One of the many things that makes DHS stand out is the International Baccalaureate (IB) program in place at the school. The program can be extremely beneficial to students due to the fact that IB is a worldwide method of education that is accepted by virtually all high-end universities in a vast number of countries. Unlike taking courses that are recognized as being legitimately difficult in the United States alone, IB offers a standard academic pathway that is known for being a rigorous one, but also a path that often leads to a student’s success regardless of both which university one attends and which country that university happens to reside in.
The IB program is also unique in that preparing students for the outside world is a top priority. IB diploma candidates must take four or more years of a foreign language as part of their IB schedule on top of specially designated classes that are pieced together to form the path to getting their revered IB diploma.
Senior Patricia Farré has recently sent in all of her requirements, having completed all the IB tests needed to earn the certificate. Now all that’s left for Farré to do is wait for July, when the results come in.
“I took a total of 12 test sessions my senior year for five different subjects, and all of them were required for my IB diploma,” Farré said.
Farré looks back on her memories of the IB program with satisfaction, though it took some sacrifice on her part.
“Missing a total of 48 hours of school my senior year due to testing and having to keep up with schoolwork was a pain, and pretty memorable,” Farré said. “I wouldn’t regret doing the IB diploma though; it proves that you went the extra mile and somewhat prepares you for more rigorous college courses.”
With extensive experience concerning the process and the tests themselves, Farré offers a few nuggets of advice.
“If you don’t know much about a certain topic or unit, skip it and focus on the ones that you have previous knowledge on,” Farré recommended. “Also, make sure you don’t procrastinate on schoolwork if you are missing days for testing, it makes a difference in the end.”
Along with the advice, Farré had some small regrets as well.
“They say that you shouldn’t have to [study] because you learn the material in your classes, but some extra review would’ve helped just to make sure that I knew everything,” Farré said.
Farré’s hard work with IB will also pay off in the fall, as she will attend Boston University for the 2016-2017 school year. Though the path to achievement may be tedious and time-consuming, the effort may be well worth the benefits reaped upon completion of IB, whether it be for simply one class or the entire diploma.
By: Ben Zeitler
