As a junior in the International Baccalaureate Program, I’ve spent a little time reminiscing over my experience in the Middle Years Programme, or as I like to call it, the Pre-IB Programme. It’s been two years and I still find myself considering my decision to undergo the IB, which always leads me to consider the benefits. I wish I could discuss the full benefits and limitations of the IB Diploma Program in this article today, but perhaps it would be prudent to finish the program before I analyze it to pieces. What I can do, however, is give some insight on what my first two years were like and things I wish I had known. Are you not in the Middle Years Programme? Don’t click away just yet! If you plan to take a heavy workload in high school or can foresee yourself being majorly challenged, these tips might do you some good as well.
- Take your hits: I’m gonna be completely honest. I was the most annoying freshman imaginable. Believe me, I am completely aware (and okay with) it! Granted, it makes me want to jump in a hole when I remember, but thinking about my fourteen-year-old self-juxtaposed with my present-day self has made me realize the most important lesson I’ve come across thus far: growing will be painful. I was the star student in middle school. Things were easy and I had no doubts about myself whatsoever. Coming into a program like the IB with that mindset is horrible. Understand that you will take some hits. I know pretty well that I have a big ego at times. I like being praised. So going from #1 to not was (embarrassingly) hard for me to deal with. To be realistic, my story will not completely mirror yours. You could go from #1 to still #1 and have a really fun time while doing it. But the future is uncertain, so use me as a cautionary tale. I cannot fathom how I was once that freshman. I’m still not the quietest person, but that vigor and that excitement that was irrevocably mine in ninth grade is most definitely gone. Do I miss it? Not really. I know that I’m more focused and more resilient than before, and that remains invaluable to me. The point of this story is that you have to understand that there is a silver lining. If you are anything like me, taking those hits will sting like hell. But I can promise to you that you can expect a better version of yourself in the long run.
- Develop good study habits in your first semester and keep it running. Study habits are priceless. I really recommend taking good notes, making it into a quizlet, and then reformatting as a summary. This outline works for practically any class and minimizes studying time. Try this if you find that your usual mode for studying may not be the most practical anymore. But establishing a good study ritual freshman year will take a load off you for sure.
- Don’t just make mistakes, learn from them. It can be hard to understand where you went wrong sometimes, but following up on the mistake and getting insight from another person will be majorly beneficial. No one really ever forgets when someone tells them “Hey, you’re not doing this right,” and you can properly correct things. Don’t just take the L. Figure out why you took it, and prevent it from happening again.
- Try not to compare yourself with others. If you find yourself in a permanent environment of academic rigor and competition, it can be hard to take a minute and realize the effects of constantly comparing yourself with others. It doesn’t help anyone. Perhaps spite will be a motivator for you, but it’ll burn you towards the end. Set goals for yourself and try not to learn about the goals of others. There’s only one person that will be with you forever, and it’s you. Set goals without placing them around those of others, and the satisfaction of reaching them will be all that sweeter.
