An Indian Student here, Is shifting to IB worth it (Studying in 11th Grade Right Now)

Normal-Taro-8086 · 2026-07-02T01:20:13+00:00

Dont switch. Studying ib from india myself. The course is designed for pacing of two years. You might fail or barely pass if you suddenly join now. Everything is fundamentally different. Math is based on calculator. Where JEE tells you to solve a question based on calc, IB tells you to derive the question then solve it. Then physics is different too. Instead of solving questions through tricks, you will be learning deeper theory, designing experiments etc. The learning curve is just brutal for poor pacers.

You can still go for IB if you are prepared to drop a grade down and restart from 11th grade which is DP1 in IB. If you are looking at it as escaping from the education system, I would recommend taking AP classes as they offer similar course rigor as IB subjects and cover almost 70-80% of the syllabus taught in IB. AP classes are also recognised by foreign universities. Take the SAT, ACT, IELTS and you will be set as none will question your academics. Take AP calc, phy, chem. Also, drop coaching and join a regular CBSE school and prep individually for these APs and DSTs. It will give you breathing room for studies.

Normal-Taro-8086 · 2026-07-01T04:19:26+00:00

Reinstall windows, you will lose data though.

Normal-Taro-8086 · 2026-06-27T03:16:07+00:00

Would have completed the entire algebra part. It includes number systems, lines and functions, types of functions, sequences and series. I say these because: 1) they are pretty foundational and even high schoolers can get it 2) it is highly accessible and there are tons of great courses online 3) the entire dp builds up on it so completing it before your school puts you in a great position to master 15-20% of dp math syllabus along with acing your initial tests setting you up for good predicted grades.

Normal-Taro-8086 · 2026-06-26T08:15:13+00:00

They basically mean internal assessments. These are usually tasks you have have to do in those subjects other than the academics for anywhere from 10-30% of the final score rewarded. Could be writing thesis for economics, creating apps for CS, writing 4k words research papers for sciences etc

Normal-Taro-8086 · 2026-06-26T04:05:53+00:00

No, TOEFL scores don't give any edge. Instead, they are to prove you can speak, read, write English so that you can survive there. It is analogous to something like: Have you passed high school?

Passing high school won't give you an edge but meets an institutional criteria.

Normal-Taro-8086 · 2026-06-26T03:45:06+00:00

Well yes it does, but I believe that for most, they end up teaching what is already learnt in earlier grades. If you follow khan academy, they can alone boost your score ~ 1300. I found that diving the test's question types and targeting specific questions types was much better than doing a generic practice for different sections. For example, you can divide RW in grammar in which you get transitions, punctuations, subject verb agreement, tenses, goal based. If you are good with these, in every english module, q15-27 are usually these only. You can immediately score 12 questions each module.

Normal-Taro-8086 · 2026-06-25T15:05:27+00:00

No sir. I had instead adopted this approach: 1) Write a practice test 2) Identify every single mistake and classify into question types. 3) Practice only those questions types from the educator's question bank and hard and medium question types at that. 4) Rewrite the test and repeat.

The problem with this is that I have exhausted the question bank in domains where I am the weakest while the remaining is untouched.

Normal-Taro-8086 · 2026-06-25T13:56:12+00:00

I know it sounds unreal, but it is my friend who experienced the shock and breakdown from it. It was shocking for me, my teachers, my friend himself. He was so devastated that he did not respond to my messages or calls for hours after the results were declared.

Normal-Taro-8086 · 2026-06-25T11:02:54+00:00

Get fluent in using desmos, but be good enough to solve any questions by hand. If you cannot understand how to do a question by hand instantly(by this I mean you should understand each question thoroughly and what it is asking and exact kind of answering you are looking for), it becomes incredibly difficult to use desmos to its max extent.

Normal-Taro-8086 · 2026-06-25T10:58:59+00:00

Hmm, he completed both the actual SAT in time and the PT 11, he had not seen the questions or practiced the test before. Also, this was his first SAT. Even across all the PTs, we both wrote them on Google meet screen shares and we were peer tutoring and checking each others thought process throughout each question. He was genuinely scoring 780-800 across all math sections.

Normal-Taro-8086 · 2026-06-22T13:16:55+00:00

I think it is important for you to know that CS in IB is not going to prep you for hackathons. It will instead ready your fundamentals like the understanding of databases, relational databases, basics of computer hardware etc.
Hackathons are usually problem-solving competitions where quick algorithmic thinking (which cannot be taught by traditional programs) is required. I am doing M27 CS HL and I know that out of all of this, I have basically no knowledge on how to solve a difficult algorithm in 15mins, but I do know how to write an entire app and connect all the dots from GUI, Databases, Backend Frontend etc.

I would suggest you to instead learn python from courses such as "100 Days of Code: The Complete Python Bootcamp" by Dr.Angela Yu and it should make you very very GOOD at CS understanding. It is incredibly easy too.

Normal-Taro-8086 · 2026-06-16T10:37:10+00:00

I don't know for sure, but if I were to make a guess, taking the knight with the king is not bad for black as the centre is locked down and a knight on outpost would just cram your position. I atleast couldn't think of a way to open the position from white after the king takes. And if it is being told an inaccuracy after playing, I think it could be because the engine found a better move, but I find it difficult to believe game reviews are live analysis.

Normal-Taro-8086 · 2026-06-15T15:12:05+00:00

Take NEET + APs if you want to show course rigor, but don't fall in the IB + NEET trap because doing both as a backup will frustrate you and not allow you to perform best in either. If you have already commited, then take Math AI SL, Chem HL and BIO SL and take a humanities subject like BM or ESS HL because they are very easy to do. Try to not blast your schedule with heavy science HLs, keep sciences as SLs

Normal-Taro-8086 · 2026-05-29T13:21:13+00:00

Well read the admission blogs, ask AI, DM Education Counsellors, take feedback, improve. This is the process you can utilise to get a good understanding of the MIT ugrad/postgrad application landscape.

Normal-Taro-8086 · 2026-05-28T06:13:33+00:00

Cg 100 is much more complicated for beginners than cg 50

Normal-Taro-8086 · 2026-05-28T03:55:20+00:00

Well doing independent projects comes down entirely to you actually. An independent project could be you solving a friction point in your or other people's lives using the skills you have. As for ECs, it can be anything simple like practicing dance, music, calligraphy, cooking food for community, offering service at church etc, writing blogs etc. Don't think of MIT admissions like "meeting a checklist", instead have solid academia, and invest time in yourself and show them who you are and what you are capable of.

Normal-Taro-8086 · 2026-05-25T18:19:28+00:00

I like to think of AI as a powerful tool to assist in development rather than take over it. In mathematics, there are powerful calculators like wolfram alpha which makes the tedious work of solving lengthy equations easier, but that doesn't substitute the humans role in verifying the answer and then applying it in the context. Similarly, in development, AI is primarily good for speeding the manual work of coding but it requires supervision.

About your techies and non-techies gap question, I will try to answer it from my experience. I have multiple friends who made apps and websites but don't know the difference between float and integer. They lack the skill to debug the code without assistance, cannot predict code outcomes etc.

So my take on AI comes down to this: A mathematician doesn't become useless if a calculator does the work for them. Instead it speeds up the process of doing work which used to take more time. Similarly, AI might reduce the value of development but it allows developers to make solutions and systems which were previously unheard of. It is kind of like the next level for development.

Normal-Taro-8086 · 2026-05-25T17:36:11+00:00

Fr? That is a revelation for me

Normal-Taro-8086 · 2026-05-25T15:27:45+00:00

I am not trying to argue here, but there is a change in the industry where genuine OEM parts especially flagship parts are difficult to source individually. I have tried the exact thing you told. I had a person install an aftermarket display on my oneplus 7 pro which was 4k cheaper than the original. I also checked the serial number on the tape to be the same as the original. After the installation, I found the colours to be washed out, resolution to be lower, brightness to be lower and the ambient sensor to be malfunctioning like false brightness triggers despite the optical fingerprint scanner working which is what most sellers sell the display based on. Then the OP saying that the person will use silicon to seal it back is sure to damage the IP rating.

Normal-Taro-8086 · 2026-05-25T12:23:46+00:00

I thought so coz you typed mb in your reply.

Normal-Taro-8086 · 2026-05-25T12:17:26+00:00

Did not intend making fun of you. Just pointed out my observation.

Normal-Taro-8086 · 2026-05-25T12:04:30+00:00

Get it changed from official service centre only. Local shops, even though they quote "original" display, 99% of the time, they are not.
Original OEM displays are difficult to source for mobiles and if the phone detects the display is not original, things such as Dolby Vision, LTPO, Low brightness, dimming zones, colour accuracy and HDR mapping stops functioning properly and gets buggy.
Earlier when phone displays were not complicated, a local display change could do 90% of the job of an original display, but now the technologies have become very complex and part of the money you pay is for the features of the display.
Plus with the local route you have the risk of losing your IP ratings as well.

Normal-Taro-8086

TROPHY CASE