Shraddha Gautam, an outstanding student from GIIS SMART Campus, has achieved an impressive 44 out of 45 in the 2024 IBDP exams. Her dedication and hard work have paid off as she is now set to embark on a new journey at Oxford University, where she will be studying Law. Shraddha’s story is a testament to the effectiveness of the IBDP programme and the exceptional support from GIIS educators.
Q: How did you feel after finishing your exams?
A: It’s really such a great relief to know that I’ve not only finished it, but I’ve done well. I’ve achieved all the targets I’d set out for myself when this whole thing started. So obviously, it’s a very happy feeling.
Q: Firstly, why did you choose the IBDP programme?
A: When I moved to Singapore from India in 2019, I was in a school that did the IB Middle Years Programme. So when it came time to choose what I was going to do in Grade 11, IBDP was just a natural continuum for me.
Q: What strategies helped you succeed in your exams?
A: What I loved about GIIS is that our teachers have expert subject area knowledge. So, pay attention when your teachers are teaching in class. During the classes, teachers give you tips like focus more on a particular topic.
When you actually study for the exams, it makes it that much easier. Another thing is making good notes. Your notes need to be really clear as IBDP is a two-year programme, and you need to remember what you learned at the beginning of Grade 11 for your Grade 12 exams.Regular revision is also important, and GIIS helps you do that because you have frequent assessments.
‘We did so much of prep work before the main IB exams’
Q: How did GIIS teachers support you during your journey?
A: Honestly, my journey would have been a lot harder without the GIIS teachers. They guided me through my Extended Essay, English, and other subjects. Teachers like Shivalik mam and our coordinator were always there to help us. My English teacher would help us out with what we should be focusing on, guiding our writing, which is so important in literature. Her tips were impeccable on how you should organise your points, how many points you should have in each paragraph, what to do, if you don’t have any points? How do you sort of go through a text and find them? All of that was so important for us.
Our subject teachers knew what the IB grading was sort of going to be looking for when they graded us for our IAs on our written work. And they prepared us for all! We did so much prep work, that by the time the IB exams came, it was like – I’ve done this before, I just have to get it over with. So they really made us feel comfortable in a system that sometimes can be quite vague. And that’s something that the GIIS teachers did for us.
Also read: ‘Shoot for the moon!’: GIIS IBDP 2024 Near-Perfect Scorer set to start at dream university
Q: How does the IBDP curriculum prepare students for university?
A: The IBDP is geared towards preparing students for university. We do a lot of extra work that is not just reading from a textbook. We do things like the extended essay, and we’re made to think critically about the world around us.
I feel IBDP, as a curriculum, prepares students for university. We do a lot of extra work that is not just limited to textbook reading or writing. We are made to think critically about the world around us, and that is so important when you go to college. In college, you are balancing all these different aspects, which is so important for your future. This is why I think IBDP, as a curriculum, has many benefits.
Q: Can you share your experience with the Extended Essay?
A: My Extended Essay was under the English literature subject, which I opted for under High Level (HL). I was struggling to find a topic considering Literature is such a wide field. My advisor, Shivalik mam, suggested I pick something interesting. I ended up writing about literary gerontology, comparing ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’ and ‘Less’ by Andrew Sean Greer. It was essentially on perspectives about ageing in literature, and I thought it would be interesting. I thought I could have a really good Essay, and that’s what I ended up having.
‘These opportunities helped me during my university interviews’
Q: What skills did you develop outside the classroom at GIIS?
A: Outside the classroom, GIIS has so many opportunities for various activities, and that really helped me express myself. For example, I was one of the Chairs in the GIIS and UN conferences in 2023. There I had to coordinate with delegates, write the study guide, and ensure everybody present was following the procedure. All of that really helped me connect with people. That was a good learning experience. I was the Head of External Communications for another event where I had to connect with people in professional settings. These roles helped me develop my communication skills and confidence.
Because when you hold these positions, like the Vice-President of the Psychology Club, you have to communicate with groups of students who are part of the club. I also feel the stakes are low in school because even if you mess up, you mess up in front of your peers, and you know they’re not thinking badly of you because they too understand what it’s like to mess up! In that way, you can sort of develop your skills without feeling the pressure to get it right the first time.
These opportunities really helped me when I was taking my interviews for university. I was leaning myself on those skills, and it gave me the confidence to go through with them.
At GIIS, we have a really good CAS programme, that is to say, we have a lot of clubs and each club deals with a different sphere altogether. So whatever your talents are, whatever your interests are, the school will help you find a path to sort of go through with it.
Q: How did you manage your IBDP workload?
A: I created to-do lists every week or month depending on the workload. I prioritised tasks based on deadlines and importance. This approach helped me stay organised and manage my time effectively.
‘Our University Counsellor helped me with personal statement’
Q: How did GIIS career counsellors assist you with university applications?
At GIIS, our Career Counsellors were invaluable. I applied to UK universities exclusively. Ms. Seema, our university counsellor, helped me with my transcripts and personal statement. Her guidance made me feel confident about my application.
You tend to overthink your personal statement more than anything else you’ve ever written. Because your personal statement is about you. It’s what you’ve done. Why do you want to do that? And sometimes you feel like maybe you’re not interesting enough to write a statement about yourself. But Ms. Seema gave her inputs in specific places. And the feeling changed – maybe I am interesting enough because she wants to hear about me. So maybe, the university wants to hear about it too!. So definitely, GIIS’s University guidance process was amazingly helpful for me.
I applied to five universities as per the UCAS ( Universities and Colleges Admissions Service) limit. I think the main sort of process for me was when I was applying for Oxford, because you apply for Oxford, you get into the interview round, and then after the interview round, you wait for a while, and then they tell you how you’ve done. So mainly the prep for that was you start with your entrance exam, Oxford usually does have them. And for that you have to really study, there’s really nothing much you can do other than that. And then for the interviews, I think here’s where it became kind of important to remember how to speak without second guessing yourself while you’re talking. Moreover, you just really have to practise answering questions that maybe you’re not comfortable answering. Do look up some common questions and hope for the best.
‘Take pride in your work’
Q: What advice do you have for future IB students?
A: Take a deep breath. The exams are challenging, but many people do it every year. Keep a cool head and keep preparing. Have fun with your subjects and take pride in your work.
I think one of the biggest learning experiences for me would be time management. When you have so many different tasks that you’re trying to excel at, because you want to do everything at an excellent level, you really have to learn to sit down. Take note of everything you have to do and figure out how to get it done with the number of hours in the day that everyone has. And, that is so important because college is multitasking, life is multitasking.
Don’t stop, don’t say, I feel like I know enough. You trust me, you will never know enough until the exam is over. And just really try and have fun with it. Because at the end of the day, specifically for the IB, you’ve been doing this for two years, you have put two years of your life into doing this, and doing it well. So have fun with whatever it is you’re whatever your subjects are. You chose them for a reason you enjoy them. Just take pride in your work!
Moreover, as far as university applications go, the universities put in minimum thresholds on the website for a reason. If you meet that minimum or exceed, you should try– the worst they can do is reject you. But you have to try! And once you’ve tried putting everything to it, do your interview prep study for the entrance exam. Don’t leave any stone unturned. Don’t leave it to say in the future, I should have tried better. Just go for it. And you know what, you might even get it.
‘Really excited to study Law at Oxford’
Q: What are you looking forward to at Oxford?
A: I’ll be going to Oxford to read law. I’m really excited to finally be able to say it’s happening. I’m excited about studying law – understanding law, and how it governs our society is going to be fun. I’m excited about living away from home for the first time. Oxford is supposed to have amazing food, so I’m looking forward to that as well. I’m really looking forward to starting this new chapter.
At GIIS, our students, supported by experienced and IB-trained teachers, have achieved remarkable results with 112 World Toppers and Near-Perfect scorers to date. The GIIS SMART Campus IBDP 2024 cohort demonstrated exceptional academic performance, producing eight World Toppers and Near-Perfect Scorers. Srinidhi Sundar distinguished herself as an IB World Topper with a perfect score of 45/45. The provisional school average is 36.04%, significantly surpassing the global average of 30.32. .
If you are keen to know more about IBDP at GIIS, please don’t hesitate to contact our admissions team.
Shubhdarshani Mitra
Shubhdarshani has over 10 years of experience in content creation, curation and editing. She has worked for Indian newspapers, school magazines and international news websites where she worked closely with the leadership on the execution and communication of the content strategy. Aside from work, she’s a passionate B&W photographer and storyteller.
