Tips for Success

time management

  • Don’t procrastinate. I like to make a to-do list and do all the quick things first then work my way up to the more time-consuming stuff. Make sure to reward yourself and take breaks as needed (but also remember discipline and keep the breaks short). - Avnee Raje '20

  • When you make your to do list PRIORITIZE assignments. There will always be some other essay or project that you can/should work on, so prioritize according to what is more important to you at the time. Maybe you prioritize college essays, SAT prep, or something that affects your IB score over a project that’s for a grade at school. - Nora Carlucci '20

  • Do as much as you can in the summer before senior year. Try to finish all college applications, the extended essay, and take your last SAT. Senior year is really busy and it’s much better if you have less on your plate. - Lara Ballout '20

  • Block your time so you know when you can study and how much time you have to do it -Isabella McNulty '21

  • Remove any distractions. If you find yourself constantly going on social media when you have a big test, delete the social media apps or set a screen time on your phone temporarily. Push yourself to get stuff done! - Avnee Raje '20

  • Don’t wait until the last day to do a project. Chop up the project so it doesn’t seem like it is a project anymore. - Anya Ruzicka '21

  • Make a schedule to work about 3-4 hours everyday and get 7-8 hours of sleep every night. Do your best, it's not gonna happen all the time. Maybe if you have a lot of after school activities, do some work until maybe 9 (studying preferably because sleeping after studying helps with remembering) and then wake up at 5 to do other assignments - Nora Carlucci '20Use a planner and keep your papers organized (so have a system for your classes). -Isabella

  • Learn to prioritize. Sometimes you’re not going to be able to do all the work you’re assigned, so you have to learn to prioritize, even if that means letting go of something. For example, if you have an A in biology, and a B in history, prioritize history for awhile until you get that grade up. Prioritizing requires sacrifice. -Avnee Raje '20

  • Make To-Do Lists. That is the smartest way to stay organized. Put the dates that they are due next to the item to do. Then, number them from the thing to get done first to last. Also, when you make your To-Do List, the first thing that you should put down is “Make To-Do List.” It makes you feel like you have accomplished something, which gives you more energy to complete other things on your list! -Anya Ruzicka '21

  • Don’t overwork yourself. Once you begin the IB program, you’re going to have a lot on your plate with IB classes alone. You should never feel like you’re not meeting expectations if your other classes are not AP. We all need a break, so I urge you not to focus on that, but rather on taking classes which you’ll enjoy and will be useful to you. If they happen to be AP, that’s awesome. If they aren’t, that’s great too! If you end up feeling overworked in a class, there are other options!!! Never be afraid to speak up if a class isn’t working for you; this is your academic career, no one else’s. - Britney Price '19

Social life & School

  • Surround yourself with people who bring out the best in you! If you are in an environment where everyone is driven to succeed, chances are, you will be too! - Avnee Raje '20

  • Say YES! If your friends ask you to hang out, I promise you, you have time to do it. Go out, have fun with your friends, come home, and then do your work. You will feel happier because you just had a good time and then you will be more focused to do your work. - Anya Ruzicka '21

  • Be social! It may feel difficult to balance out school with the other aspects of your life, and it will be hard at first, but you will figure it out. Join clubs at our school, but also don’t join every single one at one time. My freshmen year I joined one club, and this year I am in 3 in addition to IBSC. Clubs are a great way to continue to meet new people outside of the program, and be involved in the community! - Olivia Nealon '21

  • Do your best not to burn bridges. Understand that these are kids that you will be with almost all day for two years. Try to understand their perspective, and make friends with people you maybe wouldn’t normally. The same goes for your teachers. Be respectful to your teachers because they are there to help and ultimately can be there to write recommendations. At the end of the day, these people are your support system, so don’t ruin it over a simple argument or differences. - Olivia Nealon '21

  • Build a good friendship or friend group so that you have someone who is focused so you can get work done but also in a fun way - Nora Carlucci '20

  • Seek help if needed. Being in IB can be stressful enough, but I know that the overall social environment of school can make some uneasy as well. Looking back, I struggled a lot with “fitting in,” but now my high school days seem so insignificant compared to only this little sliver of college life I’ve been exposed to. If you don’t find your community or group in high school, do not panic. You have your whole life ahead of you. If you’re struggling mentally or emotionally, this should not be brushed off. It’s ok if you need to reach out to others for emotional support, there are some great faculty/staff members who are willing to listen/help. - Britney Price '19

Mental health

  • Put your mental health first!! As Mrs. Speller always says, “me time” is SO IMPORTANT! So set aside a small period of time every day for yourself. Don’t say you don’t have time. I promise, you do. Everyone has at least 5 minutes of spare time in a day. Do it. No excuses. - Avnee Raje '20

  • Take everything on step at a time, and try not to freak out about what’s ahead and just focus on what is right in front of you. - Isabella McNulty '21

  • Know that it’s okay to fail. Take failure as fuel and use it to come back even stronger. - Avnee Raje '20

  • I think using your support system is the thing that’s the most important. One of the greatest things about IB is that we’re surrounded by people who are going through the exact same thing as us! Transitioning from sophomore to junior year was certainly a culture shock, but it was a lot easier knowing that I had 23 other people who I could count on to help me out! - Eden Johnson '21

  • If possible, try to get at least 30 minutes of physical activity in a day. Maybe wake up a few minutes earlier than usual and go for a run. Get those endorphins!! - Avnee Raje '20

  • Communicate with your teachers! You have amazing teachers who want to do their very best to support you. However, they can’t help you if you don’t ask. If you have trouble at home, going through a rough place mentally, or just have a lot of work one week, reach out to your teachers. - Olivia Nealon '21

  • BREATHE! It’ll be okay. Try to look at the stress you’re feeling in the bigger picture. One test is not going to ruin your whole life. Though the anxiety you might be feeling now seems unbearable, remember how you’ve overcome obstacles in the past, and use that to put your stress into perspective. - Avnee Raje '20

  • Your to do list will feel like it never ends and that’s normal. Just do what works for you. When you feel like you need to have a few hours of “me time” TAKE IT!!! It will recharge you and your confidence to be able to continue. - Nora Carlucci '20

  • Recognize that you will go through waves of productivity and that’s normal. You may be very productive, focused, and comprehensive one week and then burn out the next week and struggle. That’s how life goes. Giving 100 percent effort does not mean perfection, it means giving all that you have that week, that day. At that level of energy is going to fluctuate based on how much work you’ve done, how long you’ve been working, unresolved personal issues taking your focus, amount of sleep, and how healthy your lifestyle is. Overall keep your heart up, stick together, and make the most of it! -Nora Carlucci '20

Studying

  • I try to condense all of the unit information onto one or two sheets to study and also when I study, I talk out loud like I am explaining it to someone else. - Isabella McNulty '21

  • I write down everything and will usually redo the notes that a teacher gives us and change the format so that the information is in my head in multiple ways. For example, if the teacher notes are in an outline format, I will make a web with the information. - Isabella McNulty '21

  • Recognize that you have your weaknesses. Being a good student does not mean that you are perfect in every subject. Other people’s successes are not your failures. Everyone has their gift and strengths. Just work harder and FOCUS IN THE CLASS FOR THOSE YOU STRUGGLE WITH THE MOST!!!!! I found that if I don’t understand something in class, I won’t understand it on my own at home, so pay attention and do not be embarrassed to ask questions or for the teacher to repeat or rephrase what they just said. - Nora Carlucci '20