Ananya | St Andrews Senior Highlights 2024

Take us through your IB Diploma experience. What classes did you take? How did you find the programme?

My HL (Higher Level) subjects were Global Politics, English Language and Literature, and Psychology, and my SLs (Standard Levels) were Maths Analysis and Applications, Biology, and Spanish. For me, in Year 11, I had no idea what I wanted to pursue. I thought I wanted to be a photographer, but then I realised that art wasn’t my strength, so I decided to try something else!

I chose subjects like Psychology and Global Politics. I tried new things, which was really helpful for me as I learnt a lot of new things about myself; how to approach heavy text-based content and apply critical thinking. The IB Diploma teaches time management and places a lot of emphasis on critical thinking skills. All my subjects were essay-writing subjects, so, through the IB, I was able to learn and apply these things.

The IB also allows for a diverse range of subjects. It requires you to take Humanities, Science, Maths, and English. For me, I tried Psychology because I initially thought it would be my main interest, but as I went through the programme, I realised that I am more interested in Politics and more humanities-based subjects.

So, what’s next for you now in university? What have you chosen for your Bachelor’s?

I will be studying Politics and International Relations at university. Originally, I wanted to do Law or Forensic Psychology, but then I realised that my strongest suit is along Politics and English. I do well in talking about real-life issues.

I’ve had a few acceptances, but I’m looking at University College London. The programme there is 3 years and, towards the end, I can go out and meet people of high political status. So, for my dissertation, I will be able to interview people who work in the EU and things like that. And the IB really prepared me for this!

I had to write an Engagement Activity for my Politics IA (Internal Assessment). I wrote about abortion rights in Thailand, and I had to interview multiple NGOs (Non-Govermental Organisations) as part of my research. This gave me an insight on how academic papers work; on what are my strengths and limitations; how I could reflect and do better in university later on.

Any idea of what you want to pursue after your Bachelor’s?

I think either Human Rights Law or Diplomacy. But I’ll see how my Bachelor’s goes and how I feel at the end!