{LO1} In this post, I will be discussing the first 2 stages of my CAS project which is participation in MUN and MUN conferences. For some background information regarding my MUN experiences, I have been in the activity since eighth grade and only participated in 3 conferences, 2 MUN@UWC conferences and 1 MUN@OFS conference. This number has never felt that small or insignificant until the intermediate 2 trainers made everyone announce to the rest of the group the number of conferences they have attended. I would say that 80-90% of them have attended at least double the conferences I have, all before entering grade 11. When I sheepishly announced my measly number of 3, I swore that I heard a few shocked and almost pitying comments from the other side of the room, deservedly so. This is why I am aiming to gain as much experience as possible by attending as many conferences as possible. I think that there are some skills that can help me with this goal as I am resilient, committed and have experience in drafting resolutions.

{LO2} The primary reason why I didn’t attend that many conferences were because I originally saw MUN as an obligation because I was forced to do it. Especially considering my shyness, it made it difficult when collaborating with strangers during MUN conferences considering that most of the other delegates came from other schools. I always had a hard time balancing MUN conference preperation with what I perceived as more important affairs such as academics without ever realising the experience, skills and academic profile-building that it would give me. MUN can give me a lot of transferable skills such as public-speaking, impropmptu speeches and collaborating skills. Especially consdidering that networking and recognition is very important in the proffessional world. I will measure my improvement through how many times I speak during conferences, how many people vote on my amendment or resolution. Entering grade 11 made me realise the importance of developing a strong academic profile and displaying leadership qualities,and I hope that MUN can teach me those skills. I need to take more initiative, enhance my collaborative skills, improve my public speaking skills, active listening skills and approaching people without being hindered by pre-conceived notions (Be extremely professional). The skills that I have already developed to a sufficient degree include research skills, organisation, critical thinking, knowledge of MUN procedure and Resolution-writing.