During my junior and senior years of high school, all I ever seemed to do was work. As a member of my high school's International Baccalaureate Diploma program, a lot was expected of me. From a 4,000 word essay, to the 150 hours of extra-curricular activities and reflections, to just plain old school work, I didn't really have much time for anything else. The IB program was not only taking over my life, but actually becoming my life.
However, one year after receiving my IB diploma, and after a year away at college, I realize that all of the blood, sweat, tears and hours that went into receiving my IB diploma were 100 percent worth the lost sleep.
Without going through the IB program, I am not sure if I ever would have known how to write an effective research paper. Even in college, I have never written anything anywhere close to as long as the twenty-page paper I wrote during the summer between my junior and senior years of high school. Not only did I learn how to find adequate sources and cherry-pick useful information from lengthy books and other sources, I also learned how to budget my time with regards to writing. Writing is a marathon, not a sprint. A long research paper needs to be written over the course of many days or even weeks, not over one, caffeine-fueled 24-hour marathon in a quiet place in the library. Although I probably would have figured this out on my own once I got to college, it was a lot better to train myself to take my time over a summer in high school as opposed to falling asleep on the floor of the library trying to finish a paper due in four hours.
Not only did the IB program teach me how to budget my time with writing, it also taught me how to balance my life. I have many different interests that I enjoy pursuing, but it is incredibly difficult to chase after every dream I may have outside of school, while still succeeding in the classroom. In order to receive the IB diploma, all candidates must complete at least 50 hours of creativity, 50 hours of action and 50 hours of service before graduation, in addition to leading and organizing a service project of their own creation. As if this isn't enough, IB requires that you prove your accomplishments to them through reflections and written plans. While challenging me in the classroom, IB also managed to challenge me outside of the school environment. As a result of the CAS portion of IB, I began dancing, an activity I have always enjoyed but had never pursued. The International Baccalaureate forces students to step out of their comfort zone, as well as forces them to be well-rounded students. Balancing school work and extra-curricular activities not only helped me get into college, but also helped me once I got to college. I knew I couldn't do everything, but I did know I could do a lot if I worked hard to evenly balance my time between work and play.
Finally, IB challenged me first and foremost in the classroom. Taking seven advanced classes across all subjects was definitely a struggle. There were many times I felt like giving up. I spent many Fridays and Saturdays hard at work studying for my various classes. I stayed up until 4 a.m. on many occasions trying to complete as much work as I could before school the next day. I spent lunch breaks in the library studying for calculus every day senior year. I felt like school had become every fiber of my existence. Yet, when all of my 24 hours of exams were done, I felt so accomplished. When I found out I had received my IB diploma, I felt even more accomplished. Although I had nearly broken in the process, I had kept my life together and thrived through the tough times.
When I got to college, I felt accomplished once again. Many of the things other people may have struggled with, I understood. Being in the IB program taught me so much more than just classroom skills, it taught me how to be a successful college student without depriving myself of fun and sleep. So thank you IB, for nearly driving me crazy, but making me a better person in the process.
