IB next year

[Jonneh!]

I'm currently doing my GCSE's and I will be doing IB starting next year. I definitely want to take Economics SL, Spanish SL (I lived in spain for 9 years but attended english schools) and Math SL (since I'm not very keen on it). I also want to take English HL but the problem comes with the selection of the 2 experimental sciences I want to take at HL. I have A* for all my sciences up to now (final exams soon) so its not really a matter of what I find easier. I tend to prefer physics but I hear its mathematically demanding and I've also been told that you can't really take Bio to a higher level without chemistry. Any suggestions at all?

[pomoni]

I am taking biology HL and I'm not taking chemistry at all. You can do HL biology without any problems even if you're not taking chemistry! So you could take Bio and physics HL, it's not a problem.

[Jonneh!]

Yes but my concern is what you can do AFTER IB at university depending on what subjects you take.

[pomoni]

Do you already know what you wanna do with your major at university? If yes, choose subjects that are going to help you with it. If not, do some research about what subjects the unis you wanna enter require you to take and choose them.

[Amber]

Talk to your teachers and ask them where they think you would work best. But ya, Physcis for what i have heard is very math-y. If I were you I would take Bio and Chem HL. I had a LOT of issues chosing my courses too, but if you want you can do something like Spanish HL and something else SL to make the load lighter =)

[Tsubaki]

We don't offer many courses at our school, but what I can recommend to you is taking either Chemistry and Physics HL, or Chemistry and Biology HL. The knowledge of chemistry is a great help in Biology if you do that (I took Biology and Chemistry HL, and the chemistry exam was before the biology exam this year. Much of what I had studied in chemistry came up on the biology exam [not directly, necessarily] and I feel it probably helped my mark), and Physics and Chemistry are somewhat related (I also took AP Physics this year, and much of the fluids and thermodynamics unit in AP Physics was already covered in Chemistry). There is no directly useful relationship between Physics and Biology, at least in terms of overlap in course content.

To be perfectly honest with you, I'd recommend Chemistry to anyone. Taking Chemistry helped me with Biology HL, (in that I had to learn organic and environmental chemistry for both) AP Physics (much of fluids and thermodynamics was covered, along with a small amount of waves and optics, and atomic and nuclear physics) and AP Psychology (the whole Medicines and Drugs option in Chemistry HL). Chemistry was pretty much the overlap from every science course I took. Also, it's not all that difficult a course once you get past the labs.

I don't know if I really answered the question, in retrospect. Do chemistry; whichever other science you do, chemistry will benefit you. Do Physics if you like math, biology if you like memorizing completely random facts.

Edited May 22, 2010 by Tsubaki

[Sandwich]

Physics is pretty mathematically demanding and one of the hardest IB subjects. Chemistry isn't too far behind re: being one of the more difficult subjects, and Biology is, relative to the others, pretty easy. Biology is just memorising but there are very few conceptually difficult elements and I personally thought it was quite interesting so the memorising wasn't as big a chore as it might have been. I also did Chemistry at HL and thought it was pretty tough in some parts. My whole class thought it was very difficult in parts and only one person got a 7 -- most people got 4s, and the whole class was from an A/A* GCSE background, too. Unfortunately I personally don't think GCSE grades necessarily reflect into your IB subjects! Not to say that they don't at all, I just mean that I either went to a school of underperformers or that IB is quite a step up and grades don't always (although they do sometimes ) follow through.

I would suggest doing Biology and Chemistry if you're determined to do two sciences, if only because unless you're extremely mathematically orientated, they're easier (if you're very mathematical, do Chemistry and Physics, but in all honesty I don't know many people for whom that combination would get them higher grades!). You certainly don't need Chemistry to do Biology. I personally didn't find much overlap between the courses -- at least no helpful overlap. Little things here and there, but they're pretty easy concepts in both subjects.

[EMT]

we had a large group of IB students this year, and only one wanted to take physics- they didn't end up running it. alot of people do chemistry, and there;s a large group doing both chem and bio, and they seem to have a really good understanding of both- i think they link together really well. that being said, it depends on what options your teachers want to do. i'd advise you go with whatever you enjoy the most- not liking maths generally means youre not scientifically minded (sorry for stereotyping here) so SL chem or bio is probably the way to go