How Did She Get Here? What Inspires Her? Her Best Advice! 🌟

We asked Myla, a top IB ISR alumna, a Chemical Engineering student, and our amazing tutor, to share her story with our community!

Q: What subject did you struggle with the most? How did you master it?
A: My biggest struggle subjects were physics and TOK. I do not have a strong natural intuition for physics, so I spent lots of time reviewing topics and looking for extra resources (such as Youtube videos or IB websites) that helped me practice more. For TOK I had a great teacher that guided me through the journey and made it more easy for me.

Q: What felt particularly difficult for you in high-school?
A: Particularly difficult for me in high-school was learning how to figure out what path to take after completing my IB. I spent lots of time thinking about all of my options and also did a few internships and summer programs to identify what I was most interested in. Of course it troubled me, but participating in lots of events eventually helped me boost my extracurriculars and figure out where my interests lie.

Q: How did you stay motivated when school felt overwhelming or difficult?
A: To stay motivated you need to figure out what study strategy works best for you so you do not get overwhelmed in the first place anymore. I always opted to doing a bit of work each day instead of letting it pile up; completing small tasks especially in my free lessons such that when I came home from school I mostly did not have to do anything anymore and could focus on relaxing.

Q: Can you share a moment from your time at school where you discovered a breakthrough?
A: My ongoing struggle of ‘what am I going to study’ ended when I just sat myself in front of my laptop and actually did some research. There are a lot more study programs and options than you could possibly imagine, so combining all subjects you like into a study is actually not that difficult, you just need to do your research and ask around.

Q: What’s a mistake you made as a student that taught you an important lesson?
A: Definitely dropping a subject just so I had more free lessons. I just dropped the subject because it gave me more free time, not because I actually did not like it. By the time I was in high school I regretted that I could not continue with that subject and did not have the option anymore. Always pick subjects based on your interest, and do not drop them just because they seem hard or take up some time!

Q: What advice would you give your high-school self?
A: Never go for a subject you do not enjoy. I know enough people (as well as students) that pick subjects because they are easy or potentially make them some money. It is the most important thing that you start following what YOU enjoy early on, even in high school. You might believe your subject choices do not have a big impact yet, but they surely do. Stay active, keep learning, and your path will naturally take you to a place you like.

Q: How do you deal with stress in daily life?
A: My study tactics have not changed much since high school; always work according to the motto: ‘Be good everday to be great overall.’ I do little tasks daily so they do not pile up and stress me out. In addition, it is important to also have some side hobbies. For example, I enjoy reading and going to the gym, which really help in relaxing me.

Q: What profession are you working towards? Why did you choose this goal?
A: I am working towards being a Materials Engineer. I chose this goal/profession because it combines as subjects I like into one discipline. It allows me to use math, physics and chemistry as a tool to design new materials, but also enables me to stay creative. Combining logic and creativity has always been crucial to me.

Q: How has your IB grade helped you with your goals?
A: My IB grade has not helped me with my goal, the things I learnt doing my courses have. Once you are actually at university, people forget about your IB grades. What is important to take from the IB is not your score, but the knowledge and study techniques you have accumulated.

Q: What skill did you learn after school that you wished you had learned earlier?
A: Failing and trying again. Life after school really has its way to test you. When I was still in school, I encountered some minor failures of course, but that does not compare to life later. You need to learn that a failure, a bad grade, or so on does not define you, and that you just need to keep going to achieve your dream. Surely the most difficult thing I had to learn.

Q: What is your biggest achievement?
A: I would not say that I have the one ‘biggest achievement.’ Showing up everyday, finishing IB, doing the university program that I like or even getting better at sports are all achievements that count for me. It is important to always keep pushing for better.

Q: What habit or routine have you developed that has improved your productivity or well-being?
A: Less is more. Doing too much and burning yourself out to the point where you cannot concentrate anymore neither helps you nor your grades. Instead, setting a certain time where you work full focus and prevent distractions makes you a lot more efficient.

Q: What motivates you to keep learning and growing?
A: Understanding the world around me. I love looking around and saying ‘I understand why this color I see is blue and the other is yellow’ or ‘I know how computer chips work.’ There are endless things that we as humans do not understand, and discovering how the universe actually works is fascinating.

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