Everyone understands the nervousness of moving up to a higher grade. Maybe it is because we don’t want to grow up, we don’t want more pressure or we don’t want more responsibility. It is always nerve-racking to have such a big change in life, but something that can take a bit of pressure off is having a small insight into what is to come. For this reason, a survey was sent out to grades 9, 10 and 11 to receive some advice for the younger grades. This advice has been encapsulated so that the younger grades: grade 8 moving into grade 9, grade 9 into grade 10 and grade 10 into grade 11. Anytime you are seeking a peek into what the next school year will be like, how to prepare, or even some study tips, this document will be available for you to look into. Written by students, for students so that the next year won’t be as scary as you may imagine it. 

Grade 9

What was your favourite course? Why?

• My favorite course was dance and art cause you get to be really creative and create art.
• One of my favourite courses this year was drama because it was a nice break from sitting in a regular classroom and instead being able to move and express myself creatively instead of writing tests.
• Math high because it was challenging but enjoyable
• Computer tech
• Drama, that there isn’t that much workload. 
• History
• Art class, because it was just a class where I could relax and just be in my zone.
• History or dance 
• I really liked History and Chemistry. I liked history because we got to learn about the two world wars. I liked Chemistry because the course managed to mix hands-on activities and handouts.
• My favourite course was geography because we were able to work at a good pace and it was an interesting course.
• Mathematics, it was fun, and the most challenging in a good way. I definitely wasn’t falling behind. I mean it was mentally stimulating enough.
• Art, although it was a lot of work even outside class,  I really enjoyed the projects (even as a stem student)
• Math because we did the most interesting of things.
• History. There wasn’t a load of tests and the assignments were very fun.
• Chemistry and History. Chemistry because it was the right amount of interesting and the right amount of challenge. History, because I enjoy learning about the way people used to think in the past. 
• Athletes Academy because it’s a subject which needs full attention and full commitment in order to be able to achieve your goals just like any other subject but in a different way. 

How difficult did you find it to maintain the balance between schoolwork and extracurricular activities? (e.g. sports, theatre, etc)

• Out of a score of 10, the average was indicated as 3 – meaning that most students found the balance easily enough. 

How many service groups are you involved in? Was it difficult to balance any work for the service group with the school work?

• I was involved in one service group (I-Cap) and it was not difficult to balance any work.
• In one service group, I was in two but decided to leave as I had too much going on.
• I am in 4 service groups, and in those service groups, you can choose whether you want to contribute or not. I decided to contribute to smaller tasks because I had other things to do outside of school, but it is entirely up to you!
• I am in three service groups but there was no strong struggle with the workload.
• 2 service groups. It was manageable but sometimes it was hard to balance work.
• I am involved in many stem interest groups such as the math team, Csa, stc, ptn and homeroom-rep. I think, although there is much school work to do even outside school, they tend to focus during end-of-semester periods. Other than this, I tend to complete projects as soon as possible and finish as much as possible work during class. It doesn’t seem very difficult for me to balance school and my own interest  (interest groups)
• I am involved in MUN and the DofE, so I occasionally had to miss days for these activities. It was ok to miss some days, because I could catch up with schoolwork via canvas
• I am in 5 service groups and it was difficult to balance the work with a social life. This is because many of these service groups have meetings during lunch or after school so it can be hard to find time for friends.
• I was involved in CASTLE
• 1- K-9 relief during breaks. no not really since its only once a week for 25 minutes
• 2, CWI, SAC. It was not hard to balance all of my work and service groups.
• 1 the service group work was a lot as I am a leader
• I was in 5 different service groups his year and for me it just took up my weekends. It was more the schoolwork that meant you can pretty much never stop studying and finding time for things you enjoy like reading, playing video games or anything becomes so much harder.
• I’m involved in 2, but it’s not very difficult to balance a service group with school work because there usually isn’t too much work from the service group.
• I was in 1 service group. It was not difficult to balance

How do you organize yourself? (any specific apps, techniques, etc.)

• I wrote my homework and assessment dates in my planner
• I used an app called todo mate, which helped me create checklists of work and organise it across days.
• I used sticky notes on my laptop.
• By using ‘reminders’ and Google calendar
• Having a binder is really handy, and a pencil case for all of your writing utensils 
• I use the to-do mate, which is an app where I can record homework, upcoming assignments and test dates.
• I use Notion, Calendar, Reminders, Notes, CleanshotX, Moom, Alfred 5, and Amphetamine. 
• I have a bullet journal where I track habits so daily tasks like studying and taking care of my skin and I write tasks in it like homework
• I used notion, and a total of 3 different calendars hung up in my room, so I can keep track of dates. I also made to-do lists on paper, because I like the satisfaction of finishing everything and crossing out tasks aggressively. 
• Use an agenda, but a small one you can keep in your pocket.
• Use Canvas

What was the study method you found most helpful?  (e.g. flashcards, active recall, etc.)

• Pomodoro technique 
• Getting work done on time and ready for the criteria and instructions. When reading the criteria only look at the higher-level expectations.
• It really depends on what you are studying for, if it’s vocab, I would say flashcards, but it is certain concepts that are more difficult, I would revise the notes made in class and explain them to myself (active recall). Making Cornell notes and something called ‘blurting’ and ‘second brain’ also helped me a lot. 
• Being quizzed by friends and using a small notebook where I put everything important I need to know
• If it was vocal and presentation then flash card but otherwise it would just be making notes and then reading them and rewriting them.
• I focus on spaced repetition and try to do the same amount of work or practice every day. 
• I don’t really have a study method, I think it is really important tho to listen during class and take necessary notes (don’t just write down everything the teacher says, but write them in your own words and include visuals). In this way, you only have to review your notes before tests and it saves a lot of time.
• I looked through the notes I made in class and tried to make sure I remembered them (make sure to create good notes)
• Quizlet and gizmos
• Personally, I find flashcards helpful for remembering terms, but overall note-taking and making mind-maps to organise information are really useful for me.
• Delta math

What is the main piece of advice that you have for younger students moving up into your grade next year? 

• Be prepared for all of your Tests because the workload will increase going from 8th to 9th.
• Getting your done on time and taking it really seriously. It doesn’t have to be perfect but at least submit work on time and put in effort.
• Always organize yourself and keep up with your sleep schedule. 
• Manage your time, and organise time for completing assignments/homework the day you receive them (using a calendar etc..)
• make sure you organise your papers or work in some sort
• Mark your due dates in your calendar or reminders (I found it helpful) 
• start actually labeling the content in your google drive, you’ll find it helpful for when you move up to 10th grade and IB (11-12th grade). 
• Use a calendar and try to manage your time. (Ali Abdaal is helpful if you are wondering how to do so) 
• Don’t overload yourself with extracurricular activities. I found it difficult to stay on top of my assignments and make time to study or review after sports since I become way too tired afterwards. (I didn’t understand this either at first). But also make sure, if you are doing sports and traveling, to finish the work before you travel. This applies to training after school as well. 
• it’s up to you to know whether you catch up on work or not. Most teachers will not warn or remind you to turn in your work on time. Most second chances are not available like in middle school.
• Try out as many service/interest groups as you can. Try out possible study techniques. Find your interest area. Participate in as many events/competitions as you can. Grade 9 doesn’t involve a great amount of school work and it is a great time to start finding your own interest, so just try out things.
• This is your easiest year throughout all Highschool, so have fun and enjoy your free time!
• Try your best! 
• Prioritize school, but not too much! Still, prioritize your social life as well. Have a balance.
• Don’t procrastinate. I know how easy it is to procrastinate and do things at the last minute, but all it does is create a really unnecessary amount of stress.

Grade 10

What was your favourite course? Why?

• Math always has a clear answer.
• PE, German and Chemistry 
• personal finance
• Biology and Physics
• My favourite course has been math. The coursework was manageable and easy to comprehend.
• Business – I think it was really helpful to understand how business life works. Case studies were really helpful
• Medicinal Chemistry, German; I enjoyed medicinal chemistry because of its engaging class and the content; I enjoy German because of its engaging class
• PE Physics and German. Pe because we can do sports, physics because I like physics, and German because we can speak German
• Biology because I found a new interest
• Sports Science because it is very enjoyable and interesting.
• Psychology
• Theatre and Psychology since I have a passion for both. 
• German – the lessons were very well organised and the teacher helped engage in the subject
• Physics, it’s fun 🙂
• Probably German because I enjoy analysing literature and developing my skills in that field. 
• Graphics programming because I have a strong interest in the subject
• Performance theatre, because I love theatre and the course itself. The class community is better than other courses. 
•  Business and History
• Psychology, I found the curriculum very interesting 
• Business
• Economics, Business, Personal Finance,
• Medical Biology because it’s interesting and there are flexible/reasonable workloads
• Psychology. I think it’s an extremely interesting course that can help you understand many aspects of life. We have noticed this class has really helped me with other classes such as biology, chemistry, English, and more.
• Drama, because it’s good work and effort that I put in almost exclusively in the class and very little at home, and still get the good work that I want out of it. 
• Business – interesting course and a very good teacher
• Design technology is, very fun and interesting class where I got to make things and had to solve real-world issues

How difficult did you find it to maintain the balance between schoolwork and extracurricular activities? (e.g. sports, theatre, etc)

• Out of a score of 10, the average was indicated as 3 – meaning that most students found the balance easily enough. 

How many service groups are you involved in? Was it difficult to balance any work for the service group with the school work?: 

• 2. It wasn’t too hard to keep up with schoolwork, but sometimes I forgot the meeting dates.
• I’m involved in 3 service groups. It is hard for me because in each service group, we have our personal tasks to do which usually take lots of time. Also, School work became harder as I’m in the grade above, so it is a little complicated for me. 
• One service group. I did not find it that difficult to balance service group work and school work. 
• I am involved in two service groups and found it very doable to attend all meetings and participate in all events alongside schoolwork.
• In one service group for sem 1, other than that only service outside of school. I don’t think service groups really demand much work, they just take up time during breaks.
• I later left the service groups I joined for this reason
• I am involved in CWI and recently CSC. It’s not hard because I am only in charge of the media.
• 1, I am a leader and so far I have hardly struggled to balance the work
• I’m involved in 4, but it wasn’t too challenging to keep a balance, it was more challenging with activities outside of school and social life. 
• 3 – no, it is fine to balance that work, as it usually does not take that long 
• I am involved in 4 service groups, leading one. It was pretty challenging getting in to the habit of taking responsibility.
• 3, leading one. It was difficult, especially when it came to organising events for my service group
• 2 service groups at the beginning of the year and 1 at the end. Service groups do not make it difficult to balance work unless you are in a lot of them.
• 2, partially. I lead one service group and I participate in one. It is really difficult to plan events for my service group due to the heavy workload and the busy school days. There is no designated time to work on service groups 
• 1, I am a member of the HIV Aids group
• Four service groups, I found as soon as you took on leadership roles it became hard to balance as you gain a lot of responsibility
• Media Team. Time-consuming but worth it
• I’m in one, GSA, albeit very minimally. because of my lesser involvement, it has never interfered with my schoolwork
• Only Kalahari and it was fairly easy
• I am in zero hunger and it was easy to balance the work

How did you organise yourself? (any specific apps, techniques, etc.)

• Online notes, handwritten notes, and a homework planner
• To-do lists
• google calendar and using breaks every now and then in certain activities 
• Notion, MyStudyLife, Evernote, GoodNotes
• Pomodoro timers, calendar blocking, forcing myself to do the work.
• Todoist is the app I used to track homework and assignments
• I personally like the school planners, but I also need a monthly overview. 
• I learned to plan out my days in my head and keep a running schedule of all my assignments and tests
• Reminders app on my phone 
• I used a note on my computer that had the due dates under to do and then homework as a plan on how to do or prepare for the work
• The stickies notes app, I wrote what needs to be prioritse, when to do it and when it’s due.
• Notes on an iPad (nebo app), used the app Notion as a planner for due dates and my calendar with appointments etc.
• I used an Accordion Folder, to help keep all the papers from subjects in one folder.

What was the study method you found most helpful?  (e.g. flashcards, active recall, etc.)

• Note-taking, resolving past tests, practice quizzes provided by the teachers
• Only fully understanding helps. You have to be sure that you really understand what you are doing or reading about. Also, some practice before the test or class, asking the teacher, and friends for help. 
• I write notes and review them
• Paying attention in class!!! reading over my notes again
• Writing everything down, over and over
• Review notes, do practice problems, and draft outlines when possible, but to be honest it’s not necessary to study that much for everything.
• It depends, for memorising things I read them out loud in portions then I guess active recall, and I repeat that and especially the ones I couldn’t remember
• It varied a lot per class but redoing notes that were given to me in class I study best when I do a range of things such as taking notes and watching videos
• Active recall 
• I only really had essays and projects so I didn’t really need a study method like that. 
• Flashcards 
• Discussing the topic with someone
• Probably flashcards, but also making outlines for writing heavy subjects
• Flash cards for vocabulary such as stylistic devices, notes and rewriting notes for essay, or prewriting outlines. 
• Flashcards, Pomodoro study technique, Active Recall
• Seneca learning 
• Repetitive review and active work, especially for classes like math. 
• Flashcards and YouTube videos helped me the most in terms of studying 

What is the main piece of advice that you have for younger students moving up into your grade next year? 

• Stop procrastinating and read the rubric
• Dont stress
• Enjoy Grade 10, like seriously school is important but at this point in time don’t make it your life. Have fun and find a good balance. 
• Pick classes you might actually be interested not ones you think might just be fun because they can greatly affect what IB classes you take
• Don’t become complacent, and don’t be too hard on yourself if you think you’re starting to slip. The jump from ninth to tenth was huge for me. Don’t think you’re stupid or dumb if you feel yourself falling behind, reach out to tutors and your teachers as much as you can, they are there to help you. 
• If you have just finished a topic in one of your courses don’t forget to revise afterwards as well. You’re going to have end-of-year exams, you can’t forget everything you learned.
• If your teacher is being unfair and/or disrespectful, SAY SOMETHING. Talk to a counsellor or a teacher. You deserve respect too!
• Do the work. Don’t skip any of it. It builds the habit for IB. But also have fun.
• Don’t panic. If you have a question or concern talk to a teacher, they will be more than grateful to help you. 
• Start preparing for your end-of-year exams early. You don’t have to do much that early yet, but I definitely recommend making a plan and at least already looking at notes. Once you start you will realize that you recall more than you thought. BUT: START EARLY 
• Use your time wisely, stay on top of everything and use periods of time where you don’t have much to do to catch up on assignments. Prioritize sleep and always get small but annoying assignments done as soon as you get them
• Put away your phone when studying, be more productive
• Get stuff done as quickly as possible after you are assigned it; that frees up time for other, more important endeavours, and relieves a LOT of stress.
• Focus in class 
• Don’t be late on deadlines, develop a good relationship with your teacher and have a clear line of communication with them (especially if you do sports), it’s not as hard as people make it out to be
• Taking an extracurricular may seem daunting but it’s a very good outlet and at the end of the day it’s your choice how much you want to put in.
• Stay organized, even when you feel that the workload isn’t much, it’s still good to stay on top of things and never wait till the last minute because the workload increases over time and you’ll find yourself lost because you are not used to being organized and having a clear overview of your assignments and the priorities. If you do this you’ll bring this skill with you to ib as well, which is something you really really need! For the rest I hope you all have good luck, ps if you listen well to this advice you won’t have to stress, your mental health is very important, and so is your sleep!
• Don’t sweat it too much, but set yourself some good base habits for IB. Also, use 10th grade as an opportunity to figure out which sports/service groups you enjoy taking up for CAS in the IB.
• Be organised
• It may seem easy at the start but don’t underestimate the workload of the second semester. Do NOT miss your deadlines, the rollover will be bad.
• The most important piece of advice I have for younger students moving to 10th grade, which helped me through the year, is asking for help. It can be really hard to ask teachers for support but it’s really necessary when you’re struggling and once you have the resources you need it’ll be a lot easier to follow through. 
• Maintain relationships and form new ones if possible. Work on yourself more than on schoolwork as one only feels a sense of accomplishment doing what one enjoy.
• To not be lazy and study well. Also, do not be shy to ask questions. And say what you think even if it’s wrong.
• Time management!!! Stop procrastinating. 
• 10th grade is actually very chill if you just get the work done as soon as you can. That way, you have more time to enjoy time w/ friends.

Grade 11

What was your favourite course? Why?

• Biology and history interest me 
• German A HL, there’s not much work to do and the class is so chill
• Math because it’s fun.
• English Lit. It was my most-discussion-based class.
• Psychology
• Art 
• Spanish ab intio  
• Psychology because I am very interested
• TOK because we discuss and share ideas more than in other classes.
• Business HL
• Geography, IA research. 
• German Literature
• Geography, the content is different to what I originally thought about geo, and the teacher and class environment are great
• Chemistry. It makes me think so much and it is also very difficult but it makes me really happy if I understand it. 
• German B HL, because it doesn’t have a large amount of workload and because it is a class that I have with friends. Also, I enjoy the course and what we do in it.
• History has a lot of interesting facts that change how you look at and approach the world 
• Art: because it is the only subject I am able to express myself In. I have the freedom of choosing when and what I work. I like it because I am given certain responsibilities and trust in completing my schoolwork on my own.

How difficult did you find it to maintain the balance between schoolwork and extracurricular activities? (e.g. sports, theatre, etc).

• Out of a score of 10, the average was indicated as 4 – meaning that most students found the balance ok. 

How many service groups are you involved in? Was it difficult to balance any work for the service group with the school work?  

• I am involved in 1 service group which I lead, at times it has been hard to plan events and coordinate activities, but with the help from my other leaders, it became more manageable. 
• 3, not difficult
• I am in 4 service groups and leading one is difficult to manage along with anything else 
• I am in 3 service groups, and the leader of two so it was very difficult to balance the work. 
• 1, as long as you remember to attend the meetings, all the information is given.
• I have been involved in 2 this school year. I ended up dropping one because the group was not doing any activities in order for me to reach it for CAS. It was not that hard to balance them as a normal member, but as a social media manager for Girl Up I do find it time-consuming
• 2, I am a leader for one of them and no, it was not difficult
• 4, yes absolutely.
• 2, it wasn’t that bad but definitely didn’t help.
• 5, it was difficult to make time for the ones I wasn’t as passionate about, so find something important to you, not just CAS machine
• 1, not really but that is because it is a smaller service group.
• 2 service groups. I lead both of them so it was very difficult. I also had many conflicts with the other leaders and group members as well. 
• I’m involved in 2 service groups, and it was a bit difficult to make sure that I have at least 3 events for both service groups for my CAS experiences. It was also a bit difficult to attend meetings, because a lot of times, I try to do school work during breaks, but this can be difficult when I have to attend meetings to know what’s going on with the service group.

How did you organise yourself? (any specific apps, techniques, etc.)

• I use google calendar to schedule my study time and other things. I also ask my parents to take away my phone sometimes to help me stay concentrated 
• Mainly memorizing due dates by the head. I also keep a Google calendar for important events or due dates that are further away. I also have ManageBac which reminds me of IB-specific deadlines.
• Notion as an online organization space (it takes a while to set up but is super helpful!!), Google Calendar is a must (having your class and event schedule in one space is excellent), keeping folders and notebooks separating classes and topics, and keeping space at home designated for sitting down to study and work that’s still comfortable.
• The reminders app, and sticky notes at home with different colors, depending on what my priority of the day/week is in terms of school work.
• School planner
• Online (handwritten) note-taking app and clear folders and organisation (it’s a lifesaver when studying 6 months later)
• Reminders app, time management techniques, prioritisation techniques
• I have binders for all my past worksheets and tests that I keep at home
• I use “Egenda” in order to keep track of homework assignments and check them off, and then have google sheets in order to track my daily events such as topics to study each day and what homework to do.
• I make to-do lists with different priority levels 
• Google Tasks, Forest application
• I keep a binder for all of my class work and then after each unit, I put it in a bigger binder so that I have my tests to review for end-of-year exams 
• What was the study method you found most helpful?  (e.g. flashcards, active recall, etc.)
• Notes 
• I just make google docs and read them out loud as if I’m teaching someone else to memorize
• I prefer to make notes every time I have a test. This way, I relearn everything while making notes as well. 
• I found flashcards really helpful for some classes, such as German and history. The active recall worked well in other classes like physics.
• Active recall
• Solving past paper questions
• Outlines and youtube videos
• OSC Study, Quizlet, and Canvas Resources (notes)
• Try a bunch of methods to see what works, and practice before exams for long-term studying
• First, understand the context, then try example problems, then do it over and over again until you can’t miss. 
• I found writing my notes on paper in class and then transcribing them into a shorter version on an online document was helpful, it makes it very accessible when final exams come around (you just have to make sure you stay up to date!) + you remember a lot more of what you were learning than just cramming. 
• Pomodoro technique 

What is the main piece of advice that you have for younger students moving up into your grade next year? 

• Just do things once you get them assigned even if you have a long time, JUST FINISH
• Don’t worry too much about the IB, you’ll have a bit more work than in 10th grade but you also have free periods (very nice) which you should use wisely. 
• Try to keep up with deadlines and complete schoolwork so you don’t fall behind. Also although boring try finishing your IA’s, TOK essays and EE as soon as possible. 
• For CAS don’t worry too much: you’re likely already doing activity, creativity and service. In 11th grade, you just have to prove you’re doing so. 
• Study what you like to do, it does not have to be what you study in college but it will definitely help you learn new material when you show genuine interest in it.
• Learn/know how to manage your time/organize yourself and DO NOT PROCRASTINATE!!!
• Always believe that you can, even if you don’t believe you can. 
• Choose your HL classes wisely, because there is no going back and you don’t want to live with regrets.
• Don’t overstress, find a balance
• Don’t stress at the beginning of the year, it isn’t too bad
• My main piece of advice is to have very good time management and make sure all of your assignments are turned in before the due date. Also, do not procrastinate. 
• The first few months are mostly review, so don’t be too startled when it suddenly gets harder after January, because this is where it gets more difficult.
• Everyone is going to tell you that this is the most stressful year of high school, but that really isn’t the case. It will seem like a lot at first but many teachers are there to try and help you prepare for tests, projects, exams, or anything else. 
• Stay organized. Don’t start studying the day before a test. Ask your teachers for help!! Make sure your notes are good for each unit so that you can use them to study for your end-of-year exams and don’t need to make new notes. Ask older students for notes if you can. USE PAST PAPERS TO STUDY!! This is super important for biology (and math). The tests are only past paper questions, and it’s important to familiarize yourself with the mark scheme because it is strict and specific. Start your IA early so that you can get teacher feedback and don’t stress the day before it’s due. These count a lot for your final IB grade!!