LIFE

10. You don’t have to ride the bus home. Unless you’re super lucky, you probably have an annoyingly long bus ride after school. So give your ‘rents a reason to come pick you up, and join a club that keeps ya busy ‘til the buses are long gone.

9. They look great on college apps. Even if you’re in middle school, this is a good one to start thinking about. Colleges love seeing that you’re passionate about certain activities—and that you’ve been doing them actively for a while. Start looking around for something you could stick with and who knows? Maybe you’ll fall head over heels for quidditch or ceramics.

8. You learn how to get along with different kinds of people. This is huge, ‘cause chances are your life is gonna be packed with situations where you’re going to be working or hanging out or living with people who do things differently than you do. Learning how to get along and make friends is a great skill to learn.

7. You never know when you’ll get to go on an extra-fun weekend activity or trip. Lots of clubs take yearly trips to cool places to check out museums or to compete in championships. So make sure you get to go along next time!

6. Afterschool activities give you a li’l extra time away from your fam. Feuding with sis? Can’t handle another afternoon spent with Mom nagging you to clean up your room? Get an hour or two of free time that your folks will be A-OK with.

5. You get to learn more about or get better at somethin’ you love.

4. Extracurrics help you de-stress after a day of sitting in class. Zen out as you do something you L-O-V-E. Trust us, it’s a major win.

3. They keep ya from bein’ bored at home. Boredom is probably the most common ailment of any student. So stop it before it starts this year by keeping yourself busy after school.

2. They help you learn to balance your sched and stay organized. Studies have shown that kids who do extracurrics tend to get better grades. So score straight A’s this year by learning how to handle a busy sched and how to avoid procrastination.

1. You can hang out with your besties…and even make some new ones. A li’l extra time with your girlies is always a plus. But if your pals aren’t into the same things you are, don’t sweat it. You’ll just meet new awesome people, and ya know that they’ll have at least one thing in common with you, since you’re all in the same club, right?

by Carrie Ruppert | 2/1/2016