Most people think extracurricular activities are helpful. It is a possibility, if helpful suddenly equaled to a broken leg or a tired brain. However, these issues seem to currently be rendered as unhelpful. This is why extracurricular activities should remain strictly optional.

Extracurricular activities take up too much time. A study at the Florida School of Psychology shows that 35% more students who participated in an extracurricular activity failed to turn in an assignment on time compared to those who did not, simply because they did not have the time to complete it. Now, this may not seem like a lot, but think of how many assignments that might be missed under normal circumstances. An analyzation of school records show that 23% of assignments are normally missed. That is 58% of assignments missed on average students. Think of the grades.

Those who participate in extracurricular activities are at risk of injury. Studies prove that students who participate in sports tend to get more concussions and broken limbs than those who do not. Not to forget those in photography. Their technology might be damaging if not used correctly, with the proper safety precautions. All in all, if those in extracurricular activities are getting hurt, then why continue with the extracurricular activities in the first place?

Extracurricular activities are tiring, to put it lightly. Falling asleep in class can pose a danger to grades, especially those in honors classes, dual enrollment, AP, the classes in which the content moves so quickly that a sleeping student might miss an important part of the lesson. Missing an important part of the lesson condemns the student to a bad grade on any important assignment possibly containing that crucial piece of information.

"Extracurricular activities are entertaining to those who choose to participate," opponents argue. An astute observation, yes, but the phrase '

those who choose to participate

' is not supporting their side, rather, it supports mine. An activity becomes rather less enjoyable when forced into it. Studies show that students who had their activities chosen for them experienced lower levels of endorphins than those who could choose which activities to participate in, and much less than those who could choose whether or not they participate. Students tend to be happier when they have the freedom to pick and choose, rather than being picked and chosen for.

So why continue with the extracurriculars? Why continue with the tiring, dangerous, time consuming, extracurriculars? The darkest crime of all is not giving people the choice of whether to continue forth or stay behind. So unless you have good reason for not giving students the freedom they deserve, you deserve everything that comes for it.