How to ace your first ECP!

- a five step guide -

Welcome to IB! You’re about to enter the best and most rewarding years of your time in high school. However, that isn’t to say that there will be some days where you feel overwhelmed, experience grueling examination/assessment periods and feel like giving up. But trust me, there is definitely a light at the end of the tunnel and we hope to help make things easier for you. ECP is probably one of the most intense times during the IB Diploma, but hopefully these little nuggets of advice make things a bit less daunting.

1. Stay on top of your notes

If there’s one thing you must do in IB, it’s staying on top of your notes. I cannot emphasize how ESSENTIAL this is. You’re going to be bombarded by information during this course, especially if you’re taking biology, history, economics or psychology so staying on top of your notes is a MUST. The easiest way to stay on top of your notes is to do a little each night: when you go home, take notes on the content you just learned that day. Not only will you be making sure the concepts learnt are cemented in your brain, but your future self will be so, so thankful come exam-time. Chances are, in ECP, your note-taking style will not be perfect as it will take a while to figure out what works for you. But don’t stress about having perfect notes, just make sure the information is organised in such a way that is logical for you.

2. Get to know your teachers

The teachers you have in ECP will most likely be the ones who you have until you graduate. They will be there for the good test scores (and the bad ones), the IAs, and the class memes so developing a good relationship with them is important. Getting along with your teacher will make your life so much easier and will make even the toughest of topics enjoyable.

3. Make friends in the cohort

If you don’t know them already, get to know the people in your classes and in the rest of the IB cohort. IB can be really tough at times, but having a support network that understands the struggles of IB is priceless. The IB cohort becomes a little supportive family and you are never alone. Whether it be studying together, comforting one another, or sending each other IB memes, it’s your friends who get you through IB at times when you feel like you can’t.

4. Cement brilliant time management skills

If you can get this down during ECP, you’ll save yourself loads of stress later on. Procrastination is the ENEMY. Don’t give into the temptation of going on your phone or cleaning your room when you know there’s a desk-full of homework waiting for you – we’ve all done it before. But trust me, if you don’t get things done now, you’ll feel more overwhelmed later and that’s undeniably a recipe for disaster. So figure out what times of the day you’re most productive (for me, it’s bright and early in the morning and right after school) and build a study routine around your other co-curricular commitments.

5. RELAX.

This is crucial. IB is not a sprint, it’s a two-year marathon, and burn-out is something to be avoided at all costs. I think that there’s a common misconception that in IB, there always is a trade-off between sleep and homework, but that isn’t true! If your time management skills are good and you do not procrastinate, it’s possible to get all your homework done and get more than eight hours of sleep. But my point is, down-time and sleep in IB are non-negotiables. You need to look after yourself or else you cannot perform to the best of your ability. So set boundaries for yourself: set a time where you stop doing homework (even if you have not finished everything you needed to do) and give yourself at least an hour to wind down, relax and get ready for bed. You can finish off whatever you needed to do in the morning when your mind is clear and you are energised. I cannot stress how important it is to stay healthy and well-rested!!!!

I hope these tips come in handy! I know ECP can be very overwhelming (I went home and cried for an hour after my first day), but trust me, it gets better. Embrace the challenge and never sacrifice your health and wellbeing for a good test score – it’s not worth it. Keep in mind that you are being tested at a Year 12 standard from day one, so you have two years to master the IB content. Strive for improvement, not perfection – it’s a much more sustainable mindset -

Good luck!

By Haleena Nguyen