3E Hariz Ikhwan (16)

You must also incorporate answers to the following pointers:

• How has the service-learning experience changed my thinking, attitudes, and actions towards others, myself and the community?
• What stands out as the best or worst thing that happened to you in your service learning experience? What did you learn from these experiences?
• Do you see yourself staying involved in the community during your college and adult years? Why or why not?

For 3E's service learning project, we decided to collect plastic bottles and throw them into the recycling bins stationed in the canteen rather than the normal dustbins situated around the school. Through this project, I have learnt the benefits of throwing the bottles into the recycling bins, something i did not know and do before this. I have realised the need to recycle and minimize waste and how I can do this through simple, basic everyday things i.e, throwing plastic bottles into recycling bins. I have become more concious and forward-thinking about things I do everyday.

Undoubtedly, the best thing that happened to me was when I was praised by a visitor of the school who saw what I was doing. He remarked that he was pleasantly surprised to see students of Victoria taking up such an initiative. He told that recycling was rare, or non-existent in most other schools he visited. This just highlighted to me the difficulty in getting people especially teenagers to be more eco-concious. This was emphasized when me and my classmates were teased and ridiculed by some fellow Victorians for doing what we did.

I will continue putting in the effort to reduce, reuse, recycle. Definitely, I will try to get my colleagues to do the same as I believe everyone has a part to play. I also plan to get involved in other community work as I believe that I can always give more back to the society.