the lanterna blog
Below you will find in-depth reports, thought pieces on modern education, as well as hundreds of tips on how to excel at the IB.
Guide to the IB – Part 4: Group 3
What are they? Group 3 subjects are what the IB refers to ‘Individuals and Societies’. The name actually does a pretty good job of explaining what they are: subjects about the people who make us this world. The courses are designed to give you a chance to explore a number of really interesting things, for…
Guide to the IB – Part 5: Subject Group 4
What are they? Group 4 subjects are known in the IB as the ‘experimental sciences’. They are designed to give you the knowledge and scope to think critically about the world around us. When it comes to group 4 subjects, there are quite a few options available to you! While normally thought of the ‘sciences’,…
Guest CAS Blogger 2: Refugee Awareness Day
In this weeks blog post, current IBDP student Nathalie based in Belgium, speaks about her CAS project working with refugees. “Refugee awareness day: The harrowing story of an Iraqi musician and how CAS helped me share it” All names in this article were changed to protect the identity of the individuals mentioned. 2014, the once…
Guest CAS Blogger 4: Since when are video games CAS?
In this weeks blog post, Arina, a IBDP student from Helsinki, gives her opinion on CAS and how it can be one of the best parts of the DP program. Since when are video games CAS? “Does it count for CAS?” Oh yes, we’ve all heard those words before. Every time a teacher announces the…
Guest CAS Blogger 3: The UAE’s first Junior CPR Program
In this week’s blog, Kira, an IB student from Abu Dhabi, writes about her experiences setting up the UAE’s first ever junior CPR program for her CAS project! The UAE’s first Junior CPR Program: Where it Came From, Where it’s Going Arghhhh CAS… Let’s admit it, we’ve all said it, or at least thought it…
Guest CAS Blogger 6: Drugs, Drinking and Today’s Teenagers
This week’s blog post is by Ingrid, an IB student studying in Malmö, Sweden. She writes about her experiences of CAS, using her project to address key issues that affect teenagers in today’s society. Drugs and Drinking: The Perspective of Today’s Teenagers It’s not a secret that teenagers drink, do drugs, party and generally do…
Guest CAS Blogger 5: I followed my dreams for CAS
We asked students to send us articles about their CAS and we received so many amazing pieces. This week Clara takes the stage to talk about her experiences of rebooting the school newspaper for CAS. Writing is the only thing that when I do it, I don’t feel I should be doing something else –…
IB Exam Stress (and how to conquer it)
Exams are approaching fast, and with exams comes stress. I don’t think I have ever met someone who is completely chill when it comes to exams. People might appear so on the outside, but on the inside everyone has some anxieties. Stress in small doses is not a bad things: it can motivate you to…
Confessions of an IB Grad: Exam Edition
As exam season approaches, I thought I might delve back into my bygone IB days and write about an instance where something went REALLY wrong in an exam. It’s okay- things still panned out alright, but I thought it might be a nice reminder that things don’t always go to plan. And you know what-…
Guide to the IB – Part 3: Group 2 subjects
If you’ve been following this series of blogs, the you will know I’ve been trying to demystify the IB. This week I am looking specifically at group 2 subjects: language acquisition. What is on offer? There are 3 different types of group 2 subjects: Ab initio Language B Classical Languages While this may seem a…
