High school extracurricular activities are much more than ways to fill up time after school and have fun outside of class. Extracurricular activities can provide you with many skills that can translate into success in college and, later on, in your career. As you balance your academics, SAT test prep, and college application schedule, it is important to continue to make time for your favorite activities too.

Team sports are a great way to stay active and have fun during high school. Athletics can also help to improve self-esteem and build good problem solving skills. Being active during the high school years is also great way to build healthy habits from an early age. This can help to ensure that you always make time for exercise and taking care of your health.

Participating in team sports also helps to build good social skills. Sports teach you the value of working together as a team, a skill that will take you far both on and off the athletic field. It’s no surprise that many high school athletes also make their closest friends while participating in team sports.

Participating in clubs can be another great way to make friends and gain valuable experiences in high school. Clubs can be built around shared interests or shared goals, allowing you to meet and spend time with people who care about the same things that you do. Other activities, like reporting for a high school newspaper or being part of a photography club, can help you to build skills that could later translate into a college major or career.

Perhaps the best thing about clubs is that they allow you to explore many different interests. Learning about many different things and exploring your interests will help to broaden your horizons and prepare you to make decisions about your major and career path.

Volunteering is a great way for high school students to make a difference in their communities. Many community organizations, including food banks, shelters, and environmental organizations, are always looking for young people interested in getting involved. If nothing seems like a good fit, get creative. Many high school students have created their own projects to serve a need that they see in their communities.

Getting involved in community service projects early on is a great way to learn about the world and how to organize projects. Volunteering is something that you can do throughout your life to always make a difference in the world.

Having a busy schedule in high school is great preparation for college. Balancing many priorities will help you to learn good time management skills. Maintaining a good schedule, making time for your responsibilities, and keeping track of deadlines is great practice for keeping up with your classes and responsibilities in college.

Extracurricular activities are also great for college admissions. These are experiences that you can talk about in interviews and write about in your application. Extracurricular activities are often the things that will set you apart and help the college admissions office to learn about your strengths and skills.