Imagine a racehorse. Imagine the effort and time that is taken to prepare the horse for a race. Now imagine yourself in that same scenario – err... without the horse part. Many schools spend years preparing their students for the IB: some start the process since elementary, while some commence the intense grueling at the start of high school.

IB can be easy for some, and extremely difficult for others. Personally, it was really difficult for me, but it was really worth it. Here are 5 tips to survive the IB which really helped me out!

1. NUMBER ONE RULE: DON’T OVER COMMIT

In my experience, there are two kinds of high school kids: those who do sports and activities for fun and those who do it for their college apps. Yeah sure, it does make your CommonApp look pretty sweet BUT you will end up reaching too far and achieving little. The IB already provides you with a set of CAS (Community, Action and Service) hours; don’t try to go beyond them unless you can really balance the course load.

Sure, the program looks easy at first, but the course load will increase drastically and so will the number of tests and expectations. Have fun in your last two years of high school, but don’t make it hard on yourself!

2. Try to choose subjects which genuinely interest you

Let’s face it, we can’t all like every subject offered in school. I mean… how many of us really like math? I agree with the fact that math is practical for adult life, but not all of us are good at crunching numbers like others. Sadly, math is compulsory, but take a level of difficulty which you are more comfortable with. Make sure to challenge yourself, but only to an extent that you can handle.

Choosing subjects can be hard, especially when your school doesn’t offer many to begin with. When you look at the list of classes which you can take, do a little research. Find out what each course entails, and then pick an option which you believe you’ll still be interested in 2 years from now. Sometimes you can’t always choose a course you like; I was forced to pick a science class which I didn’t like. You just have to put a lot of effort in and try to make it an enjoyable experience!

Hint: Try to get to know your teachers. The better your relationship with them, the more you’ll feel encouraged to approach them with questions!

3. Pick a difficulty level which is best for you

This may sound pretty obvious, but I personally know so many people who have chosen the wrong difficulty level due to pressure from friends and peers. I cannot speak for every school but some may let you change your difficulty level or class within a certain time frame. Trust me, you want to go in knowing which one you will stick with (unless you feel like it really isn’t your style, in which case, I fully encourage you to change to a more suitable option). Teachers will start teaching course material based on your difficulty level, so it will work in your favor to stick with it. Changing levels can lead to confusion of course expectations, so make it easy for yourself!

One useful point to remember is that IB classes may not be like your school classes: they could be harder or may focus on a different aspect of the course. When you do your research, remember to look over the course topics. Don’t just assume that if you were amazing at a class, you’ll be amazing at its IB equivalent as it doesn’t always work that way.

4. Don’t be disheartened by the course load

I’m pretty sure you’ve all heard of the insane amount of assignments the IB requires from you for each and every class. From internally assessed labs and projects to externally assessed presentations, you will have a wide range of assignments to complete. You will also have to complete the extended essay, and TOK requirements in order to qualify for the full IB diploma. It may not sound that bad at this point in time, but believe me, as your school year progresses and your homework load increases, it will get pretty difficult.

However, please don’t get discouraged. Getting used to this workload really pays off in college. I didn’t believe my teachers when they told me, but after continuous days of over 20-page readings, I’ve come to realize that IB really has helped me to balance my workload and manage my time more efficiently.

5. Stay healthy and balanced

I cannot stress this enough – your health should always come first. These will be two really intense years for you, and you WILL need to find a way to balance your energy. Work hard, play hard? Erm not really, it should be more like work hard, sleep harder. I made the mistake of letting my stress have a major effect on my health, and it was an even harder battle to get back into the rhythm of things. Make sure to take breaks and get some much needed R&R. You’re not a machine, you’re a human who needs to rest in order to function properly.

You should really try to utilize CAS in order to achieve a proper balance in your systems. Have some fun and shake your stress out through Creativity, get some much needed exercise to help you keep feeling fresh through Action and give back to your community with projects and other cool ideas through Service. Try to have fun; yes, these next two years will be intense but they will also be your last years in high school. Make the most of it, and make sure to get the most out of this experience.

The International Baccalaureate is not for everyone: it is tough and it demands a lot of effort and stamina on your part. Make sure that the IB program is the correct program for you, and if you’re sure about your decision, good luck!