I personally loved my IB experience. I certainly feel that a lot of people over exaggerate the amount of work you have to do, which is perfectly manageable up until perhaps the last couple semesters when it gets a bit hectic.
My advice would be to make sure you get your EE out of the way during the summer, as when you come back you'll have a LOT of IA's to hand in, and often at the same time.
Try to take advantage of the fact that the school wants you to do well, which sometimes means teachers are willing to lend a hand if they see you've put in a lot of effort into your work (many teachers can give you informal hints or tips on how to better shape your IA's or presentations)
Also, make sure you pick subjects you genuinely enjoy. I loved every single one of my subjects, and this made the work so much easier to finish, and actually made it feel less like "work" in the first place.
For all the horror stories told about the IB, I found I was still able to hang out with friends at least once a week, and we usually spent a few hours after school ended just socializing anyway. It's definitely an enjoyable program if you learn to manage your time correctly, and I'd recommend it to anyone!