HOW TO CHOOSE ACTIVITIES FOR YOUR AWARD PROGRAMME - IAYP INDIA

Physical

1. If you already practice a sport outside of school/college/organization, you're safe! You will just need to get your coach/teacher to supervise and assess.
2. Think about sports you have done before. If you liked them, why not see if there are any classes or teams in your area? If there aren't, you can always set one up yourself.
3. Start something new. Do something that you might not normally get the chance to and you might as well have fun while you're at it.
4. Join a class. Most fitness centres will have a wide range of classes that you can attend. 
5. Go running or cycling by yourself, but make sure to get someone to assess your progress.

Service

1. Find a person or organization where you can provide help.
2. Join a Rotaract group - they are often involved in volunteering.
3. Some good places to offer your aid would be at a school for the disabled, or an old people's home, for example.

Skill

1. Learn a musical instrument. This is always a good skill to have, and opens the doorways to things like orchestras and ensembles. You don't have to have formal music lessons, things like playing in a band can also count towards this.
2. Learn a new language. This is becoming increasingly desirable in the modern world, will open doors to opportunities and be a lot of fun.
3. Learn more about a subject. There are myriad groups and this is especially important if you desire to study a mostly non-curricular or obscure subject.

Residential (Gold Only)

1. This should be undertaken over at least 5 days and 4 nights (consecutively). This should also be done away from home, so that you meet new people in an unfamiliar environment.
2. Go on a course. There are many summer schools or courses which are at least 5 days long, and you can learn things at the same time too. This can also be an asset to your personal statement if you do something related to your intended course of study.
3. Do some volunteering. There are loads of great volunteering opportunities wherein you can fulfill your requirements for the Residential section and do some good at the same time. You could go abroad and help with a project, like building a school, or look for some smaller projects, again like with the elderly or the disabled. You could also see if there's a school/scout/NSS group that wants to do something like a summer camp who would appreciate your assistance.

Tips

• Try and do a different activity for each level of your Award. Use the opportunity to try as many new things as you can. Even a really fun activity can get boring if you do it for too long.