IB5 ponder on the IB experience…
Azam Ismail
The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme~ The Ride of your Life ~
Caution: may cause damage to social life, unexpected paradigm shifts and permanent eye bags.
First of all, congratulations on making the best decision of your life! (No, seriously) It takes a lot of courage and determination for one to choose the IBDP over other pre-university courses. To say that the IB is like a roller coaster ride full of ups and down would be an understatement! The drops, spirals and loop-de-loops you often see on such thrill rides are nothing compared to the emotional (and sometimes physical) turmoil you’ll face in the IB. Being prepared is essential and by personally choosing the IB, you have already taken the first step towards successfully surviving the biggest change in your life. There will be, of course, a few of you who have been chosen to undertake the IB program by your sponsoring bodies. Look at this as a great honour. Not everyone is capable of handling the IB. Obviously your scholarship providers foresaw greatness in you.
If you do a quick Google search on the IB, you will probably find a lot of sites highlighting many horror stories from IB students across the world (MyLifeIsIB is a personal favourite). A word of advice: Don’t believe everything you read on the internet. Sure, the IB can be relentless in killing your social life and sleep, but it is possible to come out of the programme perfectly sane (maybe even with 40+ points if you work hard enough). My IB experience was, without a doubt, an interesting one. The first thing I realized while going through the IB was how quickly my mindset changed. Reading literature became more like a treasure hunt to uncover the author’s purpose than just a way to pass time. Conducting experiments in the laboratory became more of a practice to uncover the secret workings of nature as opposed to just another requirement to pass an exam (SPM students, remember PEKA?). This change in perception is inevitable. It is only a matter of how quickly you are able to embrace the IB way of thinking. The quicker the better, I say. It is imperative to adopt critical and analytical skills, especially when it comes to Internal Assessments (Ms Harjit’s ominous “more depth in your analysis” comments still haunt me in my sleep). Soon enough you will be faced with a mountain of assignments and you will need to be smart in managing your time and completing each of them to the best of your ability so that you rake up as much as possible for your IA’s (They count for at least 20% of your final grade. Don’t mess them up!).
Do not fret, however. The IA’s don’t usually get assigned until your second semester. The first semester, as I recall, was very laid back. If ever there is free time in IB, this would be it, so enjoy it as much as you can. Freedom dies slowly and agonizingly, and before you know it you will be at home, awake at 3.30am on a Saturday finishing up the footnote references for the World Literature Essay while your non-IB friends are out partying their virginities away. At least you’ll have the comfort of knowing your IB comrades are suffering the same fate you are. Seriously though, the friends I’ve made in the IB are really amazing people and I feel so blessed to know them. Your friends while in the IB will be your life. When your best friends from high school get upset with you for staying home completing your Extended Essay instead of hanging out with them, your IB friends will always be there for you, cheering you on as you get that annotated bibliography done and the final word deleted to fulfill the maximum 4000 word count (Yes, you will go over the word count). I still remember the night (or rather, very early morning) I finished my EE and had it printed. I took pictures of the final product and called my good friend Addy, screaming in intense euphoria. J
I remember thinking so often whether all the work and sacrifice I made for the IB was worth it. I don’t think that feeling ever went away until the final semester came. It’s like the home stretch of IB. You are so close to the end and all your hard work finally gets put into perspective. The final semester will probably be the most stressful part of IB (This was when I finally had my IB breakdown – EE-related. It felt good though. I didn’t feel so left out anymore since all of my classmates already had theirs). All your IAs will finally be sent for submission and revision for the final exam begins. You will have folders and folders (or just sprawled across the study desk in my case) of IB exam past papers for practice. This is important because you will have very little time to write your exams (Imagine writing 10 pages for Economics in 2 hours. My right index finger bent out of shape after this paper). Once again, your analytical and critical thinking skills come into play, but with the added pressure of time. You really need to think on your feet for this one.
Right now, you’re probably really nervous and contemplating leaving the IB (Just like how four of IB 5’s students decided to leave after the first semester). All I can say is, it is ultimately your choice. It is perfectly possible to maintain a balance between studies, friends and family. Of course you will have to make difficult sacrifices sometimes to accommodate your busy schedule, but it depends on how effectively you manage your time and where your priorities lie. If you cherish your social life, try not to procrastinate on work and you’ll find a lot of free time to still go out with your friends. If you’re the studious type, don’t forget to take frequent breaks and go out with your friends too. The IB, after all, aims to provide a holistic environment for education and personal growth, and I’m happy to say that I’ve learned so much not only from my amazing teachers but also from my friends in the past two years. It’s an experience I wouldn’t trade for anything else.
Hakim bin Azman
Hye peeps!! Hmm, talking about IB final exams, I feel relieved because it’s over!! I have my life back!! But surely I miss all my friends there (friends = IB five, teachers and juniors as stated in my FB status before) and every single moment with you guys!!
The first paper was English A1 Paper 1. I think I did my best!! Because usually I can just write about 3-4 pages but this time, I used 5 pages for my prose commentary. It was a good start for me! Next, Business and Management papers. It was pretty tough. All of the business students knew that business exam papers are all about writing and the only time your hand can slow down and take a rest when there is a drawing question like “decision tree” question, but this time, there was no drawing question, so, we needed to write non-stop till the invigilator said “The examination has ended. Finish your last sentences and stop writing... bla..bla.. bla..” Luckily my hands did not get muscle cramps as I felt they were so tired. Anyway, I hope my result will not be that bad.
Next was Mathematics. I was kind of stressed when I sat for these subject papers because I wanted to score for it. So, there was extra pressure there. I have no comment on this subject because it was not that bad and was not that good because I think I could have done better. So, hopefully my result for this subject will be pretty good. The first week of examinations had ended!!!
In the 2nd week, again, I think I did my best for my English Paper 2. And again, I used more papers to write for my Paper 2 compared to any other tests before this. Hopefully, the marks are going to be “more” too!! =D The next paper was Chemistry! Chemistry was also one of my “need-to-score” subjects. Paper 1 was pretty easy. But, sadly, Paper 2 was tougher than any other Chemistry Paper 2 that I had ever done before. =( For paper 3, I stayed up the whole night, burnt the midnight oil because I needed to score for Paper 3 to cover back my Paper 2. So, when the time came, I did my best. For me, Paper 3 was just OK. After the paper, I straight away went back to D’shire and slept as I had just slept for 1 hour the night before. Week 2 finished and two more subjects to go!!
In the 3rd and final week, there were Econs and Spanish. There was a hectic day for me as I needed to sit for 4 papers in one day! Plus, it was all about writing. Write, write and write... huhuh... My Spanish papers were OK as I could answer all the questions, although some of the questions were really confusing. Some creativity was needed to answer these types of questions so that you wouldn’t look like you didn’t know anything. LOL. (Spanish students should know what am I talking about.) And for my Econs paper, I think I’d tried my best!! Econs was about understanding and “DEPTH” was always in my mind as Ms. Harjit was very significant about this word. =) Hopefully, I can get a good mark for Econs. As my Econs paper 3 was my last and only paper on 20th May 2010. The night before that I couldn’t focus on studying. The time “10.30am” was everywhere. Sorry, Ms. Harjit. Luckily, I could answer all the questions and I think I did pretty well for my Econs paper 3.
And right after the examination had ended, there you go, I screamed out loud!! Yeahhhhhhhh!!!! Woooohooo!! It’s over!!!!! I’m so relieved!! I’m free!! I know I had disturbed the juniors and the teachers who still had their classes, so, I want to take this opportunity to apologize for my action. Huhuh.. The feeling was superb!! Only the person who had gone through it knew how it was!! I know you can imagine how I feel but seriously, when you feel it on your own, it is indescribable!!
After that, party non-stop!! Hehe =D But somehow, you will also start to miss all those moments in the IB. I also feel lost because I’m too free and don’t know what to do. But that doesn’t matter because now I’m free from the IB!! It’s over!! Hehe =D
p/s: To my June 09 juniors, next is your turn!
Khairil bin Abdul Ghani
The clock is ticking. Every minute, every second. I don’t have time, and yet my eyes dart back to that clock on the wall, indifferent in its measurements. Focus. Focus! Quickly, I return to the task at hand. The paper. Reread the question, and write. All around me, there is writing. The scribble of pens onto paper, the jotting down of notes, and steps. The writing never ceases. This silent symphony is occasionally punctuated by a cough, or the screech of a table being adjusted. Ticks, tocks, scribbles, screeches, all to the tempo of the steps of the silent sentry, standing watch as a symbol of scrutiny.Sound familiar?
Whether it is UPSR, PMR, SPM, class tests, mocks, or the actual IB examinations, the environment stays the same. The stress, anxiety, and tension are identical, even if they take place in different classrooms or with different invigilators. As is, of course, the post-paper jubilation and/or commiseration.
It’s over! It’s over! How did I do? Hard to say. There were some tricky questions. Oh no! Think I messed up that one! Shit! NO! No… Urgh. Screw it. Onto the next paper, got to study…
My time in IB
Unlike most of my classmates (I presume) I knew I wanted to do IB since I was about 13 or 14. I used to go to Mont Kiara International School and as such have known about IB for a while. Thus when the time came for me to start IB, I felt like I was making the right decision.
I remember the first day I stepped out of the elevator carrying my overly heavy backpack (filled with books I wouldn’t use for months ;). My first reaction was one of fear, as I stepped out into a swarm of miniscule Form 2’s. Attempting to look cool, as all IB kids do, I blundered around looking for my classroom before I was whisked away by Ms. Harjit who found me and led me to the safety of class. Once in class my heart fell, everyone seemed to know each other! I felt terribly alone, so I went and stood with someone who I would soon come to know as Khairil, and we stood alone as one. We then had some sort of orientation type thing, and the most significant thing I can remember is telling a joke, and none of the seniors (at the time) got it, for about a second I was the only one laughing, before I quickly stopped and sat back down.
My parents helped leave an impression on two classmates, the first, Aimran and the second, Adlina. During the orientation day, I happened to sit next to Adlina and her family. For the rest of the orientation, my mom kept nudging me and whispering: “She’s a good sort Lewis, try and get to know her.” As we were leaving the orientation and walking back, we saw this rather short guy come up the stairs with a massive grin on his face. This was of course Aimran. From there on out, my mom referred to him as: “The boy with a nice smile.”
My time in IB was punctuated with a wide variety of events, ranging from the INTENSELY INSANE, to the mild (still awesome) ones. Several of the highlights would of course have to be DRESSING UP AS KISS! To this day, I am still reeling from the pure “awesome” and “win” associated with doing that. Another was the awesome birthday party everyone threw for me at Penang during our first Penang trip, and how I at first thought there was a satanic ritual going on in the apartment (due to the candlelight and muffled whispers). OH I JUST REMEMBERED! THE QUIZ I MADE! That was pretty epic as well, will need to do another soon.
IB would of course be nothing without our awesome teachers, who have put up with my shit everyday of the week for two years, an unenviable task. I cannot thank you enough for the education you gave me, along with the friendship. I’ll never forget hugging Mr. Ong and trying to get a piggyback ride from him after I drank that whole bottle of Vodka.
Finally IB would literally not exist without my awesome classmates. Together we survived two years of intenseness the likes of which mere A-levels students would quail in fear over; together we did all this and still managed to have a rocking awesome time. I thank all of you for putting up with me and being there for me and I hope, nay, I know that we will continue what we started here long into our adult lives.
As a closing “statement” to our juniors, I would just like to ask that they keep the spirit we have made IB embody alive, a spirit of fun, adventure, recklessness tempered with intelligence, and of course a bit of studying thrown in there.
To be quite honest, I never really worried about exams. I always did get anxious, but never worried. I think what gets people worried is the thought that everything you’ve worked for over the last 2 years will boil down to one defining moment. The exams for me varied in difficulty according to subject.
Take English for example. As far as Paper 1 (for you secondary school kids, Paper 1 is where you meet a poem and prose that you have NEVER SEEN BEFORE, and you write a commentary about one of them) is concerned, there is almost nothing you can do to study for it. Know your literary terms. I think the trick to analyzing a text is to read it a few times and let it float in your subconscious before asking yourself “So what does it mean?”
Physics. The love-hate relationship I’ve had with this subject has been an ongoing matter for the longest time. It’s as if we broke up and got back together over and over again. Just when I think I’m about to understand her, she changes. Unlike typical SPM questions (insert the values into the formula and find your answer), they tamper with the concepts behind the formula. λ= ax/d, but what happens if I change the phase of one of the slits? I partially blame the way SPM brought us up as learners. Take my word for it when I say it is absolutely futile to memorize your way through a great deal of this. That being said, I was rather discontented when I found IB decided to ask very fact-based questions for the exam this year. It seems the trend of asking concept-based Physics questions is now at a turning point. We’ll have to wait for feedback from the next batch to find out how the trend shall proceed.
I could go on about how exams work, but I believe that the experience is specific to the individual. Look around you the next time you’ve having exams. You find ‘groups’ of people. Some lazing about, some doing last minute reading, and our ever favorite “Ohhh, I didn’t study!” *Gets an A+ later*.
So boys and girls, I wish you all the best with your upcoming exams. You’ll know you’re there when you say “I don’t know what to study” without ‘spotting’ questions.
Being in the IB was an immeasurably valuable experience. I felt like I was learning something new every waking minute I was at school, and those ‘lightbulb’ moments certainly extended beyond the classroom. If I had to describe being in the IB in one word, it would be: enriching. The IB has added value to my life in more ways than one. Being taught by the most amazing teachers and being surrounded by great friends with outstanding personalities every day was an experience of a lifetime. I will forever remember the tense and strained atmosphere that was present on days an IA or EE draft was due, the suppressed joy I felt whenever I found out someone else hasn’t done their work either (whoops) and definitely the days that led up to the exams because I remember feeling almost weightless as there were no longer multiple (abbreviated) things to worry about, and the only thing left to do was make the 2 years count. I would like to thank all my friends and teachers for teaching me valuable life-lessons. To the seniors, all the best for your final year and to the juniors, welcome to the family :-)
Dear readers: You may have come across a number of swear words in the texts above. They have been left untouched simply to show our disapproval of censorship (this month’s topic).
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