Are there any IB MYP members?

[HiggsHunter]

I wonder whether there are any members interested in discussing IB MYP matters?

A search of the forums with the term MYP produced zero(!) results. Does this mean that all members are in DP1 or later? Or are the younger students in schools that offer the IB DP, but not the IB MYP?

[Procrastination]

I took the PYP and the MYP if there's anything you want to discuss. IBSurvival is specially directed for DP candidates though

[HiggsHunter]

Thanks for the clarification. Is there another forum more directed for IB MYP students?

Did you find that your MYP studies merged fairly seamlessly into your DP work? The local bilingual (English/French) IB school offers German B SL and HL at DP level. But at MYP level, students take the A2 exam of the Goethe Institute instead of the IB exam. Is that a common arrangement or an unusual one?

[Summer Glau]

We don't have an MYP forum right now as there isn't much demand for it. However, if you know of people who are in MYP and are interested in talking about it on IBS, then we will definitely consider it! Feel free to use this thread to talk about the MYP though

[HiggsHunter]

Thanks a lot! Let's see if the MYP tag and topic heading encourage any members interested in talking about MYP to say hello.

[Procrastination]

The transition between MYP and DP was fairly smooth. Work increased, there's no doubt, but it didn't felt as hard as people say in other schools that do not have MYP. Specially, the personal project was an excellent preparation for the extended essay. I think that's the idea, creating an atmosphere where you might have an advantage and merge to the DP quite perfectly. Furthermore, I had a lot more subjects on MYP 5 than now. Forget about biology and chemistry, I kept physics. The difficulty of the things you learn in MYP 5 and IB1 is pretty similar, or at least I think so. Definitely, if you are in the MYP, you're in constant preparation for the DP so the experience will not be traumatic

Edited February 18, 2012 by Procrastination

[HiggsHunter]

That's encouraging! Yes, if you are passionate about a few subjects it must be more interesting to pursue your favourites to a higher level than to keep working on a broad front. On the other hand, it's rather a pity that science specialists have to drop fun things like dance and drama, visual arts, film or music. I do have the impression that some universities are not too concerned about breadth of school education, but just about whether applicants have acquired the specific tools needed to succeed in their chosen degree course.

The IB school here offers an integrated biology, chemistry and physics course in MYP1 - 3. Then from MYP4 you have to choose between biology and chemistry OR biology and physics in the core, while physics is also available in the options block (which also includes dance and drama, German and Spanish). So to keep up all three sciences you have to take biology and chemistry in the core and physics as option. German is pretty useful here in Switzerland, even for people living in the French-speaking part, and if you take physics as option you can continue German in MYP4 - 5 if you drop one of the humanities (the school decides which).

I don't know whether this is a general rule, but here C&S in MYP1 is based on the home, in MYP2 on the neighbours, in MYP3 on the school community, and in MYP4 on mentoring a younger student. In MYP5 it extends to the wider community, and should be a good preparation for CAS at DP level.

Is it allowable to build on a successful MYP PP for the DP EE study, or is one supposed to start a new topic from scratch?

[Procrastination]

Actually yes! Or at least I think so. There was this boy from the 2012 DP session who made an EE developing on her PP, I think it was something about genetics on mosquitoes, or peas. I don't remember, but she still got an A. You don't have to start a new topic from scratch necessarily. Anyways, I'm going to do it because my PP on water rocket science and water expulsion rate sucked and at the end I was lucky I was able to finish. lol, that happens pretty often so don't put a lot of stress on building a topic for PP that could potentially lead to on the extended essay. Plus, it might be a little bit boring after a while, even if you're 110% passionate about your personal project.

On the other hand, yes it's a pity! I loved my visual arts and drama classes but when I got to IB I had to say goodbye to them, :'( I guess universities don't really value this kind of subjects as they consider them to be kinda superfluous and unnecessary. When I was in the MYP, I had a similar course at year 1 -2 where chemistry, physics and biology were all compacted. Then, from MYP3 to MYP5, I had all of them in different hours, which means I couldn't choose between them. It was mandatory to take them all, I guess it was due to the state's requirements for national education. It was just when I got to IB that I was able to choose between one of them. Oh, and definetely, C&S is an excellent preparation for CAS at DP level, it helps you a lot, it's almost like the same thing! You're lucky man

[HiggsHunter]

Many thanks for this interesting info about your positive experiences. The primary department here is well away from the secondary school, but the MYP and DP classes are on the same campus (a very beautiful one with a magnificent view over Lake Geneva to the mountains beyond!). So I think the MYP and DP teaching staff should be in close enough touch with each other to ensure a good transition. Tomorrow the final year primary students come for a "taster day" to get a preview of MYP life.

The MYP4 students begin their PP in March and complete it in January 2013. In two days there will be an exhibition of the PPs completed by the current MYP5 students that should be fun!