Between classes and homework, what does your SHS student do? While online senior high school in the Philippines focuses on developing students academically and professionally, they cannot learn everything in the classroom. It’s equally important to give students an avenue to explore new interests outside of the classroom. Doing so can help them unwind, build social and life skills, and even discover a life-long passion.
In this blog, we’ll discuss the benefits of these activities and what senior high school extracurricular activities students can explore.
What are Extracurricular Activities?
Extracurricular activities are programs conducted outside of the regular academic curriculum. These allow students to engage in specific activities or learn new skills that they’re interested in.
Extracurricular activities are designed to complement the academic curriculum, essentially encouraging students to, “study hard, play hard.”
However, extracurricular activities are not just any type of play. They are directed, often guided by a professional or a teacher, and purposeful. As a result, these activities can have a positive impact on students.
How Do Extracurricular Activities Affect Senior High School Students?
Extracurricular activities are not just activities for kids to pass the time with. Apart from socializing and learning additional skills, students experience benefits in their personal development and studies. Let’s see the benefits of senior high school extracurricular activities:
Develop Friendships
Extracurricular activities allow students to meet students with similar interests. By engaging in such activities, they can learn to build relationships with people and, potentially, develop friendships.
Increase Confidence
These activities enable students to learn to accomplish goals, which helps instill confidence in their capabilities. Furthermore, extracurricular activities that require them to take on major responsibilities and speak or perform in front of audiences help students overcome their fear of public speaking and gain confidence.
Develops Time Management Skills
Joining activities outside of their studies requires students to manage their time effectively. It becomes a necessity when they’re juggling multiple activities they enjoy. Strong time management skills will help them cultivate a balance between work and personal life in the future.
Nurtures Talents
Extracurricular activities allow students to explore things they’re interested in and work toward building their skills in that field with formal instruction from a coach or teacher. This way, they can nurture their natural inclinations.
Encourages Leadership
Some extracurricular activities provide opportunities for students to lead their peers. They take on responsibilities and learn to communicate with peers and adults.
Supports Academic Performance
The benefits of extracurricular activities carry over to students’ studies. The benefits we previously discussed help students perform better in school. It helps them develop discipline, be persistent, solve problems, as well as cope well with stress. Thus, participation in extracurricular activities translates to higher levels of academic achievement, better attendance, and educational ambition.
Boost College Applications
Participation in extracurricular activities in SHS can be a great addition to students’ college applications. It demonstrates that the student has a well-rounded development, has the discipline to learn a new skill or pursue a goal, and works as part of a team. These can help students stand out and be accepted in their desired schools.
What are the Best Senior High School Extracurricular Activities?
There are a lot of extracurricular activities students can explore, each one touching on different fields and interests. While the availability of activities varies per school, here are some of the most common and exciting senior high school extracurricular activities in the Philippines:
Sports Teams
Sports are one of the most common extracurricular activities since most kids are naturally inclined to play a sport. Sports activities may include basketball, volleyball, badminton, softball, swimming, and martial arts to name a few.
Most sports-inclined kids start by joining a sports clinic where they learn basic drills and skills. They can then try out for their school’s varsity team or join a league in their area to compete.
Joining sports allows kids to be more physically active. More importantly, it encourages them to be disciplined, persevering, and a team player.
Student Government
Students who are inclined toward leadership may be more interested in joining the student elections. They can run for a position related to their interests and, if they win, take on the responsibility of representing the student body and weighing in on school policy.
Being part of the student government can be time-consuming but extremely rewarding for those with leadership potential.
Performing Arts Club
For young people who are more creatively inclined, performing arts clubs may be more interesting. Parents may need to invest in formal instruction for specific skills like playing musical instruments, dancing, singing, or acting. They can then join their school’s performances.
Joining a performing arts club is not only for performers. Kids who are also interested in visual arts may help build sets, costumes, special effects, or work stage lights.
Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts
Scouting is a great opportunity to expose teens to nature and learn outdoor survival skills. They can join the Boy Scouts of the Philippines or the Girl Scouts of the Philippines, both of which have training programs to develop important skills like cooking, cleaning, and finances, as well as cultivate leadership and social services.
Academic Clubs
Of course, extracurricular activities in senior high school can also center on the student’s academic interests. If they want to focus on advancing their knowledge and skills in a particular subject, an academic club can help them explore topics and skills that they may not tackle yet in the classroom.
Examples of academic clubs are science, computer, debate, chess, and Model United Nations.
Volunteering Clubs
Is your SHS student passionate about social issues? They may feel fulfilled with a club that tackles their advocacy. Such clubs can help them learn more about these issues and find ways to help the community.
Apart from cultivating children’s values, volunteering clubs also boost organizational, leadership, and collaborative skills as they help organize different outreach activities.
Cultural Clubs
Students who are interested in different cultures may also join cultural clubs like cultural exchange programs and foreign language clubs. These clubs usually focus on just one culture or language and offer multiple opportunities for members to immerse themselves in the culture.
These clubs may also offer language lessons so students can learn another language in their repertoire of skills.
School Publication
Another common extracurricular is joining the school publication. This is a great activity for those who are interested in writing, editing, and photography. The school publication provides them an opportunity to direct the contents of the school publication.
Students who are interested in writing may learn to research, interview, and write articles about different topics. Likewise, students who love photography may use their skills to cover important school events and publish them in the school publication.
This club can help nurture an SHS student’s creative talents.
Which Extracurricular Activities are Best for Your SHS Student?
Extracurricular activities in senior high school are a great opportunity for students to explore and nurture their interests and skills. While some think they’re a distraction from studying, extracurricular activities can complement their academic studies while expanding their horizons.
Make sure your child gets a holistic education and still has time for extracurricular activities with the provider of high-quality online learning in the Philippines, OEd Senior High School.
Learn more about our programs in this guide to all strands in senior high or by getting in touch with us.
