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Is any of you planning to take IB diploma Physics HL? I'm currently after 1 year of IB and in November I'll have to decide what subjects I'll take on my exams. I'd like to major in Computer Engineering so I think it'd be better for me to take higher level but I'm really afraid of doing so. It's mainly because of the teacher who isn't too much of a support to us and never finishes the curriculum on time. Would it be a disadavantage for me in admission process if I took standard level (at which I'm likely to get 7)? Because with the tons of stuff I have to do to get the diploma, I don't really think I'd be able to do self-study in physics so I could end up with a 5 at most. Thanks for your time

By Yz16 (Yz16) on Saturday, June 28, 2003 - 03:39 pm: Edit

hey, i'll be doing physics hl. From what i've heard math, physics, chemistry are the hardest hls out there, closely followed by english and hist.

if you're going to the US, what i hear is that they don't quibble over which you took at hl and which you took at sl since they'll retrain you anyway - BUT you do get substantial credit for the higher levels. Additionally, by just completing the IB (regardless of what you took hl, what you took sl) you've already shown youreslf to be highly competent.

Btw, you might also want to consider that the US views AP and IB as equally difficult programs so if you're looking for an easy ride [i'm not insinuating this ;)...just saying]or your teachers aren't working out, just do AP instead.

Now the UK...i think it matters a whole lot more. Top colleges there often give conditional acceptances, i.e. you score at least 6 on all your higher levels. For Med school you need to do Chem and Bio, or at least two higher sciences, so perhaps there're equally strict requirements to fill for comp engineering. The good news if you are applying to the UK is that outside of the US, IB is much more highly regarded than AP and if you do decently in IB you'll definitely have an academic hook.

good luck : )
~

P.S. what are your other choices? i'm going to be doing physics,math, and history at hl; chem, english, at sl; and chinese at either sl or hl..still deciding whether to sacrifice a 7 for a bilingual diploma.

By Quentin_Compson (Quentin_Compson) on Saturday, June 28, 2003 - 07:15 pm: Edit

I'm also doing Physics HL (and English HL, and History HL, and Spanish SL, *sigh*). I heard from my physics teacher (AP Physics B) that IB Physics is just watered-down physics (no calc, just a crazy amount of labs). I don't know how people in my school perform on it (most of them don't care, since they all take it senior year when they've already been accepted), but i think almost everyone passed it.
By the way, IB Math Methods SL and Psych SL are ridiculously easy exams.

By Apguy (Apguy) on Saturday, June 28, 2003 - 08:52 pm: Edit

Do you guys know how IB Physics SL is?

By Quentin_Compson (Quentin_Compson) on Saturday, June 28, 2003 - 08:57 pm: Edit

Sorry, I don't; only Physics HL is offered at my school.

By Yz16 (Yz16) on Monday, June 30, 2003 - 11:48 am: Edit

lol... math is crazy. there's math hl which is quite some work, and then there's the two sls...we covered that material by the first term of this year.

my school doesn't offer psych. Sounds like fun though - not cuz it's easy...honestly! haha...

lates all~