I'm one of the recipients of the KPM Bursary and I have shortlisted my options to do either A-levels or International Baccalaureate(IB). Recently I have been having sleepless nights contemplating between these two Pre-U programmes. One moment I'm interested in A-levels and the next, I find myself drawn to IB. Actually, I have already decided to take IB earlier on but now I am having second thoughts. One of my main concerns is the extensive workload in IB. I can honestly admit that I am a lazy person and am the 'last-minute' type of student, so I am worried that I can't cope with the huge amount of assignments. I know A-leves has its fair share of assignments as well but compared to IB, it doesn't seem that taxing. Also, I am quite a shy person, so there is a high possibility that I might screw up the oral presentations in IB. I understand that both the A-levels and IB have the same recognition. So is it worth all the extra stress and pressure by taking IB?

Yesterday, I went to Taylor's in Subang and was told that the number of students they have accepted for A-levels is overloaded. So either way, I have to do my Pre-U programme in Sri Hartamas. My mum prefers the atmosphere in Sri Hartamas whereas I like Subang for its convenience. I mean, they are plenty of food outlets in Subang. And at reasonable price too. But if I were to take IB, then I would have no choice. If I choose A-levels, I can still appeal to be transferred to Subang. Any Taylor's students here who are willing to share their experience?

Thank you. =)

Oral presentation is not something you can avoid. You can avoid it for pre-u level, but when you go to the next stage or when you have begun to work, presentation is almost a part of your life. You should overcome your shyness and face it, instead of bypassing it by choosing another route.

If I were you, I'll opt for A-Level simply because it is cheaper. IB can be very expensive. If you can afford both you should consider very carefully but both seem to be good choices for me. Recognition wise, both are recognised internationally.

True. I have considered that and my mum is encouraging me to take IB to train me in various soft skills. But somehow I am still reluctant because of my fear. =/

The cost is covered by the Ministry of Education, so money is not the problem here. =)

Actually assignments are only relevant to IB since for A Levels only your written exams (in and out of the labs for science) count. However, in terms of workload, while you may not be required to work periodically, you may find yourself doing exactly that (before exams) to prepare for your AS or A2 exams. You can expect that to be intense and taxing, considering the difficulty of A Level exams (which I believe to be at least in a few ways more difficult than IB exams).

At university you the style you face depends on many things, such as the school itself, and the subject. For some people it is mostly large essays, and smaller or fewer open-book final exams. For others it is intensive, long assignments/reports with even more intensive finals, or purely finals, or a mixture of small or large quizzes, assignments, and killer exams/finals.

So to say that the IB way of having assignments in addition to exams is more beneficial (than A Levels) may not be entirely true for everyone... almost surely you will have at least a few classes with sizeable assignments while at university, but many people (especially non Arts/Law) will have to face huge final exams (e.g. 50 or 60% up to 85 or 90%). The A level (without coursework boards/subjects) style, which is a couple papers totaling 50%, and then a couple papers totaling the remaining 50%, comes close to this, and so has merit in this aspect.

So you are quite right that you should pick the one which would give you the best results since they are equally recognised, and probably with fair trade-offs in terms of preparation for undergraduate (IB people develop writing, research skills, while A Level people develop exam skills, both of which are relevant to most any degree).

Hartamas has many affordable food options too.

Personally, I would prefer IB because I think that it is more holistic. It will train you up in doing assignment and oral presentation which are very important during your degree when you will need to do a lot of past literature studies.

Good luck in making decision^^

I'm currently doing IB, and I think the most compelling reason as to why I chose IB is the skills that IB teaches. A levels is mainly content based. 10 years later, I believe much of the content I have learned will be irrelevant. However, the skills such as writing skills will still be needed as I draft letters, proposals and so on. IB is not so much about the content, but the analytical and thinking skills. A level math questions are meant to have long workings (for Singapore A levels; I'm not sure about the ones in Malaysia) but IB questions require that you complete the questions in the shortest steps possible, otherwise there's not enough time to do the whole paper. So the whole approach is totally different. IB stretches horizontally but A levels stretch vertically.

A very important thing is that to do well in IB, you really really need competent teachers who know what's expected by IBO, and who knows how to guide and pace you well.

I think both IB and A levels are both very good Pre-u courses that are internationally recognized and provide training (albeit in different ways). I believe that IB is the better course.However, I personally would pick A-levels.

This is because I think A levels is more suited towards the type of student that prefers 100% assessment by one exam (me ) and also more 'booksmart' in the sense that all we have to do is read the syllabus with less hands-on skill compared with IB holders who are all rounders as IB trains them to present things well, to think and analyse a situation properly etc.

Sorta depends on what kind of person you are, IMO.

You don't get a lot of time in A Level Maths, and they certainly do not require "long workings" as you say. In fact, it is more like what you've described for IB - the shortest way possible to the correct answer. They give you marks for workings that are absolutely necessary to reach the right answer... and if you don't write that down (if you are brilliant enough to do it all in your head) but still get the right answer, they will not purposefully cut marks. I'm talking about the CIE GCE A Levels (more relevant to the discussion here) and while the Singapore Cambridge GCEs are different, I imagine they are not as tragic as you describe. The purpose of such marking is to award you partial marks in the event you fail to reach the precise answer or a correct answer due to rounding errors, calculation errors and mistakes. Not to force you to perform long workings... although the questions are quite hard and some working is needed to reach the right answer, and there is no emphasis (in the syllabus) on the "quickest way". Any way is fine as long as it is right.


For some Science A Levels you have practical exams, I would call that "hands-on". It's true that research and most writing skills are not assessed and therefore not taught, and this is perhaps one of the greatest weaknesses of A Level exams (without research-based coursework), but that's not to say you cannot pick up writing and presentation skills from A Levels. Also, you're doing Pre-U to get to uni, and not everything you learn in uni is useful down the line, so A Levels make sense because the exam style prepares you for uni.

Haha sorry I really have no idea how Malaysia's A levels is like, but Singapore's questions really require long workings to reach the solution. Of course long is relative to IB's long, and not like 2 or 3 pages. Another thing is none of IB's paper 1 allow the use of calculator. This applies for group 4 and group 5 subjects. Which is why the questions in IB are designed to have relatively nice answers most of the times and can be done in very few steps.

Well clearly they're very different then. Unless you have to explain Maths answers in abstract notation and words, then any other "Maths" will involve heavy calculation, and nice answers without a calculator are never intentional.

I did the IB Diploma from August 2008 to May 2010 and I agree with what people above said. I didn't really have a choice back then but thinking back I'd say I never regretted it because I'm one of those students who just can't do exams, so A-levels definitely wasn't for me. As long as you score higher marks in your Internal Assessments which is about 30% of your subject (correct me if I'm wrong, it's been too long that I can barely remember) and get a decent grade in exams, you can easily get a Level 6. Level 7 might be easy for many smart people out there but perfection is definitely not something I strive anyway Make sure you do well in your extended essay and satisfy the CAS hours requirement. Of course, your teachers must be competent enough to know the syllabus and I'm glad that I had some really good teachers who knew all the technique when answering exam questions and IA. It's tough because all the constant hard work you have to put in and there'll be time you start to regret it in the middle of your course (at least I did), but it was all worth it by the end of the course.

This post has been edited by vcj1992: May 5 2012, 09:54 PM

Thank you for all the inputs guys!

Personally, I think A-levels suits me better just because I, just like any other Malaysian students who took SPM, have been in the same exam-oriented education system for 11 years now. The sense of familiarity might help one do better? Okay, that is just a mere assumption but still an assumption nonetheless. However, after listening and reading many comments on IB, my interest in the programme slowly begins to grow. But at the end of the day, it all comes down to the same concern; the workload and the question whether I can cope with it.

By the way, how hard is it to get a score of 7 in IB? Is it harder than scoring an A* in A-levels? I know this is a subjective question but is there a scale or something to determine the difficulty? =S

You definitely should pick whichever suits you best in your opinion.

Some IB students will of course admit the shortcomings (A Level is believed to have more depth) when they get to uni.

Of course, some uni classes will be a hybrid of IB and A Level... a lot of constant work (whether assignments, or just to keep up with smaller assessments like quizzes and large exams) plus heavy final exams. And whichever you take will not matter if you can do well, by the end of it.

I do think in certain sense, IB is easier to score as you are literally "in charge' of your results pathway...ie doing coursework industriously, building up passion by presentations/research i personally think IB is really useful compared to a levels although im from a level...A-Level is actually in another way, rote learning ala UK style...even Uk govt and eucators now have some controversial over the syllabus of a levels and things might be shaking up quite soon...CIE has also already 2 years ago came up with thier versio of IB namely Cambridge pre-uni . A* can be harder even to attain sometimes bcos it solely depends on yor exams and if you don't do well, that's it, whereas in IB, final exams only boils down to a small part of your course compared to the other components ie. EE,TOK, comm service

True, true. Based solely on the fact that I'm somewhat accustomed to the 100% exam system, I might as well train up my soft skills in IB, right? In a way, I can get the best of both world?


From what I've been reading, it is possible to resit for some subjects in A-levels to improve your grades. Does this mean A-levels students have the same power to be 'in charge' of their results as well?

yup2, but as u c, the fate is stil in CIE's hand,lol.. you cant really expect what type of questions they will just throw at you, whereas i think in IB, you will be well aware of your assingment topic, and you can research as far as the heavens...but depending on stress level, i think IB is definitely much more strenous, especially when there are lots of assignments and tight deadlines to drive you crazy.

At least you have the chance resit the exams in A-levels whereas you can't do the same for the written examination for IB. Right?

Yes, exactly! The stress level in IB is too high! At least that's what I observed. This is my main concern right now.

You CAN always resit for written examination for IB like A-levels.

To be honest, the stress level in IB is indeed quite high especially you have to take 6 subjects plus TOK, and also at the same time you have to complete the Extended Essay and do lots of activities outside of school to satisfy the CAS hours requirement. Also you need to balance between science and humanities subjects, so for people like me, I struggled a lot in Physics because I have always been a student who prefers humanities. Whereas in A-levels, you can just take what you actually like, especially if you already know what you wanna do in the future. Since you came from a rather exam-based background, then you might as well take what is best for you because ultimately your aim is to score as high as possible in your final grades. I won't say it is difficult to score a Level 7 in IB as long as you do well in your coursework. That's why it is important that the school has teachers who are competent enough to know the subject and tips to score coursework. Both A-levels and IB have its own stress but as an IB alumni, I certainly didn't regret taking it. But again, ultimately it is up to you to decide.

This post has been edited by vcj1992: May 7 2012, 07:33 PM

You can? Since you're an IB alumni, I'm gonna take your word for it!

Oh yes! I am aware of the stress! It has been bothering me a lot, which is strange because I haven't even started the programme yet.

I prefer humanities as well! Taylor's only offer Economics and Business Management for Group 3. Is it wise to take both? Coz I heard some chapters of the two subjects overlap(or is that only true for A-levels?). Or should I opt for another Science subject to open up more opportunities in the future though I'm not interested in Science? I'm still unsure on what my ideal career would be, by the way.
Decisions, decisions...

This post has been edited by Aefioz: May 7 2012, 09:28 PM

You can resit but if I'm not wrong the resit can only be taken half a year later. (Ie: If your exam is on May then you can only wait until the next exam time which is November). But hey, don't even think about resit! haha.

I did Business Management and History so I'm not too sure about whether they will overlap. But I would advise you to take only subjects that you are interested in because afterall you wanna get the highest points possible at the end of your 2-year course. Plus you've got to do Internal Assessments (coursework) which you should take it as a chance to boost your final grades if you do well on it, so you definitely wanna ace it and taking subjects that you dislike certainly won't help. Back then I knew I was definitely not gonna do any science-based courses like medicine or engineering in university so I only took one science subject. I know you are still unsure of what ideal career you wanna do, but if you have a rough idea whether it's gonna science-based or humanities-based, that should be able to help you in your decisions.

This post has been edited by vcj1992: May 8 2012, 05:37 AM

Guys, and LightningFist Many thanks for the enlightenment.

Now the critical question, does Fairview International@Wangsa Maju have competent enough teachers?

Hi, just curious, what subjects do u intend to take at A-levels or IB and what course do u intend to pursue at degree level?

Also, for example if u are not into languages u wouldn't want to take IB. Besides u cant take 3 sciences in IB (correct me if i am wrong).

personally i would prefer ib than alevels.
ib is more on project based compared to a-levels.
you will get to learn more and gain experience that will you in future.
all my friends who took ib told me so.
enjoy at the same time stress.

How many sciences you can do depends on the school. For example, although it's not common, it's possible to do 4 HL and 2 SL subjects, or more Sciences and fewer Social Sciences/Humanities/Arts. Another thing is the languages available depend on the school. This is the same for A Level - your combination and subjects depend on the school unless you don't go for tuition and take the exam independently.

Not sure about Fairview International, you might wanna wait for other people to answer that question..


Yeap, I would agree with the above two. Like ffnbnj said, you can't take 3 science or humanities subjects. The maximum is two. But of course whether you can take them or not will depend largely on the subjects your school or college offers. That will be important too. Because basically the first five subjects have to be language A, second language (or another A1), science subject, humanities subject, math and also the last one could be another science subject, humanities subject or the arts. Sorry if the order is wrong by the way. I wouldn't recommend anyone doing 4 HL or 2 HL subjects though unless you are really interested in those subjects, aiming for any scholarships or meeting any university's requirements for your dream course, otherwise it is stressful. Also 4 HLs have different passing grades as far as I remember and it really won't give you any advantages over those who take 3 HLs and 3 SLs by the end of the course. So I guess that's why it's not common although there are still a lot people out there doing it.

This post has been edited by vcj1992: May 8 2012, 06:52 PM

Wow! Sorry for being absent for sooooo long! I was busy recently.


Exam can be only taken half a year later? Then forget it! I can't wait that long considering that IB takes 2 years, which is already long enough!

The problem is that there are only 2 subjects available in Group 3 in Taylor's, namely Economics and Business Management. I'm interested in taking both but I'm not sure if it's the best idea. Sri KDU International School offers Psychology as well but...I already registered in Taylor's. Kinda a rushed decision I made.


Subjects, I am still unsure but I'm planning to pursue either Economics or Actuarial Science in the future. So, a combination of Physics, Economics and Maths at HL sounds reasonable. But I'm not interested in Physics! For some reasons, I'd rather take Bio even though I really dislike the subject.


I like the sound of that!


Funny you should mention that coz I was actually planning to take 4 HL subjects. Bio, Chemistry, Maths & Economics, maybe, just to open more doors in the future. Is it possible to pursue a degree in Economics if you study it in SL in IB? If so, I might do just that.

You could refer to the Actuarial thread.

Basically you don't even need SL Economics to do an Actuarial or Econ degree.

But since there is only HL Maths available to you (not like in A Level where there may be the option to do AS or A2 Further Maths), for which you must get a 7 (similarly if you take A Level you must get an A or at some schools an A* for Maths), then I would highly recommend HL sciences, particularly Physics, secondarily Chemistry, and if you want to/can, HL Economics.

Obviously interests are important, but I feel that Biology (although perfectly acceptable) will not compensate for the lack of Physics at HL.

In fact, I believe Physics has more value than Economics, since for A Level sometimes Biology or Geography takes preference over Economics, for entry into an Economics degree.

You also need to get 7 for your HL subjects because this will most likely be specified (and obviously 7 for Maths is a must).

You should aim to get 38 to 42 at IB before bonus points... that's at least 777665 or 777755 unless they specify you cannot have less than a 6 for anything, or how many 7s, or whatever.

You dislike Biology, then best not take it at HL - it's the least relevant.

If I did IB and had Actuarial/Econ in mind but wanted to be open to other things (Engineering, Science) then a good combo would be HL Maths, Physics, Chemistry, SL Economics. Swapping HL Chem for Econ is acceptable, but like I said, even though Economics has more relevance second to Maths, you don't even need SL... it doesn't instantly improve your chances (if at all). Whereas I could argue Chemistry could (and certainly Physics).

I totally understand what you are saying. The reason I am keeping Biology HL as an option is because if I were to somehow venture into the science field in the future, I would rather go for Pharmacy/Dentistry rather than Engineering. To make it clear, I have NEVER been interested in Engineering whereas I have interest, albeit just a tiny little bit, towards Pharmacy/Dentistry. And you did mentioned that "sometimes Biology or Geography takes preference over Economics, for entry into an Economics degree." Is this considered a complicated situation?

Oh wow. So many 7's. Let the pressure begin!

Judging from your own self evaluation, i would say do a levels.

Yeah I would say it's a complicated situation. But it is not the same for IB because you don't have 2 different Maths subjects (7 at HL is always A/A* in A Level).

They prefer Further Maths. But not everyone takes it. But just because a candidate doesn't have it doesn't mean they aren't amongst the best for the course. So a small number get selected because so many have Further as well as a few of the others (most commonly Physics, often Chemistry or Economics, rarely Biology). To have more than 4 is truly impressive but note they do it in a longer time. So sometimes, because of the common denominator (Economics), they seem to select certain subjects over Economics (but never softer ones like Accounting or Law). That goes to show Geography can be considered on par with Economics. I don't why this is done, it is strange because I heard A Level Economics is hard. To be sure though, at top specialty schools and other schools that teach Business, Economics is not easy. Maths is not easy. Whatever you did at IB or A Level, might help, but only so much.

I get that you're infinitely more interested in Pharm or Dentistry than Eng. But consider that Physics may help (a little) decide if you get into the programme (Economics or Actuarial) or your choice, while Biology would be infinitely more useful and relevant and important for Pharm/Dentistry.

This is where IB may present difficulties and why I still encourage A Level very strongly. I could take 3+1 (Maths) Sciences and still have all those options open, although I'd be more than a bit disadvantaged for Econ or Actuarial. Then if I was more certain about Actuarial/Econ and less about Engineering I would surely drop Physics in favour of Further Maths (ironic since Further is usually used for Engineering, and essential for Mathematics).

From my observation (didn't do IB) 4 HLs in 2 years is very doable... although, if you wish to get the grades I suggested, i.e. 38-42, it's probably easier with just 3 HLs. To get just below 38 with 4 HLs is not hard if I'm right. Ask other post-IB students.

Well, I have actually registered for IB, so A-levels is no longer an option.

I just got myself stuck in a sticky situation, didn't I?

For now, I think it would be better if I take Physics since I am more inclined towards Economics/Actuarial than Pharmacy/Dentistry but passion can change at any time, that's why I'm trying to keep my options open. 3 Sciences and 1 Maths in A-levels don't appeal to me though, coz I have trouble with Science subjects. My interest in Pharmacy/Dentistry is somewhat questionable. Well, I'm really giving myself a big headache over this matter.

Another thing, it's quite hard to find post-IB students around here.

Anyhow, thank you so much for your input! Really appreciate it!

Judging from what you've written, I guess Physics HL and Biology HL will be the best combination. You'll probably need Math HL as well like someone else has said if you wanna take Actuarial Science. But again, if you are having trouble with Science subjects, you might struggle again because it basically means you're inclined towards a more Science subjects. Sorry that I couldn't give you more advise on that subject combination besides giving you an idea how IB was like even though I'm an IB graduate, don't know too much about Actuarial and Economics! Good luck choosing though, please ask again if you have more specific questions and I'll see if I could help.

Well, you may think so, but I would disagree.

He/she indicated his/her interest in Biology was not very substantial. Further, Biology may be highly relevant to any future in Dentistry, Pharmacy, or a related Health Science, but Chemistry is possibly even more important for entry. Physics, on the other hand, could influence entry for any of the Mathematically rigorous social sciences, which is what he/she has in mind. So HL Maths, Physics, and Chemistry would be a suitable option, with SL Economics. The science subjects supersede Economics at every turn for the degree subjects in consideration (unless one considers stuff like Law). Yet Biology is the least important or relevant for any of them.

Yes, I do agree that Chemistry is a MUST in this case, or in most cases really. This should not contribute to the final decision but out of the three Sciences, I highly prefer Chemistry.

I'm still considering Physics. If it isn't really needed for Actuarial Science, then I might as well drop it and choose Business Management SL(with Economics HL) instead? And I think that I could score better in Economics + Business Management than in any Science subjects. Then again, as LightningFist stated, "The science subjects supersede Economics at every turn for the degree subjects in consideration". Oh, I don't know.

By the way, I'm a 'he'.

I agree that I've seen mostly Physics and Chemistry combination rather than Biology when three of them are offered in the school/college. I guess it really depends whether Physics (or other science subjects) is one of the prerequisites for Actuarial Science before you decide. If it isn't, my advise is to take whatever you are interested in and confident that you can score higher points. But again some others might think otherwise, so someone else who knows about this field might be able to answer you instead. Apologies for my rather limited knowledge in Science field. hehehe

Yes, actually, in almost EVERYWHERE, even in Form 6, Chemistry is compulsory in Science stream because both the medical and engineering field needs knowledge in Chemistry. Correct me if I'm wrong.

And don't apologise! It's no problem at all! I really appreciate your comment, so THANKS!

That's because you need both Maths and Physics (usually) for Engineering, but while you need Chemistry and/or Biology for the Health Sciences, but sometimes they allow applicants to not have full A Level Biology or Chemistry as long as they have 1 AS and 1 A Level. So partial Chemistry or partial Biology.

The only prerequisite for Act Sci or Economics at a top school is HL Maths. Nothing more. Which is why I say Physics can help because they will favour sciences like these especially when there is no Further Maths option (they don't make A Level candidates take it, only ask for an A or A* - and they only ask IB students for HL Maths 7, so you can see where I'm going).

I'm sorry, I just have to disagree with that. Yes, it's doable, but it's highly strenuous!! I've met a girl who studied 4 HLs and 3 SLs, but even with her perfect score, she admitted it, it was really tiring!!

It's tiring enough just by getting perfect for standard 3 HLs, 3 SLs. You do understand that each subject has their own internal assessments. These internal assessments are on-going throughout the 2 years, literally give you lesser time to study.
Sciences = 1 lab report per week per 1 science subject, must follow uni format from abstract to bibliography;
maths = maths portfolio x2;
Languages (more like literature) = read novels (at least 1 novel per semester per language), memorise poems (a number of them), analyse novels, oral exams on the novels and poem, write an essay (1,800 words) on world literature;
Social sciences = e.g. economics, find 4 articles and write pages of commentary reports;

These IAs constitute a percentage depending on the course, some 25%, some 30%.

Then, every week have to write a CAS report for Creativity, Action and Service. Every activity that you do, you need to write a report in order to get the required 150 credit hours. Need to do voluntary work such as volunteer in a hospital, school etc.

Then Tok (Theory of Knowledge) essay (I think 2,000 words) which requires lots of research, reading, thinking ... ToK is actually a small part of philosophy.

Then finally (I hope) is the Extended Essay (4,000 words) [some ppl churned out 80 pages stuff] which requires research, experimentation (if sciences) etc ... EE, ToK essay, World Literature essay require a lot of work, because it's not a 1-time finish task! You need to submit draft, amend, draft, amend, draft, amend, then submit!! Need to submit at least 2 drafts ...

Then you also need to spend some time with you mentor, so that he can get to know you, and write you a reference letter, and you need to apply to uni. If you're applying to US, ... then ... be prepared for an arduous application!!

I hope that summarises it ...



Definitely Physics and Chemistry, even if you want to do medicine or dentistry. There's no problem entering uni without Biology, doctors said that, so were my friends who studied medicine. You need bio is you're doing biology degree.

This post has been edited by TSOM: May 16 2012, 11:58 AM

Understood! Physics, it is! Thanks!


Oh wow! That is so tedious! I wonder how did that girl manage with...7 subjects?! Incredible! And what you mentioned is just a summary?! Great, now I'm getting worried again...but I'll still with my decision to take IB. Hope I don't regret this.

So Physics + Chemistry is the safest option. Great! 2 Sciences. Yikes...I hope I survive.

By the way, thank you!

Well, like I said, it all depends on what schools you're aiming for. If partial Biology is required, I think Chemistry + Biology is better if you absolutely cannot take 3 sciences. They look on Physics favourable, and probably would accept it in place of Maths, not that they require Maths, but many see Maths as a very basic, must-have subject in addition to Chem and Bio.

I think it's not a good system if students have to take Physics but not Biology if they intend to study Medicine or related health sciences... this is what people in Malaysia seem to suggest...

That girl I mentioned was a taiwanese girl. She's very pretty btw... And her results were really goods.

You should be worried, in fact you should be feeling the stress. Throughout the 2 years, you'll keep feeling like you've unfinished work, here and there..

It will be like hearing thunder seeing lightning, but no rain = i.e. you'll be stressed but you'll survive. It's just the stress that makes you feel tiresome.. Once you finish 1 task, you've another task; finish 1 presentation, 2nd presentation starts ... It's very hard to relax or have a good holiday when at the back of your mind, you've unfinished work, unless you're students who don't really care, just want 30 points. If you want 40 points and above, you should be feeling the stress.

addendum: got lots of presentations for the 2 languages subjects.

With all the workload, your teachers will most probably have a schedule for you. Eg. now is the time for this, now is the time for that, now is the time for 1st draft, now it's the time to apply uni, now it's the time for semester exam .... blah blah blah ...
If they leave you alone, I think not many students can survive IB. Need a lot of self-discipline and multi-tasking.. especially with internet so widely available now, it'll be a huge distraction for students ...

This post has been edited by TSOM: May 19 2012, 09:41 AM

Exactly, considering Physics is not relevant in health sciences but at a tender age, majority of students are still clueless on what they intend to do. I'm a good example. So it's quite good if options are still available if you took the 'wrong' course or anything.


Oooooh...leng lui. Lol.

The amount of stress is definitely worrying. There's really no rest is there?

A schedule would be incredibly helpful! You need strong discipline to survive, which many lack nowadays.

Yeah, technology is the key to procrastination.

I'm currently taking my GCE 'O' Levels in Singapore, thinking about coming back to Malaysia for IB next year. Are there any suggestions on good IB schools? My choice of HL and SL subjects are likely to be:

HL: English Language and Literature, History, Group 2 Language OR Psychology OR Business Management
SL: Physics, Maths, one of the three with "OR" above

As you can see, I would prefer to take humanities for my HL. I was looking up Taylor's but they have a really limited choice of subjects available...are there any other reputable IB schools with a good range of subjects available, and with competent teaching staff?

Thanks!