In my school, IB is a big deal. IB is an internationally recognized program that offers college-level classes for high schoolers. Although my school offers a sufficient number of APs, the majority of juniors and seniors take IB classes. In my school, IB is viewed as superior to AP because the teachers proclaim that IB is more difficult and challenging than AP. This belief causes many high schoolers to have this preconception that in order to impress colleges with the hardest course load, they should obviously take IB diploma. For my grade, over a third of my classmates take IB diploma.
During the spring semester of my sophomore year, most of our classmates talked about what classes they were planning to take in junior year. Although some didn't hesitate to take IB diploma, some people debated between taking IB diploma or IB certificate (combination of IB and AP). For me, I planned to take IB diploma, but I never felt comfortable with the choice. To be honest, the only reason I considered IB diploma was for extrinsic purposes. I thought that college admission officers would think I wasn't challenging myself enough if I took a mix of AP and IB classes. Another reason was social pressure at my school. I had this feeling that if I didn't take IB diploma, I would be viewed as the less ambitious student that didn't want to deal with extended essays, internal assessments, etc. I appeared as the typical hard working, bright student so I felt insecure that people would view me differently if I didn't do diploma. I know this sounds kind of stupid because when junior year started, no one even cared. At most, there were a couple of puzzled faces but then their confusion cleared up after I explained why I changed my classes.
Then, summer came around and I hated that I kept questioning myself why I was intending to take IB diploma. I couldn't bear this thought anymore so my mom and I went to see my counselor. She was a new counselor, so it was my first time seeing her. In the meeting, I explained to her my thoughts on changing my classes. She said that I shouldn't worry about how others think of me. Her candid and matter-of-fact remark really struck me. This was the affirmation that I needed to hear. I had this realization that I initially made a decision not for myself, which was quite ridiculous. I made this initial decision with the hopes of slightly increasing my chances of getting into a university, not because I truly embraced and loved the teaching philosophy of IB. I felt that I was doing something to conform to what society defined as the norm. Although IB has its merits and advantages, I didn't like the idea that my school assumed that IB was a one-size-fits-all curriculum for overachieving students. Looking back, I realized that there were a couple of students I knew outside of my school that didn't take IB diploma even if their schools offered a lot of IB classes. Guess what? They still ended up attending top colleges.
Before the meeting ended, I was relieved that I switched some classes with something that I actually wanted to take. For me, the main issue with IB diploma was that it would restrict me to 6 subjects. This would mean no physics, no statistics, no linear algebra, and no computer science. Also, I would have a lot more homework so that would take away the time I could spend on activities that I had an interest in like chemistry olympiad. With the IB certificate, I felt a bit more free.
The purpose behind writing this blog is to not discourage people from taking IB diploma. If you are comfortable with taking 6 subjects for 2 years, then don't worry. My purpose is to make students feel reassured that you shouldn't be taking these classes solely for the sake of college admissions. Don't do something to impress others. Instead, think for yourself because that is your first priority. This suggestion doesn't only apply to taking classes but also to other aspects of high school life like volunteering or extracurricular activities.
During the spring semester of my sophomore year, most of our classmates talked about what classes they were planning to take in junior year. Although some didn't hesitate to take IB diploma, some people debated between taking IB diploma or IB certificate (combination of IB and AP). For me, I planned to take IB diploma, but I never felt comfortable with the choice. To be honest, the only reason I considered IB diploma was for extrinsic purposes. I thought that college admission officers would think I wasn't challenging myself enough if I took a mix of AP and IB classes. Another reason was social pressure at my school. I had this feeling that if I didn't take IB diploma, I would be viewed as the less ambitious student that didn't want to deal with extended essays, internal assessments, etc. I appeared as the typical hard working, bright student so I felt insecure that people would view me differently if I didn't do diploma. I know this sounds kind of stupid because when junior year started, no one even cared. At most, there were a couple of puzzled faces but then their confusion cleared up after I explained why I changed my classes.
Then, summer came around and I hated that I kept questioning myself why I was intending to take IB diploma. I couldn't bear this thought anymore so my mom and I went to see my counselor. She was a new counselor, so it was my first time seeing her. In the meeting, I explained to her my thoughts on changing my classes. She said that I shouldn't worry about how others think of me. Her candid and matter-of-fact remark really struck me. This was the affirmation that I needed to hear. I had this realization that I initially made a decision not for myself, which was quite ridiculous. I made this initial decision with the hopes of slightly increasing my chances of getting into a university, not because I truly embraced and loved the teaching philosophy of IB. I felt that I was doing something to conform to what society defined as the norm. Although IB has its merits and advantages, I didn't like the idea that my school assumed that IB was a one-size-fits-all curriculum for overachieving students. Looking back, I realized that there were a couple of students I knew outside of my school that didn't take IB diploma even if their schools offered a lot of IB classes. Guess what? They still ended up attending top colleges.
Before the meeting ended, I was relieved that I switched some classes with something that I actually wanted to take. For me, the main issue with IB diploma was that it would restrict me to 6 subjects. This would mean no physics, no statistics, no linear algebra, and no computer science. Also, I would have a lot more homework so that would take away the time I could spend on activities that I had an interest in like chemistry olympiad. With the IB certificate, I felt a bit more free.
The purpose behind writing this blog is to not discourage people from taking IB diploma. If you are comfortable with taking 6 subjects for 2 years, then don't worry. My purpose is to make students feel reassured that you shouldn't be taking these classes solely for the sake of college admissions. Don't do something to impress others. Instead, think for yourself because that is your first priority. This suggestion doesn't only apply to taking classes but also to other aspects of high school life like volunteering or extracurricular activities.
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