Expert IB Geography Tutor Jeju | Top IBDP Tuition Online

Many IB Diploma Geography students come from K-12 IB schools, moving straight from PYP and MYP into the DP. This means they’re already pros at the interconnected, big-picture thinking you need to achieve top grades. Alternatively, many other students take a hybrid route, coming from the British system and finishing their IGCSEs right before starting the DP.

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Having taught in both systems, I see the benefits and pitfalls of both. The great thing about the MYP path is that students are already trained to synoptically connect the dots between different geography topics. This demonstrates the kind of thinking is exactly what unlocks the highest marks. However, there is a downside: because MYP teaches integrated humanities, schools aren't strictly required to teach standalone geography. As a result, DP students can show up with very little background knowledge.

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The hybrid system is the exact opposite. Its big strength is that students usually have years of solid geography skills and facts under their belt, giving them a massive head start on subject knowledge. The drawback is that they’ve been trained to compartmentalise topics into neat little boxes. This means they have to play catch-up quickly to learn how to think synoptically and bridge those topics together. Because I've spent time teaching both pathways, I have an informed understanding of exactly why students struggle when making the leap to DP - and more importantly, I know how to help them to effectively nail the transition.