Outside the four walls of a classroom are endless opportunities for high school students to learn new skills, discover other passions, and gain different experiences.
You could be taking piano lessons if you’re musically inclined, become a part of the school’s sports team if you’re athletic, or join the student government to hone your leadership skills. These extracurricular activities underscore your academic skills while teaching you something new, making it a vital element in your development.
Apart from that, though, extracurricular activities offer plenty of benefits, especially for your academic and career path after high school. We listed some of these benefits below.
1. Develop your social/interpersonal skills
Making friends can be difficult, especially during your teenage years. But since most extracurricular activities require interaction with different people, they can teach you how to approach and make friends with people, especially those who already share the same interests as you.
2. Introduce you to broader perspectives
Participating in different activities and interacting with different people exposes you to diverse interests and views. This allows you to become more open-minded to perspectives different from yours, making you more understanding and empathetic.
3. Improve your self-esteem
Ideally, you will join extracurricular activities that align with what you’re passionate about. And the more you thrive in these activities, the more your confidence in yourself grows. Also, being a part of a meaningful group and learning new skills can go toward building your self-esteem.
4. Teach you essential life skills
One of the best benefits of undertaking extracurricular activities is learning essential skills that will help you in the real world.
Juggling your academic life and your extracurricular commitments can teach you time management skills. Joining the student government can help you hone your leadership skills. Being a part of the school’s sports team instills teamwork and goal-setting skills.
5. Boost your academic performance
Some students who are serious about their academic goals are sometimes reluctant to participate in extracurricular activities. One of the misconceptions is that it may take too much time away from their studies.
But there have been plenty of studies on the relationship between extracurricular activities and academic performance that suggest the participating in the former improves the latter.
6. Strengthen your college application
Most colleges and universities look for something special in college applications that they receive. They want to see that you have curiosities outside of the traditional classroom. So if you want to get into your dream school, you must impress them. Your application can stand out amid an ocean of similar high school experiences with extracurricular activities.
Say you’re applying to film school. Your chosen school would look upon your application favorably if you’ve had filmmaking experience, written your own script, or even just organized movie nights in your community.
With that said, schools are also looking for people with varied interests. If you’re also passionate about something and your extracurricular records reflect that, you have high chances of getting in.
High schools and local communities are full of exciting opportunities that can count as extracurricular activities. Take advantage of them to better yourself and pursue your passion.
