Initial Thoughts on CAS

After hearing the CAS presentation, my initial thoughts on CAS are that it doesn’t seem to be as hard as people make it out to be. This is contrary to my prior beliefs thinking that CAS would be difficult. According to the CAS presentation, we have to do at least  2 seasons of sport (action), 2 seasons of arts (creativity), and at least one year of local service. When broken down like this, it makes my CAS targets seem much more achievable and less burdensome. One thing that I took away from the presentation was that I should choose activities and services that are connected to my passions as well as trying activities and services that are outside of my comfort zone. I’m starting to see that CAS is not about completing IB requirements, but about exploring and reinventing yourself as a person.

Takeaways on Grade 11 Life from Akanksha’s Digital Portfolio…

My Publication in the American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association (Cleftline)

After looking at Akanksha’s digital portfolio, one of the main takeaways for me, regarding Grade 11 life, is the meaningfulness of it all. Akanksha was born with Leukaemia and you can see the impact that that has had on what she has done. What I mean by this, is that her creativity, her action and her service, are centred around something that is important to her. This, I think, is essential in order to do well in Grade 11 as well as to enjoy it. If there is no meaning in what you are doing, if you have no connection to your work, you can’t go far with it and you won’t be able to succeed.

 

Secondly, something else that jumps out to me is the organization required in Grade 11. Akanksha posts very frequently, up to three times a day, and this shows me how fast Grade 11 life is and the need for organization is essential. Without organization it’ll be hard to keep up with all the many tasks that will be completed throughout the year.

 

Finally, the last thing that I was struck by, was the opportunities available to Grade 11 students. Akanksha’s work was not just done on a local stage, meaning that she did things in school or at home, but she had the opportunity of doing activities on a much bigger scale, such as working an internship at International SOS or having an article published in the American Cleft-Palate-Craniofacial Association.