Plato once said that lack of activity destroys the good condition of every human being. Extracurricular activities play a pivotal role in students' lives. It is not just for an impressive resume. It helps in character development, and independence, increases responsibility, and likewise. Now that classes have moved online, do not let your students take the backseat when it comes to extracurricular activities. Motivate them to become part of online clubs and groups. This helps in community building and helps to improve social skills.
We have discussed a few extracurricular activities that students can participate in while staying home.
What is an extracurricular activity?
An extracurricular activity (ECA) or extra academic activity (EAA) is an activity, performed by students, which falls outside the realm of the normal curriculum of the school, college, or university education.
Before we move on to discuss various activities that students can be a part of, let us take a look at what extracurricular activities are. The "all work, no play" days do not exist anymore for students today. The students have jumped the boundaries that made them only mug up thick books all day and night without any ifs and buts. Students today know how to balance their academics and extracurriculars without compromising with any one of them. These extracurricular activities not only help students impress people with their college applications but are also healthy for their mental and physical health. Of course, the masked world we are living in today after the arrival of the deadly coronavirus has changed the way everything functions, but online education and online platforms have got our back! If used wisely, both time and resources happily work in the favor of students as the pandemic acts as a golden opportunity for the students to develop new skills while they stay in the comfort of their homes.
Here are a few activities that students can be a part of online.
● Art workshops: A lot of artists believe in sharing their creativity and knowledge with others. Some of them do it for free and a few might choose to monetize the same. They teach through various online workshops or webinars. Students can enroll themselves in these workshops that are very engaging as well as help the students develop new skills. These workshops are pocket-friendly and not very time-consuming too. Teachers should suggest students enroll in workshops with rewards such as a certificate of completion or participation, which might further help students in many ways.
● Internships: Internships are a great way to enhance skills in a specific(or various) field(s) without investing in long working hours. Internships for sure help the students in boosting their confidence as well as it gives them a better understanding of what they like and whatnot. A student might want to build his/her career as a fashion designer due to their interest in sketching. But doing an internship under a good fashion designer might give them a reality check of how things actually work in the real business world. Hence, internships help students decide their long-term goals easily. A lot of companies have come up with online internships after the outbreak of covid-19, students can sign up for good designations like social media managers or content writers, etc., and keep learning even beyond the classrooms.
● Interest-Based Activities: Each one of us have different ways of expressing our likes, dislikes, talent, etc. Students would have a lot of capabilities like dancing, singing, writing, painting, or cooking.
Sharing this knowledge with others through videos, blog posts, articles, podcasts, etc. can be a good way to sharpen up your skills, utilize your time and help others. You never stop learning when you share. It is not necessary to be perfect at these things, you can simply start with the basics but make sure to share the right, complete and authentic knowledge irrespective of how minute it may be. The internet is in short, a blessing to everyone, so utilize it pleasantly. Indulging in things that you are interested in will help you stay positive. Optimism is one of the most important things that one needs at a time like this.
● Physical Activities: 'A healthy mind lives in a healthy body, you must have heard this many times in your life, but did you ever experience it? On our recommendation try it once. Try to wake up early in the morning (preferably before sunrise), choose an open space and meditate for 15 minutes and proceed with a little bit of yoga. You will experience inner peace and will feel energetic throughout the day. And if practiced regularly, physical activities like yoga, cardio, sports, dance, etc. might help you stay away from diseases and medicines. There are a lot of mentors these days who are available for giving online guidance to people.
Things have changed but haven't stopped, things have slowed down but haven't paused. So, why should one take a break from their learning? Wear your capes and charge yourself up, for now, you have so many activities to enjoy even when you can't go to school or university. We wish you all the best, keep learning!
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