Finding a Balance by Rebecca

Finding a Balance by Rebecca - October 2015 Scholarship Essay

“Experience is not what happens to you; it’s what you do with what happens to you.”
While considering my position on whether or not extracurricular activities should be a requirement I will keep in mind a few things. Life is all about trial and error; not everyone makes the same choices, and not everyone makes the same mistakes. Individuals must keep pace with varied schedules, individual financial situations, they may have a hard time dealing with stress, or transportation obstacles. Furthermore, I feel that extracurricular activities should not be a requirement for high school graduation.
I got my license when I was sixteen, shortly after my birthday. My dad was ecstatic when he no longer had to drive me around to and from sports, clubs, and other miscellaneous activities. I was lucky enough to have a parent to drive me to the activities I wanted to participate in; however, not everyone is as fortunate as I am. Not everyone can get to and from their activities. If extracurricular activities are made a high school graduation requirement, we may see a decrease in graduates just because of transportation conflicts.
There are times in high school students may get anxiety and feel like school is too much. It happens to everyone. Every single person has probably felt anxious, or overwhelmed at some point in their life. Therefore, could you imagine how people with anxiety or depression would feel if they had to worry about more than just the everyday struggles of high school? Some students would feel they should give up because they cannot handle the extra stress or anxiety of extracurricular activities. Requiring these extra activities may harm the desire of some students to succeed in school due to the anxiety and overwhelming anxiety it may cause.
Extracurricular activities, whether it’s sports, clubs, organizations, or any other school related activity, can all be expensive. Not all families are able to afford the cost for their child to be involved in extra activities. Not only would the activities concern the student, but it would now concern the parents and family of that particular child. There are programs that help with the cost of activities, but to some families that may not be enough. Considering the financial aspects of extracurricular activities, it shows they should not be made a requirement.
High school can be challenging and finding a schedule that worked for me was difficult. I played volleyball, softball; I babysat, had a part time job, and this was too much. I was worried about falling behind in school, but I loved everything I was doing. Choosing what to give up was difficult, but thinking about my future, I chose to give up sports and keep my job so I could continue to build my resume. I loved sports; however, they did not fit into my schedule, just as they do not fit into many other students’ schedules. I do not think extracurricular activities should be a requirement, but I do feel that they should be highly recommended for each and every student.
While I believe extracurricular activities should be highly recommended to all students, not every student has transportation to and from these activities. Likewise, it may not be in the best interest of some students’ mental health. Nor, can every student afford them. Lastly, they may not be able to fit them into their busy schedule. I personally think extracurricular activities are great, and can be highly beneficial to students in several ways: college applications, keeping students busy and out of trouble, and they help them grow socially. Although extracurricular activities may be highly valuable, I do not feel they should be a high school graduation requirement.

Works Cited
Quote - Aldous Huxley