Extracurricular Activity Examples for College and Teenagers
Sitting in your room all day is not good for you. Your brain needs stimulation.
You need to get out of that comfort zone and do something different every once in a while. Find new hobbies, like knitting or painting, meet new people with similar interests as yours, take dance lessons or learn how to cook – anything! The more you try different things, the better for you because, when it comes time to picking a career path, you’ll know what’s most interesting to you. There are plenty of opportunities out there for students who want to explore their potential outside the classroom walls, so don’t give up. Discovering yourself never ends after graduation- it continues through life!
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What is the importance of having extracurricular activities?
Extracurricular activities play an important role in the development of teenagers and adults.
They have positive impacts on mental health, physical health, integrity, and career choices. Participation in extracurricular activities has been shown to advance learning for students while developing skills related to leadership, cooperation, communication, and new challenges.
Extracurricular activities are beneficial to the participants and also those around them. They show growth in organization, maturity, and socializing. These are all important for teenagers to build confidence that they can use in their everyday lives later on.
College admissions officers feel that students who participated in extracurricular activities performed better academically. Many schools, especially the most selective colleges, are looking for students who have interests outside of academics.
Extracurricular activities can be included in college application essays. They show college admissions officers what you are capable of and what types of opportunities you have been exposed to. Many college applications require a list of all activities, clubs, or teams that the student is involved in and descriptions of how they benefited the college applicant.
Extracurricular activities give students chances to try new things, which help them explore interests they didn’t know they had. They can learn to work with new groups of people, which will be valuable later in life.
Extracurricular activities are also beneficial for the community as a whole. Through those activities, students develop skills that help them thrive in society. These benefits include physical health, mental health, and personal development as well as vocational capabilities. These benefits all help build communities.
Extracurricular activities are important for the community because they help develop new generations of people who will contribute positively to society and the economy.
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Types of extracurricular activities
There are various types of extracurricular activities that students can take part in. There are sports teams in the early years of education and school clubs that usually continue into high school.
High school has more advanced extracurricular activities, such as community services, academic decathlons, student government, or college applications. These become more time-consuming over time, but they are still important for personal growth and mental health. After high school, students have more choices than ever before because they can choose their college courses or go to a trade school.
Extracurricular activities in college are usually connected to the major that the student chooses. This could be anything from an academic team to student gov or an honor society. The activities can also be based on organizations outside of college that the student is a member of such as clubs and community service.
Here is a list of types of extracurricular activities that students in college can be involved in:
Student government
Students might feel like they can do more than just attend class and compete in academic competitions. They may decide to run for student government and make improvements on school grounds. Other schools have leadership opportunities for students who want to shine in public speaking or make peace between different groups.
Community service
Volunteering for events that benefit others may help students understand how the world can be a better place when we all pitch in. Teams and organizations might plan to clean up beaches, feed the homeless, or build homes for those who need them. Other teams see what is wrong with society and try to fix it, including opposing discrimination, preventing crime, or ensuring everyone has access to clean water.
Community service teams may also support people in need through the acts of individuals such as a single person who begins helping out at a homeless shelter on their own time.
Academic clubs/decathlons
Not all students are serious about every class they take, but some are. These students want to do their best in every subject, and that may require help from others. First, they may join a study group which will help with a class while giving students chances to work together. Others might join academic clubs that focus on history, science, or language arts, for example.
Decathlon teams give opportunities to students who want to be great at everything. Academic decathlons are often academic clubs that focus on multiple areas in a way similar to sports teams.
Sports
Sports are popular for both college students and high school students. When a student excels at sports in these groups, it can help them get into a good college or university team when they finish high school. This works especially well with colleges that have a strong athletic reputation.
Students are encouraged to be part of a team or get good grades for sports colleges because these schools want the best athletes and students who can compete.
Joining sports as an extracurricular activity is important for the future of a student. They are made to feel like they belong on the team, and they are not alone during their sports careers as it can last from high school all the way into adulthood.
STEM programs
Students can pursue their interests in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics at a college level regardless of whether they have already chosen a major. Teachers might inspire these students to develop special skills that prepare them for advanced degrees.
Science club members may conduct experiments together and get better as the group repeatedly practices until they are experts. Other teams may compete in science fairs and build projects from start to finish with help.
Those who might be interested in pursuing a career as a scientist or engineer have the opportunity to succeed even before choosing their college majors by being part of STEM programs.
Other students may find that these groups are not right for them after all.
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Performing arts
Some students might be good at the arts. They can make their voices heard or use drama to create intense scenes that represent some of life’s most important moments.
These are only a few types of extracurricular activities for students who want to excel in more than just academics.
Encourage your child to go beyond the basics and find something that interests them above all else.
Visual arts
Students who paint, sculpt or draw may join teams that help them learn and share what they have learned with others.
Graphic arts clubs are popular because they allow students to create whatever they want instead of being limited by the topics in a class. Regular art classes can include activities like painting scenery for plays, among other things. In contrast, graphic arts clubs focus more on creating original works, not necessarily for specific purposes.
Students might develop whatever they want to create as plain or fancy as the students themselves. They can even sell their work depending on how good it is. Some could even make a living off of their art, which is possible with graphic arts clubs whether they approach it as a hobby or to make money.
Music
Some students have a talent for creating music and performing it to the world.
Join a band or play an instrument in school so you can learn how to create music with others. This is often called being part of a music group where they perform together.
Vocalists are popular on college campuses because they allow anyone who wants to participate the chance to do so, which is important in other extracurricular activities.
Some instruments require more skills than others, and major colleges often invite the best musicians for scholarships because they show great skills. This also gives students who are interested in these schools a chance to succeed at their level of playing an instrument.
Examples of Extracurricular Activities for College and Teenagers
Under various types and categories of extracurricular activities, there are numerous activities. The list of extracurricular activities is extensive, but some examples are:
Sports
These are physical activities that students may or may not be good at, but they can try them out anyway. Fitness is important for many sports, especially when it comes to running and jumping.
Sports often include a coach who can give the team guidance based on their experience with the sport.
Basketball– is one of the most popular sports for boys and girls both.
Baseball– is played in spring seasons on a weekend event when no school events are occurring. The baseball season usually takes place from March to June, contingent upon the climate condition at that time around America.
Volleyball– is a popular sport among girls due to their physical capabilities and is more aesthetically pleasing than what boys would prefer. The season starts in September.
Bowling– A player rolls a ball down a wooden lane from one end to the other, knocking down as many pins as possible.
Soccer– is a popular sport in America and involves kicking the ball with one’s foot or head to score against an opposing team. The sport is played in school and on the weekend.
Football– is a very popular sport for many of America’s teenagers because it involves physical contact that other sports like soccer do not involve. The football season starts in September, whereas some students play their high school team at the junior or collegiate levels during summer vacation.
Golf– is a great activity for those who enjoy the outdoors, and it is a skill-based sport rather than a physical one.
Riding horses– consist of being mounted to ride on horseback to compete for time or height over hurdles. The season starts in September and consists of two warm up weekends followed by an overnight stay at camp instead of staying home for the weekend.
Skateboarding– consists of moving around on a skateboard, whether it’s at school or the weekend. Some students may prefer to ride them in groups or alone, and some rules must be followed when skating as well as some characteristics required to be a great board rider.
Gymnastics– is a great way to exercise and improve agility. Gymnastics involves high physical activity because it requires one to move from one apparatus to the next to stay balanced while performing sharp movements.
Swimming– is a sport that many people around the world enjoy. It involves swimming in an indoor pool or an outdoor swimming pool, depending on climate conditions. Contestants are scored on how gracefully they can move through the water and for how long among other factors.
Tennis– is a fun activity that many people enjoy playing, whether be it at school or one of those outdoor tennis courts you see around America. There are rules which must be followed, so each team consists of one female and one male to play a doubles game.
Powerlifting– is a sport in which one must perform as many repetitions as possible using a certain amount of weight. The weights are measured using pounds, and individuals usually want to lift the max amount they can before their body breaks down or before time runs out.
Martial arts– is an ancient sport in which one has the ability to defend themselves under certain conditions or can use it for a fun game involving friends. An example is Kang Doo Do.
Cheerleading– is a popular sport for girls. It incorporates dance and the ability to lead chants as well as perform stunts to encourage their team on whether it be at a game or just at school.
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Performing arts
Performing an act in front of an audience is one of the best ways to show off your talents. A wide variety of performing arts can be done whether they are related or not. Some examples are dance, drama, singing, and instrumental playing, just to name a few.
Theater- is an art form in which performers act out a play for many spectators that wish to watch. It is also a good way to let out your emotions and express yourself.
Dance- is an art form in which one moves to music or around others with grace and style. People can dance anywhere, whether at a school assembly or just by themselves in their house practicing. Dancing involves many emotions such as happiness, sadness, and even anger, but it is a great way to express oneself.
Singing- is a popular activity among many elementary school students and teenagers. Singing consists of using your voice in many different ways, such as doing high notes or low ones. Singers try their best to keep the beat while singing rather than just doing whatever they feel like. This is a sport that takes hard work and practice to become an expert at it.
Electric/Acoustic guitar- involves the ability to play a certain song by having the right fingering techniques, strumming patterns, or simply knowing where to put your fingers while playing different chords. This isn’t a well-known activity as it is one of a kind, since many people don’t play the guitar at all or have never even touched one.
Piano- is another great way to relax and express your thoughts and emotions in terms of music. Many students learn how to play new songs and show off their talents while playing this instrument.
Violin- is a string instrument that is sometimes referred to as a fiddle. This popular instrument takes a lot of patience and practice to master. One must keep their fingers moving while finding all the right notes at the right times.
Drum set- involves one tapping their fingers while using certain drum sticks to hit cymbals and other types of drums. It is a fun way to express yourself or simply pass time.
Keyboard- involves playing many different keys on the keyboard to form the right sound for any song they wish. They are also able to play small pieces if they know how to play certain chords or notes.
French horns- is a brass instrument that musicians play while standing up. This popular instrument is used in many orchestras as it creates low and high tones, which most people cannot make out of their own voice.
Trumpet- involves one playing the trumpet by using air from their lungs to create a sound. This instrument is used in many orchestras and plays a crucial part in adding the right sounds in big pieces.
Visual arts
Visual arts involve one’s eye in art forms such as photography, Claymation, or painting. These are all useful arts to learn since they can improve the mind and expand your knowledge.
Photography- involves taking pictures, whether it be of friends, family, landscapes, or anything else that you feel like taking a picture of. One’s concentration must be on what they are doing to get the perfect picture.
Claymation- involves making clay figures by folding and shaping the clay into different forms such as people, animals, or anything else you can think of. They will often shoot a movie using childlike figurines that move with their arms, legs, and even mouths. This is a popular form of art that many people can enjoy.
Painting- involves taking different colors and blending them to make an image or picture. It also includes mixing several colors before actually painting something with those specific colors mixed into the paintbrush. Some people can simply use their fingers or straw to dab color onto paint already on the canvas. This type of art form takes patience and practice to become an expert at making beautiful pictures.
Sculpturing- involves using clay, wood, wires, etc., to sculpt various forms into a statue or figure. This can be any type of animal, person, etc.
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Academic clubs and organizations
Academic clubs and organizations involve getting a group of people together to complete different activities. Some of these include:
Spelling bees consist of several words that one has to spell correctly or get disqualified from the game/contest. Usually, there is only one winner because each word gets harder and harder to spell correctly.
Court debating involves arguing for a certain court case by thinking of the pros and cons while convincing the other team that they are wrong in terms of thinking or reasoning.
Organizing a club involves collecting enough people to form a certain club that will do different activities for the school or community. This usually requires patience and practice while also having leadership skills as well.
Math club- involves one completing different mathematical activities using logic, reasoning, and formulating a scenario. This is very useful since it can improve grades in math for many people who struggle with this subject.
Political science club- Teaches students about the government and how they work. It also includes learning about different political parties and their importance in the government. This is very useful for many people as they can learn how to run for political office to create a better country.
Vision club- involves one writing down their vision by stating what great changes would be made if everyone had a good vision.
Religious clubs- involves learning about different religions such as Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, etc. It also includes learning about the different holidays that may relate to certain religions and understanding why they celebrate them in the first place.
Model U.N club- involves learning about the United Nations and how they are considered an organization that works for peace. It also includes learning about past wars and why they were fought while also figuring out what could have been done differently to prevent the war from happening.
Art club- involves students practicing their drawing skills by drawing different images such as people, animals, scenery, and more. This is a good activity for students interested in art and who want to become better at drawing.
Broadcasting/journalism club- involves students creating news broadcasts that include current events happening in the world by interviewing different people. Some of these people can be from different countries or even be citizens of the student’s own country.
Student government and leadership
This type of extracurricular involves students understanding how the government works to create better leadership skills. This is very useful for many people who want someday to be a part of the political aspects of society.
Community service
Community service involves students helping people who are less fortunate to improve their future. Examples of community service extracurricular activities for students include:
Volunteering- Going to help different people who are struggling in life because they do not have enough money or because of diseases. Also include activities like cleaning the environment, helping elderly people, and going to help those who need food.
Medical volunteering- involves one going into a hospital to provide medical care for the sick or disabled. This is very useful for people who want to become doctors because it allows them to see what being a doctor entails, such as working with the public and working with many different people at once.
How to choose an extracurricular activity
To choose an extracurricular activity, you should think about what you are interested in and your future goals.
If you want to become a doctor or lawyer, going to medical service is beneficial because they get experience with the public.
If you want to become a politician, joining politics or student government is beneficial because it helps them understand how the government works.
One must also keep in mind that the activity should be fun while also not taking up too much time in your schedule. If you are busy all day, it will be hard for you to do well in school and the extracurricular activity you are involved in.
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Conclusion
Extracurricular activities are very important as they benefit many people, including students who are still in school. They provide a way for children to get a head start on their future careers while also helping them maintain good grades so they can get into college one day. This is why extracurricular activities are a good thing and should be taken advantage of by all students.
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