Tolerance, respect, inclusion

I would start with respect because it is a vehicle for collaboration and harmonious social relationships. If people would begin to develop a deep sense of admiration for each others capabilities, they would be more productive and efficient when working with that person. Respect is also synonymous with good behaviour and etiquette, being that you are more likely to treat people as you would like to be treated if you respect them. Respect also means that people would likely communicate with each other when making decisions.

• How can you make your learning more efficient and effective? 
  • My learning can be more efficient by accepting that procrastination is part of our nature and confining it to intermittent rest breaks. Elaborating on case studies and content with questions will also allow me to understand the significance of what I am learning.
• What specific strategies can you use to learn and master content?
  • Asking questions
• How will you balance your study schedule? 
  • Ensuring that there is sufficient time in my schedule by not over-extending myself in terms of my ECAs. I should also dedicate time to specific tasks and prioritise smaller tasks. I will ensure that my study schedule is balanced by making a to-do list or referring to the OLP t

• Pick the most important concepts and reflect on your personal learning: how has this unit helped you develop your 

I think that the 3 most important concepts that I have encountered in this unit are how to construct a CV, Conflict management and Self-advocacy.

Firstly, constructing a CV is a universal skill and document that everybody possesses and is expected to present when wanting placement in an organization. A CV will follow me for the rest of my life and it is up to me that it is properly updated and modified so that it truly represents me as a person, student or potential employee. Learning how to construct a CV gave me more confidence and the added benefit is that I have written the foundation and it only has to be updated.

Secondly, Conflict management. Learning how to mitigate and control even the most heated arguments is a very important skill at home or in the office. With today’s world becoming more polarising and social media contributing to this by creating separate realities for people based on their beliefs, we are more likely to clash with others on moral and political views. Besides this, there will always be disagreement in the workplace and reducing it allows for better efficiency, communication and cohesion. If people were to hold a grudge against each other, they would not work productively together. What I learnt from PSE is that conflict management requires understanding, listening and mutual agreement. It is best to frame the situation in the eyes of both people and come up with a solution that both parties could agree to.

Finally, Self-advocacy made me realise how important speaking up for myself is especially in decisions concerning my body or future. I have long been told that my parents know what is best for me, but now that I am much older, I feel like I can make more independent decisions.

• What are you most proud of this year?
  • I am proud of my academic achievements and how I have taken more initiative in getting leadership roles and acquiring bigger responsibilities in my ECAs
• What unexpected challenges have you faced?
  • The difficulty of managing IAs and more essays
• Give an example of something you have found challenging but have been able to overcome or find strategies to help you beat the challenge
  • What I found challenging is managing CAS reflections and strategically ensuring that I accomplish each strand. I overcame this challenge by keeping myself informed of the requirements for CAS and ensuring that I discuss all learning outcomes
• What subjects would you like to focus on more? Why?
  • Business because I plan to take the subject at university and I am averaging a 6
• What are you most proud of outside your academic subjects? (Think about your attitude, activities/service, friendships etc)
  • I am proud that I have fostered more friendships and strengthened existing ones. I am also proud of the contributions I have made in activities and service as I have taken on bigger responsibilities such as creating a promotional video

Self-advocacy is defined as standing up and speaking up for yourself on issues that directly concern you. Self-knowledge is defined as knowing one’s mental and physical capabilities. Informed decision making is the ability to make decisions based on relevant information. Agency is a thing or person that acts to produce a particular result. A career is a profession that one undertakes and he is paid for that effort.

Long-term goals are goals that exceed 2 months while short term goals are less than 2 months. Some of my long-term goals are to get a high enough grade in the IB so I can pursue an undergraduate degree at my chosen UK universities. One of my short-term goals is to get 85% or higher on my math test next week.

The resume has given me more agency as I am able to submit it to business organizations and produce a result which is an internship.

Personal connections and networking connects with the concept of self-knowledge and informed decisions as people are able to develop their knowledge of certain fields and learn whether those careers are suitable for them. A broad network will allow them to choose their career.

Holland codes and Myers Brigg falls under the concept of self-knowledge as people learn about their personality types and what career they are most suited to.

Since I was in IGCSE, I was mostly focused on entering the hospitality industry as a hotel manager. I figured that it best combined my interests in business management and food. I was fixated on this career path and I had some smug satisfaction from deciding my future ahead of my peers. But as I grew older, I realised the importance of considering different career pathways and branching out my interests. This is why I find these surveys very important, to help me determine which areas I have potential in. The Maia learning survey reinforced my understanding of the six categories that I fall under in the holland code test. The results were 3 for Realist, Artistic and Social, 4 for conventional, 5 for enterprising and 6 for investigative. The results were vastly different from the first time I took the test in February 2020. For that survey, I got 1 for social, 2 for realistic, conventional and artistic and 3 for enterprising. This change is huge and really illustrates how I have changed since deciding to be more open to other career pathways.

I think that the most interesting careers that I was shown were police detective, Lawyer and Security manager. These careers definitely interest me in the sense that I have only seen the exciting parts of their job and not the sheer amount of paperwork and preparation that is behind their job. While I may possess the skills for it, I may not have the motivation to get the job.

Looking at my new results, I think that I have been given a new insight into my personality.

PSE