You should be proud of yourself if you’ve decided to take on IB. All those upperclassmen weren’t kidding when they were complaining about all the homework they had, or how little sleep they got that night. However, going through IB supposedly prepares you for college where it gets even worse. In the mean time, here are a few tips to get you through in one piece.

1. Power naps
   Starting around the second half of junior year, I started coming home exhausted almost every day. I’ve found the trick is not to force myself to stay up so I don’t waste time, but to go ahead and take a nap. Chances are you probably won’t get much done half asleep anyways, so it’s better just to catch a few Z’s. However, in the interest of saving time, because there simply aren’t enough hours in the day, power naps are the way to go. The idea of a power nap is quality over quantity. Short twenty minute power naps can rejuvenate you and in the end, increase your productivity.
2. Coffee
   Coffee is the life-force of all IB students. Live by it. Caffeine is the real driving force behind it, but it might as well be synonymous with coffee. Soda has caffeine in it too, but avoid it all costs! Soda has an insane amount of sugar in it and although that may sound like it would keep you going for a good while, it won’t. Sugar will make you crash like the Hindenburg and it will rot your teeth which is never good. Stick to coffee, but don’t over do it. One cup in the morning should get you into the afternoon.
3. Listen to music
   It’s not secret that IB can get really stressful really quickly. However, there are a few ways to un-bake your brain. My personal favorite is “Get lost in great music.” Find some music that you really like and immerse yourself in it. I mean, really get lost in it. Get your air guitar groove on and jam away. For me, a few minutes rocking out to Ok Go or The Fratellis does wonders to relieve stress.
4. Play video games
   Video games are fun and with the advent of the Wii, there’s pretty much something for everyone. Not only are they fun to play, but they also reduce stress. It’s okay to spend a few minutes saving the planet from an alien race, finishing off your enemies with a curb stomp, or jamming your way to rock stardom on a plastic guitar. But keep in mind the name of the game is to reduce stress, not compound it, so don’t attempt that one level you’ve been trying to beat for ages or hard mode on Guitar Hero.

Perhaps the most important thing you need to know is that you are not alone. That does not mean little green men are going to abduct you, but that there are plenty of other people in the same situation. Call, IM, text, or whatever your friends when you’re stuck on a calculus problem or you need someone to proofread your TOK paper. Then go to sleep and be prepared to wakeup in a few hours to do it all over again.

This was posted on December 31, 2007. It’s a prose on ib, School, and tips. CommentsHope you like it.