Grade 11 Mid-Year Reflection

This year there have been many challenges as we have begun IB and are currently halfway through the first year. One challenge that has been prominent this academic year has been time management and creating a balance between academics and extracurriculars. I think this is something that I have set as a goal for myself but so far since term 1, I believe that I have improved with creating this equilibrium. For instance, the CAS system allowed me to plan and fulfil requirements but also think and plan out in-depth what activities to do. It allowed me to consider if an activity or service may hinder my academic life and pick only those that I was interested and passionate for. Additionally, just recently, I began to list the work I have due the following week and plan my work accordingly to meet deadlines. By doing this I was able to spread out my work and it allowed me to create time for personal interests and activities.

Outside of academic subjects, I have really enjoyed the service and activities I have been a part of. Due to restrictions, we were unable to arrange many fixtures and have a competitive season with other schools. We further had to skip SEASAC which was very discouraging. However, simply being able to come back this year and play sports was fulfilling. Additionally, I have taken part in a new service this year, Sustainabrew, which has helped me learn and be more aware of sustainable packaging. Furthermore, I am beginning to fill the leadership roles and taking care of the planning and learning side of the service as opposed to the practical side. This has provided me with a new approach to service and it has shown me the importance of collaboration in a team. We have assigned roles such as chair, communications and research and development but regardless we all need to work together to make the service run smoothly.

Given my experience in IB so far, I can confidently say that despite the amount of work and tasks, it has greatly improved my management, collaboration and communication skills. In fact, it has further helped me be more independent and solve my own problems. At the same time, throughout this academic year, my life outside of school has improved and I have developed new interests and work with the restrictions to still be able to enjoy my time with friends and family. Finally, I would like to set a goal for myself to learn to accept my limits and then change my habits and try new things to break those limits later on.