Having to stay after school without a choice, right after an eight hour stressing school day is the very definition of miserable, is what some might say. Students should be able to choose whether or not to participate in activities that are extracurricular. Extra curricular activities are activities that are extra, not required. Requiring students to participate in extracurricular activities should not be done because activities should not be forced, students already spend eight hours a day at school, and don't have the time or transportation.

Extracurricular activities are activities that are supposed to be extra. Having to require that all students do one, is taking away the definition of the word. Activities should be done of free will, not by force. Students may be stressed having to do something that they did not want to do or do not even care about. Extracurricular activities are out there for people who want to do them, not for those who do not want to. Students participating in something that do not enjoy or care about, is apathy. They do not care about the activity which causes a negative aura around those who do care about the activity.

Students on average spend eight hours a day at school, five days a week for about eight to nine months with holidays included. Eight hours in one thirds of a day, leaving only about sixteen hours left. Another eight of those hours goes to sleep and the rest to free time. Out of those eight hours of free time, one or more of them goes to preparing for school, then another for homework, and some for chores. After calculating it, in truth students only have about four or less hours of free time to themselves. Like all people, students want to be able to do what they want. They have dreams and goals that they want to achieve, but it does not mean that it is school related. Requiring students to take part in extracurricular activities that they do not want to do is not justified. Students deserve to enjoy themselves and have free time. They work hard on assignments at school and learn, they deserve a break. It doesn't just apply to the students, teachers too, have time that they want to spend on other things. In order for such extracurricular activities to work, a teacher will be required as a monitor.

In order for students to participate in extracurricular activities, students need transportation. Some schools do offer transportation, although it is only on certain days. Many extracurricular activities require students to show up after school, some on days that there might not be the transportation that they need. Finding someone to take you to school or where the extracurricular activity can take time.

Force, time, and transportation are some of the reasons on why extracurricular activities should not be required. Instead, they can be made as an extra credit grade, which will make more students want to do them. This way, students will not be doing it by force, but by their own decision, and the principal does not have to worry about students not participating in extracurricular activities.