Why Schools Should Invest More In Extra-Curricular Activities For Students

Extra-curricular activities were never prioritized in the past, but they have emerged in modern times, and students all around the world are encouraged to participate in them. Schools have even decreased the number of hours students are required to study and have instead made it compulsory for them to take up an activity.

Students have the incentive to participate in extra-curricular activities because colleges these days prioritize taking in candidates who have experience with these activities since they look for students who are seen as all-rounders.

Participating in extra-curricular activities helps students learn new skills such as learning to play a new instrument, learning to speak a new language or even playing a new sport. Some students are also pushed to join baking and cooking clubs to diversify their skills and be better at these things. Most of these activities entail the use of equipment that is not usually used inside classrooms. Robotics teams and groups that perform scientific experiments use apparatus that are not required by their curriculum.

Since musical instruments, sports equipment, kitchen utensils, and scientific apparatus are all expensive items, schools should use school asset management software so that they can keep track of all these items and see who has them. This software also sends out alerts when they are due for maintenance or need to be replaced altogether. This helps save these institutions a lot of trouble since they do not have to buy the equipment over and over again and can hold both students and their staff accountable in case of loss or theft of the items.

Apart from pushing students to apply to great colleges, there are many reasons why schools should focus on extracurricular activities and push them to pursue them even when they are older.

1. Creativity

Extracurricular activities enhance the creativity of students. They are made to think out of the box and come up with solutions that are not only tested in written exams. Arts and crafts help children explore their creativity at a young age which not only helps them in their school life but also helps them out in their professional lives when they are adults. Furthermore, creativity is something that is required in every aspect of life and anybody who has been able to explore it at a young age is at an advantage since they will not have to go out of their way to learn it at an older age.

2. Academic Performance

The biggest problem that students face while they are preparing for exams is that they suddenly feel bored since revising the same syllabus repeatedly feels quite redundant. Having an activity pursued on the side helps distract them from the monotony they feel and takes off a lot of pressure. Extracurricular activities help them strike a balance between their academics and the skills they should learn which will help them out later on in their lives. They also have more to look forward to and this helps reduce stress.

3. Social Skills

Extracurricular activities help students mingle with a lot more people and this increases their social circles. They meet lots of people from diverse backgrounds and skill sets which helps them get exposure. In schools, students are often in a bubble since they interact with people coming from the same backgrounds as them and they all study the same curriculum. While this is also important, it stunts their social skills since they get too used to being around the same people throughout their lives.

4. Personality Development

Extracurricular activities help students find their passion at a very young age. They also help them seek clarity regarding what they would want to pursue in the future. Activities such as sports, cooking, baking and arts and crafts stay with children their entire lives and they even balance them with their professional lives once they are old enough. Such activities also shape personalities and become a huge part of what people are and the same activities are also used to describe them.

5. Work Life Balance

The biggest problem that students face when they are done with their education is balancing a job with hobbies and social activities. They have often been indoctrinated with the belief that they solely have to focus on their education otherwise they would never be able to pass their exams. This is quite an extreme approach since it prevents students from exploring their interests and they are discouraged from multi-tasking even though they can most definitely manage it.

6. Community Engagement

Pursuing extracurricular activities helps students connect with multiple people across the community and form connections with them. This helps them expand their time management, social circles and socialize extensively at a young age. If students participate in community service and volunteer for various projects, it helps them get more involved in what happens around them and hence increases community engagement. Other activities such as sports also help them form bonds since many people take up sports as a pastime and socialize with others.

7. Well-Being

Multitasking is a skill that students must learn at a young age. Balancing academics with extracurricular activities helps them manage their stress and also take a break from studying. Staying in one place and sitting idle can be unhealthy. Taking part in sports or any activities that help students move around helps them stay active and keeps them on the go.

8. More Interest in Academics

Students who immerse themselves in different activities feel more connected to their schools and end up taking more interest in academics. This is because they know that they have an outlet in the form of extracurricular activities and can release their stress there. These activities can be quite fun which helps students feel like they have more control over their lives and their routines which is why they end up taking more interest in their studies.

Conclusion:

Extracurricular activities are quite healthy for students. Contrary to popular belief, they help them focus more on school and feel connected to their environment since they take part in multiple activities. They are also a good way for them to feel a sense of community and engage with community members even more. Students also learn how to multitask and they can carry this skill forward into their professional lives to strike a balance between work and other activities.