Meet the 3IB's: Hannah

With the 3IBs completing their final exams and their term at Nesbru coming to an end, we wanted to interview some of them to hear about their plans for the future: what they want to study at university, what kind of people they are, and what advice they have for incoming students. One of those students was Hannah Marie Hjertenes.

Her IB subjects reflect her interest in studying biology in the future and her desire to pursue a career that the world desperately needs. She takes Biology, Chemistry, and English B at HL, and Math, Norwegian A, and History at SL.

With these subjects, she plans to study either biology or biotechnology at university. Although she hasn’t made a final decision yet, she’s received offers from Durham, Bristol, and Exeter. Her long-term goal is to work in research,preferably in gene editing.

To find out what helped her get into these universities aside from grades, we asked about her extracurriculars. “I have done a mix of extracurriculars, but mainly volunteer work and activism.” These include volunteering at the Red Cross in Oslo for their service Kors på halsen, being part of Amnesty International, leading the IB website, and participating in DNT Ung.

Alongside these, she was also active in the school’s MUN and MEP programs. Hannah said, “I think this has been most important for me.” She’s been involved in many activities within the club, most notably serving as the president of MEP for Nesbru last school year. “I think debate really challenged me to think critically and argue confidently in a formal setting—it helped me grow. I also think universities really liked my involvement in MUN and MEP as they are globally recognized.”

That covers academics and extracurriculars, but we also wanted to get advice for future students from someone who’s completed the IB. Here’s what Hannah had to say:

“Don't procrastinate! Especially in your first year of IB. Do your internal assessments and extended essays early on. And while you're at Nesbru, definitely join the MUN club! The school offers so many trips to other countries, many of them paid for, and it’s a great way to meet new people.”

So, two key takeaways: don’t leave things to the last minute, and make sure to join the MUN club! Many students say the same, and it’s definitely one of Nesbru’s points of pride.

When asked if she had anything else to say to incoming students at Nesbru, she added, “I think one thing a lot of people aren't prepared for when it comes to the IB is how much time they'll have to spend studying. I’d say it’s manageable to have a social life and do the IB, but you have to be prepared to spend some evenings and weekends studying.”

Don’t let that scare you, though! She also said the teachers have been great and that she’s loved the IB class!

Thank you so much for the interview, and good luck at university!