I was an impressionable tenth grader when word of the IB reached me. There were namely two opposing sides – one swore that the curriculum was equivalent to the trenches of hell and the other wanted everyone to experience the wonders and joys in the IB. I was swayed by the latter and thought that hard work would solve any disruption. I still do, but my experiences a few months into the program tell me that being an IB student runs deeper, and it will do you a world of good to understand what’s in store for you. In this article, let’s explore the responsibilities and effects of the International Baccalaureate curriculum and what exactly this means in your journey.
Responsibilities of an IB student
What is expected of an IB student? Or, what will the curriculum look like for you? There is a two-fold response – self-learning, and an international standard. These elements make up the foundation and will inform you about the inner workings and reasonings behind IB processes.
“We believe that learning how to learn is fundamental to a student’s education.”
(IBO, 2024)
This is the curriculum’s mantra and it is something my teachers mention daily. The structure of the syllabus and assessment is one where the classroom cannot be a one-stop-one-shop platform; your external effort is what will make you shine. Personally, my Physics grades are solid evidence- focusing on class notes and my teacher’s resources allowed me to pass, sure, but only after studying past papers, online Physics notes and other external IB resources, could I jump a number grade.
Several subjects have themes that span the entire syllabus instead of being completed in one go – the IB aims to nurture an environment where holistic knowledge is earned and you will have to work to gain a deep understanding of the course. In addition to cores of the program like Extended Essays and Internal Assessments, research skills supplement your daily learning and, within a few months, you become a critical, aware and independent thinker. This independence means that you can look out for your academic success, ask relevant questions, set effective goals and explore for your best understanding. To me, this self-supporting lifestyle will aid me to flourish in the trials of university.
As an IB student, the syllabus will be your challenge but to alleviate the curriculum itself, IB World Schools are held to the highest educational standard. Including faculty, resources and teaching methods, the IB student is held responsible for using anything and everything provided to them, to reach their highest potential. This is the independence within the IB, where students are accountable for taking personal initiative for their goals while their environments are maintained for it.
What do you get out of it?
“An IBO survey showed that the acceptance rate of IB students into Ivy League universities is up to 18% higher than the total applicants acceptance rate. The gap is even more significant for top-ranked universities outside the Ivy League.”
(Crimson Education, 2023)
The first and most influential benefit that convinced me was the IB’s hold on prestigious and opportunistic university placements.
At my school and every other IB World School, the IB supplements credibility and opportunity within its rigour. This popularity rises from the stability and uniformity of an international curriculum like the IB, where every country and every school follows a similar curriculum. For instance, following your country’s syllabus and submitting your high marks to an international university may be tentative because they don’t grasp what you went through to acquire those marks. This means that universities are more likely to know how difficult the process of scoring a high IB mark is, given its international prevalence. IB World Schools are held to the highest educational standard, providing reliability to your chosen university.
Of course, the college acceptance process is still difficult but your chance to enter a world-ranking university is well-recognised. Generally, universities aim for an average of 35 points and above 40 points is fit for the Ivy League.
Additionally, transferable skills are the most important thing learned in the IB. Every concept is taught to be applied, each assessment tests your critical thinking and ability to act as an aware global citizen. As reiterated throughout this article, this ensures life-long learning, in a way that you learn to inquire and be curious about how the world works and how you can achieve aspirations therein. The rigour in IB learning & assessments bears fruit in teaching us how to learn and apply ourselves to our communities independently where our goals and work are self-driven and self-managed. In an ever-changing world, our knowledge, curiosity and adaptability are invariant, which is exactly what we grow to embody in the IB.
Conclusion
Is the IB mind-numbingly intense? Yes. But would I choose it again? Definitely yes. The independent journey within the International Baccalaureate will make you self-reflect– what is the type of person you wish to grow into, and what will be your effect on the world? While experiencing IB assessments, CAS requirements and the impending doom of EEs and IAs, I hope my perspective can offer you a bit of clarity and make your IB journey a bit more manageable.