We’ve all heard it before: colleges like individuals that are well-rounded; colleges prefer individuals that have a plethora of different extracurricular activities, particularly students that are leaders in their schools and communities–I’ve certainly heard these statements numerous times.
But, in my experience, I have seen that while most high school students want to participate in extracurricular activities, two things stand in their way: one, some students don’t get involved because they simply don’t know where to start; two, others complain they do not have enough time. My response to the first group of students is that I might have some answers for you and to the second group of students, I say find time.
First of all, why should you get involved in clubs and organizations? Besides the obvious reason of adding to your resume, there are numerous other reasons for joining clubs and organizations:
- Reinforce the skills you learn in a classroom setting. Clubs and organizations force you to take you to review your classroom learnings in a different atmosphere and environment.
- Apply your academic skills to a real-world context. Clubs and organizations challenge you to recall your “textbook” classroom knowledge and put it to action in real situations.
- Discover a passion or skill. Who knows? You may just discover a deep passion, interest, or skill by becoming involved in a club or organization.
Now that we’ve talked about why getting involved in clubs and organizations is important, let’s talk about HOW to do so:
- Think about what interests you. What do YOU like to do? Like I emphasized for finding volunteer opportunities, it is crucial to think about what you would enjoy. If you are going to spend hours working with a non-profit organization dedicated to rescuing animals, you should probably want to work with animals. Or if you are going to join a robotics club, make sure you like or may be interested in robotics. Keep in mind that it is perfectly fine to change your mind: while you may think you are interested in something at first, you may not end up liking that activity. In that case, it is fine to reconsider your interests. The important thing is to keep trying and exploring.
- Ask and investigate. Make use of your resources. Go talk to teachers at school whose subjects interest you. Chances are that they have some good recommendations for clubs at your school or local organizations for you to get involved in. Also, don’t shy away from doing research. Google is your friend, so take advantage of it. Spend time looking for clubs and organizations in your vicinity that interest you.
- Use social media. These days, most clubs and organizations use social media to advertise and promote their work and/or events to young people. You may be able to find local clubs and organizations and gauge whether you’d be interested just based off of social media pages.
- Read local newspapers and regional magazines. Although paper newspapers and magazines may seem like an outdated concept at this point, they can be extremely helpful for finding interesting clubs and organizations. Many newspapers and magazines feature clubs and organizations doing interesting events, which serves as the perfect opportunity for you to get involved.
Remember, that steps are just starting points for finding clubs and organizations. You may have to adapt these steps to make them work for you or invent new steps altogether. If you are having trouble finding an existing club or organization that caters to your interest, consider starting a new club or organization for you and other individuals that may be interested in that topic!
For those high school students that believe they don’t have enough time to get involved in a club or organization extracurricular activity, think again. Although it might seem like you don’t have time between your long school hours, homework, sports, and other responsibilities, there is enough time! You just have to make time for your clubs and organizations. If you sat down and arranged your schedule hour by hour — and took a good look at what you do with your free time — you may just find time for those clubs and organizations. When you realize that there is in fact a way to make time for participating in clubs and organizations, you will open up a world of possibilities.
I’ll leave you with this final piece of advice: while colleges do want you to have extracurricular and leadership activities, your primary motivation should be wanting those roles as well, to make a difference, to help, to learn. Joining clubs and organizations can teach you crucial life skills, from teamwork to communication, as well as shine a light on what you want in life–and as an added benefit, you’ll probably enjoy it too.