Have you ever participated in an activity where you either loved or hated it? Well, believe it or not, I think that all extracurricular activities should be appreciated. Extracurricular activities are activities used to equip you with new skills that you may not have had before, not used to only have fun and learn nothing from it just because your parents forced you to do it. They are there for a reason, and should be taken advantage of. I agree with the decision of the principal for making students participate in at least one extracurricular activity for three reasons: it gives you the opportunity to learn a life lesson, it can improve your academic performance, and gives you a chance to make new friends.

The opportunity given to you to learn a life lesson can be rare. To learn a life lesson means to realize that this world we live in, isn't fair nor perfect. There will be times where you wish certain things had happened to make life better for you, but that just simply can't happen. Participating in an extracurricular activity can create memories and meaningful experiences that you can't experience anywhere else. It can also help with being disciplined, and can give you something to live for. That is why I think that taking part in an extracurricular activity can be life-changing.

The act of participating in an extracurricular activity can even improve your academic performance. Depending on the activity, it can motivate students to do better if a certain activity requires you to have good grades in school. Participation in these activities can relieve stress, and looks good on your resume for college applications. Experiences from the activity can be stored up in your brain to be used as background knowledge in the future. Those reasons tie into the fact that taking part in an extracurricular activity should be mandatory.

A chance to make new friends is always exciting for everyone. Making new friends also means making new relationships with the people you care about. Having people that you care for, rather than having random strangers around you, doesn't give you a sense of loneliness. It brightens you up like the sunrise, when you see the first beam of light. Making new friends especially while participating in an extracurricular activity makes it more fun, and amusing. It gives you an electric shock of joy, making you excited to come back again the next time. That is why I believe that participating in an extracurricular activity would be beneficial.

Many people say that students should have a choice whether or not they would like to participate in an extracurricular activity, but I believe that it should be more of the opposite. The opportunity to learn a life lesson, improve your academic performance, and make new friends are the three reasons why I think that students should have to participate in at least one extracurricular activity. Therefore, when you meet a student that currently doesn't participate in an extracurricular activity, invite them to join you, or find an activity that you think they would enjoy. This would be a great opportunity for everyone because they would be able to relieve their stress, do something that they love to do, and would enjoy every second of the activity, spending time with the ones they care about the most. Overall, I believe that all students should have to participate in at least one extracurricular activity because of all the benefits, and the giant footprint that it would leave on this planet.