General IB Knowledge - Ask mini-questions about IB here

[King112]

IB diploma requirements - do i need IGCSE to enter the IB diploma program ?? 

No you do not.

Your school may and I repeat may have some requirements, but you do not need to have done IGCSE. 

Personal narrative, I did not do IGCSE and am in the IB.

Cheers,

King112

[MohammedFERJAN]

Thanks dude , so i'm planing to get in the EF's Oxford IB program 

and the academic requirements are  "Five GCSE examination passes at grade C or above (including mathematics), or equivalent."

so what do they mean by equivalent is it  like high school grades ? 

Edited August 28, 2015 by MohammedFERJAN

[Siew Hui]

hi guys, I just finished my first week in ib and I have a few questions here.

 

I'm really interested in medicine in the future, and currently I am taking

 

Bio HL

Chem HL

Math HL

English B HL

Chinese self-taught A

Psychology SL

 

I was wondering if I could enter the universities in Europe, USA, Australia or places like that with English B. and that should I change Psychology SL into Business SL/HL? Is there a big difference between the business SL/HL?

 

I took business back in my igcse but I didn't really like it, partly because my teacher didn't teach a single thing at all and partly because it's a bit boring for me. but I heard that business is really easy to get high marks compared to psychology.

[alefal]

 

 

Hi there,

 

Regarding language, you should check this up with all the universities you are considering. Different universities have different requirements. This is not only true across borders, but also on a national level. Some places accept English B just fine as long as you get a high enough mark, others require a high mark in English A to bypass the English proficiency test (usually IELTS or TOEFL). And this is assuming English is even the language of instruction - which is not the case at all in most places in Europe. 

 

As for psychology vs business: I never took business myself, but I do know that a lot of universities think of it as a soft/easy subject and thus consider it slightly negatively. This is not the case with all universities, but you might want to stick with psychology and just work hard. Psychology is also quite interlinked with medicine in a number of ways, so it could potentially be useful for you if you go on and study medicine.

 

Make sure that you fulfil the basic subject requirements for the degree at the different universities. In Norway, for instance, they do require physics as well for some reason. I think you're covered for most places, but do double-check that.

 

Last point from me: Do you know where you want to practice medicine (assuming you want to work within healthcare and not move further into medical research)? Make sure that the country you want to practice in accept the education from your study country, as this is not guaranteed. This might restrict your options somewhat, depending on how strict the regulations in that/those countries are, but better to be safe than sorry. 

[kartikeya]

My subjects are

Hl maths

Hl economics

Hl chemistry

Sl global politics

Sl eng lang lit

Sl french abinitio

How easy is it to get a 45 with this combo and is this combo good for studying economics at uni later?

[Gaby]

My subjects are

Hl maths

Hl economics

Hl chemistry

Sl global politics

Sl eng lang lit

Sl french abinitio

How easy is it to get a 45 with this combo and is this combo good for studying economics at uni later?

 

It's a good combination for studying Econ at uni. It's not easy to get a 45 with any combination. You also don't need a 45 for absolutely anything. 

[El :3]

HL maths is brutal, and some of the past papers are nasty! If you're strong at it though, you should be okay. I don't know about eco, but from what I've heard it's an easy 7. Chem, you just need to learn the theory, do past questions (heaps of them) and you're set. I do SL and it's a piece of cake, but I'm not too sure about HL. I didn't even know global politics was an IB subject, so I can't offer much help with that! English SL is pretty lenient with their markschemes, and you just need to be able to nail the orals and the essays, and you're set French is my easiest subject, so I think it's an easy 7, however I don't know your level. Basically just keep on top of the grammar and vocab, read out any French you come across (to improve your spoken French), and write a 150 word piece a week, and you're set. I think you'll be okay, as long as you work at it. But you gotta believe in yourself - believe you can get the 45, and work hard at it!

[kartikeya]

Thanks to both of you for your helpful insights

[juliettemejia]

Hi!! I just started the IB this week but I was wondering, if I want to do a career in the diplomatic area what should I choose for the last group, French or business?? I would also be studying English A Lit HL and Spanish B HL. Thank you!!

[Emmi]

Hi!! I just started the IB this week but I was wondering, if I want to do a career in the diplomatic area what should I choose for the last group, French or business?? I would also be studying English A Lit HL and Spanish B HL. Thank you!!

I would think more languages would always be a plus for diplomacy or international relations, but it's up to you. I don't really think business would be all that beneficial.

[Siew Hui]

 

 

 

Hi there,

 

Regarding language, you should check this up with all the universities you are considering. Different universities have different requirements. This is not only true across borders, but also on a national level. Some places accept English B just fine as long as you get a high enough mark, others require a high mark in English A to bypass the English proficiency test (usually IELTS or TOEFL). And this is assuming English is even the language of instruction - which is not the case at all in most places in Europe. 

 

As for psychology vs business: I never took business myself, but I do know that a lot of universities think of it as a soft/easy subject and thus consider it slightly negatively. This is not the case with all universities, but you might want to stick with psychology and just work hard. Psychology is also quite interlinked with medicine in a number of ways, so it could potentially be useful for you if you go on and study medicine.

 

Make sure that you fulfil the basic subject requirements for the degree at the different universities. In Norway, for instance, they do require physics as well for some reason. I think you're covered for most places, but do double-check that.

 

Last point from me: Do you know where you want to practice medicine (assuming you want to work within healthcare and not move further into medical research)? Make sure that the country you want to practice in accept the education from your study country, as this is not guaranteed. This might restrict your options somewhat, depending on how strict the regulations in that/those countries are, but better to be safe than sorry. 

 

 

hi, so it's better if I take psychology instead of business? well I just want to make sure that I get 3 HLs and 3 SLs because I'm also an athlete trying to juggle between sport & academic. many people said that business is super easy but I just want to make sure that I make the right decision. so I'm stuck between an interesting subject (psychology) and an easy subject (business).

 

I'm still not sure of where to study but I it'll probably be in UK, Australia, Japan or USA. If I picked usa, it'll be for my sport career.

 

thank you for the previous advice!!!

[Snowieball]

 

 

 

 

Hi there,

 

Regarding language, you should check this up with all the universities you are considering. Different universities have different requirements. This is not only true across borders, but also on a national level. Some places accept English B just fine as long as you get a high enough mark, others require a high mark in English A to bypass the English proficiency test (usually IELTS or TOEFL). And this is assuming English is even the language of instruction - which is not the case at all in most places in Europe. 

 

As for psychology vs business: I never took business myself, but I do know that a lot of universities think of it as a soft/easy subject and thus consider it slightly negatively. This is not the case with all universities, but you might want to stick with psychology and just work hard. Psychology is also quite interlinked with medicine in a number of ways, so it could potentially be useful for you if you go on and study medicine.

 

Make sure that you fulfil the basic subject requirements for the degree at the different universities. In Norway, for instance, they do require physics as well for some reason. I think you're covered for most places, but do double-check that.

 

Last point from me: Do you know where you want to practice medicine (assuming you want to work within healthcare and not move further into medical research)? Make sure that the country you want to practice in accept the education from your study country, as this is not guaranteed. This might restrict your options somewhat, depending on how strict the regulations in that/those countries are, but better to be safe than sorry. 

 

 

hi, so it's better if I take psychology instead of business? well I just want to make sure that I get 3 HLs and 3 SLs because I'm also an athlete trying to juggle between sport & academic. many people said that business is super easy but I just want to make sure that I make the right decision. so I'm stuck between an interesting subject (psychology) and an easy subject (business).

 

I'm still not sure of where to study but I it'll probably be in UK, Australia, Japan or USA. If I picked usa, it'll be for my sport career.

 

thank you for the previous advice!!!

 

 

Hi there Alefal's advice is great and you should definitely consider taking psychology. Business is one of the easiest subjects in Group 3 so if you are capable of doing something other than business, change it! Many universities consider business as a soft subject or one that you take for high marks, so I think you should take psychology in order to increase your chance to enter into a good university. 

[azara]

My subjects are

Hl maths

Hl economics

Hl chemistry

Sl global politics

Sl eng lang lit

Sl french abinitio

How easy is it to get a 45 with this combo and is this combo good for studying economics at uni later?

I can tell you about politics, since not many people can.  Because it's a very new subject, it really depends on the teacher and your own ability.  I don't find it a very hard subject, but it does take a lot of work.  There are lots and lots of case studies to be learnt! It's also very self-directed, in many cases.  If you get a teacher originally from another subject, make sure they don't try to turn it into teaching that subject instead.

 

SL English is fine, if you're relatively good at analysing stuff and making up meaningful stuff.  I've heard ab initio languages are quite difficult, since they expect quite a high standard at the end of two years.  HL chem requires pretty thorough understanding of the concepts, knowing how to answer the different types of questions, and some ability to do maths (there's a lot of maths).  The maths itself is pretty easy, but very weird numbers to be working with can throw you off.  Also, paper 1 of the chem exam is a b****.

 

It's hard to get a 45 with any combo.  Not only do you have to ace pretty much every single one of your exams, the stars have to align so you're not moderated down in anything, either.  Good luck!

[Siew Hui]

 

 

 

 

 

Hi there,

 

Regarding language, you should check this up with all the universities you are considering. Different universities have different requirements. This is not only true across borders, but also on a national level. Some places accept English B just fine as long as you get a high enough mark, others require a high mark in English A to bypass the English proficiency test (usually IELTS or TOEFL). And this is assuming English is even the language of instruction - which is not the case at all in most places in Europe. 

 

As for psychology vs business: I never took business myself, but I do know that a lot of universities think of it as a soft/easy subject and thus consider it slightly negatively. This is not the case with all universities, but you might want to stick with psychology and just work hard. Psychology is also quite interlinked with medicine in a number of ways, so it could potentially be useful for you if you go on and study medicine.

 

Make sure that you fulfil the basic subject requirements for the degree at the different universities. In Norway, for instance, they do require physics as well for some reason. I think you're covered for most places, but do double-check that.

 

Last point from me: Do you know where you want to practice medicine (assuming you want to work within healthcare and not move further into medical research)? Make sure that the country you want to practice in accept the education from your study country, as this is not guaranteed. This might restrict your options somewhat, depending on how strict the regulations in that/those countries are, but better to be safe than sorry. 

 

 

hi, so it's better if I take psychology instead of business? well I just want to make sure that I get 3 HLs and 3 SLs because I'm also an athlete trying to juggle between sport & academic. many people said that business is super easy but I just want to make sure that I make the right decision. so I'm stuck between an interesting subject (psychology) and an easy subject (business).

 

I'm still not sure of where to study but I it'll probably be in UK, Australia, Japan or USA. If I picked usa, it'll be for my sport career.

 

thank you for the previous advice!!!

 

 

Hi there Alefal's advice is great and you should definitely consider taking psychology. Business is one of the easiest subjects in Group 3 so if you are capable of doing something other than business, change it! Many universities consider business as a soft subject or one that you take for high marks, so I think you should take psychology in order to increase your chance to enter into a good university. 

 

Hi, thank you for the advice!! I'm taking chinese literature SL too but I'm having a hard time dealing with it because our school doesn't have any teacher to teach Chinese A literature (I'm forced to take Chinese A self-taught Literature) I was wondering if you could help,,

[Snowieball]

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hi there,

 

Regarding language, you should check this up with all the universities you are considering. Different universities have different requirements. This is not only true across borders, but also on a national level. Some places accept English B just fine as long as you get a high enough mark, others require a high mark in English A to bypass the English proficiency test (usually IELTS or TOEFL). And this is assuming English is even the language of instruction - which is not the case at all in most places in Europe. 

 

As for psychology vs business: I never took business myself, but I do know that a lot of universities think of it as a soft/easy subject and thus consider it slightly negatively. This is not the case with all universities, but you might want to stick with psychology and just work hard. Psychology is also quite interlinked with medicine in a number of ways, so it could potentially be useful for you if you go on and study medicine.

 

Make sure that you fulfil the basic subject requirements for the degree at the different universities. In Norway, for instance, they do require physics as well for some reason. I think you're covered for most places, but do double-check that.

 

Last point from me: Do you know where you want to practice medicine (assuming you want to work within healthcare and not move further into medical research)? Make sure that the country you want to practice in accept the education from your study country, as this is not guaranteed. This might restrict your options somewhat, depending on how strict the regulations in that/those countries are, but better to be safe than sorry. 

 

 

hi, so it's better if I take psychology instead of business? well I just want to make sure that I get 3 HLs and 3 SLs because I'm also an athlete trying to juggle between sport & academic. many people said that business is super easy but I just want to make sure that I make the right decision. so I'm stuck between an interesting subject (psychology) and an easy subject (business).

 

I'm still not sure of where to study but I it'll probably be in UK, Australia, Japan or USA. If I picked usa, it'll be for my sport career.

 

thank you for the previous advice!!!

 

 

Hi there Alefal's advice is great and you should definitely consider taking psychology. Business is one of the easiest subjects in Group 3 so if you are capable of doing something other than business, change it! Many universities consider business as a soft subject or one that you take for high marks, so I think you should take psychology in order to increase your chance to enter into a good university. 

 

Hi, thank you for the advice!! I'm taking chinese literature SL too but I'm having a hard time dealing with it because our school doesn't have any teacher to teach Chinese A literature (I'm forced to take Chinese A self-taught Literature) I was wondering if you could help,,

 

 

I can try to help you if I can, as I have only started taking the course in August. Luckily, my chinese teacher gives us clear instructions on the external and internal assessment we have to complete in this course so you can message me if you have any questions regarding to that. 

[EmotionalEwok]

I heard about this thing called SmartBacc on the osc. Is it any good (mainly for HL math, but also any other subjects)?

[Ivanrod]

My school just received the IB Diploma Programme authorization and it's on it's first year already. A lot of people are skeptical, but however sacrifices need to be done. 

 

Apparently, I'm on the verge.  Our school has 8 classes (4 each day, 4 another day) but however this is my school's planning sheet for the next 2 years:

 

(Junior Year):

 

IB English HL1

IB Spanish HL1

AP Chemistry 

AP Psychology or IB Visual Arts HL1

 

Pre-Calculus/Algebra 2

IB History HL1  (Basically AP US History)

Theory of Knowledge/Elective

Non IB-Class

 

But then again, I haven't completed my A-G's for the Art's field and I want to do Psychology. I don't want to study Visual Arts HL1 when I only need 5 credits in order to complete the requirement.  What should I do?

Edited November 24, 2015 by Ivanrod

[Len]

Should I buy Oxford or Pearson books for chemistry and biology HL?

[AnjaDe]

On 5/8/2016 at 7:54 PM, Len said:

Should I buy Oxford or Pearson books for chemistry and biology HL?

Oxford! They are the ones who actually work with the IB to make the books, so if you learn from there, you'll learn what the IB wants you to learn. But be aware that the Oxford books also have some additional info to help you have a deeper and broader understanding of what you are studying and are not filled with tips and tricks that point to details which are ignored by students and so on, so you will have to study with attention to details.

The textbooks from Oxford are for studying during the course, when you get familiar with new topics, but consider a study guide or making your notes to make the pre-exam revision easier later on... 

[Gaby]

2 hours ago, AnjaDe said:

Oxford! They are the ones who actually work with the IB to make the books, so if you learn from there, you'll learn what the IB wants you to learn. But be aware that the Oxford books also have some additional info to help you have a deeper and broader understanding of what you are studying and are not filled with tips and tricks that point to details which are ignored by students and so on, so you will have to study with attention to details.

The textbooks from Oxford are for studying during the course, when you get familiar with new topics, but consider a study guide or making your notes to make the pre-exam revision easier later on... 

The Oxford Chem textbook is fine, and I understand why it's used (my school used it too), and the guide is absolutely fantastic for revision (you could literally just revise from that), but I found Pearson extremely useful over the course for detailed explanation. 

Edited May 13, 2016 by Gaby