To anyone doing the IB . . .

Didn't expect this thread to be such a source of needing-to-clarify-ponciness :p

The IB has 6 subject groups:
- Group 1: Literature (for me; English literature)
- Group 2: Second language (for me; French literature)
- Group 3: Humanity (Geography for me)
- Group 4: Science (Physics for me)
- Group 5: Maths
- Group 6: "free" choice (Chemistry for me)

Usually you do 3 Standard Levels and 3 Higher Levels, roughly equivalent to 3 AS and 3 A2. In my case, I do 4 HL's. (my 2 SL's are french and english literature)

Each subject is marked out of 7, so a maximum of 42 marks. There are 3 bonus points for the "core" subjects, which are Theory of Knowledge, essentially a cut-down philosophy course; Extended Essay, a 4000-word essay in a subject of your choice (I did mine in English Literature) and finally CAS. (150 hours of community service) If you don't complete any of the 3 core components, you fail automatically.

It's been tough but I glad I did the IB in the end. Now it's just putting the old head down and getting through the exams! :)
 
[TW]Fox said:
How much practical use is it given many employers will not have heard of it, whereas everyone is familier with A levels?

Do UCAS recognise the IB for admission into University?
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Yes; I applied through UCAS with my IB.

The gripe is, as Arcade Fire mentioned, universities don't recognise that a 7 (maximum mark) in IB doesn't equal an A. Last year in Maths HL, something like 3% of candidates got a 7. (I read for A levels it was something like 30%)

The hardest IB subject is meant to be Geography HL; where last year only 1.5% of candidates got a 7. Our school has never had a 7 in HL Geography either. Not good signs for me :p
 
Psyk said:
Isn't it the norm for most of europe for 16-19 education? I'd find it very odd if a university didn't accept them, unless they don't take any international students since many of them will have IBs.

Personally I'd have hated doing an IB because I can't stand language based subjects, eg. english lang, english lit, foreign languages, etc. With A-levels I like being able to stick to maths/science related subjects.
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I'm a sciences person (why I have Maths, Physics, Chemistry HL) yet I still do both English and French literature. I don't mind them at all; so much so that I ended up doing my Extended Essay in English Literature.

If I had done A-levels I would've done Maths, Further Maths, Chemistry and Physics. In the end I've done the IB for the "broadening out." I've plenty of time at uni for specialising :)
 
Nix said:
See, I don't understand this. Why bother with an IB if you intend to do a degree anyway?

Each section of education is a stepping stone to the next. Why make it more difficult?

I could understand, if you had no intention of going to university and intended on entering the job market on the IB's merits alone.
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Because I can't get into university (one which I want to go to) without it? :p

(here I have the choice of either IB or BOI, which is the baccalaureate option international, essentially the french bac but with histoire/geo in english)


edit/ Arcade Fire, you a Flaming Lips fan? Great band :)
 
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