As of September 2014, a nearby sixth-form will begin to offer the IB qualification (making my year the first with such an opportunity). Until now, I have always considered A-Levels (BTECs aren't as valued it seems or useful for my career path, after all) and even known which subjects I wish to study: English Literature, (MFL) French, (MFL) German and History.
My ideal career path, if I can make it, is journalism. I choose English Literature because one of the English subjects seems a necessity for a job focused upon writing and, out of the two, Literature is a slightly more respectable qualification which will impress universities. History shows analytical skills, which is useful in a number of careers, and I figure that a humanities subject is a necessity. After all, what do journalists typically write about? Religion, politics, the anniversary of a historical event, etc. Finally, because journalists often cover Europe (as you see always on the BBC and whatnot) and that I have also been studying it for a number of years, French seems a useful choice too. Meanwhile, as I simply like languages, German is my "fun" option and also allows me to study Modern Foreign Languages at a university level (I hear that they all want you to have studied two). Do these options seem sound, in your opinions?
The IB, however, will allow me to study all of these subjects and more in a qualification which - or so I have heard - is more recognised abroad. Is this true? I have, from a very young age, always said how I have wanted to spend a number of years travelling and, naturally as a result of this, also working abroad. If an IB is more internationally useful, then perhaps it is the better option for me. On the other hand, IBs are apparently more work. Can anyone here, who perhaps has studied an IB and passed or failed, vouch for their difficulty level? When they say that they are more demanding than A-Levels, by how much so are we talking?
My main concern is whether the individual subjects, on their own merit and not in the greater picture of the entire IB qualification, are equal to their A-Level counterparts? I know that the IB as a whole is roughly equal to three A2s and four ASs. But, individually, is IB French equivalently valued to A-Level French, and so on with the rest of my subjects?
My ideal career path, if I can make it, is journalism. I choose English Literature because one of the English subjects seems a necessity for a job focused upon writing and, out of the two, Literature is a slightly more respectable qualification which will impress universities. History shows analytical skills, which is useful in a number of careers, and I figure that a humanities subject is a necessity. After all, what do journalists typically write about? Religion, politics, the anniversary of a historical event, etc. Finally, because journalists often cover Europe (as you see always on the BBC and whatnot) and that I have also been studying it for a number of years, French seems a useful choice too. Meanwhile, as I simply like languages, German is my "fun" option and also allows me to study Modern Foreign Languages at a university level (I hear that they all want you to have studied two). Do these options seem sound, in your opinions?
The IB, however, will allow me to study all of these subjects and more in a qualification which - or so I have heard - is more recognised abroad. Is this true? I have, from a very young age, always said how I have wanted to spend a number of years travelling and, naturally as a result of this, also working abroad. If an IB is more internationally useful, then perhaps it is the better option for me. On the other hand, IBs are apparently more work. Can anyone here, who perhaps has studied an IB and passed or failed, vouch for their difficulty level? When they say that they are more demanding than A-Levels, by how much so are we talking?
My main concern is whether the individual subjects, on their own merit and not in the greater picture of the entire IB qualification, are equal to their A-Level counterparts? I know that the IB as a whole is roughly equal to three A2s and four ASs. But, individually, is IB French equivalently valued to A-Level French, and so on with the rest of my subjects?