Extra-curriculars, students either love them, or they hate them. Regardless, they are an integral part of the high school and St. Joe experience, and there are numerous benefits to joining them. For starters, clubs are an excellent way to get to know other students and teachers around the school.

The classroom environment can be stale at times, and sometimes it is difficult to make friends in what is often such a rigid atmosphere. Clubs give students the opportunity to work together with their peers for a good cause, while getting to know them better in the process. The more friends one has, the better the high school experience is.

The next benefit to joining clubs is the fact that colleges love students who get involved in their school and local community, and clubs can give students an outlet to help the community in ways they actually enjoy. Students who want to get into colleges with competitive admissions processes should look to extra-curriculars like clubs to gain an advantage over other students who may not be as involved outside of the classroom.

While clubs may be a bit of a time commitment, they are absolutely worth it because not only do they enrich the high school experience, they also give students a peak into the real world outside of school as they force them to use their time to help the community. Clubs build the collaborative side of students, which is important as it is a skill that is necessary to succeed in the world outside of school.

Overall, students should look to join clubs they enjoy because it will give them something productive to do outside of school, as well as an outlet to help those who they may not even have thought of in their own bubble. Get out there and join some clubs St. Joe!