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Extracurriculars & You

By: Jennifer Li

From a social and academic perspective, extracurricular activities are an important aspect of an undergraduate education. However, common reasons why people feel they cannot volunteer are:

1. They are too busy to get involved
2. They aren’t interested in any of the clubs
3. They aren’t exposed to enough volunteer opportunities

You’ll see that none of these excuses hold any merit.

Although for many students their primary focus should be school, the skills learned through extracurricular activities cannot be taught in a classroom environment. Furthermore, the experiences gained from these activities can make you an ideal candidate for graduate school even though your marks may not be as competitive as your peers. For instance, I knew an individual with a good cGPA; however, it was his experiences volunteering with at-risk children and with soup kitchens in Hamilton that made him an attractive candidate for teacher’s college.

Also, it is possible to be heavily involved in the community but still maintain excellent marks. The key to success is knowing your limits, utilising time-management skills, and prioritizing tasks in terms of importance to you and urgency. Unfortunately, time management and organization tips alone could take up an entire article.

There are over 260 Clubs at McMaster, so you’re bound to find something that interests you. Some clubs require more of a commitment than others– for example, sitting at information tables, attending member socials, or organizing larger events.

There are plenty of volunteering or extracurricular opportunities. If you missed Clubsfest, then you can always send an e-mail to the club to find opportunities to get involved. If no clubs interest you, then start your own! If you prefer to get out of the McMaster bubble, there are various groups that organize volunteer groups in Hamilton.

While I encourage students to get involved in the community, I would advise that students do not join clubs for the sake of padding their resume. Personally, I am not interested in student politics or athletics so I have focused most of my efforts in community building and social justice issues. Personally, my volunteering and extracurricular activities are often the highlights of my days. For instance, I am the volunteer facilitator for SISO’s Youth Drop-In and this wonderful experience allows me to play games with immigrant youth in the afternoon. Volunteering and extracurricular activities should never feel like a chore.

Overall, volunteering and participating in extracurricular activities is important for developing leadership skills, time-management skills, and valuable interpersonal skills. More important, however, is that these activities provide you with a much needed and enjoyable break from studying or essay writing. So, whatever you’re interested in, get involved!