Eleanor Braddock, Year 12
Confusion, anxiety and stress are often feelings associated with the beginning of CAS. Not to mention the dread of the tedious work that is ManageBac. Despite all the assemblies and fairs, CAS is still a fairly ambiguous topic for most of us 12th graders, especially when it comes to making CAS enjoyable. If you’re interested in making the two synonymous, here’s how to get the most out of CAS.
- GET INSPIRED
CAS is a perfect opportunity to create something meaningful to you. Don’t limit yourself to what has been done before, or what is offered. Take to the internet look for inspiration there. Scroll through one of your newsfeeds and take note of anything you find interesting or any local activities you could sign up for. If you can’t find anything pre-existing, make it! Anything can be counted as CAS, as long as you are passionate about it. Personalize your CAS to suit you. That way, in the end, CAS won’t be just a part of the diploma program but rather a way for you to unwind, and to take a step back from all the academia and look at the bigger picture.
- DO IT WITH FRIENDS
A great way to make something more enjoyable is to do it with someone else. The most mundane thing can become awesome with a good friend. Revive your 13-year-old self; don’t do anything without your two best pals (you know – in case the other one is sick). And if you can’t convince any of your friends try to develop a lasting relationship with the people you work with. For example, if you work at an elderly home try to create a bond with one of them. Skipping is a lot harder when you have people you care about counting on you.
- DO SOMETHING NEW
If you have been doing drama for the past 15 years and love it, that’s great – keep doing it. But find something else as well, something that’s a little out of your comfort zone: push yourself to your limit – not to your breaking point, but to your limit. The nervous energy you will have going into something challenging will be converted into something very rewarding. Trying something unknown or different can really boost your confidence in a new area and most importantly keep CAS interesting.
- HAVE IT AMOUNT TO SOMETHING
Don’t just go to weekly sessions make sure it builds to something more than just progress. For example, you are an avid poetry writer and write a new poem every week for The LGB Express (a great creative platform by the way), challenge yourself to compiling all of your poems into a book and have a book launch to share it with everyone. The creative components of sharing your work with others can make it much more fulfilling. By having everything summed up in a performance or tournament at the end of the year can really show you how much you’ve improved!
Ultimately, CAS is really what you make it: the more you put in the more you will get out. Remember CAS is a marathon not a sprint – just take it day by day. CAS can also be a way to gain perspective and confidence. Try finding something relevant to you, something you are interested in seriously the possibilities are endless. And every time you are done with a new activity think of how far you’ve come. Enjoy CAS and relish the feeling of accomplishment.
