As the school year continues in this weird alternative of what we are used to, some normalities are coming back to add to the high school experience. Included in these events and extracurriculars are high school clubs, which were one of the many things many missed out on last year. Even though there were many clubs that were still running, I felt it wasn’t the same because they were virtual or limited on what they were able to do. However, this year presents a new beginning of moving back to normalcy. Students should join clubs in high school because of the  many benefits that come with joining, such as strengthening the social lives of students and looking better for colleges when applying.

When it comes to the importance high school has on one’s life, it is critical to understand what students can do to make their experience better, and to help them in the future when they look for colleges. Slowly coming out of a pandemic, many students feel a disconnect because of this huge change in their lives. Especially now, students should be taking the opportunities they can to become more involved in school. One thing students can take part in is their school’s clubs or extracurriculars. Available to all students, clubs encourage communication skills, creative thinking, and working effectively with others. 

In my personal experience with clubs, I was and still am able to make many new friends who have some of the same interests as I do. Being a part of clubs allows me to interact with people in not just my own grade, so I am able to get acquainted with people of different ages and backgrounds. Depending on the club, they sometimes require the members to work together which also encourages social activity between many different people. Being able to be friendly with people in my clubs guided a sense of community for me within the school as we all work together and experience fun things together that come with being in a club.

Additionally, even before students are searching for colleges to hopefully get into, they have to make sure that they are taking important classes and are involved in their school. This is because colleges pay attention to involvement to look into you specifically, getting what grades and test scores can’t. In an article written by the Princeton Review, “Your extracurricular involvement is one of the few ways that colleges can gain insights into your personality. Because extracurriculars can take a lot of time—and because your time in high school is precious—you’ll want to be strategic about which clubs to join” (“How Important Are High School Clubs?”). By being involved in clubs, students are more likely to get into where they want to go, while also learning skills they can use outside of school.

A concern among students and parents would be that some clubs require money. Whether families can’t afford an extra expense or the time it requires, clubs might stress out the student and their family. However, not all clubs require money as there are fundraisers that can do that for the club members. Of course, it should be taken into account that some students are just unable to join clubs that require money, which is why schools such as ours provide a variety of clubs to join.

It is important to come together as much as we can in times like this, so what better way to get together than with your school community in clubs?