Diploma? More like IB stressing

BY THOMAS JETT AND DONOVAN KERVICK Staff Reporter

The International Baccalaureate program is a unique opportunity for Sequoia students.

Sequoia students gain a lot from having IB classes. One of the reasons people come to Sequoia is because of the IB program.

“Well I actually transferred to Sequoia for the IB Diploma,” junior Aurelia Viner said, who transferred from Carlmont.

College is a concern for most high school students and the IB Diploma is definitely useful on a student’s application.

“I was self motivated to take higher level math and science, but then I’m gonna be honest, to get into college, the [IB] Diploma is by far the best option,” senior Ethan Bae said.

The IB Diploma can be stressful, but it also fits some students’ learning pace.

“The IB classes are more suited to the speed at which I like to work and the speed at which I like to learn and how I like to learn,” Viner said.

The potential benefits of IB can also make students worry about their choice of classes. Many students worry for fear of missing out on IB classes that could help them.

“Pressure rather than an interest so many people are driven to take IB courses, whether it’s because of friends or family they feel like they have to take it because they feel like they won’t be able to get as far because they weren’t able to challenge themselves,” senior Kimberly Sanchez Domingo said.

Entering IB classes can be stressful for students, the big jump in workload from standard level classes is a common cause for stress.

“It was definitely harder than in the middle school. It was a big step, it was a lot more rigorous and then I had to write like an IA my freshman year,” Bae said, who took IB math analysis as a freshman.

For some students this workload leads to giving up sleep in order to get work done.

“I have had multiple days where I’ve had to stay up till five in the morning doing work,” Viner said.

While students might stay up late to finish work for IB classes, regular classes can be just as time consuming.

“I’m taking the hardest classes I can but I wouldn’t say that I’ve never regretted taking it,” Viner said.“Having to stay up late to do schoolwork isn’t exclusive to the IB classes, people in regular classes have to do that.”

All of this can be extremely hard to balance, which can lead to even more stress.

“I would say that it makes life a lot more stressful. It’s hard to balance everything with school and sports, as well as getting enough sleep and having a social life,” freshman IB Analysis prep student Parker Waddell said. A lack of conversation about IB’s effects on students can make talking about it harder.

“There’s not a lot of people that have come forward with their struggles in mental health because of IB, so it’s harder for students to come forward with these struggles,” Sanchez Domingo said. The result of IB on mental health is widely visible too.

“We see a lot of students that are dealing with stress and primarily the stress is coming from academics, I would say the number one factor is their academics,” Teen Resource Center mental health specialist Judy Romero said.

The workload can make it hard for students to alleviate stress, so being open with your teachers about any issues finishing work or conflicts with school and extracurriculars.

“I think talking to your teachers and being communicative is very important for them to be flexible about workloads. I think the key thing is communication and being upfront about how busy you are,” Bae said. “It’s okay to tell the teacher ‘I’m really busy, I probably won’t have time to do my homework.’”

While extracurriculars can take up lots of students’ time, it can also be big for helping with student mental health.

“For some students, sports is an outlet to deal with stress and feelings, it’s a good way to socialize as well,” Romero said.

Another strategy for helping is trying to balance school and life.

“I think that it’s very doable for anyone to balance their life and have good mental health if they use their time wisely. If they just box themselves in like only focusing on school, I think that’s harmful,” Romero said.

Sequoia also has the Teen Resource Center, which has many resources for students struggling with stress.

“The therapists are able to talk to students about coping skills related to stress,” Romero said. “Anyone in the Teen Resource Center can have a conversation with a student and identify where the stress is coming from and how it plays out in your life.”

If the source of that stress is IB classes, it’s worth considering their importance.

“I’ve reflected on my mental health and how it has been impacted by IB classes and I decided to take a step back and drop some of them because of the mental struggle,” Sanchez Domingo said. “It’s a struggle, taking a step back has helped me gain more focus on myself rather than my education.”