suggestions on how to be successful in an ib course

• Develop a System of Organization. One essential trait for IB success is how organized a student can be. Your curriculum will be designed around large-format projects.
• Familiarize Yourself with the Course Ahead of Time. Summer is the perfect time to begin preparation for your upcoming class. ...
• Develop Your Analytical Ability. IB courses emphasize the importance of creative thinking. ...
• Ask About the IB Program at St. Cecelia Catholic School. At St. ...

How can I improve my IB?

5 Scientific Facts that Can Boost Your IB ScoreDistractions Kill Success. I used to listen to the Fresh Prince theme song on a loop while I studied for the IB. ... Position is Primary. Mix up your studying! ... MAXIMIZE practice-testing: Wow, there are so many ways to study! ... Don't work into the night! ... Stop Cramming.

What makes a great IB student?

They are brave and articulate in defending their beliefs. IB students transition well to challenging university settings and show resilience and determination in their work. In academics, they have the confidence to approach new or unfamiliar subjects or material. well-being for themselves and others.

How do I stay motivated in IB?

2:324:393 Tips on How to stay motivated and focused in your IB? (The IB Student ...YouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAfter you accomplish every small goal. So. I know that like parents or teachers will always ask youMoreAfter you accomplish every small goal. So. I know that like parents or teachers will always ask you to work hard and harder right so they don't actually teach you to reward and relax. Yourself.

What skills do you need for IB?

5 top skills needed to ace the IB DiplomaCuriosity. It all begins with your own curiosity and sense of wonder. ... Motivation. Your own drive and determination, coupled with persistence, will allow you bravely go beyond the known! ... Autonomy. ... Collaboration. ... Time Management.

What are the 4 values of an IB education?

Informed by these values, an IB education: • centres on learners • develops effective approaches to teaching and learning • works within global contexts • explores significant content. Working together, these four characteristics define an IB education.

What is the emphasis of IB?

Exercise your mind: IB courses place a particular emphasis on creative thinking and information synthesis. In keeping with the international focus, IB language arts classes must select several works from the "Prescribed Literature in Translation" list. Exactly which works are chosen depends on the instructor.

How many classes are required for an IB diploma?

The requirements for the IB diploma conform to an international standard and include the completion of seven rigorous classes across a spectrum ​of subjects. The program also requires two long-form essays and self-selected extracurricular projects that are designed to promote engagement with the larger world.

What is the International Baccalaureate?

The International Baccalaureate offers an alternative to standard college preparatory classes. Assuming you have done your initial research and have decided to pursue IB studies, summer preparation can dramatically increase your performance once school begins. Consider these five tips along the way.

Can IB exams be used for college credit?

Like the Advanced Placement program, end-of-year IB exams allow students to gain college credit. Unlike AP tests, however, IB exams are available only to those individuals who are enrolled in the related classes.

Do you need to be fluent in the original language to write a book?

You don't need to be fluent in the original language, but you do need to find a well-annotated translation that explains the choices made by the translator, and the nuances and cultural references in the original. Pick one work from the list that's not originally in your native language.

Is an extended essay required for IB?

The extended essay is also a major requirement of the program. While a comprehensive guide to writing an essay is beyond the scope of this column, beginning yours early in your IB experience will provide you with ample revision time.

Is your profile on track for college admissions?

Our free guidance platform determines your real college chances using your current profile and provides personalized recommendations for how to improve it.

A Brief Introduction to the AP and IB systems

The Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate systems offer college-level courses at the high school level for students who want to challenge themselves with rigorous coursework and earn college credit. We at CollegeVine have covered both of these types of classes in detail.

6 Tips for Success

The time of teachers telling you exactly what school supplies you need for a class (a folder, a notebook, a binder?) are over. While some AP/IB teachers may require you to have certain things like a notebook to turn in assignments or a pen for exams, most teachers of these advanced courses do not care how or if you organize your materials.

Discover your chances at hundreds of schools

Our free chancing engine takes into account your history, background, test scores, and extracurricular activities to show you your real chances of admission—and how to improve them.

For More Information

For some more information about advanced courses along with some of our best study tips, see the following blog posts:

Accepting the truth

A lot of students struggle with the IB. Maybe you’re struggling because your teacher sucks. Maybe you’re struggling because your school is disorganised. Maybe the work you are given isn’t hard enough – maybe it’s too hard! There are a thousand reasons why the IB is tough – but here’s the truth - it don’t matter.

Seeing the path

This is a crucial stage in your IB battle. Seeing the path means seeing where you are seeing where you want to be, and connecting them together. The secret is to identify your goals and then to break them down until you can manage them. Let’s think about a goal. Maybe you want to get a 7 in History.

Fight

Here’s a simple question. How much do you want success? The answer to that simple question will define how well you do in the IB. Once you’re free of excuses and you see the way to success there is only one question left – how much do you want to get there. The more you want to be successful the longer you will keep fighting.

1. Assess your IB subjects

Assuming you’ve already chosen your subjects, take some time to really think about how your workload will feel next year.

2. Get to know your new subjects

If you’re starting a new subject that you’ve not studied before, do some research! Find out more about what it involves and what kinds of topics you’ll be learning about. Don’t worry about the specific IB syllabus but instead focus on what you are interested in. For example:

3. Keep up the English

If English isn’t your first language it’s important that you do as much as you can to polish up your skills before starting the IB. Read your favourite book in English, watch English or American films WITHOUT the subtitles, or challenge your friends to only talk to you in English at certain times of the day!

4. Keep up the Language B

Like with English, it’s important to keep up your language B option over the summer break. The secret to improving your language skills is to put real time and effort into it.

5. Explore extra-curricular activities

The IB isn’t just about the academic things! The whole point of CAS is that the IB wants you to do things beyond the classroom. Use this summer as a chance to try out new activities that could turn into fun CAS projects next year.

6. Know your study strengths

Think about your study habits. Are they good? Bad? Would you recommend them to a friend? The fact is most of us don’t choose our study or work habits, we sort of fall into them by accident. This can be dangerous because it means we end up doing what is easy or obvious, but not what is best.

7. Practice getting organised

If you can never seem to get organised, or if you’re constantly finding your Math notes mixed up in your sock drawer, now is the time to turn this around. It can be easy to feel like being disorganised is as much a part of your identity as whether you like smooth or crunchy peanut butter, but the truth is, it’s far, far more fixable than that.

1. Get started early

As cliché as it may sound, we really can’t emphasize this point enough. The IB is full of extended projects – EE, IAs, CAS projects – that require more than just a night or week’s worth of work, no matter how good you are at cramming.

2. Utilise all resources available to you

Don’t just rely on the material provided to you in class. With over 1.5 million graduates globally, online learning resources are plentiful and, usually, free. Use these resources to provide yourself with a fresh take on content. Personal recommendations include Revision Village for Maths and LitLearn for English.

3. Engage with your teachers

Make time for one-on-one meetings with your teachers to discuss areas of difficulty or scope for academic extension.

4. Read broadly

With the IB being a globally-focused curriculum, having up-to-date knowledge of world affairs is critical to your success in nearly all subjects: languages, humanities, sciences – the whole lot. Setting aside some time each day to read the news isn’t a bad place to start, even if it’s just 10 minutes in the car on the way to school.

5. Keep things in perspective

The IB is incredibly transparent about how individual pieces of assessment contribute to your final mark, and you should bear this in mind when spending time on these tasks. For example, studying for an oral worth 10% should not come at the expense of falling behind on content for an exam worth 80% of your final mark.

6. Revise content regularly

Don’t wait for mocks or mid-semesters to start revising – spend 10 minutes each day, per subject, summarising what you learned in class that day. It only has to be a sentence or two, and will take less than an hour all up, but will save you heaps of time (and stress) later on.

7. Know your mark schemes

In order to ace your exams, you need to know what the examiners want. It’s as simple as familiarising yourself with mark schemes and rubrics – do they want to see synthesis or analysis? – and looking out for key terms or lines of working required to receive the marks.

Make sure you are happy with your subject choices

You likely made your subject choices a few months ago so now is the time to look over them and make sure you are happy with your decision.

Refresh your knowledge

Often schools provide work over the summer so you can keep up to date with your studies and ensure you feel comfortable and confident when you head back to school in the new year.

Get familiar with the syllabi

If you’re about to start a subject you haven’t learnt before it’s beneficial to get familiar with the syllabus. You can find all syllabi on the IB website but it’s also a good idea to prepare in your own way as well.

Keep up with Language B

Similar to the last tip, it’s easy to forget a language when you have a break in your practice. If you have friends who are learning the same language, make sure you have some of your conversations in your chosen language and help correct and encourage each other.

Take advice from your teachers and DP Coordinators

Your teachers are there to help you so make sure you take advantage of that! Their advice to you before the summer and for the next year or two will benefit you immensely. They only want you to do well and achieve your best.

Explore your extra-curricular activities

CAS is a vital part of your IB experience, and gives you a break from your academic learning! Choosing an extracurricular activity which you enjoy, makes you feel happy and relaxed is important for your wellbeing.

Get organised

Every person has got into a situation when they start getting ready for the first day of school and they can’t find their notes! Use this time to hunt down all those important files and notebooks and get them into an order which suits you.

Develop A System of Organization

• One essential trait for IB success is how organized a student can be. Your curriculum will be designed around large-format projects. These projects often require a detailed plan to follow to succeed. Writing a 3,000-word essay the night before it is due will simply not be feasible. Studen…

See more on st-cecelia.org

Familiarize Yourself with The Course Ahead of Time

Ask About The Ib Program at St. Cecelia Catholic School