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Not that anyone can be justified for grumpiness or misbehaviour, but seniors have a hectic schedule. Keen students might have noticed some whiney voices and walking flesh making noises. And most likely, the underclassmen will not understand all the fuss. But a closer look upon what IB2 students (seniors) have coming up for this semester may help their understanding.
Extended Essays (EE)
Theoretically, in a perfect world, IB students need not be worried about extended essays at all. Seniors finished finalising research questions by June, and the summer break of nine weeks and the additional three weeks at school were a reasonable amount of time to work on the first draft and to talk to teachers to receive feedback. But the world is imperfect and students even more. Students do not work during the summer, and those who have done no work have barely had three weeks to change research questions, restructure the entire essay, or write 3000 extra words.
Internal Assessments (IAs)
On top of being paranoid about the extended essay, students on the second year of IB have Internal Assessments. Internal Assessments (IAs) are assignments given from almost all IB subjects – Science has a lab report; English, a written task; maths, an investigation. These IAs are typically assigned during senior year, because teachers want students to be more aware of the different topics of the subject. Not a bad idea to be more knowledgeable before starting, but is it worth sleep deficiency?
IB Subjects Preparation
Other than the EE and IAs, IB subjects tend to have more material toward the end of the course. More formative and summative assessments and more assignments that means. The deluge of information from six different realms overwhelms students and frequently becomes the reason for seniors’ mental breakdowns.
College Applications
Multifarious universities from different countries require different essays and information. Filling out the information is time consuming but not as stressful. What really stresses students out is the college essays. Depending on what universities are on the list, a student can write as few as one essay or as many as twenty different essays.
On the good side, however, seniors get to think about themselves much more by the time of college applications. The Common Application, which comprises the application work for most U.S. universities, often has personal prompts that ask about identity. One of the questions Common App provides reads, “some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story”.
Most students, when typing out the personal statement for the first time, often confront the writer’s block. They are unable to think of a background, an identity, an interest, or a talent. Or even if they do, it is hard to put them into words. People in such situation can simply ask English teachers for help.
Coordinator Work and ASAs
Colleges do not want students to suddenly quit from community service or other ASAs. Hence not participating in ASAs merely to spare more time for college application essays is not a good idea. Some seniors also work hard for their ASAs as coordinators, captains etc. But even if not a coordinator, consistency and variety in school clubs can show individual personalities.
This is also the last year of high school for seniors. Despite all the other academic pressures, seniors are seriously striving to make good memories and make the community more dynamic before their departure.
Again, a person with the ideal “senior qualities” – tidiness, diligence and a little bit of vigilance – can prevent the unnecessary catastrophe of senioritis, insomnia and much more. But they are only three years older than the freshmen that barely know about high school. Seniors will remain imperfect, yet they will try their best, and history will repeat.
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