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United Lisbon International School

Post

IB Student Adriano earns a place at Oxford
IB Student Adriano earns a place at Oxford
Emma Gonzalez

Adriano, an IB student at ULIS, has been accepted to the University of Oxford to study Psychology. In this interview, he shares how the IB programme has helped him develop key skills such as organisation, independence and time management, as well as his CAS project focused on student well-being.

After hearing that one of our students had been accepted to the University of Oxford to study Psychology, we decided to stop by the IB lounge to interview Adriano; a very humble and thoughtful student, about his experience in the IB Diploma Programme.

I’d love to ask you about your CAS project. Could you tell me what you’re currently working on?

For anyone who may not know, CAS (Creativity, Activity, Service) is a core component of the IB Diploma Programme that encourages personal growth, creativity, and experiential learning.

Adriano, for my CAS project, I created a well-being programme. As you may already be aware, I’ll be studying psychology at university, so this project focuses on improving students’ well-being and encouraging them to talk to one another more openly.

I think, in general, the opportunity to work with other people on campus projects is important as it motivates students to collaborate, engage and make an effort to try new experiences. We have a strong student community and a great team, which really helps.


What have you learned from the IB programme?


Adriano, I think the IB has definitely prepared me to manage my workload much better. Before the IB, I was organized, but a bit more sporadic in how I worked. Developing greater consistency has helped me become a better student and a more efficient person overall.

I believe these skills will be valuable at university, supporting me not only in managing my academic work but also in pursuing interests beyond my studies. The programme significantly develops planning skills and independence.


What is a typical day in the IB like for you?

Adriano, one thing I like is that the schedule isn’t too repetitive. It keeps you on your toes, and there’s always something new to prepare for, which makes it interesting.

Overall, the days are well structured, keeping the workload manageable while ensuring that learning continues throughout the day.
 

A similar perspective was shared by Serafima, who is in the same year as Adriano and also spoke about the importance of research skills and exploring different subjects.

What advice would you give to middle school students, and how would you describe the learning experience in the programme?

Serafima, for middle school students, one important piece of advice would be to develop strong research and planning skills. One of the biggest changes is learning how to manage a larger number of projects and subjects, so being able to organise your work and keep track of research is very helpful.

The school is also very supportive in what we do. We are provided with good research resources and encouraged to explore different areas within each subject. For example, in history we might study topics such as prehistory and use a range of sources, including news articles and academic tools like Google Scholar, to deepen our understanding.

Learning at ULIS is not only academic. There are many creative and practical projects, from music activities like rap battles to themed days such as dressing up as the 1960s. There are also opportunities to take part in activities outside the classroom and broaden our perspectives, which makes learning more varied and enjoyable.
  • Student Stories & Insights