[24hoursmiles]

Hello

Just a quick question for everyone who's either taken the IB or is taking it from September; how much stationary did you use or are planning on taking?

The school provides us with the basics on our first day, yet I'm assuming this is just the very basic pencils, pens, ruler etc. whereas for example do you need a folder for each subject? or a student diary? or ring binders for lessons and then notebooks for note-taking?!

Any advice would be great! Thanks!

[Flip1]

that's a bit of an odd question...it's really up to your study habits lol

[shirlz2808]

im hoping to study IB too!
-I'm getting a really big fashionable bag
-7 folders
- 7 notebooks
- massive pencil case
- Post its
- Some sort of small voice recording device for classes
- USB pen
- Graphic Calculator
- Revision guides from Cambridge and Oxford I heard they are really great

[PrismaticCore]

(Original post by shirlz2808)
im hoping to study IB too!
-I'm getting a really big fashionable bag
-7 folders
- 7 notebooks
- massive pencil case
- Post its
- Some sort of small voice recording device for classes
- USB pen
- Graphic Calculator
- Revision guides from Cambridge and Oxford I heard they are really great

You're either trolling or wasting your money...

[shirlz2808]

I always get super prepared before a course lol
I had more stuff for my GCSE exams anyways

[24hoursmiles]

(Original post by Flip1)
that's a bit of an odd question...it's really up to your study habits lol

Yeah I understand that, but just trying to weigh up exactly the amount of the work and then folders etc..

[saachi]

Main thing you need is a good computer/ laptop that's reliable and never crashes... because trust me, there's nothing more horrifying than losing all your IA's and EE and TOK.

[nimrod100]

(Original post by saachi)
Main thing you need is a good computer/ laptop that's reliable and never crashes... because trust me, there's nothing more horrifying than losing all your IA's and EE and TOK.

This.
I work in an IB school and this year we had a student lose all their IA's and Extended essay work because hey only saved it only the one laptop. Get at least 2 USB sticks, keep one with you and one at home. Get an email account ( if you don't have one already) and email everything as well. The student in question was lucky all her teachers had kept all her work and it was just a case of either scanning the papers or re-typing the work, but the terror of this happening is not worth it if you can avoid it.

[Rosalind]

.615 caliber shotgun for the moment you realise the IB has destroyed your life

[24hoursmiles]

(Original post by saachi)
Main thing you need is a good computer/ laptop that's reliable and never crashes... because trust me, there's nothing more horrifying than losing all your IA's and EE and TOK.

(Original post by nimrod100)
This.
I work in an IB school and this year we had a student lose all their IA's and Extended essay work because hey only saved it only the one laptop. Get at least 2 USB sticks, keep one with you and one at home. Get an email account ( if you don't have one already) and email everything as well. The student in question was lucky all her teachers had kept all her work and it was just a case of either scanning the papers or re-typing the work, but the terror of this happening is not worth it if you can avoid it.

Thank-you to both of you! At home currently, I have a computer in my room which I do all of my work on, however I'm going to a boarding school and so I can't take it with me. Though my parents are really 'scraping it' to an extent to send me to this school, so is your own laptop rather than the provided school computer rooms vital? I am working over the next 5 weeks, though I was planning on giving all the money straight to my parents, so basically, is a laptop absolutely vital, like your own one?
Sorry for the long post!

[saachi]

(Original post by 24hoursmiles)
Thank-you to both of you! At home currently, I have a computer in my room which I do all of my work on, however I'm going to a boarding school and so I can't take it with me. Though my parents are really 'scraping it' to an extent to send me to this school, so is your own laptop rather than the provided school computer rooms vital? I am working over the next 5 weeks, though I was planning on giving all the money straight to my parents, so basically, is a laptop absolutely vital, like your own one?
Sorry for the long post!

To be honest, yes, having your own laptop is really important. You'll need to have constant access to all your World Lits, labs, math projects/ portfolio, etc. Unless you're highly organised there will be times when you'll be pulling all nighters to finish things and mail them to teachers. Plus I wouldn't advise storing your work in a computer that anyone can access; you don't want to get caught plagiarizing for no fault of yours. I'd highly recommend not relying on any computer that isn't yours, and only yours.

On my laptop I had a folder for IB and a sub- folder for every subject including EE and TOK and past papers and what not. There were times when I had to discuss a first draft, formatting, etc. with a teacher so portability also becomes an issue.

That said, you don't need a very expensive machine. There are loads of reasonably priced laptops that will do the job just fine; as far as school work is concerned you're looking at very basic stuff. I'd even go so far as to suggest that you sell your computer at home to help compensate financially, because you might regret not taking one with you to school.