5 Ways IB Program Can Ruin High School For You

You don't need another article telling you how challenging the IB curriculum can be. You must have read loads of blogs showing you how to manage the workload. Taking IB classes in high school is not all rainbows and sunshine. It may have you sacrifice more than you would like to. One often wonders if the IB Program is worth it.

Before you go into reading this beautifully written article, check out what our friend Katie has to say about the IB Program.

All of us can only control a few things. Having a good grasp on your subjects is one of those controllable things. However, creating a friend circle while managing a good IB score is more challenging than it may seem. What makes IB worth it is graduating from it with people you care about. While it is true that the pressure of making life long friends' is impossible, you should be mindful of not being glued to your books all the time. Associating with people around you is the only way to discover like-minded people. Even if you are an introvert and like to have a limited social circle, you should balance your studies and spend time with the people who care about you. Trying to become successful while condemning your friends and family is a recipe for disaster. 

It is not unknown that IB requires you to invest long hours. Sometimes you have to spend 20 hours straight learning. On such days, the least you can do is pay for your 'break time' with someone you care about instead of randomly scrolling through social media apps. Do not fall into the rut of ignoring everyone around you by taking yourself too seriously. Sometimes taking a break by spending quality time with the right people is just the therapy you need to stay motivated.

Being an IB student opens many doors for you. But sometimes, these doors can be too many to be decisive about your future. Going with the flow is a good habit, but planning a little is always beneficial. When I was doing the IB Program, I had no clue about the next step in my life. I wanted to finish my IB Program and see how things unfold. This, to no small extent, resulted in me wasting almost an entire year. I was taking my possibilities for granted. I was willing to be enrolled in any university and did not care about researching the application processes of my potential universities. Part of the reason I could not do so was that I was overwhelmed with submissions and IB exams!

In the first six months of DP 2, every IB student must decide about the university they want to be enrolled in. It is okay to take a gap year after your IB program. However, that also requires proper due diligence and planning. Whatever you plan to do, if you want to make your IB diploma worth it, you should be able to anticipate what lies ahead for you. 

Every IB student I have ever met on this planet has pulled a lot of all-nighters. I once remember when I drank almost 8 cans of red Bull to make it through the night to finish assignments. Interestingly, I was only a little dosage of caffeine away from being hospitalized. IB is demanding and often stressful, but it is not worth sabotaging your health. Most IB students struggle with proper work-life balance and end up harming themselves. Trust me, while you do not feel a thing, all those all-nighters are slowly damaging your immune system! Choose to exercise regularly and consistently to avoid being burned out and falling into laziness. Don't just be physically active for CAS but pursue a fitness regime that makes your blood flow. Being proactive and disciplined goes a long way in maintaining good health and making IB worth it.

Academic pressure can be helpful and, at times, act as a boost to help you study better. However, many IB students are so worried about performing better that they end up crippling under the immense pressure they put upon themselves. This can not only ruin your performance in your exams but can also develop anxiety. Practicing meditation throughout your IB Program will pay off in the long run. It will help you in handling stressful situations. Because there will be times when you will be expected to hand in your reports and take multiple tests on a single day while making college applications, and the last thing you want during that time is to cripple under pressure.

IB students tend to be competitive. Comparing your presentation points with your classmates and aiming to get higher predicted grades than everyone else is constant. However, this continuous habit of comparing yourself with everyone can send you down a very ugly spiral. The only person worth comparing to is yourself. Having a mindset of outperforming your past self is the mantra for leveling up at every stage of your IB diploma. Even then, there will be times when you are unable to match your expectations. When such a thing happens, you need to evaluate your performance. Were you unable to reach what you expected yourself to do because you slacked off, or was it because you were expecting too much? Being optimistic is an outstanding trait. However, you should also be realistic and do right by your side by creating goals that aid you in your process instead of burning you out.

Whatever you have opted for IB is not as important as how you carry out your journey. It is not the grades but the work ethic behind those grades that make IB worth it. We can only control a few things in life. But the things you can indeed control should be executed gracefully and in a way that helps you get the best out of your life.  

We want Nail IB to be your virtual companion and make IB worth it! We have a lot of helpful blogs which will help you navigate your way through IB. Apart from our blogs, we offer a "Take A Test' module, which allows IB students to evaluate their level in the IB Program. Make sure to try a test and see your strengths and weaknesses. And finally, to ensure you have all the resources you might need to nail IB, we have curated exclusive student bundles for your convenience.