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By: Tyler Yip

Extracurricular activities are one of the main things that university admission committees look for nowadays when receiving applications. Many post secondary education institutions after high school prioritize extracurricular activities over grades and marks, this is due to how much extracurriculars can diversify you from others as a high school student. Joining clubs can provide students with useful and important skills that can be beneficial throughout their educational journey and professional career. These activities can also provide students with a break from life during their regular school day. The benefits of these activities have a massive impact on the lives of students. 

These activities and extracurriculars provide students with immersive and special experiences that can change their career and educational paths. However, extracurriculars can also put a large strain on students of all ages and paths resulting in a direct impact on multiple sections of their life. This can be shown with many students as they have to balance completing their homework or studying for a test the day of a sports related event. The small time frame can force students to stay up completing homework or studying for the test the day after. These complications can result in students doing worse in the extracurricular section of their life by having to remove an extracurricular activity or their grades may lower due to the heavy workload as they did not have enough time to study or complete work.

With these complications that occur, there are lots of tips and tricks for managing your workload without having to sacrifice anything. Here are five tips in balancing extracurriculars and academics from the Princeton Review. 

The first tip is to remember that academics always come before extracurriculars. Even if you have a practice or a big game coming up, don’t forget that marks matter more than any extracurricular activity no matter how important. 

The second tip is to set priorities, think about whether an extracurricular activity matters more than a project or assignment that needs to be completed. 

The third tip is to plan early, think before you join a club or council. Think about whether this club meets on a certain day that you may have school related activities. 

The fourth tip is to manage your time. If you know you are going to be out all night due to an extracurricular activity like a basketball game, try to complete your homework or assignment earlier. 

The final tip is to ask for help from parents, teachers, or guidance counselors at any time. These people can be very helpful as they provide guidance and advice that can help solve problems involving conflicting events surrounding extracurriculars and academics. 

Overall, balancing extracurriculars and academics can be a challenging task due to the heavy workload and large amount of time they may take up. However, following these tips, tricks and other advice from parental guidance or school counselors can help students manage their time without having to worry about sacrificing there in or out of school activities and grades. 

Works Cited

“Extracurriculars Matter To You and To Colleges – BigFuture.” BigFuture, https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/plan-for-college/stand-out-in-high-school/extracurriculars-matter-to-you-and-to-colleges. Accessed 15 December 2024.

“Parent’s Guide: 7 Tips to Balance Academics and Extracurricular Activities.” Rise, Crimson Education, https://rise.crimsoneducation.org/articles/parents-guide-7-tips-to-balance-academics-and-extracurricular-activities.

“12 Tips to Balance Academics and Extracurricular Activities.” The Princeton Review, https://www.princetonreview.com/college-advice/12-tips-to-balance-academics-and-extracurriculars. Accessed 15 December 2024.