The future in their hands
IB World Schools cover every walk of life, in every part of the globe. So what does it mean to be an IB learner in four very different circumstances? Let the students themselves explain…
Step outside your world
Juan Camilo Alba Botero and Manuela Duque 
IB Diploma Programme students, The English School, Bogotá, Colombia
Colombia is an amazing place to live, but it’s a country facing grave problems, including corruption and inequality. It makes us realize how privileged we are to belong to the IB community – but with this privilege comes great responsibility. It is in our hands to guide the transformation of our country.
The true value of being part of the IB Diploma Programme is that we are able to burst the bubble we live in. It has opened so many doors for us already and made us more aware of world issues. We believe that one of the biggest problems in today’s society is that we are all too self-absorbed and don’t look beyond our own lives. The IB Diploma Programme is essential when it comes to broadening your world view. CAS, for instance, enables us to enter a reality that we may not have seen before, while TOK is all about understanding and respecting different perspectives.
Recently, we were in the Amazon carrying out CAS activities and it was an unforgettable week. The people we met were from a totally different culture – most of them did not even know what a traffic light was – but we learned more from them than they could ever learn from us. That is the whole point of IB, we “learn by doing”, rather than just from books.
That’s not to say the IB Diploma Programme is easy. Most students will identify with the statement: “You know you are in the IBDP when… you get two hours’ sleep a night.” This is commonly heard to mock the programme’s rigorous nature. But we are also certain that in a few years, students will be saying: “You know you studied the IBDP when... you are a top student at university.” We feel that we are extremely fortunate to belong to the IB community and look forward to all the doors it will continue to open throughout our lives.
It is in our hands to guide the transformation of our country
Get ahead of the pack
Kinjal Jhaveri
IB Diploma Programme student, Island School, Hong Kong
As a senior in the process of applying to university, I have started to realize what the IB Diploma Programme is really about. Being accepted into a university of your choice is becoming increasingly competitive, and this means students must have that extra something to stand out from the crowd, which is where the benefit of doing IB really comes in.
The IB Diploma Programme is known to be a challenging course, which already sets us apart from the other university applicants, but it offers more than that. The fact that we are required to take six different subjects gives us wider options for the future and allows us to explore different subjects before committing to one at university. For someone like me, who gets bored easily, it’s a great way of expanding my horizons.
Another positive aspect of the IB is CAS. It engages us in activities that we may not normally get a chance to be part of, testing our limits and getting us involved in the community. This also adds to the extra-curricular activities we undertake, giving us a distinct advantage over other university applicants.
However, there are definitely tougher aspects to the programme. Adding to the workload is the Extended Essay. Although we do get some freedom to choose a topic that we’d like to write a 4,000 word essay about, the time and effort put into the essay surely are worth more than part of three bonus points!
For me, the most common association with the IB Diploma Programme is stress. Although the first year didn’t seem too tough, as senior year approaches, there is suddenly a huge burden of work and a need to learn to prioritize: Extended Essay, World Literature, IAs or SATs. There isn’t much you can do about this stress, other than manage your time effectively.
Overall, although the IB can be stressful, it gives students a well-rounded education. This enables us to reach our potential through academic challenges and extra-curricular activities, setting us apart from billions of other students around the world.
IB students have a distinct advantage over other university applicants
Find a home from home
Class 5, PYP students, The Aga Khan Academy, Hyderabad, India
Our lives have changed completely since coming to The Aga Khan Academy – we think it’s the best school ever. Located just outside Shamshabad airport in Hyderabad, it’s the second Academy of the Aga Khan Academies network, the first being in Mombasa, Kenya. But it’s been a long journey to get here – planning of the school began back in 2003 and 16 August 2011 was our long-awaited first day.
The beautiful school campus is spread over 100 acres of lush green land with 1,000 trees lining a 2km-long boundary wall. The 45 low-lying buildings are covered with red-coloured Agra stone that look radiant against the blue and white sky. On site, there’s a PYP block, an athletics centre, commons, a main academy block, a science and arts centre, libraries and residences for both staff and students. Natural forms of energy have been used wherever possible on campus, including solar heaters and rain-water harvesting to help save water.
Our school follows the IB Primary Years Programme. Every day we learn new concepts, with regular assessments to track our progress. There are six Units of Inquiry each year and each unit has a central idea. For example, we learned about shapes and measurements in a unit called ‘buildings’.
There are vast differences between our previous schools and the Aga Khan Academy. Teachers are very friendly, which makes for a relaxed atmosphere. The activities we do inside and outside the classroom are interesting and challenging and we don’t have to memorize meaningless content by repetition.
With such a beautiful campus we feel enthusiastic about coming to school every day – it’s like a home from home.
The teachers are very friendly which makes for a relaxed atmosphere
Make friends for life
Jordan Madrigal
IB Diploma Programme student, Miami Beach Senior High School, Miami Beach, Florida, USA
The IB Diploma Programme at Miami Beach Senior High School only began about a year ago, with my class being the first to take on the rigorous curriculum. Upon entering the Diploma Programme, I had my doubts on both its stability and my own. It’s taken hard work and some sacrifices to succeed, but the gains are more than compensating.
Above all else, the IB Diploma Programme has brought me a sense of international belonging that I could have never imagined. While it is always a pleasure to learn about US history, being able to learn about all of the Americas and the conflicts they were part of makes for a broader scope of thought. The CAS project is also a big step towards becoming internationally aware, as the project’s ultimate aim is to place an IB student like myself into a fast-moving world. For example, a large portion of my class has focused their efforts on aiding Haiti, and it is their combined strength that exemplifies how CAS can be so impactful. I can safely say that the DP is the only programme I know to have its members so involved locally, nationally, and internationally.
At my school, my class of about 29 students has become a group I have grown very comfortable with. To have such a kinship with the fellow members of your programme is great. All 29 of us want to graduate, and we can count on only each other to understand the material specific to the DP. I also find it absolutely refreshing to have a Facebook group and ManageBac system that always keep me up-to-date on deadlines, assignments, and other matters specific to the IB group. It’s a place where you can be sure that everyone knows who you are.
While my peers and I share our complaints about the coursework, I believe that no one could truthfully say that they regret entering the programme. We have realized through our efforts that the light at the end of the tunnel is up ahead, but also that the ride will be something to look back on proudly. There are fliers around my school that encourage the ‘IB qualities’, which include open-mindedness, risk-taking and integrity, and as I progress through the programme, I notice my growth in these respects. I feel that our class of 2012 will be great ambassadors for the Diploma Programme to continue in my school.
It's taken hard work and sacrifice to succeed but the gains are worth it
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