I'm Having a Hard Time With the Middle School to Pre- IB Transition. Help?

[A_Happy_Monkey]

It's exactly what it sounds like. 

 

I left middle school with a 100% average and I didn't expect any significant changes to that in high school. Now I'm literally failing! I'm still going strong with Math and Science, with an 80%ish average, but still cannot reach my former scores. English is also alright. My second language is a whole other story. I maintained perfect scores throughout the ENTIRE year in middle school- with NO deviation whatsoever- and today I received a 62% mark!! 

 

What shall I do to cope with this transition? I'm spending all of my after school hours doing homework and this is becoming unbearable!

 

And please don't urge me to drop out- I'm not going down without a fight. I want advice.

[M&m_Fan99]

Hey man, long time no see you. How have you been?

Since it is only Pre-IB, you still have many time to think about if this (IB) is good for you, or a good choice.

If you keep working at it, and not play games (like Minecraft, to name a few), and still no good grades in Pre-IB, maybe think about other pathways.

Just keep working at it! I believe in you!

Peace fofo.

[beth-]

It's exactly what it sounds like. 

 

I left middle school with a 100% average and I didn't expect any significant changes to that in high school. Now I'm literally failing! I'm still going strong with Math and Science, with an 80%ish average, but still cannot reach my former scores. English is also alright. My second language is a whole other story. I maintained perfect scores throughout the ENTIRE year in middle school- with NO deviation whatsoever- and today I received a 62% mark!! 

 

What shall I do to cope with this transition? I'm spending all of my after school hours doing homework and this is becoming unbearable!

 

And please don't urge me to drop out- I'm not going down without a fight. I want advice.

Trust me, you're not alone in this. I started the Pre-IB about 3-4 weeks ago, and I graduated 9th grade with a B in math without opening a textbook. I scored a 44% on my first math test due to not studying (math is easy). 

I've always been a top student, and I turned into an average one for a couple of weeks, and that's okay. It's fine to be struggling - there are people who have gotten a 3 in Math HL for their two entire years, study their heart out for the exams and end up with a 6 on their exams. My sister is one of those people.

It's completely fine to be struggling, especially in the beginning, the leap from middle school to high school/Pre-IB is big, but the last thing you want to do now is give in. You have to understand that expectations are bigger in high school (not only in the Pre-IB) and that you are going to have to study more and harder if you want to stay in the IB and get good grades. You're going to have to study harder, more, and more effectively. There are tons of topics and posts on study techniques, I recommend you taking a look at them.

My teachers emphasize this to the max: Nothing you do this year is going to have any effect on the grades you end up getting during your real IB diploma program, and therefore, you can afford to **** up more with your grades and your subjects. UTILIZE this year by finding yourself,  realizing what you're good/not so good at. Use the books that your school library has, I really cannot emphasize this enough. 

Try to read more about the subjects that you're interested in and want to do and UNDERSTAND what the IB means: try talking to the older students by joining clubs.

And lastly, use your teachers. Ask them questions about the real IB year - this year is a preparatory year, so use this year what it's for, to prepare.

I hope this helped, and I hope it wasn't weird hearing this from someone who's struggling with you. 

I'm using these tips, and I've found that I'm improving already. I scored a 76% on my last math test. You can do it, I assure you that. Hang in there, I believe in you!

Edited September 16, 2015 by beth-

[King112]

It's exactly what it sounds like. 

 

I left middle school with a 100% average and I didn't expect any significant changes to that in high school. Now I'm literally failing! I'm still going strong with Math and Science, with an 80%ish average, but still cannot reach my former scores. English is also alright. My second language is a whole other story. I maintained perfect scores throughout the ENTIRE year in middle school- with NO deviation whatsoever- and today I received a 62% mark!! 

 

What shall I do to cope with this transition? I'm spending all of my after school hours doing homework and this is becoming unbearable!

 

And please don't urge me to drop out- I'm not going down without a fight. I want advice.

 

First up, relax.

Everyone messes up. High school is  a big jump. In addition, given your age, you will full of hormones and random emotions meaning you can't work to your fullest.

Take a deep breath. Work hard. You can do it. Perfect scores in middle school are great, but its harder in high school. Just work harder. Do more practice, get more help.

You'll be fine.

Cheers,

King112

[IbTrojan]

I'm going to say something along the lines of what King112 said.

 

Take some deep breaths. Good, now take one more. 

You're just starting off in high school so I'm telling you it's completely normal not to do well right away. The methods you may have used to study in middle school may not apply in high school. 

I'm telling you from first-hand experience that freaking out is the WORST thing to do. You want to look at your mistakes, see if the way that you're studying is the most efficient way for you, make sure you're not JUST studying because that would stress anyone out and then fix those errors slowly. It's not an overnight process either. If you need extra help with a subject or a topic, ask your teacher! They're literally paid to help you.

 

Start with that, keeping in mind that change takes time, and see where you get! Let us know how it's going later on! Good luck You got this!

[Marta Karolina]

Hey! You should make a plan where everyday you study something else! You cant study without breaks then you will get bored very fast, try to do notes and make a study group  

[Charleen]

You should be spending at least 3 hours doing homework or reviewing every day if you want a really good mark. Make sure your notes are amazing and keep reviewing, because you'll need the information for 2 years. 

[Gaby]

You should be spending at least 3 hours doing homework or reviewing every day if you want a really good mark. Make sure your notes are amazing and keep reviewing, because you'll need the information for 2 years. 

 

They original poster is still in pre-IB, so they're unlikely to need notes from this year ever gain. And the amount of time one spends revising is very personal - it can be an hour one day and 4-5 on another. 

 

Grades dropping when you move up a level in education is completely normal. You won't be getting straight 100s in the IB, especially in your finals, as it is simply impossible and you should come to terms with that (I know it's pretty damn difficult). 

 

Pre-IB rarely counts for anything, so use this time to adjust, figure out new ways of how to study, ask teachers for tips on how to approach their subject etc. You will be ok, you seem like an ambitious, determined person. It just takes time to adjust.

[afern98]

The way my school works is there was no pre-IB, but I want to assure you that I also noticed my grades slip when I moved from middle school to high school. It's a really big transition and it takes some getting used to. Try talking to your teachers about studying strategies they think will work for you. Also, try not to let this get you down too much: it's freshman year, it's pre-IB, I promise it isn't the end of the world. Yes, it's disheartening to see your grades drop like this but it's also completely and utterly normal. Use this time as a point to build a really good work/study ethic and you'll see really big improvements going forward  

[kristinamontinola]

The situation is the exact same for me! I've also just started IB (back in late August, actually), so I'm a freshman. I got out of middle school with a 98, 100, 99, 100, 100, 97, and a 97 in the course averages. Now, I have a 96, 96, 100, 90, 99, 85, and a 100.The transition is a bit hard to get a grasp on; I'm just starting to keep pace with everything that's happening. On weekdays I find myself up until 2AM most nights, maybe 12AM or 1AM if I'm lucky. I've had several of the late nights staying up until 4AM and waking up three hours later to catch my bus.

 

I'm still in the phase where I'm just struggling, and I've even had a couple dark thoughts once in a while. It's okay to cry! Let it out! I've done it, and I'm sure several high schoolers in general have stress cried before. Just relax. It won't do any good to scurry to understand the concepts. Just go with the flow and complete all your assignments, don't slack, study, pay attention to lectures, and make sure you're keeping up with your grades–staying updated with them. I'm a pretty laid back person, but I try not to be too laid back, especially in situations that beg for my attention. Don't be too "school-centered" either. Go out once in a while, hang with your family, friends, have some casual meet-ups, etc. and clear your head; it'll help you focus more when the time comes and it's a nice stress reliever. Hope this helps!