The Role of Extracurricular Activities in Shaping Well-Rounded Students

The benefits of extracurricular activities in shaping the character and the future of the students are varied and immense. There are a number of essential skills sets which students develop by actively participating in these activities. A well-rounded student not just does well in academics but energetically involves himself/herself in any activities such as sport, art, volunteering, etc which doesn’t just involve immersing themselves in academic books. Now, Let’s learn what these benefits are:

1. Personality Development

Apart from their home, it is the school where children spend most of the time during their initial years. School experience plays an enormous role not just in imparting knowledge but also developing and nurturing the personality the child is to become in the future. Extracurricular activities provide a strong base to recognize these skills which are required to excel way beyond the classroom:

• Boost Confidence & Self Esteem – Active participation, competitiveness and efforts 
• Enhance Soft skills – Communication, adaptability and Professionalism 
• Cultivate Leadership traits 

• Instill Collaboration and Teamwork

• Crucial social skills – Collaborate and display empathy towards fellow students, elders and other living creatures.

2. Better Health 

Children aged between 3 to 6 years always seem to be interested in playing whether at home or outside. It is important to note that these are the first years they experience outside environment and society albeit in a highly protective atmosphere as a pre-school. These experiences impact them vividly :

• It is common knowledge that children who regularly involve themselves in a sport or an art activity exhibit much better physical and mental health. 
• A student who is both physically and mentally fit and agile displays much better concentration and focus. 
• It is often observed that students who are engaged in any extracurricular activity have much better attendance and less absenteeism at school. 
• Active participation in academic book and debate clubs help students expand their mental acumen and capability. 
• Activities such as yoga, music and art help students rejuvenate and recharge. This helps them reduce the stress which might arise out of the expectations to outperform in academics and effortlessly juggle between academics and other activities. 

3. Time Management

Effective Time-management is something which comes to the forefront when students balance academics with extracurricular activities. This crucial skill is imbibed in them as they need to prioritize and manage everyday tasks and commitments.

Prioritizing doesn’t just mean giving one task more importance than another, It is solely understanding the consequences and handling the time sensitive tasks on a required basis. Students learn to effectively multitask, plan and avoid procrastination. 

Involvement in most of the extracurricular activities helps students acquire qualities of accountability and sense of ownership.

This skillset supports them not just for academic success but also for their future endeavours.

4. Critical and Analytical Thinking

When a student participates in competitive activities such as debate, quiz or sports, it requires him/her to make time-bound decisions quickly which improves their critical thinking ability. Similarly, let’s find out how other activities help them gain these key skills which are essential for succeeding in life:

• Group projects or activities require them to interact with various other students or instructors which gives understanding and acceptance about diverse viewpoints.
• Strategic and analytical thinking are put to use when the students involve themselves in sports and games.
• Working on various STEM(Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) exercises helps them gain research and evaluation skills. 
• Debate clubs/discussion forums help students with quick thinking, effective articulation and public speaking ability.
  
  

When students engage in various activities involving different situation based-scenarios which question their existing thought processes, it benefits them by becoming better critical and analytical thinkers.

5. Choose Career Paths

• It is often during the early stages of schooling, either parents or teachers or students themselves realize the true passion and interest they have for specific skills or activities. 
• Students who participate in any specific extracurricular activity during their schooling period are more likely to pursue careers related to those activities leading them to be professionals. 
• It is of utmost importance that schools provide the students with ample resources where they can explore various activities to realize their passion and potential.
• This gives them the exposure required to explore various career paths available, not limiting their career choices to only the subjects covered in the classroom. 

6. Improved Academic Performance

We have already covered the multifaceted positive impact the extracurricular activities have on students’ overall well-being. Similarly, various studies and research suggest that students involved in these activities have a much better chance of performing in academics. Let’s find out how these activities improve the academic performance:

• Discipline & Focus – The qualities required to excel in any stream is instilled in children when they take up any of these activities.
• Increased Mental Horizons – Better cognitive ability by involving in critical and analytical thinking
• Organization Skills – Accomplishment of tasks inside and outside the classroom based on priority 
• Inquisitive Nature – Nature of curiosity for knowledge and to learn new things.
  
  

Conclusion

For students to excel and prosper in life, it is not essential to do well just in academics, but also help them develop key life-skills, which will ultimately make them become well-rounded individuals. Active participation in various extracurricular activities, play this role in the students lives, by instilling the qualities of discipline, collaboration, self-resilience, time-management, critical and analytical thinking which go way beyond the classroom teaching. The personal growth journey of every student is crucial and involvement in them provides them an advantage over others, in succeeding in life and becoming multi-dimensional individuals. 

Extracurricular Activities at Kiran International School

We at Kiran International School are not just advocates of academic excellence but overall well-being and development of our students. We walk the talk – our campus has all the resources and facilities for various extracurricular activities which a student might be interested to take up. We have best and devoted tutors and instructors who assist students find their true passion.

All the parents and students are hereby welcomed to visit our campus to witness the state-of-art facilities and give a chance to your children to realize their true potential by becoming the best at Kiran International School. 

Please stop by or get in touch with our admission staff to get more information.