3 Benefits of Participating in Extracurriculars During Freshman Year
Why do your parents want you to get a college degree? Likely at the top of their list is for the purpose of preparing you for a career.
They want you to be hirable after graduation, and a college diploma is necessary for that in many fields.
The problem is that employers often hire from the gut, meaning you have to be instantly likable. You have to demonstrate you are a good fit for a company’s needs and work culture.
Andy Chen, vice president for personal and career development at Wake Forest University, states that “people hire people; they don’t hire pieces of paper.”
So how can you be the person who lands the internship or the job post-college? Build rapport through extracurriculars.
This can’t really wait until your last year of college. You need to start finding your extracurriculars now, during your freshman year. Besides getting a job after college, what other benefits result from participating in extracurriculars?
Below are 3 reasons you should get plugged into extracurriculars during your freshman year!
Extracurriculars help you find friends.
The dorms, your major classes, and even your required electives can provide opportunities for you to meet new people and make friends.
While these situations help you meet people, they don’t necessarily lead to close friendships.
Making friends, finding your people, can take a while at college. As a result many freshmen struggle with long periods of loneliness.
Finding people you click with takes time and effort. Extracurriculars can be a way to jumpstart the friendship process.
With common interests, you are more likely to click with people who dedicate time toward things each person enjoys.
Explore what groups your campus provides.
Don’t be afraid to branch out and try something new. You’ll find that the process (however awkward it may be) will help you break the ice with people.
Extracurriculars give you experience.
In Selingo’s Book There is LIfe After College, he argues that “extracurricular activities [matter] second only to alma mater to interviewers.”
Why is this the case? He argues that “what you do in college is more important than where you go to college.”
While your extracurriculars may not be resume-worthy entries, they can help to show how you applied what you learned in the classroom.
These experiences provide examples of how you can adapt what you learned to another context.
In addition to the job interview part of things, your extracurriculars help you experience life.
These memories will likely be the ones you look back on with fondness in the years to come.
Explore your interests. Try something new. Do whatever.
Just get experience in things that are and aren’t necessarily directly tied to your college major.
Extracurriculars provide you with an outlet.
College can be stressful on a daily basis. You feel an immense pressure to perform perfectly, to earn perfect grades, to fit in, and more.
With all of this stress and pressure, you need a healthy outlet. You need some way to let the steam out.
Exercise is certainly necessary and helpful, but extracurriculars can be an extremely helpful addition to healthy living. They can provide an outlet to express your creativity or burn off frustration.
While participating in an extracurricular may seem like simply adding another thing to your busy schedule, it can be the thing in your schedule that helps you get through the day.
Having something to look forward to at the end of a long day is sometimes worth it (depending on how you’re motivated).
Explore your options. You may find there are clubs or groups that fit your hobbies.
These activities can be major stress-relievers during busy weeks.
Closing disclaimer:
When it comes to extracurriculars, proceed with caution.
Your first semester can be overwhelming enough without extra responsibilities and events.
If you do commit to extracurriculars, go slowly. You can always add more things on your plate, but getting rid of opportunities can be much more difficult.
Your freshman year is the time to get involved. Don’t let years pass you by before you invest time in experiences outside of your college courses.
You will be thankful you made extracurriculars part of your college years.
