How to Make Your Extra-Curricular Activities Work for You
Where do you see yourself five or ten years from now?
Questions like this often put us in either daydream mode or panic mode. If you’re like most students, you would probably find yourself in the latter. Sa totoo lang, panic mode, all the way! Asking a teenager (read: ikaw yun!) to figure out their lives can be really, really overwhelming. Especially now that the global pandemic shookt almost every plan and sense of normalcy in our daily routines.
At one point or another, you might have asked yourself, “Paano na ang future ko?”
Huwag
The future belongs to the smart
In a world where being smart is almost always linked to having good grades, getting a barely passing grade or a failing mark might make you question why you’re even studying at all. And ‘smart’ is probably the least of the adjectives in your vocabulary.
Kung ganito ang pag-iisip mo, it’s time for a change in perspective. Having good grades is great. Don’t get us wrong. If you excel in academics, keep it up! But if it’s not your strong suit, know that it’s okay, too. Just keep doing your best!
Many people make the mistake of confining success to academic achievements. But it’s not the only mark of intelligence. It’s just one of many. (Alam mo ba ang learning style mo? If not yet, know your classroom superpower here!) So while you may study hard and still not get that perfect mark, don’t be too hard on yourself. Hindi pa tapos ang mundo! Who knows what future lies ahead for you?
The future belongs to the smart. The book smart. The people smart. The body smart. The word smart. Whatever type of smart you are, the future belongs to you, too.
Because the truth of the matter is, your smarts open the future that belongs to you. When you understand this, there is only one question left to start walking that path.
“What makes you come alive?”
The interesting thing about being human is how weirdly different we all are. Every student comes to class with their own dreams, skills, interests, even fears and weaknesses. You are simply wired differently. Which means hindi ka duplicate ng seatmate mo, and that’s good news!
The question now is, what lights you up?
When the school bell rings and the classes are done for the day, where do you go? How do you spend your time? What are you doing at your happiest? These questions are important to ask, especially as you grow and embrace your own definition of success.
If you wake up before sunrise to train and run a mile so you can qualify for the sports meet, do it. If you stay after class to attend theater rehearsals so you can practice for an upcoming performance, do it. If you’re the type of student who pulls all-nighters to ace your final exams, do it. If you spend your weekends working on your art piece, do it.
Whatever makes you come alive, do lots of that.
After all, the real goal of education is not so much doing as it is becoming. It is learning who you can become after every class. It is taking one step at a time towards a fulfilling career path as you discover and develop your potential.
These extracurricular activities may not be required and counted toward your grades, but it always pays off. Through these activities, you may gain an extra skill, an extra friend, extra confidence, and extra perspective about yourself that you wouldn’t have known if you stayed in your comfort zone. And it can even lead you to your true calling.
Where do you see yourself five or ten years from now?
So let’s go back to this question! Instead of panicking, let’s try daydreaming. Anything is possible! Picture yourself five or ten years from now. Imagine yourself doing a career you love, surrounded with the people you love, and spending time on things that light you up. Hindi ba ang ganda?
Hindi natin alam exactly kung anong mangyayari sa future mo, but one thing is for sure: The difference lies in what you do today, while you are still a student.
Good grades are important. It can help open the right doors for you. But how you will walk through those doors is often determined, not by a piece of paper, but by your character, which is formed through your experiences beyond classroom hours.
If that’s the case, are you setting yourself up today for the future you have in mind?
Whether you answered a resounding yasss or IDK, we’ve got something exciting for you. Make your future less scary and Keep Moving Together with our student community! Join our Quest and turn those extracurricular activities into an extra-fulfilling career. You can even earn rewards along the way. Click here to get started!
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