r/IBDP_students

I want to take HL physics (I have SL now) but I am worried that it will bring heavy workload and it will be super difficult to understand and get 7?

What do you think the difference is between HL and SL Physics?

For context, I have:

HL: MAI, German B, Business / Physics

SL: Chem, English LL, Physics/ Business

I also have Chem SL so I believe the woroad will be huge?

Hiii!

I am about to start IB and I wanted to know what resources are actually useful! I already have Savemyexams cause I had it for igcse!

I just found PirateIB for RevisionDojo notes/flashcards/questions, are they good for the following subjects:

HL: Maths AI, History, Geography SL: Bio English LL, German

Also I what is a realistic study time for each subject per week?

If you want to add any other advice feel free, I need all the help I can get!

Hello!

I will be starting DP1 soon and I am interested in how much I would need to study at home. I am a student-athlete, so my time at home is limited. I got through pre-IB just fine with something like 1h or less study sessions daily.

Also what websites are the best? Revision Dojo has a lot of glazers but it looks super AI...

If it matter my subjects are:

English Language and Literature SL,

Spanish ab initio,

Geography SL,

Psychology HL,

Biology HL,

Math AA HL

My school recently switched my batch from cambridge curriculum to IBDP currently in 1st year of IBDP and are there any tips or free resources (Im broke I cant pay for subscription stuff in revision village) for math AA SL? I used to get decentish okayish scores in math that allows me to pass but recently my grades started to drop in IBDP. Even if I studied hard enough I always blank out at the questions and even if I did answer it at the end it always comes out wrong because I misinterpret it. Pls I need tips and free resources for Math AA SL.

I cant really drop math AA sl since Im still unsure on what of the major I want to pick since I have a few options and my school advised me to take math AA sl as a safety net since universities sometimes either accpet AI/AA HL or AA SL

I am starting IB soon and I have the following IB subjects chosen: HL: Maths AI, Business, German B SL: Physics, Chem, English Lang & Lit A

I am thinking to put Physics to HL instead of Business because I feel like this subject combo is not quite enough for Engineering. I am in Germany and my goal is to probably study engineering or Business. I know that Maths AA HL + Physics HL is must, but my school does not offer AA; I am concerned that having SL Physics may not be enough for me.

Which is why I am asking you guys for giving me advice and recommendations whether I should or not put Physics at HL because I am also looking to reduce the huge workload and I don't want to bear the extreme difficult topics of HL Physics (my friend who is in IB1 told me HL Physics is HELL and very difficult to understand).

Could you all honestly tell me how hard, challenging, and rigor HL physics is???????? For context I did igcse science and struggle a lot in electricity topic of circuits and that.

I want genuine help and tips!!!

Hi guys! I need advice from some of you who are succeeding at IB. I finished DP1 with a grade of 20. I don’t know how to study for my lessons. I’m not learning anything at school. I have been watching some videos on youtube for history and math ai but they are only helping me get 3s hardly. For econ, I studied a lot but got a 3. I don’t know how short or long to answer the econ questions. For english there is many things to examine. I dont know which ones to choose. For language b, im not improving im stuck. For ESS i dont know almost anything the videos I watched on YT had nothing to do with the mock exam questions

as you guys can see im so lost

So please recommend me your studying ways so that I can improve. Thank you.

This year I got my Bio HL exams and I am working with RevisionDojo. Is it sufficent ? Do you have better alternatives ? Any advice ? Thankssss

Hi, i am moving up to 9 grade. you can ask me any questions about my school or program.

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!

A little context, I am currently taking the International Baccalaureate Careers Program in an English Schools Foundation school in Hong Kong. (CP is essentially the IBDP but with two less courses and no core but I have to create a reflective project and service within the parameters of my Program.) In my case Music that is provided by Berklee College of Music.

My first question is, if I were to choose to pursue something other than, or on top of music in college, and given that my IB courses (HL Eng Lang & Lit, HL Music, HL Psych, and SL Comp Sci) have a total average grade of at least a 5.5 with the least being a 5, would any school consider my application? Would my application, if considered, be treated any different in priority or otherwise in comparison to a DP student that received a similar grade average?

My second question is, given that my grades/certificate isn't meeting the requirements, or barely misses the requirements, would the admissions officer be bothered to look at my CV, Personal Statement, Portfolio, Achievements, etc? If they do look at it, how much would it matter in comparison to grades?

Thanks in advance for any replies that I receive, I am, and always will be, very grateful toward the community that are willing to give new gens some guidance among their confusion.

Hi! I am an IB DiplOma Program first year student who just wrapped up their first week in IB. What is the biggest piece of advice for someone who’s a known procrastinator and actually wants to keep their hobbies. Also, does my course selection fit well together?

HL: History of the Americas, Biology, Lang and Lit

SL: Spanish B, Math AA, Global Politics

What would you say to someone with this selection? I’m a primarily reading, writing, and history proficient student, whose math and science skills aren’t as much. I’m really into politics and history and I like writing. (Prob won’t after ib lol)

Also how do predicted scores work and how to get them? I’ve seen that a lot on the subreddit but my school has never talked about them.

Because I'm abroad, the country starts school in June, so we've started DP1 already. I'd like to go to university in the USA for psychology and neuroscience with a minor in history. I don't really know what I want to do forever, but I think this aligns with my current interests enough that I would be able to do it. I got a 52/56 for my MYP e assessment exams and currently this is my plan for DP 1-2

Psychology HL

Biology HL

English Lang and Lit HL

French B SL

Math AA SL

History SL

and as my extra one, Visual Arts SL

I'd like to do my EE as an IDU in Psych and History

How should I structure the next two years because I'm aiming 40+ (don't kill me for this) and I only just got a 6 in English for MYP, I just need some help to make sure that I won't kill myself for the exams trying to study. Also how do you choose IA topics? For my EE, how should I start and does this subject combo work?

Hi,

im going in DP 1 next year and I was wondering what is more difficult in general Chemistry HL or physics HL? of course I know this totally depends on the person+ teacher but generally what would you say?

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Hey everyone! I’m currently in DP1 taking IBDP Mathematics AA HL and I’m looking for the best resources to practice from.

What are your go-to question banks, practice books, websites, or other resources for AA HL?

I’m especially looking for resources with:

• Lots of good-quality practice questions
• Questions ranging from medium → very challenging
• Strong alignment with the IB AA HL syllabus
• Good preparation for 7-level performance
• Ideally, detailed solutions/mark schemes

I’ve heard recommendations for Haese, Revision Village, and Hodder, but I’d love to hear what actually worked for people who took AA HL.

Thanks!

Hey guys I hate to be asking this but I need this for a school project. Please answer literally anything since anything helps but if you got the time to be detailed the more the better! Help a kid out! Thank you so much.

• What's the most annoying part of organizing IB?
• What do you currently use to track deadlines?
• What do you regularly forget/leave too late?
• How do you manage IAs, EE, TOK and normal studying simultaneously?
• What's one tool you wish existed?
• Do you use Notion/Google Calendar/Excel/paper/etc.?
• Would you use one IB dashboard containing everything?
• Which features would actually matter?
• What would make you stop using it?
• Would you ever pay a few dollars for something genuinely useful?

Guys I have a problem, my IA is heavily reliant on indexes and I don't know whether or not are they included in the word count, if they do then I have way too much words and if they don't they I have extremely little words, I know that there's no lower boundary in the word limit but I feel it would be strange to have an IA with 1500 words.

Below I attach two of my indexes one with criteria that I used to asses the quality of football pitches and one with the assessment. I would be extremely thankful if someone helps me. :)

Evaluation Criteria	1 (Very Poor)	2 (Poor)	3 (Average)	4 (Good)	5 (Excellent)
Surface Condition (Weight: *3)	Natural grass is completely worn to mud/dirt with deep potholes. If artificial, carpet is ripped, exposing concrete. Bad quality tartan that’s worn out, ripped and basically unusable. Concrete. Dangerous to play on.	Patchy grass with weeds or uneven soil. If artificial, it is visibly worn out, matted flat, and slippery with minor tears. Also medium quality tartan - worn out but in usable conditions	Standard public pitch. Grass is cut but patchy in high-wear zones. If artificial , it shows compression but is safe and intact. High quality tartan	Well-maintained natural grass or modern 3G/4G artificial turf. Even surfaces with good traction. No holes, tears, or safety hazards.	Professional-grade. Perfectly level, pristine turf or manicured grass. Excellent drainage with optimal shock-absorption.
Goal & Net Quality (Weight: *2)	Goals are dangerous or unusable. Crossbars are bent, posts are rusted through or unstable. No nets at all.	Frames are intact but heavily rusted or leaning. Nets are present but have massive holes and fail to stop the ball.	Basic metal frames, securely anchored. Nets are present but show cheap nylon material or minor makeshift repairs (zip ties).	Sturdy, modern aluminum or heavy-duty steel goals. Properly aligned and anchored. Nets are clean and fully intact.	Professional match-grade goals with pristine, heavy-duty netting. Includes professional net supports.
Pitch Dimensions (Weight: *2)	Non-standard, highly awkward, or distorted dimensions (e.g., extremely narrow or skewed). Completely unusable for regular matches.	Dimensions are noticeably tight or cut short due to surrounding buildings/fences, forcing an awkward, cramped style of play.	Functional size and standard proportions for its intended format (e.g., standard mini-pitch or regular Orlik size), but lacks extra space.	Good, clear proportions matching official regional formats. Includes basic out-of-bounds safety margins for players running at speed.	Perfect, standard regulation dimensions with generous, professional safety zones.
Line Markings (Weight: *1)	Line markings are completely missing, invisible, or incorrect. Penalty spots or center circles are non-existent.	Markings are barely visible, heavily rubbed out, or patchy. Crucial lines are hard to distinguish.	Markings are complete but fading, turning gray, or slightly unevenly drawn. Functional for casual play but hard to see from afar.	Lines are clear, bright, continuous, and fully complete. All standard zones (penalty areas, center circle, corners) are clearly defined.	Lines are crisp, professional-grade bright white, perfectly straight, and perfectly scaled to the field's proportions.
Boundaries and ball retention (Weight: *1)	No retention netting or barriers. Balls constantly leave the facility, rolling into busy roads, water canals, or private property, creating clear hazards.	Minimal retention. Low or damaged behind-goal barriers; balls frequently fly out of the playing area, interrupting the game.	Basic behind-goal netting is present but standard height (approx. 3-4m). It stops most low shots, but high balls easily escape.	Good ball retention. High, fully intact safety netting is installed behind both goals, effectively keeping the ball within the facility zone.	Professional-grade netting behind goals and along vulnerable sidelines. Play is never disrupted by lost balls.
Additional amenities (Weight: *1)	No additional amenities.	Basic benches are present, but there’s no lighting or changing rooms.	Benches are present alongside a lighting system, still no changing rooms.	Benches and lighting systems are present, there’s an on site changing room with toilets.	premium set up, high quality benches and lighting, changing rooms with showers and additional spectator seating.

Criterion	Score	Reasoning
Surface condition (×3)	1	Bare concrete surface, hard with no shock absorption, dangerous to play on.
Goal & net quality (×2)	2	Frames structurally intact but heavily rusted with significant paint deterioration. No nets.
Pitch dimensions (×2)	3	Standard 40x20 dimensions, functional for its intended format.
Line markings (×1)	3	Markings complete and functional, fading in places but all key zones distinguishable.
Boundaries & ball retention (×1)	1	No effective ball retention, balls would freely leave the playing area.
Additional amenities (×1)	2	Wooden spectator benches present, no lighting or changing rooms.

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