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Samantha joined the BIS Abu Dhabi family in Year 7 and after seven highly successful years, she has graduated with 40 points out of a possible 45 in the IB Diploma Programme, placing her in the top 10% of IB Diploma candidates worldwide.
On receiving her results, Samantha said: “I mostly felt relieved and proud of myself that all my hard work paid off and that I had done my best.”
Samantha’s educational journey is now taking her ‘down under’ to the University of Western Australia where she will study Biomedical Science. “It has the best course for what I want to study which is important as my goal after my Bachelor is to study for a Doctor of Medicine.” said Samantha.
What is Samantha looking forward to most about her move to Australia? “I am looking forward to seeing my family again after a long time and meeting new people at the university who have the same interests as me. Something I am surprisingly most looking forward to is getting a job because I have never had that kind of experience before.” replied Samantha.
To complete their IB Diploma Programme, students are required to study Theory of Knowledge (TOK). The TOK component provides an opportunity for students to reflect on the nature of knowledge, and on how they know what they claim to know. Samantha received an A for her 1600-word essay entitled Is there solid justification for regarding knowledge in the natural sciences more highly than knowledge in the arts? Samantha’s essay discussed different types of knowledge within these two areas: subjective knowledge for the arts and evidence-based knowledge for the natural sciences. The essay primarily focused on arguing how these types of knowledge are used within society and globally and whether they have positive or negative implications. The overall conclusion was that knowledge in the natural sciences should be considered more highly than knowledge in the arts, despite it being difficult to give solid justification for either due to the subjectivity of the topic. The experience of completing the TOK component of the IB Diploma Programme taught Samantha valuable research and referencing skills that will be extremely helpful with her studies at university and beyond.
How did the IB Diploma Programme help Samantha get into her university of choice? “The IB Diploma is very highly regarded in Australia which helps when getting into university. Additionally, the conversions from the IB Diploma score to the ATAR scores (the Australian Year 12 and 13 qualifications) are very favourable as they consider the complexity of the IB Diploma Programme as well as the score in their conversions.” Said Samantha.
Samantha has chosen to study Biomedical Science as it combines Chemistry and Biology, which were her two favourite subjects at BIS Abu Dhabi and learning about health and medicine will be a good foundation for her future aspirations.
Samantha made the most of her time at BIS Abu Dhabi, she was a highly valued member of the netball team and the Debate Club. “When I first came to the school, I was involved in netball for 4 years which really helped me build a lot of friendships within the school and gain some stability in moving to a new country as I played netball as a child in Australia. Going into Year 11, 12 and 13 my friends and I all joined the debate club and later ran it in our IB Diploma years, this was my favourite after school activity as we were able to participate in a debate tournament in Dubai and were able to plan a tournament in school as our CAS project.” said Samantha.
When asked to name a fond memory and something she will miss, Samantha replied: “A fond memory I have of the school is how welcoming people were on my first day. I remember spilling chocolate milk on my shirt that day and not feeling embarrassed because everyone was so kind and non-judgemental. Something I will miss about BIS Abu Dhabi is how open-minded people are and how ready people are to hear your opinion and views without judging them.”
After completing her Biomedical Science and Doctor of Medicine studies, Samantha is planning to become a doctor and it is clear she will achieve any goal she sets herself. Congratulations, Samantha!