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

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