Find balance in your life as an IB student

Akshita Chhetri (Grade 11)

The walls of GIS echo “Time Management” and in all honesty, it is the best piece of advice you could receive as a lifelong learner. Pre-IB, you could almost say that I had no idea on the terminology of “Time Management,” if I had extra activities to do, my grades would be slipping, and if I neglected my hobbies, I would lacked motivation, became disinterested and distracted. Upon joining GIS for the academic year 2019-20, there was a notable phrase I picked up in my last year of MYP, “the real key to success is Time Management” and I did not realize its actual meaning until I applied it to my daily routines, establihsed balance in my life and discovered my true happiness. It is important to understand that, building good habits and self-actualization is all part of developing the skill of Time Management. It is not about putting yourself in a strict schedule, but rather mastering the control of the time that seems to be passing by in a blink of an eye.

To me, academic studies are of utmost importance, it is to foundation base which exposes us to the outside world. However, my time in an IGCSE school left me with a realization of the need for balance in my life and the importance of maintaining, and enhancing, my hobbies and passions. So far, the IB curriculum has allowed me flourish with this. I have been able develop a dance crew out of school (DXBFELICITY (check us out @dxbfelicitofficial) and I now work with this group to rehearse and perform on a regular basis across Dubai as well as being an active member of the GIS student community.

Some may think that getting balance in your life is a case of reducing what you're doing at times of pressure; this is not the case for me (and many other IBDP students). For example - last year, I auditioned 30 people for DXBFELICITY; the next day I had to catch a flight to Cambodia for my first Week Without Walls trip; a week or two later, I was in the midst of volunteering for the GISMUN 2019 even (including the showcase opening act that was completed within 3 hours of practice of the previous day). This is one of many cases where I had to apply strategic Time Management for me to achieve the opportunities knocking at my door, just like the saying “Kill two birds with one stone.”

Being a first-year IB Diploma Program student, whilst simultaneously managing a life beyond the academics is no mean feat (see my bio to the left for details of my activities). However, not only is it important for IB students to live this life, it's also part of the programmes. Volunteering in MYP aligns with the service as action outcomes and in IBDP, you can't pass the programme without a commitment to being Creative, Active and giving Service to others (CAS).

Taking on the IB bilingual diploma

Roos Ode Kotte (Grade 12)

My name is Roos Oude Kotte and this is my 7^th year at GIS. I am currently in grade 12 and doing the IB Diploma Program.

As part of my Diploma Program I am taking two A languages, which means I am studying for a bilingual diploma. I study English A as well as Dutch A as SSST (school supported self-taught). Taking a second language A as SSST language means that I have a Dutch lessons outside of school and get extra time during school hours to work on my Dutch homework and assignments. On Mondays I have a Dutch lesson from 3-7pm out of school and during the school week I get about 3 hours of SSST study time within my schedule to supplement my Dutch studies.

Overall my experience with the bilingual diploma has been a lot of hard work but it has been very rewarding at the same time, it will put me in a great place to apply for universities. All IBDP students must study two languages, but one of these is usually a language acquisition language (Language B or Ab Initio). As a bi-lingual diploma candidate, I will have demonstrated a level of mother tongue proficiency in two languages.