IB Success Stories: What Students Gained from the Programme

What lies ahead may seem daunting if you are among the many aspiring IB students or even someone in the middle of the diploma. You have probably heard the horror stories—a million complex IAs, the terrifying EE, the TOK essay. And this is not even to mention the exams!

Amid all this chaos, losing track of what you stand to gain can be stressful. We asked IB students from different countries to share what they gained from doing the programme. Hopefully, these success stories will inspire you to enter the new year with glee and confidence!

Kath, Danish IB Graduate: 36/45 Points

IB can be hard. But something about going through the proverbial trenches together creates a sense of unity and camaraderie unparalleled by anything else. It has to be challenging because growth seldomly happens without trying something new and pushing ourselves. My time in IB has given me the discipline and knowledge with which I can accomplish whatever I set my mind to. CAS helped me discover several outside-school activities I enjoy. One is finding a secondary income stream. Others are keeping my body strong and able to do anything. The rest are terrific study breaks that allow my brain the needed recharge. The IB taught me when to work hard and when I should take a break. This skill made all the difference.

Louis, English IB Graduate: 41/45 Points

The most valuable experience for me on the IB was finding my passion for Philosophy. My teacher was a fantastic mentor whose honesty was always precious to me. He inspired me to combine my passions for Philosophy and German by studying in Vienna, and his fair but realistic teaching style helped to guide me through the transition from IB to university in a foreign country.

My biggest takeaway from this, and the IB as a whole, would be the need for adaptability and risk-taking. Sometimes your current approach won’t take you to the right destination. The IB gave me the humility to learn from my failed attempts (particularly Philosophy essays!) and not to be afraid to knock down and rebuild with a fresh approach, even when it can sometimes be a bitter pill to swallow.

Weronika, Polish IB Graduate: 31/45 Points

Choosing an IB programme can be a major plot twist in a student’s life. In my experience, the first year of IB was all about socialising and learning more about the chosen subjects. The second year then came with a change of atmosphere. Everything suddenly became more serious. The exams and internal assessments were approaching fast, creating an uncomfortable pressure that, for a while, took away the fun of learning new things.

I felt overwhelmed, and the advice that helped me the most was to take it one day at a time. Instead of trying to fit my entire ‘to-do list’ into the next 12 hours, I was purposefully doing 1 or 2 tasks per day. Then I focused a bit on myself and what brings me joy. This was the best long-term strategy that helped me successfully finish IB and get into my dream university programme, where I still implement that strategy in my everyday life.

In a nutshell, the IB path teaches you to adapt to handling more than you ever imagined you could handle. It also teaches you about what you like and don’t like, what works for you and what doesn’t, which I believe are all important life lessons.