Math Higher Level-A Challenge and Opportunity

Math Higher Level – A Challenge and Opportunity

By: Karensa Candice Sutedja, 12 St. Fabian student

Math is hard. The IB Diploma Programme is known to be one of the most rigorous curriculums worldwide; from the arts to sciences, the IB asks students to challenge themselves through demonstrating deep understanding of the learning materials provided. Math is no exception. IB has high expectations for all subjects, however most especially for Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches Higher Level (Math AA HL). This course is well-known amongst IB students to be incredibly challenging, and possibly even one of the most challenging courses in all of IB. Every year, students worldwide contemplate if they should take this course, looking for online testimonials from others about their own experiences. In the past, I was also one of the many people looking if Math AA HL was the right choice for me. Now, after a year of undergoing this course, I can share my own thoughts regarding the topic.

Before I joined Math AA HL, I was a high-achieving and well-rounded student. Math was one of my highest scoring subjects, and I was quite proud of my grades and results. However, after I joined IB, I found myself struggling through some of the more foundational math topics. I felt stuck after just looking at the problem. It became harder for me to achieve higher scores than I would usually be able to get; I even got grades lower than I had ever gotten before because of Math AA HL. Very quickly I realized that I was a fish out of water in a subject that I used to glide through easily.

There were times when I really doubted myself, but with the guidance of my teachers and friends in Stella Maris School Gading Serpong, I’ve slowly found my way through. My friends played a big part in supporting me and letting me know that I’m not alone in my struggles. I learned that it takes a lot of practicing and hard work to succeed in this class, and it requires patience and creativity to be able to see equations from a different perspective. Over time, it became easier to solve problems and approach questions from different angles. Solving a particularly hard problem would give me a lot of satisfaction and relief.

Though I still struggle in Math AA HL, I believe that this course has shaped me mentally in a way that no other course could have. It’s given me a hunger to strive and trained me to be curious about different dimensions of math. Not only did I learn to be more critical, but I also realized how important support systems can be and how environments can really affect a person. I’ve gained friendships that I never thought possible because of this class. Math is still hard, and it can be daunting and intimidating, but it’s a risk worth taking. Students who take IB all have long roads ahead, but the lessons gained from these experiences last a lifetime. Given the chance, I would pick Math AA HL again.