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studyblrarg-blog · 7 years ago

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how my first year of IB was not a struggle for me (MASTERPOST).

“ib is impossible” is a phrase that i have constantly heard throughout this year. i finished my first year of IB one month ago, and i honestly can’t agree with that phrase anymore. throughout the year, i looked for any advice on how to survive this program on the internet, and i was happy to find it on tumblr. because of this, i decided that it would be a good idea to be a helping hand for any of you who is thinking about choosing IB, or will be in it next year, is struggling with it, or simply because this may help you get decent/good grades (mainly B’s and A’s).

introduction

before beginning this masterpost, i want to list the subjects that i chose, my grades overall in each subject, and what i mean by “struggle”. (note: grades we get where i live vary from 1 to 10)

G1 English Literature HL- 9,33 (avg 3 trimesters)

G2: Spanish Language and Literature SL- 9,33

G3: History HL- 8,33

G4: Environmental Systems and Societies SL- 9

G5: Mathematics SL- 8,33

G6: Visual Arts HL- 10

TOK- 9

overall grade (+ other non-IB subjects): 9.1

*IB is not easy. nevertheless, it was not a struggle because i did not find it impossible either. i also think that with effort and dedication anybody can do IB. i may not have gotten the best grades but i am definitely satisfied with my work this year, and enjoyed the program. as i haven’t finished IB i cannot give an overall conclusion on it and therefore i will be focusing on the first year only.*

how i chose each one of my subjects and my experience overall + advice

choosing my subjects at the end of 2016 took a lot of time. it is important to understand that you DO NOT have to choose your subjects based on its difficulty level or because your friends choose them. choose wisely because you will be dealing with them for 2 whole years. choose your subjects out of interest; think about what you are passionate about and what you are interested in learning vs what you are not. if you have career choices in mind, you can definitely choose subjects that IB which are based on them, but it is not compulsory to do so. i advice you to read the syllabus of the subjects you find interesting.

English Literature HL

you will be reading 90% of the time

write down notes and highlight anything that will be useful for analysis while you are reading.

please plan your essays before beginning to write, the structure may be confusing at first (history kids: a history essay structure is NOT the same as the english one).

a CLEAR THESIS STATEMENT IN THE INTRODUCTION!!!

learn literary devices before your exam, i definitely regret not having done this.

take your time to do your Written Assignment, don’t leave it for the last minute. i started my WA one week before and definitely felt less stressed as we approached the deadline. make sure you have enough analysis to write aprox 1200-1500 words.

consult your teacher for anything, it is important that you know the instructions for what you are doing.

write as much as you can in your supervised writing. you will need this for your written assignment. don’t stress too much though, this is not graded.

reflective statement: remember, you need to have the question “how was your understanding of cultural and contextual considerations of the work developed through the interactive oral?” in mind all the time.

for your individual oral presentation: be as creative as possible, try to get the audience’s attention because it will raise your score, and breathe because i definitely understand that standing in front of a whole class can make you nervous. you will be speaking for 10 minutes so be sure to have enough content (and not too much) so you can reach this time. i personally used a power-point presentation but you can use anything that will be useful to project your ideas. my nerves definitely were my weakness but i was still able to reach the 6-7 band (IB).

read the markscheme before handing in any ib assignment. you can find them in the IB site.

i would choose this subject again if i had to start the program from zero. not only i enjoy reading but the workload is not heavy at all. if english is not your strength, i advise you to choose it in standard level.

→ LINKS THAT MIGHT HELP YOU WITH ENG LIT

how to write a thesis statement for the hl english exam

how to: Approach Poetry Analysis in an Exam

tips for a1 IOP

practice for poetry analysis

read poetry

written assignment tips

process of WA

literary devices

Spanish Language & Literature SL

spanish is my first language so if you are doing your first language in standard level, it won’t be that much of a problem.

it was not hard to get good grades, remember to do everything in time and follow the instructions!

you will need complex vocabulary, especially for paper 1 and know your literary devices.

highlight and take down notes of any analysis in the works you read, because you will need them for your exams.

be organized when writing essays. remember to plan first.

for paper 2, re-read your literary works during holidays so you won’t have to read it during the year and waste time, i promise you that your future self will pat you in the back :)

→ LINKS THAT MIGHT HELP YOU WITH SPANISH B (or any other language in standard level)

how i got level 7 in IB SL English Language & Literature (Paper 1 Tips)

IB Lang/Lit Paper 1 insane tip!

History HL

history is hard. this subject was probably the toughest one for me, but it is my favorite, and i have definitely progressed throughout the year. it is important that you learn how to deal with failure because it will happen, but pay attention to your teacher’s corrections and you will improve so much. (feel free to ask me for notes on cold war, US civil rights...)

evidence. if you don’t put any evidence in your essays, you will fail.

if is is a paper 2, always have the question in mind, don’t move away from it. also, know the topics you have covered so you know the topic number in the exam and you won’t mess up.

know the structure of the essays: introduction (context, defining key terms in the question, presenting question and arguments for and against), main body (one paragraph for arguments for and one paragraph for arguments against + small conclusion at the end of each), conclusion (side with the argument for or the argument against, don’t try to make a balance).

for paper 1: always use your own knowledge as well!!!!

your history book clearly indicates what the IB wants you to answer in each question, so check that out before any of your exams and make even more use of it.

make notes during the year, don’t leave them for finals. it is a lot of content that you need to cover and you cannot do this one week before.

learn the significance of any events, this is important for argumentation.

never use the word “things”.

learn conjunctive words/phrases! (ex: on the one hand, nevertheless, moreover, in addition...) they will come in very handy when writing.

practicing questions and skills is always more important than knowing the content. use the mark-scheme!

an IB examiner does not care about your opinion, don’t put it.

gaining time management is so important.

i haven’t started my IA yet, but as history is difficult, it would be good to aim for the highest IA mark as its 20% IB history score.

highlight and take notes in your history books. do a “mini-summary” per paragraph.

skype calls with your friends are actually helpful. what helped me the most for finals was doing a shared document and taking down notes in a table format.

→ LINKS THAT MIGHT HELP YOU WITH HISTORY HL

tips on doing well in SL/HL history

how i got a 7 in IB HL history

how to get a top grade in IB history

IB history examination tips

IB History Wikidot (note: this site has helped me to get notes and the basic information about any topic. just google for example “ib history wikidot korean war”.

Crash Course- when procrastinating, this is a great tool to give you motivation.

History tips part 1 exams

Environmental Systems and Societies SL

putting the memes to a side, this subject has honestly been fun. as somebody who is not into science, choosing ESS was great and made my IB experience better. moreover, it actually interested me and i feel as if i have gained a lot of knowledge. this subject was definitely not difficult, but it is important to study and understand basic concepts.

case studies: i did not know this until last minute, but in your essay you must use evidence, which are case studies, to answer the questions. therefore, i advice you to learn as many as you can.

the essay doesn’t have to be too long: 500 words is okay. (follow the mark-scheme too)

know ESS terminology. have good vocabulary.

make notes before finals, please!

remember that logic is more important than memory.

make flash cards when learning vocabulary

understand what you need to answer by the type of question (outline, explain, suggest...). it is important to do this so you don’t lose points.

time management.

there are not many past papers as this subject is new, i advice you to use the exercises at the end of every chapter.

use the knowledge and understanding boxes at the beginning of each chapter, they are so helpful and are useful for summarizing.

pay attention in class, some concepts may be difficult to understand at first.

please, use all of the lines given to answer each question

follow the mark-scheme when writing your IA, there are several requirements that you may miss.

your book is your best friend.

→ LINKS THAT MIGHT HELP YOU WITH ESS SL

Cara Marlowe (youtube explanations)

Tips: ESS (you will find more links in it)

Mathematics SL

when choosing this subject, i knew that maths was not my strength nor my weakness and therefore standard level would be the best for me. i was never into maths throughout high school until IB; i was able to be interested in it. many of my friends struggled in standard level but most of them were able to pass the subject. maths sl is not easy and therefore a lot of dedication is needed.

even though it may seem obvious, you need to pay attention in class because the basic concepts are the hardest to understand.

do all of the exercises possible in your book. note: the short exercises in each chapter are only for gaining a basic idea of a certain topic. when studying for a test, do the mixed examination practice at the end of each chapter.

past papers. not only many of the exams you will take will have these exercises but you need to comprehend what the IB is expecting you to know.

read the summary at the end of each chapter, i honestly think that it is helpful.

ask your teacher everything. it is not the same thing to ask questions in class than after class when you can understand better.

do your homework, even if it’s tiring.

i advice you to study for tests at least with one week of anticipation, ir may seem excessive but pulling an all-nighter or only studying two days before will not help you pass.

for your IA: it may be hard to think about a topic, i will put some links below for you to get ideas. follow the instructions, and be creative. don’t leave it for last minute.

i have several revision worksheets that my teacher gave me, if you send me a message i��ll try to share them with you.

learn how to use your calculator properly, there are many tricks and tips that you can learn so you earn time.

know the formulas, but remember that you can find most of them in your formula booklet.

→ LINKS THAT MIGHT HELP YOU WITH MATHS SL

Khan Academy (basic concepts, plenty of exercises)

IB Exploration Ideas

Exam Tips

How to do well in maths

Visual Arts HL

you will procrastinate a lot, at least in my first year. remember that you will have to do around 11 works.

a lot of brainstorm is required

have a theme in mind. all of your works must be connected somehow.

be realistic, you may have ideas that can be impossible.

try to experiment different art techniques throughout your first year; you may find your strengths and weaknesses and preferences.

don’t give up in your first try, the IB wants you to make mistakes and for you to improve in them. (your mistakes must go to your process portfolio)

use your time wisely, do not make the mistake of procrastinating as me.

ask you teacher for any type of help

remember that you can also do your portfolio digitally. at first i opposed to this but in the end it seemed so much easier to do it in computer.

take pictures of everything you do. you will need them.

remember to put a reflection/argumentation of your overall work and experience/process at the end.

for your comparative study, i advice you to start it as early as possible and choose works that haven’t been as analyzed as much. (i will link down below a great example of a comparative study)

→ LINKS THAT MIGHT HELP YOU WITH VISUAL ARTS HL

Mrs Papot’s Comparative Study (example)

Advice from a Successful IB Art Student

The Truth Behind IB Art

An IB student who has a tumblr blog is @tochearte. Super super inspiring :-) I definitely recommend you to check her out.

Top Ten Visual Art tips

IB LINKS (studying in general)

60 tips for IB- from a 45 pointer

General Tips

How I got a 43 in the IB

How I got 44 IB points

CAS AND TOK AND EE

i don’t have many tips for these.

however, for CAS my only recommendation is to do your reflections as soon as possible, and try to answer the guiding questions that you can find in managebac.

CAS tips

How to organise CAS

i honestly don’t like TOK for several reasons, but i do have links that were useful for my presentation. i also don’t think that the tok book is worth buying.

how to structure a TOK presentation (this helped me pass my presentation, really grateful to have found this link)

TOK notes

TOK essay guide

EXTENDED ESSAY: my only advice before writing your EE is to have the right supervisor, the right material/bibliography, know MLA format, read the syllabus and the requirements for the subject you have chosen!!!! have enough content, remember that you will be writing 4k words on this.

DEALING WITH SAT AND IB

doing the SAT and the IB at the same time may seem stressing. i recommend you to use Khan Academy for practice because it is not only free, but it is just as good as paid websites for sat practice. i recommend you also to do at least 2 hours of sat per week so you don’t lose your practice. it can definitely be stressing but with good organization you can do anything!

REDDIT AND TUMBLR

i am so thankful of having found so many links and advice from tumblr, i could not list them all because this masterpost is too long. i definitely recommend you to check the REDDIT IB community, which is pretty great too and you can ask questions or share ideas. both sites are definitely useful!

HAVING A STUDYBLR

i don’t see my studyblr as a task, i honestly use it for motivation and to motivate others, which makes me happy. having a studyblr and doing the ib is not stressing at all, so if you are wondering about doing one i definitely recommend you to do it. (obviously, don’t dedicate 24 hours on it)

MEMES

and of course, the memes. i found memes a great way to share relatable moments with my friends and whenever you are stressing out or procrastinating, you can find a bunch of memes in instagram, i personally like @smartibapp.

QUESTIONS

i hope that this masterpost was useful to you, feel free to ask me any questions in the anonymous or by message. if you are interested in knowing about any other subject i can ask my friends. remember that everyone can do IB! if you want to add any tips or links or comments please let me know :-)

i sincerely hope that this master-post helped you, it is the first one that i’m doing. i am also planning on posting general study tips which are not as “common” or are unusual and highly help me. keep it up with the studying!!!!

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