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Introduction
Do you feel your schedule is empty? Do you find yourself craving more social interaction? Are you feeling disconnected from your peers? Joining an extracurricular activity could solve those problems, and much more.
What are extracurriculars?
Extracurricular activities are activities outside of your required school agenda. Some examples are any sort of club, music lessons, and multi-week workshops. They traditionally happen on weekends or after school.
Why should you take them?
Research shows that joining extracurriculars improves can improve adolescents' mental health. According to this website, Crimson Education, "Research found that engaging in extracurricular activities can help reduce stress, improve mood, and provide a sense of purpose and fulfillment." That seems like a great reason to join an extracurricular activity, does it not?
Also, joining extracurriculars helps you get into good jobs later in life. Extracurricular activities will not appear on your resume until high school, but if you want to get really involved, you should start them in middle school. They can really strengthen your image when applying for a job. Crimson Education states, "Without previous work experience, one of the only ways hiring managers can assess your ability and work ethic is through your extracurricular activities."
Being apart of extracurricular activity is very good for your college aplication, too. According to the website Big Future, "While grades and test scores are important, colleges also want to see the person you're becoming and the skills you've learned outside of class. They want to know what makes you unique, and the extracurricular activities you participate in will help you stand out." If college is something that you are interested in, I would definitely recommend joining something.
I should definitely mention that one reason you should join extracurriculars is because they are fun! Lots of activities are just really enjoyable, and that is great. Other reasons aside, if you think you would like to try something new, you should go for it. It can be a wonderful experience, and I think almost anyone will tell you that.
Last of all, extracurriculars can help adolescents feel more connected to their peers in school. To prove this, I will draw from personal experience. Recently, I transferred to the Winchester school system. I thought that I was going to know nobody. However, a few weeks before the move, I joined Winchester Cooperative Theater. You may have heard of them. They are an amazing theater program located here in Winchester, and most of their participants are students at McCall. When it came time for my first day of school, I had already spoken to a few kids in my grade. Because of this, I was able to have a few connections, and I get to talk to those students at school every day now! It made me feel like I was already apart of some sort of community. Joining that extracurricular activity smoothed out my transition quite a bit, and I am extremely grateful.
Conclusion
In total, it is clear to see that extracurriculars are a great option for any student who has the time. We, the McCall newspaper staff, deeply encourage all of our school's students to join them, and if you are already participating in any, we strongly support you to continue. There will be a link at the bottom of this article to our schools club list, if you would like to try something. We hope you found this helpful, and that this sparks your interest to try something new that you can have a great time doing.
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