Paper 3: Options

[BI Duck]

Hello!

So I am currently taking Chemistry and Physics SL, and we are almost finishing the core topics ; But I am having troubles with some information.

My school has only one option of IB Programme, so my teachers told me that we would be studying "the options" for paper 3 this month.

My chemistry teacher told me that in paper 3, you are given a 36 page exam which has all of the questions of all the options; but you could choose two of them which would correspond to those you studied in school (I know one of them is human biochemistry). But my physics teacher told me that paper 3 is a personalized exam, in which if you chose (of course I didn't chose them, my school did) only option A and C, those would be the only ones you were given to choose.

I mean WHAT THE HELL?

Does anybody knows how paper 3 actually is ? X_X

I am worried because we're supposed to see chemistry in the industry as the second option of chemistry, But I would feel more confident with further organic chemistry as one of my options.

[bigbangfan]

Your physics teacher is definately mistaken. You are given a 36 page paper with options ranging from A to G (usually). The school prepares you to take two options, but you are able to choose any option you want, but usually the teacher recommends you to do the options taught in class. Your physics teacher probably suggested that he wants you guys to take those options, because they are the easiest or any other reason. Ask him.

For chemistry, don´t take further organic chemistry option unless you love organic chem!! that option is a nightmare! I as taught organic chem and human bichemistry, I ended up studying food chemistry instead of organic chem by myself and was WAY easy, I ended up getting a 6 in SL Chemistry!! But, I don´t want to interfere in your choices, do whatever option you desire, and good luck!!!

[BI Duck]

Your physics teacher is definately mistaken. You are given a 36 page paper with options ranging from A to G (usually). The school prepares you to take two options, but you are able to choose any option you want, but usually the teacher recommends you to do the options taught in class. Your physics teacher probably suggested that he wants you guys to take those options, because they are the easiest or any other reason. Ask him.

For chemistry, don´t take further organic chemistry option unless you love organic chem!! that option is a nightmare! I as taught organic chem and human bichemistry, I ended up studying food chemistry instead of organic chem by myself and was WAY easy, I ended up getting a 6 in SL Chemistry!! But, I don´t want to interfere in your choices, do whatever option you desire, and good luck!!!

THANKS A LOT, YOU'RE MY SAVIOUR DUDE!!!!

I was actually deciding on food chemistry or further organic. I'll decide this week

[dessskris]

Actually, if your class is relatively small, your school will have to decide which 2 options your class is going to take. Otherwise they may let you study any 2 options on your own so you can choose any option that you like.

I think your Phy teacher has chosen options A and C therefore those are what your P3 questions are based on; whereas your Chem teacher may teach several option topics or let you study the options on your own, or maybe they will make the students vote which they are going to study.

For example in my school our teachers get to choose the option topics, but my Chem teacher asked us first which options we like and we decided the options together. Where our Phy teacher just chose the option topics based on his own judgements (maybe he chose the options that interest him the most or that he thinks are the easiest )

However you can still study other options on your own so that you have more options in the real final exams, since you just need 2 options no matter how many ones you have studied.