Extracurricular Activities
1:58Bored? Looking
for a new challenge? So many choices can seem overwhelming, but getting involved in new activities with new people is a fun way to challenge yourself. Here are some basics and benefits of getting involved. Benefits of Extracurricular Activities So what's in it for you? You get to explore your physical, creative, social, political, and career interests with like-minded people. You'll find friends: Trying something different may bring you in contact with people you didn't know who share your interests and curiosity. You can get involved with groups as a way to get support from other students with your background, such as Latino or Jewish clubs. A club or group also can be a great way to meet people who are different from you. Lots of youth programs bring people together with those who are different as a way to break down the barriers between people. Mark, a senior who lives in Washington, DC, discovered this when he volunteered for a group that uses baseball as a way to bring special-education kids and kids with disabilities together with regular kids. Participating in extracurricular activities helps you in other ways, too: It looks good on college and job applications and shows admissions officers and employers you're well-rounded and responsible. Specific activities help with specific goals — if you want to teach language or get a bilingual job, being the president of the Spanish club shows the depth of your commitment. The most basic reason for joining a club or team is that it gives you something better to do than staring at the wall, wandering the hall, or napping all afternoon. People who are involved and engaged are less likely to become addicted to bad habits, like smoking or drinking. Finding the Right Activity for You Review the activities your school offers and listen to other students' experiences to find an activity that meets your needs. Think about your interests, abilities, and time — is your sister tired of playing chess with you? Do you wish you had more computer time? Are you tired of shooting hoops alone? Are you looking to meet friends or get support? Do you need to increase the appeal of your college application? Don't limit yourself to the familiar — try something new. Think about different roles within groups that you might want to try — president, captain, participant, leader, support person. Each role is important. Being president teaches you leadership and management skills, but involves more responsibility; being a member gives you structure and is less stressful. You can also lend your skills in areas that are needed, such as using your financial skills to be the treasurer. How to Get Involved At the beginning of the school year, teachers and principals often have a list of activities to join or make announcements — for example, your history teacher may be the debating team advisor. Look on school bulletin boards and in the school newspaper. Ask friends what they like. Join right away or wait to see how your schedule will be and join later. Ask questions of the activity advisor before you join. Some things to ask include:
Each school is unique with its own array of offerings, but if you don't find what you want, try a community center or volunteer for a local nonprofit organization or business. Also consider organizations like Youth in Action, a group for teens who want to participate in service projects. Too Much of a Good Thing? It's easy to join one too many exciting activities. Ask as many questions as possible before you join. Sit down with your school schedule, work schedule, and other activities and try to map out what's realistic. Are you taking a class this semester that requires extra studying time? Do you need to focus on grades? Does your bus only come once an hour by the time practice is over instead of every 15 minutes? Will you have time to eat, sleep, and relax? Everyone needs downtime. If an activity adds lots of stress to your life, it's not for you. Once you've joined an activity, if you
feel stressed out, reconsider. It's important to keep a
balance between schoolwork, extracurricular activities, a
job, social life, and your health. If you join a club and
need to quit for any reason, talk with the advisor or coach.
Be direct and polite and explain your situation and
feelings. Sometimes it's just not the right match for you or
it's too time-consuming. Perhaps you can participate in a
less time-consuming way or rejoin later. You won't be
helping yourself or the group if you frantically do homework
during a competition or fall asleep during practice. Saying
"no" can be the most mature and responsible thing to do. What Are
the Advantages & Disadvantages of Extracurricular
Activities? Advantage: College & Job Applications Colleges and universities are looking for well-rounded students. While high grades serve as a testament to a college applicant's studiousness and intelligence, they do not indicate the type of person the applicant is. College applications inquire about extracurricular activities to gauge potential students' interests, ability to follow through on commitments and, most importantly, ability to balance activities with schoolwork. Participating in a variety of extracurricular activities, especially in a leadership capacity, while maintaining good grades will look better on a college application than will a straight 4.0 GPA with no activities. Disadvantage: Stress Balancing schoolwork with extracurricular activities can be stressful for some students, especially when an abundance of activities takes up valuable time they need to study or complete homework. A student's involvement in extracurricular activities can put stress on the whole family when parents have to rush to shepherd kids to various tightly scheduled activities. Busy kids also have less time to spend at home with their families, which can put a strain on familial relationships as the kids get older. Advantage: Keeps Kids Busy For working parents who cannot be home when their children get out of school, extracurricular activities are a great way to make sure kids stay busy and are supervised, rather than coming home to an empty house or spending weekends and summers sitting idle around the house. Organized sports give kids a chance to exercise and help teach teamwork, sportsmanship and leadership skills, all of which are important as students grow up and enter the adult world. Disadvantage: Cost Some families may find that
extracurricular activities are prohibitively expensive.
Organized sports in particular not only carry registration
fees, but also often require parents to purchase expensive
equipment and uniforms. Music lessons carry expenses too,
often requiring the purchase or rental of a musical
instrument. Sports and music programs offered through
schools may offer parents a reprieve by supplying equipment
for students to use, but as arts and sports budgets are cut,
these programs, and their associated equipment, are
disappearing, leaving parents to shoulder the costs once
again. The
Importance of Extracurricular Activities for Teens However, there is another more playful component of a well-rounded education -- outside the regular academic program -- that may positively impact students' success. Extracurricular activities, such as basketball, baseball, tennis, debating, chess clubs, student government, yearbook, drama, choir and computer clubs can round out students' academic careers to great effect. Besides being fun and a great way to socialize with peers, extracurricular activities can enhance students' time management and stress management skills, improving overall productivity. Extracurricular activities also increase a candidate's appeal when applying to college. "Studies show that students in extracurricular activities have higher [academic] scores. They learn to manage their time, relieve stress and learn to strive for excellence in more than one thing," says Kenny Smith, a school counselor in Thatcher, Arizona. "Students who are involved in team sports learn to work in groups. Their written and oral communication skills improve. These things cross over into 'real life.' The students who participate in extracurricular activities are held to a higher plane. There are no team breaks. The privilege [to play on a team] must meet specific requirements." "Participation in extracurricular activities is a privilege and students may have to meet and maintain a minimum grade point average to play sports or take part in clubs." So says Parent Spot, produced by the Capital Region BOCES Community Service in Albany, N.Y. Some extracurricular programs are designed to help at-risk teens. One program, Students Keeping Attitudes Towards Earning Rewards and Success (SKATERS), in Moreno Valley, California, involves tutoring, academics, running a food pantry, and participating in service learning activities. To make it easier for students to participate, the group meets at lunchtime rather than after school. Having started with 20 at-risk students, there are now as many as 500 participants per year. Faye Arco is the counselor who started the SKATERS program. She says, "Participation in extracurricular and school club activities increases resiliency in youth by promoting protective factors and reducing risk factors. Data shows that participants have a higher GPA (0.98 percent), fewer suspensions (13.9 percent), and better attendance (15.8 percent) than non-participants. Counselors come from as far away as New Zealand and Poland to observe the program, which has now been implemented in many schools." Adding extracurricular activities to an already rigorous high school schedule can be tricky. There may be times when academic requirements, family life and social activities conflict. "For example, kids who participate in tennis must prioritize how they use their time," says Smith. He tells the story of one student who had a conflict between an algebra class and a tennis match. Being proactive, she worked out a way to attend the match and still keep up with her algebra class lectures. Despite the time and effort involved in extracurricular activities, there are clear rewards in the form of fun and enhanced life skills. But there's also the fact that college admission officers are generally impressed by a student's extracurricular activities. Parent Spot notes, "College admissions officers are looking for students who have applied themselves academically during the high school years and have used their free time in enriching ways... A roster of extracurricular activities lets colleges know that teens have made a meaningful contribution to something larger than themselves, can maintain long-term commitments and can juggle their priorities successfully." How do colleges view the extracurricular activities chosen by a high school student? The activities offer colleges a snapshot of a student's personality and interests. Parent Spot notes, "The activities that teens choose to take part in outside of the classroom tell prospective schools much more than grades on paper." Overall, students who participate in
extracurricular activities will likely see an improvement in
their academic and life skills, including discipline,
goal-setting, teamwork, accountability and responsibility.
They will also find themselves better prepared for
post-secondary education. Ultimately, students may even
discover that the lessons they learned outside the
classroom, in basketball or chess club, help them cope with
future challenges in the workplace. Extracurricular
School Activities and the Benefits The Benefits of Extracurricular Activities If you aren't sure whether or not you should let your high school student get involved in extracurricular activities, you definitely need to consider all the benefits that come along with these activities. Here is a look at just a few benefits your teen will enjoy if you allow them to get involved with these activities. Benefit #1 – Learning Time Management and Prioritizing.- One great benefit of your teen being involved in extracurricular activities is that they will learn about time management and prioritizing things in their life. As adults we get very used to juggling a variety of different tasks and commitments. Our teens need to learn how to do this as well, and getting involved in these activities can give them some practice at it. Benefit #2 – Getting Involved in Diverse Interests – Getting involved in extracurricular activities also allows students to get involved in diverse interests. It is important for your teen to be very diverse in their interests. These activities allow them to explore various interests that they may have. Benefit #3 – Learning About Long Term Commitments - Teens learn about long term commitments when they are involved in extracurricular activities as well, which is another excellent benefit. When the join one of the activities or clubs, they commit themselves to that activity for a period of time. If they don't hold up to their end of the deal, no doubt they'll hear about it from their peers and perhaps even teachers. Learning to take on commitments is important, and these activities can teach your child this important lesson. Benefit #4 – Making a Contribution – Extracurricular activities allow your child to make a contribution in some way. It shows that they are getting away from just thinking about themselves and contributing to something else. This is important in their growth as a person. Benefit #5 – Raises Self Esteem – Many times, being involved in extracurricular activities helps to raise the self esteem of teens. There are many teens that feel worthless or that there is nothing they are good at. Teens struggle with self esteem, and these activities are a way that they can build self esteem. Everyone wants to find something that they are really good at, and extracurricular activities provide them with a way that they can get involved in something and really shine, giving their self esteem a boost. Benefit #6 – Building Solid Relationship Skills – Your teen will have the benefit of building solid relationship skills as well when they get involved in extracurricular activities. Teens need to get involved in social activities and learn how to appropriate act in social situations and these activities give them a chance outside of school to do this, while they are still being supervised by adults. Benefit #7 – Looks Great on College & Job Applications - Yet another benefit of allowing your teen to get involved in extracurricular activities is that it looks great on college and job applications. Most colleges not only look at grades, but they take a look at extracurricular activities that students are involved in while they are in high school. They want to see that students are getting out there and doing more than just book work. The activities that teens are involved in reveal a lot about them, and definitely will say something to the college admissions committees. Ditto for employers. How Much is Too Much? Of course, while there are definitely many excellent benefits to extracurricular activities for your teens, you need to consider how much is too much. Getting involved in a few different activities can be a great choice, and is definitely beneficial, but too many activities can end up having negative effects. Teens involved in too many activities often end up having academic problems, or they may not get the rest and recreation that they need. It's important that you talk to your teen and set some limits to extracurricular activities. Have them pick out a couple of their favorites and make sure they can handle them. For freshmen, you may even want to limit the activities to one, until you see how they handle the activity and their school work. Then they can work up to balancing more activities if they perform well. Some kids feel like they have to be involved in many activities to be a success, and this is not beneficial to them. It's important that kids don't try to "do it all," but that they have a passion and commitment to a few activities, which definitely builds character. If your kids want to get involved in
extracurricular activities, let them. There are definitely
excellent benefits that they'll enjoy. While it can be tough
to play taxi driver to all these activities, keep in mind
that you are doing it for their well being and future
success. Just make sure you put your foot down if they try
to take these activities too
far. The
Benefits of Participating in Middle School Extracurricular
Activities Social Development One of the major benefits of participating in extracurricular activities is how it helps middle school-age children develop socially. Engaging in non-academic pursuits helps encourage teamwork, leadership skills, cooperation and social development that students don't get to the same degree from working in the classroom. Middle school is the time for students to start developing these valuable life skills, and participating in extracurricular activities is an excellent way to foster an appreciation for them. Help Transitioning and Staying in School The transition from elementary school to middle school can be a stressful one, and one of the ways to mitigate this major change in a child's life is with extracurricular activities. In schools with high drop-out rates that serve at-risk students, for example, extra- curricular activities can have a positive effect on keeping students in school during this tough transition and throughout middle school. Extracurricular activities can give students a purpose for attending school and provide them with an incentive for good academic performance. Enhance Academic Performance Although one of the classic arguments against extracurricular activities is that they distract from academic studies, there is an increasing amount of evidence that shows that extracurricular activities actually enhance academic study. Extracurricular activities help develop areas of the brain that may not be fully utilized by strictly academic work, as well as developing important skills that can transfer into academic performance, such as creative problem solving and teamwork. The way children choose to spend their free time can have a huge impact on their academics, and extracurricular activities are a good way to encourage positive use of free time. Develop Non-Academic Interests Another major benefit for middle
schoolers participating in extracurricular activities is how
they can foster a life-long passion. Middle school is a time
for students to start discovering their personal interests
and passions that they may want to develop later in life. By
giving students the opportunity to experiment with various
extracurricular activities outside of their academic life,
you open the door for a potential future in arts, music,
sports or theater that may not have been sparked by strictly
academic work. 8 Reasons to Get Your
Children Involved in After-School Activities “These findings underscore the importance of high quality after-school programs and activities for both elementary and middle school youth,” explains Deborah Lowe Vandell, PhD, Chair of the Department of Education of the University of California at Irvine and the study’s lead author. It’s no surprise that after-school programs can do much more than keep your children occupied during the afternoon. In fact, after-school activities can help them in a variety of ways. Children develop time-management skills, build self-esteem, and practice goal-setting. While it may be tough to squeeze in after-school activities for your children, the benefits are well worth the extra effort. 1. Time Management and Prioritizing Extracurricular activities teach children how to manage their time and prioritize various tasks and commitments. 2. Exploring Diverse Interests The school band, drama club, or any sport may be an activity your children are interested in joining. By allowing your children the opportunity to explore diverse interests, you give them the opportunity to discover what they are passionate about. Once your children find an activity that they enjoy, succeeding in the activity could ultimately build their confidence and self-esteem. 3. Making a Contribution Extracurricular activities allow your children to make a contribution to their school or community, which is an important step in preparing them for life outside of academics. 4. Building Self-Esteem Mastering new skills can help build confidence in children. By participating in after-school activities, they can build their self-esteem in a relaxed setting as their activities provide the opportunity to be successful in something that they are passionate about. 5. College Applications Another benefit of after-school activities is that they look great on college applications. In addition to academic performance, many colleges look at what activities students are involved in outside of school as a way to fully understand each student. 6. Setting Goals After-school activities present opportunities for your children to develop their goal-setting skills. Most extracurricular activities involve reaching or achieving a goal, whether it be the lead actor in the school play, winning the state championship or coming in first place in the science fair. As a result, these activities help encourage students to work toward achieving those goals, while having fun at the same time. 7. Teamwork Sports teams, clubs and activities, like dancing and music, all require children to work together toward a common goal. By participating in these activities, your children develop the skills they need in order to successfully work with others. In addition, extracurricular activities let children to build relationships and socialize with peers who share their interests. 8. Academics As mentioned previously, recent studies show a correlation between improved grades, behavior and work habits as a result of students’ involvement in after-school activities. Share some additional benefits your
children have experienced as a result of their involvement
in extracurricular activities. Extra-curricular
activities now ‘more important’ to university
applications Some 59 per cent of staff say evidence of extra-curricular activities has become more pivotal in their decisions, according to a poll of 63 university admissions teams commissioned by the gap-year provider World Challenge. Only 5 per cent say non-academic achievements are less important than they were a decade ago, says the report, titled What is the Real Value of Extra-curricular Activities in the University Application Process, published on 15 January. Some heads of admissions say they have placed more value on extra-curricular activities because predicted A-level grades are not always reliable, while others say they help to distinguish between applicants with identical predicted grades. The demise of the AS-level, which is set to be decoupled from A-levels, is likely to increase the importance of non-academic achievements because they are a good indicator of academic performance at university, other tutors say. When asked what type of extra-curricular activities add value to a student’s personal statement, 92 per cent mention work experience and 68 per cent say regular volunteering. The Duke of Edinburgh Award is the third most cited form of activity (cited by 39 per cent of tutors), followed by fundraising (22 per cent) and captaining a sports team (18 per cent). The report also includes 20 one-to-one interviews with admissions staff, as well as 32 further interviews with university staff, heads of sixth forms, university students and applicants. Admissions officers cited in the report say it is useful for applicants to have some extra-curricular activities, but must do it for the right reasons, rather than simply to “tick a box in the application process”. “It is like on the [TV show] The Inbetweeners when Will encourages all his friends to do the DofE because it looks good on your application,” said Dominic Davis, head of undergraduate marketing and recruitment at City University London. “Unless you show why it will help
you at university it is not that valuable – it is about
being relevant and applied; not just ticking the
boxes,” he added. Extracurricular
Activities and Academic Grades Higher Attendance Rate According to the National Center for Education Statistics, students who participate in extracurricular activities have a 15 percent higher classroom attendance rate than students who are not involved. Sports and clubs expect participants to attend all meetings and practices and often limit participation if too many are missed. Students learn to recognize that attendance is vital to their success. Therefore, they are more apt to take their academic attendance just as seriously. Better Grade Averages Students who do not miss classes are more likely to have a higher grade point average. This goes hand in hand with extracurricular activities, because the majority of sports, arts and academic clubs require a good GPA for participation. Enforcing this rule motivates students to stay on-task with their classroom and homework assignments. Fellow participants encourage each other to keep good grades. Often, while waiting for practice or meetings to begin, students can work on homework assignments together. In addition, physical activity increases brain function and concentration levels, which lead to higher grades. Social Engagement Improvement The social component of extracurricular activities instills a sense of community, responsibility and involvement. Students who participate in extracurricular activities are more likely to feel confident in their ability to multitask and are more likely to request help on assignments they do not understand. Students learn to respect themselves and others, and this leads to higher self-esteem. High self-esteem improves social, personal and academic performance. Improved College Opportunities Most extracurricular activities have a
connection to higher education opportunities. Students who
excel in sports, master a skill such as playing an
instrument or invent a formula in a physics or math club may
be entitled to college scholarships and grants. This
incentive makes students more aware of their performance in
and out of the classroom, making them pay greater attention
to their studies. In addition, teachers, coaches and
instructors are more willing to write recommendation letters
for students who show dedication and perseverance. College
scouts are looking for high achievers, and these students
are often given opportunities to continue their
extracurricular activities in higher education.
Participation also shows the student's ability to balance
all areas of his life.
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