The first group of these was written by juniors, to advise new juniors, and the second group by sophomores, to advise new sophomores. They are otherwise in no particular order.

If I had someone in the grade below me that was taking the same classes as me is to get into a routine. I found this out way too late in my opinion, despite multiple people telling me but getting into a routine will solve like 99% of problems, or at least in my experience, in terms of motivation or procrastination. I only discovered this during the distant learning section of this year, so like a month and a half ago, and ever since it’s really helped me stay on top of things. Instead of trying to find enough motivation, to get up and do homework at 1:00am, I just kind of naturally fall into the rhythm of doing my homework around 2-3 now and go to bed at 9-10 without exception, most of the time. Getting into the rhythm of a schedule helped me out a lot so I would recommend it to anyone taking the same courses as me, with issues with procrastination.

Another thing I would say to someone say a year lower to me is that Junior year gets better, eventually. When I first came into junior year it honestly felt like if sophomore year never ended and kept getting harder over the summer, so by the time we came back it felt infinitely harder than before. I had probably the most thoughts about dropping out this year than any other year just because of the difficulty shift from sophomore year to junior, but I am glad I didn’t because it honestly gets A LOT better. I’m not sure if its because eventually you get used to it, but the difficulty that first hits you in the first semester sort of levels off towards the end of the year, so it feels much more manageable than before. So, even if you have thoughts of dropping out, just wait until the end of the year before making a final decision, and I can say from experience that it does get better and you probably will change your mind.

The final tip I have is to try and limit videogames and other time-consuming things for weekends or to at least reduce them. I started off this year spending a lot of my time goofing off instead of finishing my assignments and I can definitively say that wasting copious amounts of time was not worth the stress nor the sleep loss. I eventually cut them out for during the weekdays, but before that it heavily contributed to my stress levels early in the year. So, if you can cut back on wasting time, cut back, or at least do something boring so you will be more motivated to finish homework.

Parker Jain

Congratulations to you Sophomores that have now completed Pre-IB! I am not going to lie to you guys, the beginning of Junior year is going to be tough. Many of your fellow peers are probably going to leave after 10th grade, which is going to make your class almost feel empty in a way. You will probably become jealous of your old peers as their life has become a whole lot less stressful. You have to hang in there for the first 9 weeks, you will become adjusted to your new normal and you will grow even closer with your classmates.

Some of the classes you will have in Junior year will be much more difficult than the classes you had Freshman and Sophomore year. Spanish becomes much more difficult in junior year. You are expected to speak solely Spanish the entire class period, and that will definitely be something you will have to adjust to, but my Spanish speaking skills have definitely improved since the beginning of the year, so it is worth it. AP Biology is a decently difficult class. It is a lot of information to digest, so you will have to study so you can remember it. English this year can be frustrating at times, especially when you have to read and annotate an entire book in the span of a week (I recommend reading a certain amount of pages each day so you don’t have to read an entire book the weekend before it is due), but overall, it’s not that bad. Be ready for a lot of presentations in English, and I mean a lot!

Not every single class is a pain in terms of work and difficulty though. History can be boring and mundane, but the work is not too bad.  IB Business is a great 6th subject, not much work and you learn a lot. Pre-calculus was not bad in my experience, Frisbie teaches you very well and the work is not overwhelming. Being honest, probably the worst part about doing CAS and the Extended Essay is just the idea of thinking about having to do it. You probably heard about how awful they are, but when you actually do them, it’s not bad at all, it’s all just about time management. I know it seems like it’s going to be your worst year yet, but it is honestly not. It can be difficult, but it is also just as fun. I hope you all enjoy your junior year!

Cole Miller

First of all, due to the Covid-19 pandemic this year, my experience as a junior is very different from the experience an incoming junior will have next year. Even so, I can still provide some insight on most of this year. The biggest advice I could give to any IB student is to not overwork yourself. You should be focusing on your studies and joining some clubs, but don’t let that get in the way of your mental health. The summer before junior year marks the time when the most IB students will drop out for, but many people continue to drop out in junior year as well. I’m not trying to discourage anyone or scare them about the junior workload, but I can say that all the people that left this year left due to stress. They overworked themselves because they tried to balance school with too many extracurriculars and very active social lives. I’m not saying not to do any of that, but I am saying that you should focus on studying and limit the extracurriculars for the sake of your mental health. It’s important to have a social life and to take breaks; they’re great stress relievers. However, if you try to force yourself to go out every weekend, that would just turn a stress reliever into a new source of stress. You need to balance those three things; don’t make your schedule so busy that you have no real time to relax. Remember, your mental health is more important than anything else, and it’s the main thing I’ve seen a lot of people struggle with this year. If you focus on that, you should be fine.

When picking new classes aside from the mandatory ones, make sure to pick classes that you think you’re actually interested in. If you pick classes you don’t like just to get more credit, you’ll struggle and feel miserable. If you take classes you like, it won’t feel as stressful. For example, in sophomore year, I took AP Psychology, and, this year, I took IB World Religions. These were both classes I found very interesting, so I didn’t mind the workload because I actually enjoyed the subject. Speaking of AP’s, make sure to start studying at the beginning of the year, and you should always use the AP practice books on your own. I recommend using both Princeton and Barron’s, they’re the reason that I’ve passed any AP exam. Also, I know everyone says this, but don’t procrastinate. I admit that I still do this all the time, and it’s what causes the most avoidable stress for many IB students. Getting work done early will make you feel confident and prepared. Speaking of which, all incoming juniors will be taking Ms. Rasmussen’s class, so they have to do a type of notetaking called SQR3’s. Everyone, including me, does them at the last minute, but you should do them at least a week before the due date since they’re very time-consuming. It involves writing notes, questions about the chapter, answers to those questions, and a summary. I recommend writing both the questions and the answers as you read the chapter. This will make the assignment go way faster.

This has nothing to do with schoolwork, but remember to bring a small umbrella with you every day. It pours a lot in Florida, and going to the portables without one is an unpleasant experience that I’ve had twice this year. This is especially important if you take the bus. On an unrelated note, people shouldn’t be afraid to ask their teachers questions. If you’re completely lost through an entire lecture, but you have said nothing, you’ll only get more confused and nervous. Also, don’t be afraid to get tutoring if you need it or ask your friends for help or information. Usually, junior year is the time for the SAT and ACT. I recommend taking both of them early in case coronavirus comes back next year. Most students all over the world were going to take their first SAT in March, but many of the testing sites cancelled it. The May SAT was also cancelled, so many students have to take it very late. Normally, I would say to take it in March since it’s not around finals or midterms, and you will have gained a lot more mathematical knowledge by then. However, there have been talks that a second wave of the virus could hit in fall or it could return in spring again, so I would take it early just in case. I recommend studying for this with a practice book as well. Don’t procrastinate on your CAS experiences, and try to do more service than “creative” experiences. Learning new skills is great, but helping others is more important. My last piece of advice is to try to spend more time with your family. A lot of students, including me, have been so busy with our school lives and social lives that we kind of ignore our families. I think that has probably been the biggest regret I had this year.

Grace Winny

So, you decided to stay past the Collegiate Culling. Well, congratulations! You are in the final half of high school. Junior year is, in a word, tough. I will begin with my most important pieces of advice. The most important fact you must know is that some teachers will be more understanding than others while some may be extremely headstrong. The other most important fact I learned is that you will face both absurd amounts of homework and days in which you have nothing to do. That being the case, the best way to survive is to do as much work as you can when you have free time and to break apart big assignments. Doing that is tough because you will want free time, but you will thank your time management when you finish Thursday’s work on Tuesday and are able to do that painful essay that came out of nowhere.

For health, I will reiterate what I have been told and add what I have been told. Though this year marks a start to more difficult times, you must strive for health. Try to get good amounts of sleep, do some exercise, eat breakfast, and eat healthy meals. If you cannot finish an assignment, do as much as you can, go to sleep, and work on it some more in the morning. A social life is also beneficial. Hanging out with friends is a good way to relieve stress and escape. Simply talking to friends online is helpful; however, try not to get sucked into the void of social media because you will lose track of time and be in a tough position. Also, if you make something to share with your friends, make sure it is not inappropriate even if it is meant to be a lighthearted joke; look at it through the eyes of a faculty member. I was blind of the harshness what I believed a lighthearted joke contained until I was informed by another person.

In addition to worrying about the workload and your own health, there will be other factors you must deal with this year. Those factors could be painfully slow classes, poor teaching, hard classes, and more. My advice in the face of hard classes is to read the darn textbook and ask for help if you cannot figure it out; do not be afraid to send an email either. In the face of other challenges that you cannot face as one student, work together. If you can manage to prevent anyone else from facing those challenges or at least lighten the burden, do it. This year, my class faced some challenges. We did not simply complain, we took up our complaints to the office over and over again. We did not stop and have not stopped sending emails and arguing. Nothing has changed as of now, but we will keep striving. If you fail the first time, bear the burden and try again. Help future students if you cannot help yourselves now.

As I said before, my class worked together. You must do so as well. Your friends, classmates, and teachers will be your greatest allies when you face challenges. Do not be afraid to spark a conversation, ask a question, beg for help, work together (according to school regulation), or even apologize. You cannot rely on yourself alone. You MUST always struggle and persevere together. Even in this painful situation that is distance learning, knowing that all your fellow classmates are equally dissatisfied about the Zoom meeting is just great.

Lucas Vivas

Hey juniors! You all managed to make it to the actual IB program, I’m proud J. This year will be full of different struggles, but precalculus shouldn’t be one of them. You’re going to have a great teacher that somehow knows how to explain everything and even understand your mistakes when you don’t yourself. Personally, the only reason why I even took the precalc/calculus route was to have Ms. Frisbie as a teacher. I would have gone with math studies if she didn’t teach this class. She’s a great teacher that is kind of intimidating at first but is also a little oblivious sometimes (oopsy sorry). Often you will find her putting more work on herself to better aid her students, which shows just how good of a teacher she is. There really is no one else more suitable to teach your precalculus class.

Since you have Ms. Frisbie as your math teacher, I wouldn’t worry too much about this class, but there are some other classes you should be warned about to make sure your junior year doesn’t want to make you quit.  All you juniors will have Guice, Harb, and Raz. Harb’s English class is honestly pretty easy. If you listen to the class discussions, you will be set for all the essays you have to write. She is very easy to talk to and is also pretty understanding. Raz’s history class is… uhm… interesting. The class is super super easy, you will have no trouble getting an A, but there is often a lot of work given in the class. Just make sure to talk to her if things get too hectic, she is also super understanding. Last, but not least, you all will have Guice! The Guice you all had in your sophomore English class if different from the one in your TOK class. He changes from being a teacher to a peer and is super understanding. He makes the class very fun. TOK is super discussion based as well, but it will be extremely easy to get an A, just do all your work. I personally took biology as my science class, and oh boy, I struggled a lot first semester. There will be a lot of work and the content will be hard, but you’ll be able to do good if you study and do all the work. Make sure not to cram study! Just be sure to communicate with your teachers, and you will do well in most of your classes.

Other new aspects of Junior year will be CAS and all the new IAs. You will also have to start working on your EE, which will all combine and stress you out. Just make sure to have a calendar to make a schedule for yourself and space out things so you aren’t stressed. Things will get hard, for sure, but persevere and power through. You just managed to make it into IB, so don’t give in and give up just yet. You’ll be able to pass and do well.

I guess I’ll end this off by talking of precalculus, since it is going to precalculus students. In all honesty, your year of precalculus shouldn’t be too hard. I spent a lot of my time zoning off, sometimes even asleep, and I managed to somehow pull an A all four quarters, so you should do fine. Make sure to write down the notes and listen to Ms. Frisbie. Don’t cheat on the homeworks and other assignments, they help a lot more than you think. If you do all that, I’m sure you’ll pass the class and do great. Don’t stress it all too much, if you don’t understand anything, Ms. Frisbie is always there to help you too.

Nabiha Iqbal

Woo-hoo! Congrats on officially being in the IB diploma program! Junior year really goes by so fast… okay…maybe ’rona helped with that part but, before you know it you will be writing one of these for the 2020-2021 sophomore class :0 In your Junior year you will definitely discover new tips and tricks to pass on and continue to develop for your success.

To start off, this year will be more independent. For example, in classes such as IB History with Raz, you will have to read the textbook for a majority of the content needed to be learned. Class is more of a supplement to exercise that knowledge rather than be lectured about it. Be cognizant with your time spent at home and make time to really read the textbook and take enough detailed notes to succeed on future tests. What I did was set reminders in my phone to read a couple pages every week so that I continued to be exposed to new content (which helps for all classes too).

If you are worried about pre-calc and its rigor don’t sweat it too much. Trust me, I am not naturally good at math but it didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the class. Something that really helped me was reading ahead in the textbook you will be given. Ms. Frisbie will give you a syllabus for upcoming assignments and exams for a month or two out, so this really helped me and can help you too to know what needs to be reviewed, and you can even learn new terms for the class early. I came to realize that by doing this you can solidify your knowledge on what’s being taught rather than being shocked and having to work really hard in the end (again, i’m not naturally inclined for math so you may not have to do this (: ) Last thing for pre-calc, do not procrastinate on the reviews. If you do each problem with time, your chances of getting a perfect or close to perfect grade increases dramatically, anddd you will be able to really focus on what’s troubling you from a past unit.

Beyond IB classrooms, I suggest you get your CAS project out of the way this year. You will feel so accomplished and you won’t have to stress about it on top of IA’s and exams Senior year. In addition, now’s your chance to show colleges you can improve and develop further as high school progresses and gets “harder”. So if you haven’t already, join a new club — make one even, continue studying, get an A in ‘x’  subject that troubles you, and overall enjoy high school. Junior year was the first time I went to a high school basketball game and I loved it! Use your Junior year to have fun and prepare for senior year mentally and academically. You all have come this far… live it up already!!

Isabella Saires

For my advice I would just start out with saying not to procrastinate for this class. The class can be very hectic if you are behind, and there is little chance of understanding the content if you do not understand the content that leads up to it. Everything builds up on each other to form the knowledge, so if you do not know the content earlier you will not make it very far in the class.

The class will teach you a lot though, it will go over some areas that you have learned before briefly, but a lot of the knowledge learned in the class will be new. The test can be hard if you don’t fully understand the knowledge, so I recommend taking the review sheets she provides before a test.

I took AP statistics during the class, so that has helped me in the statistics portion of the class along with other small parts of the class. I recommend having friends in precalc, since you can ask for help or study together for the reviews. Also I don’t recommend falling asleep in class, since you can be called on for a question and it will be awkward because you will not know what is going on.

Alex Meeks

This past year was much different than the other years. Due to COVID-19, we were forced to adjust to a new environment. The way we learned was switched to being online. It was an interesting experience that brought about a new perspective on the things we can do to learn and gain knowledge. Next year, things will be different for you or things may be back to normal.

I have learned that you should always be prepared to learn through a different method. Teachers may start teaching with a method that you are not used to, but you should be open to using it. Also be sure to do your assignments and study for your exams early and before it is due. For me I have learned that studying over time works better. But, be open to trying different things if what you’re doing is not working. Creating a schedule is very helpful to keep you organized.

I have also learned that maintaining your friendships can help a lot. It can good to ask others if you need clarification. They will be there to remind you and help you study. Working together with your classmates can be beneficial. Your next year will be fine and you’ll do great!

Hannah Thomas

Junior year has been the toughest year since I have been attending Bartow IB. This year I decided to do as much as I can in terms of clubs and activities. I suggest that students do as much as they can in the summer before junior year to prepare. For key club, I completed my community service hours before school even started, and that saved me a lot of time. I am glad that I took advantage of tenth grade and the free time I had. I went out almost every weekend because the tenth-grade teachers were very nice and assigned less work. Maybe they didn’t, but I had gotten used to doing the work. Anyway, this year I obtained a higher responsibility in band, so I had to do more work than I would usually do. I oversaw the clarinet section and the responsibility that came with them. This created less time for me to do my homework. On top of that, I have other errands to run for my family. My most important advice that I can offer is to procrastinate less and to get ahead of homework assignments when you know that things are piling up.

As for classes, all of them were hard for me. The only ones that were on the easier side for me were English and History. At first, English was difficult, but I soon learned to use Mrs. Harb’s interpretations in my essays so I could get full points. The assignments that most teachers assign aren’t unreasonable. Some teachers assigned work that is trivial, but I know that Ms. Frisbie only assigns useful work no matter how much energy I must put into the work. I’m not going to criticize the teachers, but I’ll give you some advice for each. I take Spanish and for Mrs. Santiago, I would suggest speaking as much Spanish as you can whenever you can. This will allow you to get points in the beginning of class, and so you won’t have to talk as much later in the class. For Mr. Guice’s class, just do the work. Mr. Guice works with students to assign due dates and he gives a lot of time between the assignments so you can get it done. Don’t take advantage of his kindness especially since the EE will be coming up. I, also, took biology and I promise that Mrs. Kennon isn’t as strict as before. She is much nicer in eleventh grade but still firm with due dates. Band was the same as any other year. Mr. Eckman tries new teaching methods all the time, but you’ll get used to it. Lastly, with history, Ms. Raz assigns so many assignments that seems trivial, but you just must do it. The work isn’t hard and when I read the textbook, I learn history. In conclusion, most of the work has a purpose despite not feeling like it, so I would just do it. Obviously, express your concern with teachers because they won’t kill you, though.

As I said before, I joined many activities and I suggest you do too. Don’t get me wrong, this will be super tough with the internal assessments coming quickly but this will get you knew friends and amplify college resumes. I joined the lacrosse team, and I made so many new friends while learning a new sport. Even if you don’t know how to play the sport, I suggest trying out because you can still become fit. This will take up a lot of your time, but I think sports are super fun. I highly suggest join something. I even joined the annual IB dance committee. Decorating the cafeteria was fun, and I hung out with my friends during the set up. Also, if you have strong opinions about the dance, you can add those if you join the committee. You might think that these clubs and activities are useless but get involved and you’ll benefit from it. Lastly, I know I had trouble coming up with my IA ideas and my EE ideas. I suggest to research and talk to your teachers if nothing else. Just keep talking to them about your ideas because they can help develop your plans. To recap, try not to procrastinate even though it will happen. If you join sports or clubs, learning to manipulate your time will be important. Also, speak to your teachers if you need help or have absolutely any concerns. You can’t do everything by yourself, and you need to realize that. Finally, do the work that is assigned and read the novels you are assigned in English.

Ifeoma Iheanyi

Hi incoming sophomore! I know you are probably very anxious about the coming year. Although there are some difficulties, I would say that it will be easier than freshman year. The workload is still severe at times, but with your experience as a freshman it should be manageable. Something I feel like you should know is that this is the year to figure out what studying method works best for you, what classes interest you, and what clubs you want to be in because once junior year begins it will be a lot harder and there will be more pressing things to worry about. So, spend sophomore year figuring out your habits, interests, and style. Remember that high school is just 4 years of your life, which is not a lot at all, so take it easy on yourself. It seems to me that IB kids put a lot of unnecessary stress on themselves to be the best or to appear the smartest. Trust me, it does not matter. All that matters is that you try your best, stay motivated, and try to keep the stress levels down. You are not the only one who is stressed out, and sometimes talking about the stress or the activity that is causing the stress with peers can make you feel better or at least give you a plan. Always communicate with your peers and your teachers because an email can go a long way.

Focusing more about the workload, I would say that the class that has the most workload overall is English. There is a lot of grammar work, essays, multiple assignments where you read a book, annotate it, and answer questions, as well as the mini EE, which you will complete by the end of the year. Although this may sound like a lot, Mr. Guice is a phenomenal teacher and he will try his best to work with you and help you along the way. Chemistry with Mrs. Loweke is at times difficult, purely based on the information she teaches, but it is nothing like Biology. Loweke is more lenient and easier going, but you will still learn a lot from her. Pre-Calculus taught by Frisbie can be hard at times, but the workload is never overwhelming, and she offers a lot of help and remains organized throughout the year. Her calendar is very efficient, and she finds ways to keep you involved and participating in her lessons every day. AP US History with Mrs. Sommer is infamous for being a boring or confusing class at times. Although it might not be the easiest class, Sommer does her best and prepares you very well for the AP exam at the end of the year.

Now onto student life. During sophomore year, it is possible to still have a life. I have had countless opportunities on weekends, breaks, and even time afterschool to hang out with friends and participate in extracurriculars. The key is to get organized. Make sure you know all your assignments and when they are due so you can better manage your time. It is possible to be a social person and is absolutely encouraged, as friends and family are incredibly important in high school. Just make sure to surround yourself with people that bring out the best in you, because IB can get a bit toxic since there are few students. Always listen to your instincts and your brain, and if you feel like you are a bit overwhelmed, there is nothing wrong with taking one personal day to get your ducks back in a row. There are always people willing to listen, so you are never alone in this. It will be a weird, sometimes difficult, excited journey, so be prepared. All in all, I would say that you are going to have fun at the end of it all, so enjoy it while you can and remember to take it easy.

Haliah Brooks

Dear Incoming Sophomore,

In sophomore year, you will have a new type of math. In IB Precalculus, there are some repeat lessons from Geometry and Algebra, but the lessons are definitely more in depth. The notes system is really helpful, since it is easy to just write down the information you think you will need to know, but still be able to get the full thing later on. In this math class, make sure you try to do your work ahead of time, as Ms. Frisbie will accept and answer any and all questions you might have. As long as you do your work and pay attention, you cannot go wrong.

The other core classes all have their own way of doing things, but they all are similar in some ways. In these classes, make sure you keep all your notes in an organized fashion. In some of these classes, there will be the chance to gain points based off of things you have kept, whether it be notes or worksheets. Make sure to keep everything in an easily accessible and organized place in order to easily be able to keep track of your work to be able to use it at a later date.

Sophomore year is not that different from freshman year. It is a little bit easier since you have made it through freshman year. Make a schedule for when you do your homework, and if you procrastinate, just schedule the procrastination so that you will not be writing an essay at 7 am in the morning before school. As long as you pay attention and do your work the best that you can, you will do just fine in sophomore year.

Good Luck,

Ashlyn Schober

Hello,

Welcome to your second year at Bartow, and congratulations on finishing your first year. Sophomore year, in my opinion, is very similar to freshman year in that the workload seems about the same; however, as sophomores, your teachers will start to lean away from keeping you on track. Now that you are not a freshman and have more freedom, you will need to be responsible with your time management, and when managing your time, think reasonably. You are most likely not going to be able to do all your homework and study for all of your classes every single night, so try to do enough (NOT meaning bare minimum) work and studying each night to be prepared for class. Although it is not a subject in school, I highly recommend to account for breaks while managing your time because time away from work will help your longevity in terms of staying in a routine and adhering to a plan. When it comes to doing work at home when school is canceled, however, I recommend doing all the work as soon as possible because being at home can lead you to keep putting work off because of all the distractions. I suggest that you “nip it in the bud.”

Another aspect of high school that is just as important as time management is social interaction. In freshman year it is likely that you didn’t talk to everyone in your grade level. Now that you have new classes, take the opportunity to meet your other classmates. Aside from companionship, collaboration is essential in succeeding in sophomore year. If you are confined to your home during the school year, keep in touch with your classmates because their assistance and companionship is even more important. As for upperclassmen, they aren’t as scary as they seem (they just conceal their fear better), so you should try to talk with them because many of them have good advice for the classes that you will/should take.

I would also like to impart to some tips about specific classes that you will take in sophomore year. In Spanish, Google Translate should be the last resort only to be used in dire situations because tests and quizzes will not have the option to be translated to English. Chemistry work can be done in groups, but make sure you understand the rules and are not being dragged along by the group. If nothing else, please read the AMSCO guide. For all the AP classes, take understandable and decently thorough notes because you will most likely be tested on everything (unlike this year). In some classes the teacher will be lenient. Do not take this as a sign of weakness that can be exploited to get away with being disrespectful or cutting corners. You will most certainly get caught.

GLHF,

Ethan Zulueta

Hello fellow student,

Your first year at IB must’ve really been quite the experience. You’ve probably had to pick up new habits and do new things in order to keep up with the coursework. There’s good news for you. Sophomore year doesn’t get any harder than freshman year; whether it gets easier is up to you. Just because you will have an easier time in school does not mean that you should become lax. Junior and senior year will be much harder than what you have faced up to now. I can’t say that with absolute certainty, having not been through those years at the time of writing. Think of sophomore year as a period to solidify yourself as a scholar and a time to prepare yourself for the future.

Sophomore year is the perfect year to learn time management, if you haven’t already. Because you are now used to the workload, you can build the habits that you will need when things take a turn for the worse in the coming years. I personally recommend doing the majority of your assignments on the day they are assigned. If you are unable to finish all of your assignments on one day, spread them to the next day, until you finish all of them. When doing this, you can pace yourself to accommodate large assignments while quickly finishing shorter ones. I have practiced this procedure for two years, and it has yielded good results. Not once did I have to work through the night to finish an assignment. Finishing assignments early will also help alleviate some of the stress that you will receive from school.

During freshman year you may have had to tread water for the majority of the year to keep yourself afloat; however, by sophomore, you will have learned how to swim, so you can now do some exploring. I would suggest taking up a new club or sport, and you might find something that you like. Clubs don’t just look good on your college applications; they also give you chances to meet new people and interact, while building useful and necessary leadership skills. Also keep an eye on the people who have swum before you. Upperclassmen are capable and willing to give you some advice and aid, if you only ask for it. This advice can be incredibly helpful and specific to some of the classes you will take, and will help you prepare for the coming years. But don’t forget that some of the classes that you will take will be far different than what the people before you have taken, and don’t forget to swim in your own, unique direction!

Sachin Sivakumar

Hello incoming sophomores,

I hope that your freshman experience at Bartow IB went well. You will have noticeably more time in sophomore year— this is a phenomenon that may be caused by either genuinely less homework or being used to tackling a large workload. You will have a lot more freedom with how you choose to balance school and other tasks or events. This change is a double-edged sword because if you choose to get things done early, you will notice that this year is a lot easier than the rigid structure of freshman year. However, if you are one to push tasks off in favor of instant gratification, you will probably suffer. I dabbled in a bit of both methods throughout the year, completing tasks I thought were important and pushing off things that I did not think were so important.

One of the most important things to remember is that you should not let school get in the way of your life and things you enjoy doing. Do not stress over the small things and just move on with your life because we are just high-schoolers, after all. Participate in the clubs and activities that you enjoy doing instead of doing them just to slap them on your college resume. If there is some issue or conflict with school assignments, remember that your teachers are humans too. In my opinion, teachers in sophomore year are much more open, relaxed, and understanding compared to freshman teachers— this may be because they are trying to teach you about responsibility and self-efficacy. Take advantage of this opportunity and pace yourself reasonably for tasks so that you can chill out while other students scramble to throw together a last-minute DBQ.

Although your friends are there to help you, do not develop dependence on them because it is disrespectful to teachers who want to help you learn, it is immoral, and you won’t get away with it. This is especially true when working from home— you are just making yourself lazy and not learning anything in the process. Make sure to explore new opportunities and interests that your friends are involved in, but keep in mind that you do not have to do anything just because others are doing them. I think this tip is especially important in the competitive nature of IB because you may feel stagnant when you see others taking a certain number of extra classes or being in many clubs. Do what you feel is helpful to your learning and happiness without worrying about what others are doing. Make sure to take time to talk to your friends however you can, which is especially true because we are currently stuck at home. Overall, my advice is to stay calm and try not to get stressed out by small inconveniences.

Here are some tips that helped me for individual classes. For chemistry, you simply have to study your notes. They are all you need to complete classwork and tests successfully. For English, you will have long periods of time to work on large assignments. Do not procrastinate and learn how to pace yourself. For Spanish, just pay attention in class for the frequent and difficult quizzes. For psychology, make sure to self-study the current unit frequently. For APUSH, develop some sort of system to space out studying because cramming history is ineffective and sleep-inducing. For precalculus, make sure to use the detailed feedback from Ms. Frisbie and apply it on later assignments.

Have fun and enjoy your sophomore year of high school.

Om Patel

Some advice that I would give regarding the homework in IB would be to always keep track of what is going on specifically in each class. It’s very easy to lose track of an assignment so you need to make sure that everything is easy to follow. The way that I found works best for me is keeping a weekly planner (agenda) and writing down, every class period what has been assigned. In addition to this I find it beneficial to keep a long-term calendar at home. I keep a white board calendar at home for every month to keep track of long-term assignment, projects, important dates etc. Another thing that has really helped was doing most assignments the day its assigned. I know people have probably heard this a lot and it seems impossible, but halfway through my sophomore year I tried this out and I went from normally spending 2-6 hours a day on homework to only needed to spend 1 hour a day on homework. It seems like a really hard thing to do, but once you get in the hang of doing assignments the day that they are assigned the work load is decreased tremendously and is very beneficial. Obviously, procrastination does get the better of students sometimes, but keeping track of everything and making plans on when to do things makes it much easier.

Some more advice regarding the classes and tests in IB is to stay focused and organized and not become overly stressed about tests, classes, etc. The classes in the IB program are sometimes quite demanding but there are many things that can be done to make the classes less stressful. Taking notes in a way which works best for you is very helpful, if you just copy down what the teachers put you may not understand it later, you need to ensure that when you are taking notes YOU understand what you’re doing as opposed to just copying. Another thing is asking questions, many people feel as if asking questions is lame but its very helpful and if you don’t understand something and just let it go, chances are that will work against you in the future, so ask questions anytime you have a doubt. If a student were to take the same courses as me, I would say that the three AP classes, AP US History, AP Psychology, and AP Statistics, are all very helpful and interesting courses. With AP courses though you need to stay on top of your work and make sure you study at least once a week, if not a little bit every day. For Pre-Calculus, Spanish 3, English and Chemistry, studying is also essential and will get you through the courses. One thing to always keep in mind for any class is that the teachers are always there to help you when you don’t understand something or need extra help, but at the same time they are not your babysitter so you need to use your resources as well.

Lastly some advice I would give regarding clubs, activities and social aspects, is to always stay involved. In IB the stress can be overwhelming but it’s important not to completely isolate yourself. Classwork, tests and homework for all classes can be stressful but its important not to fall into a constant cycle of stress. Its important that you maintain social interactions and take breaks, maybe hang with a group of friends, or even have study sessions with your friends which makes school much less stressful. Make sure to stay involved outside of classes in things you enjoy, this could be any extracurricular to make sure that school and classes are not to overwhelming. A good idea is to find some clubs or sports you are interested in and join some school clubs, also the school dances are fun too, making sure to have some fun and balance out the school work with everything else. 😊

Sanjana Ande

Dear incoming Sophomores,

When it comes to the courses for this year, you may find that you adapt a lot quicker because you’ve already gone through a similar process last year.  Here I will just discuss some of the studying techniques that worked for me in classes that are specific to sophomore year.

Beginning with chemistry, this is a class, that like biology, is centered around notes. If you miss a day of notes, it is important to try and get them down from someone else as soon as possible. The difference between the notes for biology and chemistry is that the notes for chemistry can be condensed into smaller portions. Instead of having really long and elaborate notes, which don’t really work for chemistry, there are short and concise notes with a lot of practice to put the concepts into effect.

The next class would be pre-calculus, this is another class where taking notes and paying attention is pivotal. If you begin to doze off during this class, there is a very high chance that you will be called on to help direct the class in the direction towards the answer. The way that answering questions for this class works helps keep the attention and the participation of the whole class every day. People are called on at random, not just when they choose to answer a question. When it comes to homework for this class it is also helpful for you to remember that you shouldn’t get caught up with one question and sit there for hours trying to figure it out. At the beginning of every class, if there are any questions on homework, the teacher is willing to sit and help explain how the question can be solved. I also advise that when it comes to tests, you should take advantage of all review questions the teacher prepares. The review is often similar to what you see on the test, and even though the review isn’t for a grade, your test is.

Then there is AP U.S. History, with this class, like any history class, it is very important to keep up with your reading assignments. When the teacher assigns a certain number of pages that are due by next class for a quiz, you have to develop a reading schedule. Once you get home you should count out how many pages you need to read and cut them in half. Read half that day and read half the next day. Like this you will be prepared to take a quiz in class, and you could always review the morning of. Spacing out reading this way helps you accomplish the assignment, but it also helps in the long run when it comes to reviewing for the AP test. Spaced out reading helps information stay in your long-term memory, so when you go to review for the AP test it is much easier to trigger all those memories.

With English, one of the most important things to do is to remember to never procrastinate. This is a class that is heavy on projects and books. When you first receive a book or project it may seem as if the due date is ages away, but the reason your teacher is giving you that length of time is because that is what is required for you to be able to comfortably present a dedicated assignment. The teacher is allowing you the flexibility to plan out how to fit time for doing your project or reading your book in your schedule. Whenever you receive a due date for a certain section of a book that has to be read, I suggest taking the book home and dividing up the chapters equally among the days until the section is due. This way you’re not overwhelmed last minute, and you feel a sense of accomplishment every time you reach the end of one of your divisions, giving you a sense of encouragement to keep going. Another helpful tip for people who have longer commutes home is to take that time to catch up on your reading, so that when you get home you can focus on your other homework. I hope you all have a great year and succeed in your classes.

Daniela Estevez

My advice to those taking the same classes with me is simple. Do not be too overconfident and do not be lazy (the two often come hand and hand). My peers and I are guilty of these two things very often. Examples of being too overconfident would be not studying for a test because you find the class easy, thinking you can fail an assignment because your grade is high enough, thinking you can find time to do the assignment later in the day. Being lazy includes not doing work the night before it is due (or waiting until it is 10 minutes before it is due), not taking notes, not reading assigned books.

I find that since you are surrounded by genius people all the time you gain the confidence of one, which isn’t bad in normal situations; however, geniuses are not infallible. Geniuses often have weak points in knowledge and a regular IB student seems to forget that they are bad at Spanish when all of his peers say “Oh that Spanish test was so easy, you don’t need to study for it.” What I am saying may sound ridiculous. You might even go “That will never be me!” but it is very easy to be swept up into mob mentality without even being conscious of it. Always remember your weak points and try to refine them, so you don’t find yourself mid-test not knowing the answer just because all of your friends, who are very good at APUSH, said that the test was a free 100. Always work hard to better yourself. Just as a warning there will never be a break from improving. IB will push you to your limits and past them, and you will think that after every little big assignment THAT will be the time where the teachers ease up. Do not expect anyone to go easy on you, do not expect just because you are going to states for a competition that you can just do you Guice work there, and definitely do not expect teachers to go easy on you because of AP testing. Overconfidence is the downfall for most of the most powerful men in history. Do not think it won’t bring you down.

You must have heard the word procrastination a thousand times already. You must be sick of the same lesson being ingrained in you for the millionth time. However, have you ever stopped to think why the lesson of “don’t procrastinate!” has been taught to you a billion times? It’s because no one listens. I didn’t listen, my friends didn’t listen, the top students of every graduating class didn’t listen. Procrastinating is the root of all evils in this world and that is not an exaggeration. Teachers procrastinate, the government procrastinates, everyone on Earth has put something off for later before. I’m here to tell you that procrastination is in human nature and you won’t be able to avoid it. Think of procrastination as a filter instead, which splits those who procrastinate but can still do everything on time and get an A and those who wait until the last minute but realize there is way too much to physically do in 5 minutes. You will be placed in one camp or the other. You will always feel the pressure of a large assignment or a large project that you will have to do at all times. I beg you to just take a day and do most of your work or even spread out the work over a week. Please do not watch YouTube for 6 hours straight and then do your AMSCO guide. There will be times where you got home late, your mom just yelled at you, or you just took a big test, so you don’t want to work. That is perfectly fine; however, be always conscious that the world will not stop for you and that there is little sympathy in the world. If I come off as negative please understand this is coming from a person who has witnessed people wait until the last day to finish projects, stay up all night, have a mental breakdown because of it, drink enough caffeine to paralyze an elephant, and do it again because they are “literally just vibing.” Do not make any excuse for yourself. Become better than who you are right now. Life is hard, IB is difficult, and there are no guarantees, but you will just have to push past your limits and evolve, for that’s how difficult life is.

If you skipped to the end that’s fine I’ll summarize for you. Do not think you are infallible because everyone around you is super smart at everything and do not think you can do every assignment an hour before it’s due. Thanks for reading.

Job Dacalos

Hi sophomores,

You are in for a crazy and hopefully memorable year! Everyone told me that sophomore year is easier than freshman year (and I’m sure you’ve heard that too); however, I do not completely agree. I believe that freshman and sophomore year have their own challenges; thus not comparable. In freshman year, you are trying to get used to IB. I hope you are a little more comfortable with the system by now. Now in sophomore year, you will face new challenges. I definitely think the rigor of your classes is going to be more intense. You will have less homework than freshman year, but your tests will be more difficult. Also, this is the year that your friendships will get stronger. Last year, friendships were slightly forced. What I mean by that is everyone in your class had no choice but to develop friendships. This year, you will find your own group of friends and get really close with them. Your friends will become your go-to people. They will become your family. You will be able to really connect with these people and they will understand you in ways you never thought possible. In my opinion, that is the best part of sophomore year.

Now for a helpful tip! DON’T PROCRASTINATE! You’re probably tired of hearing that but it’s very true. I know it’s hard, but you will not survive if you procrastinate. It will keep getting harder and harder if you put off homework. I would suggest to get all the harder homework done first. Try doing the assignments that you dread, because it will relieve your constant stress. Also, get to know your teachers. Each teacher have a pet peeve. The sooner you recognize it, the easier it will be.

Lastly, a little intro on your teachers. Teachers like Mr. Guice are very lenient. He will let you do whatever you want in his class. Do not abuse his kindness. You can have so much fun and learn so much in his class. Mr. Guice will never tell you to stop, so it is up to you to stay within your boundary. He recognizes students that really want to learn and helps them achieve their goals. He also recognizes students that really don’t care and those he will leave alone. I hope you chose to be part of the group that extracts the immense knowledge out of him. He will give everything you need to succeed, you just have to ask. Ms. Loweke is an amazing teacher. She is very easygoing as long you do your work and pay attention in class. Chemistry will be harder than biology in my opinion, so if you need help you should ask for it. There is no shame in asking for help, it actually shows strength. It shows that you recognize your weakness and you are ready to turn it into your strength, so ask for help! Spanish is a class that will be very independent, at least for us it was. You are given notes and homework, then comes a test; it is very straightforward. If you take AP Statistics, you are in for lots of laughs. Naki is one of the best math teachers. Although hard, he makes sure you understand the topics. I’m sure you have heard about Ms. Frisbie. She is a legend at IB. Ms. Frisbie knows so much about literally everything, whether it be about english, math, history, chemistry, biology, or physics. She knows it all. Her class is very interactive and this way she makes sure you understand what she’s teaching. For her class, you need to completely understand the concepts to do well on her test. She will provide you with everything you could ask for, you just need to want to do well. Finally, APUSH is a lecture based class. It involves a lot of writing. The AMSCO book will help you a lot.

I hope this helped. You will do amazing this year. Make it a year you will remember forever. One last thing, always know that there are many people that want you to succeed, includes your friends, teacher, parents, and even all of us. Good luck!

Sincerely,

Kruti Bosmia

Hey underclassman!

The Pre-IB program for me as been a drastic change and deviated from what I was used to in middle school. After finishing freshman year, I had finally gotten the hang of things and knew my limits on when to start assignments, or how long to put them off. I would definitely say that procrastination is something every student struggles with, and everyone comes up with different ways to combat it. I typically will put off assignments until the night before they are due, unless I have a large assignment coming up. I plan for those and clear all the homework that was assigned so I can give myself time to work on the larger projects, and not feel rushed. Definitely prioritize classes you struggle in, and If you know that the current unit makes little to no sense, reach out for help, or take extra time to understand it. Remember that teachers are willing to spend extra time to help you with questions that you have, and don’t shy away from getting wrong answers in class, because teachers will correct your mistake and it will be a learning experience for you.

As of now, the circumstance for schooling has completely shifted to online learning. This was a real struggle to adjust to because I have little to no self-restraint when it comes to procrastination. Going to school and being present in class made it easier for me to focus on assignments; however, during corona the procrastination went to newer heights. One way I found to cope with this were short increments of work time like 15-25 minutes, followed by a short 5-10 minute breaks; however, the problem I found with this was that my break would go to be much longer than the time I set. The best option I found for my lack of focus, was to work alongside someone. My friend and I would join a call and work on assignments together and check our answers. After we finished with one class, we moved on to the next, clearing everything off for the rest of the week, leaving us work free. We were collaborating, not colluding because we would do the work individually, or only ask each other when we needed help and then collaborate and correct each other’s answers. With this, I had enough leisure time to not feel as if I had multiple assignments piled up and was able to study peacefully for my AP exams.

Overall, if you persevere and adjust to situations quickly, you will get the hang of things. Do not use the excuse of homework as the reason why you sleep late. For me, even with extracurriculars like soccer practice from 4-6pm I was able to sleep at 9-10 pm, and without the extracurriculars I slept at 8-9pm. If you cut out the late sleeping, you will also cut out the afternoon naps taken from 2:30-7pm, leaving you with more time to complete assignments. Though I cannot say the same for sleeping in school, it is a whole different experience. Best of luck to you during your new school year!

Manlu Chen

Dear Underclassman,

If I was not explicitly told that my response had to be serious and reasonable, my advice to upcoming precalculus students would be to drop out while you can. Seeing that I have been explicitly told that, I will refrain from making such immature comments. However, to any students who are seriously considering leaving the IB program, you should know that it is a completely valid option, and no one should feel ashamed for attending a school that matches their own work ethic and outlook.

My next advice-related topic that I want to discuss is sleep. Sleep is a very important thing, and it is essential for our proper functioning. Us teens require 7-9 hours of sleep, although you should preferably aim for the latter side of that range, unlike many of my peers who boast how many days without sleep they’ve gone through. While an entire 1/3 of your entire existence may seem like a lot of time to waste on unconsciousness, it’s worth it. Nothing is worse than waking up to go to school on Monday with only a few hours of sleep. However, considering the harder courses in the IB curriculum, and especially pre-calculus, it can be hard to finish all your work and allot enough time for sleep without proper planning.

Making plans is easy and a good way to stay on track in IB, but following them is one of the biggest problems that I’ve had throughout the year. By organizing all the assignments that you have in one centralized location, you can think through ways to work through them the most efficiently. I personally list all assignments by period on my whiteboard each with the due date next to it. This can help to prioritize more urgent work over others. Although, it is important to note that it can be beneficial to start working on a large assignment due in a while before a small one that’s due sooner.

In conclusion, do good and don’t do bad. But in all seriousness, just try to have a sense of humor as you make your way through your campus life. Don’t take life too seriously, and try to find joy in the darkest of times. Making friends is a good way to have an escape from the monotony when life is too rough. See ya later, I hope.

Zyad Elmasri

Dear upcoming precalculus students,

By now if you are about to take precalculus you are probably a sophomore or junior. I took precalculus my sophomore year so the following will probably apply more if you are also taking it your sophomore year because I’m reflecting more on my experience with the year rather than this class specifically. Sophomore year has a larger workload than freshman year, but for some of the classes most of the workload is simply busy work to assess the understanding of something, even if the topic is fairly simple. Because of this and the fact that you are probably taking more AP classes than freshman year, I would recommend trying to do the work as soon as possible. I know that most people procrastinate a lot because I used to procrastinate in freshman year even more than I do now, but if you keep on procrastinating, eventually your work ethic as a whole will become worse and worse. The workload may seem like less at first because you’ve become used to it rather than first being introduced to a large workload in freshman year.

When you begin the year, a lot of the classes will work a lot differently too. If you had Mrs. Kennon or Ms. Allison, you may be used to them taking points off for things like not putting your names on the paper, but most of the teachers in sophomore year are not necessarily like that (depending on what teacher you have). The teachers in freshman year are normally very nit picky about things because they want to prepare you for the rest of your IB experience. Also, the due date process for some classes are a lot different. Teachers like Mrs. Sommer, Mr. Guice, and Ms. Frisbie will give you a calendar for the whole month that shows what homework you have and what day it will be due. The students that are able to get it done as soon as possible are normally able to get good grades AND still be able to do other things (like sleep), but the students that push off the assignments until the last day tend to have to stay awake to finish their assignment, which leads to a lack of sleep because the students continue to do the same thing. So, if you have a chance, try to finish your homework on time instead of procrastinating.

Finally, make sure you still have a social life, no matter how overwhelming the IB life might be, try to maintain a certain aspect of enjoyment in your life. Most people in IB are able to balance a social life and their schoolwork, but some people become very overwhelmed because they focus too much on things like GPA to a point where they simply do not do anything else. It is okay to have a competitive spirit with GPA, but it becomes a problem when that’s the only thing that you focus on. Make sure to enjoy your life and be a teenager that isn’t completely focused on school, even through the pressures of IB.

Niriham Shah

Dear New Student,

IB is tough no matter what you do, but there are ways to make it easier, and ways to succeed. This year was especially crazy because of the covid learning for the last quarter. If we do continue with online school, it is undoubtably going to not be as good as regular school, but you can do a few things to make it easier on yourself. Make sure you know where all your assignments are coming from, because many teachers use different platforms. Plan out your dates for big projects so that they don’t sneak up on you. It is very helpful to have a group chat or some friends you can count on for help in different subjects. Don’t copy their work but use it to help you understand your problems.

If school continues as usual there’s a few things you need to know. You get to take chemistry this year. If you like math it will be a breeze. If you don’t like math then it will be harder, but you can go back to bio next year. You also get to take pre-calculus. In both chem and pre-calc the most important thing is to pay attention during the lessons. If you miss one key detail, the homework becomes immensely harder. Ms. Frisbie and Mrs. Loweke have some of the best notes in the school, but you have the job of copying them and more importantly, understanding them. Ask questions until you understand the material.

One thing I would encourage you to do regardless of how we continue school, is to take classes you actually like and not worry so much about your GPA. I have taken the construction class for 2 years now and it is by far the most enjoyable class. Most kids don’t take it because its just a regular 4.0 class, which “hurts” your GPA. I have found that it is stress relieving and fun. If you get a B in a class don’t stress it. Work as hard as you can to fix it, but if you can’t its not a big deal. 90% of kids in IB will have at least one B by their senior year.

There’s also some insider information you should know about your teachers. Don’t interrupt Ms. Frisbie’s class. Don’t plagiarize in Mr. Guice’s class (or any class). Don’t talk in English in Spanish class. Don’t be lazy in chemistry. Always read the book in APUSH.

Judd Parker

Hello incoming Pre-Calculus student,

This next year, taking Pre-Calculus is going to be a little different from your traditional experiences with a math course. First off, the course is an IB class regardless of whether you are a sophomore or a junior while taking it. This element means that IB tests will have different requirements than what previous math teachers had, and although you don’t have to take the official IB SL Mathematics Exam at the end of Pre-Calculus, Ms. Frisbie will definitely start training you to adhere to IB guidelines and get comfy with their rules. The class is all about diving deeper with most of the concepts you already know (this is why I like to refer to the class as “spicy algebra”). Personally, I enjoyed this deep dive of the world of mathematics – it helped me gain a real appreciation of how math can model everyday objects, no matter how simple or complex/”useless” it may seem.

While I am here, I might as well give you some pointers about “the IB life” – and while I myself have not completed the full IB journey, I do have my comments and understandings based on 2 years of (pre) IB experience. Stress is an important matter that lots of IB students struggle with, even in their final years at IB. I have found, however, the amount of stress that I have increases drastically when I have a personal, very ambitious goal. The pure thought of how much work I still have left to do induces tons of stress on my brain, which automatically decreases performance on any task (also increases procrastination). As I fix, I have found that instead of thinking about the future (or the end goal you must reach by the end of the day), just think about the present (what you are working on at the moment). In a sense, this idea is better depicted with the quote “Just do it!” (Shia LaBeouf). Once you are finished with one task, just start working on the next – and in the end, you will find yourself having done more work than if you had just sat there in eternal fear of the work.

We might as well discuss limits – know them, know your limits. Do not try and take 3 dual enrollment courses if you know they are too much for you. In fact, do not do anything extra unless you know that either you NEED to do it or that you CAN do it. I know I am sounding quite discouraging right now, but it is always important to think rationally and pragmatically in life. Of course, sometimes that struggle in the uncomfortable zone in life allows you to adapt and come out of the situation stronger. All I’m saying is that you need to have a balance, a sweet spot per say, between competition/challenges and “the chill life.”

Anyways, good luck to both sophomores and juniors on your journey through Pre-Calculus and the rest of IB.

Shreyans Gajjar

Hello incoming sophomores,

Sophomore year is (in my opinion), the easiest year at IB as you have already gotten used to the homework load last year; however, there are still a few things to keep in mind. For example, there is a significant increase in the number of AP tests you will have to take this year compared to last year. If you want your life to be easier, then I suggest studying for them early on. From experience, I can tell you that cramming for four exams the week before exam week was not pleasant.

In addition to AP Exams, it is also important to read the material. A few of the new teachers you have will assign textbook pages to read for homework. Be sure to read it thoroughly because in some cases, the teacher may not teach it in class. You are responsible for knowing the course material that the teacher has assigns for homework because it will be tested.

Finally, it is worth mentioning that if you take dual enrollment, you should treat as an actual class. If you underestimate the course material of a dual enrollment class, it will not end well. As I am writing this, I am currently rushing to finish the workload for school as well as for dual enrollment, which is due in 3 hours.

Good luck and have fun,

Tzak Lau

Dear Freshmen,

I remember that freshman year was probably the hardest year of IB since you have to adjust to the new workload and just adjust to being in high school in general. Yes, IB is and can be very overwhelming. I remember thinking that I could procrastinate in freshman year and hope that it would workout like it always would but of course, it did not.

Time management is one of the most important things to remember abut IB. There is a lot of work from a lot of classes and if you do not manage your time correctly, you could end up with all nighters and crashing on coffee the next morning. Something that personally helped me with time management or remembering to do my homework was to tell a friend to remind me of what was due and what was the most important. Another thing that could help with time management is to do assignments together, remember collaboration, not collusion. Studying together and sharing ideas does help with homework and having more motivation to do it.

I think another important thing to remember in freshman year is to be able to speak up and talk to teachers if you are struggling. The teachers here know what they are talking about and will help. I would recommend emailing them at a reasonable time, emailing at 3 am will not end well, and they will be happy to help.

The most important thing about freshman year is to not get completely caught up in grades and remember to loosen up and join clubs. Grades are important but they should not occupy all of your mind. And again, hold yourself accountable for your failures but also your successes because you will experience both.

Warin Ding

Pre-calculus seemed like an extension of Algebra 2. The topics learned in Algebra 2 are built upon. If you feel like you don’t remember anything from Algebra 2, then you will still do fine. Make sure to ask and answer the many questions in this class, it’s an effective way to learn. I found that learning the “why” behind a concept helps cement a concept in my mind further than applying a very abstract equation. In this class, pay attention to all the cool insights Ms. Frisbie gives on the why of the math topics, you will have many revelations. It’s nice that you’re given the answers to the homework problems in the book because you can confirm if you’re doing the maths right, but be wary of several incorrect solutions in the back of the book.

If you’re taking AP Statistics, then this paragraph is for you. Statistics felt different from traditional maths because it isn’t limited to doing calculations, but also to writing descriptions. Expect to write and memorize sentences to describe the data. The textbook is a very useful resource. As a connoisseur of textbooks, it is the best textbook that I have ever read because it has comedy and understandable prose. If knowing the why helps you learn, then reading the textbook is recommended. Mr. Nakamura will teach you everything you need for the AP test, the textbook just gives more context (some of which is not on the test).

For the incoming 10th graders, whether it’s because of less work or an improved work ethic, sophomore year will feel easier compared to freshman year. However, don’t sleep on assignments because the deadlines of several big projects can easily sneak up on you. If you are taking more AP tests than you did last year, don’t feel intimidated or too laid back. Make sure to space out studying and review topics of your AP courses months before the test so you’re not in a panic the day before. If you’re not understanding something in any class, you don’t need to feel afraid to ask. It’s gonna suck more when you don’t know about that something on the test.

good luck, from Sun Latt class of 2022

This year was unlike any other school year, there were many memorable events as well as stressful ones. As you start the next year it would be best to have the mindset of doing all your work the day assigned or having the ability to spread work out to get it done. The workload gets heavier as you become a sophomore, but if it is planned out nicely then it shouldn’t be as stressful as it may seem. Many of the teachers notice the amount of work that is given and can help if you seem to be struggling. If you are having trouble keeping up, going to the teacher and asking for the help is very beneficial and will reduce the stress. Most of the work came from my English class and APUSH, while the other classes gave very minimal work.

Taking precalculus was very different than any of the other maths, but Mrs. Frisbie is an excellent teacher and the way she teaches is very easy to understand. Coming from Algebra 2 there are some differences in the classroom, such as Mrs. Frisbie uses sticks to call on people in the class throughout the lessons. This may seem scary to be randomly called on; however, if you are paying attention then the questions should be easy to answer. For my schedule selection I decided to take Statistics as a sophomore, and this class helped me with precalculus because near the end of the year precalculus is based around stats and teaches what you would have already learned earlier in the year. For Precalculus there’s homework usually every day and is due the next day, even if Mrs. Frisbie does not say specifically there is homework there is a sheet of paper given that tells you what homework there is and when it will be due. The beginning of the year for me was the worst in precalculus because I feel like that was the material I had a hard time understanding, but it’s always different for other people. I also had statistics that helped me understand the second semester material.

English was one of the classes that had the majority of the workload because there were books that needed to be read along with projects associated with them. As long as the work is spread out and not done the last minute then accomplishing the work should not be stressful. The end of the year you have to write the mini EE which seems very stressful and it is, but Mr. Guice is very understanding and can help finish writing it. APUSH also gave packets that were time consuming; However the notes that she goes over in class help with completing them. One important detail to success in APUSH would be to read the book when it is assigned, because even though she goes over the notes over class reading the book helps with understanding and will help with passing the test. This year the AP test was online and was only a DBQ which is a mini essay with documents, but next year the test could go back to being the multiple choice along with the LEQ and DBQ and the reading of the book is very beneficial while taking this test. For science this year I had chemistry which for me was harder than biology but the work is not as much. Mrs. Loweke also is a great teacher and if you’re not the best at chemistry she takes time and helps students. As for my elective I chose to take culinary which was a very easy class and gave me a break when the work got tough throughout the year. Sophomore year is harder than freshman year but with hard work and the mindset of success then being a sophomore should be another wonderful year of school.

Athyna Ricci