IB revision courses - which one can you recommend?

Hi

I want to attend an IB revision course in spring and I am not sure which one to choose.

I've found the following courses: OSC, London IB Revision, Oxford Royale, Europe Revision courses

It's hard to tell which one is the "best" - so I was hoping someone here has experience or heard sth about them - if they are supposed to be good or bad.

(btw, I've searched the forum and the threads I found did not really give me the info I am looking for.)

So, can anyone recommend a course?

Thanks a lot!

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Reply 1

-Aimee-

The OSC course was recommended to me by a friend. I went there for Chemistry. It was probably one of the best decisions I made during my 2 years of IB. A few of my friends have done it too and I believe they would whole-heartedly recommend it.

Good luck :smile:

Reply 2

Speyside

toulo

I had exactly the same problem when looking for a revision course. It's hard to know which one is best since no one has attended more than one :smile:

most people seem to like the courses they have attended, so I think any revision course will benefit you

However when I looked around the forum it seemed as if people who had attended Revision Courses Europe courses were the ones who were the most positive (plus I discovered they were alot cheaper than the other ones) so I ended up going to those - I attended Bio SL, Physics HL & Maths HL. They were all great and I really felt they helped me a lot! So I can warmly recommend them :yep:

That being said, I'm sure the other ones are good as well (however I have not heard of Oxford Royale or LIBRC)

:rolleyes:

long message, hope it helps!

Reply 3

talespirit

I went to OSC pre-IB and mid-IB, if you're willing to pay, it really does help :smile:

Reply 4

d_reamy

I was told that these revision courses don't help much actually, especially of you want to achieve 7s and 6s and not just pass. But I might be wrong... :smile:

Reply 5

Hyeree

osc is teachers revision courses europe is ex ib students. . .
i might attend the osc for chem depending on if i find my notes or not :s-smilie:

Reply 6

Tailormade

I'm also looking for this and I can't make up my mind.. OSC looks very professional and great teachers, but what do they offer that my school doesn't?! Revision courses europe offer, after what I've read a quite cool concept.. But does it work?... Anyone? I think it's very captivating, and afterall, it's not like i'm longing for more school.. Maybe revision courses europe is a good alternative that can be fun.. Aha :mad:

I don't know what i'm talking about now.. If anyone have any more information.. Please let me know! :confused:

I NEED it!! :eek:

Reply 7

johakyu

not difficult
- OSC teachers are mostly examiners who have taught the course often and maybe set the questions and write books on how to revise the subject ( go look at the website )
- Lanterna are students who have never taught before...

You get what you pay for. The others are all dodgy - you might get a great teacher, you might get a dud.

Reply 8

Nadas

Lanterna students have had the subjects before. Know the exams. Know what is expected. All of the tutors were excellent IB students with above 39 points and 7 in the subject they tutor. They prepare a lot. Make notes according to the syllabus. Give out past exam papers. They know what they are doing!!

Reply 9

Focus08

Save money by buying all course companions and study guides, and just read through them. Same results, less money spent.

Reply 10

CocoPop

Sevenoaks School in Kent (UK) does a really good IB summer revision course. You can cover two subjects in a week, but I only did Physics over three days. I found it really good, and many people who had also attended the OSC course seemed to think that Sevenoaks focused more on work and less on socializing, which I think is a plus when you're paying that kind of money.

But at the end of the day these revision courses are really what you make of them. You can ass about all day or work hard and pay attention in classes - it's really up to you. The teacher's coursework advice helped IMMENSELY for both me and my class, which was where my school was lacking. I was also able to attend talks about personal statements and discuss my extended essay individually with a teacher. The physics teacher was also one of the people who writes the physics papers.

As much as these courses are about going over revision material, they are also about getting the most from your teachers. Asking for advice, handing in courseworks so that they can mark them and provide advice etc. You can always revise on your own at home otherwise. I also wanted to have a nice social experience, which I definitely got.

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 11

Speyside

Original post by johakyu

haven't been logged in for a year or so but got an email that this thread was active and had to reply... :smile:

I took several courses w Lanterna both spring & summer (apparantly they changed name since I attended their courses!!! Can't understand why though... Lanterna just sounds... weird)

It does sound a bit strange considering they're recent IB rgaduates, but the tutors I had were more knowledgeable about their subjects and definitely a lot better at explaining stuff than the teachers I had at school, and most people I met at the courses agreed. I agree with Nadas, they really know what they're doing. No duds :tongue:

Having said that I haven't attended OSC courses, I'm sure they're good as well. But Lanterna was some of the best teaching I've ever had (btw Uni teachers all suck... you'll soon notice :smile:

)

/D

Reply 12

blindpet

OSC and Lanterna are both great. You may find greater benefits having a student explain things rather than an experienced teacher (they just don't speak student lingo in some cases). Having attended OSC summer courses I can say they are beneficial but they still didn't answer all the questions I had despite being there for 5 weeks.

There will be pros and cons for both courses but whichever you choose, it won't be a waste of your time.

@johakyu: While some Lanterna tutors will be first timers, Lanterna uses incentives to have successful tutors return by increasing their pay each time they return (up until 4 recurring teaching positions). They also do extensive surveying to find out student satisfaction of the teaching experience and try to get the favorite tutors back for the next session (yours truly being one of them :P).

@Focus: Revision courses are not a waste of money, they put you in an environment where you feel obligated to revise and prepare for exams, how can that be a waste (even if you don't learn anything new necessarily, which you undoubtedly will).

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 13

globalstudent

Best ones are offered by SRP education

Reply 14

Chemit

I'd say just buy a revision guide and revise from there -- pretty decent resource

Reply 15

piersmoore

Aim for 'A' Revision courses tailor revision courses to your IB needs for one to one tutoring (from £380) and group tuition from £360 for up to 3 days of tutoring at Tonbridge School, one of the region's top private schools. You can receive a discount from Cyclex, if you look for Aim for 'A' there, under 'revision courses'.

Reply 16

Elizabeth95

OSC is the best one you can get. All of the Dutch IB schools send their students there. I've been and im going again for the easter revision course, so if you do plan on going let me know and maybe we'll have classes together. But i must tell you they are amazing, all the IB students who graduated in June 2012 found it very helpful and they boosted their grades.

Reply 17

shopoholic

I went to a Lanterna IB course for Maths SL, it was extremely helpful! they do their courses in summer, winter and spring. Locations are Stockholm and London :smile:

Reply 18

Axara

I can really recommend, IBWISE in Vienna. Excellent teachers and an amazing program in a great city. My grades rocketed.

Reply 19

Enigma Machine

OSC is quite expensive but it was an amazing experience, definitely worth it.

I went there for HL Maths and it was really helpful, condensed about a year's worth of content into a week.