Benefits of Extracurricular Activities: How They Can Make You a Better Student and Person
When we start college, we generally believe that classes and assignments will define our life there. Therefore, we give all our attention to studying and forget that there are other important things.
Studying too much can cause burnout when our brain concentrates on deadlines and academic responsibilities in a way that it leaves no space for our hobbies and interests. This can have a negative impact on our brain. Spending most of your time on your books does not guarantee excellent academic performance. Your brain needs to take rests and be free from the stress that comes along with studying. It is important to remember that college is more than just a place for academic achievement; it’s also a space to develop one’s character and leadership potential.
Extracurricular activities are a pathway to boost your academic performance and develop a strong personality. During my time as a college student, I worked as a Study Center Monitor voluntarily. My responsibilities included keeping the Study Center as quiet as possible, while doing this, I had to calmly and firmly communicate with the students who were using the area for studying. This experience enhanced my communication skills. Years later, I am still using those skill.
Critical thinking, time management, and a strong memory are all skills that can enhance your grades. Recreational activities, such as swimming, hiking, walking, cycling, etc, can all improve your metabolism, which energizes your body and activates your brain. Once we engage in these activities, we will have more energy to perform better in classes and also feel better. This makes us concentrate more on details and identify problems faster. Students who participate in sports activities and tournaments tend to do better in class. By doing something that you are interested in, you learn to prioritize your tasks. It helps you find a balance between your education and interests and to manage your time efficiently.
Engaging your brain in the process of performing an activity positively impacts your memory as well. Continuing with one or more activities even after graduation strengthens your memory as you get older. Now remember, we must not lose focus on our classes. Both activities and studies need to go hand in hand. We need to keep a healthy balance, and try to perform well in classes while remembering to practice our hobbies, and prioritize our health.
Engaging in extracurricular activities is a way to get out of your comfort zone and try out new things. From taking new challenges, you learn a new lesson and value. The more you come to recognize these values, the better self-character you can build. This is an approach to knowing more about your interests, things that you like, things that you do not like, or things that you have never explored about yourself. If you go for a hike, you might realize that you are a good climber. If you become a math tutor, you may acknowledge that you can’t pass information easily. Engaging in various activities gives you more options and opens more opportunities to develop your character. Being exposed to new experiences, cultures, and environments is very important. It improves your social skills and self-esteem. It helps you to stand out from the crowd, have more confidence to be heard, and take more risks. You can cultivate your social interaction skills and be able to survive in different environments.
What you do in your free time reflects in your personality. Running a student organization at college shows you have leadership abilities. Volunteering shows your contribution and dedication to what you do in an organization. Spending your free time on the things you are interested in improves your critical thinking and encourages you to be creative. These are characteristics that employers look for beyond grades. And these are what makes you unique.
High academic performance is very important, but so is having unique characteristics. Engaging in extracurricular activities not only increases your academic performance, but also creates unique characteristics in you. Extracurricular activities create a better version of you!
- Rozhan Saman