Most students and teachers at Highland Park High School know how difficult it is to schedule a meeting. There is always something going on, whether it’s another club meeting or a sports event. So many activities overlap with one another that one might expect students to pick and choose between their commitments. Yet, many teens are involved in upwards of a dozen clubs.
Interviews with nine HPHS students in various grade levels support this apparent conflict between expectations and reality. These students unanimously recommended participation in two to three clubs, but most of the interviewees’ extracurricular commitments exceeded this suggested sweet spot.
Students' primary motivations for joining clubs include a passion for specific topics, deriving benefits from participation, and establishing connections in a welcoming community. Although students attest that the clubs at HPHS positively contribute to their experience, many teachers suspect a correlation between club involvement and stress in students’ lives. Ms. Soler provides, “I have the impression that students think that their way to get into college is having a bunch of extracurricular activities…You don’t have time to do good in everything, plus your academics, and the most important thing here for you is your academics.” In a similar vein, Mr. Mladnick emphasized the value of quality over quantity in high school, explaining, “Students chasing the ‘perfect application’ for elite schools are misguided in their thinking…[College officials] prefer students who show commitment, dedication, and leadership to a couple of clubs. My advice is if you want to be happy, and healthy, and even boost your chances of getting into the college of your dreams, don't spread yourself too thin.”
Andrew Dalton, who is in ten clubs with three leadership roles, weighed in on this issue, “Personally, I know the balance that you need to have to go into college. I'm not an academic-heavy student, so I kind of tack on a bunch of extracurricular activities.” So, do students overcommit themselves purely to stand out in college admissions? For Andrew, at least, the answer is no: “It's not just for college. It's for the betterment of yourself. All these clubs I'm doing I’m interested in and I'm passionate about.”
As interviews reflected, whether or not clubs influence stress depends on the person. Andrew claimed, “I don't feel stressed because personally, I think I am very good at time management, so I know my limits.” Libby Peckman, a freshman in four clubs with club meetings six times a week, held a contrasting view, saying her extracurricular commitment takes up most of her time and “makes it harder to do other things.”
Interestingly, those who reported stress from their clubs did not indicate a desire to drop them. Senior Teji Venkat admitted, “I feel stressed about the scheduling, but I like the clubs, so I would stick with all of them.” Several other interviewees made similar comments.
The student body of Highland Park High School faces the challenge of balancing classwork with a myriad of overlapping activities, often exceeding recommended limits in club involvement. While overscheduling impacts students differently, those experiencing stress demonstrate a commitment to their activities. Will students learn to take a step back when their extracurriculars become overwhelming, or will the trend of hyper-engagement persist?