The alumni of any educational institute play a vital role in supporting current students by sharing their experiences – including their personal journey, challenges, and accomplishments. Their knowledge and insights can provide tremendous value, offering guidance and motivation.
As individuals who have successfully navigated the challenges of the IB Programme, and excelled in the same, our IBDP students’ experiences shed light on effective study strategies, time management techniques and approaches to handle stress.
Here are some tips shared by our International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) Class of 2023 to enrich your IBDP journey and make it more rewarding. Both Shraddha Praveen (image above) and Praneeth Suresh, are IBDP World Toppers (45/45), Class of 2023, GIIS.
1. Stay consistent in your approach to your studies throughout the IBDP. Ensure timely completion of your Internal Assessment (IA) work.
Shraddha: The IBDP programme is all about consistency, as cliched as it might sound. I definitely wish I'd been more consistent with my studies. Ultimately, it worked out for me because I picked up the habit of dedicating time every day to studying. It is really doable if you sort your time out well. And be consistent in your work.
Praneeth: For IBDP, you have to be consistent throughout the programme. If you do that it is not really difficult. Finish your IAs on time, and this will reduce any last minute stresses.
2. Engaging in group studies can prove beneficial, as it provides you with the opportunity to exchange ideas and enhance your work through constructive feedback.
Praneeth: Working in a group can be very useful in IB. It allows you to get feedback on your work and bounce off ideas for your IAs with each other. In the end, this improves the quality of your work.
3. Avoid becoming complacent and be prepared for surprises.
Praneeth: Never be complacent (exams may throw a massive surprise). Always give it your 100%. This is something I have realised after joining the military to do my National Service.
Here are some well-established advantages of the IBDP programme that prepare you for university and beyond.
1. Critical thinking and independent research prepare you well for university .
Shraddha: I think it's actually equipped me really well for my future academic endeavours. I feel like I'm well prepared to take on more academic writing and vigorous research work in university. I definitely appreciate that it gave me those critical thinking skills.
I mean I had to implement them in pursuing my Internal Assessments and my Extended Essay. But it definitely is sort of, I think, furthering me as an individual, and I feel a lot more confident approaching university because of having done my IBDP.
Praneeth: Use the opportunity to take part in different competitions, projects and clubs that interest you but if you work on a project, ensure that they are meaningful. Especially, if you want to get into US colleges.
Over the years, GIIS IBDP students have achieved remarkable success in university and beyond. Our students have gained admissions to prestigious universities worldwide, including those in the US, UK, Singapore, and India. The IBDP serves as a robust pre-university preparation, focusing on the application of knowledge in real-world scenarios.
In 2023, our IBDP students received offers from renowned institutions such as Oxford University, Imperial College, London School of Economics, and King's College in the UK. Additionally, they secured spots at UCLA and Georgia Tech in the US, University of Toronto and University of British Columbia in Canada, University of Melbourne in Australia, and National University of Singapore, NTU, and Singapore Management University in Singapore, among others. Notably in 2023, some of our students have been awarded full scholarships from prestigious institutions like Rice University, Davidson College, Washington & Lee University, and the University of Calgary.
Shraddha: “Teachers play one of the most important roles in shaping you as a student. And I always found, not just now but throughout my academic life, that I always gravitated towards the subjects where the teachers themselves were most passionate and willing to sort of learn and also teach the students.”
Praneeth: In our Theory of Knowledge (TOK) classes, there were really intriguing discussions in class about ‘Knowledge’ questions. The way our teacher responded to our discussions made me better at debate – a skill that is very useful later on.
Our dedicated team of IB-trained educators, alongside our in-house career counselling staff, play a crucial role in nurturing our students for future success. Throughout their IBDP journey, GIIS faculty members serve as mentors, providing individualised attention and fostering a deep understanding of subjects to help students flourish academically and beyond.
At GIIS, every newly hired teacher goes through a comprehensive onboarding procedure. Throughout this period, they familiarise themselves with the IB's academic integrity policy and GIIS guidelines. Teachers at all levels uniformly apply the same language and rules when reinforcing the honesty policy before exams, assessments, and throughout the entire academic year.
If you are keen to know more about IBDP at GIIS, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
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