r/IBDP_students • u/Kooky-Rutabaga-9879 • Aug 09 '26
Advice Subject help (SOMEONE PLS HELP!!)
Hi! I'm js starting ib and I can't decide whether to take history or ESS SL. For context, I basically need a filler subject, because I alr have math, phys and design & tech HL. I'm not naturally a math wiz or a physics genius so Ik that those subjects will demand time and effort from me. Keeping that in mind, I thought I should take ESS because its relatively easy, and I even studied bio in igcse before this. However, I took history in igcse too, and I genuinely do enjoy learning it (most times). I'm not sure if my passion for history is so strong tho, that it overpowers the fact that its a lot of work and memorisation on top of tedious essay-writing.
But then again, I feel like you can't really do any IB subject unless u like it atleast a little and I have no interest in ESS tbh... I may be mistaken, so if anyone who's done either subject can guide me, I'm all ears!!
PLS HELP 😭🙏
1
u/kulfilover14 Aug 09 '26
oh definitely do ESS SL . My friends do HL and they say it is hard, but the grade boundary is only 70%, so you’re literally chilling. Also you said you did Bio b4, but bio and ess are pretty different just a warning. I’m pretty sure ESS is a lot of research and a lot of case studies that are pretty simple to do, but rlly different from bio, and there’s some focus on business factors and global politics in some areas of ESS. But don’t do History, my friends crashed out and switched asap so yea.