By Milou Hoeft, Year 12
Many students ask themselves whether the IB is worth it. Many don’t know what to expect. The International Baccalaureate has a reputation for being difficult and extremely time-consuming, leading to many choosing different diplomas as a result. Today an LGB alumna will be talking to us about their experience.
Please introduce yourself and tell us about what you are studying at university.
My name is Kedina Hoeft and I graduated from LGB in 2022. I went to the school for 7 years and took HL Biology, Chemistry, Geography and SL German A Literature, English A Literature and Maths AA. I am currently studying Biology and Biomedical Sciences at Trinity College Dublin in Ireland.
Is the IB worth it? Are you benefitting from it?
In hindsight, I would say it is worth it because it helps you develop a work ethic and time management skills that many only learn once they go to university. The difficulty and pace of content covered in the IB also closely mimic that of university. I feel that it is benefitting me because I can more efficiently handle stressful situations and know how to approach difficult tasks.
Have your subject choices/number of points in the IB hindered you in any way?
My points never hindered me from applying to universities but my subject choices did. I was not informed that to pursue a science degree in the domain I have chosen, I would need three sciences or HL math in countries such as the Netherlands, Germany or Switzerland. This narrowed my choices of countries to apply to.
What advice would you give current IB students?
Do not let the workload pile up and work in manageable amounts every day. Make sure to create time to relax and do things that are important to you. Get enough rest. A balance is key because like a teacher once told me the IB is not a race but a marathon.
What advice would you give current IB students that are still not sure about what they want to study?
I would tell them not to worry because I only really figured out pretty late into the IB what I wanted to do. As an advice, I would tell them to research what domains they can go into with certain aspects of subjects that they find interesting.
How does the university experience differ from the high school/IB experience?
At university, there is a lot more freedom and I find it more interesting because I am truly only studying what I am interested in. It is true what people say about the first year of university being pretty similar to IB.
What was the hardest aspect of the IB?
In general, I would say it was juggling the workload from all your classes simultaneously and keeping a healthy work-life balance.
What did you find the most helpful aspect of the IB?
The most helpful component of the IB, for me personally, was the extended essay. Although it may seem very difficult and you may seem lost in the beginning, it teaches you many important skills. It aids in developing effective time management, research, and critical thinking skills. In the future it also allows you to be at ease when confronted with the idea of writing essays, which many university students struggle with in their first years.
