Maria Pătcaș, 10B
Have you ever been in a situation when you did not really acknowledge how full your schedule has gotten and forgot to handle your own well-being before any other activity? In that case, you might want to read this article to learn how to manage your passions and needs for your future and career.
These days, academic achievements matter a lot for students, especially in our school. High standards and expectations surround us every day during classes, at home, and even in our friend groups, and wanting to succeed in life is a subject discussed almost everywhere; from a very young age, we are asked what we would like to do in life, and most people do not know the answer to this question.
On the one hand, these questions can influence us in rushing a decision of such importance, but on the other hand, they can help us think or even reflect on what our true hobbies are and how we can use them in our favour to build a career path.
Trying things such as clubs from within our school or outside it from a ripe age is crucial to finding your calling and discovering different areas that you have not even thought about attempting to make a living out of. Some people find their true self and can express it at a very late age, which we cannot call “a waste of time”, but others take too much on their plate and often reach a point of overwhelming pressure; thus, they pass through the “burnt out” stage at a fragile age, which should not be the case for anyone.
For example, I have been through times in which I was so desperate about doing extracurriculars that can help me get into my dream university and achieve my goal in life that I forgot to take care of the small, basic things in life that are essential for my health and my mindfulness. That caused a thunderous way of living and induced a lot of unnecessary stress that started to suppress my happy, good thoughts, which I did not share with my loved ones. Therefore, this ended up inducing distraught feelings within myself. I eventually found the help I needed from my family and some close friends, but I would not want anything like that to happen to anyone else.
In order to find a certain balance in your routine and IN YOUR activities, you should start by doing your research on the REAL importance of some extracurriculars for the near future. Some you might think are required to get into a certain college or university, but these impressions are often erroneous and can only cause concern for your mind.
The best extracurricular activities for university applications, according to college instructions, are academic clubs done in high school, which our school hosts within a broad range. For example, the school newspaper you are currently reading and which still takes on contributors for its monthly issue, the robotics team for middle and high school, which includes participation in international competitions, the debate team, the theatre club, the book club, the astronomy club, clubs for excellence within the subjects our school offers, and so on.
There are also leadership activities, which include sports, cross-cultural experiences (projects like Erasmus, Euroweek, ETwinning, Rotary projects, et cetera), volunteering (clubs like Simbio Arad, Interact Arad, Interact Cetate, Leo Arad et cetera), “passion projects”, social groups and so on. After doing said research, try focusing on what you think is the best fit for you, but do not exaggerate while choosing these activities. Think of the ones that fit your schedule best and also let you have alone time in which you can relax. You also must think of projects which interest YOU and YOU ONLY. You should not think about pleasing everyone else before doing something you actually enjoy. Find a middle-ground between what others suggest for you to do and what you want for yourself if considered necessary.
On another note, writing a daily journal in which you can jot down thoughts regarding your evolution within one project can be the key to a fulfilling high school and overall experience. In such a journal, you can write down what your likes and dislikes are so you can determine whether this activity fits you or not. After a certain period of time, sum up everything you have collected and reach a conclusion about the effect of your involvement in the project. This way, not only will you self-assess and find out on your own what you prefer in a certain domain, but it will also help you keep yourself organized and focused on your goals.
Do not forget to take a break from time to time, listen to some relaxing music, maybe do some yoga, take deep breaths, drink lots of water, eat regularly, and take care of your health and your mind, because without them, you cannot really achieve anything.
We hope this article helped you overcome some stressful issues regarding extracurriculars and other activities and if you have any suggestions, feel free to leave them here for us to read!
Moreover, if you want to share your experience on this topical issue, we would be more than happy to read it!
Stay safe and take care of yourselves!