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IB Graduate Goda Songailaitė: Understanding my progress helped me stay motivated

This year, Goda Songailaitė, who completed the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program (IBDP) at Erudito Lyceum, shares what inspired and motivated her the most in this international program, how she managed to prepare for the exams, and what practical advice she has for current and future IB students.

How did you stay motivated throughout the IB program?

Being aware of my progress helped me to stay motivated. I think it is crucial to recognize that your effort always pays off and it is not always in the form of grades. I believe it is the small achievements that sometimes can only be observed by the student that matters the most. Subtle improvements like an enriched vocabulary, more persuasive arguments, and a more articulate expression of thought can provide a deeper sense of fulfillment. That is what helped me the most. Realizations that I have improved is what I cherish in my learning journey. Being keen and letting your curiosity go beyond your studying material is also an effective way to stay motivated.

In the IB diploma program you need to gain a deep comprehension level of the syllabus. Thus you will be studying it closely for two years. Letting yourself explore related topics and investigate beyond the syllabus can help you to see your study material in a different light and recognize its value.

How did you prepare for your IB exams, and what tips do you have for effective revision?

I started revising 4 months before exams started. The most efficient tactic for me was to create summaries of my notes and revise them frequently. Additionally, I created flashcards for terminology, concepts and tried to revise them daily. After I knew all the theory I solved many past papers and my own created exam style questions. But it is important to grade your work and analyze the results. This proactive approach ensures that you understand areas for improvement and identify topics that need more attention. This helped me to save time by knowing how to prioritize tasks and focus on the essential parts. But I believe another notable preparation target is maintaining your well-being. I set for myself a routine that included at least 8 hours of sleep, meditation, good nutrition, and physical exercise. It was difficult to find the time before exams but it contributed tremendously to my progress. It can be tough to control all the possible factors that are influencing your performance in the exams but

having a routine that optimizes your health will definitely help you achieve better results. During my preparation for exams I also studied in a library. I suggest all students to find their space where they feel focused, motivated. Associating concentration, studying with a particular place can help you to start working even if you feel unmotivated and tired.

Tips summarised:

  • Start revising early.
  • Create flashcards and summaries of your notes that you can revise frequently.
  • Create your own exam style questions, grade your work and analyze the results.
  • Is is better to spend 30 minutes every day studying then have long learning sessions
  • at the last minute.
  • Maintain a healthy lifestyle and routine.
  • Find a place for studying.
  • If you feel unmotivated try to partake in activities that do not include studying like
  • physical exercising, hobbies, socializing.
  • Form study groups, where each student will have to prepare to present a topic.

Can you share any resources or tools that were particularly helpful during your IB studies?

I have joined several IB students’ groups online. In those communities students from all around the world shared their own notes and insights regarding the content. It was beneficial to appreciate that all IB students have their own perceptions on the studying material. For Psychology lessons I enjoyed “Themantic Education”. It is a wondrous source where you can find tips, videos, summaries of topics and many more helpful tools. For Computer Science I used a website called “Computer Science

Cafe”. Its structured presentation of the topics will not let you get lost among many concepts, key terms that you will have to know for exams. For taking notes I used “Notion”. I believe it was one of the most helpful tools during my IB studies. This is a program for taking notes. It has many functions that will ensure your notes are organized, high quality. Additionally, I was sharing notes with few of my classmates and we all collaborated on attaining the most optimal notes.