Laura studies BSc (Hons) Business and Management here at The University of Bradford. She tells us the reasons why you should take part in extracurricular activities during your time at university.
Laura Dinu, BSc (Hons) Business and Management
I know what you are thinking, why should you bother? It is just wasted time, isn’t it? Well, I have some arguments that will encourage you to invest in yourself and get involved in extracurricular activities.
You will make friends for life
Getting involved in extracurricular activities can help you grow your circle of friends. Just think about it – you will meet people with the same interests as you! How exciting is that? And you will be able to share your passion or ask for support if you need it.
But will the friendships last? They certainly will! You will have these buddies by your side in and outside the University. You will share similar interests and have great adventures together – did I mention the jokes?
What should you expect out of these friendships? You will grow as a person. By knowing new people and being exposed to different activities you will have the chance to gain new skills and experiences.
I am still talking to some of the friends that I met whilst volunteering for Choices4All. I love the fact that we share so many common interests and that we can talk about anything.
It will be a great learning experience.
You will get the chance to see life through someone else’s eyes. You will also gain numerous life-skills that you will carry by your side for the rest of your life. Imagine working with disadvantaged children – you will cherish and value your life more.
Getting involved in these type of activities is also beneficial for your CV and employment skills. You will be more ‘prepared’ to deal with sensitive situations and difficult tasks. It is also a good opportunity to support a cause you believe in.
Working with disabled children made more aware of the world around me. It has helped me grow as a person and cherish every second that I spend with the people that I love.
You can explore any area you want
There are so many options that you can pursue – volunteering with uni, volunteering with C4A, being a PAL leader etc. It is important to find an area that you are passionate about or an area that you would like to find out more about. This way you will have more interest and energy to put towards the projects.
Being a Peer Assisted Learning leader is a great opportunity to strengthen your employability skills, whereas participating in Uni projects will give you an overall understanding of the projects in your degrees.
You will Travel
If you are lucky you can get involved in funded trips by the Uni! You can visit countries like China or Bahrain. This will help you understand different cultures as well as seeing another part of the world. It may be beneficial to get involved in these sort of projects if your modules involve international relations or international affairs.
The trips are fully funded by the school and you only need to bring yourself and your knowledge. I have been awarded 2 study trips: one to Bahrain and one to China. Both were fully-funded by the University! How great is that?
You will have fun!
Of course, the most important point! You will have loads of fun knowing more and more people, visiting different countries and seeing different sides of human life. They are all good experiences which will hope you shape your behaviour and personality in order to become the best version of yourself!
That is why I highly recommend you to go and give these extracurricular activities a try! And the University of Bradford is the best place to do so! You have all the support and resources that you could possibly need.
So what are you waiting for? Go out and change the world!
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