Elsa and Lovisa are graduating from the International Baccalaureate

The IB coordinators of the upper secondary schools are proud of their graduates. “The IB graduation party is one of my favourite days of the school year. The staff, students, families and friends come together to celebrate our graduates. We have a long tradition of inviting an IB alumnus to speak at our celebration. This year, the alumnus is Karin Ahlbäck, who graduated in 2006,” says Anna Martikainen, IB Coordinator at Mattlidens Gymnasium.

“Our graduation ceremony is in Dipoli. We have a lot to celebrate there and we are happy that our keynote speaker is an alumnus from some twenty years ago, Dr. Joshua Karlsson,” says David Crawford, IB Coordinator at the Etelä-Tapiolan lukio upper secondary school.

Elsa Lemmilä is graduating from the Etelä-Tapiolan upper secondary school with an IB degree. Even before graduation, she will travel to study at Ohio State University. She was accepted on a sports scholarship. There, she will study environmental engineering for the next four years and play basketball. Elsa is part of the Finnish national team.

“Graduation feels good. I was happy when the examinations were over,” Elsa says. 

Lovisa Schulman, on the other hand, will graduate from Mattlidens Gymnasium: “Graduation is really nice. I am proud of myself. I like parties and celebrating, because everyone is happy.”

Studying for an IB degree was a simple choice for Elsa. Her mother is American, she was born in Switzerland and has lived countries like China and the United States. She moved to Finland in 2017 and only then learned the language. “My sister had been an IB student and I heard more about the programme when I was in secondary school at Espoo International School.”

Lovisa’s background is very different. She attended primary school in Kauniainen, but her secondary school was the Swedish-language Norsen. “I was certain that I would attend upper secondary school at Grankulla Gymnasium. But my brother had applied to the IB programme at Mattlidens (back when they still held entrance exams) and my uncle had also studied there, so my mother suggested it to me,” says Lovisa. In Lovisa’s opinion, the IB programme at Mattlidens Gymnasium is the most difficult school to get into among the schools that Swedish speakers consider as their options. 

Since upper secondary school in Finland must last at least three years, the IB programme includes a “preliminary year” called PreDP. Lovisa was not nervous about studying in English, even though she had not studied English much in comprehensive school. “I learned English from Netflix, because there is not much entertainment in Swedish in Finland,” Lovisa says. During PreDP, she found it a bit difficult to understand English, but then it got easier.

In Elsa’s opinion, one of the best things about the IB programme is the fact that students only study six subjects (from six categories). From them, the students then decide which they want to study at a higher level and which at a standard level. Elsa and Lovisa both agree that studying in the IB programme requires a lot of work. “The most challenging thing about studying was that, in addition to exams, we have final projects for every subject. Writing essays is not my forte. I am more of a maths and chemistry person,” Elsa says.

Lovisa agrees on the essays: “It is difficult to write an essay on mathematics.”

However, an extended essay was an essential part of the studies. It is a 4,000-word essay in which the student gets experience in independent research and writing skills needed in university. Elsa wrote hers on biofuels and Lovisa on the novel Själarnas ö.

So what are Lovisa’s best memories of IB studies?  “I would like to say graduation,” Lovisa laughs. “People were the best part of my studies. My fellow students were interested in trying new things,” says Lovisa. During her studies, Lovisa enjoyed traditions, such as the second-year students’ dances and the third-year students’ school-leaving day.

“My best memories of upper secondary school are not tied to any special occasion. I liked hanging out with my friends in the school lobby.”

In the near future, Elsa wants to study and play basketball. Her grades were good enough to get accepted to an American university. Thanks to the IB degree, Elsa does not have to take certain courses for a second time. “I believe that after studying I will return to Europe. Living is better here.” In Europe, the major basketball countries include Germany, France and Spain.

After graduation, Lovisa will go and work as an au-pair for her cousins in Frankfurt, Germany. She wants to take a gap year because she is tired after studies and final examinations. She has applied to Trinity College Dublin and believes she will be accepted, but she is not yet starting her studies there. After her gap year, she wants to study abroad, but she is still unsure what to study: politics, mathematics, science or perhaps economics. Excellent grades mean that there are options

Elsa recommends the IB programme to anyone who wants to study abroad. “If you can study and complete upper secondary school in English, the change when you go abroad is more manageable. The IB programme is suitable for people who want to study a lot and focus on their studies,” Elsa says.

Lovisa, too, recommends the IB programme to anyone who wants to go out into the world. “The IB programme is for those who are looking for something new. You will really learn what to do with the things you have learned and how to apply them. In IB studies, you grow as a person and learn about yourself,” says Lovisa.

Elsa hopes that everyone will remember that school is not the only thing in life. Lovisa recommends celebrating more than just graduation: “Celebrate the little things, be proud of yourself when you finish your essays and complete your exams.”