A 45 Pointer

Chapter 1 - Why DP?

Let me explain when we were first applying to this high school, my dad met the counselor and thought "She seems nice. I can trust she knows what's best for my kid." By the time sophomore year rolled around, and the time came to pick my subjects, something changed in her. She started discouraging me from what I wanted to do. My father was enraged, he knew I'd been working hard that year, even if some of my grades would dip. He sent an angry email demanding a meeting with the coordinator and counselor, and he said he was on my side but had one condition: stay on top of everything and keep him in the loop in regards to all of my school work. Then what do you know? I did IB and proved that dick of a coordinator wrong.

I'm not saying don't fight if they say no, I'm saying pick your fights wisely. I took IB because I wanted to prove everyone wrong, and in case I wanted to pick a harder major down the line. In all honesty, I just wanted to be an actress, but with a risky career path such as an actress, it's always great to have a backup plan.

Then my stubbornness and overthinking kicked in, and I chose a higher-level biology class, along with my 3 required HLs. When the counselor says no, it means no. "I don't know" also means no; "we don't recommend it" means no, and "we have concerns", you guessed it, means no. My father finally set up a meeting with her and didn't leave until the no became a yes. One piece of advice I could give to future IB students is to go after what you want, don't let others put you down, because only you dictate your life. As I mentioned, people will come up with many creative ways to say or mean no, but only a yes means yes.

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Jenna

Why did I take IB? Please, I'm Jenna Kyle. I can do anything I put my mind to. Keep those ears perked because everyone will hear that a lot. Unlike Elena or Sebastian, I didn't worry all too much about what others thought of me, that was a mistake they made.

Elena did well for someone who was underestimated by everyone. She picked her Extended Essay on one of the hardest subjects and got a perfect score on her IAs, I shouldn't name others' work. I knew very well what the stakes were, and I was one of the very few students the counselor said yes to, yet she told me I should stop bothering with Elena.

Oh, what the hell? She did it in World Studies, powered through people's bullshit, and got an A, kudos to her. I, on the other hand, did mine on an equally difficult subject, a history EE.

You'll think it would be hard to do a 4,000-word essay on a higher-level history, but it's not. Because what is history? Remembering dates, and writing analyses on the time. I had as much fun as Gatsby must have been having.

I have no regrets about IB. I wanted to be a lawyer Suits-style, so now look at me. There's just one thing, I just wish that poor Sebastian resolved the whole Elena and Revna issue.

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Revna

Sebastian...IB.... IB and Sebastian, are not a good mix, how it worked out for me at least. When Sebastian and my feelings rolled in, it felt as if everything started to collapse, or would collapse. I took IB in complete opposition to my parents; they wanted me to take it because they wished to stop me from my dreams. I took it to prove I was more than a screw-up.

Why does Sebastian matter? Good question. I'd say if it weren't for him, and if it weren't for my naiveness, I would have excelled much further than I did. The only reason I wanted to excel was that everyone wanted me to do the opposite of what I wanted to do, I found a loophole.

Loopholes, that's what IB is all about. Say, for example, if I went in the expected attire every day, restricted my research, and stuck by the rules, the nerds would probably be where I am right now, and I'd be in their position, am I right?

Look, I always believed in myself when no one else did, and that's the bravest thing anyone can do, it's something you need to do to survive. It was a miracle that teachers believed in me, they were the closest thing I had to parents or role models.

I guess you could say I half-assed my way through IB. I mean, I got a 38, but wasn't an overachiever, because who wants that when you can be as smart and beautiful as me? My parents cared enough to put me in IB, because the funny story is, before I could even sit down with them, they had already chosen everything for me. Was I happy with my choices? For the most part, they had the common courtesy to hint at asking me what I was interested in, but went ahead and picked the opposite.

However, they didn't care enough to notice what I'd do in school. I was wasting a respectable degree because I wanted to be the world's biggest fashion designer.

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Luke

Am I a stereotype? Yes, and I'm both proud and disappointed in it. Why is this esteemed doctor disappointed? Because it was drilled into my head that I just had to be a doctor. Is it a bad dream? Not necessarily, but even though it was drilled into my head that I wanted to be a doctor, I thought it was because I wanted to help people, not enhance a family image.

Being a doctor is not all about studying, being the smartest, and focusing on just being a doctor. This isn't just about being a doctor, it's how the best students are the best. The key is balance. Balance is everything, remember that, future IB graduates. I studied smart, not hard... and that may have included pawning work off now and then. I should be grateful I didn't take physics, but the higher-level sciences and math aren't easy.

I have thought about something other than being a doctor but did I want to waste precious years trying to be an artist or be stuck in a desk job? No, thank you! Medicine was a safe, high-paying choice that didn't require too much talking. All doctors not only have a high IQ, but it's important to have an EQ and SQ: Emotional and social quotient.

It's not about who's doing the most. Okay, you're in the NHS, and lead maybe 4 or so different clubs, but can you do that and handle the workload, what do your peers think of you, are you a good leader in truth? These are all questions to think about when you're thinking about what to do.

One last thing, then I swear to God, I'll stop sounding preachy. Build your character. Character is a necessity. That's one of the many ways I would advise future IB students and even future doctors. It's to just build your character.

Character isn't about how presentable you look, or the nicest on the planet; it's about how you set your boundaries, learn how to say no, and be able to take action in hard situations. That is the essence of success.