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.

 

 

Soon to be Juniors!!! Your time has come and it’s time to step up to the plate and conquer this BEAST! I’m not going to lie to you and be like “OMG junior year was like soooo fun and it was easy breezy!”  because that would definitely be a lie. Junior year is tough and challenging, but hey, you can do it; you go to IB! Junior year is just the next step in the journey of IB. It’s definitely something you have to adjust to but it is definitely manageable. You will pretty much not have a life but hey, isn’t that what we signed up for?! 😛  So here are a few tips for this year…

Chemistry: Take this class…it’s the best class I’ve taken EVER. I came out of this class feeling like a chemistJ (I really hope you get my sarcasm) If you did take it however, it’s possible to survive, I did it 🙂 just try as hard as you can and take every extra credit opportunity possible! P.S. a tutor may be really helpful! Good Luck!

English: Ms. Smith is a handful! Honestly if you like to talk (like me) she will forever be on your case. You just have to get past that and realize she is ALWAYS RIGHT and just say “oh, yes Ms. Smith”. Journals Oh journals, DO THEM WHEN YOU GET THEM!!!!!! They will ruin your life if you wait last minute. Hours upon hours of journals for an entire weekend is not how you want to spend your time! Overall though, it is not that bad of a class.

Business: I definitely recommend this class. It’s the first class I’ve taken where I feel the information would be useful as daily knowledge. Business is all around us and you will realize how much business you already know. Brennan is definitely a fun one. He’s crazy but he will guide you the whole was through.

TOK: It’s Guice, you know how he is already. Have fun exploring your philosophical side!!

Spanish: Ohhhh Señora. You know her as well. Yippeee. All I can tell you I push through and try your hardest. There isn’t much else I could say here. Have fun with thatJ

Pre-Calc: 1st semester not that bad, 2nd semester a little worse (for me personally). Words from the wise: Don’t sit by people you like to talk to, you will get distracted and lose sight of the knowledge being spread around the room! Also, watch the FrisCon, don’t let it get too low or she WILL explode. Lastly, don’t critique everything she does in order to gain a mistake point. She will get very angry and you will cry! Lol

Goss: Ohhhh Gary! Depending on who you are will depend on how you take him. He is a crazy old man but you WILL know history by the time you leave. At first you will hate his sayings he says about 45464412154 million times a day, but you will get used to it after a while. Also he claims he is organized when we really think he is going crazy, just beware. You will get used to the crazy old man one day at a time. No matter how many arguments you get in with him he is still like a grandpa to ya! P.S. to get on his good side, bring him Moes:)

I hope you enjoyed my words of wisdom for junior year. You guys can make it through! Try to minimize the procrastination and set your priorities straight and you will do great! Good Luck with everything!

Courtney Gleaton

 

Dear rising pre-calculus student,

Entering your junior year will bring many changes in your life. Since you’re now officially in IB, a lot more will be expected of you and many more requirements, such as CAS, portfolios, and internal assessments, will appear. These changes are scary at first, but you will get used to them and they’ll be just another thing that you have to do in order to get your IB diploma. The most important event of your junior year will be when you get your IB pin at Pinning. That is truly something to look forward to as you are pinned as official IB students in front of your friends and family, and you receive a cookie with your name on it! 🙂

As for your classes, your schedule will vary from mine. The classes that I chose to take were: pre-calculus, Biology, Spanish IV, English, Psychology, and US history. I also took Statistics for the first semester and ToK for the second semester. I will resume stats for the second half of my senior year.

The classes that every student is required to take are English, history, and ToK. The rest of your schedule is up to you. The English teacher is Mrs. Smith and I think you’ll like her a lot! She’s nice and funny. She also teaches Southern Literature, so you’ll often get to eat food left over from her southern lit class 🙂 Mr. Goss is the APUSH history teacher and he is also really nice, and funny. His class can be tough, but you’ll get through it. After the AP test, all you’ll do is watch movies, so it’s definitely something to look forward to 🙂 Mr. Guice is the Theory of Knowledge teacher. You currently have him as your English teacher and he teaches ToK in the same manner. It is a very relaxing class where you can listen and learn interesting things, or use the time to catch up on a little bit of homework.

For your math class, you had the option of following the route to pre-calculus or taking math analysis. You obviously chose the Pre-calculus option! Good for you 🙂 It’s a fun class and you’ll really enjoy it. The semester exams are a bit difficult because they are composed of real IB tests, but you’ll get through them. It is important to take good notes and stay awake, even if you have it for first period. In the second semester, you will be introduced to portfolios. These sound horrible and scary, but they really aren’t. They’re simply a challenge for you. An assignment is given and, most likely, you will be required to discover a formula and explain why it works, or something of this manner. The portfolio is typed up and the best feeling is when you finish it and print it. They can be painful and frustrating if you’re struggling to finish, but you really feel accomplished once it is done.

In the science department, you can choose to take either Physics, Biology, or Chemistry. I chose to take Biology and I love it. The other two science options did not appeal to me as I don’t particularly like chemistry or physics. You had Mrs. Kennon as your 9th grade biology teacher, but she is so different as your 11th grade biology teacher. She really loves her juniors and seniors. As freshman, she often tried to scare you to assure you would listen and work hard. She created a level of discipline in you, but she is much more lenient in your junior year. She even brings you doughnuts sometimes! The beginning of the year has a lot of labs, but the write-ups really are not bad. I honestly expected more homework in her class, but she doesn’t assign much more than labs and the occasional worksheet. Most of class is spent taking notes as Mrs. Kennon makes jokes. It’s a fun class that I hope you took, because you will enjoy it!

For the IB language requirement, I chose to take Spanish. This year was Spanish IV and I had Señora Calvo. I believe that you, an upcoming junior, will have Señora Calvo as well. It is very important to remain on her good side. Pay attention in class, stay awake, do the homework, speak in Spanish, and NEVER EVER forget your AP Spanish book. Let her know if you are struggling and she will help you. I know she may seem, to some people, to be very scary and intimidating, but she really is nice and there to help you as long as you make it clear that you are trying.

For your junior year, you will be required to take a sixth-subject. There are many options, such as Art and business, but I selected Psychology. It was a great class for me! Our year was in transition between Mr. Gummow and Mrs. Reynolds, and so our class got out of having a summer assignment. From what I have heard, the summer assignment ya’ll will have is pretty time consuming, but you can do it! The actual class is very interesting and applicable to everyday life situations. There is a lot of note taking, but classes are fun. She shows a lot of videos and fun experiments are done that relate to the unit that you are in. Regardless of the 6th subject that you chose, you will be introduced to your first ever Internal Assessment. For psychology (and I’d assume for all other 6th subjects…) it is basically a lab write up. In psychology, you replicate a psychological experiment and then write a report on it. It is a lot of fun as long as you chose an interesting experiment!

Your sixth subject will be the class in which you encounter your very first IB exam. Sure, you’ll take about 5 AP exams your junior year, but your first IB exam will be scary to you. The IB psychology exam was all writing. IB tests are split into paper 1 and paper 2 and they are taken on two days. That is helpful when it comes to studying since you can focus on studying the information for paper one the night before and study for paper 2 information the following night. IB tests seem intimidating, but the most important thing is to use the IB book that your teacher hopefully has. Mrs. Reynolds gave us copies of the IB book and the questions asked on the test were literally in the packets. The bold statement was a general topic and the paragraphs following gave information on it, as well as related studies. Therefore, it is highly suggested that you look over that!

I think I have pretty successfully summed up the junior year classes for you. Junior year is a lot more than just attending school, though. At this point, most of you can drive and have newfound freedom. It is important to make time for fun things too, such as hanging out with friends. Junior year will be a stressful time, but I promise it’s not all bad. Make time for friends, family, and relaxation time. It’s also important to have something to look forward to every week, just to have a goal. For example, mine was often going out to eat with friends on Friday afternoons, or a new episode of a TV show coming on every Tuesday night. The little things will really make the year good for you! Have a great year 🙂

Sincerely,

Katelyn Meeks

 

Upcoming Juniors! Just think. You are 1/2 of the way through High School, “the Best Years of Your Life.” If that doesn’t make you happy, then look back at the number of students who started your IB path and the number now and you should be proud. Not many people make it through this lovely programme.

IB can really suck. It would be a lie if I said that Junior Year of IB is easy. There will be those nights where you get to watch the sun set AND rise. Fun Fun. With that being said, take all your classes seriously, because this is the year where colleges really look at you. It’s great that the classes that you are taking are weighted, and you can tell yourself that a “C” in a 5.0 weighted class is like getting a “B”, but don’t forget that when it comes down to it, colleges weigh their own classes the way they want to, so your unweighted GPA may not be so great.

I would say “Don’t procrastinate.” However, that is EXTREMELY unlikely. You can procrastinate. If you work better under pressure, by all means, go for it. Just keep in mind that you have seven classes and they won’t wait up for you if you fall behind due to procrastination. So just be careful. It is possible to procrastinate and get a passing grade. It just causes extra stress and unnecessary scolding from your parents.

Finally, don’t make other classmates’ high school experience miserable just for your own enjoyment. If they take Math Studies instead of Calculus, it doesn’t make them less intelligent (I can say this, since I am taking/took both math classes) or if they Physics instead of Biology. As long as they are in IB, they are doing something right. Make it to at least pinning if you are going to drop out. If you wait until after pinning, you at least get all the goodies from pinning. That’s always exciting. And if you made it to pinning, what’s the harm of a few more months? Or one more year? Just stay in IB and keep your head up. It WILL reward you in the end (or at least have bragging rights).

Cayla Newman

 

Dear cute little innocent incoming Junior,

HAHA! You have to do what I just finished! But honestly, it won’t be as bad as some people might have told you as long as you do your work and all of that good stuff. I slacked off this year more than ever so don’t make that same mistake. Also do your journals ahead of time. I have had many “journal parties” and once stayed up until 4 in the morning doing journals. SO DON’T DO THAT. I also do not recommend taking Chemistry (I will go into further detail in a minute). Basically don’t get lazy and actually try this year because this is supposedly the “most important” year (or so I was told).

CHEMISTRY! DON’T DO IT! JUST NO! In the beginning of the year I formed a group of Chem buddies to help study with and we spent many weekends SERIOUSLY STRUGGLING to do homework and studying for tests. The tests are nothing like what she teaches. And the tests you take in class are nothing like the AP test. Honestly, the AP test questions were worded quite simply and didn’t look that complicated, but the way that we were taught just made things confusing. I ended up giving up in that class. Many kids got tutors but I didn’t (I was lazy, as I said earlier).  Prepare to have your questions not answered appropriately or at all. Unless you are a naturally born Chemistry god then do not take this class (it’s not as easy as last year). The only good thing about this class is that you won’t get much homework or stay up late doing chemistry. But you won’t understand anything so that’s a bummer.

SPANISH CLASS GETS HARDER! I’ve never ever worried about my Spanish grade until this year. Even if you don’t take the AP exam, you still have to do the AP practices which can bring your grade down a lot. Also don’t make Calvo angry because once she got mad at our class for talking too much (I wasn’t even talking but a few kids were) and made us do an activity in the last 5 minutes of class and then took it for a grade. Only a few kids finished. It was evil. Dios mio! Today Kalil told Calvo that one day when he takes over the world he is going to enslave Calvo and make her suffer. She just laughed…Make as many cocaine jokes as possible because they are entertaining and she doesn’t get offended. She has a heart of steel.

Tip: Mr. Goss will hand you a bunch of papers and freak you out thinking that all of this crazy stuff is due when really he is never going to collect them and they will NEVER be important. And we never wrote half the essays he said we were going to. So don’t stress it J Goss is a silly goose. He told us that Obama is worse than Hitler and Mussolini combined. So have fun with that!

Your kinda caring Senior friend,

Reba Reece

 

Dear the Incoming IB Junior who Will Actually Take the Time to Read this,

Your first year of actual IB will be tough. But you’ll get through it. If you want to keep up good grades, you should learn from my mistakes and those of my peers. For one thing, don’t ever procrastinate. It will make your Junior Year a living you-know-what. Procrastination is like that one kid you really hate but can’t get rid of. You know, the one who follows you around everywhere (everybody knows one of those people). Procrastination is that person. It makes you stressed, uncomfortable, and very unhappy, just like that one kid, you know, the creepy one, (insert name here).

For another thing, if you know you aren’t going to have time to finish something, because we all know that procrastination sometimes (like that kid), is inevitable. If you absolutely have to, procrastinate on your math homework. That is the only class you get late passes in. It makes life that much easier. For another thing, if you’re taking biology, DO that 4th nine weeks extra credit (yes, we all know it’s a LOT of work), it’s totally worth it. And do the notecards for the first two nine weeks also, they are easy and help boost otherwise faltering grades. And don’t procrastinate on the extra credit either, for any class, because trying to finish it last minute actually makes you more stressed. Work on it a little each day. Then you’ll be able to finish, and get all the possible points.

And I’m sure, whoever you are, you have heard us complain about Junior year. Looking back, I only complained a lot during marching band season (10 or more hours of time devoted solely to band, anyone?) and when my grades dropped. I have actually made a few B’s this year, but only for 9-weeks grades, and I managed to pull them up by the semester. So it is totally possible.

If you’re taking French, beware of the transition from Mr. Lenker to Mrs. Dietert, she will make you speak in French all the time. If you are taking chemistry, I will see you second semester (I split it with ToK) and be sure to keep your test grades as high as possible. If you are taking biology, study for the plant test and the protists test (they were horrible), and do your extra credit. If you’re in band, I love you but I’m sorry, you’ll know why. You will be fine in Pre-Calc, and in history (if you are a history person), as well as in ToK. And for English, well, study for AP on your own and prepare for your IB orals (they aren’t that bad), and feed Ms. Smith. She likes chocolate. Submit your CAS hours on time!

So anyways, heed these words, and DO NOT PROCRASTINATE! Like that kid, procrastination makes life in IB that much more annoying, and the problem compounds itself over time. Good luck and best wishes trying to get through the year. Once you finish, you’ll be three-fourths of the way done and will be a senior. Hooray!

Cheers,

Alana Snyder

 

Dear Friend,

You made it!  Completing the Pre-IB Program is a significant accomplishment and something to be extremely proud of.  As I am sure you know, you are about to embark on a journey you have anticipated and feared for quite some time.  But not to worry! Junior year is just another year in high school.  While the work load may seem unbearable and deplorable at times, I assure you that at no point will you say to yourself, “This is impossible.  I just can’t get all of this done.”  Don’t get me wrong, GPAs, internal assessments, and math portfolios should not be taken lightly by any means.  However, the most important thing to bring to school should always be your smile.  A test may seem important in the immediate future, but friendships and memories will last a life time.  I’m going to take you through a tour of your upcoming Junior Year which may be helpful throughout your trek.  I’ve thought of some rules which will hopefully help retain your sanity throughout Junior Year.

1. Always plan to do more than you are going to do.

Each day, I write myself a schedule in my agenda.  The schedule lists the homework which would be beneficial for me to do.  The schedule is usually created according to importance, due date, or pleasure.  For example, I am writing this essay right now because I thought it would be more relaxing than finishing my journal questions on The House of the Spirits.  I will likely do my journal questions tonight using the light of my cell phone in my otherwise aphotic bedroom.  My lists are usually lengthy and contain assignments which may be due in the upcoming weeks.  I rarely ever complete my lists. However, my lists keep me organized and aware of future assignments and the rate at which I should work on them. These homework schedules have helped me a great deal.

2. Have fun.

Do not do anything school related on Saturdays.  Friday afternoons should also be strictly designated for fun.  Also, if you have studied for 2 hours for a history or math test the next day, is a 3^rd hour of studying really going to help?  Thinking back on my Junior Year, my favorite memories do not involve homework.  My favorite memories involve my friends. People who always worry usually do not have a very fun time.  Also, they are typically not fun to be around.  Do not be the person who does all their homework the first day of Christmas or Spring break.  That is not something to be proud of or brag about.

3. Grades are not that important.

Throughout my three years of IB, I have consistently received about 70% A’s and 30% B’s.  I have never tried to study harder on a test in an attempt to pull an 89 to a 90.  School is for learning, not for grades.  I have received an A in AP Chemistry all four nine weeks.  I can honestly say I have learned nothing in AP Chemistry.  I have received 2 B’s and 2 A’s in AP Spanish.  I am able to speak Spanish with my neighbor who learned Spanish as their first language.  I would rather have received 2 A’s and 2 B’s and keep this new talent, than receive 4 A’s and not be able to speak Spanish.  Grades will not help you succeed in real life situations.  They may give you opportunities in which it is easier to succeed, put will not guarantee success.  Make sure learning is your first priority.

IB Junior Year has been enjoyable for me.  I’m sure you will do well and survive.

Hugs and Kisses,

Joey Starling

 

Dear sophomore,

I hope you had fun sophomore year, which I thought was super fun and chill, because junior year is not as fun. It’s not that bad if YOU DO NOT PROCRASTINATE, especially if you take biology, which you are going to take. Unless you excel at either physics or chemistry, take bio. If you are math inclined and like physics, take it. But know that you are going to have to study and learn everything by yourself for the AP exam. On the bright side, physics is really chill. If you are good at chemistry, take it, knowing that again, you must learn everything by yourself. The best option by far is biology. Although biology’s workload is five times larger than chemistry and fifty times larger than physics, it is definitely worth the time and effort. Mrs. Kennon is a really good teacher and you learn an incredible amount. Out of all three subjects, the bio kids were the best off. We did not draws pictures of John Adams and ask the proctors to “guess who” on the free response of the AP exam as some of my chemistry friends did. Or write haikus. Or letters to the proctors. So take biology and go hard or go home.

If you take Spanish and have a teacher who is extremely strict and cruel and relishes the thought of torturing you with small point assignments and massive tests that result in a really low grade, I’m sorry. I went through it too. All I can say is try your hardest. There’s nothing you can really do about that. You can do it. Just two more years of that teacher. For your sixth subject, take business. You will not regret it. Ever. Don’t question it. Just take it. APUSH was one of the hardest classes this year. You will spend a lot of time studying for his tests. Study his notes and wikinotes. English is pretty easy. Just do the work and pay attention in class and you should be good. TOK is easy too. Taking that class makes you ponder life and all its aspects and whether you are you or not you or her or there or fake or real. Chill class. For pre-calc, pay attention in class and don’t annoy Ms. Frisbie. She’s an amazing teacher and will explain anything until it is clear as glass.

Don’t forget to study some for the SAT and ACT this year. Just some studying here and there should get you a pretty good score. This is the year where you get ten times closer to your friends. Make friends with everyone. Don’t form groups and always stick to your groups. You might need help from people that you don’t really talk to. Don’t stress it too much. If you can make it past first semester, you will be set. Second semester was incredibly easier than first semester. It’s nice to have a best friend too. You can rant about homework, tests, teachers, and anything annoying. A wonderful person you can confide in and relieve stress. Don’t worry too much about junior year. It passes by real quickly. You guys got this.

Eugene Kim

 

Dear New IB Junior,

Congratulations on making it this far in the IB program! Junior year is pretty tough but you’re halfway done, no use in throwing it away now (: Personally, I got really motivated this year because of college and was much more successful academically in my junior year than both my freshman and sophomore years, but I know that is really backwards from how most people progress in IB. But if you can get/continue having the motivation to get mostly A’s, know that it is really awesome at the end of the year to know that your transcript will look great in the fall.

I chose chemistry as my science, not knowing that I would not be prepared very well at all for the AP test. That being said, I don’t regret my decision to take chemistry. That might be because I don’t like to feel like I regret many decisions or because I really liked the fairly light workload from my science. There are less lab write-ups and worksheets and such. And don’t think that a class with less work means you’re lazy — most of us went to the retired IB Chem teacher Mrs. Bond once a week for extra help outside of class. I’ve heard most of you didn’t choose chemistry though so I won’t go on about how to deal with that…

English! Do your journals with a friend and all at once. Unless you’re one of those people that can do them during school. I always felt better after spending a day doing them all at once with some friends to make it fun instead of dragging it out by doing 5 questions a day or whatever. This way you teach each other stuff and end up knowing more in general. The tests are either really crazy easy or super hard. Depends on the book you’re on. Just do your work, keep up with your reading for surprise quizzes and get as many points from vocabulary quizzes as possible.

For history, READ THE BOOK. It sucks. It is the most boring book ever but you will ace Goss’ tests if you read. READ. Don’t get too stressed out about the class because usually everything works out in the end if you take advantage of the extra credit essay and do alright on the tests. He says you need to know all these specifics and stuff for his quizzes and you almost never do, but it will scare you unless you know not to let it too much. It’s a pretty good class!

I chose psychology as my sixth subject even though I took both business and psychology. At the time, I felt like I wouldn’t be prepared for the IB Business test so I took psych the second semester and as my sixth subject. From what I heard from the business kids, I would have been prepared, but I was prepared for psych too so it didn’t really matter. Both good choices and I’m glad I’m taking them both while I’m in IB. Mrs. Reynolds is so nice but there is a lot of work that goes with that class. None of it is hard though; know the vocabulary and you’re fine.

Pre-Calculus was so way easier for me than Naki’s class. I don’t know if I tried harder or what, but this class actually made me like math and feel like I was sort of good at it, which was encouraging. I liked Naki’s class but Naki’s tests didn’t like me (: Don’t use your late passes if you can help it — the ten points at the end of the nine weeks is really nice.

If you have Spanish you know how that goes. Either you’re good at it or you’re not. I am super happy with my B and there and opted out of taking the AP test because I felt as though I wouldn’t pass because I’m not good at speaking. But if you feel like you have a chance at passing — go for it. I heard the test wasn’t as hard as people thought it would be.

My elective was IB Business before going to TOK. Both are relaxing classes but you learn a lot still. Perfect balance!

Get involved in a lot of community service this year now that most of you can drive! CAS can be fun and rewarding. Without a doubt, volunteering has been my favorite part of junior year. LOG YOUR MANAGEBAC WHEN YOU COMPLETE HOURS. I am so behind on that and wish I had logged the hours as I completed them. Grr. Hate managebac.

I hope you guys have an awesome junior year! IB gets harder and better at the same time. (:

Julie Van Hart

 

After (nearly) completing junior year of IB, I can safely say that it does live up to its hype — it is the hardest year of IB. However, it wasn’t as hard as I thought it was going to be, and I’m thinking that you will find it the same way. Junior year has its ups and downs, and it did turn out to be the most memorable year of IB. To start out, this is your first official year of IB. Congratulations! Those past two years that you’ve just completed have been Pre-IB, and you’re now up in the big leagues! Although it can seem intimidating, your teachers this year are really helpful and you’re going to definitely be prepared for the tests you have to take at the end of the year. Just make sure you study well, do your work, don’t procrastinate (I had to say it!), and pay attention in class. Even though those are the most generic pieces of advice ever, they actually help, and I will not be sharing whether or not I actually followed them or not…

Some advice before you even start the year: take AP Biology! Even though the class seems incredibly intimidating and I’m sure you heard horrible rumors about it, take it anyways. The other two options are horrible. AP Chemistry is a guaranteed failure unless you have an inborn talent for the class and AP Physics is basically a class in which you have to teach yourself if you want to pass. This is just my opinion and my observations from junior year so you don’t have to agree with me, but I’m just offering it as my advice. Second, make sure you keep up to date with your Managebac account. Managebac can be really annoying, but trust me, you want to keep it up to date as you complete your hours for CAS. You don’t want to be doing all of your hours in the last minute because it will be very time-consuming and you probably won’t be able to organize all of your supervisors. Third, if you’re taking a sport anytime throughout the year, make sure you do any work you can on weekends. You WILL be bombarded with a lot of work on the weekdays, so you want to make sure you can get rid of as much work as you can so you can do the other work you are assigned. Also, make sure in any science that you are taking that you do labs correctly and early. It’s always horrible doing a lab the night before its due (especially the Biology Fly Lab!) so be smart and do it early and accurately, because they are worth a lot of points.

My last piece of advice is to have fun throughout junior year. Make sure you have days in which you hang out with your friends at the movies or bowling or any other fun activity. Junior year will bring a lot of stress, but it’s best to relieve the stress by being with your friends and family from time to time. Junior year may seem intimidating but it’s doable and you can get through it! You’ve probably heard that your IB class sort of becomes like a family throughout the four years, and I can say that it’s absolutely true. Throughout this year, you may notice times in which you just really love your class and the people in it, especially at IB Pinning, which was amazing! All in all, Junior year of IB may be the hardest year, but I believe that if you take some of these advices with you, you may make it a bit easier!

Jonathan Joseph

 

Junior year went by really fast for me. Much of it was spent doing homework. Because there was so much of it, I’d end up feeling overwhelmed and procrastinate. When it came time for assignments to be due, I’d get mad at myself for not having done the work earlier so I could have slept. If I was able to go back in time and give advice to myself, I would have told myself to plan my work out or else I would regret it.

Another thing to consider doing academically is to focus on you harder subjects. Although you’re going to want to work on the homework in your best subject first, you need to put extra time into the one you have trouble with in order to keep your grades up. If you need help, don’t be afraid to ask for it because chances are your classmates are glad to show what they know.

Although there is so much stuff to do, you still need to remember how to have fun. Find something you enjoy to do on the weekend, no matter how silly it seems. You can’t be serious all the time. Also, you’ve probably had the same people in your classes for the past 2 years so you’re going to start getting irritated easily at them. Keep in mind you still have 2 more years to go so you should try to keep things cordial.

Thazin Latt

 

Dear incoming junior,

WOW! First of all congrats for making it through the first two years of Pre-IB. Those first two years are nothing to joke about and honestly require a large amount of dedication and work. However, you are now in the big leagues! Junior year is nothing like freshmen and sophomore year; it is more rigorous, more challenging, and requires the best out of every individual. To begin with, the workload for this year will probably exceed that of the past two years combined. Your science class, whether it being Biology or Chemistry, will be a joy for most individuals and a pain in the head for those select few. AP US History and Mr. Goss will push you to your limits with its “Commie Pinko” remarks and standardized tests. Mrs. Smith will be the bittersweet woman of junior year. You will love her to death, yet you will still despise her while you’re reading a book you truly hate or doing those endless journals. Your foreign language will always be a pain, especially Spanish. Math, if you take Pre-Calculus, will have its highs and lows, and your elective will be the highlight of your day. Even though academics will be the most important thing your junior year, it isn’t the only important thing junior year.

Remember that a true balance of work and play will result in optimum productivity. Thus, every chance you get, get out and play, relax with friends, and honestly have a good time. This is the second to last year of your high school lives and most of you will be driving this year. Your social life will be one of the most important variables that will either make or break your junior year.

Finally, regardless of all the lows and unhappiness throughout the year, remember that a brighter day awaits you. Don’t give up just because you are lazy. Push through it and you will honestly be happy you did. This is the road to success!

Mausam Trivedi

 

Dear Rising Junior,

Junior Year will change your life. Well, maybe it’s not that dramatic, but it changes a lot of things about your life and your day to day functioning as a human being. I never knew something that could make me so miserable and give me so many breakdowns. The only hope that I was able to offer myself was that it gets better. I am not quite sure if it really gets better or if you are just more equipped to deal with the struggles that are thrust upon you. I am not trying to discourage you or prevent you from trying your best, but it’s hard. One of the hardest things you do your entire life is make it through the IB Junior year. Most of these essays in this “wise words and what not” will tell you don’t procrastinate, read the book and always do your English journals early. While these things might be true, I am not quite sure this is what every rising IB junior wants to hear. I think the hardest part of IB junior year is that you forget that you are just a high school kid. Some people get so fixed on school that they forget that there is a whole world at there that doesn’t revolve around history, math or science. You are still 17, there is more to life than just answering literary questions about Geoffrey Chaucer or answering those Chemistry questions. (As a side note, I would take Bio. If I could go back and change my decision I would take Bio. Chemistry isn’t hard because of the math, it’s hard because of the concepts you have to understand to use the math. Don’t let someone persuade you to take Chemistry because you are a math god, take Chemistry because you like Chemistry.) Be a teenager sometimes. Go out and live it up. (When I say “live it up” be within the law.) Watch television and go on facebook. This isn’t supposed to make you hate your life, it’s just supposed to enhance your life. Never forget that. IB wasn’t made to take over, it’s just another part of your life that you learn to deal with. IB isn’t life.

To be more specific about courses, I addressed the science issue earlier. Take a science you like, not one that you think you will be best at. School isn’t always about grades, it’s about learning. I might have struggled in Pre-Calc and Ms. Frisbie’s exams might be beastly, but I know when I get to my IB exam I will look at it and say, “Hey, I am prepared. Frisbie taught me that. I have no worries. Hakuna Matata.” To address another class, English with Mrs. Smith, journals stink. I am just going to say it. I dread them and I currently have journals that are due in two days about the House of the Spirits. Have I started them? Kind of, not really. No matter what I say to you, the journals are going to be put off until the last possible moment. So, I am not going to tell you to do otherwise. Listen to what Smith has to say though and when she says don’t worry about orals, don’t. I stressed out over the Canterbury Tales and my second oral on EB White. Just know your stuff and you will be set. If you stress, you will psych yourself out. APUSH with Goss, the only advice I can give you is to smile and nod. When Goss talks about baseball just smile, when he says you are comno-pinko big you say, “that’s right mr. goss”, when he calls you a dipstick and a pantywaist just say “all right, Mr. Goss.” He likes to give people a hard time, but he never means what he says. He always calls me slow and a dumb jock but he knows I am not those things. He thinks I am intelligent, I promise. As for sixth subjects, pick what you want. Don’t pick because your best-friend-for-life is taking Psych and you want a class with her, choose what will please you.

Friends are a major part of life at IB. You need to have them, a lot of them. Well, I don’t mean a lot. I guess its quality over quantity. You need to have people that are going through the same things you are. People who share struggles with you; however, having people you don’t go to IB really helps also. I love that three of my best friends don’t go to IB so I can talk to them without school coming up. I can talk to them about other things than the English assignment. This goes along with my “IB isn’t life spiel.” Teachers that you can talk to are a good thing too. Make a personal relationship with some of your teachers. I am not saying talk to your teachers about your personal life, but sometimes making an effort to talk to a teacher and not just showing up to class will make a difference.

Never give up though, because you can do it.

Sincerely,

Jacqueline A Caron

 

As one finds themselves entering the actual IB program for the first time in 11th grade, many things are changing from the previous years before. Some teachers have become more stressed on when things are to be turned in like Goss, Smith, and even Mrs. Frisbie. Even the hours change, especially if procrastination sets in. If you have a bunch of homework, don’t play Star Craft till midnight and then start your homework. That’s stupid. From doing that, you’ll probably realize how much you value sleep. Also, as you cross into junior year, you might find that you are getting ridiculously close to college. It’s smart to plan where you want to go and how much money you’ll need to get there. Go after scholarships and study for the National Merit Scholarship Test (as well as others). Scores bring in the big bucks.

Get in the clubs other than Sam’s. Other than academics, colleges look for leadership in many of their upcoming students. I would advise that you get into many clubs so that you can have leadership positions in them later. It would be even better if you stay in a club for all four years. If you join a club for all four years, you are able to move up the leadership ladder to even greater positions over county, district, and even state clubs. I wish I had stayed in Key Club longer myself. I was treasurer by sophomore year and could have even run for lieutenant governor for the state if I had stuck with them. Having a good, long membership in a club leads to more relationships, more positions, and overall a good commendation to add to your resume. At times, getting around to jobs and other opportunities in life can simply come down to the people you are in good favor/contact with. Take advantage of the club opportunities around you.

Don’t stress too much. Everything passes with time and many of us aren’t perfect. We can’t catch and dodge every bullet that comes out way. It’s a matter of patience, hard work, and acceptance. Doing horrible on one test means that you can make it up on another or even many more. (Although, that shouldn’t be your paradigm for everything.) Let all your downfalls become your motivation instead of a bomb to your self esteem. Have fun this year because it’s a time to grow together as a class and as a person. Oh yeah, make sure you should probably throw away your BS degree because Mr. Goss likes “Relevant Historical Facts”.

Joshua George

 

Dear new IB Juniors,

Yayyyyyyyy you’re finally an IB!!!!! 🙂  It’s going to be kind of different this year but you’ll be able to get through it. 🙂  You’re going to have weeks where you think it’s never going to end but trust me it does and it’ll be ok again.  And just think you’re already half way there!  It would be really stupid to quite now.  And it’s definitely possible to have a life and play a couple of sports.   It’s important to remember that time management is important because if you don’t time manage you will not be able to get everything done.  I know because at the beginning of the year I kind of slacked off and my grades suffered but once I realized that I needed to change how I managed my time it was ok again.  So my major advice to you is just make sure you manage your time from the very beginning.

As my classes I took, and what I would recommend taking, are Psychology, English, Biology, Spanish, Pre-Calculus, and AP US.  I also took Statistics for the first semester and TOK for the second semester.  I’ll take the second half of stats my senior year.

I took Psychology because I heard that the AP test was easy, and I was right.  It was the easiest AP test I’ve taken this far.  If you take it as your 6^th subject the IB test is super easy!  I really liked the class and she really prepares you for the AP and IB tests.  We didn’t have a summer assignment but I hear ya’lls is super long so make sure you start it soon.  The notes you take are time consuming but they really help and for the notecards, I would recommend doing them when you do your notes.  The internal assessment isn’t that bad either so overall it’s a good class.

As my other elective I took AP Statistics and is taught by Naki whom you should’ve already had.  It’s not a hard class but there is homework that you have to do for it so it’s up to you to take it.  I don’t feel strongly about the class so I wouldn’t advise to or not to take the class.

There are a couple classes you have to take and one of them is English.  Mrs. Smith is the teacher and she is super nice and funny but the journal questions you have to write are HELL so make sure you do them as you get them, and actually use the time in class she gives you to actually do them.  She also teaches Southern Literature.  You should definitely take that class if you get the chance because its super fun and you get to eat in there.

AP US History or APUSH is another class you are forced to take.  Mr. Goss is such a nice old man and his tests are weird but he really prepares you for the AP test.  You will probably never get a really good score on one of his essays but he only gives a couple so it doesn’t matter.  For his chapter tests definitely read the book and for his standardized tests read amsco and you will have no problem passing his test.

You already have Mr. Guice but this year you will have him as your Theory of Knowledge teacher.  It’s a really chill class and can get kind of confusing sometimes but you can get through it.  It’s also an easy A so that’s always good.

If you take Spanish you’ll have Mrs. Calvo and you already know how much her grading sucks but it’ll be ok and you’ll get through it in no time so don’t stress.

As my science I picked Biology taught by Mrs. Kennon.  I would definitely recommend taking Bio because you actually have a fighting chance on the AP exam with her.  Chemistry kids drew unicorns on their FRQ’s this year, and Physics kids got all 1’s on their AP exams so definitely take Bio.  It is a lot of work but it gets easier.  You get to eat in her class when you’re a junior and you don’t have to turn your homework in before the bell, and everything just gets better in her class.  Do the labs when you get them and you will be fine.

Lastly as my math I chose to take Pre-Calculus and Calculus and Mrs. Frisbie teaches that class and she is very helpful with almost anything.  It’s not a hard class and as long as you actually do your homework and not just copy out of the book you will do fine on all of the tests.  And make sure you start working on the worksheets and the portfolios before the night before they’re due.

So those are all of your classes and I hope it helps you out some 😛 but make sure you save time for a little bit of fun in between all of this school work.  Especially since most of you will be able to drive.  Just make sure you take some personal advice from me, if you hit a car when backing up and tear the whole front bumper off don’t drive away because there are cameras all around the school and they will find you.  Your junior year will be over before you know it and you’ll be a senior!

I hope this helped!

Bree Lawhead 🙂

 

Throughout my Junior year I learned to embrace two very important quotes I’d heard or seen before. One was from a frame hung in my little brother’s toy room and the other I heard on the show: What Not to Wear. It’s really funny to me how I can learn new things from the places or experiences one doesn’t usually consider important at the moment they’re happening. The two quotes were more or less guides, instructors, or motivators depending on how you see things. I’m sure no one has gone through a day of school without hearing complaints and whining about a class, test, homework assignment, or a teacher. All of that is inevitable and all you can do is try and avoid frustration and stress because all it does is obscure your vision and make your challenges harder to overcome.

One of my quotes is “Life begins at the end of your comfort zone” by Neale Donald Walsch. I know that there are all kinds of people in IB; therefore, we all cannot follow a set standard. We all work in different ways: some are organized and “ahead of the gang” and others don’t feel the compulsion to have everything in order and feel they do better under the adrenaline rush of procrastination. Both ways usually get the job done, but sometimes you’ll find it necessary to change your habits and adjust to what the courses require of you. I am of the opinion that when some big exam is coming up or a lot of work seems to be crammed into the same week by every teacher, stressing out only decreases your chances of success so it’s better to just pick up from there, relax, and work with what you got.

“God grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the Courage to change the things I can, and the Wisdom to know the difference” holds so much meaning and I can rely on it when I get overwhelmed. Basically when something is in the past, something you regret and wish you could change; oh well just learn from that and move forward because dwelling upon it and wasting valuable time is something in itself I’m positive you’d regret. If you took the challenge of staying in IB and are determined to try your best, there’s nothing better than to learn how each class functions learn to adapt to each individual teacher’s requirements and stay on task…always.

Brenda Meza

 

Dear Friend,

As you have already heard, your Junior year of I.B. will be the toughest school year in all your education history. You may be used to receiving all A’s on your report card, or you may expect concepts in each future class to come easily for you. I tell you this now that you should cherish those kinds of days. However, I strongly advise you to throw such thoughts and ideas out the window and completely forget about them! Although it is wonderful to have confidence in your studies and your academic abilities, it also more realistic to walk into Junior year and expect the year to be full of tears, stress on top of stress, and NO procrastination.

In each class, you should pay attention to the class’ lecture and become involved in class activities or discussions. For this reason, you will easily gain knowledge in your classes that you can recall at any time. For example, if you take French IV next year, the class can become quite easier for you once you ignore the overwhelming feeling of speaking French throughout the entire period and begin to answer or speak to Mrs. Dietert. The more you use the language, the faster the language becomes natural for you.

Another method which I call “the will to do” helps you to succeed in Junior classes. You must desire to do the work given by your teachers. Although the homework is unbearably a lot, it helps you tremendously! Don’t label your homework as an evil set of assignments invented by your teachers. Instead, you should look at your homework as minor quizzes which test your knowledge of a newly learned topic. As a result, you will learn your weaknesses and strengths in each of your classes next year.

Most importantly, take each of you new classes as a set of challenges that you can and will overcome over the next year. You can do this!

Love,

Nneka Ofuani

 

First of all, I’d like to say, that if you are the kind of person that doesn’t like to read or only skim reads, I recommend skipping to the last paragraph, paying attention to that paragraph only, and disregard the rest of this essay. This past year has been different, way different, than I had ever expected. Junior year is the year when your ambitions and dreams for your future as an independent adult begin to take a tangible shape, and once this reality sinks in, your life is going to never be the same again. It’s scary, exciting, and exhausting all at the same time. This year I was also able to make closer friendships with many of my classmates, to the point where I really feel like I belong… I did this through volunteering, going to football games, hanging out at lunch and at club meetings. If you’re naturally shy like I am, don’t be afraid to just spend time with people, and really make the most of your high school years. Of course, if at any point you feel like your life is beginning to suck, take heart and blast whatever music you listen to whenever you’re having a bad day, because life after IB definitely gets better. Of this I am sure.

Academically, this year was really tough for me. The first semester was okay, but the second semester of junior year, I hit the proverbial “wall”. Before that last semester, I didn’t really have to do anything except pay attention in class and do homework to get good grades, but soon I found out that this was not enough. Some people hit their wall early on in high school; others don’t hit it until college, but my advice to you is to always work hard, try not to procrastinate too much (because, let’s face it, you will procrastinate at some point, but too much will really screw you over) and recognize when you hit your wall. With it came minor burnout and lack of motivation towards the end of the year, a disease that many of us were afflicted with that we refer to as “junioritis.” It’s not pretty, but there are things you can do to prevent junioritis. They’re simple things too: all the things your parents and teachers have been telling you all along – get enough sleep, don’t procrastinate, stay off of facebook, manage your time, etc. The fundamental problem is, you have to have motivation to do all of this. Your goal should be to find the motivation to live your life in a sensible, studious manner. Good luck with that.

Another problem that people had this year was TOK. The majority of our class did not like TOK because it “wasn’t structured” or they “didn’t understand it.” The secret to TOK is: it’s what you make it. If you pay attention in TOK, and participate in class discussions, and pay attention to what you are reading, you’re going to understand it more and enjoy it more. TOK is way different from any other class you will take. Complete understanding of the subject material is not necessary like it is in other classes. It’s OK to be confused, even for the entire class, as long as you make an attempt to think about things and attempt to understand them, that is good enough. For once in a class, you don’t have to know everything, and you will most likely leave with more questions than answers. On very rare occasion will you have to memorize something, but TOK is mostly just thinking and participation. All of your life you have had to memorize and spit back information and comprehend everything in order to pass; don’t let your unfamiliarity of this different kind of class get in the way of you enjoying it. You will get back what you put in.

Miranda Schwabe

 

Pre-calculus Advice

From Jacob, who you probably have never heard of until now

Hey there all you upcoming juniors, well maybe you are already juniors by the time you see this, but right now while I am typing you are still upcoming. I’ll say it right at the start, so those that don’t want to read get the best piece of advice right at the start; you need to be ready to do work. Regardless of whether you procrastinate, and I have a few things to say on that, or you follow a rigorous schedule, be prepared to work, and study, and really keep up with any assignments or projects, especially if you are like me and procrastinate the year through. Not the best policy to take, but you will survive, even if it means having many a sleepless night and possibly cursing at yourself when you go to school the next morning. That’s the best advice I will give for approaching the school year in general, but if you want to hear more specific advice, please read on.

Now, since I spoke of procrastination, let me say a piece on that. You will hear from everyone “oh don’t procrastinate, oh you will never survive”. Well, really, you can survive. Take it from a guy who pushed every assignment to the last night, every project too, you can survive, and when summer comes around you will feel like you won the lottery 10 times over, believe me the last day is tomorrow I can feel the freedom and success. But really, you should not procrastinate. When you do, and do so to the extent I did, you will even have entire weeks where you will only get an hour of sleep a day, not an exaggeration at all. If you feel like it ask Ms. Frisbie how alert I was in class most days, she can tell you how awake I was. If you really feel like causing yourself so much trouble, feel free to procrastinate I wish you the best of luck, since to get through junior year with procrastination and keeping A’s and sometimes even B’s in your classes requires some of the best luck there is. Really though, save yourself some trouble and just do work ahead of time, even if you only get part done in a day that’s part you won’t have to do tomorrow. That is enough on that though; let’s get into some advice for specific classes.

I won’t claim to know anything about courses I did not take, and I will not even begin to say anything about them, so if you don’t see anything that you are curious about, well I’m sure someone covered it. I will go by schedule, so Pre-Calculus to start with. The course really does not need too much advice to be honest, Ms. Frisbie will guide you well, and even if she bleeds over your papers she generally gives you a good description of what you did wrong if she can figure it out from your work. There is also no teacher in this school, and dare I say it possibly even the county or even the state that is as dedicated to us as she is, she really does care that you do well, even if she says she doesn’t. She cares enough to go over everyone’s assignments and tell everyone everything they do wrong. Tell me another teacher you know will do that for every nightly assignment and quiz you do. So, even if you don’t like her too much or she rubs you the wrong way, give her some respect.

Next up, TOK. You all know Mr. Guice, and I hope you all love this guy too because he really cares for you all too. He is the same as ever, the class will be run generally the same, except now it is TOK. Now I could try to explain what is going to happen in this class, but it is really something you should discover on your own. The one thing I will talk about is the extended essay. It is not as scary as it seems. Honestly, even if you have no exact idea what to do think of things that interest you and think of people that may know things along that general idea, and talk to them about being a supervisor. Your supervisor is the best tool you have for getting focused on the essay and bouncing ideas off of, so talk to them, don’t try to operate on your own because the supervisor really has been there before, whoever it is you may choose.

Next up, Biology. It is the same Mrs. Kennon you know from Freshman year, but a little bit nicer. You know what she does and how she runs the classroom, if you don’t like it take another science.

That’s all I want to say, next is IB Computer Science. You people that actually take this or another IB course this year and get it done are smart people, cause I would not want to take another IB course with the ones I have coming up next year. Basically, for those that know, it is Mr. Daniel, he is the same as always, maybe even more lenient. You won’t have homework unless you procrastinate, which I actually did not for this class. Also, really do not procrastinate on the Dossier. I did, it was especially horrible, just don’t do it.

Next up, AP US History with good old Gossy. You may or may not like this pukin’ farfle-head, but he does know a thing or two about history. Reading the book is all well and good, but just paying attention to the notes he puts online and taking notes in class will do you just fine. That being said, the book can help with studying, so don’t just put it to the side.

Then, we have French. I won’t even talk about this since this is my weakest subject, just study what she tells you for the tests and you may do fine enough.

Lastly, English with Mrs. Smith. She is the nicest lady around, so long as you don’t rub off on her wrong. If you do though, she will likely just growl at you, strange to read if you have not heard it yet but she really does. Listen to her when she explains CAS to you and save yourself some trouble, and if you have a question about CAS ask! That is the easiest way to get an answer. Also, read the books. Sparknotes may or may not be fine enough for Journals, but come the actual test you will want to have read the book.

As a parting note, please excuse any atrocious grammar or sentence structure you have read, if you read this much. I did this stream of consciousness style, so everything I have written has just been what I thought at the time.

Much love, don’t drop you guys! You can do it!

Jacob Gollert

 

Thinking back to my experiences this school year, the first thing I would tell a friend a year behind me is not to procrastinate on anything. Although it is said so much that students such as myself usually ignore it, I really wish I would have taken all the warnings seriously. I just put a lot of unnecessary stress on myself when I did wait until the last minute. For some assignments, like journals or labs, I would recommend that you overestimate how much time you think it will take you because it always takes longer than you think it will, usually a few hours more.

Secondly, I would tell my friend to create realistic expectations for himself or herself. You probably will not have straight A’s no matter how hard you try, but that is alright. I wish I would have known that it is not worth all that stress, because your friends will probably just take a lot of summer classes and have a higher GPA than you anyway.

Also, I would say to eat lots of fruits and vegetables. Junk food drains your energy and you really will notice having better focus and such if you eat healthier. It makes a big difference.

Maggie Younginer

 

Dear Rising Juniors,

Next year will be your first real IB year! Although yes, you will have a lot of homework to do and at times will ask yourself why you chose the IB life in the end you will see that it is worth it! I am so thankful that I decided to come to IB, I have made some of the best friends I have ever had since 9th grade. If you ever feel like you can’t do it anymore or that it is too challenging for you, you are wrong. Why else would you have been accepted to the program? At times like this you have to tell yourself that you can do it and just keep pushing forward.

One of the best choices I made this year was choosing to take biology. Everyone will tell you that you are basically going to die if you take her class, but that is not true! Just work hard, don’t procrastinate on writing up your labs, and pay attention to what she says.

One thing that you need to realize about starting Junior year is that the work load is going to increase significantly. In English class Mrs. Smith assigns journal questions to go along with the book you are reading. When Mrs. Smith hands out journal questions it may seem like there are not a lot of questions, but I assure you there are more than you think; do not wait until the day before they are due to start them! To sum it up just do your work in a timely manner and do not let it pile up.

Remember to take time out for yourself. Although junior year may be tough that is why it is even more important to go do other things besides school work. Go see a movie or go to a theme park, just make sure you do not let school consume your whole life.

I wish you lots of luck next year! I hope that you will strive to do your very best and that you never lose sight of the fact that you are smart and you can do it!

Katherine Anthony

 

Dear upcoming juniors,

You are about to go through the year with the highest workload, in my opinion. Do not worry too much about the work itself because it is the same as it has always been, just a lot more of it. As part of one of the best schools in our state, you will gain so much knowledge that you will realize that staying in the IB program was worth it. Make sure that you do not procrastinate because at some point in the year, you will get stuck in a spot you can’t get out of. Planning ahead will allow you more time to do things other than study and homework, and planning will make this year go by smoothly. Also, I feel that doing extracurricular activities will help with your planning because you have other things that need to be done at the same time your homework should be done.

Many people say that when in IB you can only choose two of the three options: sleep, social life, and good grades. This is not necessarily true because they all complement each other. When you have friends, you can all study together leading to good grades and the group effort to learn will then lead to more time sleeping. Friends are a vital thing while in IB because they will help you with almost anything, be it staying awake and helping you or helping you think of ideas for a project. If you and your friends help each other, all will prosper.

The most important thing about IB and any school is to try as hard as you can to make good grades. Doing your work should always be your first priority if you want to succeed. Take classes that you either enjoy or classes that will help you in the future. Do not think about the classes that will lessen your workload or be an easy grade, pick classes that will help you. When you have a class and nothing is happening, think about what else you could be doing for classes that you have the next two days. Time is the most essential thing in the world today, so use it while you have it. I am not saying that your whole life should only consist of doing homework though. All I am saying is that doing your work as soon as it is assigned will make it so you don’t have to spend endless hours a night completing the stacks of homework.

I regret not taking all of these advantages when I started IB and now I realize how much easier my life would have been if I did. Still, the main thing that I recommend is that you put some effort into your work and manage your time. I hope all of you the best of luck with your progress in this IB program.

Matt Dotson

 

Junior year really is on a whole different level than freshman and sophomore year. If you think that you can coast through junior year like you can in freshman and sophomore year, well you’ll be in for a big surprise. For me personally freshman and sophomore year was very easy; I hardly ever broke a sweat during those first two years in IB. I know that this will sound like what you have always heard from teachers but in junior year do not and I repeat do not slack off and procrastinate on your assignments.

One of the most important things in junior year is SLEEP, and personally I did not get enough of it this year and that can really show in the grades that you get. You many think that not getting a lot of sleep isn’t that big of a deal, but it really is; not getting enough sleep even for one night can really cause your grades to suffer. It’s all just a big domino effect because not getting enough sleep means falling asleep in class, falling asleep in class can make homework hard to finish/understand, and not understanding the homework causes bad test grades. So as you can see all of these things go relate back to not getting enough sleep. To be able to get enough sleep you really need to plan out your time efficiently. I know that it may sound a little silly, but in the planner by where you write assignments down there is a spot for scheduling your time. It really makes you hold true to yourself that you will get all of the assignments done when you say that you will.

Although junior year is a very busy year as far as your academic studies it is very important to make sure that you are starting to work on all of the IB required projects. This would mostly include for junior year your CAS project and the Extended Essay. These are two things that you do NOT want to procrastinate on because without them there is no diploma and they aren’t things that you can do in even a week. I would advise you to split your CAS project up over a long period of time and try to get it start within the first 9 weeks of school. If you have an idea make sure you go and talk to Mrs. Smith about your idea (she is very helpful with deciding a CAS project).  As for your E.E., you will work on that with Mr. Guice in T.O.K.,  it is very important to do more work for it during junior year than Mr. Guice requires because it is better to put in hard work than to have to scramble at the last minute to get things done.

The most important thing in junior year is to remember to look at the big picture of things. In junior year it is important to remember that yes grades are important, all of us want to have  4.0 unweighted GPA’s which is a reality for some but not for others. Just look at junior year as a year to prepare you for next year and as always have some fun in high school.

Kyle Goodwin

 

Thoughts of Junior Year in the I.B.O.

Welcome to Hell!!!! This is the invitation given by many seniors and graduates of the I.B.O. But, let’s just calm down because, to tell you guys the truth, junior year for me wasn’t that bad. Of course this may seem preposterous, you may have seen the enflamed eyes of a zombie junior sauntering down the hall, rambling on about bio labs or IAs, and this is in fact a major part of the first year in the actual I.B. program. But there is so much more – an underlying soft belly to the beast you face in this upcoming year. If more people were able to come in with a composed and serene mindset, they would not as easily be overcome by the mental brute of I.B., locate this weak spot, and use this weakness to give themselves strength.

This Achilles’ heel of I.B. that I mentioned is actually a collection of anchors you must put down to assure you don’t float too far off the deep end. Some of these anchors include friends, inner peace, and the ability to “chill”. If developed and wielded properly, these powerful tools can easily cut the amount of stress accumulated of the junior year of I.B. in half. Friends are some of the most important anchors you can possess in your junior year – you will lean on them and they will lean on you and the bonds formed between you and your close companions will act as armor against the tirades of strain, stress, and pressure exerted in the coming year. Inner peace and the ability to chill go hand in hand, you can’t have one without the other, and while at first it may seem “impossibru” to develop this skills, in time you can learn the ways of the Jedi.

Alright, alright, enough of the lame, nerdy bullcrap, right? Let’s get down to the nitty-gritty – a concentrated shot of what ACTUALLY goes down in the coming year. Ok, well I would tell you not to procrastinate, but I know you won’t listen, so on the next best alternative. What to do when you do happen to procrastinate: always have a plan. You know what? Have a backup plan for planning your backup plan! If there’s one thing you’ll learn junior year, it’s that the future is deceptively turbulent and you can never rely on just one person, just one moment of free time. This can be extremely hazardous for the grades of ill-prepared procrastinators so be warned, always have “Plan B”s and “Plan C”s – it could just possibly save your life (or maybe just your grade, but still)! Another important thing to remember is to have fun: always set aside at least an hour a day where you can waste away your life like a normal teenager (that is unless you have a bio lab due).

Anyway, enough of the rambling there you have it – like concentrated lemon juice you recklessly squeeze in your mouth you have now seen a bitter, cheek-popping passing glimpse of what is to come. Hopefully you have learned some important gems of knowledge in this short little essay, but just remember – relax, have fun, stay concentrated, and use the support system built between you and your friends over the last two years together. An impossible task? Perhaps, but if you reach out as high as you can I’m sure you all will survive. Good luck guys!

Kalil Lamont

 

Dear Rising Junior,

Wow! You have gotten this far. Just think; only two years ago, you were only a freshman, experiencing a new world, meeting new people, and confronting more difficult challenges than you had faced in elementary or middle school. You have traveled far since those days of I.B. orientation and Greek mythology note cards, but there’s still a large road ahead of you, filled with even more challenges—not to make it seem so dreary. Hopefully you didn’t think sophomore year was too hard because the class work and homework might just get a little bit harder junior year. Luckily with a few good tips and some simple scholarly habits, you can muster up enough energy to charge on through the two-year gauntlet known as the I.B.

This is the point of this letter where I get to tell you what I wish I had known almost exactly one year ago. I am excited. Are you? Junior year was really hectic for me and a handful of other students. Between a seemingly insurmountable number of notes and note cards in Psychology, the dreadful month of Bio labs, and all those Scarlet Letter journal questions that are suddenly due “…two days from now?!”, many students wonder how you find time to do all the work and maintain your sanity. I’m just warning you now that there may be late nights, but that should only be more of a motivation to PLAN AHEAD. I know you have probably heard it 586 other times, but this is where it starts becoming really important. Don’t wait until the last second to start on things because, in some cases, that won’t be enough time. If you are like me, then you will soon know that Bio labs take time to do correctly. You get a week, though, so use that week. Don’t start the night before…with anything. Whether it is note cards for Psychology, labs for your Science, a math portfolio, or journal questions for Smith, start work when you get the assignments. It won’t be long after they’re assigned that you’re staring down the barrel of two big projects with the same due date. Luckily you’ll already have them both near completion thanks to my wonderful advice.

Besides planning ahead, which—did I mention?—you should really do, you should learn to take the victories but also be prepared for any difficulties and emotional torments to come. This isn’t going to be a cakewalk because, really, nothing in life is. If and when things seems too tuff, just remember there are more important things in life than getting straight A’s. I’m not saying you shouldn’t aim for them, but don’t forget that a bad grade isn’t going to destroy your future and leave you for dead in the streets because your dream college rejected you over a C in Chemistry. Simply taking things in stride will improve your mental health over the trying times to come and keep you strong through the long nights and sleepy days

In the end, I’ll leave you with this. Junior year of I.B. is a new experience for you but just one of many in the marvelous adventure that is life. It is a big change going from sophomore to junior, but if I can do it, I believe that you can too. You’ve made it this far, and it’s only two more years to go. If you can develop good habits before all the work piles up you’ll thank me and yourself later, after a good night’s sleep. Keep a healthy attitude and keep on working hard and in no time, you will be walking across the stage with your fellow I.B. classmates in a horde of ecstasy and camaraderie.

With love and empathy,

Jarrad Pazda

 

Dear Juniors,

First of all, congratulations on making it through pre-IB! Junior year will be one of the hardest challenges you will ever face, but remember, it’s not impossible. The key is to stay motivated even during the late night Biology labs, journal questions, and study sessions.  If you are not motivated to succeed, you’re going to have a very tough time trying to keep up with this fast paced year. Do not give up. All I can do to help is to share some knowledge I’ve acquired from my personal experience.

• Psychology.This class was my sixth subject, and I have to say, it was a breeze (the class, and the IB and AP exam). I hope you like taking notes and making flashcards because that’s basically all you do. Read the book. The tests that Mrs. Reynolds gives are straight from the book. The videos she shows are awesome… ZIMBARDO! (You’ll know what I’m talking about soon enough.) If you decide to take this class, it will be your easiest class. Truthfully, I did a lot of my other homework here.
• ToK.Mr. Guice is great (but I’m sure you already know that). If you pay attention, take notes, and don’t wait until the last minute to do all the journals, you should be fine. If you get less than an A in this class, I will laugh. Just kidding, but seriously, do your work.
• Biology.Sweet baby Jesus. You’ve probably heard intimidating rumors about this class… they’re true. Mrs. Kennon gives you about a week to write up your labs, so try not to do them the night before because the stress will make you want to pull your hair out. When it comes to her worksheets, Google is not your friend. The answers are impossible to find on the internet. Just try to put up with them.
• English.Mrs. Smith loves her brown people J. She’s extremely nice, but don’t get on her bad side. If you do get on her bad side, try bringing her dark chocolate. GET HER JOURNALS DONE! I cannot stress that enough. I’ve had my share of late journal nights… not pleasant. Although they’re not difficult to do, they are tedious.
• Pre-calc.Do your homework, study for the tests, and always be on the lookout for mistakes. Ms. Frisbie is extremely helpful, so you’ll always know what you’re doing. Keep the FrisCon at 5.
• French.I hated this class so much. You’re expected to know at least two years of French, but we both know that that’s not the case. All I can say is pay attention to key words to help you understand what Mrs. Dietert is saying.
• APUSH.Goss had a tendency of getting off topic during his lectures, so I had a hard time staying focused. Read the book and use wikinotes to refresh your memory the night before the exam. Don’t rely solely on wikinotes.
• Friends, acquaintances, peers.I guess if you really wanted to, you could choose to go through this year alone. But wait… that’d be stupid. Your fellow classmates are the best support system. Since they’re experiencing the same hell you’re going through, they’ll understand you better than your other friends will. You will come across those days where you just want to drop everything and give up. That’s why you have friends to keep you intact. Choose your friends wisely.

You are about to embark on a terrifying and stressful year, but trust me, there is light at the end of the tunnel and you’re not alone. If you need a break, then by all means, take a break! But remember to keep your priorities straight.  In the end, all the hard work, tears, blood, and sweat will be worth it. Good luck, young padawan.

May the force be with you,

Elaine Rivera

 

My first word of advice would be to not procrastinate on English Journals. I am notorious for doing so, and have had many miserable all-nighters because of it. It never turns out well, and I’m exhausted the next day. It was even so bad one time that Naki allowed me to sleep through the full 90 minutes of Stats. Do them as you get them; 7 questions is much less intimidating than 39. For real. Also, only allow yourself an hour and a half for each section. That gives you enough time to adequately answer the questions, but it prevents you from going overboard.

Next, I’m going to say to you that you should follow your passions. I am referring to electives with this statement, yes, but I’m also talking about the science you choose and any other important decisions you make during your stay in IB. A wise man once told me, “If you do what you love, you never have to work a day of your life.” This applies to class choice very well- If you love math, feel free to take Stats as an elective; if you hate Biology but are scared that you’re going to fail Physics (even though you really like Physics), I would tell you to pick Physics because taking a class you enjoy makes your whole life less stressful. Another note on the topic of sciences and life: If you take a class in a subject you enjoy, then you will learn much more material at less expense to your mental health than if you take a class you don’t enjoy. On the same note, the extracurricular activities in which you participate will stress you out if you don’t enjoy them. So, do only the things you enjoy, when you reasonably have the choice.

Lastly, I say to you that you NEED to write things down. Assignments, schedules, things to do…. Anything. The short term memory can only hold an average of 7-9 things at a time; a busy life presents you with many more things that are necessary to remember. By writing things down, and doing so often, you allow your mind a temporary piece from the chaos of having to remember everything. Also, it feels really good to cross an assignment off of a

to-do list after you have finished it. Trust me. Anyway, I make lists all the time, and I live by them. I know it’s cliché and all, but it really does help. So… Ya. That’s all I have for you. Best of luck, and contact me if you need any more help/advice.

Colby Troutt

 

Dear upcoming 11th graders,

First of all, congratulations on completing your two years in Pre-IB. I know the experience was much different than middle school, and by that I mean more challenging, which in some cases is too much for students; however, in your case, you have passed wave one of what I like to call the ‘academic crucible.’ Well done. Now it’s time to switch into high gear as you enter, wait for it, wait for it, *insert iconic sound effect from the movie Dragnet*… true IB. Egad! Scream, gasp and faint all you want, yes, the frequently-talked-about, rumored-to-be-worse-than-death year is dawning upon you, and as Mrs. Frisbie would say, “It’s going to be great.” May I be frank with you? Rhetorical, let me be frank with you. Junior year is not as bad as it seems. Don’t get me wrong, though, if what you’ve just experienced was wave one, this is the tsunami, with a great white shark added for enhanced metaphorical effect. It is harder, but it’s been done before and it can be done again.

There is only one rule you need to know in order to survive junior year, and the ironically funny thing is, most of you won’t follow it: DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, PROCRASTINATE. Got it? Hahaha. Sure you do. Seriously, though, try your best not to do it. It’s the number one cause for stress in this program. Think of procrastination as a very fine escort. It’s so tempting to do, but you know it’s wrong and if you do do it, you’re going to feel worse afterwards. Sorry for the imagery, Mrs. Smith’s English will do that to you. Speaking of classes, if you’re having trouble choosing a science, I would suggest taking biology. I chose biology because Mrs. Kennon is an excellent teacher and will always give you a full answer that you’ll understand, that is if you listen and retain the knowledge. Always do your best to take as many AP classes you can, because you want to keep that GPA high to impress those colleges!

Another thing: TAKE FREQUENT BREAKS. It has been scientifically proven that going outside and taking a breath of fresh air will help you relax and allow you to focus more when you return to your work. So do your body a favor and chill.

I think I’ll sign off by again stating that you should not procrastinate. I know I sound like a broken record, but it really is the best advice I can give. This letter to you is such an easy assignment, but it is 1:40 AM, if you’re wondering. Not only is it early in the morning, it is also the last day of 11th grade for me. Well, that’s all I have for you, future surfer of the tsunami that is the IB junior year! Take care!

Brandon McFarlane

 

Dear Rising Juniors,

The fact that you are reading this letter means two things: 1. That you’ve completed your first two years of IB, and 2. That you’re at the very least considering staying for your junior year. I’m not going to say that’s a good or a bad idea, as whether it is a good or bad idea depends entirely upon you.

I would be willing to bet that the most common questions you have about your Junior year in IB center around how difficult or stressful it will be. My response to questions of that sort is that it varies. Obviously it varies depending on which classes you take and how seriously you take your schoolwork, but it also varies according to your personality. The way you felt about the past two years is likely almost the exact same way you will feel about your Junior year. If you felt overwhelmed the past two years, you will feel overwhelmed this year. If you felt at ease the past two years, you will feel at ease this year. Every single one of you should have the mental capacity to do the work that will be put in front of you in your Junior year. The work is never simply “too hard” for any of you. I also don’t believe the work is ever really “too much” if very much effort is put forth. I believe that every one of you can do IB, that every one of you could get through the program successfully, but my advice to you would be to question why you want to do so.

My advice to you is to before you immerse yourself fully into this program ask yourself the question “What am I trying to get out of IB?” I don’t know what I ever really expected to get out of IB, but I can tell you now that out of my Junior year I got a good deal of experience coping with stress and a year in an environment which encouraged me to excel and to think. As such I would say at least half of my Junior year was good for me, even though I’ve decided not to continue at IB for my Senior year. I think that knowing what you’re getting out of IB and what you want to get out of it will make everything far less stressful in your Junior Year. Always maintain that knowledge of what your goal is, and always question and examine alternatives for a better way to achieve your goal. It is likely that IB is the best way to achieve many goals, but it is certainly not the best way to achieve all goals. Keep this is mind as you do your work and ask yourself “Is this worth it?”

Ian Galloway

 

Looking back on my completed junior year, I can honestly say I now know a lot more than I did entering the 11th grade. From all of the experiences and stress I underwent, I have gained some advice that I would love to share with other students entering the 11th grade in hopes of making their journey a little bit easier. To start things off I want to say that no matter what horror stories you hear, it is not impossible. In fact, it is actually very possible. So don’t go into the year worried or already stressed for no reason. This is high school and it is a time to enjoy. Of course you need to work hard and focus on school, but don’t get down on yourself or feel like you can’t do it. Go at it with a positive attitude and remember that high school goes by faster than you think. If you can find a way to have fun while doing all your work it won’t seem as bad.

Staying sane and being happy while enduring all the work that comes with challenging classes and whatever extracurricular activities you are involved with may seem difficult, but I learned a few key things that can help. For one, try your best to not procrastinate! I emphasize this tip because it is one of my biggest problems. Of course you’ve heard it a million times before but trust me, when you don’t constantly feel behind nor have a ton of homework all in one night the stress is less. Also, you will get more sleep which is crucial to feeling your best and paying attention in class. Another simple task that makes life easier and that I would do better at if I could go back in time is staying organized. Keep some folders for all your important papers in each class that you know you will need again later. This way you aren’t rushing around tearing your house apart the day before an assignment is due searching for the paper.  It feels good to know where everything you need is and to not have to worry about searching or cleaning on top of your homework.

On top of have fun, stay positive, don’t procrastinate, and be organized, the last thing I can say is don’t be afraid to learn. That sounds silly but what I mean is do not be afraid to ask your teachers questions, go to them for extra help, or study. I’m naturally a pretty shy person, but I have realized that the teachers want to help. They are not scary people and they care about you and your success. So don’t be afraid to ask questions or get help. You will not sound dumb or get in trouble. You will actually benefit. Also, don’t be afraid to spend a few extra minutes studying. The time you put into a lesson will pay off in your grades and you will feel much better knowing you tried. So, I hope some of what I learned can help you have a successful year. Don’t panic. You can do it and I know you will do great.

Danielle Yost

 

I know what you guys are going through as sophomores.  Been there, done that.  I know the hard work you guys are putting in to be the best that you can be, but that’s not enough during junior year. I wish I had someone tell me the truth of junior year as a sophomore. Someone to tell me what to expect, and that’s why I am writing this essay today.

And so it begins the IB program. First, I want to congratulate you on making it to the program. Many students don’t reach junior year, and you’re one of the few. You have accomplished so many things, and you will accomplish so many more. In junior year, the courses required include AP American History, or as we like to call it APUSH, AP English, the science of your choice, Pre-Calculus, French or Spanish, TOK, and your sixth subject. I have a few tips you should follow to survive these classes next year.  In APUSH, read the book! I don’t know how to be more specific. All his chapter tests come straight out of the book. Use Amsco for his standardized tests, though. With Mr. Goss, you’ll never know when something is due, so make sure you have it done. Use his Quizlets online to study, as well. Oh, and Goss is always right, no matter what, he is always right. In AP English, read the books! Everyone tells you not to procrastinate, but we all do it. But, you have to procrastinate intelligently. Journals can be done in one night, I am guilty of that. But, I would not recommend that you do that. Work diligently, and use the time she gives you in class to do them. Personally, I like typing up my journal questions, but it is a pain to cut and paste. Just read and you’ll be fine in this class. Chemistry is an interesting class, and even frustrating at times. I recommend you read 5 steps for your quizzes and test. Take lots of notes, and pay attention. Don’t even blink, because you will miss something. Pre-Calculus can be very easy if you pay attention. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Save all your tests, so you can review for the semester exams and your IB exam. Math IA’s are scary, but give it a chance, don’t get frustrated or else you won’t be able to think.  I found French to be a pretty easy class. Pay attention in class, take notes, and don’t be afraid to speak French. You guys are all learning, you guys are all going to make mistakes, TOGETHER! In TOK, read the packets Mr. Guice gives you, meet his deadlines and I guarantee you will get an A. Psychology is a very interesting subject. If you take good notes on the chapter, you will ace her tests. Learning the vocabulary for the test is half the battle. For your IA, do something you will enjoy, so time goes by faster.

These are my tips to you as a junior. I entered the junior year with fear, but willing to make the best of it. As the year progressed, I learned that you can’t take what people say for granted. It’s better to experience it yourself. Don’t stress, it won’t help! Just get your priorities straight, and you will have a successful junior year. Take advantage of your non-bio schedule, get involved, and get a CAS project.  It’s all worth it. If you ever need advice, talk to the teachers or one of your fellow peers, or myself.

Ruby Arvizu

 

Dear Upcoming Junior

I’m sure you are excited and a bit scared about your upcoming junior year. My advice to you is to not procrastinate as tempting as it is and to enjoy your high school years.  I know there are lots of challenges ahead of you, but if you take it one step at a time you will be fine.  I know part of your fear is that you have heard that your junior year is the “hardest year of IB”, but you have already made it half way through and will soon have completed your IB years.

One of the best things you can do for yourself your junior year is to actually pay attention in classes! My advice is to try to pay attention to such things as the new math principles presented in Ms. Frisbie’s class and listen to Goss’s concepts he presents in class. Simple things such as this will save you a lot of time at home trying to understand what the heck happened in the last unit.  Try and stay on track as much as possible, but remember cherish the moments of High school. Cherish theses moments; because, being a junior means you are only a step away from being a senior and graduation. Balance social life and school work; try to keep your grades up while creating great new memories.

Good Luck with next year, remember to stay focused. You are in IB and you have made it this far, so there is no reason to believe now that you can’t make this year also.  IB Kids stress so much that they forget they are in high school and that this is supposed to be a memorable, good time in their life. Remember that you are now a Junior, you are almost there. Both social and work school life should be balanced to gain the most from the experience. Good Luck with Junior year work hard and have fun.  Others such as me, were frightened of IB Junior year, and now I’ve made this year, and so can you.

Adrielle Conner

 

Dear Fellow IB Student,

You are taking on a new challenge, another year in IB. After completing another year of this program, I feel that I am obligated to give you some advice about the best way to survive. Each teacher has his or her own method in teaching. You may like some of the methods, but others just can get under your skin, and I will give you the tools necessary to survive.

Let us start out with the A.P. U. S. History teacher, Gary Goss. As a person, he is great with funny jokes, but sometimes I don’t think he actually intended to make some. However, I guarantee that he will piss you off hard. Mr. Goss will either way force you to learn. The number one tick is the textbook. Every class he assigns the class to read about 10 to 50 pages worth. I don’t think he knows we have other classes to worry about too. So, my tip to you is not to read the book, because you can find online summaries of every chapter in the book. This system works great. The summaries are concise and have everything to pass the test. For example, we had a test on the Cold War. The only way to pass was to read the chapter. Forget about that. I read the online notes and got a high A. Another thing that will piss you off are the tests. Don’t be surprised that you might have a test every 2 weeks, which is about 18 tests a year. The worst of his tests are the standardized tests. These 1962© test can hurt you if you don’t study. Also, you need to know how he ticks. If you don’t want to learn, talk about baseball, Moe’s, communism, left-handed people, or Hilary Clinton.

Besides him, then A. P. I. B Physics teacher, Mr. Webb, is awesome. People are always scared of this class because one year nobody passed the A. P. test. However, they moved the test a year ahead so that you have time to learn. During this class, you sit down and watch him do problems and take notes, or you can study and do homework for another class. He does not assign much homework, and has absolutely no tests besides the mid-term and final exams. You will find that he can get off track pretty quick, and he will regard every class as “sexy”.

There is also the I. B. Theory of Knowledge (ToK) teacher, Mr. Guice. If you don’t know him already, he’s funny and serious. He assigns minimal work and you’ll find yourself not doing anything or another class’s work. The main thing of this class is the extended essay. He’s a fun teacher and the work is easy and subjective so you’ll get a 100 for sure.

Then there is Spanish and its teacher, Señora Calvo. She is strict. The homework is easy, but the real tough stuff is the A. P. test. You’ll go to the language lab and talk to a computer, write menial essays, and listen to boring conversations. Isn’t that fun? But, then you have to listen to yourself. Also, she talks in machinegun Spanish, and you might be lost in what is happening. Make sure you’re on track and you’ll get an A.

Another fun class is Mr. Daniel’s A. P. I. B. Computer Science class. You’ll get to experience programming and you’ll get no homework. All you do is small programs and read a book a few times. You can collaborate with friends and do homework. He doesn’t mind.

Pre-Calculus is also good, however, I’m good at math so it might be bad for you. Ms. Frisbie is organized and has all the assignments planned out. If you catch her errors, then you’ll get candy. It’s harder than it looks, because I never got candy. Also, there is a lot of extra credit to bring you up to an A.

Lastly, there is Ms. Smith, the English teacher. She is nice, but if you procrastinate, it could mean your end. The first book you read is The Scarlet Letter. The book is boring, the essays are stupid, and the journal questions are menial. Then there are the Canterbury Tales. Because you only read a few tales, it is easier but you’ll find that you don’t have time to read the chapter. There are more books, but the hardest thing you’ll do is the Oral Presentation. The one thing that sucks about this class is that she does not go over the A. P. test at all. My advice is that you should study independently.

Nick Troiano

 

Hey incoming freshman/sophomore/junior,

I’m going to give you some advice! I’m sure you’ve heard the rumors that junior year is the hardest, and that you get to pick two of the following three things: sleep, a social life, and good grades. Well, junior year is definitely not a breeze like freshman or sophomore year, but you can have the three things above; it’s actually possible. I may have realized this a little too late this year, sacrificing at least one of the three over the course of this year. Eventually, the “key to success”. There’s really only one thing you have to do, and I’m sure you’ve heard it before: DO NOT PROSCRASTINATE.

Yep, I may sound like a nagging parental unit or a pushy parent, but, as much as it pain me to admit it, they’re right. Procrastination is the archenemy of IB kids; it strangles our social lives, deprives us of necessary sleep, and slowly but methodically strips us of the grades we seek.

I’ll go class by class, as they come to mind, regarding what you should do to avoid procrastination. In English, do journal questions when they’re assigned. The questions aren’t usually due until the day of the test, but that doesn’t give you an excuse! Even if you did only one or two a day, even every other day, you’d be done, instead of being up until 3 AM furiously searching for quotes. Also, read the books. People say spark notes is sufficient, but you’ll fail the quizzes. If you’re really desperate, and haven’t read, or if you want a refresher, I reluctantly recommend shmoop.com (like spark notes, but more detailed, and actually pretty witty).

Hmmm… Next class: Frisbie’s! DO NOT start a portfolio the night before; I personally haven’t but I know people who have. It didn’t turn out pretty. Portfolios are important, because they’re legit IB grades. Oh! And save frequently. I had the extremely unfortunate and painful experience of falling asleep while doing a portfolio and completely losing all my work. The day it was due. Yeah. Just don’t be like me in this case.

For the Bio kids: do labs the weekend before they’re due. That way you can just make corrections and other refinements before it’s due, and you can act smug while other people whine about labs (just kidding, then people will think you’re a jerk.) Labs are an easy 45-50 out of 50 points, and they’ll help make up for her awful tests (sorry, there’s no hope for her tests). The dreaded fly lab is actually not all that it’s hyped up to be. Sure, catching the flies is a pain, but the Chi squares and write up are relatively straightforward and surprisingly quick. Don’t put your live flies in the freezer though. Killing them is kind of counterproductive, but there’s always some kid that does. Don’t be that kid.

Pick a sixth subject you actually like, because you’ll be stuck with it, and it’s an IB component. If you actually like what you’re doing, you’ll probably do better. And FYI, if you’re planning to take Psychology because you’re a slacker, don’t. When we had Gummow, the class was a breeze, but now there’s Mrs. Reynolds. She’s an amazingly nice person, but she actually takes her class seriously, almost too seriously.

Finally, take TOK seriously. I didn’t it seriously for the first nine weeks, because I thought the class was a waste of time. Then, second mine weeks I had a change of heart (partially due to my low-ish grade), and I started participating. The class really makes you question things, and to be more aware of what influences you and your learning. It may be a tedious class at times, but stick with it.

Good luck,

Gabby DiLullo

 

 

Dear Incoming Sophomore,

You have survived the first year of IB and you are headed into your sophomore year. I think by now you have become accustomed to the method of IB teachers and nothing it going to change next year; however, the level of difficulty will increase for some of you. If you are taking multiple AP classes, make sure that you keep up with the material. Studying a week before the AP test would not cut it if you want to obtain a passing score. Additionally, pay attention in your Chemistry/Physics split so that you can properly decide your science class for junior year.

The first piece of advice, which is probably the most important, is to not procrastinate. Personally, I feel you should finish all seven classes of homework over the weekend to loosen the work load during the week. I have made sure to obey this rule and I had a pretty stress free year. This is also extremely helpful if you are part of any high school sports teams since they practice every day. In addition, don’t distract yourself while working. Being distracted while working can reduce the quality of your work which will reflect on the grades you receive. Try to finish all your work and then distract yourself with your social life.

Overall, don’t freak about sophomore year as is it nothing different compared to freshman year. Make sure to be competent with your work and form a good relationship with your teachers. They will guide you on the best path for your success. Finally, help your fellow peers when they are in need because sooner or later you will need help from them.

Sincerely,

Dhaval Jivanji

 

Dear future Pre-Calc-er,

I feel like I should gear my advice specifically to the sophomores coming into this class (since that’s what I have experience in). This year is definitely more fun than freshman year! The teachers are amazing and fun and you are going to learn a lot.

My only advice for this class specifically is to come to every class and take good notes. Ms. Frisbie is an excellent teacher if you are there to listen to her explain and ask questions. If you’re relying on the book or her notes on Edmodo, you might not do as well. English with Mr. Guice is great, you won’t have any trouble. Just make sure to keep your binder organized, end-of-quarter binder checks will screw you over if you don’t! Also, study your literary terms. He loves making pop quizzes of those. Physics with Mr. Webb is good if you write down every single formula he gives you and what it’s for. Chemistry with Mrs. Brooks is easy if your write down everything on the presentation. Pay attention to formulas here, too! Do everything Mr. Wright says in APWH and you will pass. If there is any class you shouldn’t slack on, it’s this one. His almost-daily quizzes will kill your grade or save it. In Spanish, ALWAYS DO YOUR HOMEWORK. Calvo has a retarded grading system and she picks & chooses which homework to collect. To be safe, always do your homework.

As far as sophomore year in general, just enjoy it. You’re used to pre-IB now so focus on fitting in fun. We all know you’re going to procrastinate but try to rein it in. Anyways, good luck with year, we’re all rooting for you!

Signed,

Naomi Correa

 

Dear Rising Sophomore,

First off, congratulations on surviving your freshman year in the most rigorous program in the county! It is quite an achievement considering the transition from middle school to high school is already strange and on top of the extra amounts of stress added from large amounts of homework made the process more strenuous. But looking back on it, I think you’ll find that the year went by very fast and you are proud of the work you have completed. As for the sophomore status you are about to uphold, I would first like to advise you not to procrastinate on your AP World History summer reading and project! Those readings are at the very beginning of the course and represent the foundational time periods that everything else in the course will build off of, so you definitely do not want to rush over that. Take your time, take notes if you’re one of those people who writes everything, and try to absorb as much as you can. As you may have heard by now, the difficulty of the IB program seems to become even more challenging and stressful. However, sophomore year is as stressful or relaxed as your time management choices make it. I would recommend taking AP stats as an elective if you have completed algebra 2 honors your first year. I think I can speak for everyone who took the AP test this year that we were more than prepared and all believe that we performed well. The homework load isn’t much, plus it’s Naki, so I mean who doesn’t like Naki? Also, if you’re interested in pursuing a field in medicine or you just like science in general, I would also advise taking anatomy honors. I had Mrs. Alison for AP environmental science my freshman year so I can assure you that I am VERY aware of her teaching style. It’s very interesting stuff, dissections, notes, stnts, you know the drill, but you will definitely leave the class knowing an in-depth overview of the body and its functions. Anatomy will also be a HUGE help for the last nine weeks of Biology with Kennon for those of you who plan on pursuing that path and stats will also assist you with some of the end of the year lessons in precalc. As for the other classes you’ll be taking, as always the main thing is to do your best not to procrastinate. I know we all do it, but in order to stay on top of things you have to write things down, organize your time and decide which things are most important. When you’re doing your homework, LOG OFF OF FACEBOOK and TURN OFF YOUR PHONE. Trust me, it will save you enormous amounts of time and you’ll be surprised at how much more efficiently and effectively you work when those distractions are eliminated.

Sleep is important, so honestly enjoy it while you can because it will become less and less as you progress. However, don’t let that discourage you because just like everything else that has happened, you will adjust and will learn how to cope with it all. Specific advice for each class next year would include: stay on track with your history notes (don’t let the spread apart deadlines catch up on you and get caught doing all 67 pages the night before, it doesn’t work that way), in precalc the main thing is to always attempt your homework and never be afraid to ask questions about anything you feel you don’t understand, for algebra… I would brace yourself because you’re about to enter into an entirely different world from the geometry realm from which you’re leaving. The work and level of intensity will be shocking at first and you might find yourself with a few sorry test grades at the beginning but stick with it because it’s ok! (You’ll probably find that the majority of everyone else is having the same issue as well), for English (Guice is pretty much one of my favorite teachers ever) I would advise you to read the major books that are assigned in class and keep up with the literary terms because they will be frequently given as quizzes but won’t always be announced. I am not aware of how French works, but for Spanish kids, the biggest thing I would remind you to do is to try not to memorize your orals when you have to present! In the near you future for your IB exam you will have to talk for ten minutes on a topic spoken to you in Spanish and you are unaware of that topic until the day of. Practicing impromptu and talking off of general ideas pulling from your vocabulary will help you a lot in the long run. Physics and Chemistry are both pretty simple classes to take. Let’s just say these will be break classes for the science track until you enter the junior science year… you are becoming equipped more and more every day by the classes that you’ll take so don’t stress but remember that you will only get out as much as you put in.

As for social aspects of your life, I would advise getting plugged in a club, group or team outside of school that can help take the pressure of work and assignments off your mind for a while. Play a sport, talk with someone you don’t really know, participate in Key Club, Youth in Government but make sure it’s something you’re passionate about because that will be where excel the most. Have conversations with your teachers, they want to know about your life because they care… well… most of them. But these are the people you’ll be spending your high school time with, so don’t pass up the opportunity. Finally, try to enjoy your time this year. Keep your eyes on the prize and keep going! I wish you the best of luck!

Sincerely,

A Rising Junior

Heather Ryan

 

Dear Future Student,

I hope you have enjoyed your high school career thus far. IB is a rigorous program that involves maximum effort. My advice to you is to avoid procrastination at all costs. If you avoid procrastination, you are less stressed and can sleep more. Less stress and more sleep are the perfect combination for a happy IB student. As a freshman, I procrastinated like there was no tomorrow and was extremely behind in a number of my classes. However, as a sophomore, I have procrastinated less and become more productive with my time. This productive spree has led to better grades and more free time to enjoy high school. Be as productive as possible!

My favorite part of high school is the combination of IB, Bartow High, and Summerlin Academy. Our high school has students who differ socially, culturally, economically, and have different religious beliefs. My advice is to make friends with as many people as possible. Summerlin Academy friends have provided me with knowledge about the military which I never expected to learn. Bartow High School friends have shown me how to enjoy high school by taking my nose out of the books every once in a while. It was extremely beneficial for me to participate in a BHS sport. I played volleyball which allowed me to bond with a group of girls who loved the game. I can make connections with people on campus that I wouldn’t normally have met. While in high school, meet new people!

As I grew up, all I heard was how high school would be the best time of my life. High school will only be awesome if you take it seriously. Do the best you can in all your classes by studying and being productive. Don’t be lazy, just do the assignment! Find a group of friends that you get along with and can trust, because you have the opportunity to have these friends for the rest of your life. Enjoy your high school years!

Sincerely,

Amanda Schell

 

Hey Kid,

You may think that your time in IB so far has been easy, and you’re probably right, but don’t expect things to always go your way! In the coming years, or so I’m told, things are only going to get harder. As a sophomore taking pre-calculus, I’ve really taken the lighter course load that has accompanied my math class for granted. Juniors around me have been scrambling to finish journals, labs, and figure out how to get CAS hours. Compared to that, my year in the program has been easy enough, but life always comes with its fair share of challenges. Attempting to maintain friendships, a healthy romantic relationship, my grades, and the organization of my room has been a challenge to say no less. What’s my biggest advice for someone moving on to do what I’ve just accomplished? Never give up.

Whether you’re moving up to be in “real IB”, or just becoming a sophomore, the most universal advice given is “don’t procrastinate!” But I know you won’t listen to that, will you? I know I didn’t. My entire sophomore year was time spent contemplating how long I could wait before starting the homework that would be due. Could I start my Mini EE when I got back from taking my AP Psych Exam? Could that math homework wait to be done until during lunch? Would I have time to do the history reading if I went over to my boyfriend’s house that night? All of that time I spent just thinking about how to spend my time doing other things besides homework, how much I could get away with, how far I could stretch myself to keep up with things would have been better spent just doing the work! Stop that procrastinating habit, and realize that you could do the work faster if you would just do it. There will be time on the weekends, there will be time in the afternoons, and summer will only get closer.

While you have, no doubt, already formed thoughts about the students you spend your days with, remember that you might not really know them. The coming years will be spent in close quarters with them. Long, small classes, the Facebook group you’ve no doubt created, and countless other places will have them there. Think of them as your comrades, your brothers in arms, as you face the coming years. Remember that you all go through the same thing. Remember that when things go south you still want someone left who likes you, who’s going to help you get out of some crazy rut. Don’t treat each other like enemies. Don’t treat each other like competition. Don’t gossip and share rumors about each other. It’s easy, for class of 2014 especially it would seem, to be mean to each other and talk poorly about classmates we don’t necessarily know. Sure, you probably have a satisfactory amount of friends outside of IB (which is healthy) and maybe even a boyfriend (also healthy as long as you’re mature about it) but don’t let yourself forget that the kids in your class are your equals, your comrades!

Never give up, kid. Try to be your best, every single day. Don’t let the work get you down. Don’t let the things other people say get you down. Try to find the balance in life. Love the people that you love, and try to accept the people that you don’t. Stop procrastinating and just get that work done so you can go out with a friend or watch a little TV without it destroying your grades. Be who you are, love what you do, and never give up.

Amanda Giggy

 

So here I am, fellow student, as I write to you in my room about your future class: IB Pre-Calculus. Now you’re probably thinking, “Oh no pre-calc, what do?” Do not worry fellow student, who is a year behind me, I shall give such helpful tips to survive the year. This especially goes to you, Matt Hewett. Now the following 2, maybe three, paragraphs will give you tips on the teacher, class, and homework. So let’s a go!

We’ll start with the teacher: Miss Frisbie. She is one of the best teachers I will have, and I’m totally not saying this to get an A on this assignment (no really, I’m not). The number one rule in her class is DO NOT, and I say DO NOT piss her off. I did and then she sent a hate mail and I bawled. She is one of the teachers that do A-Team, so she pretty much knows everything. However, she sometimes BS’s what she says, but makes it sounds as if it was true. She is also a pretty chill teacher. You pretty much tell her anything and she’ll understand. Also, she can distracted easily, mention something about Calvo and maybe you got yourself five minutes. Miss Frisbie is da best.

Next the class. Basically, pre-calculus is algebra 2 just taken up a notch. For the first semester, you will learn stuff that you learned in algebra 2, just a little more specific. So if you did well in algebra 2, then you can go to sleep. (Don’t actually do this, Miss Frisbie makes this weird snoring sound that can jolt people awake.) The second semester is new stuff like matrices or vectors. So those sections, you need to pay attention to. Somewhere near the end, you will be learning STATISTICS. If you take STATISTICS while you take pre-calc, then you are bueno. That is pretty much the entire class in one paragraph.

Finally the homework! Homework is really really easy. If you understand what she says in class, then you will do fine on homework. However, if you do not do your homework in time, you have TWO LATE PASSES with your name on it. Homework isn’t the real problem, it’s the portfolio. I heard that portfolio is being changed up this year, maybe, but I’ll just tell you my experience. Portfolio is one of the hardest math problems in your life. The one I had required me to push my brain to the limit. It was stressful. It made some of my friends super stressed. Don’t do this at last minute. Work on it, bit by bit. This is a really important assignment in the time that you’re in IB. P.S real men can cry because portfolios. T_T ß Emoticon!

Yup, I have basically summarized the entire year of Pre-Calc to you. Overall, it’s an easy class if you understand all the concepts in the class. Exams are not hard as long as you study (by the way, I completely forgot that I had a formula sheet for the final exam, so I spent the entire time just trying to remember stuff in my head..). Other than hand, it’s going to be very fantastic class for you and other students to have!

<3

Peter Chang

 

Dear Rising Sophomore,

Congrats on making it through freshman year! It certainly took some adjusting to get used to the faster pace of work, but if you’ve made it this far, sophomore year will definitely be bearable. This year is known for being the easiest of IB, but as you’ve probably been told, it’s important to take it seriously and not completely blow it off because not paying attention or putting things off will catch up to you. Believe me.

Though it’s not exactly something you can sail through with no worries or stress, this year can be pretty easy at times as long as you stay on top of all the work and don’t procrastinate. APWH notes can be very easy to get behind on when you have other work, but I highly recommend you try to avoid that, or just deal with staying up late to finish them on time. Pre-Calc portfolios. Don’t put them off. Start early. While you may think you are the master of procrastination, which may very well be true, it’s not a good idea to start working on them the night before, as they take a lot more time than they appear. I can try and warn you against procrastination, but it’s almost guaranteed that you will do so anyway, so I wish you luck with the late nights that may be encountered as a result.

It’s definitely important to enjoy yourself throughout the year, especially if you have some tougher classes. I’d suggest sports as a great way to get out frustration and you’ll make many new friends. If you’re not much of an athletic person, you should still fit time in for spending time with your classmates. You’re all going through the same thing, so it can be healthy to just sit and complain when things get overwhelming. I’ve learned that stressing really doesn’t get you anywhere. Sometimes you have to realize that just because you may not have done as well on the test as you wanted to, it’s not the end of the world.

Although it may seem tough at times, overall it is a pretty good year, as long as you don’t get behind and remember to still have fun! Best of luck with your sophomore year!

Hannah Fitzhugh

 

Dear George,

Pre-calculus can be a really fun and educational class with Ms. Frisbie as your teacher but it is important that you listen and pay attention when she is teaching because it is very easy to get lost on certain points. Without a complete understanding of the subject it is very difficult to complete the homework or do well on the tests, which are a big deal. The homework is very important because it expands your understanding of the subject and it teaches you to apply what you learned in class in new and different ways. Like for example isolating certain variables in equations in order to use a single formula to find multiple things or using the formulas in a new way to find items that don’t at first appear to have anything to do with that formula. Your Edmodo account should be your second favorite tool next to the book because Ms. Frisbie always posts the files containing what the class learned about today and how to handle the material.

Tests are the most important graded item in the class because you can make perfect scores on all of the homework but if you crash and burn on the test then your grade will definitely reflect that. To study for the test it is important to do three things: listen to the review in class, review the material in the chapter, and do the problems at the end of the chapter in the review subsection.  Also, it’s important to remember to remain calm during the test because when you get worked up worrying too much you could forget the important details you have reviewed for the test and you could end up losing a lot of points for a bunch of little mistakes. Finally, don’t worry too much about getting every extra credit point right. The extra credit is just a sort of way to calm us down and distract our minds from getting overwhelmed when we first look at the test.

I think it is also important to address some of the other things that come with being a sophomore in IB. I know it’s exciting to get two full electives and to only worry about one AP class but it’s important not to succumb to laziness during your easy year in IB because once junior year comes around you barely have time to sleep anymore. During your sophomore year, you have three main assignments to complete: your extended essay in English, IB Math portfolios and the AP test for World History. You will also have five books to read in English, quizzes every week in World History, and two different sciences to handle as you spend one semester in both Physics and Chemistry. It’s essential that you gave each class an equal amount of effort, maybe even a little extra in some if you trouble with it, but don’t forget to still have fun and hang out with your friends.

Sincerely,

Hunter Ponder

 

Dear upcoming sophomores,

I’m probably not the one from whom you should seek advice, but here it goes. This letter is going to be really choppy. IB is going to teach you a lot and learning as you go is part of the process. Procrastination is probably the biggest thing that deprived me of sleep. One thing I wish I had learned before the last month of school is the art of doing homework in class when no lesson is being taught. Getting your homework done for one class before you get home leaves time for other homework! Oh, the joys of IB.

Friendships are extremely important in IB. I’m not suggesting that you collude or get answers from each other; I’m just saying that it’s really nice to have someone to talk to when you need them. If you ever feel like you want to drop out or you don’t think your class is one big happy family, you should go to the Medallion Ceremony. By senior year, you will have made some of the best friendships of your life both with your classmates and your teachers.

One last piece of advice, respect those who have authority over you. If you aren’t willing to learn from those who are there to teach you, the teachers will have a hard time trying to make you care and you certainly won’t make the best of your opportunity at IB. I realize I’m only a sophomore saying this to you at the moment, but I’ve had three other siblings go through IB so I may or may not know what I’m talking about. My guess is I don’t so you can disregard everything I’ve said thus far. I hope you’re sophomore year is as useful as mine was. Learn from your mistakes so you don’t make the same ones again. Good luck.

Benny Valenti

p.s. Playing sports on a team is awesome. Make sure you have time though.

 

Dear Friend,

To describe my classes this year at IB, I will borrow a line from a commercial, “It just doesn’t get any better than this.”  Granted, the homework at times is still overwhelming and there will be the occasional day when a quiz or test is given in every class.  Consequently, you will soon discover that the academic workload is less and more enjoyable than it was in the ninth grade.  That does not mean your classes are less challenging.  Instead, it means you are not buried in “busy work” assignments which seemed to be the case for me at times in the ninth grade.

Your teachers will be every bit as gifted, caring and dedicated as they were in the ninth grade.  Though, you will not be constantly reminded by them when assignments are due.  Therefore, it is still important to write down assignments in your agenda. Plus, in spite of “busy work” assignments not being mandated – the benefit of doing them on your own is rewarding on quiz days.

As for specific classes, AP World History will be a favorite.  Mr. Wright seems to bring his class to life which helped me personally during the AP exam.  That’s right; his crazy stories left such an impact that they jogged my memory as I tested. I will share one word of advice for his class; keep your notes up to date!  It is fast paced; genuinely, don’t procrastinate – it will cost you an entire evening of sleep!  English, too, will be another favorite class for you.  Mr. Guice, like his class, is superb!  I will feel his impact on my writing abilities forever. As for tidbits in his class, you will shortchange yourself if you don’t read the novels timely.  They were all good reads. As for foreign language, my path was Spanish.  I enjoy the language and Mrs. Calvo; it is another favorite class of mine. Science and Math will require the same amount of dedication.  Science will be in two parts which you will enjoy.  Both give you lots of hands-on lab making the learning process easier.  In other words, it won’t be simple memorization and repeating.  As for Ms. Frisbie, she can only be described as superior and always available to you.  Her class was at the end of the day for me just after Science, AP World History and AP Stats. Nonetheless, her teaching style is not boring nor is the class. I will simply share that it is important to ask for help when a concept isn’t clear.  You will soon discover that she enjoys teaching and is very available to help you.

I suppose my final words will be to encourage you to continue to be involved in outside activities and school clubs. Most importantly, spend time with your friends and family. You will need a break from the pressures of high school.

Tenth grade is truly a year to look forward to!  I would do it again wanting to sit in the same seats in the same classrooms under the same teachers.

Best of luck,

Jessica Killingsworth

 

Advices and warnings

Fellow fellow students, I see that you are about to embark upon the next leg of your journey through high school. Sophomore year is going to be one of your best years in high school, but also not one to take lightly, and well, if you’re a junior, it seems like you’re going to have to find out yourself. Yeah, congrats and the whole shebang, but the fun really starts now (whooo!). The next few years are when you’ll truly begin to define yourselves and establish relationships that will last a very, very long time. You might find yourself slowly splintering off into lil sub groups of IB kids because the work or your class schedule dictates it. You may find yourself making ridiculous promises to your friends, whom you really care about, and doing ridiculous things with them.

First off, let’s start with work. Don’t ever put off projects! You can put off any other homework except for projects if you feel confident enough. Always do your projects early or else you’ll find yourself working frantically at two o’clock in the morning, struggling to complete it. Also, if you do choose to procrastinate and start the project late at night, save often. A great friend of mine chose to start her history project on commercialism at 11 p.m. She finished at 12:30 a.m. but somehow managed to irreversibly erase everything and had to start all over again. She was up until 2 a.m. redoing the project. Also, it might be a good idea to do the portfolios early and save often with them too, because portfolios are a big pain in the math butt. Also, if you wish to obtain high grades in your classes, it’s a good idea to pay attention to the teachers when they teach. There may be a time in your future when you have to take a final for a class and you hadn’t paid attention to the teacher at all. Also for APWH, you don’t have to go into specifics and memorize dates and people and what not (though it is good to impress the reader by dropping a few names and dates here and there). What you DO need to know for APWH are the main concepts and cause and effects relationships between events. Migration and trading are great subjects to know for the exam. Also, an important thing to remember is that one of the biggest principles in any school is to NOT piss off your teacher. Remember, your teacher controls your grade.

Friends. You gain some, you lose some. It’s always better to gain some true friends, even if you lose some others, but the best case would be to just gain great friends, which is exactly what happened. As you’ve probably found out already, there are many similar and opposite personalities all around you. Always take the time to talk to your friends and hang out with them often. That helps relieve the minimal amount of stress (because truly, freshman year seemed harder) and improves friendships. I only discovered this near the end of the year and I truly wish that I had known this earlier. But just as it’s important to talk to your friends, it’s also equally important to be able to tell them to hush up and be quiet so that you can do your homework. A great as a friend the other person might be, texting him/her while studying isn’t going to make you more efficient at studying. Put away your phone when you’re studying for quizzes and stop going onto Facebook.

Sleep. Sleep. Sleep. I can’t stress how important sleep is. Beginning of sophomore year, I was still on summer vacation schedule and so I wouldn’t go to sleep until 1 a.m. because I would start homework at 10 p.m. As a result, the first 9 weeks of school passed by in a daze because I passed through Guice’s and Naki’s class unconscious. You won’t remember anything that was taught and school just sucks in general. Por eso, my parents confiscated my Facebook for a while and my phone. Wow. I mean, have you ever had sleep, I had, it felt great. Once you feel the difference, you’ll never want to go back to the sleepless days of the past. Sure, it’s inevitable that you stay up late on some occasions, but that should only be once in a blue moon, unless you’re up to talk to a friend that you won’t see for the next 2 ½ months. That’s the only excuse. A certain Valenti is really good at this, and that Valenti is a cool one.

Youlei Li