“Clubbed” to Death

Clubbed+to+Death

Emma Malina

Being involved in activities at the high school is a must for almost every student. Whether we choose to be involved in athletics, music, volunteer clubs, or leadership clubs, everyone seems to have their club of choice. We continually involve ourselves in new organizations with each new school year, even though school only gets harder as more accelerated options are offered to us. Involvement in multiple clubs is becoming the norm for high school students, especially since there is a plethora of activities to choose from.

With the increase in the possibilities of clubs to join and the growing opportunities to take advanced classes, some students look for a way to stand out among the intelligent, involved masses of students. The answer for some students is to become the most involved. I sometimes get the feeling that, as a student, I should join everything I am slightly interested in (or anything really, as long as it looks like something colleges would admire), regardless of the time I have available to spend doing homework and said clubs. Among upperclassmen at Minnetonka, the belief is that colleges expect more than grades; they expect a well-rounded student. For many, that equates to involving themselves in the top classes, varsity athletics, and every other club they can squeeze in to make them seem like a great candidate for colleges.

According to the CollegeBoard, colleges expect certain qualities in perspective students:

  • Leadership
  • A willingness to take risks
  • Initiative
  • A sense of social responsibility
  • A commitment to service
  • Special talents or abilities

The best way to prove you possess these qualities is by what you do outside of the classroom- extracurricular activities. So not only do colleges look for a challenging schedule, but somehow in our free time- that is limited due to the homework associated with the heavy course-load we must show our “commitment to service” and our “social responsibility.” Don’t forget the positive attitude students must upkeep in and out of the classroom for letters of recommendation, even while drowning in activities. All of the stress seems due to the aggressive competition of getting in to colleges, since more and more students are attending college. [1]Screen Shot 2015-01-05 at 7.27.25 PM

The new trend I am seeing is the challenge to be the busiest, answering the question: who can be the most involved? Only, no one has the actual time, and students seem to be more stressed than ever. But don’t let yourself get “clubbed to death.” Sure, the expectations of colleges are high, but they don’t want you to be fake with them, and they certainly don’t want to waste your time. Involve yourself in things that you love doing. If you like spend the limited time you have doing things you love, you won’t feel “clubbed to death”- you’ll feel like you’re using your time well, exploring passions you have and making meaningful relationships with the people who share these passions. Take a deep breath, focus on what makes you happy, and, trust me, you’ll find the right path (college or otherwise) in the end.

[1] Photo Credits to www.theatlantic.com