Just a note
I have a very “dark” sense of “humour” that seems to come out often on this blog. So if you find yourself reading a post and saying to yourself, “My goodness, this young woman needs therapy to deal with her issues of self-esteem and inward anger” you are probably right. But that is not what I meant to write about. So I will begin again.
I have a very dark sense of humour that rears its macabre head when I write posts for this blog. From what I write about the IB, it may seem like the most horrid experience of your life. Or Hell. But seriously though, you have to understand that this was my “creative”/angsty outlet, which is to say that my experience is definitely not representative of all IB experiences. I am just one person trying to convey to an anonymous audience the trials and travails of her own experience in the programme. And also post the stuff I write that I am too afraid of showing to my teachers.
For the most part, venting my frustrations on this blog while in the IB helped maintain most of my remaining sanity. I pride myself in knowing that I never turned to drugs, alcohol, smoking, and promiscuity as a means of escape. I did, however, read a lot of depressing novels about overachieving students and wrote things on this site. Which, one could argue, might be just as bad as turning to the demon drink because reading good fiction can cause one to overanalyse. But I am rambling again.
Some of your classmates in IB who appear more inclined towards the “practical” subjects may call written works and visual arts as “pointless”, but there is a point to art. Art is a means of expression by which…oh oops, I will stop there. I do not want to get into detail as I might as well post my TOK essay on that subject.
I have decided then that I will try to be more encouraging as a survivor of the IB Programme to young’uns who have just entered the programme or are currently going through it.
But I cannot guarantee that I will slip something dark into my posts (evidence of this is above).
…ironic that I wrote a lot of essay-length posts on this blog while railing against essay-writing for IB.
I have truly stumbled upon a gem! <3
I'm an IB senior, skipping school today to write a Justified True Belief Paper for ToK that was due… what, three, four weeks ago? I stumbled upon this by Googling my thesis: "IB is unhealthy."
I am simultaneously amused, amazed, inspired, and… horrified at the discovery of your blog. I will DEFINITELY read more when I have time. Hahahaha. BUT, know that I will definitely use this as data for my paper… I will refer to it as "an agonizing testimony / case study on a victim".
I'm still unsure as to what my final thesis will be – "IB promotes survival skills more than academica"? – but either way, I am deeply moved by this account (even though I haven't read much of it yet – the mere existence is amazing enough!).
…………….Enough procrastinating! I will resume paper-writing. Thank you for your meticulous, heroic efforts! You have earned yourself a reader.
-a tired, but now hopeful IB senior
Why thank you, current IB Senior.
Oh god. Justified true belief! My mind is dying as I read those three words. I think I may have suppressed my memories of TOK as I can’t seem to remember what justified true beliefs refer to. Something something knowledge something facts something something.
Excellent thesis by my standards, but I’m not sure your ToK teacher will agree with me.
I agree that your blog IS a gem.
So sad you could’nt have redemeed all those hours spent typing away as CAS hours
I’ve started my classes (as part of induction). Which book did you read for your first year (junior year) of IB?
I read Beloved by Toni Morrison the summer before my junior year.
I agree; it’s unfortunate that typing complaints about IB don’t count as action. My fingers ache from all those words! Shouldn’t that count as service?
Hmm, I’ve never heard of that book.
We’re reading “I’m Not Scared” by Niccolo Ammaniti.