What are you doing in your gap year? Simply put, I am doing things that I never had time for when combining school with football. I picked up Chinese studies again, which I took a break from during Y13. I am taking an online AP Statistics course, and I am enrolled for an International Relations course from The Economist. I am also about to complete my driver’s license, along with starting some side-hustles! Needless to say, that football still is the sun that my world spins around, playing for the Dukla Prague “B” Team. Ultimately, I do seem to have more time to be a brother, a boyfriend, or a son – which feels right before leaving for university. Football schedule, games, training, highlights. The path of a pro-footballer starts early in Europe, so my schedule now or a year back is not very different to 4 years ago. My schedule was usually composed of 4 training sessions a week, two gym sessions, one game on the weekend and video analysis twice a week with the team. Individually, steps I took for my football career included mental coaching sessions, nutritionist consultations or extra on-field/athletic training or video analysis. This type of regime started before IB, continued through it, only got more intense after joining the B team in my gap year. Football during IB – balancing soccer and studies. I think success in this balance comes down to people – the ones around you, and then yourself. The people surrounding me were all extremely supportive of my path, despite it being very “different.” My family would understand that I would skip grandma visits when I needed to catch up on school, my teachers tolerated absences during the IB and my coaches would let me off the hook when I would miss a team trip due to exams. Football practically was my free time, so where I had time with friends was on the field or at school and having the right friends to share all your time with, makes the “free time sacrifice” more acceptable. To start off though, the ball is in your court. Your attitude in class or at training defines the way that teachers & coaches, respectively, react to differences in your needs on this specific path. However, no matter how much support you get, it still is challenging to come home tired and have to study, or miss holidays due to training, or give up the free-teenage-years for pursuing this. So, I would not recommend this path to anyone viewing it just as a ticket into university. If football (or any sport) is an obsessive passion, then these sacrifices will come easier because every second of free time spent playing football is time well spent – at least in your head, which is the only one that truly matters. Tell us about your big soccer project with Real Madrid. The Real Madrid project was originally an idea to organise some sort of “thank you”/“last dance” game for my coaches and team that would separate after 4 years together. At 16, after growing a network of football agents, managers and scouts – all inspired by this initiative – I was trying to land a game against a European giant. Rejections came in faster than I could count, and the few accepted friendly games came from second-tier teams. Thanks to ego, extreme stress tolerance and a bunch of pros/cons lists, I rejected these offers, and thank god I did, because then the message that Real Madrid would play us arrived. That was the best day of my life. The only thing separating me and my friends from playing Real Madrid was around 80,000 USD. Long story short, after being accused of theft when asking for money, or having to present this project to parents sceptical of the truth behind the project, I managed to get the money for a week long trip to Spain, through private fundraising, or after managing to push the project into national television and mainstream media, through public donations. On the 10th of April 2024, we won 2:1 against Real Madrid. I take back what I said. This was the best day of my life. Admittedly, this only was the cherry on top, the beauty was in the dreams of 20 teenagers coming true, and proving to myself that it was possible all along. What advice have you got for any budding soccer players or athletes at Park Lane? “You should climb mountains for you to see the world, not for the world to see you.” This path is much harder than it seems from the outside, and if you are doing it for recognition, results, or external validation, it will quickly become overwhelming. The only thing that really sustains you is enjoying the process itself. For me, football never felt like something I had to do - it always felt like something I wanted to do, even when it meant sacrifices. If you feel like your sport is a part of who you are, then the challenges that come with it feel worthwhile. At Park Lane there are ways to pursue that passion and also ways to leverage it in your future - whether that leads to playing professionally, continuing at university, or simply keeping the sport as something meaningful in your life. And finally, what comes next for you? Ultimately, the next chapter of my story takes me from Prague to the USA. After being accepted to both Yale University and Cornell University, I had a beautiful decision to make, and I chose to spend the next four years of my life at Yale. I am very excited for what is to come; however, no matter what the future holds, I will always look back at my days at Park Lane and Dukla Prague with a smile on my face - and possibly a tear in my eye. David Leidl

Berenika graduated Park Lane in 2024 with a Bilingual IB Diploma and 44 IB points. Let’s find out what she has been up to since her graduation and in completing her first year at university. Berenika, where are you at university and what are you studying? I am just starting my second year at Bocconi University (Milan, Italy). I am studying a BSc in Economics and Management in Arts, Culture and Communications. Tell us how this is going so far. My time at Bocconi has been very rewarding in terms of learning opportunities. BEMACC is a relatively challenging course with a broad scope. In my first year, I had the following courses: Mathematics and Financial Mathematics, Microeconomics, Management in Cultural Institutions, Economic History and History of Economic Thought, Computer Science, Philosophy of Art, Private Law and Critical Approaches to the Arts. The courses always last a semester. The course selection is very rigid – it is predetermined from the course you’re attending, and for my course we only now in the second year have the option to select some courses. We have lectures most days of the week, on average 2-3 per day. Some are compulsory in order to be considered an “attending student”, which determines the examination process. They last either 1.5 hours or 2.5 hours, and the level of engagement expected depends upon the lecturer. We have an exam session 4 times per year, with October and March being dedicated to partial exams (which are not available for all courses, and if taken, allow the content tested to be split between the two exam sessions) and with January and May being the other two exam periods. Most course grading depends entirely on the exams, most being in written form (though in my course some are oral), while there is occasionally an opportunity for coursework for attending students. Due to the number of exams, the workload is quite intense if you aim to get a high GPA. Moreover, if an exam is passed (above 18/30), it cannot be retaken – one may only withdraw during the exam itself. It is possible to push exams forward and take them later on, though I would advise against this. In comparison with the IB I would say it is more demanding, particularly for those aiming for top grades, though it is considered easy to pass. Some courses are very content heavy and are not graded based on a bell curve, which, in combination with the (relative to the IB) blurry boundaries of what must be known, is sometimes difficult to navigate. Further, there are a lot more exam periods which actually matter than in the IB. In terms of essays and coursework though, IB leads by far. Most of the academic effort goes only to the exams themselves. There are also fewer resources for the particular courses than in the IB – no official past papers, YouTube videos etc. What is your accommodation like? Is there anything you miss from Prague? I live in a student residence, which is a little difficult to obtain but is great. There is a study room, and I share a kitchen with 3 other girls and a bathroom with 1 other girl. The room is spacious, and there is a weekly supply of fresh bedding and towels. I live near a huge grocery store, so food is not a problem (it being Italy with amazing ingredients). The most difficult is, of course, regulating oneself on their own, having to cook, wash clothes, etc. Regardless, I found that I fell into a routine fast. Living away from home is difficult because you miss your family and friends and because a lot of the people you meet speak only Italian, which makes it difficult to form connections. Luckily, we have established a Czech & Slovak Association at Bocconi, and there are about 70 of us, so one gets a taste of home occasionally, when we organise events. The thing I miss most about Prague is the world around me being in Czech, my native language, and the ease of transportation. How do you spend your free time? I go to the school gym, as I have a membership that allows me to attend classes – I particularly enjoy Pilates and Yoga. I try to do this most days of the week. Other than that I try to maintain a social life – popular are aperitivos, which are events where people have a drink and eat finger food, and also, of course, coffee dates with friends. I also try to have a weekend trip every once in a while, either to the mountains, lakes, or other Italian cities. Further, I am a part of a few student associations (these vary – some require effort only during a few events during the year; in others, you work on ongoing projects). This year I also started collaborating with a Czech-Italian school in which I teach on some Saturdays. What advice would you give students? Exploit the resources available to you for IB & IGCSE. Watch YouTube videos, do all the past papers, always refer back to the syllabus. Know what type of learning suits you – if you are not good at memorising, do not take history or biology but rather do logical subjects such as maths & chemistry – and vice versa. Do not worry about taking on a challenge when it comes to your subjects, as it’s all learnable. Before the exam you have enough time to know the topics well enough to score high. In terms of university applications, there is no “too much research” that one can do. What are your future plans? I am planning on having an exchange for a semester in the third year and a summer internship during the summer break between year 2 and 3. In terms of career, I am still undecided, which also applies to my further studies. Hopefully it will shape itself this year! Is there anything else you would like our Park Lane community to know about you or any final comments? I wish everyone at Park Lane good luck with their studies and university applications. It is always important to remember that there is life after the IB! Appreciate your time at PLIS as it is a great community. Build connections and try to stay connected with your friends as everyone moves around the world.

Andrea graduated from Park Lane in 2023 with a Bilingual IB Diploma, scoring 39 points. Now in her second year at university, she shares with us what life has been like since graduation and where her journey has taken her so far. Andrea, could you tell us where you are currently studying and what your degree programme is? I am in my second year of General Medicine at the Second Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague. How are your studies going so far? My studies are going well, though the workload is intense. Anatomy is a major focus—we must pass 24 topic-based tests (covering areas like the CNS, PNS, etc.) before we’re even allowed to take the final exam. Alongside anatomy, I study subjects such as biology, cell biology, first aid, nursing, Latin, biophysics, histology, and embryology. Good time management is essential to keep up with everything. There are also many practical elements. During anatomy dissection weeks, we get real hands-on experience, and in nursing classes, we train directly in hospitals. Each student is assigned to a department—I was placed in cardiology. One big academic difference between university and the IB is the approach to learning. At IB, we wrote long essays like the Extended Essay and explored ideas through TOK. At university, it’s much more about memorization and preparing for tests. Another difference is flexibility: some lectures are optional, so you can choose between independent study and in-person attendance. Exam periods are tough, but we get to choose from many available exam dates—unlike the fixed IB schedule. What is it like living in Prague while studying? I still live in Prague, so I didn’t have to adjust to moving away from home, which makes things easier. The downside is the commute. Some classes start very early, while others are late in the evening, so I sometimes spend hours waiting around between sessions. That can be tiring and makes the schedule feel a bit chaotic. The university doesn’t have official dorms, but there are student accommodations nearby, about 10 minutes away by tram, where many of my friends live. This makes it easier to meet, study, and spend time together. Are you involved in anything outside your studies? In the first year, it’s not recommended to commit to too many extracurricular activities since the workload is so heavy. However, I joined IFMSA, a student medical organization that offers amazing opportunities to collect points which can later be used to apply for clinical experiences abroad. You can earn these points by helping at school or medical events in Prague, registering for IFMSA activities, attending tutoring by older students, or joining hobbies like choir or dance. Most students get more involved from the second year onward. Personally, I’ve collected points by attending tutoring sessions, which have also been a great way to connect with the student community. What advice would you give Park Lane students? Choose your subjects wisely: Biology and Chemistry at Higher Level were invaluable for preparing me for medical school. Focus on understanding, not just memorizing: This mindset pays off later when the material becomes much more complex. Work on time management early: Balancing study and rest is essential—avoid last-minute cramming! Start thinking about university applications early: Research requirements and plan ahead to make the process less stressful. What are your future plans? For now, my priority is keeping up with my studies, especially during these demanding first years. At the same time, I’m working on collecting IFMSA points, which I hope to use for clinical experiences abroad in the future. Any final thoughts for the Park Lane community? The teachers are very kind, and the older medical students are incredibly supportive. They share materials, prepare pre-made Anki cards (which everyone uses), and are always willing to help. The faculty is relatively small, so it feels very personal, and there’s a strong sense of community.

"Amidst the pandemic mayhem of 2020, I have somehow been lucky enough to be gifted with the opportunity to be welcomed, yet again, to the industrious community of Park Lane, this time working alongside their sterling staff. Though I have limited professional and scholarly expertise, I’ve endured the full rigour of the IB programme and as such, I hope to share all my insights and learnings from my academic journey with the current students."

After achieving 45 IB points and now having completed 1 1/2 years of study, Simon Ilincev talks to us about his experiences as a Computer Science student at Cornell University, USA 1. From Prague to Ithaca, New York, tell us about how you settled into life as a Cornell student. It takes 30+ hours to get from Prague to upstate New York, so the first step was lots of travelling! But life is really nice once you get there, and Cornell helped a ton with settling in with its Freshmen Orientation Week. There was daily programming, I made close friends, joined clubs & societies, and generally settled into my new accommodation (all first-years live in on-campus university housing — there are 20-30 huge buildings for this). Things were definitely a change, what with having to fully look after myself and being so far from home. But again, the uni was very supportive, and I was lucky to have a like-minded Computer Science roommate. What’s more, the food (very important to me!) is terrific… Cornell is top 10 in the nation in terms of student dining, with some ten-odd dining rooms, newly constructed buildings on par with 5-star hotels, a dozen cafés with credit to spend them at… in short plenty of choice. As for the weather — not as much of a change there; the weather is similar to that of Prague’s. And replete with beautiful scenery! We have gorges, trails that were hiked during orientation, and even large lakes dotted around campus. What have been the key differences, academically and socially, between Park Lane (IB) and Cornell 1st year courses? Academically, I noticed that there was more lab work in my first year than at Park Lane. I attended weekly discussions led by masters students for multiple classes, and a couple of these stretched for 2-3 hours at a time. Additionally, I found the curriculum to be incredibly flexible — I can choose pretty much all of my courses. Of course, my major (Computer Science) does have a number of requirements to meet, with 4 set classes and 10 electives. However, almost half of the overall graduation requirements are more broadly engineering- or simply study-based, so I’ve taken classes like Elementary Persian, Optimizations Research, and Mountain Biking. Then, don’t tell Cornell this but… I found my first year at university was easier than Y13 of IBDP! Perhaps on account of much fewer large projects and college applications. Or the scheduling difference — depending on what I choose to do, I may only have one class a day! 3. What is it like living and studying in the USA compared to the Czech Republic? There’s quite a range of experiences across different college campuses in the States, and even within them. But speaking for myself and Cornell specifically: first off, Cornell is a so-called ‘college town’, named that way because just about half the residents are college students (there’s ~25,000 of us). This means that I can — and do! — walk anywhere, though possibly just because the public transport is nowhere near as good as Prague’s. Overall, the campus is like its own mini-city; very compact, pleasant to walk around with parks and gardens, and full of people I regularly recognize which makes me quite happy. I’m very content with where I landed for university. 4. What else are you involved with at college other than your studies? I’ve gotten involved with all sorts of programmes! What stands out the most is a for-credit ‘student project team’ that I’m in called Cornell Digital Tech & Innovation. It has about 80 students working in 7-8 teams on various software products, and has been an excellent source of friendship and professional development. For my first three semesters, I worked as a developer on CoursePlan, a tool to help undergraduates track their progress towards graduation, and starting next year I’ll be a ‘Developer Lead’ for the entire project team. I also co-founded an entrepreneurship club called Armada, which brings together technical entrepreneurs on a weekly basis to work on projects. As part of this, we’ve raised over 100,000 CZK, had people drop out, and won half a dozen pitch competitions. What’s more, drawing on my experiences running Hack Club at Park Lane, I’ve been co-instructing ‘Trends in Web Development’, a software engineering course at Cornell with ~40 students. I’ve also taught Czech at the Language Resource Center, and had help with my Mandarin in return. Finally, lots of day-to-day social activities like ice skating, playing board games, or even visiting alpaca farms! 5. If you could give IB students some advice, what would it be? This could be about university applications or about studying IB. – Aim high and don’t always go too safe — you can achieve more than you think! – Find the course that you enjoy and that will help you in your future – Treat learning not as a chore but as a source of intellectual stimulation; this sort of mindset will do wonders for your studying – When at university then volunteer, apply for internships, find new people, and all-in-all explore + try new things! – USA universities care deeply about building community, so be actively involved in school activities, extracurriculars, competitions, and so forth 6. What are your future plans? I intend to stick to my Park Lane graduation quote, i.e. keep learning like I’ll live forever, but living like I’ll die tomorrow. So a continued emphasis on studies, but interspersed with many adventures and lovely memories. More broadly, I look forward to an internship in the Bay Area with Google this summer, and plan to spend a few years in the industry post-graduation before possibly doing my own ed-tech/productivity startup. 7. Is there anything you miss about home / school / Prague? Family and friends! Am super glad to be back for the winter break to spend time with everyone, as well as have the freedom to get around and do a bit of traveling.

It was great to have Nina back in school to chat to us before she heads off to Newnham College, University of Cambridge, UK, to study Land Economy. She is here to tell us about her journey through Park Lane and into Cambridge University of Cambridge So, what did it take to be accepted to study at Cambridge? Well first I put the UCAS application together with many drafts of my personal statement and the University of Cambridge was my first choice. I had to do some research and comparisons to add my college preference, but looking at all the options available for Land Economy, I chose Newnham. Having good grades is a priority, if you don’t have the right grades to meet the entry requirements, the university will not even consider giving you an offer. There wasn’t an entrance exam for Land Economy, but I did have to submit supplementary essays and then wait to be interviewed. The admissions officers were looking for intellectual curiosity, academic potential as well as a genuine interest in the subject. What is also important for Land Economy is that students must be able to handle the quantitative aspect of the course as well as the essay writing. They are therefore looking for people that have a strong mathematical background but are also capable of analytical writing. The interviews were intense as I had multiple with a range of questions. I am glad I did a lot of preparation for these in advance and my former debate coach, my friend who studied Land Economy as well as the teachers from school helped a lot. I am sure, after all the work I put into the application, it was the interview that was the deciding factor. What is Land Economy? Land Economy as a Bachelor degree is unique to the University of Cambridge. Law, economics, and their relationship to the built and natural environments are central to Land Economy, along with other areas such as business regulation, the financial aspects of real estate and international development. The multidisciplinary nature of the course is particularly relevant in the 21st Century where the environment, law and economics and the control of scarce resources affect the daily lives of people around the world.

A Park Lane Graduate, Class of ’23, Ori G took a gap year after completing her IB Diploma before she went off to university. Here is what she had to say: Your reasons for taking a gap year? The reason I took a gap year was to explore what I wanted to pursue in the future. The gap year reinforced my decision to study Psychology at University. How well did that work out and how beneficial was it? I believe taking a gap year was beneficial, as it meant that I could take a break and explore new things. I advanced my skills in teaching, time management, and adapting to my students’ needs, which are skills that I will use in my job in the future. What did you do with regard to working at Park Lane and any other activities outside of school? In Park Lane, I worked in the SEND team, where I worked one-on-one with some amazing students. I also worked in the library, where the older students could come and ask for subject-specific help. Outside of school, I dedicated a lot of time to tutoring for Maths, Sciences, and English. I enjoyed this because it challenged me to be creative with teaching approaches and it was rewarding because of the students’ progress. What did it mean for your university applications? Taking a gap year removes any worry from university applications – since I had already received my grades, I got unconditional offers. It also meant that I could spend more time on university essays and entrance exams. Any advice for students considering a gap year? For anyone considering taking a gap year, I would recommend that you choose a position that would give you job experience in an area you would like to pursue. This will help test whether you actually want to follow this career path as well as look great on your CV! How is it going at university now, tell us how you are getting on? I am very happy at the University of Amsterdam! I believe that my subject choices in IB prepared me for this course and that the gap year helped me handle the responsibilities of living alone.