#ib notes

from reading your message and just peeking through your blog a little, i dont think English as a language is a problem for you. this means that you can really focus on the content in class rather than worrying about not understanding the meaning of every little detail you are studying about!! (i used to struggle and i still do… im jealous of my friends ;;) 

putting the main class things aside, i say procrastination is a huge issue in ib, i really mean it. ib in general, is a very fast paced programme.

everything is crammed in the 2 yrs of ib and it is inevitable to be drained from homework, assignments, exams etc. but once you are behind on one thing, you can easily fall behind on all the other things. i emphasised this in my CAS post too but keeping CAS until the last minute is the last thing you want to do! 

always ask for help! no matter who it is, even if your friends are taking different subjects, we all go through the same struggle.

this sounds general but it really helps to just check in with a teacher who knows you really well or just update your ib coordinators on how you are doing in class and with extended essay especially. extended essay is time consuming, so you will end up spending quite a lot of time on it, i personally took around 6 months from research to my final draft. i really have no clue how teachers at your school arrange the schedule for the extended essay but if you don’t know what to do, go ask! but unfortunately, some teachers are not expertised in things other than the subjects they teach so friends and internet helps you. (go to ib reddit ;))

finally (because it’s really long for the 15234516th time), reading and note-taking is the key to survival.

never relax just because you are completing given assignments and homework. the most difficult thing about ib is the final exams, it is every single detail of 2 years content from all 6 subjects. thus, taking notes is very very important. read the textbooks well and honestly, read until you understand what you are studying in class. you won’t be given enough time during class for notes, so it will be at-home work. my best advice for exam preparation i can give is; gather as many textbooks as possible and take notes until you understand. 

summary:

never keep anything until the last minute, especially CAS and EE

keep yourself going by asking for help constantly

take notes from multiple sources, both books and internet