You may ask, where the heck have you been?
Well for one thing, I have disappeared off the face of the internet. And another thing, I have moved this site.
IB Pickup Line of the Day:You’re like a catalyst to my reaction; you just turn me on.
The empty printer cartridges and sheafs of paper speak for themselves. IB Stressed, and so is my printer. Sadism has manifested itself in The Teachers.
I look at my assignment book. There are 8 papers (!!) assigned for this week, one of which is vital to my Language A1 grade. Freakout ensues. OMGWTFPHAILURE. Familiar thoughts run through my head: I should have done this and that paper a week ago; why do I leave everything for the last minute??
I tell myself, this is your destiny. This is your life. You chose to sacrifice sleep for the excitement of an all-nighter, the thrill of completing a big assignment due within hours. You live for those 48-hour days, not a wink of sleep fit into those hours.
But then, says I to myself, why do I do this to myself? Why do I insist upon inflicting severe mental and physical damage to my health? Do I not already know that eventually, this sleep deprivation will catch up on me?
Lack of sleep entails many bad consequences to one’s health. But to an IB Student, what is sleep but a luxury? What is sleep but that Sacred Thing that Normal People have and that which IB Students occasionally get?
The truth is out there (and not just in the X-Files). The headlines blare: Sleep deprivation is a pandemic. The experts say: Sleep deprivation is not uncommon among academicians, whether one is a diligent pre-med/pre-law student, a dedicated scholar, a passionate professor, or a college student. An addendum to that, I think, should be “IB Students.” But you knew that.
Excuse me if I didn’t post for the last two to three weeks. I’m not dead; I did not lost internet access; I am not held in custody by the powers that be. There was simply nothing to post until today because my student life has not changed much in those few weeks. Until now, of course.
Here I was, happily living away my hours because I honestly have not had that much homework (relative to my own perspective) in these past few weeks; nothing too big or daunting a test, essay, or assignment; nothing too frightening or absolutely terrifying that I would *seriously* (ha, me, serious) consider running away and assuming a new identity in order to escape from the perils of IB! Until now.
There are a number of things looming over my head waiting to crash and tumble down on ma tete and crush my head to pieces. EE topic due, math portfolio, commentaries, TOK exam, CAS, first IB history paper, recital, applications to various summer programmes (yes, this early), registrations, among other things that worry me. Children, these things are called stressors. In Psychology, such stressors are said to contribute to/initiate one’s anxiety problems and depressive episodes. But that’s besides the point.
There is no such thing as a “break” in IB. On the days we are granted off to “rest,” we are assigned loads of homework to complete. Teachers have managed to delude themselves into thinking that our lives revolve primarily around academics (which may be true, but still) and that we leave little time for “other” insignificant things (sleep, anyone?). This is a sign that I must now accept the fact that I will have to get rid of “rest” and “serenity” from my vocabulary (and any other words associated with “break” of the resting kind).
I think I will probably stop freaking out and stressing out….eventually, and will most likely get everything I need to get done over with in due time.
And yes, I’m a little bit anxious and depressed right now.
Note: For all you know, I could actually be one of the best students in the IB Programme at my school and am actually just pretending to be bad at time management and keeping track of big projects.
None of my friends in RL know about this blog. I shall keep it that way and see what happens.
Even if they did, would they expect me to be committed to keeping up a journal-type site for the world to see? Probably, but I doubt they would know I’m responsible for something as IB as keeping a blog about IB.
One day, they shall find this blog and be positively stumped as to who could be the brains behind the blog. One day, in their search for IB Humour, they will be hit with superfluous writing and…(I don’t know how to end that, so you’re welcome to fill that in with whatever phrase you want to).
*Maniacal laughter.*
Excuse my lack of updates. It seems I have been distracted from the distractions that distract (ie, this blog). I am trudging through what I call my Burn-Out Period, so please understand that my grammar may seem awkward and incorrect, my thoughts and rantings incoherent, and my sentences that are not parallel. Tenses nonexistent. Sentence Fragments that are not correct because they are dependent clauses.
*Ahem.*
So anyway, apart from utilising grammar incorrectly, I’m in my occasional burn-out period (I’m also rather repetitive, n’est pas?). This occurs every 6-10 weeks, and is usually characterised by moments of sleeplessness, lethargy, spacing-outness (uh, for lack of a better term), and chronic fatigue. Which is not to say that the entire year is like this (which might seem that way given the fact that we IB Students experience symptoms like these throughout the year). There is a subtle distinction between usual IB Life and Burn-Out Period (BOP). Let me explain.
In normal IB Life (which is about as normal as IB Student is), sleep deprivation is a competitive feature. The less sleep you get, the more hardcore an IB Student you are. IB Student regularly competes with their friends on the subject of sleep deprivation (or more accurately, the absence of sleep altogether). You are stressed out but coping adequately enough with the stress. That is, if you have 9 hours of homework to look forward to (yeah right), you will not be too overwhelmed with the workload. For example, if IB Student was to have an IB Commentary due the day after it is assigned, (alot of/85 problems for) IB HL Math homework due the next day, 2 IB SL Chemistry labs due on the same day as the Commentary is due, and an exam to sit through (also on the same day), they are not really overwhelmed by these…encumbrances (for lack of a better term, sorry).
In the BOP, even if you deliberately made time for sleep (at night, duh), you cannot easily fall asleep as your Circadian Rhythm is so screwed up that you think night is day, and day is night. Staying awake in classes is about as useful as studying for IB tests during BOP. You fail either way. In order to stay awake, you must exert a tremendous amount of effort and energy. In order to pass an exam, you must be awake and alert to those annoyingly verbose IB Questions. “Blah blah blah standard enthalpy changes of reaction blah blah blah *sophisticated version of a commonly used unit here* blah blah blah delta H = delta H - T delta S blah *hefty but useless paragraph here* blah blah.” That is all I take in during BOP. For the more motivated IB Student, the BOP is a deviation from how they normally are (procrastinating, but still effective in completing homework, miraculously enough). During BOP, IB Student is not doing any homework at all and–gasp–is not completely concerned with what this lethargy may entail.
My point is that in normal IB Life, IB Student has an adequate level of functioning, while in BOP, IB Student has no level of functioning to speak of at all.
If you excuse me, I have a paper to procrastinate on, a design lab to pretend I started on, and grammar to correct (though not from this post).
IB Pickup Line of the Day:
If you were an amino acid, you’d take my O away and we could covalently bond.
I am remarkably doing well thus far despite my obvious procrastination. However random my forays into procrastination seem, though, I’m actually pretty selective as to which subjects to procrastinate for and which ones not to. Never procrastinate on IB History work; never procrastinate on Extended Essay work; don’t procrastinate on IB Papers…which, I now realise, are considered long-term projects that would make me a full-time procrastinator if I was not so much a procrastinator on daily homework already (which would make me…part time procrastinator?).
My point is, if you’re going to do any procrastination at all, then at least be smart about it. Obviously, you wouldn’t want to procrastinate on those big papers (even though I know, primarily from past experience, that a lot of IB students will do so anyway). If you have a lot of projects, the due dates of which are spaced randomly in time, then make a calendar with the due dates of said projects and make sure to check it at least once a week to see what you have to do. Also, schedule your projects (especially the Extended Essay..and those CAS hours). Unless, of course, you’re the type who is strangely addicted to extreme sleep-deprivation and extreme jumps in the amount of adrenaline going through your body, then go ahead! (If you are that type of a person, then I would recommend you consider a career in a high-risk medical specialty.)
IB, at least in my three *a number greater than 3 here* years in it (including Pre-IB), is a lesson in time management. Learn to manage your time wisely (I’m sure you’ve heard that many times before from some of your teachers and IB Coordinators), or you’ll die. Or you’ll burn out. Very badly. Take it from me, IB Student, who was burnt out for several months because IB Student was not very good in managing time and was thus a poster child for IB Burnout Syndrome (IBBS). You do not want to suffer from IBBS (interpret that abbreviation as you will), as it is a very serious condition affecting at least 75% of the IB population.
Symptoms of IB Burnout Syndrome (Courtesy of the DSM-IV: IB Edition)
- Persistent use of sarcastic, pessimistic comments about the state of the world/IB
- Procrastination is so extreme that grades are at the very low end of the spectrum
- Lack of foresight as to what extreme procrastinating will entail
- Displaying a noticeable lack of motivation
- Continuous hopelessness
- Constant fatigue no matter the amount of sleep patient has had (not to be mistaken as sleep deprivation-induced fatigue found commonly in students not suffering from IB Burnout Syndrome)
- Symptoms above last for a duration of 2 weeks or longer
Co-morbidity with uni-polar depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and generalised anxiety disorder is possible.
More illnesses, mental and physical alike, can be found in IB student populations. I will attempt to go over the epidemiology of such diseases at a later date, after I conduct more research into the matter.
On a final note, trust me on this. You do not want to burn out so much that all of your efforts seem futile. You do not want to be so overwhelmed with the amount of work that you just want to give up. It’s not a nice feeling at all. There are ways to prevent this; I’ve outlined one way, which is to procrastinate wisely (for lack of a better term). Another way is to make friends with as many people who are not in IB. They really give you the perspective that yes, there is life outside of academics.
UPDATE: Wow I sounded remotely serious about this post. What a surprise. 
Slap someone. A lot. Ignore that they’re talking about counterfeit minis. Instead, imagine your least favourite teacher droning on about *subject here*.
Pop bubbles. Why? It’s bubble wrap. Way more fun than homework.
Vent. Furiously so. Take out a piece of paper and release your anger and frustrations. Then breathe in and out, and throw the paper out. (I’d recommend shredding the paper first). Or you could start a blog and tell the world your angsty musings :-).
Wallow in self-pity. This is still better than finishing up your paper that’s due two hours from now, right? Well, whatever floats your boat, I guess…
Start a blog and complain about your life as an IB student. I think this is self-explanatory.
Take tests. Not IB Tests, silly! You do that enough in real life. Nor do I mean standardised tests…Just online ones that are actually kind of fun. Fun compared to your homework. Again.
Disclaimer: I do not condone to procrastinating for long periods of time. Especially with virtual bubble wrap. Or at least, that’s what I want you to think.
This shall be continued whenever I feel like I need therapy from the illness that is IB.
Ahh, finally. Some honest whining. But first, I give you this problem:
Assume that:
- All IB students are procrastinators.
- All procrastinators are IB students.
- I am an IB Student.
What assumption can one make about IB Student based on the assumptions listed above? (Answer found in Guide to the Obvious, page 17). Disclaimer: Statements 1 and 2 are not necessarily true, but for the sake of this problem, assume that they are.
Now that the first week of school is over with, might as well whine about it like any self-respecting IB Student ought to do. 
Observations
Teachers belonging to the English Department are very enthusiastic about poetry. Very. Do NOT, under any circumstances, challenge their love for poetry as they may very well kill you. Analysing poetry is how they live. Would you tell a lion to stop hunting zebras? Yes, if you wanted to be their dinner.
Contrary to popular opinion, history teachers are not actually that dull. They are, in fact, very fond of arguments, especially if the topic up for debate is on the short and long term effects of whatever war their classes are studying. As such, do not expect to win if you happen to be caught in an argument with these people.
Midday is not a time to eat. It is a time to study/do homework. Eat when you are supposed to be doing homework.
Theory of Knowledge class really makes you think about…thinking! The famous “I think, therefore I am” quote of Descartes is, in this class, replaced with “I think, therefore IB.” Grammatically incorrect? Make sure the Lit teachers never get ahold of this information…we all know what that would entail…
Sleep deprivation (SD) + IB = Increased need for caffeine (INC). INC (IB Student + Cafe) = Broke.*
Who knew graphing calculators were such a great source of entertainment and distraction? Ah no, I don’t have games on my TI-84 Plus Silver Edition. I was referring to the rapture I experience when I see graphs of sine, cosine, tan overlapping graphs of polar coordinates and rose curves.
According to IB, water is very, very, very important to organisms and is not as mundane a substance as one would think. Hail thy Hydrogen-bonding properties, H20! Hail thy high specific heat!
*State of poverty as a consequence of caffeine addiction. Applicable to the sleep-deprived with an affinity for overpriced coffee. [Example: IB Student's lack of sleep, combined with their constant visits to overpriced cafes with overpriced coffee, has resulted in their being broke.]
The Bag
If I could only take a photograph of what the contents of my bag are, you would be able to see the burden with which my back feels pain. As a substitute for a photograph, I would recommend that you imagine three hefty textbooks, six pathetically labelled notebooks, six binders to complement said notebooks, one graphing calculator (TI-84 Plus silver edition PWNS you), four pens of varying colours (blue, black, red, and green; yes I use all of them), a sad little assignment book that has already proven to be rather useless (the sections are minuscule for the amount of work I must do), a wand, a file cabinet, one pillow (to catch up on sleep whilst pretending to use one’s study hall time effectively), and a time turner.
It’s as if I carried my entire study in my bag! 
Other Notes
I need a time turner as I seem to be one of the most over-scheduled individuals in the IB Programme. Which is, of course, saying a lot as IB Students have about as much free time as they have sleep.
(But how are you finding time to post here??)
Answer 1: I have an assistant and his name is Time Management.
Answer 2: I have an ever-reliable companion and his name is Procrastination.
I’ve leave you to decide what the true answer is.
The Types of IB Students post is coming as soon as I meet with my friend, Prof. Fancischmancipantz, the eminent anthropologist with a speciality in the IB Population. I promise!
IB Student is currently trying to stay awake in what is known in the IB World as an extreme source of sleep-deprivation, a good way to cram loads of facts into one night, and also absolute torture/punishment for major procrastination. Why IB Student continues to do this to their mental and physical health is a question that, as of yet, has no sufficient answer. Despite their intense efforts to stop the cruel and vicious cycle that is procrastination-all nighting-torture, IB Student still has not broken out of the horrors of procrastination. Let that be a lesson to you all. And to them.
The night, slowly emerging as morning, has been spent reading voraciously a book for school; it is mind-numbing, this experience. As such, it is imperative that IB Student distract themselves temporarily from the task at hand in order to retain their already diminishing sanity (and mind you, it is only one of the first few weeks of school). Why this happens so, IB Student cannot explain. It is punishment, perhaps, for those summer reading assignments they have procrastinated on (why does this paragraph seem redundant?).
They look at their calendar, not the least bit surprised that the first battery of inane practise examinations they are to endure have already begun. They look at their calendar, wondering where the weekend (associated with freedom), a figment of the imagination perhaps, has gone. They stare furtively at the calendar, aghast (yet somehow, not entirely shocked), that there are three major assignments to turn in this week; this first week of school alone!
IB Student sips another taste of the caffeine cup whilst slapping themselves with cold water. The reality of what lies ahead, the coldness (endothermic reaction? is that it? or is it really warmness, thereby exothermic a reaction? am I rambling? yes? no? what is the meaning of life?) that is their academic life, slaps them with the shock that the cold water gave them.
This can only be a sign. The year has begun, and the meaning of life outside of academics slowly dissipates (evaporation?).
Buggar. It’s only the first week and yet I’m already off my rockers, as you can see.
