Coming to school every day and taking rigorous courses can be difficult and unpleasant for students. Many students join extracurriculars as a way to make friends and participate in activities that they enjoy. These activities are what keep students involved in their school community. However, many claim that extracurriculars may interfere with academics.

Extracurriculars are an important part of a high school experience and they allow students to surround themselves with individuals who have the same interests as themselves. While joining organizations might make completing homework assignments more difficult, they teach students important skills of responsibility, leadership, and time management.

Sports, fine arts and other organizations often have moral codes to follow in order to participate in the activities. These codes include having a clean and academically honest record. The codes motivate students to avoid dishonest behaviors so that they can continue to take part in their respective extracurriculars.

Additionally, many organizations encourage their participants to practice good behavior and maintain the standards of their grades by offering leadership positions. Within the theatre company specifically, the sophomores and juniors can apply to become “officers.” These positions include president, vice president, treasurer, secretary, librarian, and board member. Part of the selection process includes an evaluation of grades, commitment to the company, and exhibiting honest and respectful behavior which requires maintaining academic integrity.

Another component of many organizations is to set academic standards for their students. Athletes, in order to participate in their respective sports and play at their respective games, they must be passing all of their classes. This sets goals for students, prompting them to keep their grades up. In addition, these rules teach students the skill of time management between academics and extracurriculars.

Understandably, juggling extracurriculars and academics is difficult. A solution organizations can offer, as many already have, is study hall. This is a great way for fine arts and sports teams to help their students makeup work they missed or complete homework.

Additionally, while handling both aspects of school, many students do not get much sleep and therefore struggle to pay attention in class. If teachers were to embed brain breaks, as were once introduced but failed to take place, students would have a chance to rest their brains and be more effective learners.

Extracurriculars are labeled as “extra,” however, in order to get into college, especially one that is highly ranked, they are a necessity. Many students who have a stellar academic record have been denied acceptance into colleges for their lack of participation in organizations. Knowing this, extracurriculars have become just as important as a great GPA because they allow a college to learn more about a student’s interests and strengths.

As a school system we should help our students learn to balance their lives between the two and encourage them to partake in activities that will bring them fulfillment. The friends and bonds that are made within extracurricular organizations can be the highlight of an individual’s high school career. They are places where people make lifelong memories that hopefully they can look back on and cherish, so it is important that we value their significance and help students find their place in the Bowie community.