Is it okay to do a few "soft" subjects at IB?

I mean, I am generally a really hard worker. But I don't like subjects which require TOO much work...especially at IB where you have to do like 6 subjects plus EE, TOK and CAS.

My HL subjects so far are: English, History, Economics

They're fine right?? Like, I am pretty sure I want to do law and economics will just look good in my application. I also love economics although it is hard and I am doing it now at IGCSE. However, my SL subjects are slightly...discouraging I would say. Like they're all really what universities would consider "soft".

SL SUBJECTS: Chinese (B SL), Math Studies, Environment

I am fluent at chinese which means that B SL would be like a piece of cake to me. But I don't really like chinese and don't wish to spend time on it. I picked Math SL but thinking of dropping it next year since we have maths on at the same time and it won't affect my schedule. And also environment...I actually signed for biology but now I'm not too sure. I heard that history and english is going to kill me and I haven't done history before so that would be pretty...hard for me. So yeh, I was thinking if I had 3 "tough" subjects at HL...would it matter to have 3 "soft" subjects at SL? Mainly its the HL subjects I want to put work on, and the SL subjects that I minorly care about.

PS. i have a feeling my thread is going to moved somewhere...*sigh*

Reply 1

Jordan694

I don't really see it as being a problem, especially because HL History is quite difficult and form my experience the higher subjects are the most influential in your uni application. I'm a Law student at the moment and because the IB doesn't offer Law, any subject which shows you can critically apply facts and allow you to demonstrate that you do actually possess literary skills should be fine. and English and History will do that.

Just aim for a good end-result and you shouldn't have any problems, quite a few universities just like to see IB students rather than the generic A-Levelers... well my Faculty Coordinator seemed to quite like that I took the IB :smile:

Reply 2

clare.is.rice

where are you applying to? generally UK uni's only care about your higher levels. So unless you are looking at Oxford or Cambridge, or any of the really competitive uni's it shouldn't matter what your standard levels are.

That being said you may need to check with your economics teacher and see if he/she thinks standard level maths would help you with economics. (I don't take economics so I have no idea but I have a feeling maths comes in there somewhere). Also if you take maths studies you won't be able to study economics at uni if you change your mind about doing law that is. So what I am trying to say is it narrows down your options.

Reply 3

Iapetus

No, it's fine. And I hate people like you that do a B language when they shouldn't. It's just not fair.

Reply 4

Thingeh

There's nothing wrong with it at all. I doubt very much that any university would care, considering you're not applying for a degree which science/maths is needed in, and Chinese B isn't really considered soft anyway.

Reply 5

get__free

My subjects are quite similar and honesty, I think universities are going to realize that you've taken those SL subjects for a reason, considering its compulsory in IB to take one from each group (with the exception of the arts). They're bound to see that if you are applying for something like economics then looking at your environment grade is not going to matter to them.

I have a lot of friends that take history at HL. It is tough work, but I think if you are okay at remember dates, people, events and such, it's an "okay" (okay for IB standards of work load! :P) course to take. There's much worse you could take at HL.

My question is, if you haven't taken history before and it doesn't sound like you are going to be involved with it at university, why take it at HL?

Reply 6

sirensinging

It sounds fine to me. Not much to add, except that I don't think English HL would be that bad. English was one of the subjects I considered at HL, and in hindsight I really could have done fine with it - the second WL isn't too bad from what I've heard (there's quite a bit of freedom with it), and the extra texts were mainly optional (except for the IOC one) anyway.

Maths isn't used much in Eco - there were a couple in my school who did Studies and did fine. Though I agree with claire.is.rice about if you change your mind. I used to want to do law, then changed to Eco, and am so glad I did Maths HL, since that's what they're recommended at uni.

Reply 7

andreavivan

If you are applying to read econ in the UK you definitely need Maths SL if not HL, check some unies, the other ones are all right I think

Reply 8

scumie

Thanks guys :smile:

I am taking economics because I enjoy it - but I am not planning to take it as a course in university. I am currently struggling between Environmental Systems and Biology. I mean I LIKE biology but heard that it is hard even at SL and its quite tough - the syllabus is huge. And I've already got three very hard subjects at HL and I know I will struggle.

But there are also people who said environmental systems is hard so I'm pretty confused now. Also, I am doing geography now at GCSE and heard that many of the geography content is learned in environment - so I would be slightly advantaged. I don't know, what should I do?? I really want a nice, calm year. Not a difficult one.

Reply 9

metjush

if you have doubts about biology and you're not gonna need it after IB, don't take it :smile:

Biology is just damn hard at IB... lot of things to memorise, loads of lab reports...

and I don't really think you should be anyhow disadvantaged due to taking Environment or Math Studies... They're surely not that easy and as you wanna read Law at uni, the unis won't really care about your science or maths...

Reply 10

ailin350

I take similar courses:

HL:
Mandarin B
Economics
History

SL:
Math
English
Physics

It really depends on which subject you want to do in university. HL History is a pain. I don't recommand taking it. There are so much stuff to memorize; not only you need to know the facts, you also have to memorize historiography. What history will you take? European?

Reply 11

bemusedcapybara

change studies to math SL and you're fine.

Reply 12

colorization

I kind of agree with some posters above. History will be challenging if you've no previous experiences, with the fact that history requires a lot of memorization.

By the way can you share a bit more how fluent is your Chinese? From your tone it seems that you are capable of taking either Chinese A1 or A2.

Try to switch Chinese B SL to B HL or even to Chinese A2 HL(if you're a native-Chinese speaker) and History from HL to SL. In this way you can earn a "Bilingual Diploma" by taking two A languages. :biggrin: