#i’m possibly writing my ee for the ib program on this

[thefandombringer]

hello byler fandom i have been dead for the last 9 months someone catch me up thx

[rivkahstudies]

requested by @niviasthoughts - thank you for approaching me!! I hope this post can help!

The IB Program is hectic enough without having to worry about where your stuff is, when you need it, and how you’re doing. Keeping track of things is pretty much essential for success, because once you get behind it’s difficult to catch up.

I graduated in 2018 with an IB score of 37 out of 45. I started the two years organized and ended even more organized than I thought possible. It’s definitely a program that tests your limits and forces you to surpass or reinvent them.

This is gonna be a pretty long post, so I'm going to put it under the cut.

part one: starting out

It's important that, before you follow through with any of the systems I suggest/inventing your own, you check that your teacher doesn't already have a system set up. In my experience, my teachers' systems have never worked as well as ones that I have determined for myself, because they haven't spent ages and ages developing it just for MY benefit like I have. However, just as life often does to us, you may not have a choice.

Some teachers (and in my experience, the ones I like the least) have a system that they don't just suggest but enforce, and will often take off points in grades such as notebook checks if you don't use their suggested materials/system. There's no way around this, so make absolutely sure you can use your own system on a class-by-class basis to ensure you're getting the best grade you can. Those points add up.

part two: materials

You do not need anything fancy or expensive. All of my stationery is pretty affordable and there are only a couple products I use that I saved for/splurged on. You. do. not. need. fancy. stationery. to. succeed. or! be! a! real! studyblr! say it with me y'all.

I'm not even going to bother to list specific brands because it'll just discourage you from others. I'm going to be as vague as possible. For a reason. Decide for yourself what you like best.

rivkah's very basic IB shopping list

black/blue pens

(trust me, you'll need multiple. I went through a whole pack of 12 THE FIRST SEMESTER of my senior year because I was writing so much.)

a binder and loose leaf paper OR notebook, one for each class

this is entirely up to your personal preference. I prefer to have loose leaf paper because I can rearrange things as I wish (I'm so indecisive and often reorganize). I typically choose 1 inch binders and 4-8 tab dividers. It really depends on the class how I organize these dividers, but they're usually something like classwork/homework/projects/tests/etc.

a colored set of some kind of writing implement

markers, pens, highlighters, it REALLY DOESN'T MATTER as long as you have AT LEAST five colors. I prefer 7-10, because annotating history/english documents requires that you look for a lot of different things. pick whatever works best for you and figure out what your color systems are. it's best to have multiple, especially cross-subject, because your needs may differ depending on the document.

a pencil pouch/supplies organizer

again, whatever fits your preference. I like backpacks with pockets that have little built-in organizers or a pencil pouch that, likewise, has different compartments. I'm one of those people where I like to know EXACTLY where my materials are. I don't like wasting time rifling through a general pouch. if that doesn't bother you, go ahead and get one!

post-it notes

these are so versatile. annotations, reminders, misc notes, anything. I always have multiple colors and sizes on me because I use post-it notes for almost everything, including writing down ideas and reminding myself of deadlines.

planner/bullet journal

digital or paper, doesn't matter. but YOU NEED TO WRITE THINGS DOWN IN IB. don't rely on your memory, because it'll start failing you as soon as you get stressed and busy. also don't worry about spending too much money. I like my bullet journal because if I feel artsy, I can be. If I'm in a hurry, I can keep it minimal. plus I never need to worry about not having enough space to plan. whatever you pick, if it works, stick to it. don't try to have 5 planners because I guarantee you'll just confuse yourself.

misc materials like scissors, glue, white-out, tape, etc

I like to have these on hand just because you never know when you or someone else might need them.

part three: how to integrate these materials/systems

general tips

if something can be done in less than 15 minutes, do it as soon as you can--whether it's at lunch, in extra time at the end of class, or when you first get home.

if it's a large project/assignment, get something down the first day it's assigned. write up a schedule to work on it, or an outline/draft skeleton, or do a little research into what you'd be interested in covering if it's open-ended. something, anything. at the very least, if you don't make progress, it'll cement the assignment in your mind and you won't forget at easily.

do not leave readings to the last minute. they often seem small in comparison to presentations or essays, but they're important.

whenever possible, try to link projects or topics back to your interests. it makes things like the IAs or EE so much easier to write... because the only thing worse than having to write 2000 or 4000 words is having to write 2000 or 4000 words on a topic that puts you to sleep.

utilize your connections with your teachers. in most cases, they want to help and see you succeed. if you have any teachers you're close with, confide in them.

at the very least, if you can't be friendly with them, communicate with them. and suck up a little. because if you're in their good graces, they'll be more understanding when you have your 9th consecutive breakdown or run out of time and can't hand something in. And if they know you're having problems (mentally, socially, in your family, whatever) they can extend their hand to help more. even if it's just one or two teachers, it makes a difference.

set reminders in your phone/calendar for the end of the school day if you have to take a textbook home and you keep it in a locker (hopefully you do, it's bad for your back. IB is bad for your back lmao.) it'll save your life when you start on your way home, exhausted, not remembering. funny how stress makes you totally memory-less.

is a desktop and phone app that has saved my life on numerous occasions. it's more suited for college, but it's really nice because you can track your PROGRESS on assignments, not just on whether you've completed them or not.

obvious, but get sleep and eat good foods. it'll improve your concentration and memory.

it's really tempting when you walk into your room to just dump your stuff somewhere, maybe in a pile. try to make a bin/tray/spot that is specifically for "stuff to be done/sorted/taken care of" and then take care of it nightly.

I know it's often tempting to relax until dinner (at least, if you're like me) and then do your homework after dinner, but please. start your homework as soon as possible once you're home, or before then if you can. you don't have to study every second, but I know I got really tired of seeing 2:30 AM blinking back at me every night.

set your own deadlines and, for the love of all, hold yourself accountable for them.

schedule in at least a half-hour of you time, hopefully in the middle of your homework. you'll forget to have it otherwise and you'll be a zombie. I've been there.

English

stay ahead on readings. see above. if possible/time allowing, read/skim the first time and THEN go back to annotate once you understand what you're looking at. when you notice things the first time, you can start connecting the dots the second.

always know where your books are. have a specific place in your backpack/locker/desk/room. nothing's worse than losing a book you're halfway through and have a paper due.

keep detailed notes for your EA/IOP/IOC. my teacher made us do this thing called "grids" which dissected key symbols/motifs/themes to DEATH, and it was hell, but it helped a lot.

History

again, detailed notes. include not just what happened but why? what were the causes, the events, the effects, and the historical interpretations? this is a fancy little buzz word for "quotes others have on the subject." if you throw even one of these into each of your final papers during senior exams, it boosts your score. my history of the americas teacher never let us forget it. and boy, did I have it in my head by May 2018.

you don't *need* a book for your IA or History EE, but let me tell you, it's hard as hell to get a good score without one. get that deep, deep knowledge bb.

keep things in whatever order works best for you. for my purposes, I always did it chronologically, because I didn't want to jump around too much in an essay. but there's other ways to structure an essay and you need to find what your strong points are.

Spanish/French/etc language

I personally took Spanish. Got a 7 in it, too, so I know how to organize best for this class.

It's INCREDIBLY important that you stay organized in this class, particularly with vocabulary. It's up to you how you want to study and structure your notebook, but leave ample room to write words over and over and over.

You will most likely (assuming your teacher is doing their job) have readings. Devise your own color system, but I typically had three colors for Spanish readings: 1) words I don't know (and later define), 2) vocabulary we learned in class/need to memorize, if applicable, and 3) words I know/need more practice with. You can add/subtract depending on your strength and weakness in the language.

Math

The only class I kept a notebook for, not a binder.

You won't pass just by studying rules. You need to be able to apply them, too, so please keep a section of your notebook/binder for practicing problems. As many as it takes/you have time for.

Keep. All. Your. Tests. I do this for all my classes, but it is VITAL for Math that you're aware of your weaknesses. When it comes down to it, you need to study what you DON'T know, not what you know.

Science

I took Biology. My brother is currently taking Physics.

There will be math in both, just much more in Physics. Follow the rules above for Math when applicable.

Biology was so difficult for me that I rewrote my notes three times. First for studying for the upcoming test, then for the Year 1 "final" my teacher gave, then again for the IB Exams. It's incredibly time-consuming, and might not work for you like it did me. Whatever you do, organize your notes in a way that let you understand difficult concepts in a step-by-step order. IB Bio and Physics are super step-by-step and if you go out of order, you lose points.

Art

I took art, not psychology, so I'm sorry I can't help for psych. But I was basically on my own for art because my teacher was not up-to-date NOR ORGANIZED AT ALL. I had to do all the research myself for the rules before I could even start my work. And I had to do it all senior year, because she wouldn't let me start as a junior.

honestly, I could write a whole separate post just on this subject.

make sure your stuff is neat and in black pen. especially for your process portfolio, that's the only way they'll grade it. I did my Comparative Study on the computer.

TOK Presentation/TOK Essay/IAs/EE

I didn't mention this in the material list, but I was so paranoid about losing materials necessary for my History IA and EE that I literally had 2 folders, one for each of them, JUST devoted to all of the papers that were thrown at me for them.

I was instructed to keep one for my EA by my English teacher, AND I had another kept my grids (used to study for the EA) in a separate folder too.

This is completely optional, but I found it really helpful in making sure I knew where I was with all of my assignments. You could easily substitute all these folders for an accordian binder, it whatever works best for you.

Okay, I've covered all of the subjects I took and major assignments, as well as the general organizational tips. There's still so much more, but this is the bulk of what I did and what I remember. If any of you want to see anything on one of these subjects specifically, please reach out to me! And as always: IB is scary and confusing, as well as incredibly fast-paced, but it isn't impossible and you're not alone. My messages and inbox are always open if you need anything.

[spacefires]

IB Survival Guide: PART ONE

As someone who’s been through the IB program and finished with horrible mental and physical health, here are some tips and tricks so that you guys don’t end up like me :)

Disclaimer: subject specific tips vary for SL/HL students, go to the bottom of the post to see what HLs and SLs I took

IAS

Please please start your IAs early! Split it out across multiple days! Honestly each section takes around 30 minutes for IAs

GET ALL YOUR THOUGHTS ON THAT PAPER AS SOON AS POSSIBLE FOR ANY IA.

Even if it’s the worst rough copy in the history of the planet, get all your words on there, THEN start editing, formatting, and adding pictures. Trust me, this is much less stressful and your final copy will probably be much cleaner

Science IAs- START YOUR EXPERIMENTS EARLY get as many trials as you can in!

Be sure to talk to your teachers about ideas for your papers beforehand!

Geography/English/French IAs- start early for these too. If you’re like me and you have “oh shit” moments when you suddenly get really good ideas half way through your work and have to restart, starting early for these is a good idea. Especially for geo, writing the IA is relatively easy, spreading it out over 4-5 days works well.

Peer editing is always a good idea, people may catch things you didn’t

EEs

CHOOSE A TOPIC YOU LIKE- Interest plays a big part in how well you do, choosing a topic I was interested in made me not mind spending so much time on my EE

Choosing a topic you don’t like may increase your chance of leaving it to the last minute

START YOUR EEs EARLY and have at least 3 drafts. I split mine up over the course of 4 months, and came out with an A on my Geography EE.

Like the IAs, do one section a day, for example, start with introduction, then methodology, etc. etc.

DO NOT LEAVE YOUR EE TO THE LAST MINUTE PLEASE

I highly suggest doing a geo EE because even if you don’t have results you’re okay, you just have to explain why there was no correlation

Geo EE protips: have lots of pretty handdrawn maps, you can have an ok data analysis and still get a good grade, have good methodology, 

discuss your EE with your supervisor often, make sure you udnerstand what you’re studying

EXAMS

Oh boy this is the scariest part of IB for any student

REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW as much as you can!

Study each subject for at least 5 days!

DO AS MANY PRACTICE EXAMS AS YOU CAN

Seriously, doing practice exams helps you get used to IB’s way of asking you things and you have an idea of what to expect

Do the practice exams guys

Just do them

If your school has mock exams, study really hard for them so you get an idea of how you need to study for the actual examsLook back on mistakes you’ve made on tests/mocks

While studying, focus on your weak points, but don’t ignore your strong points-- forgetting things is easy

SLEEP EARLY DURING EXAM WEEK 

Being refreshed and ready to go is important because youll be able to focus better and your brain will work better-- I did this and it was good

If you’re allowed to take snacks into the exam, take snacks into the exam (but not loud snacks, gummies and stuff)

take water into the exam but don’t drink a lot of water-- pee breaks are a waste of time

if you need to pee during an exam try to hold it in

just try to avoid having to pee

ENGLISH/FRENCH EXAMS:

You can study for your English Lit and French A lang lit exams in like a day if you’re not too keen on getting above a 5. Be familiar with the material

Memorize 5-7 important quotes-- preferable really short ones

Even if it’s not mandatory to memorize quotes, sticking quotes in is an asset

Spend 10-20 minutes planning your essay out, get your ideas down on a paper before writing your essay

Remember: quality over quantity, even if you have lots written down, it’s your ideas that get you most of the marks

Use highlighters, highlight important words, quotes, etc in the passages you’re given

annotate your passages

Have a colour coding system for your passages when you highlight, each colour should be an important point, but have 3-4 main important points, so 3-4 colours (this helps with planning as well)

If your prompt is like, discuss 2 OR MORE something something, discuss only 2, it’s easier, and you waste less time planning/writing, and you can have more ideas

SCIENCE/MATH EXAMS:

Practice problems are good, on top of practice exams

Understand the material!!!!!!!!!!! Memorization is not understanding!!! IB asks a lot of questions that require application

If you suck at calculus, try to understand it better and don’t be like me and assume there isn’t going to be a lot of it.

Seriously study the calculus @all you SL students

Study the calculus

GEO EXAMS

Yeah for this you need to memorize really well, see how well you know the material by going out on walks pointing at things and seeing how you can relate it to what you’ve earned

Study from multiple sources for geo, sometimes there are details that are missed

Memorize lots of case studies and stats!!!!!!!

memorize graphs and maps too, drawing them to support your points in your answers shows how well you understand the material

STUDYING

REVIEW OH MY GOD REVIEW E V E R Y T H I N G as much as possible throughout the year!!!!!!

Tips to force yourself to review:

Take shitty notes in class

This way you have to retake good notes-- wow you’re going over material that was previously taught!

Make cheatsheets! Even if you don’t use them during tests, cheatsheets are a great way to have all your material on one page and ohmygod look at you you’re reviewing your notes again to condense them!

Flash cards work too

Find a way to enjoy writing notes--  for me, I like using fancy pens and highlighters, that way I looked forward to doing it

Find a study environment you like! A cafe, the library, the park, even a different part of the house

Changing your study environment can also help you focus-- a change of scenery helps sometimes and you won’t get bored!

Talk to yourself

Seriously just explain concepts to yourself talk to yourself hearing yourself say it makes the info sink in better

Make really weird mnemonics idk it worked for me

Group studying can help for courses that need discussion in order to better understand concepts-- Geo, English and French

Explaining things to people also helps

Do your homework kids-- even if your teacher doesn’t check it, always find time to do your homework

Do things based on a level of priority

example: I have a test and a big project worth lts of marks due tomorrow (I would focus on the project, but still study for the test enough to have a good grasp of the material)

I know tests don’t count for IB but this is what your teacher bases your predicteds off of, so study hard for them kids. It is also a method of review

Most teachers understand how students can get extremely stressed out with the amount of work we get, if you need an extension for a non-IB related thing, you should be able to ~politely~ ask them

Time management is key, set up schedules for yourself

If you’re studying something you hate, go hard at it for a limited amount of time, then go and study for something you like, or take a brain break

TAKE BREAKS MAN

seriously taking breaks while studying is good

Use apps like forest to keep you focused

reward systems are good too, I do it with chocolate (one piece everytime I finish a chapter)

TOK

 lol good luck

The essay and the presentation are tough-- but you can do it.

The nice thing about TOK is it’s mostly a thought dump, so dump your thoughts before organizing them into an essay

Discuss TOK things with your friends a lot-- you’ll understand better, trust me, you’ll also get good ideas for presentations and stuff!

Get an interesting topic for your TOK presentation ok

discussion is the best advice I can give you guys

TOK is a special course

be prepared to get very angry because all your thoughts will contradict each other

existential crises are fun

That should be about it for Part 1 really, this is mainly academics based, I might add to this as time goes on.

If you have questions!!!! I took Chem HL, Bio HL, Geo HL, English Lit SL, French A Lang Lit SL, and Math SL, and did my EE in Geo. I’m happy to help any young ones out :))

Good Luck all you IB Students! You guys are brave, you can do it :)

[rivkahstudies]

It has been a challenging yet rewarding year and I am so grateful for everyone I’ve met along the way.

January

I was accepted into Rotary Youth’s Short Term Exchange Program.

I started a jar where I write a note every time something good happens to me.

February

I had a flawless performance as part of my Spring Talent Show.

March

I was selected as a representative of Character Counts for my school. 

I wrote a very good IB English EA. 

My great-uncle died.

I took my first SAT and got a 1380 without studying.

April

I finished my EE rough draft the day before my birthday.

I turned 17 on the 7th.

I did my IOP.

My now ex-boyfriend gave me the flu right before finals and prom. April 20th: I made this studyblr while sick in bed in order to have the motivation to finish the semester with good final grades.

May

I was elected President of National Honor Society for 2017-2018 year.

I started forgetting to add to the Good Things Jar. Resolution: Try again for 2018 and actually keep doing it.

I won $1000 in a scholarship.

I watched my amazing senior friends graduate.

June

I prepped for my trip to Spain.

I started to read books for pleasure again.

I got new glasses.

I started bullet journaling.

July

I went to Spain, immersed myself in the Catalonian culture, made lasting friendships and ties with my family, and learned so much.

I went back home with my exchange sister and our flight was delayed so late that we got in at like 2 AM - and mom came to pick us up.

August

I brought my exchange sister back home, went ziplining, showed her my city and culture, and sent her home with tears at having to depart each other.

I went back to school.

I started working as a paid Hebrew School teacher.

I decided to grow out my hair.

September

I redid my Biology IA.... and then redid it again.

I started self-teaching Italian.

I applied for more scholarships.

October

My best friend lost her home and we became closer as I helped her out.

I supported my class in Homecoming Skits and we won.

I dumped my boyfriend.

I lost people who I thought were my friends.

I saw the Full Monty as a play at my local theater.

I went to Homecoming Dance.

November

I applied to UCF, UF, and FSU.

I scored a 1410 on my SAT and a 33 on my SAT.

I got accepted to UCF.

I won a DAR scholarship.

I took the SAT Subject Tests and did a decent job on them.

I got a bunch of free books from the library.

December

I applied to Boston U.

UCF gave me a $14,000 scholarship to go to their school.

I did amazingly on my IOC.

I helped run an amazing Secret Santa as part of NHS.

I went to an animal shelter with my teacher/neighbor and her family.

I passed my Biology final with an 84 raw and 101 curved.

I passed my Spanish final with 100%. Whaaat. Howwww.

I went to see Coco with my friend and cried. My new favorite movie.

I finished my final draft of the Extended Essay.

I submitted to Brown U.

I got even more free books from the library.

In general

I became healthier in diet and exercise.

I became more positive and began realizing my own self-worth.

I revised my standards and kept to my morals.

I learned more about myself and other people.

I stayed mature in the face of drama.

I worked twice as hard as I needed to in order to ensure I did my absolute best.

I began drinking coffee and then cut back substantially.

I met/became close with so many wonderful studyblrs, like:

@lemonadeandlanguages @piiess @armcnia @meg-is-studying @noodledesk @pinetreestudies @nerdyravioli @studyblr @studyblr @queen-zazzles-ofthe-studies @salvadorbonaparte @loving-appblr and so many more wonderful people

Goals for the new year - intentions and resolutions

Get back into my exercise regimen

Complete my CAS project

Eat better

Realize that little changes and positive choices make a difference

Be kind but not gullible or easy to take advantage of

Focus on myself and my future

Don’t sacrifice myself and my values to please others

Do my best in school and get into a good college

Rock my IB exams

Get back into daily journaling

Read more books

Drink at least 2 cups of water a day - aim is eventually 8 cups

Cut coffee almost completely out of my diet

Clean out my closet for goodwill

Get stuff I need for my dorm

Apply for even more scholarships

Live a little despite all my work needed to do

Spend time with my family - especially my little brother

Work twice as hard with Ascension and make sure it’s the best magazine possible

Improve enough in Italian to have conversations with a native speaker or read a book/watch a movie

Get a summer job

Save money where I could spend it

Get my teachers’ contact info once I graduate.

Thank you to everyone that has been with me on this wonderful journey. I hope 2018 will be even better. I have been waiting for it for a long time, since it’s my grad year, and I’m excited for a new chapter in my life.