Two of the most prevalent considerations employers take into account when viewing applications of recent graduates are their GPA and extracurricular involvement. The discussion for which of these areas a student should make their priority is ongoing. Having a strong GPA and varied extracurricular activities are both very important to a successful student and career, but inevitably, one will take priority over the other. For many students, GPA reigns supreme, but for a select minority, the realization that diversification and practical experience are both crucial to a fulfilling career leads them to view extracurricular activities as the more important of the two.
As a student who focused on GPA through all of my primary and much of my secondary education, I can confidently say that taking that approach will deliver strong results. However, this path will also often result in a very burnt out student, with an uninspiring story. This path is also extremely difficult, especially those who are neurodivergent such as myself. Mid-way through high school, I found myself with little to no motivation to continue with school. This happened to coincide with the Covid-19 pandemic, and resulted in a rapid and significant decline in my GPA, from which I never fully recovered. At that point, I began to explore extra curricular activities as a means by which to distract myself from the minutiae of school. I became one of the co-lead photographers for my school’s yearbook, the captain and goalie for the varsity soccer team as well as taking on the role of class representative for a term. Taking on these responsibilities forced me to gain control of my schedule so that I would be able to tend to them all. The knock on effect of that was I now had the ability to control my time for my in school responsibilities as well.
Through looking into extracurricular activities, students can also expand their range of knowledge by exposing themselves to topics and situations they otherwise would not have experienced. One area that I experienced such exposure was when I decided to join a music appreciation group. As a person that knew very little about music, I felt really uncomfortable when joining this group, as I thought that my inexperience would hinder any chance that I would truly enjoy the experience. The truth, however, would prove to be quite the opposite. I quickly found that my inexperience made the exploration of music all the more intriguing, as I was learning both what it meant to truly appreciate music, and the art and science behind the process of its creation at the same time. This led me to take an art history class the following semester, in which I had a very similar experience. Between those two classes, I learned about art and music as well as the importance of exposing oneself to that which they don’t understand.
Due to the experiences I have had, I have come to the realization that exploring outside of one specific area of study is critical in the development of a person’s world view and in their personal development. While I believe that it is beyond important to do well in school, focusing on just that will lead to an unfulfilling life, and for that reason alone, I have made extracurriculars my priority over GPA.