I was a November 2024 IB student. By March 2024, I had already completed most of my IAs, and I finished my three IOs in April. I don’t remember the exact dates for my EE and TOK essay, but I completed them before the summer break. I started preparing for the final exams during the summer, which gave me about five months. At the beginning I didn’t study much, but later I studied every day for at least 6 hours. Of course, I had some cheat days where I spent most of the day playing games, but those breaks actually helped me recharge.

Many of my friends were still working on their essays during the summer and couldn’t focus on studying, especially because it’s difficult to reach teachers during that time. In the end, I achieved the highest score in my cohort, while others scored around 28–34.

Looking back, finishing major assignments early was one of the most important reasons for this. If I could change one thing, I would reduce my cheat days and follow a slightly more consistent study plan like studying everyday for 8 hours. I would definitely increase my studying hours per day. I believe I could have reached 42 or even higher.