Why finding the J.O.Y. in your activities can be the key to success

The new year presents a fresh opportunity for students to look at the semester and summer ahead and take stock of their activities and involvements. While it’s easy to get caught up in what will ‘look good’ on a college application, we find the most successful (and happiest!) applicants chase J.O.Y. instead. Truly.

Read on for how we use these three letters to set a successful, and yes, enjoyable plan for a student’s involvements –

To shape a plan for out of school time hours, think about how you spend your time in these three categories:

Something that brings you Joy–

Every student should have a chance to do something in their week, month, and year purely for the joy it brings them. This is the kind of activity you do to unwind, and has no requirement for getting better, building skills, or showing achievements. Whether that’s playing pickup basketball, trying out improv, tinkering with a guitar, hanging out with the anime club or taking a hike, making time for a pastime that brings you joy is crucial to recharging and preventing burn out.

Something Outward facing–

A student with a well balanced life, and a strong application, is engaged in some kind of activity that gets them out of themselves, out of the routine of their regular friend or peer group, and forges connections in a different or broader community. The category of ‘volunteering’ is a part of this, but what’s most important is that a student is involved in something that enables them to share their skills or effort with others, in the form of service or work. For some this looks like that traditional volunteer role at a community organization, food pantry, or outreach program. For others, it looks like having a job scooping ice cream, lifeguarding, babysitting or doing yard work in your neighborhood. Students can also get creative with this by taking initiative to seek out the intersection of their skills and passions with needs in their community. This could be starting up a coding class for elementary schoolers at the library, teaching piano lessons, or giving time to help with tech issues on cell phones and tablets at a senior center. These kinds of involvements not only show an admissions reader a student’s character, contribution and initiative, but very importantly create real and meaningful opportunities for students to be recognized for their strengths and efforts by others in their broader community. The students who feel most positively about their lives and most motivated for their future always have these kinds of experiences, no matter what their transcript or test scores look like.

Something for Your growth

More than ever, admissions readers are seeking evidence that a student has engaged their curiosity, passion or areas of interest outside of the curriculum at school. We encourage every student to seek out an involvement that engages their interests in the world beyond their high school classes. This could look like volunteering, shadowing or interning at a local business or community organization that relates to your areas of interest. It might mean working on developing a new skill like studying an additional language or taking music lessons. Or, it may take the form of seeking an opportunity to do research with a professor locally or virtually, starting a self-directed project, or taking a free online course in an area you are curious about through Coursera or EdEx.

Find the J.O.Y.

With these three components – something that brings you joy, something outward facing, and something that supports your growth – a student will have a great recipe for building an activities list that supports their application, and more importantly, helps them shape a balanced path that brings them meaning in high school. Admissions readers are pretty savvy about identifying activities lists that ring hollow with a laundry list of commitments and clubs that are there only for the sake of appearances. Avoid that trap, and invest your time in meaningful involvements instead. And, find some joy along the way.

TBU Advisors are experienced in supporting students to navigate their college choices and personal best fit, and TBU Essay & Application specialists are experts at supporting students to craft their most compelling, authentic work. If you’d like to explore working with a TBU Advisor, now is the time. Get in touch here and we will look forward to connecting with you.

Looking for more insights like these? Join us on our Membership Platform for exclusive content, live webinars, and the resources and tools to unstick your college process. Not yet a member? Use code TBUWELCOME at checkout to receive your first month of TBU Membership free. Click here to join us

 

Location: Denver, CO, USA

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