Study Overseas

The opportunity to participate in extracurricular activities is something that is not difficult to come by at universities across the United States. In fact, participation at any level is encouraged and even recommended for students to feel a part of the school. With a wide variety of students who have a wide variety of interests, there are activities to suit the array of hobbies and passions of every individual. From participation in club sports teams to cultural clubs to community service organizations, there is no shortage of opportunities for all students, international or domestic, to get involved and feel included on their college campus.

Participating in extracurricular activities gives students the ability to meet and connect with other students who have the same or similar interests. During a time when meeting people with similar interests is challenging and oftentimes overwhelming, finding a group where you feel comfortable is an important part of the college experience. Ultimately, becoming involved in your university through extracurricular activities is a stress-free way to relieve boredom and contribute to the many going-ons of the campus.

Unlike many other activities in life, finding an extracurricular that fits you is a personal experience. Most students do not join a club just because their friends are involved; instead, the majority of students tend to look for best-fit organizations based on their own criteria. Some students choose to focus all their energy in one activity whereas others spread themselves out by participating in several different organizations. The choice is totally up to you.

Something For Everyone

Whether you enjoy participating in sports or just sitting around with friends discussing a good book, you'll always find an appropriate group on a college campus. And if for some reason you don't, many schools allow (and even encourage!) students to create their own organizations. Though some differences occur between large and small universities, despite the size, most universities pride themselves in the plethora of extracurricular opportunities they provide students.

Opportunities For International Students

Like any other member of the student body, international students studying abroad in America are provided with all the same opportunities to join in clubs, organizations and teams. Oftentimes even, cultural clubs exist or are created by international students in order to meet other students from their home country, or from the same ethnic, religious, or regional background. These types of groups are meant to heighten the study abroad experience and help international students feel more comfortable in a foreign setting, but apart from helping students to adjust to their new situation, they also aim to help the student preserve and promote their cultural identity so it doesn't become lost or smothered in their new situation. Even if international students are only studying in the United States for a semester, they are encouraged to participate in extracurricular groups, especially due to the fact that the experience will only help to strengthen their short time abroad in the US.

Finding your place as an international student in an American university can often be difficult and overwhelming, but finding a group where you feel comfortable and accepted can help you feel more of a part of the campus, as well as a student in the America. Where you might normally or initially feel on the outside of events and activities, participating in an extracurricular activity automatically gives you a support group and an 'in' to all sorts of activities around the campus or in neighboring areas. There's always so much to do around you and you don't want to miss out on exciting new experiences because you haven't gotten involved!

Meshing Academics With Extracurriculars

Studying and taking classes is important, especially because it's still the main reason students are pursuing a higher education. However, as any American college student will tell you, there is more to the college experience than going to class, writing papers and studying for tests. Friendships and other relationships are created, more often than not, in the social setting and that is exactly what participation in extracurricular activities provides for students and why it is important. With the need for a break, international students, like domestic students, must find ways to escape from the mundane academic life. Participating in these activities doesn't have to take away from your studies, but it can only help in making your experience about more than just what happens in the classroom.

The Many Benefits Of Extracurricular Activities

Aside from just helping international students to feel more a part of their college community, participating in extracurricular activities can also teach you important skills that will help you out later in life. Through an extracurricular experience, students learn leadership skills, responsibility, self-confidence, social skills and more. The list goes on and on about the positive aspects of participating in on-campus groups.

These skills that you are learning and developing are ones that you will have for a lifetime. Beyond just adding that you have studied abroad in the United States to your CV, you'll be able to list the strong personality characteristics that were given a chance to grow and expand during your stay in the States. Ultimately, by finding an extracurricular activity that's right for you, you'll have a much more exciting experience while abroad if you allow yourself to become a part of your university scene rather than just another student walking around the campus.

With so many different organizations and groups around campus, there's so much to choose from. Perhaps you are interested in dance from the Middle East, playing paintball on the weekends, reviving the old oral tradition of storytelling, video-gaming, getting in touch with your psychic powers, memorizing Shakespeare (for fun!) or "just chilling". No matter what you most desire to do, you can always find a group that fits your most outrageous ”or quite normal ”interests!

Extracurricular Activities

• Sports teams (club and scholarship)
• Greek life (sororities and fraternities)
• Religious organizations
• Community service organizations
• Tutoring
• On-campus work
• Academic clubs
• Cultural clubs
• Language clubs
• Campus groups
• Political groups
• Student media production (campus television, newspaper, radio)
• Music programs