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Grade 11 student Carolina W. prepares for her exams during study block. Image from Dana K.
Next week, from December 2-5, the grade 11 students will all be stepping into testing rooms to take their very first IBDP semester 1 exams. For many, feelings of apprehensiveness and worry only increased these past few weeks, as nearing exam dates loomed onto the students.
Grade 11 Hana M. said, “I’m really stressed about them especially because I know that my results will affect heavily my predicted grade in year 12. I feel like time is passing by so much quicker now and it’s been difficult to balance both my usual school work and studying for the exams.”
It is clear that the pressure of taking their first IBDP test has taken a toll on the grade 11 students.
Indeed, many others share the feeling of being overwhelmed with school work and studying, as grade 11 Lauren Z. said that she’s “really nervous and also stressed because there’s a lot of content to review.”
Undoubtedly, many students must create study schedules and plans to prepare for the exams. Every student has their own way of studying that works best for them. For instance, grade 11 Kelvin L. said, “my study plan is to just go through the Kognity (online textbook database) of each subject then take notes and review my old notes, and also if I have stuff so I don’t know I can ask the teacher about it.”
Additionally, Hana’s method of studying consists of “doing lots of past paper questions from previous exams as well as reviewing the mistakes [she] made in [her] previous summatives.”
Grade 11 Sophia C. has also thought through her study plan comprehensively. She said, “made a plan by organizing bigger study tasks I need to finish before the deadline in to a day to day individual tasks. I organize them by ranking the subjects that I need to study the most for. This means, I will study for a certain subject more frequently than the others. I also study by looking at past notes, lessons, redoing worksheets and tests.”
Studying techniques can also differ depending on which classes a student takes. Students may choose to focus their studying more on certain subjects while lightening the workload for others. While Hana plans to prioritize studying math, Sophia is more concerned on studying psychology.
Assistance from teachers is also an integral part of preparing students for the exams.
Sophia plans to schedule meeting times with teachers for “further clarification” on any problems she comes across when studying. Moreover, Lauren suggests that teachers give students time in class to review.
Even though many students might already be prepared in terms of studying enough, many are still struggling mentally. To illustrate, Sophia says that she is “scared, nervous, super tired, and stressed.”
However, many teachers have hope in their students, and believe that they will do well in the exams. Analyses and Approaches Math teacher Irene Peter said, “they are going to do very well because I’ve watched them from the time we started this semester and their first year for DP and there has been a great growth. I’ve seen students improving and getting more confident with time.”
Peter also recommends students to look at past unit tests, as doing so “will give direction”. She also emphasized the need to “plan their time well.”
Additionally, IBDP Coordinator John Kennett took notice of the distressed state of the students, and gave advice on preparing for the exams. He said: “Relax as you prepare. Being stressed doesn’t help with retaining information. You might like to play some relaxing music quietly while you study for example. make sure you maintain healthy balance even as you study! This means you should also ensure you are exercising, having some social time with your friends and family and eating well. Take it one day at a time!”
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