How many people think 6 subjects are enough?

[Argiyama]

The topic speak by itself

I have read many of the discussion about wide range of subjects and those you want to take. Personally, I want to take English HL / Thai SL / Chinese Ab init / Physic HL / Chem HL / Bio SL / History SL / Business and Management SL / Economic SL / Math HL

IB offer so many interesting courses that I feel bad to cut down some choices T.T

But of course, we have only two years to study in IB diploma and more than 6 subjects will definitely kill you. I just want to know how many people think that we should have more subjects to study "over" two years.

I think we should make IB around 3-4 years and decrease the range of MYP because I found it less useful comparing to IB. MYP is all about internal assessment which is fairly easy in some school that teachers aren't that strict.

So, what do people think??

[Harmonicgirl]

and more than 6 subjects will definitely kill you.

I think that it's the most essentail sentence

[Argiyama]

Don't try to take more courses because they seem "fun", there's college for that.

I suggest taking all the (relevant) easy courses to get the highest Predicteds possible.

I agree for that but here is the fact. There are two types of IB students.

1) majority

- They take IB because they want university credits, scholarships, etc.

- They only care about their possible highest grades

2) minority (which is partial me)

- They take IB because they want to "challenge" themselves

- They only care about what they will learn. They are eager to get more knowledge.

I'm so bored of my IB coordinator because she wouldn't let me take 4 HL courses because she said I should focus on three and how to maximize my final points so that i can get $$ and credits. HOWEVER, that's not what I want!! I want to LEARN!! I want to learn more, that's why i want to be in IB. I don't understand why many people (almost every people) care only about their grades. I know grades are important to me as well but I'm willing to get 6 in HL rather than 7 in SL.

Btw, this ain't really happening. It's just an "idea" because it's impossible for me to change the design of the programme for sure. I just want to know, do people agree with it or not.

Edited December 25, 2007 by Argiyama

[~Lc~]

Don't try to take more courses because they seem "fun", there's college for that.

I suggest taking all the (relevant) easy courses to get the highest Predicteds possible.

that's not really true in England since there is a limited aount of courses you can actually take outside your degree requirements but it's a 3 year course so it's logical

and more than 6? are you nuts! if they didn't include the subjects that need you to scrap your brain out trying to pass them then sure. What's the use of doing more and not specializing in less? I mean if you do more you'd be spreading yourself too thin! and that's never learning more...

[Harmonicgirl]

I agree for that but here is the fact. There are two types of IB students.

1) majority

- They take IB because they want university credits, scholarships, etc.

- They only care about their possible highest grades

2) minority (which is partial me)

- They take IB because they want to "challenge" themselves

- They only care about what they will learn. They are eager to get more knowledge.

I'm so bored of my IB coordinator because she wouldn't let me take 4 HL courses because she said I should focus on three and how to maximize my final points so that i can get $$ and credits. HOWEVER, that's not what I want!! I want to LEARN!! I want to learn more, that's why i want to be in IB. I don't understand why many people (almost every people) care only about their grades. I know grades are important to me as well but I'm willing to get 6 in HL rather than 7 in SL.

Btw, this ain't really happening. It's just an "idea" because it's impossible for me to change the design of the programme for sure. I just want to know, do people agree with it or not.

it's a huge generalization (and you should know that in IB/TOK ideology "generalization" is something unlikely) . I'm somewhere in the middle, I want to learn what I like, but I also want to get high points

At first when I didn't know exactly the IB program I also had thought that 6 is not a lot, but now when I'm in IB I know that 6 is really enough, and even sometimes it's difficult to get everything.

I don't know what is your experience with IB, (?) I think that 6 is enough especially if you also want to have some social life ;p

Just if you like to take 4 HL instead on 1 sl, maybe talk to ur cooridnator again. I know people who did it... and later changed into SL , but if you want give it a try, you should have this opportunity

Edited December 25, 2007 by Harmonicgirl

[niceperson91]

I agree with the majority here that 6 subjects are enough......we also have to remember that by taking the IB diploma....we have challenged our selves by taking college level courses...

These 6 subjects themselves have so many more things than just hw and tests (we have internal assesments and IB makes us do other stuff like CAS and TOK and EE, which take a lot of time).....

[Argiyama]

Does anyone take MYP before?? just an example because I found it more interesting and especially for people who still don't know the direction you are going in the future. In MYP, we have around 9 courses plus "personal project" which is a very cool thing. I found PP is way more interesting than Extended Essay and we spent a whole bunch of hour on our PP probably a lot more than EE because we have to actually do the project, not just writing the essay. I know it's a lot of work, i barely sleep when i was in MYP but when it becomes 6 courses, it decreases the wide range of knowledge you will get...I am no longer remember the thing we did in IT or something like biology as I have to choose between biology, chemistry, physic. T.T

Thanks for sharing your opinion though. It's an open-minded board discussion so feel free to make your argument strong and support with fact and example. (criteria A)

[ezex]

hmm...six courses...nope not enough. I'd wouldn't recommend taking more IB classes other than the basics, and then go for AP classes on things you're interested in. Do you like math? Then just take an easy math IB class and take, seperately, an AP math that you like, i.e. calculus. It also depends on what your aim is. Do you mean 6 classes enough to get into Harvard? Or enough for your own personal satisfaction? I'm the most math oriented person on the whole world, yet I'm taking Math SL, Phisycs SL, and Chemistry SL. Why? They're easy and enough to give me a base for when i start my night classes at some college taking the realy interesting and college level classes, which i gotta say, are way harder than IB, yet they take no more than 5 hours a week of school attendance and some time of individual study.

Hope i didn't confuse you Take six IB classes and the rest AP, and if they dont offer AP just take more IB though watch out what you take.

[Forester]

6 subjects is definitely not enough... I sit around all day doing nothing...

Although I do wish that I could have taken Bio SL, because it sounds interesting.

Personally I think I belong to the minority. I don't really care much about the score/grade. As long as I enjoy the classes it's fine. But I am disliking physics HL and maths HL. Due to my teachers.

[Bandev]

Bio SL is boring HL is where it gets interesting.

[Abu]

If you really need to take more than 6 subjects, then:

a. Go back to GCSE where you kinda have the lesser depth and more choices

b. Cut down on IAs so that people have the time to do more subjects

c. No exams for any subject, just continuous assessment

And make IB 3-4 years? you nuts? 2 years of stress is bad enough.

[kdk9008]

6 subjects is definitely not enough... I sit around all day doing nothing...

Although I do wish that I could have taken Bio SL, because it sounds interesting.

Personally I think I belong to the minority. I don't really care much about the score/grade. As long as I enjoy the classes it's fine. But I am disliking physics HL and maths HL. Due to my teachers.

you don't care about the grades? still.. look at your predicted scores

they're all 7's except for one

if you sit around all day doing nothing with six subjects, your time management skills must probably be close to 'perfect'

so jealous of youu

[Forester]

...

I don't have all nighters. The latest I work to is 10.30pm. In a week of 7 days, mostly only on three days i'd have to do any homework at all.

My time management is not good at all.

Economics - Just commentaries and they are quite rare

Geography - No homework what so ever, maybe one assignment in one term

English A1 - Not much, a few commentaries here and there.

Maths - No homework at all (gotta change this semester. have been too laid back)

Chemistry - No homework except for a lab each week, takes approx two hours of one night.

Physics - Same as Chem

Chinese B - No homework, do all revision in class, i don't even have a proper class lol.

As you can see, my workload is not excessively tiring. I can handle another subject such as Jap ab initio or Latin B or Bio SL, but my school doesn't offer them.

Edited January 12, 2008 by Forester

[ozZiiiii]

I mostly chose what I chose because I love learning. Turned into a challenge of scoring and performing at top capacity very quickly, though.

Edited January 14, 2008 by ozZiiiii

[Bandev]

Are you serious that Chem Labs take you 2 hours? I once did 12 hours on a chem lab, but that was in my second year so I suppose you really haven't gotten to the point where you do things like that. Though I do remember doing a bio prac in 45 mins once, lol, that got a bad mark. But with geo I had even less I did one assignment in total in IB1.

[Forester]

yea im in IB1 thats why maybe.

[Guest Abrusci]

I think that 6 is pretty good for me. I would actually like to pick up business studies, though. I don't see too much point in taking just business or just econ. Don't forget that you have to do ToK too, that can be a pain sometimes.

I like my timetable though, 5-6 hours of class a day, all my classes (minus ToK) 2 times per week.. very comfortable.

[operation_ibs]

...

I don't have all nighters. The latest I work to is 10.30pm. In a week of 7 days, mostly only on three days i'd have to do any homework at all.

My time management is not good at all.

Economics - Just commentaries and they are quite rare

Geography - No homework what so ever, maybe one assignment in one term

English A1 - Not much, a few commentaries here and there.

Maths - No homework at all (gotta change this semester. have been too laid back)

Chemistry - No homework except for a lab each week, takes approx two hours of one night.

Physics - Same as Chem

Chinese B - No homework, do all revision in class, i don't even have a proper class lol.

As you can see, my workload is not excessively tiring. I can handle another subject such as Jap ab initio or Latin B or Bio SL, but my school doesn't offer them.

I don't know what IB school you go to... but i want to go there. lol. I get loads of homework and test review every night and background readings galore... as well as taking notes from textbooks for the next day's lesson, and there I usually add extra stuff I didn't find out of the textbook. You seem to have it pretty easy.

[Forester]

Well I get homework, but teacher doesn't check, so no point in doing it.

I also don't take notes...You have textbooks, why take notes?

hmmmmm I guess my kind of studying is too laidback....I'm gana get screwed in IB 2 I know it.

COME to my school!!! WE need fluent speaking english people..

lol

Edited January 23, 2008 by Forester

[Guest beatrice]

ı think ı wouldnt survive with additional subject. 6 subjects in IB alredy asks for too much I dont even wanna immagine 7 or more subjects..