As the final stretch of the school year approaches, underclassmen are beginning to consider classes for the 2023-2024 school year. While most students focus on core classes and electives, students taking International Baccalaureate succeed under the program’s curriculum. The International Baccalaureate (IB) program is offered to upcoming juniors at State High. Although IB aims at providing students with high-level education through deep understanding, many underclassmen at State High are unaware of the program. To familiarize State High students with IB, seniors in the program are offering their advice and experiences throughout the program.  

Molly Schreiner, a senior in IB, discussed what it takes to be an IB student for those considering it. “IB is for anyone who is looking for a challenge and is ready to put in the work,” she said, “It is for students willing to learn.” Despite the smaller class sizes in IB, the education remains challenging, but high-quality. “IB has challenged me academically when it comes to writing and speaking in the classroom environment… It has pushed my work ethic beyond the classroom,” Schreiner added.

Zander Faust, another senior in the program, only has praise for IB. “The IB program creates a tight-knit community within the larger school. I have a lot of the same students in each of my IB classes, so I got to know them really well over the course of two years. Overall, IB made my last two years at State High super enjoyable!” he stated.

Faust also mentioned that the respect between students and teachers allows for collective enjoyment of growth in the program. “IB focuses less on memorization and more on applying what you learn to real-world situations.” Faust related this to his own experience and said, “IB has developed my reading, writing, critical thinking, and speaking skills. All of these areas of growth have situated me in a great position to excel in college. IB really pushed me outside my comfort zone in terms of thinking outside the box and [the program] taught me the importance of looking at different perspectives.”

Senior Caitlyn Keiter provided her viewpoint on new juniors looking for challenging academics. “The IB program is for people who know [that classes are] going to be extremely challenging but rewarding. The program is for those who are willing to put time and effort into their school work,” she emphasized. Keiter added that IB students must be willing to complete their work thoroughly while showing academic resilience.

It is evident that International Baccalaureate courses, contain a challenging and rigorous curriculum, and are different from other classes at State High. Not only do students in IB become life-long learners, but they find a sense of community in the program as well.