Choose the IB instead! (Choosing A-Levels in general)

Name: emerton2000

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Product:	Choosing A-Levels in general
Date:	30/07/02 (81 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Keeps your options open, More subjects covered, Interesting and useful if you want to study,work abroad

Disadvantages: A lot of study, You have to explain it to some Universities that aren't that aware of it

Now i know that most people here will be wanting to choose A Levels and not sure what to do. My opinion is given the choice (in other words if the school/college teach this) i would do the International Baccalaureate Diploma any time. Most of you will be thinking-what?!

I started my A levels when i lived in Italy and was at an English school. I chose French, English,Art and Italian as i was good at them and Art i enjoyed. Howerver overall pretty pointless when you have no idea what you want to do-i mean who does? Im 24 and still don't have a clue!

After starting 6th form, 4 months down the line i moved to the UK. Long story but i ended up going to 6th form college hoping to resume where i left off after the Christmas break. I hated it! I didn't know anyone which didn't help but the books being read were all different, art was more arty farty than i expected and generally i was wasting my time. Thankfully the college offered the International Baccaulareate-IB for short.

It is based on the French system of study (yes i know its french but for once this is actually a good system!) and actually its similar to most european schooling systems as well as the Irish. It allows you to take 6 subjects-3 at higher level (A level equivalent) and 3 at lower level (As equivalent). That may sound scary when you think your doing the equivalent of 4 and a half A levels! But in actual fact it gives you such a range of subjects to study that its a great way of keeping your options open. You have to do a science and you have to do Math (which was the down side as i hate maths!) but even that is divided into 2 areas-for those that are rubbish at it and those that aren't! Well that was not the technical term but basically what it meant.
You also have to do English.
I did English, Geography,French at higher level and Italian (cos it was easy for me!),Maths and Biology at lower level.
Grades are awarded in points so the max
you can get is 7 (which is like an A star) then 6( A) 5 (B) etc.
On top of this you also do a Philosophy class which was interesting and to gain extra bonus points (yes i know it sounds like a lottery but then again so are our lives at this stage!) you have to do an extended essay in the summer of your first year. This is like a mini thesis on a topic of your choice. It was hard work but if your planning on going to uni anyway its good practice
Also when it came to choosing Uni and courses i had such a range of courses that i had studied to back me up. As it happened i ended up doing an animal science degree which quite frankly i could not have done with English, French, Art and Italian A levels!

All in all i would recommend this course if you want to keep your options open, you want to gain an allround knowledge, are prepared to work hard-but if you want an easy time in 6th form this won't be for you.

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