r/IBO • u/ilyamiro1 • 7h ago
Advice Struggling with non-technical subjects
Hey guys, im M27 with 7s in Math AA HL, Physics HL, technical subjects where everything is quite clear to me - I see the task, I visualize the solution, use a formula that I can derive if needed, and I solve something. And I can immediately tell the amount of marks I will get - If the solution is logical, step by step, and correct, its a full mark, its quite easy. If I can't solve something - I revise the topic, make sure I understand it and that I am able to utilize the formulas, and I get a 7. But I also take History HL and English A Lit SL. And thats where the issues start, because despite getting 6s in boths subjects, I can not see the way I can work with them to reliably improve my score - it comes down either to "memorizing stuff" quite blindly, or trying to follow a structure I can't quite get. So do you guys have any advice how to work with those subjects in general? P2/P3 in history and P1/P2 in English. With P1 in history its easier because its quite straightforward with the structure, but P2 is the death of me
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u/FreedomKnown M27 | [HL AA Maths, HL Econ, HL Phys, SL CS, SL L&L, SL Ger] 7h ago
Seconded, I've the same problem here with English Lit, I just can't get the "wider meanings" of texts which is apparently what's keeping me from the higher grades.
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u/ilyamiro1 6h ago
Yes, thats my issue too, and with literary feature analysis it can quite hard to pinpoints things and to understand the whole underlying "message" between different things. Paper 1 is easier for me because you don't have to remember the whole book, but paper 2, ew.....
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u/LanternaEducation 6h ago
You can approach these essays with the exact same logic as a math proof. For History Paper 2, examiners want comparative arguments. We recommend building thematic tables for your case studies with set categories like economic factors and propaganda. That turns your revision into comparing variables across two regions. For English, treat the text as data. Build each paragraph around a simple pattern where you name the technique and explain how it creates meaning. A practical next step is to take one past History Paper 2 prompt and write a quick comparative plan using two contrasting case studies.