Why Extracurriculars Matter: The Hidden Advantages 

Are you involved in your school? What clubs are you in? Why? Wacky clubs like Sneakers Club, Knitting Club, Cute Animals Club, and Classical Folks Club combine interdisciplinary elements and make learning more interesting. Imagine yourself going to school, and when someone asks, ‘what clubs are you in?’ or ‘how are you involved at school?’ you realize that you have nothing to talk about! How embarrassing is that? Clubs and sports offer opportunities to meet new friends, to develop new interests, and to lead others. Extracurriculars help students find relief from learning and find a strong sense of purpose at school. Four years from now, you will see yourself standing at a podium giving a speech to others, being a founder of your school’s popular clubs and celebrating your academic success along with your friends. You may be wondering, how can I achieve that? Well, the answer lies here. 

Envision yourself going through a hard day of grinding, concentration, and fast thinking. We can all agree that high school is hard and competitive. In fact, 68% of teens feel the common pressure of studies during their experience in high school. That means that, out of every 100 students, more than half feel the same way. But don’t worry, these stresses from tests or homework are actually beneficial and don’t cause much harm. Nevertheless, that’s where the role of extracurriculars comes in. Participating in clubs gives time for relief and resets the mind while increasing a student’s sense of engagement in academics. Who wouldn’t want to do something else after a long day of textbook problems? In fact, the National Center for Education Statistics reports that club-involved students “have better attendance than their non-participating classmates, where half of them had no unexcused absences from school and half had never skipped a class, compared with one-third and two-fifths of nonparticipants.” This means that students who look forward to their interests at school are more motivated to attend regularly and engage with the school community. When students are invested in an activity they care about, school becomes a place of joy and purpose rather than pressure. With this mindset in place, students are also more likely to do well during tests. The National Center for Education Statistics also reaffirms that students who participated in extracurriculars were three times more likely to receive high scores in math and reading compared to nonparticipants. How big is that? Overall, students who participate in extracurricular activities carry a stronger sense of engagement and willingness that translates into greater focus, persistence, and commitment in their academic work.

Secondly, extracurricular activities build connections by bringing students together through shared interests, goals, backgrounds, and experiences. This is important for new students adapting to an environment or transitioning to a new school. When I joined a new school in the United States, I was the only Asian international student in my class. Feeling surprised and overwhelmed at first, I decided that I would try some sports to get to know others. Thus, I joined the school’s Varsity Cross Country team. I was never a strong distance runner, and I have never even imagined competing in 5k races with other runners. What stood out to me about cross country was not individual speed or medals, but the way teammates push one another forward, celebrating progress as a family rather than competing against each other. For example, during our 2-hour practices each day of the week, we divided into small groups every day to run around the school campus. Our runs not only consisted of running, but it was full of stories and conversations. For example, we would discuss school subjects, current drama, sports, and music. These things brought our team even closer and became moments of connection that built up trust and friendships within the team. When the final race arrived, we cheered everyone on and even encouraged our competitors, turning the race into a shared experience. Extracurriculars like cross country open up space for friendships, where you do not have to be the fastest to belong and where spending time together helps you get to know everyone in the group more deeply.