Picture this: you are a senior in high school who is taking multiple Advanced Placement (AP) classes. You are unable to attend your dream college because you have not previously participated in one single extracurricular activity. Now, you are very disappointed because you could have done one little thing to eliminate this problem. It may be too late for you, but you could prevent this problem from saddening many more students in the future. Taking up at least one extracurricular activity can benefit you in ways such as finding your passion and morphing your future, so requiring it is a must.

First of all, being a part of a club or sports team can result in you finding your love for a specific activity. Personally, I experienced my love for running after joining my middle school's Cross Country team. Also, becoming exposed to many different activities at a younger age helps you decide what you prefer to do and not do. If you already love something not offered as a specific school activity such as photography, you can join the yearbook club at your school to use your talent of taking pictures. Many sports are also not offered, so you could talk to your principal about adding a specific activity to broaden your options.

Secondly, having participated in a school extracurricular could be the difference in attending a specific college or not. The same goes for a desired workplace, as many companies require an extracurricular to be present on your resume. For example, if you participated in your school's drama club in middle school and high school, you are more likely to get into a theater class in college than someone who was not a part of their school drama club. Also, being a part of a club or sport can help you gain social skills, that way if you have to give a talk or write a book with someone, you will be prepared.

With all that being said, many arguments arise. One popular argument is parents may not have the time to drop their child off at their club. The easy solution to this problem is that schools most likely have at least one after-school club that seems appealing for that child, which is very convenient because your child is at school anyways, so being dropped off is not necessary. Also, if your specific sport or club is not offered at your school, there is a very high chance that someone else does the same activity, and you can carpool together. Another argument is children may not have time to participate in a club due to homework. Because of this argument, many clubs allow you to complete your homework during their session time, or are only about an hour long, still giving you time to finish your homework at home. Lastly, some parents argue that they do not want to pay for their child to do an activity. Although some sports can be pricey, most school activities just have a small registration fee. Some clubs are even free!

Therefore, doing what you love most and becoming a good employee both are a result of extracurricular activities. If that is going to be the case, why not require it? Although some good arguments arise, even better solutions rise higher. Do not let the absence of one activity ruin your academic dream. Overall, extracurricular activities help more than hurt, so add something fun to your schedule and receive the benefits of taking a little bit of time out of your day to unwind.