Everyone’s heard of the rigorous IB diploma programme, but learning about people who’ve aced it and how they did it? HoneyKids has the scoop!
While the last school year proved to be challenging, it didn’t put a damper on the stellar results of students. Yes, the 2021 International Baccalaureate (IB) results are in, with good news for students in Singapore — they’ve surpassed global averages! One school in particular, Overseas Family School (OFS), had five students who scored perfect marks. A phenomenal 33% of its over 150 candidates achieved 40 points and above, and an impressive 31% of the school’s IB candidates earned prestigious IB Bilingual Diplomas, reflecting the exceptional language resources and support available at OFS. Here, we speak to two of the school’s top scorers, Noam Segal and Miho Hamada, to discover the secrets of their success.
Hi Noam and Miho, tell us a little about yourselves!
Noam: I grew up in Israel and Hebrew was my native and only language. I joined OFS when I was almost 15 years-old in Grade 10, and started my journey with limited English. Through the OFS Study Preparation Program (SPP) for rapid English language acquisition, I acquired my English skills over the course of a semester.
Miho: I’m originally from Japan, and I grew up in Tokyo, Manila, and Singapore. I joined OFS in Grade 9 and have been studying at OFS for 4 years.
Both of you achieved a perfect 45 points on your IB Diploma exams — congratulations! How did it feel when you received the news?
Noam: It was unbelievable, getting a perfect score always seemed like an impossible goal to me. When I opened my diploma, I was very happy and felt so accomplished. I was extremely proud and found myself shaking with excitement.
Miho: I was surprised but also very relieved. When I got a predicted score of 45, I felt pressured (by myself, not by my teachers/parents) to maintain that score in the finals, despite telling myself that the process is more important than the score.
Tell us about your preparation process – any tips for students taking the next exams?
Noam: I believe that preparation is an ongoing process and that it is so important to stay on track. Studying for each assessment and understanding the topics while they are being taught will help massively when doing the final revision. Make notes ahead of time so that when you get to the final month, you can focus on summarising and revising them.
I also recommend solving past papers and revising past assessments and analysing your mistakes. Do not hesitate to seek help and advice from your teachers.
Miho: Plan ahead so you won’t feel overwhelmed. Since the workload in IB is heavy, I tackled small portions at a time. Of course, not everything goes as planned, but at least attempting this allowed me to make sufficient time for all the assessments as well as sports.
Also, take all quarter tests seriously. After each test, I tried to ask my teachers as many questions as possible to find out how I could do better. Sometimes, I would go to my teachers during break times (my teachers were all very kind to allow this) to make sure that I fully understood what they meant during class.
Did anything else help?
Miho: Take breaks! Basketball has always been a way for me to de-stress. I played basketball at school during lunchtime and after school through the OFS After School Sports Programme and the OFS competitive Tigers sports team.
How did your school help you achieve your goals? Inquiring minds want to know!
Noam: OFS helped me tremendously. Firstly, the SPP (Study Preparation Programme) taught me useful English skills and helped me adjust quickly to a mainstream class. Throughout my years at OFS, I received lots of support from teachers and my academic advisor. As part of the Homebase program, we learned how to set goals and gained useful study skills to help meet our targets. Finally, just the harmony and feeling of belonging at school made the experience better.
Miho: I knew that I wanted to stay healthy both physically and mentally during IB. OFS helped me achieve this through its Tigers competitive basketball team. At first, I was hesitant about joining the team since I thought I “wouldn’t have time”. Instead, it turned into a good opportunity to push myself to plan better and “make time” for basketball.
Looking back, I believe that joining the team and playing until the final IB exams pushed me to plan ahead and procrastinate less. It also allowed me to de-stress, keep fit, and maintain good mental health, not only during normal school days but also during semester and mock exams.
Thank you, Noam and Miho!
Want to learn how the IB Diploma programme can benefit your child? Book a tour at OFS today!
This post is in partnership with Overseas Family School.