By Stella Eihausen, year 11
Have you ever wondered what it feels like to be graduating school after 13 years of waking up at the same time each morning, going to the same place, with the same people, every weekday? Well, if so, keep reading to find out what is in store for two Class of 2022 graduates, Talitha Khanlari and Smilla Eihausen.
Talitha Khanlari
Talitha is 18 years old, Swiss, and has spent four years studying at LGB.
How does it feel to finally be graduating?
I haven’t actually really processed it; it feels exciting and amazing but also a little sad because I’m saying goodbye to so many people and I’m leaving a place that I just spent four years of my life attending. I’m definitely looking forward to what’s next, but I know that I’m really going to miss Ecolint next year.
Did you have any expectations for the I.B diploma?
I didn’t really have expectations for the IB; however, I did think that it was going to be a lot easier and I didn’t realise how heavy the workload would get.
What was your favourite class? Teacher?
One of my favourite classes was English class with Ms. Gander because she is such an incredible teacher and truly cares so much about her students. I also really loved HL History with Ms. Waldman; I constantly felt supported by her and I always felt like she was there for me. She believes in her students so much and truly teaches her subject with so much passion.
What is one of your favourite memories of being in high school?
I honestly don’t have one favourite high school memory. Looking back, I’m going to miss so much, from school lunches that were spent getting to know amazing people to being in class and having the best discussions.
Is there anything you regret?
I regret not always staying up to date with my deadlines since I think that would have made IB life much better. I also regret not getting to know more people; I didn’t really talk to a lot of people until Greece and it’s something I wish I had done sooner.
What is next in store for you? Are you scared and/or excited about anything that’s coming your way?
Next year, I’m going to study psychology at The New School in New York. I’m both scared and excited since it’s a totally new chapter of my life. I have no idea what’s going to happen which makes me nervous, but I’m also looking forward to a new routine in a new city.
Do you have any advice for those who are in high school right now? For those starting the IB Diploma?
“I’m sure so many people say this but, stay up to date with your deadlines in Year 12; it’s going to make life in Year 13 so much better and I promise it will really help with your stress levels.”
Smilla Eihausen
Smilla Eihausen is 19 years old, German, and has studied at LGB for the past two years.
How does it feel to finally be graduating?
It feels really amazing, especially after the last two years of really intense work and crazy deadlines. I do feel nostalgic for the friends I’ve made along the way and the amazing memories for sure, but I think, now that it’s over, I feel the nostalgia a lot more than I did while it was actually happening.
Did you have any expectations for the IB diploma?
I thought it was going to be easier, but in reality, it was one of the hardest things that I’ve ever done.
What was your favourite class? Teacher?
“I absolutely adored HL History with Mr. Eddis. Mr. Eddis is one of the most energetic, funny, and kind-hearted people I know; he always made everyone feel included in class and, just in general, our classroom was a really tight-knit group of people and students… I don’t think there was ever a class where I wasn’t having fun. I also really loved my HL English class with Ms. Gander as she is just a wonderful teacher and human-being who’s always ready to help her students if they have any questions or have any struggles. I also loved SL French just because it gave me the opportunity to learn a new language again and my best friend Anna and I loved to annoy our French teacher, Mme. Davies, to no end.
What is one of your favourite memories of being in high school?
Probably making the three closest friends of my life that I’ve ever made; it was definitely one of the best experiences. Also, the fact that we had so much freedom in the IB since it was kind of like coming to uni classes because everything was split up into block schedules. For example, during year 13, I was really lucky with the fact that I had three days a week where I had to be at school at 9:45 which I honestly deserved because in year 12 I had none and I had to suffer through early morning classes every day.
Is there anything you regret?
Probably not starting things sooner before deadlines. I did a lot of things really close to the end; I think I wrote my Maths IA the day before it was due, which was honestly a really stressful situation, but you know, that’s the IB… that’s life: you have five deadlines back-to-back and you just kind of have to suffer through it. At the same time though, I hate giving this advice to people, because I got that advice and I still didn’t listen because I’m just a massive procrastinator and honestly, at this point, I don’t think that’s going to change.
What is next in store for you? Are you scared and/or excited about anything that’s coming your way?
I hope to attend university in Scotland next year, however, I am honestly just waiting to see if I make the points that I need. I’m honestly scared to be so far away from my family and leaving behind my best friends since they’re all going different ways. I am also nervous because it’s going to be a new environment and especially because I was new two years ago, so I’ll be new once again. This is obviously the same for everyone else in my year, but it’s just one of those situations where you’re thrown in with a big group of people where you have to kind of find your own. I’m really excited, however, to go to university and study psychology, which has been my dream for three years now.
Do you have any advice for those who are in high school right now? For those starting the IB Diploma?
Enjoy the moments where you’re with your close friends because that’s never coming back again… you know those moments where you’re just sitting in class together, goofing off, or when there’s this collective spirit of everyone’s stressed out but everyone’s stressed out together. Also, enjoy your classes with the teachers that you like; make the best out of them, take good notes, and I think the best advice that I could give is just to stay active in all the classes that you take – stay active in the sense where just because you’re focused on one subject, don’t let that mean that you’re going to forget another, especially once you have your IAs coming up, you want to be focused on making sure that they’re all getting equal amounts of attention. If you completely focus on one, it’s definitely going to show that there was a lack of attention for another. If you love one class and you hate the other, just because you hate that one class does not mean you should give it less attention than the one you love the most. Also, for those starting the I.B, know that you have a deadline at the beginning to change your classes and if you are really not liking your classes, then change them because you’re going to suffer for two years. There should at least be one class that you enjoy coming to or at least enjoy the vibe of because otherwise, you’re just going to hate your life. My last tip is, for those starting the IB, if you think that year 12 is hard, trust me, it is not as hard as year 13, so milk year 12; enjoy every moment and bask in the beauty of no final deadlines. And even if you’re stressed just beware: year 13 hits you like a truck.
Overall, a big thank you to both Talitha and Smilla for sharing their experiences and various advice to current high school students. Best of luck to the both of you and the rest of the 2022 graduating class!
Image: Talitha Khanlari, left, and Smilla Eihausen, right
