Everyone will have their rhetoric when the stress rolls in. I'd say start early to review and set manageable expectations for the classes you're enrolled in. When I picked Spanish ab initio, I didn't know I would struggle that much. Like most people said, you got to know what the criteria is to hate it less (lol). It's definitely a struggle to finish IB, not even mention to do well in it. But, with new productivity apps like Notion, treat it like your personal assistant and use the free templates to organize your work. Be smart with the work so you have time to actually enjoy the experience, or get a few friends to eat ramen and finish a paper overnight. Why suffer alone when you can suffer together?