By Paola Diaz ’19
, one can expect classwork, quizzes, tests, and homework, but is the amount of stress different for different class (IB and regulars) types?
Is there a difference in how long it takes to complete homework?
No. On average, students in both Regulars and IB classes say to take about two to three hours. Some explain that homework time should take less time, but because they procrastinate, it takes a bit longer.
How often do you stress over the classes you are in?
Guadalupe Trejo, a junior who is currently taking regular classes, explains, “Not a lot, mostly just when we have an exam and I don’t know most of what the exam consists of.” Similarly, David Gallegos, another junior currently taking regular classes, adds how he only gets stressed out when he has to do essays for his Literature class.
Giovanni Roman, IB junior, explains, “Honestly, my classes don’t normally stress me out. Just like any other student, the only reason you’re stressed out is because of an upcoming test or exam or maybe you didn’t prepare for a certain assignment, but personally I only stress out in those situations.”
Would you assume students who are/not in IB experience more, less, or equal amount of stress?
“I think juniors who are in IB should be experiencing the same amount of stress as any other person because if they got into IB, then they must know what they’re doing and it shouldn’t be as hard for them to keep up with the work,” explains Gallegos. On the other hand, Roman believes that he can’t speak for everyone but he knows that everyone has equal amounts of homework. However, he believes that the IB curriculum focuses more on people applying knowledge to certain situations, rather than knowing the knowledge. “I feel like the projects and essays take more time because we submit it to IB and not our teachers, which makes it a bit more stressful knowing you are going to be graded harder than usual,” explains Roman.
What do you do to help you handle stress?
“Just try to control it. If I know an exam or important quiz is coming, just study ahead of time and ask questions if I don’t get it and try not to procrastinate,” explains Trejo. Gallegos, on the other hand, says that to de-stress, he plays soccer, listens to music, goes to the choir room to sing with Mr. Cole, or goes to the weight room. Roman adds that he takes naps and does something fun to get things off his mind. “I also try to deal with the things that are stressing me out because that’s the ideal thing to do, but like I’ve said, I get distracted easily,” he adds.
Overall, no matter what classes you take, you will find yourself spending almost the same amount on homework as anyone else, but due to IB assessments and essays, IB students do experience a bit more stress.
