“Acing your IBDP Essays: Dos and Don’ts for Success!”
Writing your IBDP Essays can be a daunting new step, but follow these essential tips to draft a unique, compelling and professional looking essay!
Extended Essays
DO:
- Make use of your supervisor. He or she has expertise in what the IBDP guidelines demand that you can benefit from.
- Develop your research question meticulously. It is easier to concentrate and conduct effective research when the wording is chosen early. If you make changes, make sure that everything that you’ve completed fits with the revised research question as per the IBDP requirements.
- Create a research strategy. To collect and analyse information, you’ll need some sort of workflow. Make good use of your IBDP Researcher’s Reflection Space (RRS) or notebook to develop this.
- Read your work out loud, preferably in front of an audience. Constantly check to see if the feedback you receive complies with IBDP’s rules. For example, accept only open-ended comments rather than direct annotations or edits.
DON’T:
- Don’t begin writing without a plan of action. Make mind maps and outlines to help you organise your ideas, data, and research.
- Don’t disregard your IBDP supervisor’s advice. He/she is giving that advice for a reason. Disagreements should be discussed with your supervisor and elaborated on in your IBDP Reflections on Planning and Progress Form (RPPF).
- Don’t be afraid to discard some writing and research if it’s not relevant to your research.
Temple of Knowledge (TOK)
DO:
- The Ways of Knowing (WOKs) and Areas of Knowledge (AOKs) are unique to the IBDP curriculum. Ensure you understand them thoroughly so that you can then aim to use 2-3 WOKs and AOKs in your essay.
- Familiarize yourself with the language, tone, and terminology used in IBDP TOK essays.
- To develop counterclaims to claims, challenge your own biases and preferences. Being able to be critical of others’ and your own ideas is important at any age, from high school to university and beyond, which is something the IBDP Program is trying to inculcate in you!
- Use a variety of research methods to uncover arguments that support both sides of your thesis. Consider using class notes, websites, and the opinions of others (classmates, teachers, friends, and family members) to develop your insights.
DON’T
- Don’t write an unfocused introduction. State your position and clearly outline the IBDP AOKs and WOKs you will be focusing on in your essay.
- Don’t forget to establish and assert your specific claim. TOKs are more than just a broad discussion of knowledge. Make sure you’re adopting a stance and backing it up with genuinely sound arguments.
- Don’t make it one-sided. One of the things that distinguishes the TOK Essay is its multidisciplinary approach. The IBDP Program wants you to examine various points of view and present both objective arguments and counterclaims.
These tips will help you draft compelling IBDP Essays which will impress your supervisors! Still unsure of where to start? Or perhaps have a draft that you think needs further work? Worry not!
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