Extracurricular. Many people think that extracurricular are unnecessary or that they are a waste of time, but on the contrary, they are very beneficial to students. Whether its participating in sports, working on the yearbook, or serving on the student council, students should be a part of them. So when I heard that the principal has decided that all students must participate in at least one extracurricular activity I, of course, said that I agree and you should too. To me, the fact that people think extracurricular are a waste of time is absolutely ridiculous. Extracurricular can help students make new friends and improve their social skills, learn new things while being more activity, and last but not least, be beneficial for any type of future applications.

Making new friends and improving social skills is a huge factor that supports the fact that extracurricular are important. By participating in at least one after school activity, students are sure to meet new people, and with that, make new friends. For example, say a student is participating in an after school activity; there they would meet tons of new people, and overtime, that would be beneficial to them. The student will slowly become friends with the other students in that particular activity, whether its a sport or a club. Fellow peers would share their views on things and discuss things relating to the activity and the student would cooperatively listen and contribute, improving their communication skills as well. Being in after school activities are not just fun, but crucial for students' social skills, and lets face it, no one wants to be alone, and extracurriculars help with that

Another way extracurriculars are important is because students can learn new thing and be more active. This is one of the main reasons why I support this new decision the principal has taken. While students already learn in school, I think that's not enough. They should still continue their learning outside of school, even if its not academic based. They could learn new things about the sport they're playing, or if they are taking art classes, learn about how to blend colors. It doesn't matter what the student learns, as long as they are learning something, it's still beneficial to them, and they could apply that knowledge anywhere. Being in at least one after school thing would also make the student more active, physically and mentally. Sports would make them more physically active, and if they are a part of an activity that requires critical think, then they would essentially be strengthening their brain power.

Future applications are also deeply affected by if a student was in an extracurricular or not. High school applications, college applications, job applications, it doesn't matter, they are all affected by extracurriculars. These types of applications are always looking for if the student, or future employee, is well rounded. Well rounded means that besides academics, the student participated in after school things. This is exactly what the principal is trying to do, and it makes sense. If a student applied to a high school, for example, and they barely participated in any after school activites, their chances of getting in would be very low compared to a student who participated in multiple things. Many students have dreams of getting into big high schools and colleges, getting their dream job, etc. But thats not possible if their participation in extracurriculars is low, which is why a student must participate in at least one, and then slowly over time, they would participate in more.

Helping students make new friends and improving their social skills, learning new things while being more active, and beneficial for future applications are all reasons that prove extracurriculars are crucial. By being in extracurriculars, students can meet new people and make new friends, improving their social skills. They can learn new things; no matter what the topic is, sports or clubs, they would still be learning. Future applications depend on extracurriculars too. Participating in them can greatly strengthen your application, helping you in return.

All these reasons are why I support the principles' new decision of making students participate in at least one extracurricular activity, and after reading this, you should too.