For the Students, by the Students: New Podcast Shares IB Tips

Advertisement

Looking for advice on what to expect in the IB program or larger issues such as navigating high school? A student-led podcast at the Western Academy of Beijing (WAB) may just have the answers you’re looking for.

Hour Pod was started in the fall of 2020 by WAB students Debra Lee and Esther Cho. The vision was to create a platform where students could discuss various topics such as finding their passion, awareness of important issues, and also advice from peers. They describe it as a “podcast of conversation and community by students, for students.”

The podcast also invites students outside of the Hour Pod club to speak as guests on different episodes. The group recently launched a new series titled “How to Survive (insert different school course name here),” where they invite IB students to share tips and tricks from their experiences in various programs, with the goal of helping other students currently enrolled in, or those about to enter, the IB program. So far, they’ve had guests from four IB DP courses including music, business, psychology, and design technology.

To stay engaged with their listeners, the club asked students what they wanted to know from the guest student speakers. That discussion helped the podcast hosts focus their interviews and discussions to give students the information they need. Likewise, pupils talked about the challenges and benefits of their classes, class structure, and general advice about everything from choosing the right courses to succeeding in your studies.

Personally, I really enjoyed the IB course series, as it came at a time when every sophomore was stressing about what courses they wanted to take. Plus, the podcast helped us look at the bigger picture, and got us thinking about what path we wanted to take in life. What’s more, the casual conversational style created a lot of meaningful discussions that helped inform our decisions for course selection. Needless to say, I  feel a lot more prepared for IB after hearing the perspectives of various students from a well-established international school in Beijing. I would definitely recommend giving this series a listen.

Jubilee-inspired zoom call hosted by Hour Pod

Aside from school advice, the podcast also aims to shed light on the experiences of international students through a mini-event they held online, inspired by YouTube sensation Jubilee’s spectrum series. They invited fellow high schoolers from WAB to participate in a Zoom call while we were all online schooling earlier this year. They gave the guest students speaking prompts such as, “International students live in a bubble…” and let the dialogue flow from there. The ensuing discussion was so natural and meaningful, which isn’t something that often happens.

Hour Pod aims to foster vibrant conversations and inspire collaboration in a comfortable and open environment. If you’re looking for a free resource to learn more about the IB program or to listen to an insightful podcast to help you unwind, feel free to listen to an episode of Hour Pod on Spotify or Apple podcasts. During the school year, they usually post one episode – averaging 18 minutes in length – every week or every fortnight.

To be directed to more resources to listen, head to www.anchor.fm/hour-pod. You can also follow the podcast on Instagram for updates on new episodes @hour.pod

Images: Courtesy of Hour Pod Club, Unsplash

KEEP READING

Advertisement