Chloe
Now that I've graduated, life feels so boring without the deadlines. I wake up and do nothing. I go out every day, but still, it feels like there's nothing else. That's why I started reading more.
If I could give advice to someone just starting IB, I'd say find a good tutor. I wasted a lot of time in group tutoring because I wanted to go with friends, but it didn't help me. It was just like another classroom. I'd recommend one-to-one tutoring to cover concepts privately. Also, find the right YouTubers for study help. Don't rely solely on teachers at school. And as cliché as it sounds, you've got to have good time management. Don't slack off.
During IB, I tried working at Hollister for a month. All my friends thought I was crazy. Even with minimum working hours, it was super time-consuming. I had to work after school on Friday, then Saturday and Sunday mornings. I realized it wasn't sustainable, especially with how little I got paid. It wasn't as fun as I thought, so I had to quit.
The recent IB exam question leaks were so unfair to us. We didn't cheat, but we know people from other countries got the answers hours beforehand. IB didn't really acknowledge it, and everyone was so pissed off because the grade boundaries are going to be so much higher now. It obviously sucks, but there's not much we can do about it either.
Now, I'm thinking about what to do before uni starts in February. I've got so much time. Maybe I'll find a half-year position or something. A lot of my friends are doing part-time jobs. If I work now, I'd rather do something less energy-consuming, like tutoring. You can charge a lot, and the timing is flexible. Plus, if you tutor older kids like 16 or 17-year-olds, it's easier because they're mature enough to sit there and understand.
I just graduated from Island School. We finished our IB exams about four months ago, and I'm still waiting for the results. Right now, I'm applying to universities in Australia. I'm considering studying science, maybe psychology, at places like the University of Sydney. My sister is studying there, so I'm going there as well. I chose Australia mainly because of family, but also because of the culture. The UK is more academic, but I guess I like to have fun at the same time, so Australia might suit me more.
The IB was much harder than what I expected. It's super different from GCSE, the cirriculum I previously studied. Everything was manageable in GCSE, and I never really struggled. But in IB, catching up with the deadlines and the complexity of the topics got really hard all of a sudden. I did chemistry, which I thought I was good at before IB, but it kind of threw me off. I'm a huge procrastinator too, so I always had to ask for extensions. It was super hard to maintain relationships with the teachers because they were kind of sick of it at one point.
My work-life balance during IB was really bad. Especially during exam seasons, I would run on like one hour of sleep every day for a week. I was just drinking energy drinks and all that.
During study leave, I went to Starbucks every day. It was actually a good experience using IB as a way to connect with other people and make new friends.
我刚刚从西岛中学毕业。我们大约四个月前完成了IB考试，现在还在等成绩。我正在申请澳大利亚的大学，考虑在悉尼大学等地方学习科学，可能是心理学。我姐姐在那儿学习，所以我也打算去那儿。我选择澳大利亚主要是因为家人，也因为那里的文化。英国更偏学术，但我觉得我也喜欢享受生活，所以澳大利亚可能更适合我。
IB比我预想的要难得多。它和我之前学的GCSE完全不同。在GCSE时，一切都还算应付得来，我从未真的感到吃力。但在IB中，赶上截止日期和处理复杂的主题突然变得很难。我学了化学，之前觉得自己挺擅长，但在IB中让我有点措手不及。我是个拖延症患者，所以总是要求延期。和老师保持关系真的很难，因为他们最后都有点烦了。
在IB期间，我的工作和生活平衡非常糟糕。尤其是在考试季，我每天只睡一个小时，连续一个星期。就靠喝能量饮料之类的东西撑过来。学习假期间，我每天都去星巴克。用IB作为与他人联系、结交新朋友的方式其实是个不错的体验。
现在我毕业了，没有了截止日期，生活感觉很无聊。我每天醒来无所事事。虽然每天都出去，但感觉好像没有其他事情可以做。所以我开始多读书。
如果我能给刚开始IB的人一些建议，我会说找一个好导师。我浪费了很多时间在小组辅导上，因为我想和朋友一起去，但这对我没有帮助。就像另一个教室。我会推荐一对一的辅导，私下解决概念问题。另外，找合适的YouTuber来帮助学习。不要只依赖学校的老师。虽然听起来很老套，但一定要有良好的时间管理，不要偷懒。
在IB期间，我试着在Hollister工作了一个月。所有朋友都觉得我疯了。即使工时很少，但还是非常耗时间。周五放学后要工作，然后周六和周日上午。我意识到这不可持续，特别是工资很低。没有我想象中的那么有趣，所以我不得不辞职。
最近的IB考试题目泄露对我们太不公平了。我们没有作弊，但知道其他国家的人提前几个小时拿到了答案。IB没有真正承认，大家都很生气，因为分数线会高得多。虽然很糟糕，但我们也无能为力。
现在，我在考虑大学2月开学前做什么。我有很多时间。也许我会找一个半年的工作。我很多朋友在做兼职。如果我现在工作，我宁愿做一些不那么耗费精力的事情，比如当家教。这样收费高，时间灵活。而且，如果你教16或17岁的孩子，他们已经足够成熟，可以坐下来理解。
我啱啱喺西島中學畢業。我哋大約四個月前完成咗IB考試，而家仲等緊成績。我而家申請緊澳洲嘅大學，諗住喺悉尼大學嗰啲地方讀科學，可能係心理學。我姐姐喺嗰度讀書，所以我都打算去嗰度。我揀澳洲主要係因為家人，亦因為嗰度嘅文化。英國比較學術，但我覺得我都鍾意享受生活，所以澳洲可能會啱我啲。
IB比我想像中難好多。佢同我之前讀嘅GCSE完全唔同。喺GCSE時，一切都仲算應付得嚟，我從未真係覺得吃力。但喺IB中，趕上截止日期同處理複雜嘅題目突然變得好難。我學咗化學，之前覺得自己幾叻，但喺IB中令我有啲措手不及。我係個拖延症患者，所以總係要求延期。要同老師保持關係真係好難，因為佢哋最後都有啲厭。
喺IB期間，我嘅工作同生活平衡非常差。尤其喺考試季，我每日只係瞓一個鐘，連續一星期。就靠飲能量飲品嗰啲嘢撐過嚟。學習假期間，我每日都去星巴克。用IB做為同其他人聯繫、識新朋友嘅方式其實係個唔錯嘅體驗。
而家我畢業咗，冇咗截止日期，生活感覺好悶。我每日醒嚟無所事事。雖然每日都有出去，但感覺好似冇其他嘢可以做。所以我開始多啲睇書。
如果我可以畀啲建議畀啱啱開始IB嘅人，我會話搵個好嘅補習老師。我浪費咗好多時間喺小組補習，因為我想同朋友一齊去，但對我冇幫助。就好似另一個課室。我會推薦一對一嘅補習，私下解決概念問題。另外，搵啱嘅YouTuber嚟幫助學習。唔好只依賴學校嘅老師。雖然聽落好老土，但一定要有良好嘅時間管理，唔好偷懶。
喺IB期間，我試過喺Hollister工作咗一個月。所有朋友都覺得我癲咗。即使工時好少，但仲係非常耗時間。星期五放學後要工作，然後星期六同星期日朝早。我意識到呢樣嘢唔可持續，特別係人工好低。冇我想像中咁好玩，所以我不得不辭職。
最近嘅IB考試題目洩漏對我哋太唔公平。我哋冇作弊，但知道其他國家嘅人提前幾個鐘攞到答案。IB冇真正承認，大家都好嬲，因為分數線會高好多。雖然好衰，但我哋都無能為力。
而家，我喺諗住大學2月開學前做咩。我有好多時間。可能我會搵一個半年嘅工作。我好多朋友喺做兼職。如果我而家工作，我寧願做啲唔咁耗費精力嘅嘢，例如做補習老師。可以收多啲錢，時間又靈活。而且，如果你教16或者17歲嘅學生，佢哋已經夠成熟，可以坐低理解。