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The "Which IB subjects should I choose" Thread

@vgstrat I do Math SL ...

And yes I agree, the teachers are much worse than I expected at this new school, though its supposed to be a famous IB school that has excellent IB results. I find the teachers are lazy and easily irritated, and they do not teach!! Every student here feels the same, its just some cope with studying all nights to make up for it.

I understand about the workload, thats why I want opinions on whether or not to go to HKU and just forget about IB, this hurdle in my life.

However I ALWAYS dreamt of Oxbridge... :frown:

and I can't bear to leave my boyfriend and best friends here....but I guess I will if I have to...........

I got my commentary back today and it was a 4 for Eng A1 HL.

Reply 441

vgstrat

9

Danomind

Hi guys, I have to decide on something that may change my life:

-I study in Hong Kong.

-I got 10 A*s and 1 A in GCSEs.

- Am doing IB for 6 months now, but my grades are dropping significantly :eek3:

and it's so stressful and I'm worn out.

- My report grade was a: 34 for IB (excluding bonus points)

- HKU is accepting me for LLB Law based on an "Early admissions scheme" for my good GCSE results.

- HKU LLB law requires usually a 38-40 PG.

- 1) Should I go? I just transfered schools to do the IB, and that itself had changed my life. Made more friends than I ever did in this new school, can't bear to leave them.

2) If I stay and do IB for 1 more year, I doubt my PG will be high enough to even apply back to HKU.

3) I really had hopes for oxbridge or ivy leagues when I was doing GCSEs, but now the dreams are shattered.... :frown:

4) My IB school now has lazy teachers that do not teach well (except for Bio).

My grades for now:

Biology HL- 7
English A1 HL- 4
Geography HL- 7
Chinese SL- 6
History SL- 7
Math SL- 3

Pls help me figure some things out :frown:

Feeling depressed and miserable...

As I said in my earlier reply

Your grades are fine, but you seem to be struggling with Maths and English...
Try to improve them to 6 or 7 and you should do fine....

I can suggest some great books on mathematics, but they are for A - level and I am not sure how useful they will be.....

I will let you know after I have checked the IB mathematics syllabus..

For Mathematics SL, use:

#Mathematics: THe Core Course for A Level by Bostock and Chandler for Topic 1, 2, 3 and 7 of IB syllabus.

#Further Pure Mathematics by Bostock and Chandler for Topic 4.

#Mathematics: Mechanics and Probability for Topic 5

#Understanding Statistics by Upton and Cook for Topic 6

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For Mathematics HL use:

#Mathematics: The Core Course for A level by Bostock and Chandler for Topic 1, 2, 3, 7, 10

#Further Pure Mathematics Bostock and Chandler for Topic 4, 9

#Mathematics: Mechanics and Probability Bostock and Chandler for Topic 5

#Understanding Statistics by Upton and Cook for topics 6, 8

#Further Mechanics and Probability by Bostock and Chandler for Topic 10.

I don't remember the name of the book I use for Discrete Mathematics (Topic 11) (Returned it to the Library last week, will let you know if you need it...

Reply 442

AnonymousPenguin

16

Maths can be learned quite easily, especially SL - it's all very much formulaic. As for English - do you have to take it at HL?

If you leave the IB, what exams would you do then? I don't see why they would be much easier.

EDIT: Teachers also tend to under-predict for reports and over-predict for uni admissions, well at least mine did. Take that into account and don't make any rash decisions.

Reply 443

Turdburger

16

Danomind

Hi guys, I have to decide on something that may change my life:

-I study in Hong Kong.

-I got 10 A*s and 1 A in GCSEs.

- Am doing IB for 6 months now, but my grades are dropping significantly :eek3:

and it's so stressful and I'm worn out.

- My report grade was a: 34 for IB (excluding bonus points)

- HKU is accepting me for LLB Law based on an "Early admissions scheme" for my good GCSE results.

- HKU LLB law requires usually a 38-40 PG.

- 1) Should I go? I just transfered schools to do the IB, and that itself had changed my life. Made more friends than I ever did in this new school, can't bear to leave them.

2) If I stay and do IB for 1 more year, I doubt my PG will be high enough to even apply back to HKU.

3) I really had hopes for oxbridge or ivy leagues when I was doing GCSEs, but now the dreams are shattered.... :frown:

4) My IB school now has lazy teachers that do not teach well (except for Bio).

My grades for now:

Biology HL- 7
English A1 HL- 4
Geography HL- 7
Chinese SL- 6
History SL- 7
Math SL- 3

Pls help me figure some things out :frown:

Feeling depressed and miserable...

If you got an A* at GCSE, you will just not get a 3 at SL, baring it mind most people who get an A* at GCSE will get an A at A level which is about at the level of a 6 HL.

Reply 444

Danomind

2

I am not understanding math due to the teacher. She teaches in a way that...I do not understand. Coupled with the stress of the other subjects and the intense workload, and the CAS, I just did not have time to practice math.

Reply 445

Danomind

2

vgstrat

As I said in my earlier reply

Your grades are fine, but you seem to be struggling with Maths and English...
Try to improve them to 6 or 7 and you should do fine....

I can suggest some great books on mathematics, but they are for A - level and I am not sure how useful they will be.....

I will let you know after I have checked the IB mathematics syllabus..

For Mathematics SL, use:

#Mathematics: THe Core Course for A Level by Bostock and Chandler for Topic 1, 2, 3 and 7 of IB syllabus.

#Further Pure Mathematics by Bostock and Chandler for Topic 4.

#Mathematics: Mechanics and Probability for Topic 5

#Understanding Statistics by Upton and Cook for Topic 6

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For Mathematics HL use:

#Mathematics: The Core Course for A level by Bostock and Chandler for Topic 1, 2, 3, 7, 10

#Further Pure Mathematics Bostock and Chandler for Topic 4, 9

#Mathematics: Mechanics and Probability Bostock and Chandler for Topic 5

#Understanding Statistics by Upton and Cook for topics 6, 8

#Further Mechanics and Probability by Bostock and Chandler for Topic 10.

I don't remember the name of the book I use for Discrete Mathematics (Topic 11) (Returned it to the Library last week, will let you know if you need it...

Thank you, but just thinking about this work makes me think if I just go to HKU then it's all past me... :frown:

I'll check them out ASAP

Reply 446

vgstrat

9

Danomind

Thank you, but just thinking about this work makes me think if I just go to HKU then it's all past me... :frown:

I'll check them out ASAP

Becoming successful isn't easy (unless you are an enlighted one...)...
Anyways you don't have to do the whole book..... Just a few chapters from each.... :yes:

IB maths syllabus is way easier than my CIE mathematics.......

Reply 447

satisfactionatlast

20

AnonymousPenguin

Maths can be learned quite easily, especially SL - it's all very much formulaic. As for English - do you have to take it at HL?

If you leave the IB, what exams would you do then? I don't see why they would be much easier.

EDIT: Teachers also tend to under-predict for reports and over-predict for uni admissions, well at least mine did. Take that into account and don't make any rash decisions.

Oh really? And how can you easily get the concepts? I'm struggling with it myself :smile:

Any best way/method/technique to study for it? Especially calulus?

Reply 448

Welix

2

You're only 6 months in and pretty much anyone gets that initial shock I believe. If you just work on your English and maths (which, if you got an A* at GCSE for should be no problem for you if you do some papers/exercises beyond what your teacher is giving you!) then you'll be fine and should find it easy to get to the 40s range. Remember you need to write a really good TOK essay and EE too though, always refer to the markschemes.

However, if Oxbridge is your only real reason for this debate, just go to HKU if you can. Not even a 45 can guarantee you a place at Oxbridge, let alone a 40ish mark. Plus, HKU is an excellent university and with the added competition for Law, I think it would almost be crazy to turn down the opportunity, especially if you think you can't make the IB grades for applying to HKU later!

Reply 449

AnonymousPenguin

16

satisfactionatlast

Oh really? And how can you easily get the concepts? I'm struggling with it myself :smile:

Any best way/method/technique to study for it? Especially calulus?

Calculus is derivatives and integrals, right? As far as I remember that was the least concept-heavy part of the course. Derivatives are just a bunch of formulae and I don't think the SL course has integration by parts and by substitution so it's once again just formulae. The formulae are usually in the data booklet and one neat trick is too look at the results of derivatives and use that for missing integral formulae.

As for integration by parts and by substitution - well that's the part I never quite got to learning myself and in retrospect I wish I'd done SL maths and not HL. Also, the HL coursework was very hard to compared to SL coursework :frown:

.

Reply 450

toblerone93

11

vgstrat

Becoming successful isn't easy (unless you are an enlighted one...)...
Anyways you don't have to do the whole book..... Just a few chapters from each.... :yes:

IB maths syllabus is way easier than my CIE mathematics.......

I think you'll find HL and Further SL Mathematics blow CIE A-Level Mathematics out the water.

Reply 451

Welix

2

toblerone93

I think you'll find HL and Further SL Mathematics blow CIE A-Level Mathematics out the water.

Talk about cramming it all in for one exam :s-smilie:

Reply 452

Angelil

19

Remember there are always IB summer schools (they don't last the whole summer though, don't worry :p:

) if you are still really struggling by the end of this academic year.

Reply 453

MarkoMilicevic

Thank you so much for the advices! And yes i am doing a full IB diploma including CAS,TOK and EE :smile:

Best of luck!

Reply 454

vgstrat

9

toblerone93

I think you'll find HL and Further SL Mathematics blow CIE A-Level Mathematics out the water.

You can say that, but IB Maths SL is way easier than CIE Maths, :smile:

But as I am doing CIE maths + further maths I find HL easier than CIE too... :yes:

Reply 455

satisfactionatlast

20

AnonymousPenguin

Calculus is derivatives and integrals, right? As far as I remember that was the least concept-heavy part of the course. Derivatives are just a bunch of formulae and I don't think the SL course has integration by parts and by substitution so it's once again just formulae. The formulae are usually in the data booklet and one neat trick is too look at the results of derivatives and use that for missing integral formulae.

As for integration by parts and by substitution - well that's the part I never quite got to learning myself and in retrospect I wish I'd done SL maths and not HL. Also, the HL coursework was very hard to compared to SL coursework :frown:

.

thanks

so do u have any specific advice on what is the best way to study for maths?

Reply 456

AnonymousPenguin

16

satisfactionatlast

thanks

so do u have any specific advice on what is the best way to study for maths?

I had a really great teacher so I didn't really read the books all that much. Question banks are a life-saver though. I'm probably not really an authority on this. The guy who posted all the useful books s probably more useful.

Reply 457

satisfactionatlast

20

AnonymousPenguin

I had a really great teacher so I didn't really read the books all that much. Question banks are a life-saver though. I'm probably not really an authority on this. The guy who posted all the useful books s probably more useful.

ok thanks

Reply 458

blancohead

Danomind

Hi guys, I have to decide on something that may change my life:

-I study in Hong Kong.

-I got 10 A*s and 1 A in GCSEs.

- Am doing IB for 6 months now, but my grades are dropping significantly :eek3:

and it's so stressful and I'm worn out.

- My report grade was a: 34 for IB (excluding bonus points)

- HKU is accepting me for LLB Law based on an "Early admissions scheme" for my good GCSE results.

- HKU LLB law requires usually a 38-40 PG.

- 1) Should I go? I just transfered schools to do the IB, and that itself had changed my life. Made more friends than I ever did in this new school, can't bear to leave them.

2) If I stay and do IB for 1 more year, I doubt my PG will be high enough to even apply back to HKU.

3) I really had hopes for oxbridge or ivy leagues when I was doing GCSEs, but now the dreams are shattered.... :frown:

4) My IB school now has lazy teachers that do not teach well (except for Bio).

My grades for now:

Biology HL- 7
English A1 HL- 4
Geography HL- 7
Chinese SL- 6
History SL- 7
Math SL- 3

Pls help me figure some things out :frown:

Feeling depressed and miserable...

if u really don't enjoy doing IB then don't do it.
I had done IB also but I personally didn't enjoy it. :frown:

so I screwed it up really bad.
i regretted for taking Ib which i didn't like for two years.
(Yes, i had many lazy teachers who didn't give much effort on teaching like yours. they are so pissing off lolx)
I took a gap year(well kind of) and now have applied for universities and got better offers than i had last year
which year are you in? yr 12 rite?

If u decide not to study IB then...
You could instead study A levels by going to a boarding school in UK.
Thats what few people did.
Or take a foundation course. (but u won't be able to apply for good universities unless u apply for a good university's foundation course like UCL or u could do HKU's foundation course if they have it) I had a friend who left school to do foundation course after taking IB for one year.

most importantly talk with your parents about it. They will definitely support you.

About your friends, yes they are important but if u want to have a good job in the future, what you are going to study is more important.
you need to become stronger if u want to study law in a good university.
But your IB mark's not that bad, I did worse than you
lolx cheerup :yes:

Reply 459

bananabrain

13

Danomind

Hi guys, I have to decide on something that may change my life:

-I study in Hong Kong.

-I got 10 A*s and 1 A in GCSEs.

- Am doing IB for 6 months now, but my grades are dropping significantly :eek3:

and it's so stressful and I'm worn out.

- My report grade was a: 34 for IB (excluding bonus points)

- HKU is accepting me for LLB Law based on an "Early admissions scheme" for my good GCSE results.

- HKU LLB law requires usually a 38-40 PG.

- 1) Should I go? I just transfered schools to do the IB, and that itself had changed my life. Made more friends than I ever did in this new school, can't bear to leave them.

2) If I stay and do IB for 1 more year, I doubt my PG will be high enough to even apply back to HKU.

3) I really had hopes for oxbridge or ivy leagues when I was doing GCSEs, but now the dreams are shattered.... :frown:

4) My IB school now has lazy teachers that do not teach well (except for Bio).

My grades for now:

Biology HL- 7
English A1 HL- 4
Geography HL- 7
Chinese SL- 6
History SL- 7
Math SL- 3

Pls help me figure some things out :frown:

Feeling depressed and miserable...

If you quit IB, you have to start over on something else. You have two higher subjects with a 7 and two standards with a 6 and 7. For english, the best thing to do is to just practice past papers and read lots. As for maths, maybe studying in your spare time (rare on the IB ) or asking around to see if theres anyone who can help you? You're in a good position otherwise, and you will most likely improve over the next year! Good luck.

The "Which IB subjects should I choose" Thread

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