As a general rule of thumb, pick the subjects you enjoy. Personally, I lean more towards the STEM subjects, so I decided to take two sciences and a math course at Higher Level. This will not only help you stay motivated to keep learning but also help you choose potential majors for university. Rather than feeling obligated to study for a certain subject or prepare for a specific major, I think my IB experience was more smooth sailing because I allowed my interests to direct my subject and major choices.
In addition, “subjects you enjoy” could imply the subjects you are also good at, or the opposing force that is stopping you from choosing the subject you do well in. There is also the assumption that if you like the subject, you will spend more time on getting better—from my experience, this is true, as long as I have enough time to spare. “Subjects you enjoy” come with many assumptions but, in my experience, it is worth prioritizing what is important to you. This can include pursuing subjects you like or taking a very specialized (or wide-ranging) set of classes.
There are also subjects you perhaps have never taken. For me, these were the Group 3 subjects, such as economics and psychology. Before filling out the form for my IB choices, I did a quick search for the syllabi, but found that I did not understand most of the subject-specific vocabulary. As a result, I ended up talking to IB students at the time, which helped me understand the basis of the content and the skills needed in the classes. Although it may take a few days to make an informed decision, the biggest tip is to not stress. It is good to get advice from others, but make sure you are the one to choose your subjects :)
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