Attitude defines a perfect IB score

Prelude

Every student is unique. At Dulwich College Suzhou, we aim at supporting each student for their own path and bringing the “difference” out of them. Our Class 2022 graduate Viktor B has achieved the full score in IB this year and he has chosen one of the best universities, Norwegian University of Science and Technology as his next study destination. The university is well known for its close collaboration with industry, and particularly with its R&D partner SINTEF, which provided it with the biggest industrial link among all the technical universities in the world. The university's academics include three Nobel laureates in the areas of physiology and medicine.

Viktor has been quite clear about the principle in his study, and his attitude working with teachers and other friends is no doubt leading him to his success.  Please see our interview with Viktor below.

From Mr Andrew Palmer, Director of Counselling

“It was a privilege to have the opportunity to work with Viktor as his counsellor at DCSZ. From our first meetings early on in Year 11, he not only had a clear idea about what his future university aspirations were in Norway, but he was organised, self-reliant, communicative, and was proactive in taking every step required to set himself up for success. He would often make a quick stop into my office to just share an update on his plans. All of his hard work and diligence has clearly paid off in his IB Results and his university offers.  As a counselor, it made my job fun and easy to support a student like him. I am excited to see what’s in store for him in the future, and how he’ll potentially help guide future Dulwich students as part of the Worldwise Alumni Network. “

In making this wonderful achievement, is there anything you particularly want to emphasise?

I want to express gratitude to my teachers and mentors who helped and guided me these last two years. Heeding their advice is the best advice I can offer. Other than that, I think it comes down to being disciplined yet having balance, for me that was keeping active, reading, and going out on the weekends - but to each their own. 

During your study time in IB, which subjects did you find most challenging and how did you go through the difficulties?

Initially Physics was the subject I scored the lowest in, I had a term one average of 4 or 5. It’s a subject with a steep learning curve so once you have a holistic understanding, keep practicing and it becomes easier as you start picking up on the patterns. 

Is there any particular teacher/staff you find most helpful in overcoming problems in your learning or during the process of making improvements?

Couldn’t possibly narrow it down to just one as I have glowing merits for each of them. Ms Lin somehow convinced me to take one of the hardest HL subjects, and despite it taking up most of my time, it quickly became a favorite. Mr Gora easily had the most lively classes (both online and in school), not to mention his elite humor as he never let me live down my poor footballing abilities. Ms Li was kind and caring, making sure we had plenty of extra lessons during our free periods to really hone our Chinese skills! Mr Aitkenhead was always supportive despite some tragic test results, and Ms Lutterodt never failed to listen to student input, we had plenty of say from course calendars to Spotify playlists . Last but not least, both Mr Byrne (who was my English teacher, EE supervisor, and football coach) and Mr O’Connell played pivotal roles as mentors for my personal growth. 

Anything you particular want to share with us about your experience in learning about ToK or completing your EE? 

ToK is good fun if you are getting into all sorts of debates and discussions even over trivial matters, but planning the essay was easily the most cognitively challenging task of IB. I similarly spent a lot of time planning my EE, but once the framework was there I wrote the bulk of it in a week or two - the earlier you finish your EE, the less it impacts your ability to meet other IA deadlines. 

Talking about your university application, we are so glad to know that you are going to Norweign University of Science and Technology. I wonder if you could share your thoughts with us that why you think this university is your “best-fit” and how did you make up your mind in choosing it for your next destination?

There were many reasons why I wanted to study in my home country, Norway. University is free, student loans have no interest, it’s one of the few countries where you’re eligible to study engineering without HL Math, and I have fine opportunities in terms of part time work and apprenticeships. The course I plan to study had extremely high entry requirements and is a very prestigious university in Europe, but it yields plenty of job offers before most students finish their final year.

Last year, as far as I remember, their entry requirement was at least 41 – 42 points. Studying abroad may come in the form of exchange years later, but this university suits me the best.

Do you have any final piece of advice or tips to other IB students?

My final piece of advice to anyone starting IB would be to have fun and enjoy yourself, grades are good and all but don’t forget to make the most out of your only high school experience.