My IB Journey
By Elaine Tjandra,
Batch 2023-2024 Class Valedictorian
July 11, 2022 marks a pivotal day in my life, the beginning of my journey as a new student at Stella Maris School Gading Serpong, ready to start my adventure as an IB Diploma student. I initially chose this program due to its interesting and unique curriculum. Each student studies 6 different subjects, one from each of the 6 groups, and also participates in the 3 core subjects: Theory of Knowledge (TOK), Extended Essay (EE), and Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS). The 6 subjects I chose were SL Indo A, HL English B, HL Digital Society, HL Physics, SL Mathematics AA, and SL Business Management.
These past two years have been a rollercoaster. There have been many ups and downs, both the good and bad. I must admit that the hardest part of the IB Diploma program was the amount of workload there was. Other than the challenging 6 subjects I have chosen, there were also several internal assessments, essays, and CAS activities I had to complete outside of class hours. Nevertheless, this program has produced many benefits for me. I personally really enjoyed completing my CAS as it has really inspired and pushed me to move outside my comfort zone. CAS has led me to try new things including different types of competitions and community service activities which I would love to continue even after completing the IB program. In addition, this program has also allowed me to learn and improve my communication, research, and time management skills which will come in handy during university.
Another memorable part of my journey was the group 4 project held during the eleventh grade. While the research and experiments were not easy, those 3 days spent at the beach were memorable. The late night talks, laughter, and fun will be something I’ll cherish forever.
These past two years would not be possible without the support of those around me, my family, teachers, and friends who have always become a source of guidance and motivation for me to make it to the end. Looking ahead, I carry forward invaluable lessons and memories from my IB journey. The road was challenging, yet immensely rewarding, so I would recommend the IB Diploma program for future students out there.
