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I need help with IB Math AA SL

I am currently in the final year of IB and about 3 months away from the exams. I took the Math AA SL mock exam today and I honestly think I failed without receiving any points at all. The math was of course familiar to me, but I wasn’t able to solve almost any of it. I consider myself a hard-working student and have devoted many hours to my education throughout the course of IB, but due to HL subjects that are very challenging and new to me such as Biology and Chemistry, I have had very little time to focus on math. Alongside always having issues with mathematics, the classes have been taught almost entirely in Polish, in which I have never had math before in my life. The teacher is also not approachable and makes students feel stupid for asking questions, so I have had to base my math learning mainly on individual study and tutoring. The tutoring has helped, but taking into account my level and the amount I need to know, it simply hasn’t been enough.

Failing the mock exam was really painful for me because I really do believe I am a hard-working student and I really want to at least pass, but at the moment I feel like I am a failure and my life is ruined. Math is not the only subject I am struggling with, so I don’t have the time to devote all my time to it in the upcoming months. Taking IB in and of itself was a choice I made for the hope of improvement, considering I already finished secondary school beforehand, so I really don’t want to take any more time out of my life by retaking exams or the school year.

I am writing this question to ask if anyone would maybe have any advice for me or any ideas on what I should do further. I understand that my situation doesn’t look too good, but I want to see if there is still any hope for me. Thank you very much in advance for your help.

Reply 1

BubblesBB

Please approach your school IB co-ordinator and also your Math teacher. Have a 3-way conference to see how your school can support. Your Math exams are on 1st and 2nd of May. You have 2 months and I think a Math tutor could be really helpful to you.

Reply 2

Jósef

Hello, thank you for your reply. I have talked to my IB coordinator several times in the past, but the only advice I have received is to ask my math teacher for help, who doesn't really want to help anyone. When I ask about something in class he reluctantly explains the concept again, but not in a way that I understand and not in English either, so I rely solely on tutoring and studying independently. I meet with two math tutors every week and they have helped, but I'm not learning at a rate that will allow me to succeed in the exam.

Reply 3

BubblesBB

Stay positive and do the best that you can. Make sure you are getting enough nutrition and ample rest. Soon, your exams will be over and you will graduate. Just know that there will be moderation and the grade boundaries will shift depending on global performance. Good luck!

Thank you

Original post by Jósef

I think at this point you've done a lot already. Maths AA is very difficult to cram, especially this close to exams. Don't sacrifice your HLs for Maths SL since -- although getting a low Maths grade might bring down your overall score -- HLs are really your most important subjects. Do as well as you can and study lots, but at the end of the day you should prioritise your HLs. Best of luck!