The International Baccalaureate (IB) is a school-wide program designed to get students to think internationally. Defined as a ‘rigorous international college-preparatory program’, IB is known for being part of 5000+ schools around the world, one of which being Parkdale. But what exactly is IB? Is it actually worth it? Luckily, the IB seniors were open to questions and answered the most burning questions someone could have.
How would you define IB and what makes it different from other programs or AP?
Jeneviette Joge described IB as “a program that teaches you not only to enrich your learning but also give you skills you can use outside of school.”
Mariella Samuel described it as a “multi-directional complex grow-with-you type of program”.
Multiple students said that the things that makes IB different from AP is that it has a heavier workload, that you create more of a community because you are in classes with the same students for upwards of four-years and you are not guaranteed the college credits.
Why did you join IB?
Joge said they joined because they heard about “the benefits and the diploma”. While Stephanie Casimiro said she joined because the program was “more focused on the world”. Many of the answers were about how the program creates community and how internationally oriented it is, which drew them in.
According to the answers from the seniors, most students can join their freshman year, but can alsoj oin up to junior year. Freshmen to sophomore is PDP (pre-diploma program) while junior to senior is when students officially join IB.
What’s the hardest part of IB?
When asked how hard IB is on a scale of one to five, most said that the difficulty level lies around three or four. Many seniors said that learning how to manage your time is the hardest part of IB, while many said it wasn’t hard to balance their time between school and home, it was hard to match the speed of IB.
IB, being a tough program that’s different from regular high school meant that it was a new, often hard experience. The amounts of classwork, homework and projects are scary and add a new level of stress. This means time management is even more important than before.
As well as time management, the tests can also be daunting. Casimiro said, “Internal Assesments are hard to understand and need to be more open-minded. They put you out of your comfort zone.”
Another issue is asking for help. “You may not ask for help because you feel pressure but you need to learn how to ask for help,” said Joge, “asking for help should be something everyone should do no matter how smart they are or what programs they’re in.
How do you balance the IB workload and your life outside of school?
When asked if it’s hard to balance your time in and out of IB, four out of nine students said yes, while five said no.
Joge and Samuel both agreed that using free time in class to do homework was a helpful and that it helped them be able to go home and rest rather than focus on homework for hours.
Something that multiple seniors stressed was the importance of keeping calendars and to-do lists to help know when assignments are due. It sounds simple but this helps students be aware of deadlines and upcoming assignments.
How did IB help you with college, do you think it gave you a better chance of getting into a good school or not?
Almost all the students said that IB either did help or it might’ve helped their college prospects.
“I feel prepared with college, I’m used to heavy workloads and it’ll help me because I learned time management, and more,” said Joge. An example they gave me was finding sources for papers, which was learned through IB.
Another thing IB does it that it proves to colleges that you’re able to handle hard work. Taking rigourous programs proves to colleges you’re ready for anything.
With that being said, that doesn’t mean it will do all the heavy lifting, there’s a lot of other factors. For example, Samuel said, “Depends on the person and how they use the resources. People like to see IB on your transcript but it’s not the only likely factor.”
Despite the difficulties, do you think the IB program is worth it? And would you recommend it?
Many seniors agreed that they would recommend IB, and overall had similar reasons. They recommend the program because it gives students a well-rounded education that you wouldn’t get in other classes, it gives you essential social and educational skills for the future.
But that doesn’t mean you should just waltz into the program, it is a hard program and not meant for everyone. Casimiro emphasizes that you should “really think of the pros and cons, it can take over your life.”
Even if you do the program, it doesn’t mean you will get the credits, you have to do tests and assessments to earn them.
“The college credits are not guaranteed, AP credits, for example, are,” said Samuel. And these credits don’t necessarily mean they will help you in college, as only certain colleges accept IB credit. As one form answer stated, “but if you are unsure where you want to go AP will be more beneficial, since it offers more leeway to take your credits to different schools since AP credits are accepted more commonly.”
What advice would you give someone who’s going into IB?
Taking the IB program is a major commitment, and students who have been through it have valuable advice for those who wonder. From time management to mental health, here’s what they recommend.
“Balance your studying time and sleep schedule,” said Joge. “If you’re doing all nighters because you procrastinated, that’s bad. Keep on top of your assignments, even if it’s the bare minimum.”
Casmiro emphasized the importance of self-care. “Give yourself mental breaks, know your priorities, and keep a calender,” she said.
“Know what you’re going into,” said Samuel. “Think about all your options, AP is a viable option.” She also said to take advantage of your resources.
Overall, the IB seniors seemed to feel optimistic about the IB program. Despite the program being hard and rigorous, many seem to think it’s worth it. Many feel that IB is more than just a school program. As one answer said, “By being in the IB program, you aren’t just getting harder classes, but you are entering a community that’ll allow you to develop as a person.”
