The Extended Essay process prepares students for success in college.

Feb 9, 2023 | Academic Excellence Uni

Why is it worth doing a monograph?

TheExtended Essay(EE ) provides you with a unique opportunity to explore an academic area of personal interest. It is a research paper that you write independently, giving you the advantage of demonstrating your passion, enthusiasm, intellectual initiative and creative approach to a topic of your choice, on which you conduct an in-depth and focused analysis in order to critically answer questions of global importance. It is one of the elements at the heart of the IB Diploma program.

Through the Monograph production process, you develop important transferable skills - such as research, critical thinking and self-management (the importance of which I will explain later in this article) - that are communicated in the form of a written academic paper. It is important to highlight the commitment you will have to the research process and in the reflection you will make on this process, highlighting your intellectual and personal journey, and how this process comes to change you during your learning, as well as impacting the final version of your work.

In this article I will tell you what a Monograph is, what you will learn by doing a Monograph and why it is one of the most important benefits you can get from the IB Diploma Program(International Baccalaureate).

Preparing a Monograph gives you the great advantage of developing skills not only useful for your day to day life as an IB student, but also very valuable in the long term for when you enter university, since they will facilitate your research and writing of texts, lab reports or even your thesis to finish your degree. That is why producing a monograph provides you with the following benefits:  

• It teaches you to inquire, which is very important because you will always be looking for new information from different sources, you will want to learn more and more, making you a person with extensive knowledge about different areas.
• It teaches you to understand topics in a conceptual way; that is, you will understand concepts without the need for examples, you will be able to visualize difficult concepts to understand them more easily.
• It teaches you to understand social and political problems in a broader and more global way, allowing you to learn about different social contexts in order to understand the world and social relations more clearly.
• Satisfy your interests since it is highly personal work that is designed to give you the learning you need as an IB student.
• In evaluating you, they will do so in a way that will not only help you learn concepts about your work, but will also help you improve and grow as a human being. 

Thanks to the Monografías process you will develop skills that you already have, but that in other jobs you don't usually use much and that, nevertheless, are of vital importance for any area of life you can think of; sometimes it is complicated to develop them with simpler tasks that teachers assign us, so you should take the opportunity to practice them; the skills I am referring to are the following:

• Thinking skills: to analyze and understand any information presented to you concisely, quickly and effectively.
• Communication skills: to express -in a clear and understandable way for any reader- what you think, then it will serve you for any work that requires you to explain something about any topic. In addition, you will strengthen your ability to formulate arguments clearly and coherently.
• Social skills: when you have to talk to your consultant to explain your work, you will improve the way you relate to other people; this will help you establish interpersonal relationships that translate into contact and friendships that will be useful in the present and future.
• Self-management skills: being a job that you have to produce from start to finish, taking special care and attention in your organization and time management, you will learn that you alone can do a job without anyone chasing you, you will achieve the difficult task of not leaving the tasks or activities to the end.
• Research skills: you will be able to perfectly search for reliable and clear information that will be useful for what you are looking to do, so you will not have to waste your time in information that will not serve you for anything. You will learn to cite and give author credits so you don't go through life plagiarizing ideas that don't belong to you. You will be able to identify when a source of information is not reliable, so you will stop wasting your time on information of dubious origin. 

TheExtended Essay is perhaps the most inquiry-based activity you will undertake during the IB Diploma Program, especially since it is a completely open-ended assignment, driven by your interest in the topic of your choice; you can do this work on activities or areas of knowledge that you enjoy or are passionate about and, if you choose correctly, it is a lot of fun. This is no coincidence: the goal of the Essay(EE) is to encourage students like you to intentionally examine, in depth and intentionally, important issues and areas of research that are of personal interest to you. Through research, as a student you not only learn about the topic of focus of your Monograph, methodology and critical thinking (i.e., you not only learn about the process of writing the Monograph), but another advantage is that you develop important transferable soft skills such as time management, perseverance, resilience and decision making.

In the following, I recapitulate -as a list- the reasons why it is very worthwhile to live the process of elaborating the Monograph during your studies of the IB Diploma Program; for this list I have been guided by Antoni Moragues, who has written a text on Aplicación de la Monografía en 1º de Bachillerato con la metodología del programa IB (Application of the Monograph in the 1st year of Bachillerato with the methodology of the IB program):

• You will be able to distinguish between the basic and secondary aspects of the area you are studying.
• You will mature the ability to identify problems and formulate questions.
• You will be able to state the justification for your research (why it is important).
• You will be able to plan your actions and thus manage your time to move forward.
• Strengthen your ability to search for appropriate information from reliable sources.
• You will be able to propose possible explanations or hypotheses that provide solutions to the problem.
• You will mature in the application of research methodology and the collection of results.
• Thanks to critical thinking, you will be able to compare the information you had at the beginning with the findings of the results.
• You will be able to reach your own conclusions and argue them.
• You will enhance your oral and written communication and expression, putting it at the service of your research and knowledge dissemination objectives.

But... what is a Monograph and how do I do it?

Okay! I think we're doing well so far, but exactly how do you do a Monograph?

First, it is important to be clear that the Monograph is an in-depth study of a well-delimited topic that you will have the opportunity to freely choose from a list of available subjects from the IB Diploma Program, such as: Literature, Drama, English (in this particular case, you will have the great opportunity to write the monograph in English language), Biology or Mathematics. The specific topic you will delve into can be related to any of these subjects that catches your attention; as a recommendation, I would say to make a list of topics that you like to talk about or that simply appeal to you; then look for which of the subjects your topic might fit into so that you can write your Monograph on something you really enjoy.

You will have a professor who teaches the subject you have chosen and who will advise you during the process of producing your Monograph; he or she will help you whenever you get lost with the instructions and will be checking your progress closely.

The result of your research will be translated into a structured written work, whose formal presentation follows predetermined guidelines provided by the IB and in which ideas and results are communicated in a reasoned and logical manner.

Here are some of the most important specifications that every student who aspires to become an IB student should take into account:

• The Monograph is mandatory for all students taking the IB Diploma Program. At Celaya University High School you will have the opportunity to choose that program if you decide that the IB challenge is for you.
• The Monograph is externally assessed, which means that an assessor you do not know will assess your work using assessment criteria established by the IB itself and used in all IB schools.
• The Monograph process prepares IB students for success in university and beyond after the Diploma Programme. To choose a subject for the Monograph, students should consult the list of approved IB Diploma Programme subjects, taking into account the availability of advisors within the institution in which they are enrolled. It is presented as a formal academic work with a maximum length of 4,000 words, accompanied by a reflection form, which is a format in which you will write about your experience and how your processes and progress were; this reflection cannot be longer than 500 words.It involves approximately 40 hours of work by the IB student throughout the first three semesters of the IB Diploma Program.IB students are supported in a recommended supervision process of between 3 and 5 hours, which includes three mandatory reflection sessions, in which your advisor will help you and evaluate the work you have done.
• The third and last mandatory reflection session is the final interview, which is a concluding interview with the supervising professor in which you will be able to see how your advisor perceived your progress and your learning from this work.

Now you know some of the most relevant benefits that, from my point of view, the Monograph production process offers you, one of the core components of the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme (DP). I hope you will make the decision to live the challenge of the program and become a high performing student because ... being IB is worth it!

If you are interested in receiving more information about the IB Diploma Program at the University of Celaya, please contact us at https://www.udec.edu.mx/prepa-uni/ If you have any questions or concerns that you or your parents may have about this program, please feel free to contact the IB Diploma Program Coordinator at Uni de Celaya: Alejandra Núñez via email at: alenugo@udec.edu.mx or by phone +52 (461) 613 90 99 Ext. 1411.

Bibliographic references

• International Baccalaureate (2016). Monograph guide.

Theory of knowledge

Feb 9, 2023 | Academic Excellence Uni

How do I know what I know?

Dare to excel, do not limit your skills: become an IB student.

The IB Diploma Program wants to find people willing to push boundaries, to achieve goals and to excel as a person. A knowledge actor is someone motivated to understand more about the world and societies around us, someone with curiosity. It is not just a matter of knowing, in the course the knowledge actors will seek to deepen this knowledge, to ask themselves how they obtained it and how they apply it in their daily lives.

What benefits will I obtain with Theory of Knowledge (ToK)?

The IB Diploma Program has great tools to offer; for example, skills that can be applied in your day to day life. The benefits of the IB Diploma Program are greater than one would imagine and, as a student of Prepa IB at the University of Celaya, here I tell you what they are: 

You will reflect critically

You will create a more objective judgment, you will judge knowledge from a neutral position in order to be able to form a reasoned opinion about it. You will learn to get feedback from different points of view, to respect the diversity of opinions, you will form a more rigorous criterion to identify what information is from reliable sources and what knowledge you decide to believe in.

One of the activities we had in class that most demonstrates this applied characteristic was with the subject of history. Have you ever wondered if we can really trust the history books provided by the educational system? Many times history is told from the government's perspective, causing a manipulation of information, as it seeks to create a sense of nationalism by making historical figures look like "heroes and villains".

You will learn to enrich yourself with different perspectives.

You will develop an open mind that allows you to understand that knowledge can come from everywhere, from all cultures and from all kinds of things. Knowledge can be gained from friends, family, acquaintances, experiences, books, reports, news, movies... everything around us can provide us with something valuable. You will learn in the course about different cultures and traditions, immersing yourself in new worlds that seem far away from the reality you live in. The world is immense and each individual perceives it in a unique way.

TOK tests usually involve a lot of thinking and are also developed in teams. A video or image will be provided along with questions to which you will have to give an answer. These exams usually have topics that affect society, being team work you will have to reach a conclusion with the different opinions of each team member, learning to listen and respect other perspectives in the process.

You will recognize the need to use your knowledge in a responsible manner.

All knowledge is applied and we must be aware of it, informing you of the consequences of your actions is part of using knowledge responsibly. You will see topics with great moral debates, where you will question what limitations knowledge should have, what risks there are in the search for knowledge and also discover more about the nature of the human being.

As already mentioned, the TOK subject usually covers many societal issues, so it is important to instill in students the responsible use of our knowledge. Topics such as genetic modification, nanotechnology or cellular aging will be touched upon, looking at the benefits and also the dangers of these scientific advances. They can help us a lot and at the same time have interesting ethical debates when applied.

You will apply your knowledge with greater awareness

You will identify how you make use of your knowledge and also devise ways to help your community with your skills, become more aware of the knowledge you possess and see what you contribute to the world. We all have something to contribute, we just need to learn to value our skills in order to develop them.

The subject will always encourage helping our community, for example, in the subject we talked about the care of water and based on this topic, we made an analysis of how much water we consume in our daily lives. Likewise, each student made three proposals to save water and use it more effectively.

You will generate better informed ideologies and opinions

You will get to know yourself in the process, in the search for a better understanding of knowledge you will learn about different topics in which you will be able to generate your own opinion, you will identify which values you promote and you will reflect on the reason for this. The course will require a lot of interaction, formulating opinions in different situations. You will learn about different types of arguments and you will also learn how to develop opinions so that your message reaches the receiver effectively.

You will observe the world in a different way

Theory of knowledge opens your mind to a new world of infinite possibilities; you will learn from diverse areas, focusing on how this knowledge is applied in society. How does art influence our lives? How does history affect the search for knowledge? How does politics influence our values? These questions that will be developed along the way will change you completely, will give you a better reasoning to question the world.

One of the most interesting activities that my generation experienced was going to an indigenous village near Celaya, in that adventure we learned about the traditions of the natives, their clothing, their gastronomy, their perspectives, their handicrafts. Experiences like these make you make a 180° turn in your life, they take you out of a bubble to discover that in the world there is much more than what surrounds you.

Is Theory of Knowledge worthwhile?

The subject goes beyond being part of the IB Diploma Program, this subject will give you tools in the two years of study that it entails. It will make you see the world from a different perspective, a great advantage is that you will learn how the process of knowing is rather than just learning concepts and facts. Skills such as critical thinking, the ability to share your ideas with others in an assertive way, confidence about your opinions, questioning about social issues; these skills can be developed and used to the fullest. It will be an unforgettable experience, as you will enter a higher educational level in the pursuit of knowledge . You will go deeper in your opinions, you will reflect and your way of understanding the world will no longer be the same. So without a doubt I can say that YES, Theory of Knowledge is worth it because of all the learning it will give you. Dare to become an actor of knowledge, do not doubt your abilities, develop them.

If you are interested in receiving more information about the IB Diploma Program at the University of Celaya, please contact us at https://www.udec.edu.mx/prepa-uni/ If you have any questions or concerns that you or your parents may have about this program, please feel free to contact the IB Diploma Program Coordinator at Uni de Celaya: Alejandra Núñez via email at: alenugo@udec.edu.mx or by phone +52 (461) 613 90 99 Ext. 1411.

Want to know what a day at the IB Diploma at Uni Prep is like?

Feb 8, 2023 | Academic Excellence Uni

I'll tell you about the IB Diploma Programme experience at Prepa Uni

Many young people like you may not know what a student of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IB) does during a regular day, that is why I want to tell you how I live it as I am currently in the 4th semester of high school at the Preparatoria de la Universidad de Celaya, as well as what my classmates and I do in our day to day, so that you have a closer idea of the reality of the IB in a city like Celaya in Guanajuato and know, firsthand, some of our learning experiences.

Start of the day at the Prepa! 07:20 h TOK ... TOK ... TOK ... TOK

A day in the IB Diploma Program may start with a TdeC ( Theory of Knowledge TOK) class in which the teachers make us question things; that is, they teach us to ask why things happen; for example, during one of the mid terms we start looking at indigenous societies and questioning the reasons why they are disappearing. I really like the way things begin to be raised from the first class of TdeC because, in a way, it opens you to any kind of possibilities and gives you the opportunity to develop your own criteria on the topics discussed in class, so that we are able to analyze it, express it verbally or in writing, argue it and reach individual conclusions or even proposals for action.

Getting to know the business world: 08:15 h Business management

After the TdeC class, the Business Management course follows, in which we learn how to manage a company and how organizations work in today's world: from how to prepare an income statement to, for example, performing a SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats); we also acquire knowledge about the function of income statements, motivation theories, types of leadership, investments, to mention some of those that now come to my mind. Personally, I am very interested in knowing how a company works internally because there are many aspects that I did not understand, such as the way it is managed or the sectors into which an organization is divided, and thanks to this course I was giving answers, class by class, to these concerns through case studies, exercises, etc., which, I believe, will be very useful during my university studies.

10:00 h Gimme a break!

I continue telling you how one of my days in the IB Diploma at my high school is going. After the Business Management course, we have a break, which is a good opportunity to take a break, recharge our batteries, have lunch in the cafeteria and socialize with our classmates.

Let's test our bilingual skills: 10:30 h English class!

English class follows. It is very likely that you automatically think that this is a "typical" English class where they teach you the conjugation of the verb to be, but in reality it is not so; during this class you have the opportunity to learn how to argue in a second language -which implies having to think in English-, and then debate and give your opinion on relevant topics around the world. For example: share your opinion about Greta Thunberg who is a 19 year old Swedish environmental activist and about whom, during the English class, we share opinions, comments and analysis. I can tell you that what many of my classmates commented about Greta is that she has a somewhat rude way of speaking, not because she uses high-flown words to offend others, but -mainly- because her tone of voice is very punchy, strong and decisive. We came to the conclusion that Greta resorts to this technique to give firmness to her speech and thus more easily attract the attention of her audiences to whom she seeks to raise awareness about the actions that humans need to take to contribute to the care of the environment.

Let's learn about life processes: 12:20 p.m. Biology

It is noon and we are still active in the IB Diploma Program at Prepa Uni. The Biology class taught by teacher Paty continues. I can think that for many young students this subject might be tedious because I felt the same way when I took Biology in high school. Honestly, I didn't like this subject because I considered it boring, since they only made us learn the parts of the cells and then ask us questions in an exam, forget them and never touch the subject again for the rest of the school year. However, when I started the IB Diploma Program I realized that here the reality of this subject had nothing to do with the reality that I had experienced years ago, since during this class we do talk and study about Biology topics, but also about topics that happen nowadays... in our day to day life. As IB students we express the doubts we have, no matter if it is a little bit out of the subject of the class; for example, if during class we are looking at genetic modifications and I happen to ask if it is possible to identify the genes needed to modify DNA, the teacher answers you, explaining the answer that she backs up with her experience and this makes it even more interesting because every time we students ask something, other questions arise and this helps us to strengthen our critical thinking and to feed our curiosity to continue learning and not only stay with the topics that our teachers teach us, but to go beyond? questioning, inquiring and discovering... what a great way to learn!

Last class and we finish: 14:10 h Mathematics.

The last class of my Friday in the IB Diploma Program at Prepa Uni is Mathematics and wow, I'm not going to lie, this one might be a bit more challenging than any other math class I have taken so far, because in my experience, I was used to apply the knowledge I had learned only once in a problem that the teacher set and then I didn't use it again. But here that does not happen, all the learning that you are building serves for something else, finally it is about having the tools and using the ones you consider necessary to solve whatever comes up. If you feel identified with me, and you are one of those who suffer with numbers, do not worry, teachers and fellow IBs will never leave you behind. It is true that sometimes you study topics that, at first glance, seem a little confusing, such as logarithms or the graphs of a function, but I assure you that the teacher is always willing to guide you, explain and find a way for the topics to be understood and you can apply them; it can be through real life examples, exercises, practices, etc. ...

What did you think of this day in the IB Diploma Program at Prepa Uni? Would you like to live the experience of being an IB student?

When I am aware of the skills, knowledge and attitudes that I acquire as an IB student, I think it is worth it because it challenges me to think, but not in a mechanized way as I had been used to, it gives me the advantage of developing my own thoughts and personal criteria regarding the events that happen to us as human beings who live in a globalized world and are part of a complex society.

Have you ever been bored during your classes?

I have come to realize that this is because what you see during the classes is not related to what you are interested in. When I started the IB Diploma Program, my perspective broadened more and more and now I see things in a different way that I didn't think was possible; for example, during my current IB Literature classes I have to read books but I find them more interesting than when I was in high school because not only do we read them, but they also lead us to discuss global issues that are in the plot or argument of the book and, I don't know about you, but this motivates me -more and more- and gives me the confidence to express my opinion in front of my classmates and teachers. This is why I think the IB Diploma Program is worthwhile and you should give yourself the opportunity to experience being an IB student ... a high achieving student.

If you are interested in receiving more information about the IB Diploma Program at the University of Celaya or in answering any questions or concerns that you or your parents may have about this program, please feel free to contact the IB Diploma Program Coordinator at Uni de Celaya: Alejandra Núñez via email at: alenugo@udec.edu.mx or by phone +52 (461) 613 90 99 Ext. 1411.  

Make up your mind, be IB!

How far do you want to go?

Feb 8, 2023 | Academic Excellence Uni

If the idea of being an International Baccalaureate (IB) student is calling your attention, first you need to know what it is, what advantages it offers, how it works, among other very important points so that you can make your decision well informed and convinced.

As you know, Prepa Uni has been offering for seven years now, the possibility of taking the IB Diploma Program starting in the third semester, so you are just in time to start learning about this excellent option.

This article aims to introduce you, in a very digestible way, to the International Baccalaureate, emphasizing the competitive advantages you can achieve by being an IB student. If you are ready, let's get started!

WHAT IS THE INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE (IB)?

The International Baccalaureate is an educational organization based in Geneva, Switzerland. The International Baccalaureate Diploma program is a 2-year educational program that offers an internationally accepted certification for university entrance (higher education) and is recognized by universities globally. It is offered in more than 140 countries. To participate, students must attend an IB school and take and accredit one subject from each of the six areas, which are: Language and Literature, Language Acquisition, Individuals and Societies, Science, Mathematics, Arts, as well as three core components which are:

• Monograph(Extended Essay)
• Theory of Knowledge.
• Creativity Activity and Service (CAS)

At Prepa Uni, the subjects that are part of the Diploma program are: Language and Literature, English, Business Management, Biology, Mathematics and for the Arts subject you can choose between Theatre and Visual Arts. In addition, of course, there are the three core components that are the heart of the Diploma. These subjects are taken during the two years of the program.

It is important for you to know that the IB is useful for students who wish to continue their studies abroad, as well as for those who plan to do so in Mexico.

WHAT ADVANTAGES DO I HAVE AS A STUDENT OF THE IB DIPLOMA PROGRAM?

Due to the scope of the IB Diploma Program, there are numerous advantages and opportunities for IB students among which I can list the following:

• High level of performance. As a graduate of the IB Diploma Programme you will arrive at university with knowledge and skills that will make you stand out from your peers.
• Improved performance in soft skills. As an IB student, you will not only excel in the corresponding academic areas, but you will also stand out for the development of your skills such as: critical thinking, leadership, independence and resilience.
• Professional development. Each year, more than 5,000 universities in over 100 different countries such as: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, the United States, the United States and more receive applications for admission and transcripts from IB students.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN IB TEACHING AND A TRADITIONAL BACCALAUREATE?

The education provided in schools with the IB Diploma Program is student-centered, you are the protagonist of your learning, and during the program, you will have the opportunity to learn through different methods. The teaching is not limited to the classroom or books, but goes far beyond that.

As an IB Diploma student, you are invited to explore the outside world through interactive and dynamic experiences, such as field studies, presentations, case studies, direct contact with real-world issues, among others. It prepares you to face diverse situations, due to its global focus. In IB you are guided to help you develop your full potential, as well as your disciplinary and soft skills, for example: leadership, critical thinking, mathematical and linguistic ability, independence, oral and written communication, among many others. This is achieved by implementing new and effective teaching-learning methods. The educational philosophy of the IB Diploma Programme celebrates the many ways in which people work together to construct meaning and understand the world.

HOW DOES THE DIPLOMA PROGRAM CONCLUDE?

Upon completion of the IB Diploma Program, students receive two certificates: the first, endorsed by the Dirección General del Bachillerato (DGB) of the Secretaría de Educación Pública (SEP) and the second, issued by the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO). 

WHAT WILL MY EVALUATIONS BE LIKE?

As I mentioned before, the IB Diploma Program offers an education characterized by its innovation and that, from my personal experience, is different from what I had previously seen and experienced during my school years. This is why it is quite normal to have doubts about how the IB evaluation method is or even what exams you will have to take if you decide to enroll in the Diploma Program, isn't it?

Well, now I'll clear your doubts.

You will have a continuous evaluation as you have been doing so far to report your grades to the SEP, but in addition, you will be evaluated by the IB in two ways: one external and one internal. The external evaluation consists of several exams for each subject, but those exams are not graded by your teachers, but by IB evaluators, which in short are teachers from other IB schools trained to do so. The exams are basically the same for all students in the world who are studying a certain subject and are given on the same day for everyone. These external evaluations take place in May of the last semester of high school.

Internal assessment is carried out by your IB teachers and includes research (in the case of Biology and Mathematics), oral work (in the case of Literature and English), artistic modes of expression, among others.

If at the end of the program, you fulfill a series of requirements, you obtain, in addition to the two certificates, the IB Diploma, which is something we all aspire to, as it represents the culmination of all our effort and work. It also opens many doors in case you plan to study abroad.

The International Baccalaureate ensures that, by the end of the Diploma Program, students like you will have developed in areas such as analysis and presentation of information, the ability to make sound and coherent arguments, critical thinking for creative problem solving and knowledge retention, all of which are competitive advantages that will make you stand out during your studies at university and show a particular difference among young people of your own age.

But above all, the IB will make you aware of the responsibility you have as a citizen of this planet, develop an international mindset, learn about and celebrate different ways of seeing the world, and give you what you need to continue learning throughout your life, as part of the IB's mission is to create a better world through education.

In conclusion, the IB is a great opportunity that gives you access to useful tools to strengthen your academic and life skills; it will propel you to reach your goals more efficiently. Take the first step into a sea of opportunities... the decision is up to you. Being IB is worth it! And only you can answer this question: how far do you want to go?

If you are interested in receiving more information about the IB Diploma Program at the University of Celaya or in answering any questions or concerns that you or your parents may have about this program, please feel free to contact the IB Diploma Program Coordinator at Uni de Celaya: Alejandra Núñez via email at: alenugo@udec.edu.mx.

You can also visit the official IB website: https://www.ibo.org/es/

References:

• IBO (n.d.) Advantages of IB. Retrieved from: https://www.ibo.org/es/benefits-of-the-ib/
• IBO (n.d.) Diploma Program. Retrieved from: https://www.ibo.org/es/programmes/diploma-programme/