As part of our ‘30 Years of IB’ celebrations, we are exploring the impact of studying the International Baccalaureate (IB) as a young adult. Eleni Green studied with us from 2017 to 2019, achieved a point score of 42, and is now studying Contemporary Dance at the Northern School of Contemporary Dance. Read on to find out why she chose to study the IB, how it helped prepare her for university and why she would recommend the IB:
Why did you decide to study the IB?
Studying for my GCSEs at Impington Village College (IVC) was brilliant – I loved my subjects, teachers and the atmosphere of the College as a whole, which, for me, made the transition to IIC easy. I was particularly happy that I didn’t have to limit my subject choices for post-16 study or sacrifice studying a subject that I had a genuine passion for. This made the IB the perfect choice for me.
Which subjects did you study?
For Sixth Form, I studied History and Mathematics at standard level and Biology, Chemistry, French and English Literature at higher level.
Tell us about the key highlight of your IB experience?
I loved studying English and my teacher, Mr Jones, was a particular highlight of my time there. I was always amazed by how much thought and care he put into his lessons and the feedback that he gave to us helped develop our learning. There was an incredible amount of flexibility with his teaching; he would think about what we needed specifically as a group, boosting our weaker areas while also giving us the confidence to trust in our stronger skills.
How prepared did you feel to transition from Impington International College to university?
Through the IB I developed different approaches to learning skills that have proven to be really valuable. I learnt the importance of critical thinking, how to optimise my key skills and use these to my advantage, how to think on my feet and remain calm and trust in my ability. I was also able to develop my essay writing skills, learning how to refine my thoughts and feelings into a written format and I found it stimulating to debate and delve deeper into topics that I believed in.
How would you describe your experience at Impington International College in three words?
Challenging, productive, complete.
What advice do you have for current students?
Don’t think too small. If you’re doing something that makes you happy, you can never fail.
