Embracing Extracurricular Activities as a Critical Part of Your School Years
How do you spend your time outside of school? Whether relaxation for you comes in the form of watching a Netflix series, reading a book or hanging out with your friends, your extracurricular activities can be the making of you. How you choose to spend your time away from school and what you might be learning during those hours is so important now in helping you advance into universities, traverse the job market and maintain a healthy balance between academic duties and relaxation periods.
The Benefits of Extracurriculars
Extracurriculars are the hobbies, interests and pursuits that you follow outside of school hours. Often, they’re sports, volunteering or academics outside of what you learn in the classroom, so whilst they might be tied to your school life, it’s a different facet of education. I remember the joy of being able to skip a class or even an entire day because I had an athletics tournament. Of course that’s not the reason I participated, but it was a definite perk! It’s also an opportunity to socialise with friends in a casual setting which helps to develop interpersonal skills and social interactions.
Given that the school week can get so overwhelming, making the most out of your weekends is something to capitalise on. Browse online or look through your school’s bulletin boards for some inspiration because there’s a chance that you’re missing out on new experiences that expand your horizons. It can be simple and it can be free, but make sure it is something that is enjoyable and distracts you from school.
Growing up I always used to hate the question, ‘So what do you like doing?’ because it would feel embarrassing to admit that all I did was watch TV, or scroll on TikTok. I didn’t feel as though I had anything interesting that I was actively doing. And while you and I might enjoy those simple pleasures at times, these are not experiences you can convey to employers on a job interview or to universities that you hope to apply for. I’ve found that this is actually quite common among academic high-achievers because a lot of your time is dedicated to your studies. But this can also be a universal experience where, by not having any or many extracurriculars, you find yourself in a monotonous cycle and your days can become really underwhelming. This is why it’s crucial to cultivate your passions and interests through extracurricular activities or events so that you can see who you are outside of school.
Balancing Your Time
It can definitely be a struggle at times to balance your schoolwork and your extracurriculars and the feeling that there isn’t enough time in the day to get everything done can be suffocating. As a student, you are constantly reminded that school is (and should be) your priority. So here are a few tips to help you balance your time and schedules.
1. Time management
Time management is the skill of being able to allocate sufficient time to tasks. This starts with planning. Take a look at your (weekly) schedule and prioritise tasks based on deadlines and importance. Time management is an essential life skill that will be tested all the time because of how busy life can get.
2. Study techniques
With extracurriculars on your schedule, being intentional and effective when you study is how you’ll make the most out of your time. Check out our other blogs to learn more about our tips for essential study techniques.
3. Goal setting
This is when you might set a goal in your plan. For example, after you complete studying one topic, you give yourself a break. Or when you make headway on a project, you buy something you’ve been wanting. It doesn’t matter what the reward is because that accomplishment is easier to achieve when you’re motivated enough to have committed to it.
The key here, and generally in life, is about balance. Having a balanced lifestyle and maintaining a balanced routine.
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Written by O. Okolo
