Aabha's UWCSEA learning journey

I have found service with SUNDAC to be a rewarding and enriching experience on the whole. Recently, we were focusing mainly on improving the motor skills of our clients through the use of music. We practised different beats on the drums and created a sequence that we performed alongside SUNDAC for a primary school close to our school. It was heartwarming to see the interaction between the children and SUNDAC. It was a new experience for me as I have never played the drums before and learned some beats with our service partners. We had to work collaboratively amongst ourselves, with our service partners, and with the primary school in order to achieve this experience. Hence I feel that  by doing so, I worked on learning outcome 5.

Overall, pre- season netball has been an interesting activity. I have learned several different exercises; with and without the use of balls. It helps in improving my overall fitness as well as is an interesting team sport that I have never played before. I think I worked on learning outcome 5 as I had to work collaboratively with a team to play the sport.

I did the pre-season netball activity. It was the first time that I had tried my hand at this sport and I found that it was very different from. any activity I’ve done before. I found it exciting as well as helpful as I have played very few team building sports. It thus contributed to building the spirit of teamwork in me. I think I worked on learning outcome 1 as I recognised the importance of building my team working skills. I learned that I had areas of growth as well as had some skills previously as I had played basketball before which is a similar sport.

The MUN activity has been very educational for me so far. I have not only learned about the practicalities of an MUN conference but have also learned a lot about current affairs and impending problems in the world. I have thus worked on learning outcome 6. I will be attending my first MUN conference in March 2019. I am excited for it and have already begun my research

The photography course was extremely helpful to me. I learned how to adjust the ISO of a photograph as well as at what focal length and conditions it is needed to be adjusted. I also had an incredible time experimenting with flash photography in a dark room. I think my photography experience as a whole highlights learning outcome 4. I was very committed to the activity and still make use of the techniques I have learned.

I have signed up for the yoga with meditation activity. I have been finding it very useful as I have done yoga for a while and use it as a stress buster as well as a means of sharpening my focus so that I can work efficiently. I have found both the asana practice, as well as the meditation very helpful. The asana practice helps my body while the meditation helps my mind thus it is an activity that gives me a holistic sense of well-being. During this activity I have worked on learning outcome 1. I have identified that I am able to do some asanas well while I find others hard which is a sign about which parts of my body I need to work on and make more flexible

Last class I learned how to adjust the aperture and focal length of the camera. This helped me understand how to change what’s in focus in the camera as well as the relative distance and clarity of the background. I found the photography course extremely helpful and informative and continue to use the techniques shown by the teacher in order to adjust the lighting in the room while taking a photo. In order to to practise this, I had to work collaboratively with others who helped me understand how to use the camera well as well as posed for my pictures while I practised. Hence I worked on learning outcome 5.