Making new in-school connections can be difficult. Especially as a new student at SPA, but even as a lifer. You may want to branch out and don’t know how. Well, I do.

Extracurriculars, including but not limited to: sports, music, and any form of academic club, have been widely renowned as a way to make friends as a new student, but they are also beneficial for any student to join at any time. The Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology tells us that participating in extracurriculars during adolescence provides a sense of peer-belonging that is essential in high school.

One reserve students often have is the time investment, worrying it may harm their academics. In reality, the peer-belonging that results from participating in extracurriculars creates a pathway to self-assurance and improved mental health, which reflects back in academic performance. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, students in extracurriculars had fewer tardies and higher GPAs overall. A student’s increased engagement in the school community strengthens their attachment to school, and thereby motivates them to put in full effort. Plus, it forces you to manage your time better and get your work done right away.

The National Center for Education Statistics also states that extracurriculars provide a great opportunity to apply skills that students work on in school to situations outside of the classroom. The majority of extracurriculars available are team-based, which makes a perfect environment for building teamwork skills. As a captain, leadership skills too. In Dr. Hovan’s 9th grade physics class, students practice using a set of social skills that are ultimately designed for everyone to be heard and understood. This becomes extremely applicable when you become part of a team.

But the benefits don’t end when you leave campus. All extracurriculars focus on building a skillset and having fun. If you do a sport, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that physical activity will: “improve your brain health, help manage weight, reduce the risk of disease, strengthen bones and muscles, and improve your ability to do everyday activities.”

If you practice an instrument, other musical talents will become more accessible, and according to The National Library of Medicine, it will improve your memory and motor skills.

A lot of the time the drawback with joining extracurriculars is how nerve-wracking it can be to start something brand-new. As someone who has tried two sports that were completely new to me this year, I want to assure you that you will likely not be the only new person. But, if you are, the rest of the team/club will be delighted to have you. For your brain, for your health, and for some new friends: join an extracurricular. It’s worth it.