Imagine this: You are an adult looking back at your schooling experience. Were you in any clubs? If you were, chances are you have fond memories of that time. However, does that mean extracurricular activities should be required at school? Many people have strong opinions on the topic. Extracurricular activities should be required.

One reason why clubs should be required in school is that being in a club provides skills that are extremely helpful throughout life. According to Brian Scott, an expert on youth development at the University of Social Sciences, extracurricular activities in school are some of the best ways that the youth can prepare to enter the working world. Scott explains that this is true because after school activities give kids further experience with important skills such as communication and team work. Furthermore, a study conducted by the Department of Youth Development found that 87% of adults who participated in extracurricular activities in school thought that being in an extracurricular activity gave them skills that helped them later in life. One possible reason why extracurricular activities could have helped people after they have completed their schooling experience is that it gave them important skills and character traits such as perseverance or good communication. All things considered, extracurricular activities give those who participate quality life skills.

Another reason why after school activities should be required is that it gives the participants helpful experience. Evidence for this is found by the University of Statistics who conducted a study that found that 76% of people who were a part of extracurricular activities during their school experience thought that the experience from those clubs is helpful to them in their careers. Some ways that clubs can help in careers is it can give students experience in their chosen career path. Examples of clubs that are best at providing experience specific to future careers is the math club where students can participate in competitions or the newspaper club where students can practice for journalism. The experience students gain from joining extracurricular activities in school can also be helpful when applying to colleges, if students choose to go down that route. According to the board of applications for the prestigious College of Law, one of the top things they look for in an application is what extracurricular activities the applicant participated in while in school. One member even said, "I value extracurriculars even more than the grade point average when I am decided who gets in." As you can see, the experience gained from clubs in school has many benefits including college and job applications.

Another reason why extracurricular activities can be beneficial to students is that it gives students an opportunity to make new friends with similar interests. The Department of Youth Statistics stated that one of the best ways for students to make friends is by letting students choose what activities to do and pairing those with similar interests together. That is exactly what clubs do. Furthermore, it is proven by the University of Psychology that when students have a healthy amount of friends, they are less likely to fail their classes and more likely to succeed. Based on that, extracurricular activities can cause students to be more successful than their peers who do not partake in those activities.

However, some people argue that students should be able to choose whether or not they want to participate in extracurricular activities in school. They cite people such as Jessica Grant, a professor from the West Virginia University of Psychological Studies, who said, "when people have a choice in what they do, they tend to feel the benefits much more than those who are forced to do something." While that might be true, students who are required to participate in at least one extracurricular do have a choice in what club or clubs they join. That choice is explained well by Dr. Matthew Brown, a professor of psychology at the University of Washington State who said, "even when students are required to participate in something -- either a class or an activity -- they still always have some sort of choice, whether that is what activity to do or what mindset to have." Using both sets of logic previously stated, when the students choose what club to participate in, they will experience the largest amount of positive results.

All in all, a requirement in schools should be extracurricular activities. Clubs give students important life skills and experiences, as well as new friends. If clubs are required, then young adults would be much more prepared to transition out of school and in to the working world.