How did accadis ISB IB
graduate Marlene Koch feel about her time in the International Baccalaureate
Diploma Programme? What did she particularly like? What challenges did she have
to face? What are her next steps? She spoke to us about this in an exciting
interview.
Which IB subject was your favorite and why?
This question is
difficult to answer because the subjects were so different. But if I had to
choose: Visual Arts, because it influenced me as an artist. One cannot imagine
the subject as it is in the German Abitur, it goes far beyond that. I also
enjoyed working on my projects, my exhibition and my essays during my holidays
and free time. Also Business Management was very exciting as it gave me a great
insight into business administration, and we were taught by one of the accadis Hochschule
professors. In my opinion, however, the teachers made the lessons special,
Stalina Arnold in Visual Arts and Professor Dr. Andreas Huber in Business
Management.
What was the biggest challenge for you as you prepared for your final
exams?
My biggest challenge
was to study and to take enough breaks between my learning phases. It is
important to allow the body and mind to relax (which is very difficult for me).
I realized that I learn much better after a short break. To better prepare
myself for this, I created a study plan: I, for example, studied for an hour
and then took a fifteen-minute break. It helped me to follow our old timetable
(two hours of study, then a 20-minute break, three hours of study, then a lunch
break, and then another two hours of study, mostly between 08.15 and 15.30 hrs).
This way I had the possibility to meet friends in the evening, to switch off
from learning and to continue with new energy the next day.
What advantages do you see in the IB program?
The IB program offers
many advantages. On the one hand, the international focus. I met many nice
people from different countries and cultures. On the other hand, the choice of
subjects and their requirements; I had the possibility to choose Business
Management, which is not offered in the German Abitur. Most subjects go far
beyond the curriculum. I like to take the subject Visual Arts as an example, as
it allowed me to grow far beyond myself. In addition, the IB teaches you to be
active during your free time, or as one would say in the IB Learner Profile: to
be a "Learner" outside the classroom, e.g. through the additional
courses such as TOK ("Theory of Knowledge") or CAS ("Creativity,
Action, Service"). I also see advantages in the fact that we already
learned about academic work methods in Secondary School, through the Extended Essay
or the internal assessments, which will give us a certain advantage at
university.
What do you think is necessary to successfully complete the IB program?
In order to
successfully complete the IB program, one should of course be interested in achieving
this school leaving certificate. In addition, one should be prepared to work a
lot independently and in a structured manner. Furthermore you should be open to
new things, think optimistically and be a good team player. It is important to
understand exactly what the aim of the IB program is, e.g. to know the Learner
Profile, its guidelines and rules or quotation rules. Last but not least, you
should understand the teaching languages, so you should also be able to speak
English.
What are your next steps? We've heard that baking is one of your
passions...
One of the most
frequently asked questions at the moment... Yes, baking is one of my passions, which
give me lots of room for creativity. But I think it will remain hobby. As you
know, I am very interested in art, so I am thinking about studying
architecture. At the moment I will wait for my results and then make timely plans.
I have several internships planned for this year, as I am also interested in
Business and Management. After that, I'll see.
Dear Marlene Koch, thank you very much for this exciting interview.