u/c3ntralcee

Help guys! I’ve just started DP1 a few days ago and i’m currently brainstorming some topics for my EE. I’m planning to major in dentistry, so I want to connect my EE to either dentistry or biochem/biomed.

Rn tho, my idea is a chem EE about dental zirconia, and the RQ is:

How does nominal yttria contents of 3, 4, and 5 mol% Y₂O₃ affect the translucency parameter and biaxial flexural strength of monolithic dental zirconia?

Basically in simpler words, zirconia is a ceramic material that is used to make dental crowns. Yttria (yttrium oxide) is added in order to stabilize its crystal structure. Zirconia containing more yttria is usually more translucent and looks more natural, which is pretty useful for your front teeth. Buuut, increasing the yttria content may also make the zirconia easier to fracture. Therefore, I want to try and investigate this kind of trade-off between esthetics and strength by comparing 3Y, 4Y, and 5Y dental zirconia.

I’m not so worried since I have access to a dental lab which has CAD/CAM milling and zirconia-sintering equipment. But I have yet to find out if it has the instruments needed to measure transparency and biaxial flexural strength.

I only just started IB a few days ago, so of course this still remains as a preliminary idea. I would really really appreciate advice from anyone that is familar with chem EEs or has done one before.

Also, I have a few questions of my own.

For starters, does this RQ fit chem clearly enough or is it too focused on dentistry?

Is investigating both translucency and biaxial flexural strength too much for one EE, considering the word count of ~4,000 words?

Is this topic too advanced for IB and does it have the potential to score highly if it is executed well?

Should I specify the zirconia manufacturer, specimen dimensions, or sintering conditions in the RQ, or would those be better placed in the methodology later?

Are there any other problems I need to consider before proposing this to my EE coordinator?

Thank you so much and hagd :)

I’m starting IB in 2 days, and I want to create a realistic study system before everything becomes too overwhelming. I’m aiming for a score of 42+.

My subjects are:
- HL Biology
- HL Chemistry
- HL Math AI
- SL English Language and Literature
- SL Language and Culture
- SL Music

My biggest goal is to try and stay consistently on top of what I learn instead of letting topics pile up and having to cram before exams. I especially want to make my HLs feel more manageable and become better at understanding concepts.

One issue that I have is knowing what to do when I don’t understand or remember a topic well. If I immediately use flashcards, they can feel too difficult because I’ve forgotten too much. However, if I go straight to a question bank, I sometimes remember which answer is correct without properly remembering the reasoning behind it. I’m never sure whether I should relearn the lesson, make notes, use flashcards, or practice questions first. What do I do??

I also find it overwhelming to study several unfamiliar topics in one sitting, so I’d prefer a system that lets me learn things in smaller sections while still making progress.

For current or former IB students:

- What did your weekly study routine look like?

- How did you study Biology, Chemistry and Math AI effectively?

- What did you do immediately after learning a new topic in class?

- How often did you review older topics so you didn’t forget them?

- How did you balance studying for subjects with IAs, EE, TOK and CAS?

- What should I organize or prepare before IB begins?

- What mistakes did you make in your first year that I should avoid?

Specific routines or examples would be especially helpful! I often hear typical advice like to use active recall, to do past papers, or to manage your time, but I’d love to know exactly how people applied those things in practice. Thanks!

Lastly, I’m deciding which study apps to use consistently throughout IB. At the moment, I mainly use Revision Dojo for lessons and question bank practice. I’ve tried its flashcards, but I personally find them slightly less friendly for daily revision that’s quick and effective, so I’m using Gizmo for flashcards instead. I’m also planning to try StudyBuddy.vc because I’ve seen several people recommend it. Do these seem like the right apps to use? If you’ve used them, what is each one best for, and how should I include them in my study routine? For example, which app should I use for learning new content, daily review, active recall and exam practice?

I also don’t want to use too many apps and make studying more complicated, so should I stick with these, replace any of them or use something else instead?

Sorry for the long post, and thank you so so much to anyone who takes the time to read it or share any advice! I truly appreciate it :D

Have a good day!

Just curious on the community’s favorite emotionally impactful book.

An emotionally impactful book could be ones that explore topics like grief, mental health, trauma, loss, healing, or difficult emotions in general! I’m looking for books that really stayed with you long after you finished them. Any recommendations are welcome!

And I’d especially appreciate any recommendations that explore grief or loss, particularly the loss of a parent/dad, as I lost my dad a few months ago.

Thankyou!

**P.S.** If any of your recs are available on KU (Kindle Unlimited), I’d really appreciate it if you could mention that too! Thanku so much.