Choosing IB subjects and levels (Group 3 and 4), advice please?

Hi all,
I'm registering for my IBDP for the July intake, and I've been having some sleepless nights over my subject combinations.

I've been talking with the IB advisor of the college over this but I need some more opinions. I'm planning to do law/speech therapy/accounting in university, the main one is law. Law doesn't have pre-requisites except preferring essay-based subs, speech therapy is psych and bio, accounting is math and econs.

My combinations:
English Lit HL
French SL
Economics HL
Psychology HL
Biology SL
Mathematics SL

I know it sounds pretty random. I'm already quite fixed on the subjects, but not the levels..

Group 3: I wanted to do History but not available. There is Business Management, but they say Economics is much more respected and academic. Is Psychology more respected for top UK uni compared to Business?

Also my college is restricting students from choosing Econs and Psych together. This is weird, do their syllabuses overlap or in any way not recommended to do together, does anyone know?
They're restricting Physics and Bio too, which I can understand because Chem is usually the main science.

Group 4: I'm doing Biology because it's my best science for GCSE. SL for Bio and Math because I'm not a natural in science/math, although I did get As in GCSE. I feel I'll do better in Humanities, although Econs and Psych are completely new subjects to me. Is it wise to do them in HL if they're new to me?

Levels: Is it okay to do Math at SL? I'm not extremely strong in Math, but suddenly I feel like Math is so damn important :frown:

Is Econs harder than Math? I think my analysing/essay skills are better than mathematical skills...I did better in accounting GCSE than math.

Ultimately it would be more logical to change HL from Psych to Math, since Math is more respected. But I might like Psych more. Is Psych essay-based? I have 6weeks to change my levels, but it would be a hassle as I have to buy new books. I'm confused. Please advise, anyone?
Thanks so much!

Reply 1

pupillageacct

I'd highly recommend Econ HL! I'm taking it this year and it's one of my favorite classes. It's highly focused on essay writing, and requires the ability to remember large amounts of course material. It's somewhat complicated- IB is horrendously picky on wording. If you're a more liberal arts person like I am, though, I think you'll really enjoy the class. There's no math more complicated than simple division which can be done mentally, so it's fairly easy on that front. A typical question is in parts like "Define this term, explain with graphs, evaluate/offer possible solutions to the problem."

I think it's alright to do math at SL, but then I'm in the US and so I can't speak for what UK universities want. If you're applying for law I think SL should be fine, but if you want accounting you might need HL math. I do know that my friends in HL math say it's quite hard, and that if you wouldn't consider yourself a math person it might be difficult for you. SL math from what I've heard (I'm not taking it until next year) is quite easy, but still fairly well-respected.

As for bio and psych I can't really advise there because my school only offers the most common IB classes and so we don't have the option of taking those.

Reply 2

ellenne

HL Economics is relatively straightforward and in that sense an easy and enjoyable IB subject to do (also has one of the highest percentages of students at HL getting 7s, I think). Mathematics is not one of my strongest areas, but the calculations include simple multiplication at the hardest so anyone is able to do it. Business Management is considered a "soft" subject by most universities. Depending on your subject area, the UK universities will hold Economics or Psychology in higher regard.

HL Economics is also a course in which you begin from the easiest possible theories, supply and demand etc. so you can easily take it without any previous experience on the subject. I don't know about Psychology, but I would assume it is the same.

If you don't enjoy Math and are not interested in it, I would say that taking HL Psychology will give you an easier 7, which will be more respected by the UK universities than a low grade in HL Math (which is hard), especially if you have decided on studying humanities or languages in the future. If you feel like you would like to study anything economics- or natural sciences- related, then I would say HL Math would be more useful. That just means that you have to work hard. There is a real difference between Math SL and HL.

Reply 3

co2014

I'd ramble on how great HL economics is, but the two posters above me already did :smile:

. Although I take SL , I know that as a matter of fact, economics remains intriguing and interesting at all levels. There is also not much of a difference between HL and SL, unlike the sciences, where HL student do double the work SL students do.

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 4

SunRiseAtDawn

The restrict it because they subjects have nothing to do with each other. Like chemistry is the linking science, its either goes with biology or with physics. and therefore with out the common link biology and chemistry have nothing to do with each other. think that's what they are trying to do with economics and psychology, history is the normal link between them as history involve political economics of countries and the psychology of people. but I don't really see it as a good enough reason to not let you take them togetther

Reply 5

michelle37

efthemia and ellenne, thanks for the replies. :smile:

Seems like Economics makes quite a number of people happy, no matter HL or SL! As I already have a good feeling about Economics over Maths, I think I'm making the right choice.

You people are right, I should choose something that I'm interested in to get a better mark than something I know I'll be struggling with...IB has so many areas that one could not afford to struggle too much in any one subject, else everything will be pulled down too.

I guess I'm just a little worried that I'm studying so many new subjects than familiar science and maths ones. But I'm feeling better about that now, thanks! :biggrin:

Original post by co2014

There is also not much of a difference between HL and SL, unlike the sciences, where HL student do double the work SL students do.

Hmm then I'd better take Psychology and Econs at HL than Biology! I wouldn't want to add any more unnecessary workload to already overflowing IB work. :smile:

Original post by SunRiseAtDawn

I see, that makes it clear now! I think that's a possible reason. Business Management would be also the common link between Psychology and Economics. :smile: