CAS Essay
CAS has enabled me to enhance my personal and interpersonal development through experiential learning and participation is various activities. At the same time, it has made me realise the importance of counterbalance between different aspects such as arts, activity and service. CAS has helped me become a reflective thinker. It gave me the opportunity to understand my own strengths and limitation, identify my goals and plan strategies for my personal growth. The willingness to accept new challenges, tasks and roles has made me a risk-taker. I can also connect to being an inquire because organising projects require the skills necessary to conduct inquiry and research. These activities have made me aware of myself as members of communities with responsibilities towards each other and the environment, thereby making me a caring person. I have accomplished the purpose of CAS which is to find a balance between intellectual, physical, creative and emotional experiences and to enjoy the journey as a whole.
Interactions and communications with different people in order to fulfil the tasks have made me an optimistic person. Being confident, taking responsibilities, having patience and determination, facing challenges, being good listeners, being organised, showing dignity and integrity are some of the most important qualities that I have developed during each and every stage of this 2-year journey.
Bal Mela 2016, because it has been the most enthralling activity out of all the other activities. Hetvi, Naomi and I, the organisers of the event positioned ourselves as the head of the event, which included planning the activities, allocating those activities, selecting the volunteers, planning the schedule, ordering the resources, calling government schools, arranging the food for around 1500 children from government schools. Managing so many tasks at the same time is challenging, yet fun.
According to me, Learning Outcome 4 (commitment and perseverance) was the most difficult. This really tests your patience. It is very difficult to stay as dedicated and compassionate towards the volunteers and activities till the end of the activity as I was in the beginning. Struggles and difficulties were meant to come in my way. Complaining and critiquing about the challenges is not the solution. Therefore, working towards being committed throughout the activities has been the most arduous.
My CAS advisors shaped you in a way by giving you opportunities to perform and show your skills. The difficulty you faced were you weren’t confident enough or you weren’t convinced enough to show your skills but with the help of stage and CAS advisors I overcame this. I would also like to take this forward in helping others and contributing in making my society a better place.
