#ibjani

hi guys!! i’ll be starting my second yr of ib in approx. 3 days, so here’s a long overdue list of quick tips for those of you who are entering the program!

1. Find an organization method that works for you. This is a given, and I’m not gonna push a traditional planner (which is what I use), but be sure to stay organized. Clearly mark every deadline, event, and assignment. It’ll make things much smoother and slightly easier.

2. Understand that things are hard. This was the biggest wake up call for me, as I had gotten almost straight 7s in my classes freshman and sophomore year without studying or putting much effort, so starting IB was really difficult for me. While my school had done a good job at prepping us, this was the first time I realized that the rigor is supposed to be amped up, and it took a toll on my mental health. It’s okay if you’re not getting hundreds on everything or not grasping the material on the first try. That’s NORMAL.

3. Keep your notes organized and easy to access. If your school is like mine, you’re taking your IB exams at the end of two years. TWO YEARS. Make sure your notes are easy to access and understand. End of senior year you will thank you.

4. Get out of your mind set. Especially with History and TOK, you’ll be forced to look at things from several perspectives and have to understand (and perhaps even make arguments for) perspectives that you may not have considered before. It’s really beneficial to look at things from a holistic point of view, which is one of the best things IB has taught me.

5. Do your EE research over the course of the year. My school requires us to write and submit the first draft of the EE by the end of May, so that helped because we didn’t have to worry about writing it over the summer, BUT I made the mistake of not really doing any substantial research. I started the EE the weekend it was due (it was due on Tuesday afternoon, and I started it Sunday afternoon), and as I was writing it, I was having fun researching it because I love my topic, but it would have been easier and more enjoyable if I already had my research done.

6. Choose topics you’re interested in. Especially because we’re given so much choice for IAs, it’s really important to choose things that you’re genuinely interested. I love American politics, government, and law, so I chose a Supreme Court case for my HI and the Eugenics Movement (+ its connection to the justice system) for my EE, and doing research and writing were so much fun. I also did a creative IO because I love theatre and chose a topic that I was passionate about for my TOK presentation, so those were easy to do as well. You probably catch my drift already.

7. SLEEP. I asked a lot of my friends what tips they wanted me to put, and my friend said to prioritize sleep (as in: if your work isn’t done by 10PM, just go to sleep and do it tomorrow). While I personally work well regardless of whether or not I slept 8 hours the night, try to sleep as much as you can.

8. Partner with someone for your TOK presentation. Even if you work better alone, each person gives you 10 minutes for the presentation, and a 20-30 minute presentation will be able to be much more thorough than a 10 minute. All of my friends who did presentations alone felt rushed unless they practiced really well, so partnering up may be really beneficial here.

9. Read more. I take English Lit HL, so maybe it matters less for English Lit and Lang (or English B??), but I read more for leisure this year as a New Years Resolution and it helped greatly for doing work (especially in english class) because I felt like my brain was constantly in analysis mode and used to being in that mode. I also really like reading.

10. Prioritize yourself and your health (mental and physical). Stay hydrated! Eat! Have a good support system! I had way too many breakdowns in the bathroom stall this year because life was hard, and I did not see myself making it through the school year, but here I am to tell the story! I could not have made it without a support system who talked me through things and made sure I was eating and drinking and fine. Sometimes it’s good to cry it out, but don’t use “treat yo self” as an excuse to not get work done, especially if you’re aware that you’re doing it.

Those are my quick tips! Let me know if you want me to go into anything specifically, or you can message me with any questions or if you just wanna chat about IB!