The Importance Of Extracurricular Activities

By Zeta Abell

Sports teams, chess clubs, global outreaches, book clubs, writing clubs, cooking classes, study groups, and even run clubs. Though most of these activities don’t have much in common, they are all extracurriculars.

An extracurricular is defined by the dictionary as “an activity at a school or college pursued in addition to the normal course of study.” They are things that students do in their free time, and even if someone isn’t talented in whatever club they may be in, they have a passion for it. But why are they important?

Extracurricular activities are important for lots of things, and one of those is community. Sometimes in school, it’s hard to find and connect with others who share the same interests, so being in a club that has members with similar interests is crucial. They help connect you with people who have the same or similar interests as you and help you bond with others, who otherwise you may have never talked to.

Friendship is an essential aspect of life. Mission Health states that “friendship is important for combating loneliness and staying healthy, in body and mind. Friends are support systems, and most of the time, if you surround yourself with people who understand you and can sympathize with you, it’s almost guaranteed you’ll feel a lot less alone.” In the United States, more than 30% of teens say that in the past week or month, they have felt lonely. Being lonely burdens you with a lack of motivation, intrusive thoughts, and a lack of willingness to do everyday tasks, simply because you feel that you have no one. Because of all of that, making connections is important for more reasons than just having friends.

More research by the National Center for Education Statistics suggests that extracurriculars increase students’ engagement or attachment to their schools, which decreases the likelihood of school failure and potentially dropping out. Extracurriculars improve performance on tests, essays, and quizzes and result in higher grades, which in turn raises GPA and points students in the right direction for higher education. Extracurriculars are the key to academic success and ensuring that the future can be comfortable, successful, and bright. They also help students want to go to school more. School is extremely draining for many reasons, like having drama, bad grades, or even just a lack the motivation to go to school, which is where the connections and lessons you earned or gained from extracurriculars help.

For most, the idea of having something enjoyable to do at the end of a school day is very motivating. The promise of doing something you love when school is over can turn mornings from bad to good! Extracurriculars help motivate me to go to school every day because I know eventually I’ll get something out of school by being able to go to one of my clubs. Extracurricular activities are the most perfect way to connect with new people, gain motivation to go to school, assist in keeping up ideal grades, and guide you into finding success in things you feel the most passionate about.