Making the Best Start to Your IB Year

Written by Lewis Mclellan

And we’re back! Across the world, schools are up and running once again, offering opportunities for joyous reunions of friends and communities.

Or not! That is, of course, the positive way of viewing things. Alternatively, and for students of the IB, the return of school heralds either a reappearance or a first acquaintance with a dreaded foe: the IB curriculum.

However, there is no need for fear! Lanterna blog posts, such as this one, aim to help guide you through the stresses and strains of the IB. For example, this blog today focuses on how you, either as a DP1 or DP2 student starting a new IB year, can make the best possible start to the school term. In other words, you’re not alone!

Marking Your Calendar

As far as tips for starting a new year go, let’s kick things off with a big one. The IB, at its core, is all about time management. This comes down to organising your days, hours and sometimes even minutes with great care. It also relates to the bigger picture.

Allow me to expand. You have six subjects of varying difficulty and intensity. You also have TOK, CAS, and, at some point, your EE. Let’s also factor in that, throughout the IB, tests and coursework crop up all the time. There’s also the small matter of your life too and the different things you may have going on alongside the IB. Once all this is factored in, the importance of good time management really does come to light. Quite simply, you need to be able to balance your time between these different components.

Ultimately to successfully do this there is only one way and that’s to get the calendar out! Marking dates, deadlines, tests, and other life events outside of the IB on the calendar will help you to stay aware of where you are and to get ahead of certain ‘pinch points’. These are times where you are set to be very busy and knowing when they are can help you to overcome them.

The Lanterna Tip: Proactively identifying "pinch points" on your calendar—periods of high workload—allows you to prepare in advance, reducing stress and improving performance during these critical times.

Finding a Routine

Another really important one. Your first few weeks either in DP1 or DP2 represent your opportunity to nail down a routine. Having a routine in the IB, as well as in life more generally, can be essential to attaining success. This is as routines help you to stay focused and disciplined. They allow you to complete the different things that you have to and to do so in a way that is structured, accountable and regular. The time you have at the start of a school year where the workload is less intense is the time to establish such a routine.

Making Time for Revision

Adding to the complexity of the IB is the fact that it can’t all just be about the here and now. Instead, because each subject holds a curriculum which is two years in length, it is crucial to make time to revise content which you may have covered many terms ago.

For DP2 students this is clearly essential. Making time for revision or at least planning as to how you are going to do this is a fantastic idea. Without such forward thinking, DP2 students often reach a position where they are having to revise and essentially re-learn entire swathes of subject courses all in the same short period of time before IB exams. This usually doesn’t end well!

DP2 Focus: Don't wait until the last minute! Integrate revision of DP1 material into your weekly schedule from the start of DP2 to avoid overwhelming re-learning close to exams.

Marathon, Not a Sprint

My last piece of advice is rather more philosophical. Whether you are starting the course in DP1 or continuing it in DP2, know that the IB is long and arduous. Starting the year fast and motivated is great. After a summer of hopefully some rest and relaxation, we often do come back enthusiastic.

This is a good thing and it should be channelled to take some of the important steps we’ve talked about today. However, it’s also essential not to overdo it in these first few weeks and months.

Instead, it is crucial to ensure you are taking time for yourself and still having fun. As students, you need balance in your life to be happy, energetic and motivated. My experience? Those that have balance don’t just have a better time doing the IB, they do better at it. Having your cake and eating it? Just Maybe!

Remember: The IB is a marathon, not a sprint. Prioritise self-care and maintain a balanced lifestyle. Students who find joy and energy outside of their studies often perform better academically and enjoy the journey more.