by Gloria Mak

Created on: June 15, 2009   Last Updated: July 07, 2009

There are a myriad of jokes to be made by the students suffering from the International Baccalaureate programme. There is no arguing that the programme is one-of-a-kind since not only is it recognized internationally but it also provides students with education containing a global perspective. Furthermore, it showers students with the opportunity and the initiative to develop positive character traits through their unique CAS (Creativity, Action, Service) course that encourages them to pursue volunteer work and enrich themselves with activities outside of their coursework.

If you think this is the right program for you, or you are going into the program next year (congratulations!), here are some tidbits that will be helpful along the turmoil-covered road to success!

Fact#1: The commitment level is HIGH.

Do not forget that by being part of this programme, you have made a two-year commitment. Since the IB programme encourages working with peers, group projects and academics in general will eat up a lot of time; being committed to your courses will ensure your success. (That means, you may have to sacrifice certain activities.)

Fact#2: Time management is essential.

If you know MSN/Facebook/GoogleTalk will be distracting, uninstall/deactivate it. Before you know it, it will be 9pm. According to researchers, it takes 40 seconds to be fully concentrated on a task when the computer alerts you of a new voice chat, or e-mail.

The bottom line is, if you can time manage, you have already taken a huge step towards success. (And have avoided many all-nighters, with that said.)

Fact#3: Do not be afraid to ask for help from your peers or your teachers.

Courses move at a relatively fast pace; if you do not ask now, you may not get an opportunity until you review for your exams. Worse yet, you cannot figure out a problem and mull over it for over an hour when it should not take you more than 20 minutes. It saves a huge amount of time by simply asking a peer or a teacher when you find you are unable to do a problem.

Fact#4: Enjoy your HLs.

Chances are, you will most likely spend a larger fraction of your time on your HL courses than your SL courses, and the content will be more in-depth. If you dislike your HL course, you will spend your time in IB feeling like you are pushing a boulder up a steep hill.

Fact#5: Maintain a positive attitude and take it one inch at a time.

Sure, it is a good thing to keep the big picture in mind, and have a layout of your schedule at all times. However, with the heavy workload, it must be understood that sometimes it is better to focus on the task at a time instead of obsessing about the whole entire week, or the month, or the year. There will be horrible weeks where a lot of coursework due dates and exams are happening, but by reminding yourself what a huge burden it is, you will become less and less efficient. By simply accepting to take little steps at a time, you will find that you have conquered huge distances!

To go to the International Baccaleaureate website for more information, please click here.

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