The Great Extracurricular Debate by Lauren

The Great Extracurricular Debate by Lauren - October 2015 Scholarship Essay

A high school student could sum up their experience anyway they seem fit. Successes, trials and failures; usually a mixture of both. The roots of these failures and successes often lies within extracurricular activities, or lack thereof. Many high schools across the country require at least one extracurricular activity for a student to graduate. Most administrative officials believe that extracurricular activities help broaden a student’s opportunities and social skills. While this is very true, the requirement that a student must participate in extracurricular activities fails to take into account the students that have social disorders or money issues within their households.
Through personal experience of being diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, I understood what it was like to be one of those students who physically had a hard time finding motivation to get out and do something without fearing the possibility of an anxiety attack. For a long time extracurricular activities seemed like something that was impossible. And while I did get better with time, I know a lot of students don’t. On top of students that have disorders, many who don’t still have a stressful time with all their high school classes. As senior year approaches, many students don’t have the time for their extracurricular activities and, sometimes, trying to balance school, college applications, work and their activities becomes too much for one student to handle. This could contribute to a drop in a student’s work quality, inside and outside of school.
On top of the stress that is present with extracurricular activities, money also plays a big part in the decision of joining extracurricular activities for students. Many families in America are struggling financially to support for themselves, let alone a club or sport. Many students cannot afford to pay for all the dues, spiritwear, and trips that are often required for these activities. Also, some high school students must work to help pay for their gas, college, or even just to help their families make it. While this is an obvious case of financial stress, this often leads to the issue of not having time for extracurricular activities. Having a job in high school often limits the activities students are able to participate in. While many students wish to participate in extracurricular activities, many are simply unable to.
It is without a doubt that extracurricular activities help a student gain new experiences and social opportunities. However, extracurricular activities just aren’t for everyone. A requirement that states a student must participate in an extracurricular activity is simply unrealistic. Some students are uninterested, while others might wish to participate, but can’t because of money, time, stress, or a combination of the three.