By Divya Putty
A lot of students think of school as an institution that forces its attendees to work every day in class and then go home and work some more. Yes, there are mandatory classes and there is homework. That can’t be changed, but what you do outside of class can.
Many of us forget that we control our high school career. It only lasts four years, but four years can be a lifetime if you aren’t enjoying each day. So, make the most of it while it lasts.
The first step in making those years enjoyable is finding something you like doing in school. If a student does not have the time to commit to a club or an extra class, one can start by attending school events and performances.
For example, spending a night at a band or choir concert with a friend can help students enjoy their time at school. Going to the school play may inspire them to join a drama class next year. Just by attending school events, students will gain a natural desire to be more involved.
Fortunately, there are several clubs, teams, activities, and events students can join for pleasure and a diversion from constant schoolwork.
If students are interested in building things, they can take construction as an elective or join the Robotics team. Both are different activities so students have multiple options, but also have a similar basis which happens to be the student’s interest: building.
If students appreciates a certain culture, they can take a specific language class that is associated with the culture or join a club that specializes in that culture. For example, several culture-based clubs include Armenian Club, Chinese Culture Club, and Japanese Culture Club.
Students will enjoy school more if they can find and be part of a small group of people with similar interests.
“I resisted participating in things forever because I didn’t want to be any more involved in school than I had to be, but it turned out that the outside activities were pretty fun and nothing like class. I made new friends and had new experiences that I really enjoyed,” senior Megan Birnbaum said.
Taking part in outside activities not only helps students gain new friends and experiences, but also give them a reason to be proud and happy to attend this school.
Clubs and teams make t-shirts, sweatshirts, lanyards, and more for members to wear with pride. Those items unite people and give students a chance to show their school spirit along with the several activities they participate in.
School spirit comes from being passionate about something in school, but you won’t have any if mandatory classes are the only thing on your schedule.
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