Extracurriculars give high schoolers a chance to explore more of their interests. It gives them great opportunities to help their community. Extracurriculars are a variety of many different things and are very beneficial. They can develop social interactions, a sense of belonging and preparation for college.
“Extracurricular activities are anything a student does outside of school hours,” Academic counselor Megan Mayo said. “So, it could be a sport, it could be a club, it could be something that’s not necessarily affiliated with school.”
It’s most understood that sports are an extracurricular, but there are many more. There are groups like music, band, drama, debate club, student government, art club and many more. Extracurriculars like the ones listed help students meet peers with shared interest. Here at BHS, they are available for students to join and try out. Academic counselor Lori Mehrtens encourages students to keep their eyes open for new openings.
“Students who are interested in other clubs that we offer, they just need to watch BHS TV,” Mehrtens said. “A lot of the time, especially in the beginning of the year, they’ll do call outs.”
Three days of the week—Monday, Wednesday and Friday—our school has new information coming out that students can watch during class. It announces the clubs that are coming up and gives a brief description of what the club is going to be like, gives the time and date on when their meetings or first meeting will be held.
Being a part of a group that interests you can be a challenge to find. It can also be a challenge to put yourself out there and to try something new due to fear.
“I would encourage students to try things that they’ve not done before,” Mayo said. “You never know what you’re going to like until you try it. And I really think extracurriculars help people grow in ways they never thought about. Trying something new takes courage, so get out there and try it.”
Participating in extracurriculars can help people get out of their shell. It gives them many experiences that will be used later in the future.
Another obstacle students can come across is finding the correct group to join. First you should identify your goals in life. Doing this will help you start going down the right path because you will narrow down your options for your interests. You should talk to other people in that group so you can get an idea of what is happening and inviting your friends to do it with you will add familiarity. Balancing your schedule will also benefit you so you’re not overwhelming yourself.
While participating in extracurricular activities, you can meet people with similar interests and passions. There are many people with the same seriousness as you which will help with bouncing ideas for expanding each other’s views.
“The first thing that I think is a benefit to students who do extracurricular activities is it just helps you meet new people,” Mehrtens said. “And the people you are meeting are people who probably share the same common interest with you. Because if you’re playing a sport, you all like that sport.”
Everyone also has different passions and interests so there may be something that you are looking for but cannot find. It’s important to not stop looking because it will help in the future. On top of learning many different materials, you also give yourself a better look toward colleges. A misconception about colleges is they are looking for a student who does everything, but that’s not necessarily true. Colleges are looking for students who have a strong and serious passion for something and they show that through their activities. A student who’s going to apply for an occupation and has activities that applies to their occupation will stand out the most to colleges because it shows dedication and commitment.
“You never know what you’re going to like until you try it,” Mehrtens said. “If there isn’t a club that interests you, think of one and start it, take initiative. And just keep looking until you find what you’re interested in.”