By Ruben Soberanis ’19
Starting next year, a new group of students will become the third generation of Pritzker students to be apart of IB. IB stands for International Baccalaureate. Although it is a great experience to be apart of such an advanced course, IB also comes with a line of difficulties that every student faces. Let’s sit down and focus on one course some may struggle with: math
IB “prepares students to succeed in a world where facts and fiction merge in the news, and where asking the right questions is a crucial skill that will allow them to flourish long after they’ve left our programmes.”
What was one major fear you faced your first year of IB Math?
All students face at least one difficulty when entering a new class environment in a new year of school. Senior Desiree Cardero was scared of what she called “fast pace learning.” Fast paced learning is when students have to learn an abundant amount of information in a short amount of time, so they must move through the material quickly. Cardero stated, “IB is a two-year program and I was sure that there was not enough time to get through 4 years of math in [only] 2 [years].” Similarly, Senior Jocelin Luna agreed that she was worried that class would be fast-paced. However, she mentioned, “I wasn’t too worried because my classmates were there to help and math is one of my strongest subjects.”
What did you do to overcome those fears?
The best part about facing a difficulty in a class would be that the student knows how to handle the situation the next time around. An example Cardero gave was when she didn’t understand something she learned in class and her classmates were there to help. Cardero stated, “While the teacher is super helpful, your peers know the struggle and find ways to explain things in simpler language.”
What things were you struggling with in IB Math?
In every class, students will struggle with something. Luna’s struggle with her Math class would be the “IB exam practices.” She explains that students had to make sure they knew what they were doing “because one problem can ask you to do multiple things that you learned a long time ago.”
What tips would you give sophomores joining the IB course with regards to math class?
Sophomores should definitely take into account the obstacles they will face. However, they should not let these problems come in the way of taking a higher course. Both juniors and seniors have their back. Cardero strongly believes that future IB students should “not be afraid to ask [their] peers for help. Use your resources!” Another piece of advice given by Luna would be that students should definitely go to their teachers’ office hours because nobody knows the material better than the teacher who taught it.
