@dsi411 - Yes, a huge part of IB is oral presentations. AP imo is more written/book work. We make at least 6-7 presentations/Socratic seminars per year in IB English and 5 in IB History. IB is absolutely fantastic because you are with the same but diminishing group of kids (many drop out) that you lose all nerves with because you have 2-3 classes with them each year. I used to be pretty scared; now I like doing presentations. If I could advise you to do something to help your condition, I would recommend IB.
Not to be mean to you guys, but people experience much, much graver problems in the world. I’ve been to countries where the kids are not only lonely but have no food, shelter, education, power, parents, and sleep because they wake up at 4AM to work. Be happy with what you have and realize that you are in the top 5%.
just received word from my school principal that a poem of mine is going to states… ahhhhhhh!!
Now that I’m considering doing the full IB program, I really need to think about my schedule. They say they’re gonna have an assembly about course scheduling and course scheduling interventions in February. I don’t want to wait that long! I’m sure what Spanish, Math, and History courses I’m doing for the next two years, but I’m unsure about English, Science, and Art/Electives.
@SallyStephens congrats
My book is the pearson one. My Chemistry teacher makes it really fun. U:
@dsi411
I’m currently in Pre-IB classes. This is currently my schedule.
Pre-IB Drama IV
Pre-IB Pre-Calculus
Pre-IB French III
Pre-IB English II
AP World History
Pre-IB Chemistry I
I also have selective mutism. It really does help. I really like enjoy talking to people as long as I know them and they know me. I’m deeply shy and I usually shut down in public. It’s really hard to speak in public for me. Anyhow, in English, we usually do a section of research behind a book. We’ve read The Grapes of Wraith, Mythology, and analyze poems and such.
I’ll give you an example of what we had to do. My teacher gave us our project forms (we sat in groups already), and she holds cards face down. On the sheet, there are numbers and each number corresponds to a card she has. People are sent to get a card in order to reveal their number in order for the research topic for our group to get. Currently, we are reading the Crucible and so my group got to research the Salem Witch Trials. Other groups had to research about Mass Hysteria or the Black List.
We had to come up with a powerpoint that has only titles and pictures. It gets really nervewrecking to present, especially since she grades you on eye contact.
I would say the best part of being in IB is that you get to hang out with people who are similar like you. There are a lot of shy people in IB who wants to learn for academic reason which is how it’s going to help with your selective mutism. Sure, I can’t speak that much in front of teachers and such, but because of IB, I have friends now.
I’ve felt similar to the ways some of you’ve felt: distant from your peers, and feeling as though your “friends” aren’t really that close to you. I actually had this one friend, who was my “best friend” in middle school… Needless to say, once we got to high school, it was almost as though he didn’t want to be seen with me. He felt as if he were always competing with me and needed to be better. He took basically all my other close friends from middle school and so I hadn’t a “group of friends” since freshman year.
Honestly though, just screw them. I joined some volunteer programs outside of my school and made new friends that I still keep in touch to today (in fact we’re gonna meet up next weekend). Besides, none of these people whom you’re graduating with will matter once you go to college.
…Anywayssss, if I remain at my IB School the courses I’m gonna be taking are:
IB English HL
IB History HL
IB Psychology HL
IB Environmental SL
IB Spanish SL
IB Math Studies SL
I honestly hate language, and Spanish is horrible. I got a C on my speaking-assessment (still bumped it up to an A) and I barely understand the listening supplements we’re assigned. I’m probably gonna bomb IB Spanish next year, lol.
My spanish teacher gave us a surprise quiz on this story in Spanish, so on the quiz im pretty sure I killed the translating portion but I didn’t even remember the name of the author!!! lOL oh gosh I am just scared to find out what I got.
MY TEACHER POSTED OUR FINAL GRADES (WITH THE CURVE) FOR MATH AND I GOT A 90 FLAT AND OMG I’M SO HAPPY.
basically I can get into calc bc. and only 10 people in my class of 33 got a 90% or above (which is required to take the class). I may also be able to raise my grade higher from a 90% depending on what I got marked off on my final for. but it honestly doesn’t matter–I’ll probably still end up with an A-.
I HAVE AN 89.4 IN HONORS PRECALC
I’m SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO pissed. .-.
@Cornbread1999 Thanks!!
@livelaugh7 Dang 
@topaz1116 Congrats!
@Calchong Lol a pop quiz in Spanish is like death. Our teacher is always threatening us with one but it never happens hahah… we are currently doing a “menu” project and I got assigned Argentina. I’d rather have a surprise quiz though -.-
What do you guys do in your completely non-academic free time? Like a fun activity or TV show or sport or musical instrument or…? Idk
I occasionally watch Pretty Little Liars and the show Scorpion. Scorpion is so good, do any of you watch it? I always DVR it and watch it on Saturday nights with my neighbor.
I also like to read cool books–into the supernatural and fantasy genre. Badminton is fun as well.
What about you guys?!?! 
I adore Welcome to Nightvale. It’s a podcast that comes out twice a month and is the radio show for a fictional town. There are about 60 half-hour long episodes, some of them disjointed, some of them forming a cohesive plot, but all of them that contribute to the story of this town and the people in it, especially Cecil, the host. It often makes the hair on the back of my neck stand on end, and at any rate makes existentialism comforting.
@topaz1116 Nice!
@livelaugh7 That sucks.
@SallyStephens Most of my free time is taken up by my extracurriculars, but I like to read when I get the chance.
I got a 103 on my Chemistry midterm and I honestly have no idea how because there wasn’t any extra credit.
And I’m a huge TV junkie. Shows I currently watch include:
- Sundays: Revenge and Once Upon a Time
- Mondays: Gotham, Eye Candy, The Originals (Also Teen Wolf but it’s not on right now)
- Tuesdays: Agents of Shield, Agent Carter, The Flash, Pretty Little Liars, Supernatural (Awkward and Faking It are on break)
- Wednesdays: Arrow, The 100
- Thursdays: The Vampire Diaries, Reign
- Fridays: The day I catch up on shows I missed!
Obviously, I don’t watch all shows when their first air (or else my grades would seriously be lacking) but yeah.
@SirSly I don’t know how you can have enough time to do that!
@Faultystart Me neither, especially since I still manage straight A’s and have track practice everyday. Then again, I usually binge watch everything Friday night as a reward for getting through the week. 
@SirSly I watched the vampire diaries on Netflix over the summer! Lovvvved it I’ll have to watch season 6 over the summer because I’m never able to watch shows on weekdays ( no time ) and I always forget to DVR it lol
This weekend I had a minimal homework and I feel so out of place. No tests next week, this isn’t normal