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What HL IB subjects should i take? Business, Economics, Physics, or Chemistry?

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Reply 20
Original post by co2014
when you say a1/ a2, do you mean hl/ sl? our school hasen't really put it across very well to us, but I understand that we're doing a first language course that is literature intensive :smile: they do offer hl/sl for that specific option though. English B is NOT offered. which english course would you recommend?

I am planning to make the other language of my choice SL, But HL If I can't choose either an HL or SL science. My preference for physics has been there for 2 years, and i've only started watching tbbt last week :smile: i find chemistry too small, if you get what I mean? two small to be practical and notable during life. The subject is enclosed within the lab :P. Is it more complicated than physics though? I might alter my choices. What group 4 subject do you recommend? my chemistry teacher told me that his HL students pass, but they don't necessarily reach a 7 or a 6.

For group 6, should it be a science or a humanity then? I can't chose because I don't really know, all the advice has been coming from you :biggrin:D I thank you, and give you an online round of applause. :smile:

Our school registers us with the IBO on the second year, meaning that we can switch between courses even three months into them.

Oh and one last thing, do you do a certificate or a diploma programme? I don't understand why people do certificates if you can get them with your diploma.


No, I don't mean HL/SL. A1 is English as a first language, which is very literature intensive. Then A2 also focuses a little on grammar - essentially English B. So if you're doing English A1 I would recommend for you to do SL. I did English A1 HL and it does require for you to be quite into it. Would you do two languages then?

Then if you are that interested, maybe you should do physics. But I would still recommend for you to do it at SL. If you're doing physics, would you still want to do chemistry on top of that or would you just scrap it? I really don't know which is more complicated. Chemistry is very intensive, but it doesn't require for you to add too much maths into the equation hence why it might be a better option for those doing Maths Studies.

I did a diploma programme. The only difference with that is whether or not you do full IB, with EE, TOK, and all 6 subjects. It's just personal preference, but I think the diploma programme is more respected by universities.

Right now what I would say are the best subject choices:

1.

Business and Management HL

2.

-

3.

-

4.

English SL

5.

Maths Studies

6.

Physics SL



So that way you have two of your higher levels to decide anymore.
Reply 21
After all that, I have come to this conclusion, which I officially submited:

2 SL languages
HL Physics
HL Chemistry
HL Economics
Maths studies

I feel rather depressed now? With maths studies, the rest of my options are useless. I thought of two humanities, but I thought it'd be better if i took to HL sciences since I may as well attempt to become a doctor.

Do schools have the power to chose the maths level you get into? I want to get into standard to ensure further education. If I find it hard, I can just move down, simple!

From my understanding of the situation, I can only specialize in art or farming. I do not want to do that. I did not chose art as an option, for my 2 gcse years, and i'm definitely not planning to do an IB in visual arts :frown::frown::frown:

How exactly will my current options feel? is it harder combination as i've heard? and what/where would these subjects give me a future??
(edited 12 years ago)
OMG NOT CHEMISTRY!!!!! don't hurt yourself like that! take econ, it's much more interesting than chem and easier. i took both these at HL, and my biggest regret is taking chem, and now it's a huge burden for me cause i need a 5 to get into my uni!! :frown:
Reply 23
Original post by co2014
After all that, I have come to this conclusion, which I officially submited:

2 SL languages
HL Physics
HL Chemistry
HL Economics
Maths studies

I feel rather depressed now? With maths studies, the rest of my options are useless. I thought of two humanities, but I thought it'd be better if i took to HL sciences since I may as well attempt to become a doctor.

Do schools have the power to chose the maths level you get into? I want to get into standard to ensure further education. If I find it hard, I can just move down, simple!

From my understanding of the situation, I can only specialize in art or farming. I do not want to do that. I did not chose art as an option, for my 2 gcse years, and i'm definitely not planning to do an IB in visual arts :frown::frown::frown:

How exactly will my current options feel? is it harder combination as i've heard? and what/where would these subjects give me a future??


Well, I wouldn't have taken Physics at all, and would have taken Business instead. I hope it works out for you though.
Reply 24
Hope I'm not too late on this one...
Err...
1. I wouldn't suggest taking Physics HL without Math HL...
2. Chem HL could be interesting if you like it, but don't take it if you're not interested in it
3. I would choose Econ over Business and Management any day, simply because it has a reputation for being quite easy. I take B&M SL and can honestly tell you that it's the most boring subject EVER (had to take it since the Psych teacher went on maternity leave that year and they couldn't find a sub). :/
4. I know a few people who took Math Studies and went on to study Econ, but all the best universities ask for Math HL
Reply 25
Original post by WLDL3
Hope I'm not too late on this one...
Err...
1. I wouldn't suggest taking Physics HL without Math HL...
2. Chem HL could be interesting if you like it, but don't take it if you're not interested in it
3. I would choose Econ over Business and Management any day, simply because it has a reputation for being quite easy. I take B&M SL and can honestly tell you that it's the most boring subject EVER (had to take it since the Psych teacher went on maternity leave that year and they couldn't find a sub). :/
4. I know a few people who took Math Studies and went on to study Econ, but all the best universities ask for Math HL


I did my best to tell him that. Apparently he was adamant about choosing Physics HL. I really, really hope it doesn't bite him back.
Reply 26
Original post by maitai
I did my best to tell him that. Apparently he was adamant about choosing Physics HL. I really, really hope it doesn't bite him back.


Yeah, I just noticed that he already chose his subjects... Well, it will be a lot of work. I guess it's not impossible, but it will be really difficult...
Reply 27
Original post by WLDL3
Yeah, I just noticed that he already chose his subjects... Well, it will be a lot of work. I guess it's not impossible, but it will be really difficult...


It wouldn't be so bad if it were Maths SL. But he has a lot of work ahead of him, if he wants to pull that off AND get the grades to study Economics or Business like he said.
Reply 28
Original post by maitai
It wouldn't be so bad if it were Maths SL. But he has a lot of work ahead of him, if he wants to pull that off AND get the grades to study Economics or Business like he said.


Agreed. I think keeping his Maths grade up as much as possible will be the most important (probably the only requirement he'll need for uni). But he won't be able to really relax in order to pull off Physics HL and Chem HL...
Reply 29
Maths studies is like GCSE maths.

Are you sure you can't take at least Standard Level Maths?

Did you not do GCSE maths (or equivalent) or did you get and F in in or what is up with that? What do you mean "my maths levels only allow me to take Maths Studies at this stage". I don't get this. Is your school stopping you? Bully them to let you do standard level at least.

If not, do A level maths on the side. Absolute must imo.
Original post by maitai
I did my best to tell him that. Apparently he was adamant about choosing Physics HL. I really, really hope it doesn't bite him back.


Actually our school only requires SL maths for HL physics
But taking SL maths will shut all the doors for any physics related courses at UK unis.
So if he's taking HL physics for the sake of it, and not for the sake of university, then there's nothing wrong with that.
Which is fine, HL physics isn't really as terrible as people make it out to be...
Reply 31
Original post by jacksonriddle
Actually our school only requires SL maths for HL physics
But taking SL maths will shut all the doors for any physics related courses at UK unis.
So if he's taking HL physics for the sake of it, and not for the sake of university, then there's nothing wrong with that.
Which is fine, HL physics isn't really as terrible as people make it out to be...


If you read back in the thread he had dreams of LSE... With Maths Studies, he has pretty much cancelled that out.
Reply 32
Original post by maitai
If you read back in the thread he had dreams of LSE... With Maths Studies, he has pretty much cancelled that out.


Agreed. A shame, really. I don't understand how he can't take anything above Studies? Does the school not allow it? I know LSE asks for Math HL for Econ...
Reply 33
Original post by WLDL3
Agreed. A shame, really. I don't understand how he can't take anything above Studies? Does the school not allow it? I know LSE asks for Math HL for Econ...


Yeah. I know places like Durham, Edinburgh, Oxbridge and Warwick also want Maths SL at least - but all prefer Maths HL.
It's really a shame. I don't know, if I were him I wouldn't have taken Physics and would have taken Business. Because I think Business would have been easier for him to get high grades in, and maybe then his predicted grades will outshine his subject choices. :/
Reply 34
Original post by maitai
Yeah. I know places like Durham, Edinburgh, Oxbridge and Warwick also want Maths SL at least - but all prefer Maths HL.
It's really a shame. I don't know, if I were him I wouldn't have taken Physics and would have taken Business. Because I think Business would have been easier for him to get high grades in, and maybe then his predicted grades will outshine his subject choices. :/


Yeah, business would have been easier to get high grades in, but personally I find it to be the most boring class EVER. Maybe he'll do better in Physics if it interests him? In my school the teachers told us to always go for the subjects which we will get the highest grades in and the 1-2 subjects which we need for uni because your overall grades might be even more important than that one subject grade, but who knows...
Reply 35
Original post by WLDL3
Yeah, business would have been easier to get high grades in, but personally I find it to be the most boring class EVER. Maybe he'll do better in Physics if it interests him? In my school the teachers told us to always go for the subjects which we will get the highest grades in and the 1-2 subjects which we need for uni because your overall grades might be even more important than that one subject grade, but who knows...


I have no doubt that he'll do better because he is interested in physics. But the fact is, he will be behind the rest of the students that ARE taking Maths SL or HL. So he's making it rather difficult for himself. It will be very hard for him to get a 6/7 for Physics, and would have been much easier for him to get that in Business... Which in turn would boost his overall score.
Because a lot of the top universities do demand 38+ overall. He has his work cut out for him if he is striving for Russell Group rather than just uni in general.
Reply 36
Original post by maitai
I have no doubt that he'll do better because he is interested in physics. But the fact is, he will be behind the rest of the students that ARE taking Maths SL or HL. So he's making it rather difficult for himself. It will be very hard for him to get a 6/7 for Physics, and would have been much easier for him to get that in Business... Which in turn would boost his overall score.
Because a lot of the top universities do demand 38+ overall. He has his work cut out for him if he is striving for Russell Group rather than just uni in general.


Ah, yes, I agree with that. I just think it's a shame that a school would hold back a student so much...
Original post by maitai
If you read back in the thread he had dreams of LSE... With Maths Studies, he has pretty much cancelled that out.


damn, i read it wrong and thought he was going to do methods SL.
well then there would be a lot of problems with physics, there's a bit of calculus and logarithms and quite a few other areas that studies doesn't cover quite enough detail.
there was a person two years above me that did studies and said she regretted it because she had to learn a lot of the content for SL maths for HL physics anyway.
Original post by co2014
Please help me! I need a detailed answer, which I would really appreciate if you answer my questions :smile: I posted this on yahoo answers too.

I need 3 HL subjects, and i have no idea which I should take. I don't really have an idea of what my future occupation should be, and therefore I came up with these possibilites:

Business and Managment
Chemistry
Physics

(All in HL)

This , I thought, would give me a chance at more physical-scientific jobs. Is the combination too hard? I added the business HL instead of economics because I thought it would be more acceptable and recognized, and will open more doors, yet after reading online, I found that economics was more recognized, and business was frowned upon?

Are two sciences hard? or should I take two humanities? Business and economics. I didn't take geography at IGCSE, so would it be advisable to take it? I take IGCSE ICT, yet I think IB ITGS wouldn't really work out very well?

I need Maths HL for business,economics, and physics professions, but my maths levels only allow me to take Maths Studies at this stage? does this mean I'm stuck with no possibilites of getting the jobs I desire?

I wanted to be a pilot, yet after IGCSE, I figured out that I love humanities, and that I'm reasonable at the sciences (averaging between a B and an A in physics and chemistry).


Oh the geography note, it's pretty accessible if you didn't do IGCSE.

I did IGCSE and got an A* and get 6s my friend didn't do Geography IGCSE but did IB HL Geography because she didn't want economics and she gets 7s.
Reply 39
I hope classes aren't full for next year, I am freaked out of physics now. It is that hard? I was reading around, and it said HL physics was not calculus based?

I thought taking two HL sciences would be better than two HL humanities for that if I fail to get a course in economics or business, I would have something to fall back onto in medicine or such.

Now, I'm troubled. Really troubled. My perspective of physics (until a few minutes ago) was that it contained mostly formulas that can be arranged, and maybe a little more that I can handle reasonably. but if it is mostly SL-Maths oriented, which, as you put it across, is a completely different world, then I am stuck in life :s-smilie:

I should've listed to maitai . As for my business/physics preference, I actually enjoy and score amazingly in both at this point in time.

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