“What does not kill me, makes me stronger”. For International Baccalaureate candidates, the famous quote from 19th-century philosopher Frederick Nietzsche often seems to ring true.
By now, most IB students will have received their final grades; the culmination of two years of rigorous work across six subjects. Whatever the outcome, congratulations on getting through the course. Whether or not your results are as expected, there are plenty of options open to you.
The International Baccalaureate is a secondary school programme which offers students a holistic education, incorporating languages, humanities, maths, sciences and arts as well as a service component. Students must take one subject from each of six compulsory subjects, each with its own demanding coursework.
On top of all this, students must complete their CAS (creativity, activity and service) requirements. The workload is intense – anyone who has survived the programme will not tell you otherwise.
Whatever your results, don’t let stress get to you. This is one day in the rest of your life. You’ve got this.
There is never a dull moment in IB. This seemingly endless suite of assignments and deadlines, combined with mock exams in February, contribute to making IB a demanding programme. It has definite benefits: a form of analytical training that can follow you to university and beyond. But its drawbacks are that it can leave some students drained, sleepless, and wondering whether IB, in all its prestigious recognition, was the right academic choice for them.