Getting involved in some kind of extracurricular activities (ECAs) is one of the best investments that we could make in our lives because we would have enormous lifelong benefits.
The best thing about ECA is that it sets the base of soft skills development. While our education system does the best in preparing us both technically and academically, we still lack proper soft skills: leadership, communication, networking, team-management, and time-management. ECAs, by filling that gap, give us the opportunities to lead a team, build our social circle, and handle complex problems and much more. Playing a game of cricket, for instance, has a wholesome of benefits. It tests our patience, makes us handle some extremely difficult situation, introduces us to new people from the same field; indeed, strengthening our soft skills. Pretty much to offer, indeed!
Well not just that, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration if I say ECA helps us in finding ourselves. It gives us the opportunities to express ourselves, explore our interests and hence a stepping stone to finding our hidden talents. We never know the things where we are good at unless we try them out. For example, a passionate pianist never knew he would love piano unless he first played it and gradually explored his love for pianos. So, for those people, who are yet to find their unique talents, come out of your bubble, explore different activities and grab every opportunity you get, without any hesitation. That’s how you explore your interests and your true self.
It is a matter of fact that ECAs increase our chances of employability. Employers always prefer to employ those candidates who are all rounded and have maintained a flexible balance in both their academics and ECAs. That is why, most employers value soft skills like communication and leadership over technical skills and good academics while recruitment. Furthermore, for those millennials who want to get into a good university or college, having a good Grade point average (GPA) alone is not enough, well-balanced representation of active ECAs plays an influential role in your application process.
Overall, the involvement in ECAs has both intrinsic and extrinsic benefits if we analyze it both in the short and the long run. The seeds of personality development start to boom ravishinglly as we plant the initial stages with more activeness and enthusiasm. So, make sure that you harvest these seeds as soon as possible by getting into ECAs. You never know what life has to offer in the longer run.
By Dipesh Poudel
The writer is an A-level graduate from Chelsea International Academy.
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