IB Chem or IB Bio

BGjeez · 03-03-2005, 10:13 PM

It's time for me to choose between Chemistry or Biology for next year when I am gonna be a junior in the IB program. I have no idea which one to go with..I am good with math but then I never liked either Chem or Bio more...it was just like "have to take the class-do my stuff-get an A" thing in both of them. I have heard that Chem is harder and that the teacher is not that great but that the bio teacher is one of the coolest. Also, Bio's teacher seems to be one of those that gives you the stuff and as long as you look over your ws you'll be fine...with two words: an easy A. With Chem I have heard that most people have B's. So I have no idea which one to go with. Most kids chose Chem (I have no idea why) and I know that is harder and more challenging but at the same time Bio seems so much better according to everyone. So, please, tell me what you think about this. I need your help!

thisyearsgirl · 03-03-2005, 10:56 PM

i'm a sophomore too, and i'm taking ib chem higher next year. from what i've heard it's academic suicide -- they work you to death -- but it's also supposed to be a really interesting class. for me it was never really a question of what science to choose, because i've always liked chemistry but didn't care for bio and physics, but whether to take it at standard or higher level. grades wasn't an issue because i've been getting a's in all three. i decided to take chem higher because i'll enjoy the challenge.

i'd suggest you go with the class you're most interested in regardless of the teacher or the difficulty of the course. if you don't enjoy the subject you're going to be miserable for the next two years; on the other hand, if you do enjoy it, the work will be more bearable. you say you don't really have a preference, but maybe you could make a list of the pros and cons of the two classes and decide based on that.

if it's the workload that keeps you from taking chemistry, one option would be to take chem standard. it's not as intense and you'd probably find it much easier. other than that i really don't know what to tell you.

simfish · 03-04-2005, 06:03 AM

You could try both: many students at my school choose two IB sciences, including some with two HL sciences - the girl I know doing that has straight A's in them too). The class may be reputed to be difficult - but if you're much smarter than the average IB student then you can disregard all the talk about the difficulty.

BGjeez · 03-04-2005, 03:08 PM

I was thinking about taking them both but I also signed up for IB Psych and it seems so interesting. I dont want to drop it for a science. I have been getting all A's but hey it's going to be junior year so it will be harder and stressful.

warblersrule86 · 03-04-2005, 05:26 PM

I would go with the one that interests you the most and that you'd do the best in. Choosing a class on difficulty is a bad idea; having an "easy A" won't help you pass the exam or get college credit. Needless to say, you can take (and succeed in) several IB sciences and psychology. I took/am taking IB Biology HL, IB Chemistry HL, IB Psychology SL, and and AP Physics C and got/am getting A's in all of them. I'm a science person, though. That said, biology is the easiest of the three sciences with chemistry as the next easiest. Since it sounds like you have a good biology teacher, I would go with biology. Alternately, you could take one of the science SL and one HL. IB Psychology is EXTREMELY superficial in its cover of the subject, by the way (surprisingly boring). AP Psychology goes MUCH more into depth.

Tami · 03-04-2005, 10:09 PM

^thisyearsgirl,

how can you take Chem HL, without taking SL? ( In my school, you can only take HL classes once you're a senior..) Now THAT's what I call suicide..

IB Psych, AP Psych, any form of Psych...is really, really, easy.

thisyearsgirl · 03-04-2005, 10:18 PM

really? as far as i'm aware you need to take three hl and three sl classes that you keep through both junior and senior year in order to complete the ib diploma. chem hl is basically an augmented chem sl, with more in-depth coverage and some additional topics. does your school use the certificate program?

Tami · 03-04-2005, 10:46 PM

Our school uses the DP, but what I'm confused about, is that HL is supposed to be a continuation of SL. It's a course, say AP Chem, stretched over two-years, so I can't see how you can learn the considered "second half" when you don't know the first. That is, unless you took AP chem your freshman year, which I've NEVER seen. Are you SURE its not SL, then HL your senior year? I'm even aware of the fact that you can't test HL until your senior year.

BGjeez · 03-04-2005, 10:55 PM

At our school you need 3 HL and basiclly the first year is SL and second one is HL. If I was to take Chem Sl i would have it for one year but because I signed up for HL I will have it for 2 years.
Also, I know that Pshych is easy but it sounds so interesting...and I still do not know what to do...

thisyearsgirl · 03-04-2005, 10:58 PM

i'm positive. i go to an international school which offers only the ib diploma, and hl is definitely a separate class from sl. the hl classes meet 6 times in an 8-day cycle, and the sl classes meet 4 times. this is true both in 11th and 12th grade.

according to the the ibo website:

Diploma Programme (DP)*students must select one subject from each of the six groups. At least three and not more than four are taken at higher level (HL), the others at standard level (SL). HL courses represent a recommended minimum of 240 teaching hours, SL courses cover 150 hours.

wouldn't that be the number of hours over two years?

edit: maybe your schools just choose to distribute the hours differently ... i honestly have no idea.

Tami · 03-04-2005, 10:59 PM

Ok, I'm confused now. Are you saying, that if you signed up for Chem HL, (to be extended to your senior year,) on your transcript it shows both years as HL? Because what thisyeargirl is telling me, is that next year on her junior transcript, its going to read IB Chem HL, without a previos noting of IB Chem SL.

On your original post, I would suggest going with whatever you think you have a little more advantage over. If it were me, I would go with Bio, since Bio IS so much cooler.

Tami · 03-04-2005, 11:00 PM

^ thats to the OP.

thisyearsgirl · 03-04-2005, 11:05 PM

chem sl is not a prerequisite for chem hl. they're different classes. according to my teacher, who has taught ib chem for several years, the sl curriculum includes mostly in-depth exploration of topics already covered in 8th-10th grade, whereas hl introduces several new topics. i haven't seen the transcripts, but i assume that the same classes will be listed both years. sl and hl are completely different 'tracks' and one is not dependent on the other.

Tami · 03-04-2005, 11:09 PM

That's odd. I've always been told that SL is the platform, and HL is building more on top of it. And not only have I been told that way, I've traveled on the path, I took Chem SL junior, then Chem HL senior. There was NO WAY I could have done HL stuff I'm doing this year, without my SL stuff, unless I had taken AP chem.

Plus, I had taken honors chem my freshman year.

thisyearsgirl · 03-04-2005, 11:16 PM

then your school must have a completely different system than mine ... that's interesting. i've taken 'myp [ib middle years program] chem' since 8th grade, which prepares us for the ib i guess. i'll have to ask around at school; maybe someone knows something.