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Personally, I really like the Cambridge University Press ones, like this one for Chemistry. I only have them for Chemistry and Physics but they're much better than the Oxford ones in my opinion. I also like it because my school use the Oxford IB Diploma Programme Textbooks to teach the course in the first place, and having a study guide with a different brand to the textbook has been really useful for me to find extra examples of questions or different ways of explaining topics that I may not have wholly understood in the main textbook.



For Geography, I use this study guide, though I don't really know if it's the best one because we got lent them by the school. I think it's pretty good, but maybe there is a better one out there.


I don't think you really need them for the other subjects - you can always buy individual study guides for the books you study for English or, if you have to buy the books themselves, try and get the 'Methuen Student Edition' because it has lots of information at the beginning of the book. For French, you could buy a vocabulary book like this or a grammar book, like this, but there's loads on the internet anyway so I wouldn't worry about it too much.



And for Maths, I don't think a study guide will be that useful, as I think the main thing is practice, practice, practice!




Oh, and maybe hold off on buying anything just yet (especially for Chemistry and Physics) - the IB really like messing around with the syllabus and it won't be that useful to have an outdated version of a study guide

If you're retaking three subjects then you'll want to start as soon as possible. I'd recommend picking up a past exam paper and working through it (in exam conditions, preferably) to figure out what you're not understanding. Start with those chapters.

For math, not being able to do a question is generally a consequence of lack of understanding rather than lack of practice (although the latter should certainly not be ignored). Try running through the syllabus and explaining all of the concepts out loud. This is easier done with a friend or two, but record yourself if you don't have an audience. Try to see if you're capable of explaining every topic simply enough so that someone who hasn't done the course before would understand you. (Can you draw a diagram to explain how derivatives work? Are you able to give a geometric argument to explain what a system of linear equations is telling you? Can you draw pretty pictures to illustrate what a function is doing?) I strongly recommend doing this before jumping into questions, or you'll just get increasingly frustrated as you stumble over the same kind of problem over and over again.

For physics, on the other hand, I recommend going through questions straight away. The tricky thing with physics is that since the concepts aren't that hard to get, it's easy to convince yourself that you're understanding everything, although in truth you wouldn't have the slightest clue as to how to solve a physics problem. Working on getting the right "intuition" is key. The Tsokos textbook has some nice questions. I also really like Exercises for the Feynman Lectures on Physics - mind you this is way beyond the scope of IB's syllabus, but it's a wonderful tome to "correct" your intuition.

Good luck! :o)

If money isn't a problem, go for Windows 2-in-1s or Surface Pros. I can give you a list of models (from Best Buy and maybe Amazon), but a budget would be nice to know first.

(Too often computers are overpriced for what they are and that high price is misunderstood as quality. So I like to help people save money on electronics like computers where possible. I enjoy and have researched various computers for friends and family before and I'd be more than happy to do the same for you if you don't mind. But if not that's fine too, but when looking for a school laptop I'd recommend the aforementioned types of laptops due to them being windows OS, versatile, and having a wide selection)

Edit:
Here's a little list of some laptops that I think fit your criteria:

• https://www.bestbuy.com/site/lenovo-yoga-c630-wos-2-in-1-13-3-touch-screen-laptop-snapdragon-850-8gb-memory-128gb-solid-state-drive-verizon-iron-gray/6323660.p?skuId=6323660
  (25 hour battery life, 1920x1080 resolution, 2.96GHz processor, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD storage)
  
• https://www.amazon.com/Unlocked-Wireless-Touchscreen-Qualcomm-Snapdragon/dp/B07CYX3DG8/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&linkCode=ll1&tag=cnet-comcontent-20&linkId=79335ff516c59ffa37ec51ef6712080e&language=en_US&ascsubtag=___VIEW_GUID___
  (22 hour battery life, 1920x1080 resolution, 2.6GHz processor, 6GB RAM, 128GB SSD storage)

I can say that Geography isn't very hard (at least in my experience), whether catching up or not. Looking at the Econ syllabus, I think Geography is easier.

For clarity: last year I finished Geography SL and Math Studies with 6s in both (predicted at a 7 in Studies, but... oops.) This year I'm doing my other four subjects: English A Literature HL, French B HL, Spanish B HL, and Exercise Science (I assume that's what you mean by Sports Science?) SL.

Advice #1: for Geography at least, look into buying the study guide. (e.g. http://www.amazon.ca/IB-Geography-Study-Garrett-Nagle/dp/0198389159, but it's expensive new so look into buying used.) It's your best friend for catching up + studying ahead because it tells you what you need to know, the basics at least.

Advice #2: Focus on learning vocabulary + grammar in Spanish right now. AB Initio (if I remember correctly) is meant for those with no prior knowledge of the language, which means that joining half a year late, you're going to need to catch up on that. Not IB-specific, but this website is decent. http://studyspanish.com/

Advice #3: Ask your teachers to provide a list of topics covered in each subject. It shouldn't be too much to ask. Just a simple list, like for Math Studies it could look like "Unit 1 Functions, Unit 2 Trigonometry..." etc. This will tell you what you need to catch up on.

Advice #4: For Exercise Science, these quizzes (again not IB specific, but we use them nonetheless) contain similar material albeit in different unit numbers. http://thompsonbooks.com/exercisescience/bellringer_pages/bellringers.htm

Advice #5: If for some reason you don't have the IB-specific textbooks for your courses (I'm not sure if English Lang & Lit has one, but if it does it's included) find a way to get them. Study them because they will be your best friends.

If you need help with anything more specific (question on topics, help, so on) for English/Spanish/Studies/Exercise Science/Geo (if you switch), feel free to message me.

I'm not actually done with the course but I took a final the first year (without the option content) and managed to score well so I thought I'd put a few things I thought helped out when I was studying :)

The best way to prepare for critical analysis (B) is to have the major issues with the studies and some of the arguments concerning the topic memorized. Put all the studies on quizlet, make flashcards, and memorize that sh*t. I found the easiest way to study was to have someone hold the paper with all the details of the study (including critical evaluation points) and cross off things I missed while I explained it to them. By having some key critical points memorized you don't have to fallback on intuition when doing the critical analysis, which is difficult and hard to do during the actual exam.

Natswimmer is dead on with writing outlines. It's a mammoth task but it really is worth it in the long run. If you struggle with procrastination try setting up a study calendar with dates you will have each topic finished by. It's a good way to keep motivated and keep track of the different study methods you may be using for the course.

If you haven't already make sure to include an evaluation of the study and its methodology directly after. Most problems with studies are pretty recurrent so having a list of key flaws to look out for is a good idea (i.e. generalizational ability, methodological concerns, sample size). After the evaluation make do a synthesis paragraph to connect the study back to the main thesis. An ideal format would be something like (T Std Syn Std Syn C, maybe an extra study and synthesis where necessary). I've found it helps separate the chunks of the essay into paragraphs where the different criterion are scored.

Some resources worth looking at for studying:
-http://ibpsychnotes.com/ has good outlines of major studies, with evaluations needed for criterion B. The format for the studies is also really nice and gives a good structure for writing them.

-The study guide. if you don't have it, It's very much worth the price.

If you're after notes or anything specific feel free to drop a PM.

I wanted to do a theatre EE originally, but I ended up doing an English Lit EE. Why? Because I wanted to explore contextual work (i.e. Waiting for Godot ) and about how its themes were represented in the text. While this sounds like a theatre EE it is technically an English EE because I was exploring the text itself and not the production of Waiting for Godot since different directors may choose something different for the text.

Idk what you want your EE to be specifically about, but if it's about studying the play through the text, it's better off as an english EE.

If you want to write an EE about theatre in specific (e.g. how proxemics influence a character's story arc, or how lighting affects moods of scene or whatever) then a theatre EE would be optimal.

In IB Theatre, a lot of emphasis is placed on the 'creative process' which is fancy way of saying 'how did you come up with this original theatre?'. A very low scoring answer would be 'i saw it online lol' while a higher scoring one would be along the lines of 'I experimented with different ideas of presenting this topic, and I asked a bunch of people what they thought and worked from there." Honestly, IB theatre isnt a great place to start for an EE in theatre unless your EE is specifically about a creative process. If you really need something to work off of, you could read this book by Frantic assembly about their own creative process. Maybe it'll spark your interest which you can then bring to your supervisor. Here's the link -->
https://www.amazon.com/Frantic-Assembly-Book-Devising-Theatre/dp/1138777005/ref=dp_ob_title_bk

have fun with your EE!

I recently took the Math II. Compared to the Math HL syllabus, Math II is ridiculously easy. There are a couple of topics in Math II that are not covered by the IB but if you can take Math HL the SAT will seem like child's play.

What I did - and what I think is the best choice - is to get a good book on the SAT and study that over the summer. You can easily finish 2-3 chapters/day (studying like 1-2 hours) and be done in a month tops. As for the book I recommend Barron's SAT Math II book.

This is a lifesaver for french, even if you are doing ab initio!
http://www.amazon.com/Standard-Revision-International-Baccalaureate-Diploma/dp/1904534252
for bio this is FANTASTIC for studying
http://www.amazon.com/Biology-IB-Diploma-Andrew-Allott/dp/0199151431/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1344831709&sr=1-1&keywords=ib+bio+study+guide
The chem and english ones in this series are great too...I would easily attribute my 7's to these books! :)

the official textbook for bio is not worth wasting your money on...I don't think I've used it in the last year because it is so badly organized. I wouldn't worry about books being cheaper on amazon, I bought all of mine there and they are identical but saved me so much money.
Hope this helps, let me know if you have any other questions :)

Use medify.co.uk to revise for UKCAT, I used it thoroughly but I panicked during the first section of the test because I am a slow reader. Overall score was 700,

breakdown
Reading- 600
maths-800
non verbal reasoning (the shapes thing)- 840
Verbal reasoning- 560 (i used an old book for this, and they changed the logarithms for the questions that year, so my answers were given incorrect, even though in practice i was scoring the highest in this section)

As for university recommendations, I suggest you look through this forum page which discusses which Uni's to apply to depending on your strengths. http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/wiki/Applying_to_Medical_School_using_your_Strengths

Lastly if you do get accepted for an interview, make sure you use this book for interview prep

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Medical-Interviews-Questions-Analysed-Multiple-Mini-Interviews/dp/1905812051

Don't just read the question and think ok this is how I am going to say it, remember you are competing against many other candidates and in order to make yourself shine, your answers must be succinct, personal and original. The most crucial part of any interview is that if you don't know an answer, be humble and say you don't know. Apart from oxbridge, where they want to see your deduction and induction skills. Interviewers only mark what you speak, not what you do and do not know. So if you say that I don't know a question, they will ask another question which you can hopefully respond to. You can also give a semi-knowlegable response. E.g In one of my interviews , I was asked " who do you think is the leader in a surgery ? ", It was a trick question because anyone can be a leader in any given situation depending on the resources and type of surgery. I didn't know this, so at the time I said, "based off my experience I have only seen surgeons lead surgeries, however my empirical observations may not translate into other environments, In the present day where nurses are substituting for surgeons in many smaller cases, there should be no reason why they too cannot lead surgeries. They then followed up with " So, who else can lead a surgery apart from a nurse and a doctor", I just said I didnt know and we moved on.

Additionally, if you haven't already started, please start writing your personal statement, it is very important and pretty much got me my interviews because my igcse grades were relatively subpar.

I was in the same boat, except that I didn't have any warning (the teacher was new my junior year). First, study the syllabus and make sure you know what is expected of you. Choose your own options for paper 3 if you teacher isn't clear on which she wants you to study.

A lot of IB school use J. A. S. Grenville's book. IMO, it's absolutely terrible if you're trying to be successful on the IB history HL exam. Grenville isn't very organized and takes a narrative approach when instead the focus should be on basic background knowledge followed by analysis of causes and effects, etc. If you're looking for good books, the IBO has written their own for the subject and they're quite good, like this one.

Looking at past tests will give you a good understanding of the types of questions that will be asked. Also, look up the examiner's reports (sometimes called subject reports). They are specific for each subject, level, and even different options. This will give you a good understanding of past students' mistakes and what the examiners are looking for. Also, make sure you are aware of the mark schemes used by the examiners. Often times these are generic, so you can get an understanding of how detailed you need to be in your approach.

A note about historiography: just using quotes from a historian won't get you points. You have to give multiple arguments from different historians and analyze the similarities, differences, and merits of each argument. This is only required if you want a 6 or 7 on papers 2 and 3. You can get by without it, but if you're shooting for a high score, make sure you include it.

My teacher was terrible and I learned very, very little. I didn't study enough because I didn't have enough time once I realized how little I had actually learned. Make sure you start very, very early (like right now) to cut down on the stress. Even with my small amount of relevant knowledge, I submitted a good IA (I think I got a high 6 or a 7) and managed to pass with a 4 overall. Good luck!

I agree N17 was a bitch. I'd also recommend you skip right to Tsokos'. I strongly suggest you get the latest 2016 study guide (https://www.amazon.com/Physics-Diploma-Exam-Preparation-Guide/dp/110749575X/ref=dp_ob_title_bk) Of all the study guides, this one is the most up-to-date and is best catered for current exams - you can't waste time filtering or vetting your content with another textbook (only do this if you need to understand something on a conceptual level, more words/authors do help). The guide alone covers just the amount you need and not more. I learned this by looking through the contentious nuclear/quantum physics portion of the latest exam papers and realised they will not ask you anything that's not explained in that study guide. You can't find this online or in PDF format, so buy it if you must - be careful not to get the previous edition (check the cover). I attribute my 7 to this study guide and this study guide alone lol all the best to you!

I wouldn't say it was easy by any stretch, but it shouldn't be super hard either. It is a lot of writing though in the actual exam -.-

This is a really helpful review guide for econ: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Economics-Diploma-Revision-Guide-International/dp/1471807185

It is easy to read and summarized the most important info you need to know.

Buy a revision guide.

This is the one I bought for HL

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Chemistry-Diploma-Exam-Preparation-Guide/dp/1107495806/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1456745322&sr=8-2&keywords=IB+Chemistry+Revision+guide+2016

I basically was the same as you. I got straight A's pre-IB, but when I started the Chemistry HL course, I died. I wasn't able to grasp simple concepts (it took me months and months to understand moles lmao), but with this revision guide, I was able to bring up my grade from a failing 2 to a 4. It basically saved my diploma. Make revision notes using this book, and then make them into flashcards.

I also stuck up important concepts, equations and definitions around my room. Memorising the synthetic routes map is also very important to do. Make your own, stick it up on your wall, and read aloud the routes to yourself every day. Trust me, it will stick in your brain.

Good luck, you got this

Get your hands on a study guide. I use Oxford one and they're simply awesome. The learning outcomes are stated and then explained and you get both studies, theories, and evaluations summarized. E.g. BLOA is 17 pages in my psych textbook but only 6 pages in the study guide. I'm not saying you shouldn't use your textbook because you should read that too, the study guide is just better for (you guessed it) studying. I've been getting straight 7s all through IB1 and IB2 so far partly because of this.

Here's a link if you want to check it out

My school had a full set of IB books they borrowed out and they had the Cambridge text by Richard van de Lagemaat. (Link below). I also had access to the Oxford one which I borrowed from a friend and I felt like I had more use of the information on the Cambridge on and it really helped me for the essays and presentations. I got the highest score on the presentation and essay :)

https://www.amazon.com/Theory-Knowledge-Diploma-Richard-Lagemaat/dp/110761211X

Okay I just checked the prices and I realize it's not that expensive. It's just above a $100 on Amazon which is a pretty good deal (considering you buy refurbished and not new.)

The one I have is the IB Revision Guide by Paul Hoang. It's been highly recommended by my teacher too and I found it very useful.
Here is a link to the Amazon page: https://www.amazon.ca/Economics-IB-Diploma-Revision-Guide/dp/1471807185

100-140€ range over here (conversion varies)

I'd personally suggest one of these https://www.amazon.com/Texas-Instruments-TI-84-Graphing-Calculator/dp/B00TFYYWQA as they're a pretty solid compromise between cost and function

the one you linked looks to be permitted as well, though: https://www3.dpcdsb.org/STFXS/Documents/Use_of_calculators_in_examinations_2017__version_1.pdf

My Physics HL teacher recommended buying the exam prep guide from the same guide who writes the tests. Might help as he knows what will be on the test ;)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/110749575X/ref=dp_ob_neva_mobile

Ti-Nspire CX
https://www.amazon.com/Texas-Instruments-TI-Nspire-Graphing-Calculator/dp/B004NBZAW0

If you are taking more than 3 of MathHL/physics/chem/econ then it would be a great investment.

We use a textbook: "Theory of Knowledge for the IB Diploma" by Richard van de Lagemaat. With it being your year 2, I understand that you are probably stressed out beyond belief... So, I hope this helps!

This is the pen: https://www.amazon.com/LAMY-Logo-Ballpoint-Blue-L204MBE/dp/B00JGA4TWK/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=lamy+ink+ballpoint+pen&qid=1556111505&s=gateway&sr=8-5

Only $10, and refills are cheap and easy to find too!!

I don't really have much advice. I procrastinate much less than I use to because I can't afford to procrastinate. There's a great quote in House MD: "You want people to drive safer, take out the airbags and attach a machete pointing at their neck. No one will drive over three miles per hour." It's really the same thing for me. If I procrastinate, for even a day, I'll be crushed the day after. After a month or so, I lost the ability to procrastinate.

For physics, I first start by reading the study guide. I see if everything seems familiar to me. If anything, even to the slightest bit, seems unfamiliar; I read the course companion. When I fully feel like I understood everything, I start solving past papers and the questions in the book. After I finish all of those, I move onto college(ish) level books. For example, I used THIS book a lot. I try to solve the juiciest questions I can find. After I feel confident on those questions, I go pack to past papers and try to solve everything mentally. If it was really easy, I'd know I'm good for a test. If I'm slow and inaccurate, I'll do everything again.

Well, not really. They respect me more because they see me study more but not as much as I expected. They were even pissed off at me for spending a lot on books.

Edit: Grammar.

As far as I know, the TI 84-Plus CE-T is the best one available for Maths HL, as n-spire calculators are banned. If you’re buying an 84 Plus, buy a new and thin one like this.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Psychology-Study-Guide-International-Baccalaureate/dp/0198389965/ref=dp_ob_title_bk

This study guide here is the one our school hands out. It lists every single laq or saq and full descriptions of every study that can be used for it. It's the only reason I'm not failing psychology. if you want I can send you some pictures of the pages so you know what it's like

here