A note from Andre Gregory – 2022 IB Dux

The IB was a rollercoaster to say the least. Knocking over the high volume of work required consistent endeavour and some degree of discipline to keep me on track, which was especially important during the second year of the IB to ensure my knowledge and understanding of the subjects was up to scratch.

My biggest mistake throughout this journey was neglecting the first year, such that I only prioritised 2-3 subjects in Year 11 and didn’t consistently address my weaknesses in certain areas such as my Literature Paper 1s. This only increased the workload dramatically for the following year which could’ve easily been prevented with regular revision of the content over the two years. It was only after I was on top of my tasks when I could then enjoy learning new content since I wasn’t hampered by an overdue list of work.

One thing which helped me to effectively overcome the content was the consistent use of active recall (Anki) throughout the entire year to enhance my understanding of the subjects, with heavy use of the textbook for mathematics and regular reading/essay practice for English. It was important for me to identify a time-efficient and goal-directed way of studying early on due to the IB being very content-heavy, and a way in which I could retain the knowledge even during periods of writing the EE/IAs. The IB can be a very fun and rewarding experience provided you stay consistent, have a clear end-goal, and manage your time effectively; you have more time for yourself than you think.