Extracurricular Activities in College

Extracurricular activities add that extra zing to your personality and make you more desirable

It is a cliché that college is all about fun. But ‘having fun’ is a rather ambiguous phrase. It could mean anything from entering into interesting relationships to getting involved in various acts of nuisance. Fun should not only be harmless but also contribute to your growth. And one of the finest ways of having positive fun is participating in extracurricular activities. Does this term smell of enforced lessons of physical training at school or boring and dysfunctional quiz clubs? You bet it does.

But this is far from the truth in college. Even extracurricular activities can become an integral and serious part of your life.

The most popular of all activities is probably sports. Your aging body (getting less and less agile at the age of nineteen) needs it. It will refresh your mind and enhance other mental faculties. And now is also the time to do something for the society and nation. You can contribute to social and political causes by becoming part of any organisation you could rest your faith in. You should be aware of what’s going on around you and have an opinion of your own. This is a stage when you step in to adulthood and a little bit of seriousness is rightly expected.

To make matters more clear, here we have enumerated reasons why you should take extracurricular activities seriously in college:

• Nobody is one-dimensional:Apart from the course you have already enrolled in to achieve your primary career goal, extracurricular activities help you to explore other aspects of your personality. Football, basketball, foreign language classes, debating clubs, political, social or cultural activities will bring out other, sometimes hidden, aspirations and skills.
• This is a great way of making friends with like-minded people:Although college is a place for meeting people from various walks of life, enlarge your social circle by meeting different types of people who share some of your interests.
• Besides, extracurricular activities look good on your curriculum vitae and job applications. They also help substantially in improving your chances of getting into a foreign university, earning scholarships and even in getting jobs that require more than just academic excellence. So you must try to capitalise on the opportunities your campus offers.
• You can also make a name for yourself by starting a club, organisation or forum of your own. Find your passion and exploit it. If you don’t find the college offering you enough options then this is a great way to get people involved. It is an integral part of your college experience. Don’t feel shy. By starting something like admission counselling or a food festival, you can help others and not just yourself.

Although college life should be taken easy, it should not translate into lazing around, napping endlessly or mindless gossiping. Campus life is supposed to be vibrant, filled with activities and brimming with life. So jump in and have some productive fun!