Coach Calling: Age-old wisdom of co-curricular, academics going hand-in-hand still stands true

These activities are an integral part of the educational journey. They play a role in the holistic development of students
Balancing time for co-curriculars | (Pic: EdexLive)
Balancing time for co-curriculars | (Pic: EdexLive)

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. But when Jack learns to balance both, he'll become a smart boy. Well, I'm sure you're all familiar with the proverb for sure, but in the next part that I've written, I refer to "play" as not just playtime but mainly co-curricular activities... as that's going to be the focus of our today's conversation.

Co-curricular activities are an integral part of every student's educational journey as they tend to play a very important and essential role in holistic development. It helps shape the personalities of students and develop a range of life skills that cannot be usually taught in the classroom. Even if it is, it still requires a strong experiential learning component which is necessary to integrate and reinforce the learning that takes place with co-curricular activities.

Co-curricular activities may be anything that is taught or learnt outside the conventional setting of a classroom. It might be sports, drama, music, gardening and even community service. These activities equip students to handle the challenges of the real world.

Importance of co-curricular activities

Personal development and sense of clarity: Co-curricular activities not only help students to develop their personalities but also provide an opportunity to explore and experiment with their interests, develop new skills and discover their passion. It also helps to gain a sense of accomplishment, that in turn, builds their confidence, self-esteem, social skills, and motivates them to explore their interests even further.

Breaking the monotonous routine: Co-curricular activities have also been linked to better academic performance as it helps students break out of the boredom and monotony of classes. These activities help them to recharge and get refreshed, allowing them to focus better on academics and recalibrate their attention span.

Skills: Co-curricular activities are a great way to build both life skills and social skills as interaction with their peers is a requisite part and this helps them to build interpersonal skills, build and develop relationships, learn to work in teams and build their emotional intelligence. It goes without saying that these skills are essential for success in both personal and professional lives.

Tips for balancing studies and co-curricular activities

Plan Ahead: Planning is the key to success in balancing studies and co-curricular activities. It is of utmost importance to make a schedule and stick to it. This schedule should be realistic and flexible, should prioritise academics first plus still allow enough flexibility to accommodate co-curricular activities.

Goal setting: Though academics should be given the first preference, it is equally essential to prioritise tasks to ensure that the most important ones are completed first so that it doesn't spill over and affect either academics or co-curricular activities. Here's where the importance of goal setting comes into play and students should set realistic, attainable and practical goals while keeping a buffer to accommodate uncertainties.

Learn to say NO: This is one skill that I always stress upon and having made this same mistake in my life, I know how badly it affects us. Learn to say NO to anything that you feel is going to interfere with your plan. Be it academics or co-curricular activities, ensure that your priorities are met first. It takes a lot of planning and you cannot let some unplanned task muddle the whole thing.

As I conclude this week's conversation, I have one pro tip to share. Yes, academics takes precedence and I've spoken about it enough, but always remember to plan in such a way that you can equally focus on your other activities too, as you never know what might turn your life around. In many cases, these co-curricular activities have become the mainstream profession many succeed in.

With Regards,
Adarsh Benakappa Basavaraj
Your Coach

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