What Is An Extracurricular Activity?

An extracurricular activity can be almost anything that isn’t required for high school credit or paid employment. These activities will become very important later, such as when you are applying to colleges, because they help you develop your talents, interests, and passions.

Below I’ve listed many popular activities that you may not have thought of as extracurricular activities. Take a look at the list and see if your activities are already on the list, or if anything you hadn’t considered before catches you’re eye. Of course, this list isn’t complete, because you can turn almost any interest into an extracurricular.

How To Choose an Extracurricular Activity?

Not sure how you should use this list of extracurriculars? Just follow the six steps outlined in this section, and you’ll be on your way to choosing the best extracurricular for you!

• Step 1: Brainstorm Extracurricular Ideas
• What are your interests? Make a list of all of your interests.
• Step 2: See Which Extracurriculars Fit Your Interests
• Look through the list below and see if any of the activities match your interests.
• Step 3: Research Different Extracurricular Options
• Research to see if these activities are available at your high school or in your community.
• Step 4: Join Some Activities
• The next step is to start doing activities! But how many should you do? Sample a few, once you start to get an idea of which activities are going to really help you then you can dedicate more time to those and drop the others.
• Step 5: Narrow Down Your Activities
• Make a list of the top five activities that interest you. If you have the time to try out all five, go for it.
• Step 6: Increase Your Impact in a Few Activities
• Remember to not spread yourself too thin, it’s more important to spend significant time in each activity than it is to have a long list of activities.

Academic

These activities are based on a certain academic subject. Improve your chances to get into top university.

• Biology Club
• Chemistry Club
• Math Club
• Physics Club
• Writing Club
• English Club

Art

These activities will allow you to express yourself artistically – on paper, through a lens, on stage, and through several other media. Unleash your creativity!

• Art: drawing, painting
• Cartooning
• Drama Club
• Fashion design
• Graphic Design
• Photography
• Sculpture

Sports and Recreation

You probably already know about the sports teams at your schools, but there are also many opportunities to participate outside of those.

• Basketball
• Bodybuilding
• Climbing Club
• Cycling
• Dance Team
• Football
• Gymnastics
• Martial Arts
• Swimming
• Tennis