Getting Involved I: High School
Getting involved in high school is important for so many reasons. I know that many people can’t see the point of joining the Honor Society, the band, or a dozen other activities. Today I’m going to give you the perspective of someone who is 4 years out of any high school organization.
Why Join?
I was an organization whore in high school. I played basketball and baseball. I was in the Honors Society, Beta Club (VP), Science Honors Society (Treasurer), FBLA, and there are probably several others I can’t remember anymore. Let me be honest. I did not care about a single thing I was in besides sports. As far as I know, neither did anyone else. You join these clubs for one reasons: college applications.
I know you think they are stupid. I know that you actually do NOTHING in most of these organization besides have a monthly meeting. Join anyway. It takes minimal time and can help you in the long run. Don’t be lazy. Just go to the meetings.
Getting involved in high school is your first encounter with networking, which is one life’s most important skills. Learning to meet and get to know people that you have no background with is crucial to success. Who knows. Getting involved might introduce you to an entire new group of people in your school that you have more in common with than you thought.
A final though is to find at least one leadership position. It doesn’t matter what organization. I happened to choose the one’s that took the minimal amount of effort. If there is one that you are particularly interested in then choose that one. One of the most important parts of your college application are involvement and leadership.
High School Sports
They aren’t as important as you think. I don’t care what your coach tells you. Regardless of how much you love Friday Night Lights and believe that whether or not you are starting on the basketball team is a matter of life or death, it just isn’t. 1 year out of high school no one will care about how far you made it the state finals or whether you were all all conference, all state, or just spent all your time on the bench.
I’m not bashing high school sports. I was a letterman for 4 years, played 2 sports, and even managed to grab a state championship ring. I’m just saying that life doesn’t revolve around the field, so don’t attach your happiness to your stats. Also remember, that being a high-school badass in sports does not translate to the real world. Don’t be the idiot who thinks they are going pro and keeps a 2.5 GPA. What you do need to remember are the life lessons you were taught in sports: hard work, working well with teams, competitive spirit, and being a part of something bigger than yourself.
Find Something You Enjoy
If you have to get involved you should at least try to find something that you enjoy. Join the things you don’t like, but focus on the ones that you enjoy. It’s possible you might even find a passion you would like to pursue after high school. Here is my list of organizations that you might actually find worth your time.
- Sports - There has to be one that you enjoy.
- School Paper - If you enjoy writing and are thinking about journalism then here is pain free way to give it a try.
- Yearbook - For those that enjoy photography, photoshop, and graphic design.
- Band - I can’t play an instrument and regret not learning as a kid. Don’t let negative stereotypes stop you.
- FBLA - If you enjoy business here is a great place to start.
If you only take one thing from this post, remember this: GET INVOLVED. It doesn’t matter if you want to or not. It doesn’t even matter what you join. Just get out there and do it.
