IB MOCK Exams...

For IB Students that finish their final year in May, January is usually a stressful month. With the holidays now in the past, the shock of returning to school is already quite harsh. Add to that the stress of MOCK exams that effectively set their predicted grades - a critical piece in the puzzle that is entering university - as well as the almost sudden realization that approximately 70% of all final course work is now due in the next few weeks, and you're left with a highly stressed student.

From experience I only operated in one of two modes to try and cope with the pressure. Mode A, was to procrastinate as much as I could leaving my coursework to the last minute, and Mode B, to continuously study and work as hard as I could to complete all my assignments. I alternated between both of them for what I thought were "good" reasons. In fact, looking back I still think they were valid reasons, which came from a genuine intent to succeed.  In Mode A I excused my procrastination for rest, thinking that if I gave myself time to rest once I went back to work I'd be more efficient, and in Mode B I thought that if I spread out the workload I would fell less overwhelmed.
I'm sure in reading this you notice the underlying validity of both those rationalizations. But, I also think you would agree with me that they are incomplete. Rest while necessary can take multiple forms, and mental rest isn't always best accomplished by prolonged periods of not studying. Likewise, to spread work out is a legitimate strategy (and to this day I still try to spread out my work as to not burn out), however it didn't allow for accurate resting time. The answer as it usually is, is somewhere in the middle - balance.

In times of pressure (such as the final months of the IB) we tend to operate in a binary mode. Binary is easier to process than ambiguity, and what I'm proposing is neither too much procrastination nor too much studying, a balance that I found extremely hard to identify during the final months of the IB. So my hope is that by writing this post, and in students reading it, they will have the epiphany I only had a few years later - meditative practices are often the most effective forms of rest in periods of high intensity.

Recently I've started to practice yoga. I did so to avoid further surgery in my lower back (yes, at the age of 23 I've managed to accomplish the not so pleasing feat of having had back surgery), and what I quickly found was the astounding improvement in mental clarity and high energy levels that resulted.

To bring my post full circle and to connect all the dots, I'm proposing a simple model for IB students. Ideally I'd suggest adding one hour of yoga three times a week as your "rest", but if yoga isn't your thing find a physically stimulating hobby that engages the mind in a different manner to active studying. Allow yourself the time at least three times a week, and see how it makes you feel. Then adjust the frequency and duration of your sessions to increase your feeling rested and energized.


Author Bio: Francisco Moreira graduated from Hult International Business school with a Masters in International business and works as a Business Analyst in Offerings Management at CSC based in London, United Kingdom. Francisco is the author of Find Your Rhythm, (www.findyrhythm.com) a self-help guide for International Baccalaureate Diploma students.