IBDP Year 1 Students: EE? Check.

It is a widely accepted fact that the Extended Essay (EE) is one of the most challenging aspects of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program (IBDP). Not only does it have a reputation that precedes itself, it is also renowned for being awe inspiring yet fear inducing for most IBDP students. The EE is a four thousand word essay that all IBDP students are required to undertake, and the process usually begins around the second semester of eleventh grade culminating in the first semester of twelfth grade.

The graduating class of 2021 recently embarked on their EE journey – being introduced to the EE and some of its basic components during the IB workdays in October. The two workdays consisted of a series of discussions with Ms. Navis, Ms. Martin-Bauer, and Ms. Siemens. Ms. Martin-Bauer introduced the Juniors to the EE and explored the different directions the essay could be taken in. This was followed by a short discussion by Ms. Navis where she directed students towards the various resources that AISG provides to aid students with research, and talked to them about effectively citing their work. Finally, Ms. Siemens talked to the students about an EE in the subject area of “World Studies,” a relatively newer area of exploration that many students did not have much knowledge on. Students were encouraged to start thinking, collecting resources and engaging in background research in order to finalize the subject area that they would ultimately focus on.

Chhavi K. is exploring an EE in World Studies and admits that it is very “freeing” as she is able to “combine several subject areas to fully analyze relevant issues as they are more current.” She is excited about World Studies and states that prior to Ms. Siemens’ discussion on it, she was unaware of the subject area.

In November, Ms. Martin-Bauer organized a “Viva Voce,” with the outgoing class of 2020 that had already finalized and turned in their final EE drafts. The Viva Voce saw IBY1 students divided up into subject areas that they had expressed an interest in so that they could converse and learn about the EE experience with IBY2 students.

Isco K. gives the school credit for “the amount of effort that they put in trying to acclimatize students to the EE,” and states that the Viva Voce assuaged a lot of his fears leaving him relatively un-stressed.

Finally, in January, IBY1 students met with teachers of the subject areas that they were choosing to focus on. The meetings consisted of general information from the teachers on the specific topics that they had expressed an interest in, as well as specifics, such as deadlines, about the EE itself.

Lara H. is thinking of doing an EE in Psychology. However, she admits not “feeling enthusiastic” and somewhat “limited.” “I don’t really feel any subject group resonating within me, and there isn’t any topic which I feel particularly interested in exploring either,” she says. She admits feeling limited by her subject choices as she knows “for a fact” that she isn’t “confident doing an EE in her other subject areas such as ESS (Environmental Systems and Societies) or Math,” leaving her cornered with Psychology. Many students (like Lara) are afraid of doing an EE in technical subjects such as Psychology, Biology, and Chemistry as they feel that a lot of the knowledge that they require to effectively analyze and assess topics in these subject groups have not been taught to them yet.

Maya T. recounts being somewhat “stressed” when choosing a subject area. Although she initially wanted to write an EE in Theatre, she was dissuaded as Ms. Martin-Bauer and others thought that it would be a more challenging route to take due to its unconventionality. She is now exploring the idea of writing an EE in English A Language and Literature.

Most students feel relatively anxious about the writing process and many fear the mammoth 4000-word count. However, Mr. Kennett, an IB History teacher, states that the hardest part “isn’t getting to the 4,000-word maximum count, but rather trying not to exceed it.”

The actual essay writing process will begin soon for the Juniors once their supervisors are assigned to them and topics are finalized. Wish them luck!