After spending a long day at school working on countless assignments and taking various tests and quizzes, many students would like to come home and relax. However, students who take part in many clubs, sports or have a job don’t have that luxury.

Ask any high school student and you’ll get the same answer: high school is stressful. High school alone is stressful without the addition of club meetings and activities, sports practices and games or working a full or part-time job. 

The Census Bureau reports that 57% of children between 6 and 17 years old participate in at least one after-school extracurricular activity which equates to nearly 6 out of 10 children participating in extracurricular activities.

While people have different motives for taking part in certain clubs, sports or jobs, one main reason is college. Many colleges look at the number of extracurriculars that an applicant takes part in to decide whether that student will be accepted. An admissions committee would like to see that an applicant can demonstrate some level of accomplishment, initiative, commitment or leadership through their extracurricular activities. 

This is one reason why students may participate in up to 5 clubs while still having to complete work in school. In addition to numerous clubs and sports, a student may need to get a job as a way to help support their family which can add more to an already full plate. 

The average American goes to school for 6 and a half days with most of those days starting very early in the morning for many high schoolers. In addition to a long school day, sports, clubs and possibly a job, many students come home to piles of homework and projects that must be completed. Between all this work students can feel stretched thin between things that they want to do, but simply don’t have the time for.

When you spread yourself too thin you can feel stressed while trying to keep up with mounting activities. You lose sight of free time and focus more on racking up clubs and sports without taking a break. This can lead to depression, anxiety and stress.

The best way students can help themselves is by being realistic when it comes to the activities they are undertaking and ensuring that they will be able to handle it. When a student feels overwhelmed or stressed they should take time each day to step away from reality and enjoy a few minutes to decompress. 

At the end of the day, although a student may want to participate in many clubs and sports while still maintaining a job, they should still find time to do things that they enjoy and that make them happy, like spending time outside, hanging out with friends and family or listening to music.