PSE Pledge
Record some of your thinking around this in the form of a plan, or a pledge to yourself for next year. How are you going to make Grade 12 a successful, fulfilling experience for you?
The most important aspect of grade 12’s journey in University Applications is probably staying motivated and doing things smartly. I will keep myself focused on my application process and not be distracted by frivolous things. Learning to filter external influence will be really important, especially during these special times. I will complete daily timelines of what I want to do to get rid of anomalies and give me a clear sense of action. It is easy to get lost in the process of thinking of something to do. I will keep exploring my interests and adding fuel to my motivations during the process of writing my essays and finding the best unis for me. I will also balance time spent on application and my regular curriculum work so I can ensure my performance in both of the aspects. I will try to enjoy my current relationships and life in spare time, and take time to enjoy the local culture before I leave Singapore.
My Review of G11
What did I learn the most about myself this year (as a friend)?
I learnt that I can actually be a very good listener, and just by hearing other people out, I can be friends with a lot of people despite not seeing eye to eye with them on a subject matter.
What did I learn most about myself this year (academically)?
I used to look for smart solutions to every problem that I encounter academically and believed every one of them had a shortcut. This year, by working through all of the projects and learning brand new units, I realized that I do have the grit to grind at problems that needs to be faced directly. I also acknowledge myself as a learner who needs to establish a logical flow between all knowledge I learnt in a unit, and can be effective at applying my learning once it is done.
What was my biggest achievement / proudest moment this year?
My proudest moment this year is hard to pin down, but if I were to choose one, I would choose the moment of completion of my EE first draft. This is the first big research and independent project that I have embarked on, and all previously gained skills from IAs were really put to the test here. It also reminded me of the value of mathematics, since I did a mathematics economics world study. It helped me gain even more appreciation for the subjects I am studying, giving me more confidence that the courses I chose will be of assistance in my future pursuits.
What do I want to work on next year?
I definitely want to work on becoming more motivated. This year I realized that doing just what your teacher assigned you is definitely not enough if you wish to achieve 7s or excellence in IB. I was able to stay at high 7s for physics and 7s for math because I am really invested in the subjects themselves, and found it enjoyable to work on outside of class.
Urban Gardening in Circuit Breaker
LO5- Demonstrate the skills and recognize the benefits of working collaboratively
Grade 11s are unable to come back to the campus due to the circuit breaker, so our service sessions have to be conducted online. Since we are having our directions of exploration passed down to our aspiring grade 9s, it is important that we provide information and our own experiences to them via google docs and online chats. Our grade 11s worked together to compose a document with potential research tasks and time lines, as well as general instructions on how to maintain a garden. Our service chair really helped coordinate the grade nine members to work on their own since we can’t help them. Usually in school we can just contribute to the service by working alone, now we have to work together to compose plans for the future, which made me realize how important communication and collaboration is.
Circuit Training at Home
LO4 Show Commitment and perseverance in CAS experiences
Under the circuit breaker context, I found my skills developed in circuit training valuable in maintaining a healthy lifestyle for myself. Despite my condominium gym being closed, I have a rowing machine at home, which makes exercising a lot easier. I took notes from my previous training sessions to design a series of training routines to maximize my training efficiency, as well as making my training more targeted. Running outdoors is not recommended as it is quite uncomfortable to run in masks. Rowing exercises your whole body, but sit ups can help me train my leg muscles specifically in terms of strength and endurance. This made me reflect on the spirit of exercising, which is essentially self care. It is important to correctly treat yourself and adjust to counter difficulties that you may encounter. In terms of the circuit breaker, we have lost offline human interaction to some degree, and the freedom to release your stress at places like the cinema or parks. Exercising helps relief stress and refocus your mind. To a degree, being able to keep exercising has helped me fare with home learning.
Urban Gardening 3rd Reflection
Learning outcome 6: Demonstrate engagement with issues of global significance
Our service has recently started a project before the April Break to introduce plants such as pothos into classrooms as means to expand the influence of urban gardening. We have harvested many produces such as mint, ginger, turmeric and rosettes from our rooftop garden, and it has led to the realization that the effective application of urban gardening techniques can lead to a great amount of reduction in carbon footprint. Urban gardening alone can not supply food for the entirety of Singapore, but can certainly reduce our reliance on imports for certain vegetables. Decorative or office plants can also be germinated and taken care of on rooftop gardens. This plant to introduce plants into classrooms is to further advertise the service, and bring awareness to an often overlooked solution that we can all use in our journey to reduce carbon footprints.
Urban Gardening Reflection 7th February 2020
LO4 Show commitment to and perseverance in CAS
Over the past two months, our service has made several additions to the plethora of plants that the rooftop garden is consisted of, and refurnished certain beds so that each bed is being used to maximum efficiency. For example we have successfully transplanted a large pineapple plant onto a corner bed. There were several long term projects such as the support system for the grape vine. As the vines grew we had to add more and more support with recycled materials like wooden planks to allow the grape vines to further extent. Other long term projects like these are maintaining the banana trees, and the transplanting of the Hawaiian Plumeria that has grown too large for its original pot. As a service member, we are required to constantly think about the development of these plants and make adjustments as they grow. Sometimes we have to think ahead and prep certain materials before we even decide that new changes are necessary. One example would be us needing to acquire sandy soil for the Plumeria 2 weeks before the transplant so they will arrive on time for the plant to be immediately transplanted. This has improved my self management and collaboration.
What impact has your service made on you/others?
At the start of every session, I am motivated by my supervisors but sometimes intrinsically to start working on my beds as soon as i get there to make maximum use of my time in the service. This has improved my self-management and tendency to procrastinate. The amount of independence given to us regarding what we can grow makes us think critically and evaluate our options. This skill can be later on used in life to help us make better decisions. We also have to consider the conditions we are in and the resources we are given which leads to realistic decisions with foresight invested into it. There is a large variety of community impact that the service creates. Placing greenery on the sixth which has screen heavy and comparatively more demanding subjects like science and math helps the students relax during their journey to get to class. There is also a nice pod area in it made for recreation. Our produces can be used by services like sustainabrew and also supplied to community members. We are elaborating on the difference urban gardening can make on cities like Singapore with a high population density.
LO1