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In the end of Semester 1, AISG grade 10 students made choices that would influence them for the coming two years of International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) and possibly their future academic careers. They would be choosing an array of courses, aiming to fit their academic strengths and passions.
According to the IB official website, the IBDP develops inquiring, knowledgeable students by requiring students to take courses in different disciplines and allowing each student to make unique course combinations. Students would take three high-level courses and three standard-level courses.
Yet students find the process of course selections to be challenging, especially when knowing the fact that they would be determining their own futures.
10th grader Ja Chee F. said when asked to recall his thought process of selecting courses, “I only have a few things to consider: the difficulty, the personal connections, and my experience with the course’s content.” Of course, there are many students who share these remarks. Some people avoid certain subjects, such as Psychology and Chemistry, because they say, ‘these subjects are too hard’.”
Meanwhile, 10th grader Dongwon S. comments, “I simply just want to pass high school by selecting courses I’m interested in right now. Later in my life, I might do something completely different than I imagine now, so DP course selections are not the most important thing in my life.”
Among the 10th graders’ contrasting attitudes, there are common things across the whole grade level. 10th grader Tagir F. shares his thoughts on a pattern he observes, “Normally, people would take high-level subjects to prepare for the majors they want to study, while the other subjects are usually chosen to lighten the workload.”
This year, 10th graders received extra help for their course selections. They had the opportunity to consult the university counselors after they turned in their course selection forms.
10th grader Howard D. recalled his conversation with University and Future Pathways Counselors Mr. Yizhou Liu:
“[We] didn’t talk much. I just need to take Business Management,” Howard said, “and I think he was pretty helpful.”
For some students, their counselors suggested a better course combination. For example, 10th grader Achendra S. was advised to “choose business management over psychology.”
Achendra also said, “They gave me wise choices while delivering better thoughts.”
Of course, some students set their minds to certain combinations. Therefore, they only needed the counselors to double-check their choices.
10th grader Tony Yuan commented on his conference with University and Future Pathways Counselor Ms. Pushpa Dasari:
“My major was related to medicine… and she said she really liked my options, then she told me to not change them.”
Tony found the University and Future Pathways Counselors to be an extra source of information after his own research:
“I did a lot of research… and I’m comfortable with my selections. I think [they] give some more information.”
What emerges from the student body is that the University and Future Pathways Counselors are generally helpful for students to make wise choices for their IBDP courses. Regardless of what courses 10th graders take next year; they would persevere through all the challenges they face and become well-accomplished students by the end of their high school journeys.
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