Did you know that only 41.6% of students participate in an extracurricular activity every year? I agree that all students should participate in at least one extracurricular activity. Extracurriculars are a great way to develop life skills. Students get the chance to meet new people with similar interests in a brand new environment. Extracurriculars also give students the opportunity to explore their own individual interests.

A study has shown that 87% of students do not know life skills like time management or formal social interaction. Putting students into extracurricular can help kick start the process of learning those useful skills. Often times students are extremely busy and adding an extracurricular might seem impossible to them. However, taking the time to sit down with a parent or guardian and talk about their schedule can help students prepare for their future work life. Learning the basics of time management at a young age is essential for students' future success. Another problem many young people struggle with is formal social interaction. I say formal because it is different then talking with your friends or family. It is interacting with people who are above you like teachers and administrators. Extracurriculars can help strengthen these abilities by forcing students to coordinate with their activity leaders. Time management and formal social interaction may sound unappealing to many students at this age. That is why the next reason may be a larger nudge for students to involve themselves in extracurriculars.

Pushing students to enter an extracurricular activity gives them a chance to meet other students with similar interests in a new environment. Students with similar interests tend to get along faster. Overtime, this can build many strong positive relationships. Think of your three closest friends. What do you all have in common? It's most likely something that has to do with your common interests. After all, I would have never met my best friend if it wasn't for our common love for fashion. Giving students a new environment helps build social confidence. Social confidence is something many students struggle with. Anxiety and depression are diagnosed at a younger and younger age every year. Giving students that chance to step out and meet new people can help with their internal and external struggles.

Extracurricular activities allow students the opportunity to explore their own individual interests. Given the chance to explore a wide variety of interests can lead students to their true interests. Students might discover a hidden passion they never knew they had before. Discovering your interests at an early age gives you more time cultivate them. These individual interests can greatly impact the students' future career path. If a student finds that they really enjoy a certain activity, then he or she might create goals for their future that help build that passion. Goals are important because they help you track where you are. Specialized elective classes and a dream college are examples of goals that a student may create. It never hurts to try something out because who knows? It might just be your passion.

Every student should be required to participate in after school extracurricular activities. Extracurricular activities create a plethora of benefits for the student like time management, positive relationships, and life passions. This prepares students for their futures. In the end, these activities help strengthen the student's overall character and leaves them with enjoyable middle school experiences.