IB Subject Selection

bobbycheung

My kid is thinking of taking either IB History HL or Economics HL.  Looking at the statistics, only 2% of the candidates doing History HL get Grade 7 whereas for Economics HL the percentage of candidates getting Grade 7 is 13%.  Despite the fact that it is so much more difficult to get a good grade in History HL, 34,000 candidates still chose to do it compared with 10,000 candidates taking Economics HL.  I know personal preference and options made available by each school play a part in these decision.  But apart from these factors, are there other reasons that could explain why so many people choose to do a far more difficult subject?  Could it be that Economics HL is considered a "soft" subject by universities?

ANChan59

回覆 bobbycheung 的帖子

From 2013 onward, Economics HL paper 3 is maths...... 1 & 2 are essays. History HL all papers are essays. I guess that may be the main reason.

bobbycheung

回覆 ANChan59 的帖子

Thanks ANChan59.  But what I don't quite understand is that there were more than 3 times as many people rushing in to do History HL when only 12% of the candidates would get a score of 6 or 7.  If they had done Economics HL instead, the chance of getting a 6 or 7 would have been infinitely higher (43% of the candidates got it).  Is it because many people couldn't handle maths and they had to do all essay papers in History HL instead?  But you said "from 2013 onwards, Econ HL paper 3 is maths ......".  Presumably, it means Econ HL was also all essay paper exam before 2013, right?  So it might not have anything to do with maths as the results I am looking at are from 2010 to 2012.  Any idea?

ANChan59

回覆 bobbycheung 的帖子

My son told me that before 2013, Economics HL, all papers are essays. Economics paper 3 may be the hurdle for some kids.
Very soon, IBO will change the paper format.

est9478

I did HL Economics instead of HL History in 2010 and I went to one of the top 10 universities worldwide after IB, so I guess Economics is not a soft subject to many universities. In my year, soft subjects usually refers to Math Studies, English B, etc.

WYmom

History HL is a subject many students will take who want to study Law in Universities.

ANChan59

回覆 est9478 的帖子

Agree

bobbycheung

回覆 WYmom 的帖子

Thanks!  I also looked through the university requirements for various courses.  It seems that there is no pre-requisite for Law.  They say doing IB History is helpful but not essential.  But yes, I guess IB History will be good for their essay writing skills.

annie40

Bobby,

Thank you for highlighting the comparison between History (HL) and Economic(HL). Very interesting!

西方人特别重视History, 如非有特定的大学選科所规范, 父母是特别支持孩子修读历史科, 就算因打算向医药科技范畴发展而被迫放弃History.  也是感到非常可惜的. 或许基于这点情意结, 不管高低分, 孩子依然乐于修History 吧!

If you want to understand today, you have to search yesterday.  ~Pearl Buck

WYmom

回覆 bobbycheung 的帖子

Not just essay writing skills, more importantly is analytical skills, logistics, language skills etc. required for studying law.
Economics will be more helpful for studying Business.

tingtingting

History is always a highly regarded subject (not in HK though, perhaps).

HIHinsurance

http://www.cdnis.edu.hk/facts/ib-diploma-results.html

cdnis  2013年 畢業生, 21人讀hl +sl history

21 個人 , 1個7分都冇

喜歡還喜歡, 現實還現實, 需取平衡

今年其中2個45分狀元, ib history 原本六分, 最後remark

才7分

有個英基, 直頭predictd出來45分, history  出來5分

你篇essay, 10/20 level 5

13/20 level 6

15/20 level 7

你覺得自己篇文是masterpiece

人地當係垃圾


冇興趣真係唔好亂咁來, 前途來

特別是最後同你講,HL, 6,6,6 ,你歷史HL  整科5分

牙擦擦 ,  仲講歷史好易,

到時, 一面眼淚(英基真人真事)


你留意下

全球 的考試制度

都是歷史的高分 的比例極少

包括英國, 澳洲, 加拿大

因為, 考試制度在調整人才

即, 社會不需這麼多人文科學的畢業生

考試局便SET 歷史少些人高分

社會走勢, 是向科技發展, 理科, 必然較易得高分


我見過不少自以為英文好的國際學生

有些是IGCSE, 不嬲走向歷史路線

結果HL HISTORY, 不想讀econ

其實econ , 是不少人的護生符

人生, 最後一線, 做什麼專業人士, 可能就是決定

在於今天, 你選歷史 定econ


做人最緊要不後悔, 因為佢地都可以叫做大個仔女, 自己決定

將來,萬一歷史成績不好

不要怨天怨地

Shootastar

Both of my kids took World History at the senior year. I can share their experience with you about taking History.
My son studied LLB in UK. He obtained 4 offers (3 from London). All offers would require him to have a score of 5 in AP World History. Some of his classmates who eventually studied LLB in UK failed to obtain offers from the best two colleges in London. The different treatments seemed to attribute the fact that the other classmates did not take AP World History.

My daughter studied medicine in Hong Kong. Apart from the two offers from the local medical schools, she also had 2 offers from UK colleges.The admission tutors of all the medical schools were keen to know why she studied AP World History when she was interviewed. She gave the obvious reason that History could train her the reading, analytic and writing skills. Those skills are essential to further tertiary education. As a medical student, she needed to read a lot of materials. Dissemination of knowledge was one of the key roles of a medical doctor. Writing and presentation skills were therefore essential in medical study. The day to day work of a medical doctor would require him to have an analytic mind in the diagnosis. Taking History would equip her with the necessary skills to face the challenges in her medical study and future work.

Having said that, I think Economics or Geography would also provide such training to the students.

HIHinsurance

因為AP 歷史, 與IB 歷史 不同

AP 的歷史, SCALE 下, 10% 平均 可以有5分(滿分為5分)

IB 歷史 只有2%

alevel 歷史2-4%

2% 得7分, 除非絕頂天才,  有極濃厚的興趣

歷史學的技巧, 知識 是非常多

很有用, 但今天, ib 的offer conditonal offer 制度下

著重HL, 俾分, IB 歷史 好容易出事


如果1科, 只能有2% 的人最高分

已經不是實力可以控制到的事

運氣的部份很重

Shootastar

回覆 HIHinsurance 的帖子

The percentage of students obtaining in AP World History dropped significantly in the last 2 years:
2013 AP World History

Score               Percentage
5                            5.9%
4                           13.7%
3                            29.4%
2                            30.2
1                            20.9

2012 AP World History

Score               Percentage
5                              6.9%
4                              15.7%
3                              30.5%
2                               29.4%
1                               17.4%

Note: score 1 or 2 is regarded as a failure score.                           
                     

bobbycheung

Another problem with IB History is that SL is not that much easier to get a good grade than HL.  Only 3% of the candidates get 7 score, with 16 to 17% get 6.  So in terms of the final result one is likely to get, there may not be a significant difference between doing HL and SL.  I guess it is more a question of either do it or drop it.

bobbycheung

回覆 cheng4b 的帖子

Thanks!  You are right but the problem is that she has no preference and she thinks she will have no particular problem with either subject.  To make matter worse, she hasn't got a clue what she wants to do in university and she can't even decide whether it would be a science or humanity course.

annie40

Bobby兄：

想你近年是有點老花呢！令愛說甚麼科也是可以，簡直是你教女有方啊，應該來向大家曬命，怎麼說成是problem呢！估計她的文理科是平均的好，唔做醫生轉頭可以考慮當律師吧！

十六歲的女孩要鄭重決定大學的主修科，又要考慮主修科要跟未來工作有關連，說穿了是比揀老公還困難啊，最少結婚前可以拍散拖來吸收經驗啊！令愛跟你的關係必然是很好才說老實話，不然看見老爹像熱煱上的螞蟻，隨意地說想做醫生和律師，讓你樂透了也好。如果不打算大學主修非常的尃業科，IB課程內各挑文理一科HL已經是合理的準備了，如果經濟修件許可，也許可以把第一個degree看成拍散拖，尋找自我，時機成熟就必然知道往後的方向了。

關於History,我也面對差不多的煩惱，是小女的強項兼而有興趣，拿多少分不是重點，，那知她興趣多，話要留番個subjects位讀philosophy, psychology, or sport science. 這三科未讀過，郤十分疑似會乞米，我提議她自己查清楚，最近她好像話大學想修political science or health science. 唔考慮讀Law云云.......

kym

我兒HL兩科都有修，學校估計兩科都是7分。但歷史我已預了他只拿個6。經濟據我兒說雙比下是比較易拿7的。