ACTION

GYM 

Plan
I plan to go to the gym 3 times a week with my trainer Linda. My plan is to see progress in my abilities by September, 2017. In order to do this I will have to adjust my schedule accordingly, meaning that one of my language courses will have to be moved to the weekend.

Goals
- I plan to fully commit and go 3 times a week, 90 minutes each tijme
- Put effort into the time spent at the gym
- Gain better athletic skills & get in shape - so I can participate in more activities
- Eat healthier than before
- Sleep more

at the beginning - small eights

CAS Outcomes
- Development of new skills (organization)
- Undertaking new Challenges
- Showing perseverance and commitment
- Increased awareness of strengths and areas for growth


Reflection/Evaluation 

Throughout the year, I have successfully incorporated working out three to four times a week into my weekly schedule. Although sometimes I had to sacrifice sleeping time (as I had training at 6AM every week) and time I would spend doing other activities such as homework or hanging out with friends, I believe that starting to go to the gym was one of the best decisions I have made. I can feel myself getting into better shape every time I go, and having a consistent routine that is unlike any other sedentary activities I do, has been beneficial for my physical and mental health. The trainer that has been training me, Linda, has become a great friend to me, as we see each other more often than I see some of my friends. At first, we started with doing exercises that involved my own body only, however now we incorporate weights into the routine, which has shown me how much my strength has improved. It was hard at first, to adjust to having sore muscles as well as being tired after the gym, but I have gotten used to it. Going to the gym has brought me better sleep, as well as an improved dietary regime. My trainer has given me a food plan I have been following for around 6 months, as it was adjusted for my limited time I spend preparing food. 

Supervisor

Linda Horvathova

Time Commitment 

1.5 hours 
3 times per (7 day week) 

Date

January 6, 2017 

Driving School 

Plan

I am going to take the Slovak Driving School course, which is something completely new to me, since I have never been responsible for a car never taken actions as big as driving. It is big responsibility to which I have to commit fully, as it requires a vast amount of my time. The requirements that I have to complete in order to pass the test are 1. Go to "theory" - obtaining education about driving and all the rules (35) 2. Complete a First Aid course (5 hours) 3. Spend 3 hours at the virtual training booth 4. Spend around 41 hours driving with a tutor around bratislava. Once all the requirements are finished, I can take the test - consisting of a written multiple choice test on the theory (signs, requirements etc.) followed by parking and “slalom” (parallel parking, reverse parking, going backwards around a cone). After passing these, the actual drive with a policeman is conducted. 

I am nervous, but also excited about starting my journey “to independence.” I know I will face some hardship due to the local people not being used to their students having school until 4 and not being able to adjust to their schedules, as well as me not being used to being taught things in Slovak; however I hope it will work out, and in the end be worth it. 

Goals

- Get my license

- Pass the tests

- Responsibly attend all the classes and driving practice

- Adjust my schedule accordingly

- Become a responsible driver

CAS outcomes 

- Showing perseverance and commitment (attending regularly, being responsible for driving/studying for the exam)

- Consideration of ethical implications (realizing the importance safe driving has - the amount of responsibility a driver behind the wheel has)

- Undertaking new challenges (driving)

Reflection/Evaluation 

The driver's ed course made me become a responsible, educated driver, which I am very grateful for. I passed the written test with full marks, however, I failed the parking test once. After trying it again, I passed my test and obtained my license. I was lucky to have a female instructor that took time to teach me many different roads around Bratislava, as well as adjusted to my difficult time schedule. As I had class at 8 AM, I had driving in the morning at 6AM, which she was nice enough to grant me. I attended all the classes and driving, as well as the first aid course, which taught me many things about giving first aid in crisis situations. I found out that, according to my instructor, I am a "natural" when driving a manual car, which gave me confidence that I didn't have before. I am very excited to drive when I turn 18, but until then, I am continuing to drive every time I am in the car with my mom. Although, at first, my mom did not trust me with my driving, after she saw me driving the first few times, she started to feel more comfortable in when sitting in the passenger's seat. I can't wait until I turn 18!
Supervisor

Autoskola 1

Time Commitment

35 hours - theory

41 hours - driving

5 hours - first aid

Total - 81 hours

Date

January - June

RETREAT

Plan

My mom and I decided to sign up to a "Yoga weekend" at a hotel in Zochova Chata, Pezinok. I've never tried Yoga before, but what appealed to me the most was the fact that yoga should be calm and relaxing, while at the same time it firms muscles in the whole body. Since I started exercising  the exercises I like the most are ones that are very dynamic, such as jumprope, different combinations of squats, spinning etc. Yoga is different due to the fact that it involves many complex breathing patterns and focus on the exercise solely. 

Yoga always fascinated me, however I never had time to go to a regular class, so I thought that the retreat would be a good start and a "break" from the routine that I have developed. Although, it worries me a little that I'll be beginning with Yoga at a retreat when in total, we will be on the Yogamats four hours a day. I am somewhat scared of trying something new, but I also feel a lot of excitement, because I don't often do things out of my "comfort zone" which is something that I'd like to work on and do more often. 

Goals

- Gain knowledge about how Yoga is practiced
- Relax at a different environment
- Do something challenging/different 

CAS outcomes 

- Increased awareness of strengths and areas for growth (Improve my patience, focus, and breathing)
- Undertaking new challenges (Different exercise that I never tried before)
- Consideration of ethical implications (Different people will be at the retreat - many with different religions and lifestyles)
- Developing new skills (Yoga)

Reflection/Evaluation 
The retreat was very fun and I met new people that were completely different than me. I have never before met the participants of the retreat, which took me out of my comfort zone, as I am always used to seeing the same people and staying in the same environment.
Through a few simple breathing exercises at the beginning, I was able to focus better on what I was thinking of, as well as seeing and participating in a form of exercise which was foreign to me. The classes were held outdoors, which is completely different than the gym I am used to.
Also, it was interesting to see the different Buddhist opinions and methods of the lecturers and trainers, as I have never really witnessed and talked to a person that was so engrossed with the "yoga lifestyle."
The difficulty of the classes was surprising to me, as I stereotyped yoga as being very simple, however, the retreat showed me how hard it actually is. My muscles hurt from the exercise, and I could feel that my body was more flexible than before.
I was restricted from going to one of the classes, as I was too tired due to the fact that I could not sleep all night. I couldn't sleep at the hotel we were staying at, and I only fell asleep in the afternoon.
Altogether, the weekend was one I will never forget and through the experience, I was prompted to start attending yoga classes in the future.

Supervisor
Janka Hasslerova

Time Commitment

4 hours of Yoga/day (total - 12 hours)

Date

11-13 August, 2017

Green Ribbon Ceremony Dancing 

Plan

In order for us to have a "traditional" Stuzkova ceremony that initiates our final year, we have decided to take classes in ballroom dancing for two months. For the classes, we will have to sacrifice our lunch, however, we have all agreed that dancing is an important part of Stuzkova, as it shows our ability to learn as well as shows parents another "adult" activity we can do. Personally, I think that learning to ballroom dance will be challenging for me as I have never done it before, but I believe that it is important for the future, as one never knows when they will have to start dancing at social events. 

Goals

- Learn how to dance three styles in a short period of time. 
- Cooperate with my partner and classmates in the organised dance. 

CAS Outcomes

- Working collaboratively with others.
- Developing new skills

Reflection/Evaluation 

I think that after we were done with the classes, we all felt grateful for taking them. We have all learned a choreography for the ceremony, however, our teachers also showed us different styles of dancing that we did not know before. As the time progressed, we could all see our progress in dancing, even if we were complete amateurs. Learning to ballroom dance proved to be very important during the ceremony, as it was a nice way to come out of the back as well as have the "spotlight" on everyone. Although at times, it was difficult to manage every student to be on time and attentive, in the end, the dancing turned out great. Although my dress got stuck in my heel, we improvised and no one noticed. I am glad to have gained this experience at my age, as it will be useful in the future. 

Supervisor

Ms. Varney

Time Commitment

1 hour/week for 2 months.


Date

January - February 

Freeride Skiing and Lessons 

Plan 

I have been skiing since I was three years old, however, recently I have become interested in freeride skiing that goes off the "normal" ski track. I know that freeride skiing is quite dangerous, so my friends and I decided, that in order to be fully prepared for the situations that may arise during this type of skiing, we have to be shown around by a professional first. Since we are going on a ski holiday in Kitzbuehel, Austria, we thought it was a perfect time to gain skills necessary to free ride in the most "safe" manner that will not put us under unnecessary danger. 

Goals

- Improve my skiing skills. 

- Gain confidence in navigating around free riding slopes. 

CAS Outcomes 

- Increased awareness of strengths and areas for growth

- Undertaking new challenges

Reflection/Evaluation 

The freeride skiing was very fun as we were a great group. My three friends and I, as well as the instructor Johan, went to various freeride tracks all over the Kitzbuehel area. At first, we went to some "easier" tracks in order to gain confidence in our abilities, as well as become accustomed to the style of skiing one has to use in order to succeed at more "wild" tracks. It was very interesting to see the differences in posture as well as speed and strategy one has to adjust to when freeride skiing. Although I have been skiing and snowboarding for years without falling, the first time we went on an actual freeride track, I fell, as I was not accustomed to the amount of pressure that needs to be put on the legs. The week was great, and at the end, we could all see our confidence in freeride skiing. Instead of fearing skiing, each of us found pleasure in going on tracks with less people and beautiful views. 

Supervisor

Janka Hasslerova

Time Commitment 

- At least 4 hours every day.

Date
February 10 - 14 

Weekly Hot Yoga 

Plan

 I plan on attending hot yoga classes every week for a month, as I have recently become aware that I have less time for going to the gym in the centre of Bratislava. As I have gained an interest in Yoga through the yoga retreat I have attended in the summer, I am intrested in the progress I will make taking hot yoga classes. I want to become more aware of strengths and weaknesses in terms of balance and concentration, which is something that cannot be achieved by simply going to the gym. I believe yoga brings about a calm feeling for a short time, which is something I think I need with exams approaching. As the yoga happens in a room with a very hot temperature, I will also burn calories and test my strength under different conditions. This challenge seems exciting, and if I like it, I want to continue with hot yoga even afterward. 

Goals
- Get out of my "comfort zone"

- Gain experience in a new form of exercise. 
- Calm down my mind and body for a short time. 
- Become aware of my strengths/weaknesses in terms of balance and concentration. 
- Find time once a week to go to the hot yoga center in one of its locations. 

CAS Outcomes
- Showing perseverance and commitment (once a week for a month)
- Undertaking new challenges (hot yoga)
- Increased awareness of strengths and areas for growth (finding what I need to work on and targeting it)

Reflection/Evaluation 

After completing the challenge I set, I realized that although I am flexible, I need to work on my balance when standing. According to the yoga instructor, the lack of balance I have is due to my inability to concentrate on solely one aspect/thing. Through this, I realized that she is right, and the statement also relates to the fact that I often try to do multiple things at once during the day, which leads me to be forgetful and disorganized at times.
As the classes progressed, I could see my own improvement and mastering some positions I was unable to perform at the beginning. Also, as I took the classes as a "requirement" I set, I found myself excited to attend each class, as well as happy after the exercise. This is because I was glad I found time out of the day to work on my physical self, but I also found the class as sort of an 'escape'. My friend went with me at times, but otherwise, I knew no one that attended, and I was able to disconnect from what was on my mind throughout the day, as I only focused on the exercises and the present moment. 
After the 'challenge' I decided to continue attending hot yoga classes as often I could, as I learned that hot yoga is a form of exercise that helps both my body and my mind. 

Supervisor

Dominika Korcova 

Time Commitment

1.5 hours per week = 6 hours 

Date

March 1 - March 31