IB studies

Studying in the IB programme

The IB section in Tampereen lyseon lukio is a three-year programme. It consists of a one-year preparatory programme (called the preparatory year) and the two-year international IB Diploma programme proper. In May the final year IB students take the international IB Diploma examination, which is recognised in institutions of higher education all over the world. In Finland it is considered equivalent to the Finnish matriculation examination. 

During the preparatory year students follow the national curriculum. However, most of their study units are taught in English. Preparatory year students can also take other study units with national curriculum students. To a certain extent this is also possible during the first actual year in the IB. 

The IB Diploma programme proper is clearly different. The students have fewer subjects (usually six) than those in the national programme, and teaching is not course-bound, which means that teaching in each subject continues uninterrupted throughout the academic year. 

Each year IB students will take part in mock-exams, where all the material studied up to that point is examined. The idea of the mock-exams is to get students used to studying larger entities and to familiarise them with the form and procedures of the Diploma examination. The mock-periods take place at the end of the fifth period in the first actual year in the IB and in the middle of the fourth period in the second/last actual year in the IB.  

The IB Diploma programme involves studying in groups and also a lot of independent work with strict deadlines. This method of study requires initiative, self-discipline and punctuality from the students. In all IB subjects the Diploma grade is not only based on the examination results, but also on independent work such as laboratory work and essays. During the last year in the IB the school is required to send this material to the IB Assessment Centre in Cardiff for assessment according to a strict timetable. Therefore complying with the deadlines set by the school is absolutely necessary; it not only helps students to organise their work more effectively, but also reduces stress by preventing work from piling up. Following the school’s deadlines is one of the prerequisites of transferring student to the last year of the IB. 

IB students are required to participate actively in the daily tasks of the study group. If students are absent from lessons, they are required to produce a note from parents or a doctor stating the reason for the absence. If students are frequently absent without any explanation, there will be discussions first with the student and, if necessary, with the parents. If students are having problems with deadlines, they should contact the subject teacher, the IB coordinator or any member of the staff immediately, rather than wait until the problem has become overwhelming. 
 

Study materials

The school will lend textbooks, laptops and calculators to students who have been officially granted the right to compulsory education for both the preparatory year and the two IB years. All materials must be returned before students leave school. The students who have not been granted this right may borrow textbooks from school during the preparatory year, but they will have to acquire their own laptops and calculators. They will also have to buy textbooks for the two IB years themselves. Calculator used: TI-nspire CX II-T CAS + Student software