Clubs, Programs, Jobs
Are the so-called “best four years” of your life not living up to its name? Movies, books, and media in general make college seem like a magical wonderland that will instantly turn you into a social butterfly. The truth is college is what you make it, which leads to my question: How are you curating your college experience? Some people find their forte in pure academics, 24-hour study sessions, and being early and participatory in every class. Other college students need more of a social balance and outlet. No matter what side of the spectrum you fall on, extracurriculars are important because they help build both professional and people skills, add value to your resume, and provide an outlet for students to participate in activities that they enjoy.
Habit and Routine Building
It is common for college to feel stagnant and heavily repetitive. With the addition of extracurricular activities to your routine, you can consistently enjoy a preferred hobby, add structure to your daily or weekly schedule, and give yourself social interactions that you may otherwise lack in your daily academic life. Extracurriculars can also help form good habits like time management skills, people skills, and other skills that could be valuable in the workforce.
Social Life & Networking
Extracurricular involvement is where college students often discover their lasting friendships, along with social and job opportunities. Joining a club can lead to finding a variety of people with shared passions, interests, personalities, and majors, which is an amazing building block to developing these personal and professional relations with others. While joining an organization can be intimidating, the vast amount of programs and clubs a college provides can allow you to form lasting personal relationships. Being part of an organization can also be a great tool for getting your name out there and collaborating with others to foster a community that helps share and develop professional values.
Career Furthering
Naturally, getting a job or internship is an amazing stepping stone to career development. This allows a student to not only gain work experience but also gain hands-on experiences and opportunities in their preferred field. Internships or job experiences collaborate with the professional and job-oriented aspects of socializing that extracurriculars can enhance.