Being a junior for only about four months has not gotten me used to the International Baccalaureate (IB) program at Brent International School Manila. Taking four higher levels has also not helped.

Essentially, the IB education helps produce internationally minded people who can help create a better world. There are multiple courses offered, and sometimes, these count for credits in college.

This education is unique because of its rigorous standards. All students around the world struggle with the IB course, and yet they still take it because colleges like students who push and challenge themselves.

Though the IB program may be rigorous, it does have its advantages. These would include getting into a good college abroad, and being prepared for university work! However, the IB program entails that the students sacrifice a lot of time for the work that it needs.

There’s a famous IB triangle that has the three essential things a student wants: a social life, sleep and good grades. For good grades, one must give up sleep and a social life. For sleep, one must give up good grades and a social life. For a social life, one must give up sleep and good grades. Essentially, the IB program is designed to produce stressed, worrisome, irritated but prepared students.

Time management

Some students going into the IB program would probably be like, “Oh yeah, no problem, I totally got this.” I have friends who ostensibly have that mind-set.

But in reality, once the workload hits, students find themselves falling deeper and deeper into the arms of procrastination—every student’s enemy in a school setting. It’s as if, once an assignment is given, a student feels obliged to leave it to the last minute—that is, disregarding the wonders of Skype, video games and finished torrents that tempt students into tranquility.

Time management is a colossal problem for every student, as one would rather do other things. An example of a problem I’ve had with this is leaving studying for three exams to the night before. This killed me, as I started to panic—there was no more time!

I’ve learned that, with IB, you really need to be focused, and you need a goal! You need motivation! Without motivation, IB would seem pointless. You would wonder why you even bother, since the future is too hazy to conquer.

There are so many hindrances that prevent one from finishing work, the most obvious being the desire for a social life. While many teenagers are seen having fun partying and just chilling, the ones that work hard spend hours glaring at textbooks or the screen of a laptop.

However, once school begins, the difference between these kinds of students becomes obvious. Picture the typical classroom setting—teacher in front of a white board lecturing, and students behind, sitting and taking notes. The hardworking students strive to understand the topic and even ask questions pertaining to the teacher’s lecture.

On the other hand, students who have made a halfhearted attempt at taking notes sit uninterested, their pulse beating to music that plays elsewhere. This divide is clear, seeing how the less hardworking students start to develop an attitude in which they depend on their friends who get the A’s.

This is typical in every classroom, and it stems mostly from a lack of motivation and dream, bringing me to another point: ambitions of the hardworking vs ambitions of those who slack off.

The goals of the A students differ greatly from those of the less hardworking. This is due to the fact that those with A’s have great dreams that they wish more than anything to achieve. These are the students who already have figured out that the attainment of such dreams is the end product of the formula, which includes diligence, a good work ethic, a good attitude and good grades as variables. Those on the other side of the rainbow view their future as something that need not be planned, but rather taken on day by day.

Though I’ve only been experiencing the IB program for four months, I can honestly say that it is tough. It’s a challenge, but I do believe in its helpfulness, though sometimes I curse it for being so time-consuming and frustrating.

I know IB will be useful in the future, as it gives us a sense of preparedness. I also know that it will heighten the chances of me reaching my dreams.

IB Anonymous Wall of Quotes:

“IB? I B DEAD”

“I don’t want to bore you with reasons why you should love IB. I mean, sure, it’s definitely helpful and worth it, but it’s also really irritating, and it honestly sometimes makes me want to cry!”

“A lot more challenging than I expected.”

“IB is so time-consuming, the workload is so much, and sometimes it seems super useless! Like why do we need to learn about the quadratic formula, I don’t understand.”

“It’s exhausting me already, and I haven’t really gotten into it yet, you know? It sure as hell better be worth it.”

“I don’t know how I’m surviving IB. I don’t even survive English.”

“IB sucks. I hate it so much.”

“The good about IB? People don’t treat the smart kids like crap, because they know that they’re gonna be better than them in the future—plus, they need their help in, like, labs and stuff.”

“I feel like the most used phrase for me has been ‘I don’t understand.’”