Grade 11 so far has been periods of excitement and stress, and the introduction of new things revolving around career and and decision making have created a sense of unfamiliarity and uncertainty, especially during tests and assessments. I’ve realised that a large factor for this is my attitude, which is a factor I underestimated for a long time. PSE has been an integral part to changing my attitude towards work ethic and responsibility, especially when we did the unit on CV’s and resumes. I began to appreciate my schedule and responsibilities more, and understand the boundaries of what I am able to get done in one day.

• Give an example of something you have found challenging but have been able to overcome or find strategies to help you beat the challenge

One thing I was worried about was time management. Considering the scope of responsibilities that we have in IB, time management is key to obtaining a realistic balance between school and personal life. For me, I realised that once I am overwhelmed or slightly burned out, my motivation completely disappears and my approach to tasks is generally inefficient. I tried working with small breaks every hour or so, which seemed to work even when I tackled difficult tasks. So adjusting the structure of my working routine was a huge solution to overcoming this challenge.

• What are you most proud of outside your academic subjects? (Think about your attitude, activities/service, friendships etc)

I’m proud of my approach to reaching out and expanding my network compared to last year, where my skills pertaining to self-advocacy were somewhat limited. I was also unaware as to how important it is to develop a social network when thinking about long-term goals and targets, especially in current circumstances, where it’s difficult to obtain opportunities without having a good rapport with the person. My attitude towards such situations, where I have to advocate for myself and put myself out of my comfort zone, has allowed me to learn more about my strengths and weak areas.

• Given your experience so far, what advice would you give yourself for the rest of the year?

I would say that the most important thing right now is to accept my responsibilities in small amounts. I have many milestones and long term goals coming up, but directing my efforts into my tasks week by week helps for two reasons:

1. I’m not overwhelmed by the work I have to do
2. I’m putting as much as I can into present matters

These two things are why I’m choosing to approach the rest of the year with an open-minded, calm but alert mindset.