In schools today, the average amount of students participating in extracurricular activities is only about half of the school's population. This number continues to go down as more students lose interest in participation because of the technological advances. Additionally, they do not make an attempt to participate in the provided activities with the assumption that there is no need for them to go. Although students may believe that it is pointless, there are many benefits to participating in them. By requiring all students to take at least one activity, it gives them the push they need to start their exploration with the variety of options given. This requirement for students is necessary for schools because it would increase their school spirit, give them place to socialize, and help them with time management.

If all students were to participate in an extracurricular activity for school, the increase of involvement would bring more school spirit. For example, students look forward to big football games because it generates energy and excitement from everyone. They come to watch the games in big crowds, always representing their school with coordinating colors and often wearing face paint. It creates a lot of school spirit not only from the stands, but also the players that are participating in the games. Players absorb the support given off by the spirit of the crowd and use it to boost up their own energy, which increases their playing performance. Another example of an activity that increases school spirit is academic teams. For example, Science Olympiad is an after school club that often competes with other teams across the county. The members always have a lot of spirit, representing their school through their outfits. When they win these competitions, students and staff members are energetic about the accomplishment that the team has made for the school. These sports and academic teams are both examples of extracurricular activities that generate more energy for schools and are just a proportion of activities that students can participate in. Along with the school spirit that these activities bring, they would also create a place for students to talk to each other.

The large variety of different students doing extracurricular activities would give them opportunities to socialize and meet new people. During school there is not much time for students to talk because of classes and lessons that are being taught. With extracurricular activities, they are able to join together with friends and socialize with each other for a longer amount of time. Students can join clubs such as the newspaper and yearbook committee, or sports teams like football and basketball. For example, last year I joined the yearbook club because one of my friends went with me. We were able to talk to each other for longer than we used to, and even grew closer because of it. Additionally, extracurricular activities allow students to meet new people. For example, I joined an after school club as a consultant to guide students with their writing. Through that club I have met a range of different people that I have connected with, whether it be the other consultants or the students I have helped. It has allowed me to make new friends with people I had never met before. All extracurricular activities not only give students chances to socialize with old or new friends, but also allows students to manage their time.

Requiring students to partake in extracurricular activities helps them practice their time management of school work and extra activities. Along with the activities that students would have to do, they would continue to get loads of school work. This is good for students because it makes them think about how they manage their time. For example, I play on a volleyball team as one of my extracurricular activities. With the two hour practices during the weekdays and eight hour tournaments on the weekends, it was hard to manage everything at first. I started to organize my schedules and prioritize the most important things first, such as assessments for school. The experiences that I have had with handling volleyball and school has helped me learn to manage the once overwhelming workload. This time management that students like me will learn is important because it prepares them for life after graduating high school. For example, colleges have higher amounts of school work from the classes for credits and majors for different occupations. To be able to handle the workload and out of school activities, students need to be able to manage their time efficiently. Additionally, many jobs such as doctors and lawyers also have big amounts of work to do. Through being organized with their schedules and managing their time, they can work efficiently without stress. College students and workers that already know how to manage their time because of high school will do a better job than those who did not. That is why by making students take extracurricular activities now, it prepares their time management for college and future occupations.

The school should require all students to participate in at least one extracurricular activity because it creates energy from them, allows them to talk with old or new friends, and prepares their time management skills. Activities such as team sports generate school spirit from the supporters and players because of the large amount of energy that is given off. In addition, all extracurricular activities create a space for students to socialize with people and even make new friends. With these activities there is also the school workload, which teaches students to manage their more time efficiently. These prove that by requiring students to participate in an activity it benefits the students more so than the school. Therefore, our school, and even all schools across the country, should make this a requirement for their students.