Mr. Wright is, his tests are pretty difficult and way harder than the actual AP test. It’s also a good idea to stay awake during his lectures. Believe it or not, staying awake in class is the best thing you can do for yourself to make sure that you learn the material. Yeah, I had a hard time with that one and my grades suffered for it.
Finally, just make sure that you have some form of routine. I don’t mean a morning routine or something that everybody has. It’s absolutely imperative that you have something that you can do daily at a certain time that will keep you focused on doing homework. For me, I get home around 2:40 and cook some chicken, then do homework until about 6 o’ clock, when I go to the gym for about an hour, except for Tuesdays and Thursdays when I wrestle and then go to the gym. Even if you’re sick, stick to your routine. Implementing healthy habits will keep you on track and make it much easier to manage your time and get homework done quickly and efficiently. Stay true to yourself, true to your friends, and true to your school.
Hunter Davenport, Professional Student
Precalc 2010-2011
From best moments, our desires increase
That our intelligence might never die,
But as our grade should by time decease.
May this year be held in our memory:
Pre-calculus has shone bright in my eyes,
Feed’st my mind’s flame with self-sufficient fuel,
Making an abundance where famine lies,
Procrastination is thy foe, too cruel:
Thou that now studies, fear ignorance.
And only herald to the gaudy book,
Within thine own mind, study the contents,
And use thine brain, let it flow like a brook:
Pity the less successful, be better,
Take on everything, and never deter.
Ayman Elmasri
Some courses I took this year had some challenging characteristics to them. These would mostly be AP Statistics, AP World History, and Pre-IB French 2. For students following into these classes next year, I would have only 2 main recommendations. For both AP courses I would recommend taking a much larger than average time for understanding the material. For French I would recommend studying mostly by reading and almost none by sound.
AP classes are actual classes that matter to colleges. With one whole year of information put down on one test, most students tend to forget the material learned at the beginning of the year. That’s why especially at the beginning excellent note taking is needed. The goal is to fit everything down on a few documents and pages which can be read in a few days. This cram packet will be vital for when the AP exam is taken, which is what the whole course comes down to. You still get credit for the course if you get decent grades, but what is the point of an AP class if you intend to pass the AP exam for college credit. Make sure you feel ok during the exam by studying hard and early.
For Pre-IB French, I would not worry about listening and pronouncing the language much at all. Almost every activity is written down, and if you can read and spell French correctly, you will pass. Don’t worry about the Spanish students and how they pronounce the whole language it seem. They only had to learn 5-7 vowel sounds, you have somewhere near 15-17. Even Mr. Lenker thinks that speaking comes in the 3rd to 4th year. Just know the conjugations, and get all the basic everyday words by memory.
Erik Hutchison
Though it may seem a given, I wish I had paid more attention in class, instead of letting my thoughts drift from the lesson. It’s so much smarter to learn to concentrate than it is to cram weeks’ worth of material the day before a test. It’s also good if you can figure out the best way for you to study and learn, instead of wasting a lot of time using study techniques that aren’t working. Also, take full advantage of the resources your teachers give you to study, such as review questions, online activities, rubrics, etc., they really will help you get the best grade possible.
Everyone makes mistakes, but it’s important to analyze your mistakes, or else you will find yourself making them repeatedly. If you find yourself scoring low on DBQs or other essays, don’t write it off because your grade are fine, as you don’t want to make the same mistakes on AP tests, when it truly matters. Also, questions on chapter tests are likely to show up on semester exams, so sometimes it’s a good idea to look over something even after a test, as it can still come back to haunt you.
Stressing over an assignment isn’t good for your health or your mind. Every minute you spend sighing over the difficulty of your work is a minute you can spend getting it done. It’s definitely a good idea to spread some large assignments (such as essays) over a few days, because when you attempt to do something in one sitting, the quality of your work won’t be very great (or maybe that’s just me). It’s better to give yourself time to come back later and look at it again with a fresh perspective. Additionally, though you may think you’re a pro at multi-tasking, any person is much better off giving their full attention to their school work and getting it done much faster, likely leaving them time to watch t.v. and text freely.
Anupa Kotipoyina
Dear Friend,
I have heard that you are about enter the International Baccalaureate School and will be taking the same courses as me. First off, I would like to congratulate you for making it into such a prestigious school; however, it may or may not be as easy as you think it is. This all depends upon, the thinking mentality that you have when you come start off your freshman year. I suggest you to come into IB with much optimism and a smile on your face. Plus, it’s important to not let the work load get to you this year, because not only is this the first year; the work load increases vastly as the year go on. Be prepared!
If you take the same courses as me, then be ready to take two AP courses. These were fairly difficult courses, because they are for the advanced placed students. You will be taking an IB SL Mathematics Pre-Calculus course, if you are fairly well at math then there is no need to worry; however, you should study at all costs. My mom always says “Do not get too confident in yourself,” she is trying to say that don’t think you know everything and not study, because you will probably end up failing. I advise to heed this saying, so that you can excel in your first year of IB.
One of my favorite quotes which has helped my get through these years, and which I have come up by myself states “I ain’t skressin’”. This phrase may seem a little ridiculous, but there’s a much more importance to it. You may be asking yourself, how so? Well, this phrase keeps the work load from getting to my mind and messing with it, in general, it keeps away from “skressing” too much. It also, kind of motivates one not to become too worried or let the work load get to you. In the end, I would advise you to, even if you don’t really like it, keep this quote in the back of your mind when you are going “through a fork in the road”.
Devan Patel
You’re an IB Junior!! Congratulations!! If you want to succeed in IB, you just need to follow four things: Rest well, have fun, be focused when it comes to learning, and don’t procrastinate. Keep in mind those four things, and you’ll have no trouble in IB.
Junior year is going to be a tough one. It will certainly not be easy as sophomore year because of all the AP classes. I guess people taking Physics won’t have to worry as much as people taking Chemistry or Biology. But Biology won’t be too bad if you study what you are supposed to on time and do your work on time. Don’t spend the whole day on Facebook or YouTube. That will be just a waste of time and you are probably just literally throwing your sleep out the window at that point!
I am still a sophomore so I don’t really know how the junior year will be like. However, many juniors have advised me to do the journal given by Mrs. Smith on time. Don’t put it off thinking you will do it later because according to them, you will never have any other extra time to do them.
Now, our favorite topic: sleep ☺. Face it; you know you don’t get enough sleep because either you are doing homework late at night or chatting online with all your buddies. Not getting enough rest this year will do you more harm than it did in sophomore year. Without sleep, you will not be able to stay awake in class and then you will have no clue what was learned during that class period. So, do your work on time and sleep!
Another thing I would advise is to leave satisfactory time to enjoy yourself instead of working on homework. That way, you will not be stressed with work all the time. Overall, just relax and enjoy this year. There might be times where you think you won’t be able to make through the year, but trust me, you (we) will! Good luck!
Anonymous
Dear Friend,
The sophomore year I had at International Baccalaureate this year was by far one of my more enjoyable years in my remembered years of school. However, there are definitely some bumps in the road along the way, that with advice, you’ll hopefully avoid. Obviously, skills learned in freshman year would be important to keep, such as studying well and keeping up with assignments, but it’s also important to realize that, particularly around exam week, that studying is going to be a far larger priority than it was freshman year, ESPECIALLY with AP exams.
So hopefully, during freshman year, you were able to learn important skills such as keeping up with assignments, correct? It’s just as important this year, if not more, particularly in classes such as precalculus, where internal assessments will be given. Such assignments and projects will be hugely important to keep up with, since not only they affect your grade, but they are ways in which you are being prepared for the actual IB assessments and tests come junior and senior year. Orals in Mr. Guice’s and your language teacher’s class (in the case of Spanish, it would be Sra. Calvo, or French, it would be Mr. Lenker) are just as important as preparation for AP courses in junior year, so it’s vital to practice for them as well.
Studying in itself is the largest skill you’re going to perfect this year. If you choose to take an AP class as one of your electives, as I did this year, then it will be important to study for both (as AP World History is a required class) and not slack until the last moment, though hopefully any lessons that might’ve been learned were learned when you took AP Environment Science. AP World History is a difficult class, especially if Mr. Wright also chooses to make you take notes on each section covered. Though workload will be overwhelming, the payoff will be helpful, mainly since the notes can help you digest the material better than just reading the textbook.
If you keep this in mind, as well as steering clear of trouble, then there should be no problems for you in sophomore year. Much luck to you in the upcoming year!
Nicole Radivilov
Dear incoming Sophomore,
Welcome to the easiest year of IB! Well that’s kind of an understatement, but it’s pretty much a breeze. Considering it is IB, it’s never TOO easy, but for the most part, it’s not too bad. You’re not a freshman anymore, the classes are chill, and it’s the year you have 2 electives. Take advantage of your sophomore year. It’s the last year of fun until the suffering.
Freshman year sucks. There’s no way around that. You’re the baby of the school and all the upperclassmen hate you, with good reason though. You’ll understand it next year when you realize how immature you were. Sophomore year is also considered the “easiest” year. It’s understandable considering freshman year sucks and junior year is a “living hell”. As a sophomore, the teacher’s realize you have the ability to make it through the program, but you need to have a year off before things start to kick in junior year. So take advantage of the ease, because it doesn’t last long.
As a sophomore, you also get to enjoy chill teachers. The freshman teachers almost belittle you. Once you become a sophomore, they respect you and give you a little more freedom. For one, you don’t have Kennon. Any year without Kennon isautomatically easier. And you substitute Kennon for Physics and Chem, which are pretty much joke classes where you don’t do anything. In physics you watch Myth Busters, and in Chem you do worksheets. English is fun mostly because Mr. Guice is amazing and actually teaches you. There isn’t much work, but make sure you study the Literary Terms or you will die. AP World is also pretty overrated if you ask me. Just do the notes and study for the tests. Mr. Wright really only gets serious close to exam time and he lets you do whatever you want during class time. I recommend Angry Birds to pass the time, but that’s just my personal preference. The only classes you have to pay attention in are Spanish and Pre-Calc. I know you think Spanish is a stupid class and all foreigners should not be allowed to teach, but it will kill your grade if you don’t try and try to stay focused in Pre-Calc or you will be completely lost.
This is the year that you start to choose the road you want to pursue at IB. I know that sounds corny, but it’s kind of true. You get 2 electives, and take advantage of them. If you’re stupid like me, take AP European History and suffer the whole year. If you want to have the easiest year possible, take Carpentry or Southern Lit. You can also choose whether you want to take Pre-Calc or Math Anal. I know Naki probably freaked you out with his big speech about how hard Pre-Calc is and how much you have to work, but don’t let him faze you. It’s really not that bad. Just pay attention in class, do the homework, and avoid falling asleep in class. Suck it up and deal with it. Don’t waste your time with Math Anal and just do the work.
All in all, enjoy your sophomore year. You’re finally not a freshman and you have all the free time in the world. There’s little homework, fun teachers, and easy classes, so enjoy it. Don’t take advantage of it. Remember your life will end once you advance to junior year, so enjoy the easiest year at IB!
Anna Swygert
Dear Incoming Pre-Calculus Student,
You are about to begin working in one the most exciting classes within the International Baccalaureate mathematics curriculum. Pre-Calculus is an amazing class, in my opinion, because it brings together the knowledge that you learned in Geometry and Algebra II and combines them into one class. It is important that you remember basic concepts from these two classes to succeed in this class. As you begin the class, the entire first semester is dedicated to building and improving on skills you already have learned. The second semester will be new material, but it won’t be too hard if you understood the first half of the class.
The homework isn’t time consuming. Ms. Frisbie assigns the perfect amount of problems where you can understand the concept you are practicing, but not so much that you are overworking yourself. There will be a number of occasions that you will come to a problem that you do not understand at all. Do not panic! Conveniently, your textbook has all the answer in the back, but that does NOT mean that you look in the back and write down the answers. This is will not help you in this class in any way as work must be shown for full credit on homework assignments. When you come to a problem you do not understand, it is a good idea to go look in the back of the book and try to work backwards if possible. This is also a good way to check if you have been working out problems correctly. If working backwards does not work, then write down a question next to the problem number on your paper. This can be “Where do I begin in solving this problem?” or something more specific you do not understand. When you come in to next class, you can ask the question before you turn in your homework, and therefore finish the problem.
When it comes to tests and quizzes in the class, it isn’t too difficult. Ms. Frisbie will always have a list of information you should know before every test and quiz that she puts on Edmodo (a helpful site that you should use). If you know all the information posted, it is always a good idea to practice some problems. It is recommended that you practice the Review Sets, an option, but is very helpful on getting a feel of the kind of the question on the test. All the tests will consist of very basic question that can be answered if you thoroughly understand the chapter, however there are always a couple questions that require critical thinking. Other than that, you must always be specific in your numerical answers. If it is a decimal, make sure you go to three significant figures. Don’t round early in solving the problem or you will get an answer with a rounding error. If you make sure to all the previously mentioned things, you will end up will a wonderful, shiny blue IB Mathematics pencil to show your perfection on that chapter. This is your goal on each and every test.
With all this information, I wish you good luck on your continued mathematical studies.
Niraj Vyas
P.S. Don’t make stupid mistakes.