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International Baccalaureate vs Regular highschool

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KJL.
Posts: 307 - Karma: 11
I need to choose between doing full IB diploma or all regular Canadian classes next year. AP will not be offered at my school anymore. Right now I'm in all regular classes except for English Challenge (could be called a pre-IB class) and get about 90% in the courses I apply myself to. I will admit I have terrible work habits, I do about 30 minutes of homework a week, if that. I could change that if I need to though. What do you guys think about applying next year, and anyone in IB willing to offer some advice?
Feb 25 2011 1:36AM
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TOK
Posts: 2928 - Karma: 2,540
I'm in your exact situation. I do little to no homework, I'm just not motivated enough I guess. However, I am still currently enrolled in the Pre I.B. stuff (all accelerated classes) yeahh all that good stuff. I literally got the final I.B. application today and I have to decide if I'm going to follow through with it.

The major advantage that I see is the smaller classrooms which lead to personalized learning. It seems like all the I.B. kids can work off of each other because they all have the same schedules. It would be pretty cool if you had a bunch of dime ass bitches in it so you could "study" every day after school.

Con: too much homework.
Feb 25 2011 1:41AM
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Afeld
Posts: 3516 - Karma: 85
do it. I am currently doing a college tour and they all say it looks extremely good on a transcript. I wish it was available in my high school...
Feb 25 2011 1:42AM
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_steffen_
Posts: 903 - Karma: 124
im the man your looking for. I had shit grades my first two years of highschool althhough i was quite intelligent and found school easy i just didnt have the motivation to lift my damn pencil. Then scheduling for my third year a bunch of my friends that try super hard and get sick grades were signing up for ib. I asked if they thought i should do it as a bit of joke and they replied super meanly something about me being a fuck up. Well i signed up for full diploma in spite of them. Well i immediately fell in love. While other kids were having breakdowns about minor tests i was chillin out and straight merc'n tests with literally no studying. The reason this is possible is because the teachers trust the students a lot since its all intellectual kids therefore a lot of homework is optional and dont have shit like notebook checks. Therefore if you just like learning and you pay attention in class you can be dropping 4.5 gpa's on your parents like its no big deal.

also the stuff you learn is sick its all very conceptual and philosophical.

pm me if you have more questions. there are a lot of small easily exploitable loop holes
Feb 25 2011 1:48AM
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_steffen_
Posts: 903 - Karma: 124
lol so much too say. but one magical power ive gained that i like is the ability to shit 5 page essays. the average 4-5 page essay i can do in 45 minutes all together. What im saying is you get mad good at writing real fast

also TOK is less fun and more fun than you expect (our midterm exam was one question regarding our explanation of the movie donnie darko)

also One downside is you both love the people you have to spend all your time in school with and you want to violently murder every last one of them.
Feb 25 2011 1:52AM
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Nor.
Posts: 5 - Karma: 10
Doing 30 minutes a week of homework will get you no where in final year of IB.
Since i started my final year 3 weeks ago (Aus) ive spent almost no time lurking NS ;)

I would still suggest doing IB as the first year will teach you many things about yourself and how you learn/work best, and here you could still switch back to regular school after one year.
Feb 25 2011 6:32AM
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_steffen_
Posts: 903 - Karma: 124
very true that second year is way harder but i think the first year has built me the work and study skills ill need for second year. like at this point many weeks i will do absolutely nothing but when we do hae a project im able to get down to business and take care of it without procrastinating much or doing a shitty job
Feb 25 2011 8:57AM
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wait.what
Posts: 1694 - Karma: 529
Regulahhhhhh, most people in IB at my school say it's a waste of time, and by that I mean teachers too. What it's for is to prepare you for university through massive workloads and stress, I'd say only take your strongest courses in IB
Feb 25 2011 9:45AM
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hurrisun
Posts: 6284 - Karma: 49
dont say have terible work habbits you are obviously a nerd take ur ib classes make mommy proud and quit frontin like an under achiever you prbably have a fresh page and a sharpened pencil at the start of every class..nerrrdddd


but in reality dont take them cuz ur a huge nerd s u can get A's in reg classes and get inot any university any ways but you should reallly start partying more and trying to huck backflips on skis
Feb 25 2011 9:45AM
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Anathema
Posts: 21048 - Karma: 5,061
you can still do whatever the fuck you want without IB and dont have to live like a nerd
Feb 25 2011 11:33AM
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Mr.LemonPie
Posts: 4100 - Karma: 1,625
im sorry but if your tok class watched donnie darko your teacher was garbage...
Feb 25 2011 1:42PM
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BravoWhiskey5280
Posts: 4020 - Karma: 520
Yea didn't Fernandez teach tok at Smoky? That dude was the shit ha.
Feb 25 2011 1:51PM
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uh_lis_uh
Posts: 609 - Karma: 16
I did IB. it was a ton of work that caused little intellectual growth. I didn't learn anything other than how to memorize bullshit and regurgitate it for exams. You didn't need to be smart to take the classes, you just needed to do the work and be able to memorize stuff. But, it got me into a dope school and counted as college credit. I didn't have to take any intro classes.

so basically, it sucks while you're taking it and you may not get a lot out of it, BUT it's totally worth it for college.
Feb 25 2011 2:09PM
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TOK
Posts: 2928 - Karma: 2,540
At my school at least, you can't take individual courses in I.B. You have to take the whole curriculum which includes all cores.
Feb 25 2011 2:10PM
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KJL.
Posts: 307 - Karma: 11
How much homework would you normally have a night? I'm worried that during the first term when i have football for 2 hours afterchool monday to saturday im not going to be motivated to get very much work done haha.
Feb 26 2011 12:34PM
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KJL.
Posts: 307 - Karma: 11
bump for more opinions
Feb 26 2011 11:48PM
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Nor.
Posts: 5 - Karma: 10
Im currently behind in half my classes and i constantly do 2-3 hours a night. Ive found if i use my time at school well i can keep up.
Feb 28 2011 6:14PM
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bciddy
Posts: 13 - Karma: 10
Don't do it, i went to an IB high school, it gets you no where. I didn't do it, i currently go to university and am just fine. I worked half as much as my friends and was able to enjoy high school and enjoy the slack part of school..trust me you don't get that once you get to uni. And to add on to it, my friends who did do IB got forced into doing second year courses in first year which made their transition into uni 100x harder! Personally i say stick with good old "normal" high school.
Feb 28 2011 6:39PM
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HermioneGranger
Posts: 1933 - Karma: 101
Took the words right out of my mouth.
Feb 28 2011 6:42PM
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TheDude
Posts: 2058 - Karma: 117
ive meet some good friends in IB. idk how other schoolers work but you dont have to be full IB i think. thats what i did, ap and IB mixed. but be prepared for quite a bit of homework if you want to pass.
Feb 28 2011 6:56PM
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