40 Clubs; a Surplus or a Benefit?
Written by Rebecca Andrews, Former Student on Thursday, September 25, 2014
Ask any SHS student, and most of them will say they are involved in at least one of the 40 clubs offered at their high school. According to a recent national survey, 79 percent of American high school students are involved in some type of extracurricular activity such as drama, debate, foreign language, writing, community service, and leadership clubs.
While clubs are extremely fun, there are some rewarding benefits from joining an extra-curricular activity that some students are not aware of.
Want to improve yourself academically? The National Center for Education Statistics show students who participate in extra-curricular activities have a 15 percent higher class-room attendance. Getting involved with clubs that focus on what they are passionate about, such as Young Writers club, is one of the main reasons that school is actually fun for many SHS students. Clubs that focus on academic concepts, such as German, Chinese, Spanish, or French club, drive students to further study subjects they are interested in. Encouragement and studying with peers has been shown by recent studies to improve GPA’s.
Want to get to know even more people? Many friendships erupt from club involvement-especially clubs that form teams and encourage the students to work together toward a common goal. Abby Smith, a senior at SHS, who is involved in Choir, Drama, Link Crew, Debate, and Jam Club, says “[Clubs] really make you branch out and actually talk and work with people. I was really quiet my freshman year, and waited until the end of the year to join clubs, and when I did, it was like I had all these new friends.” Getting to know the adviser for the club is another benefit; strong connections with the staff will ensure a stronger partnership between you and your teachers. “Especially where I work one-on-one [with advisers], I definitely developed better connections,” says Smith. “Having respect from adults is a really great thing.”
Want to get better at that procrastination problem? When students have more involvement, the time allotted in a day to juggle social, educational, and recreational activities narrows down, forcing them to learn time management, and prioritization skills. Perfecting those abilities is essential to a strong future, whether you will be going to college, or straight into a career.
Want to be more positive? The Center for Social and Behavioral Research at the University of Northern Iowa says that students are less likely to suffer from long term and short term depression, as well as have better people-management skills, higher self-esteems, and more feelings of progress towards family, career, and general goals when they are involved in a club. R.A.K.E. Club focus’s specifically on creating stronger relationships by doing random acts of kindness.
Want to increase your chances of getting into college? When colleges are looking at your application, they look at how you applied yourself during your free time. They are observing the contributions you are making in the world, and how you are advancing yourself through additional activities outside the required school events. Bill Nicolay, an English teacher, Acting/Speech teacher, and the Debate coach, says, “colleges are increasingly looking at well-rounded students with commitment, and a lot of clubs demonstrate extraordinary commitment. [Being involved] shows colleges that students are above and beyond the minimum of life.” Randomly joining as many clubs as possible, however, is not what the colleges are looking for; they are looking for dedication, hard work, and advancement.
High school is a time to explore, have fun, meet new people, and experience new things. The huge variety of SHS clubs offers plenty of different opportunities to develop yourself. Nicolay suggests to students, “Get involved. In addition to potential financial aid and scholarship opportunities, you’ll meet people with common interests- not just in your school, but across the country. And because of your common interests, you’ll most likely form close friendships.” Whether you want to improve academically, socially, mentally, or you simply want to have fun doing something you love, join a club. It’s worth it.
