CAS is not just a mandatory requirement for the diploma. Its concepts can not be undermined with just is not just creativity, activity and service. As a non-IB student I was always interested in how CAS was actually assessed. After joining the IB program last year I was really excited and scared to start my CAS journey. As I observed and fulfilled CAS experiences I saw that CAS is an opportunity outside of the classroom to learn.
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My CAS experience
I was already heavily involved in clubs at my school. All I did at first was continue with them but as an IB student, I was expected to take on leadership roles within those clubs. So I did. In all of them… That was a bit extreme now that I look back on it. But it allowed me to personally grow as well to be a respectable leader. My prominent leadership roles are being president of the school’s drama club, vice president of the school’s poetry club and treasurer of my school’s student representative council.
How CAS helped me in the IBDP
I was already a pretty outspoken student in high school so I thought being a part of leadership roles would be easy. This was true to a certain extent, beyond just being able to have professional meetings with my classmates. I also learned how to professionally converse with business owners, politicians and various individuals I would not have communicated with as a normal civilian. I feel like these exchanges matured me and opened the doors I wouldn’t be able to open if I wasn’t doing these clubs for CAS.
Within my classrooms, I used my role as my SRC’s treasurer to expand my knowledge of budgeting and marketing. I could even implement that knowledge into my extended essay. On top of that constantly exercising in my school’s basketball team helped me stay more alert and aware of my body. It also taught me how to treat it well such that I am both physically fit and mentally fit. Being a part of my school’s Model UN club meant I was exposed to global issues in real-life scenarios. This means that I would look at case studies of different challenges faced globally. That knowledge helped me understand how grateful I should be for being given the opportunity to education. This helped me understand global issues and their impacts for my Language A essays.
CAS is a core component for a reason
CAS works hand in hand with all subject groups of the IBDP . With the most important thing to take from CAS is how to manage time outside of the classroom. It forces students to go out and interact with different people with different beliefs and values . These interactions are what fuel our creative thinking process.
CAS forces students to go out and explore the real world which is what a lot of book worms tend to avoid but what those book worms don’t know is that as humans interactions are what fuels our creative thinking process which is why most of the time the students that excel at CAS are also part over top achievers (well at least at my school).
So everyone, please enjoy CAS the same way I did. I made bonds and friendships I am sure are going to last long after I graduate and I want the same for you too. We’re all in this together so let us be united.
You may also like…
- Chloe’s CAS Project Idea: Charity Run
- Rayna’s 20 CAS idea’s for study breaks