By Cedric Poon

As the seniors of RCHK’s MYP class reach their final stretch under the effects of COVID-19, teachers still went ahead in hosting an options evening to ensure students have the opportunity to make informed choices about their future. 

On the evening of October 15th, 2020, the options evening was hosted by RCHK, where IB teachers gave an overview of IB courses to the MYP class of 2020. Both parents and students were invited to join with the purpose to help students finalize their IB course decisions. 

Because of COVID-19 restrictions, this year’s options evening was moved to a series of  Zoom sessions where teachers gave 20-minute presentations on their subjects. Parents and students then joined the Zoom link in the comfort of their homes for their chosen subjects to follow up with questions, moving to other subject links when desired.

Birdie Lodders, an experienced teacher of the Diploma Programme English Language & Literature course explained that “Usually, there would be desks in the PAC for students and parents to browse and ask questions as well as presentations on elements of the DP and the CP options.” Lodders found the online adaptation “more convenient”, allowing students and parents to view presentations on their preferred classes, whereas previous years had clashes between different subjects, forcing students to choose between two. 

However, not all students were happy with the new style of options evening. Theo Hsiah, an aspiring fashion designer, would have preferred “live face to face” discussions due to its interactive aspect and lack of internet issues, emphasizing the “intimacy, full understanding and direct communication” for the student. He raised the issue of many teachers overlapping each other on the shared Zoom calls, which lead to questions being ignored.

However, Justen Li, another Year 11 student, stated, "The evening really made me think about my future and the route I’d need to take. It gave me insight into the subjects which helped me realize my possible aims." Li personally joined the evening with “not much initiative” but left with “the building blocks to my future.”

Head of Year 11 Stacey Leung summarized the event in a word: “satisfaction.” She said, “The number of participants was quite high, and I hope that many students were engaged in learning more about their options for next year.”

Now, students are faced with the frightening choice of their IB subjects that could define their entire careers. With the option to choose three Higher Level subjects and three Standard Level subjects, Li was overwhelmed, saying, “We only have until January to decide. I don’t think that’s enough time to decide on such a serious topic.”

A multiyear study on the stress levels of high school curriculums conducted by the University of South Florida concluded that IB students experience some of the highest levels of stress and mental challenges compared with other curricula. The mix of examinations, extended essays, and the balance of six different subjects leave students like Hsiah exasperated, as he felt “extreme amounts of stress” after the evening, even suffering from insomnia some nights thinking about his IB subjects and future career. 

Even Stacey Leung feels the stress, but she still finds positive points, sharing “a buzz of excitement” from the students.

Wilma Shen, the coordinator for career counseling at RCHK, has gone through the IB subject selection process for over twelve years, and through her years of experience says, “It’s a process that we all go through in our lives and it’s quite natural to feel anxious about your future. But in general, the more information you have and the more research you do, the more at ease and confident you will feel about the decisions you are about to make.”

Referring to the information available on university websites and events which list out IB subjects and requirements for designated university courses, both Leung and Hsiah agree that doing more research is the key to correct choices. They also summarize with points of their own, with Leung providing advice on partaking in internships to gain experience and “being open to change” while Hsiah offered the idea of discussing with counselors or family members who are experienced, with he himself having a sister who went through the IB curriculum three years ago.