Now that class schedules have stopped shifting and the first quarter is well underway, it’s time for you to consider how you’ll get the most out of your high school experience. Despite how many classes you take on campus or where your interests lie, there is ample opportunity to be involved in the school community, and that opportunity should be taken advantage of.

The four years spent in high school are the last four years that you will not have to pay to test out new subject areas or hobbies. Use the time to discover what you are fascinated in and potentially what futures you want to pursue.

Clubs offer you the opportunity to participate in activities you otherwise might not get a chance to. After you graduate, you won’t regret spending a Friday night making a meal for families staying at the Ronald McDonald House, going to a JROTC marksmanship camp, bowling with students on the ASD spectrum or reading books to kids at Carillon Elementary.

Besides the new experiences clubs open up to you, they also provide a valuable opportunity to boost one’s resume or learn new skills. Even if a student has their future academic and career path planned out, they can find a way to be involved at the school level. Someone who has their heart set on teaching and is only two virtual courses away from graduating can still participate in Future Educators of America. Somebody who plans on entering the workforce directly after high school can use a volunteering-based club like to get community service hours to put on their resume. If there isn’t a club or organization on campus that meets a student’s needs, they always have the opportunity to start their own by finding a sponsor and filling out some paperwork, boosting their resume in the process for having created a club.

You don’t have to be a freshman to try out a new club. For upperclassmen, it’s not too late to try out a new activity. Time commitment often distances students from getting plugged in with school organizations, but many clubs on campus don’t even require a huge time commitment. The majority only include monthly meetings with a few activities sprinkled in. Even community service based clubs, such as Key Club, can require as much or as little commitment as the member choses. Beyond the minimum required hours, individual members have the option of doing more or leaving it there. It’s only important to be involved.

Participating in the community is part of being an adult. For now, this school is our community. For those who haven’t yet found an organization that interests them, use the centerspread on pages four and five as a refresher of what is offered at the school. You don’t have to be the most spirited person at the school to be one of the most involved.