Essay
CAS was the most fun core component out of the three. The whole idea and aim of this subject were very well inculcated in us by our teachers. Creativity, Action, and Service was done for 18 long months to help others and rejuvenate ourselves.
The first activity that comes to my mind when I think about this experience is when I organised the SUO’15. It was a very difficult task, but enjoyable at the same time. The sport is very close to my heart and I showed my passion towards it by working for it even though I had broken my leg. As it was a big tournament/event, it was tough to handle so many tasks and people at once. There were a lot of communication problems, sponsorship rejections, stay problems etc. but we tried our best to resolve it and give everybody a memorable experience.
There is a list of things that I have learned from CAS, most importantly, time management. Every activity taught me how important keeping things under deadline was and the ill effects of not doing so. Every activity was a learning experience and a whole new insight into myself. The Service activities made me more open-minded, reflective, caring and tolerant to the world around. In addition, I also realised how important being a good communicator and a well-balanced student was. Balancing school work, along with other duties and also, handling the actual activity in hand.
The 2 most major highlights of this experience would be Math Science Trivia and GSES’15. These two academic related activities were tremendously beneficial and fun. Both of them were group activities and we strived to work for the betterment of the receiver. There were a few difficulties we faced, like any other activity, but at the end, they were resolved. During the Trivia, we were nearing our exams and it was difficult for us to manage everything at once; but our supervisors were very supportive and took over for a while. Furthermore, GSES was a summit where teens were asked to get into groups and make a social enterprise. At the beginning of planning it was a tough job, but as we dug deeper into the enterprise, we got closer to our final goal.
The learning outcomes were really helpful in understanding the purpose and end goal of the experience and each activity. However, there were a few LOs that were difficult to achieve. For example- “Demonstrate engagement with issues of global significance”; most of the activities that I engaged myself into were either about working collaboratively or developing areas for growth. Activities that come under Service were only ticking LO6 off and I didn’t really indulge myself in Service related activities too much. But later, when I realised that it is important, I met all the requirements by volunteering for activities that would make me more knowledgeable about the world around.
It is said that CAS is the heart of IBDP and the most important aspect of “overall growth”. Therefore, I would like this experience to be taken forward. Although it has its own difficulties, the final product, and the experience, itself, is wholesome and benefiting. I am glad to have such a subject in my high school years, that made me learn and grow.