Student testimonials who graduated the Westwood IB program!
“I'd like to thank you for the IB program. Things are so much easier as a result of IB.
About half of my subjects at university are things that I have already taken, I received a rather
substantial sum of scholarship money, and I am sitting on an A average due to my English
transfer credit. You always told us about the benefits of IB, and I'll be honest, until recently, I
didn't believe it. But now that I am experiencing it, I must tell you that it truly paid off. Thank
you.” – Sebastian Cichosz
“It is an excellent preparation for post-secondary education, building time management
skills and work ethic. It also provides students with practical skills and experiences from the
many volunteer projects that they undertake. Overall, it is an excellent program whose benefits
are well worth the time and effort it requires.” – Jill McDonald
“The IB program gave me a head start in university. Earning a 6 on my HL English exam
gave me 6 free credit hours, so I was able to take more electives in my first year. Although I
struggled with Calculus in high school, when I reached the 'real' university level Math courses, I
found that they were easier than what I had already taken! First year Math classes were like
review for me, and I was able to get an 'A' in every one. IB really did prepare me for my
university experience, and I'm glad that I took advantage of what it offered when I was at
Westwood”. - Sara Hamilton
“The International Baccalaureate program was an overall great experience for me, it taught me
hard work, organization, and whether I liked it or not, time management. Although it was a busy couple
of years, it definitely was a great choice for my parents and I to make. With the I.B. Diploma, it opens up
many doors, offering transfer credits to universities and it looks great on resumes.
Many people think to be in I.B. you have to be a genius and study every night, sacrificing any fun
that may have been possible. This is not the truth. Actually it’s quite the opposite. During my high school
and I.B. experience I was on the junior varsity and varsity volleyball teams, I worked about 25 hours per
week, went out with friends regularly, and still did really well. Some students did even more than that,
including various activities such as taking part in the school musical, volunteering, organizing charity
events, dance, etc. You just have to work hard, seek help when needed, and push through.
I.B. is a challenge. In my graduating class, there was not one person who could say that the two
years were “easy”. If you are determined and willing to work hard, there are resources that can help you.
The teaching staff at Westwood was great in helping the students out, helping with homework,
assignments, and just how we can do things differently to make the program a little easier for us.
As I said before, I.B. gives many little perks that will help you get ahead in post-secondary
education. But this isn’t the main attribute usually associated with I.B. graduates. They are known as
well-rounded, determined people. These traits extend much farther than just university or college; they go
with you wherever you go in life. I.B. is a world-wide organization and growing to this day. More and
more people are realizing the qualities that can be gained by partaking in this program.
I believe I.B. is for students interested in challenging themselves, who like to strive towards a
goal. The day that you receive your I.B. Diploma or certificates is an awesome feeling. Knowing that
what you’ve worked towards for over two years has finally paid off. I.B. helps with self-confidence, it
creates a unity among the I.B. students that may not have been there if you didn’t take the program and it
opens so many doors for the future. Just from one of the assignments, I gained the opportunity to
volunteer in a research lab at St. Boniface hospital over a couple summers, and ultimately gave me
references needed to acquire a lab job for during the school year.
If you’re on the fence deciding whether or not to enroll in I.B., I would suggest you do so.
Whether it is certificate or diploma you choose to go in, either one will help immensely and you’ll be glad
you chose I.B. With it, you can go to schools around the world. Everyone loves to see I.B. in your
transcripts.”– Sam Sanders
“The IB program has made the transition from high school to university a breeze for me.
It helped me build time management skills so that it was easy to adjust to the university
workload. The courses also cover more material than standard high school classes and I found
that much of my first year courses were a repetition of things I had already covered. I believe
that it enabled me to attain a higher first year GPA than I would have if I had not been in the
program and I did not feel at all overwhelmed. I would recommend taking at least some IB
courses in high school to any students who are serious about a secondary education!”-Caroline
Allard
“IB covered a lot of the material I took in my first semester of university; I think I was
better able to get use to university, without having too much immediate pressure to learn new
material. By the second semester, I had got the hang of things, and I think I am a better student
because I had the beginning advantage on the first classes I took.”– Joshua Lemer
“My experiences in the International Baccalaureate program at Westwood really helped
prepare me for life in University. I was able to learn how to adjust my social life, workload and
part time job experience while still in high school which made the actual transition into
University much easier. I was already used to the workload and expectations I would face,
having dealt with that in the IB program as well. My IB teachers taught me how to prepare for
life in the real world, where there are no extensions or excuses for late work and you are
responsible for your actions. It was an amazing feeling to graduate with my IB certificate
knowing that I accomplished something on my own. It was challenging, but ultimately
rewarding.” – Claire Woodbury
“My two years in the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme at Westwood
Collegiate were incredibly positive; I had many opportunities to learn, experience new things, to
challenge myself and to get to know my friends and teachers. I will be entering my second year
of university at the University of Winnipeg and in adjusting to that new environment I have
really come to be aware of how IB helped me to develop as an individual.
The IB Programme itself, and my teachers, prepared me well for the expectations of
university. I entered my courses with a solid knowledge base that helped me to further
understand the course material as well as to see connections between disciplines. The
assignments I completed in IB, most notably the Extended Essay, gave me an opportunity to
develop research and communication skills and to think critically and independently. I learned
about note taking, study skills and time management as well. The experiences that I had while in
IB – both academically and through the CAS requirement –encouraged me to realize my full
potential. Graduating from the Diploma Programme has given me the confidence to not shy
away from challenges, because I know that with motivation, hard work and support, anything is
possible!
My IB education also helped me to learn about balance. Exploring different subjects
while in IB has encouraged me to seek variety in my post-secondary education. CAS taught me
about the importance of community involvement, something that I have tried to pursue after
graduation. Friends, family and extra-curricular activities were also very much a part of my IB
experience. I am now more aware of how important it is to be well rounded, as a means of
managing stress and living a fulfilling and happy life.
My experience in the IB Programme was wonderful and has prepared me for a life of
learning!”– Sydney Earpwiebe
“I really enjoyed being in IB! When I entered into the program I thought only of the
benifits I had heard of; possible scholarships and possible transfer credits for university. I never
realised I would also gain time managements skills, writing skills, the ability to cope with stress
and overlapping assignments and a great group of friends and teachers. Entering university last
year, I was pleased to see that a lot of my first year courses were partial reviews of what I had
already covered in IB! That made the transition into university a lot easier. I also was able to
handle all my conflicting assignments. IB gave me a glimpse of higher education so I was more
prepared. Plus the classes are great, with smaller groups. I loved the discussions we would have
as a class and the teaching style of all the teachers at Westwood. I would recommend IB to
anyone! Do not let the idea of IB overwhelm you, you can do it!” – Angela Woodbury
“The IB Program has prepared me well for the challenges that come with post-secondary
education. Time management, a good work ethic and self discipline to study are the keys to
success in University. I did not find the initial adjustment as difficult as I was already prepared
with these skills having taken several IB courses. The content covered in the courses I took has
given me a good background of knowledge which I am able to apply to my studies today.” –
Megan Ames
“University was an easy transition because I have learnt everything already. I have never
felt so smart! Last year I didn’t appreciate what great teachers I had because I was sick of school
work and school in general but now I look back and wish I thanked you my teachers more.
University is so different and although I really like the structure and the freedom, I miss having
real teachers that care and that know your name. I was reading through my course syllabus and
everything in it I have taken, which makes me happy. I kept all my notes so I am hoping that
this will help me get good marks this year. So basically I just want to thank you for making my
last year of high school amazing.” – Janelle Thibert
“Since starting university I have been pleasantly surprised, my initial fear of university has
vanished because of being in the IB program. I was very nervous, because the concept of
university was a scary one, until I started realizing that the regular students were in university
with me. The classes which I had been warned about “OH! Your taking Microbiology? Well put
it in your schedule next year because it’s so hard, unless you study all the time you won’t pass.”
yeah right, IB Biology went into more detail about transcription and translation of DNA. The
professors keep telling us that we don’t need to know things because it won’t be on the exam.
In all of my classes whether it is writing literary essays for English or just being in regular biology
classes, the IB program is definitely around a second year university level and it prepared me
for the way university runs. The literary essays I learned to write are exactly what the profs
want, and most of the profs have their PhD. All in all the IB program is a great one, if you are up
to it and feel like the mainstream isn’t giving you enough of a challenge try tackling the IB
program, you won’t regret it.”-Beth Klassen
I did'nt realize this until I actually started University, but even having just partial IB is extremely
helpful and it has saved me a ton of time. Even though I did'nt choose to continue on in any of
the IB courses specifically, having the credits allowed me to focus more on my major classes. I
should'nt assume this, but I feel as though I am much more prepared than a lot of the other
students that may have not gone through a program like IB, as far as writing and managing the
work load goes. So, I think that taking IB is really helpful, whether the courses
specifically apply to your future plans or not. I think that it was more the skills I took from
the program rather than the actual material (although interesting at the time) that proved the most
helpful in the long run. Looking back...its definately not as bad as everyone made it out to be.
I am going for my bachelor's in piano performance, its a lot of work and practice but everything
is going great so far. –Tristan Pearl (Grad 2010)
University is going well for me, I actually saw Mr. Patterson at school a couple of weeks ago and he was asking about
IB and how it went. I definitely think that IB helped me to prepare for university, especially with time management,
studying skills and just the overall work ethic needed. I'm in calculus and all of my friends who had not taken the IB
math have dropped out of the course because it was too difficult. It was pretty easy to make the adjustment to
university, as the workload is nearly the same as with IB. So overall I definitely think that IB gave me an advantage,
and was worth all those long nights! – Lexie Flynn (Grad 2010)
Everything is going great at University! I am honestly loving every minute of it. It's crazy
how much easier everything is, compared to IB! It might be different because I'm taking only the
classes I'm interested in, but even the work load seems a lot lighter. My exams were really easy
too, even in my second year courses. It's kind of funny watching my other friends who weren't in
IB freak out about having a couple exams, when its nothing to the rest of us! I might be alone in
saying this, but I don't think I have any complaints about the IB program at all. This first year of
university is a breeze because of it, and I actually really enjoyed being in the program. It gave me
such a feeling of accomplishment knowing that I got my diploma after all the hard work I put in.
It's something I will always be able to look back on, and be proud of myself for acccomplishing
it. Even if I hadn't gotten the diploma I still would have looked back on IB with fond memories!
We learned a lot about time management, and how to write proper essays, etc. Regardless of if i
got the diploma or not, the program would have been beneficial. I also liked IB, not just because
it prepared us for univeristy, but just because it was a lot of fun, believe it or not! I liked that the
group of us in full IB got really close, we actually ended up hanging out a lot after we were done
school in May! And just doing things like CAS, watching history movies at lunch, extra help
after school, we always had a good time. I know everyone probably agrees, that it was nice being
seperate from the rest of the school, and feeling like we were our own little group. I think it made
us all feel important, and that we all shared something together. I think when you go through
something like the IB program with people, it brings everyone together. We had a lot of good
times, that I will never forget. And that includes the teachers too! If there's one thing I will never
forget about being in IB, it will be the relationships we got to form with our teachers. I'm sure
kids who weren't in IB got to know their teachers too, but no one spent as much time in your
guys classrooms as us IB kids! It's honestly what made me want to become a highschool teacher,
just seeing how much teaching can affect people. I know we gave you guys a hard time the past
couple years, and I can't speak for anyone but myself, but I am really really appreciative for
everything you guys did for us. I don't think we could have asked for a group of better IB
teachers. It definitely made the workload a little less terrible! In my opinion, anyone who
complains about the IB program is just lazy. I think you did a great job last year, I have no
complaints whatsoever. I just wish more people would take advantage of the fact that Westwood
offers IB, because I really really think its an awesome program. I'm actually really disappointed
that my own sister is barely taking any IB classes! If I were to suggest anything, I guess it would
be to start talking to the kids earlier about the IB program and really explaining to them what it
is. Because I remember being really confused and not really knowing what I was signing up for.
To be honest I only started taking IB classes in grade ten because my friends were, and now I am
probably the biggest advocator for IB out there! But anyways I'm sorry to ramble on, I could talk
about how much I love IB for hours! – Alex Allardyce (Grad 2010)