When Should you Start CAS? A Brief Timeline for DP CAS

First Term

Introduction to CAS. Start undertaking CAS Experiences within your school and community.
Plan and initiate at least one CAS project using the CAS Stages framework.
Collect evidence and undertake meaningful reflection.
Meet with your CAS Advisor or Coordinator to consider the balance of activities you have chosen and ask any questions you might have about CAS.

Review your balance in terms of studying commitments, academic progress and CAS experiences.
Consider whether your experiences are providing you with the opportunity to work on all the Learning Outcomes and cover the three strands of Creativity, Activity and Service.
If you have any gaps, make a plan to adapt your programme by adjusting your current experiences or becoming involved with new experiences.

Use this time to make sure you are all up to date with your portfolio of evidence and reflections.
Reflect on your experiences so far; do you want to continue with all your activities from last academic year?
Perhaps you would like to take on a different role, or stop an activity altogether and start something different?

By now you should have met all of the CAS Learning Outcomes at least once.
This is a busy time in the IB Diploma, so consider how you are managing university applications and academic commitments alongside CAS.
Are you getting everything you can or want out of your CAS experiences? Is there anything you want or need to change about your CAS programme? You should by now have met with your CAS Advisor or Coordinator a second time.

At this point, you should have completed your CAS Project and be thinking about how you will reduce your CAS commitment to focus on exams.
Consider how you want to finish an activity, experience or project: Who do you have to thank? Are you passing on to someone else to finish your project? Is this an experience you will continue after your exams, perhaps at university or college?
Complete all your evidence and reflections ahead of your final meeting with your CAS Advisor or Coordinator.