Synonyms for extracurricular activity
- after-school activity.
- extraclassroom activity.
- noncollegiate activity.
- nonscholastic activity.
Extracurricular is a combination of the Latin prefix extra- meaning "on the outside" and the word curriculum, meaning "a running, course, career." Something that is extracurricular is on the outside of your course or career. When you get involved in an extracurricular activity, you are going outside of what's expected.
An extracurricular activity (ECA) or extra academic activity (EAA) is an activity, performed by students, that falls outside the realm of the normal curriculum of school, college or university education.
Generally speaking, co-curricular activities are an extension of the formal learning experiences in a course or academic program, while extracurricular activities may be offered or coordinated by a school, but may not be explicitly connected to academic learning.
A job definitely counts as an extracurricular activity since the term generally refers to any activities outside of the classroom or course of study.
Correct spelling for the English word "extracurricular" is [ˌ?kst??k??ˈ?kj?l?], [ˌ?kst??k??ˈ?kj?l?], [ˌ?_k_s_t_?_?_k_?_?_ˈ?_k_j_?_l_?]] (IPA phonetic alphabet).
In general, as asked, reading is considered a Hobby, and every person should have a hobby. And merely studying to take a Math test (from your comments) is a hobby or more truly associated with the Mathematics Curriculum and therefore not Extracurricular.
Co-curricular refers to activities, programs, and learning experiences that complement, in some way, what students are learning in school—i.e., experiences that are connected to or mirror the academic curriculum. Co-curricular activities are typically, but not always, defined by their separation from academic courses.
A compound word (two or more words that gang up to describe a noun) is hyphenated based on popular usage over time. Most words formed with a prefix (e.g., co, anti, extra, micro, over, pre, sub, post) are not hyphenated (e.g., subdivision, extracurricular, postgraduate).
Yes, tutoring for volunteering counts as an extracurricular. Any service for which you are paid is a job, not extracurricular. You may want to phrase what you do as a volunteer activity or pro-bono tutoring as opposed to tutoring for free.
Impressive Extracurricular Activities:
- Student Government. Colleges are impressed by students with leadership skills.
- Academic Teams and Clubs.
- The Debate Team.
- The Arts.
- Internships.
- Culture Clubs.
- Volunteer Work and Community Service.
- The Student Newspaper.
Surprisingly, you only really need one extracurricular activity, even for a competitive school like Harvard. However, if that's all you're going to have, it had better be one very impressive activity that shows your growth, leadership, and impact.
Common activities include student government, honor societies, service clubs, arts organizations (band, choral, theater), academic (forensics, debate, academic competition), and literary publications (newspaper, yearbook, literary magazine). Most schools will have a variety of clubs.
Examples
- Playing sports in an organized competitive association.
- Doing sports for fun (football, hockey, soccer, long-distance running, badminton).
- Participating in outdoor activities (rock climbing, downhill skiing, kayaking), informal practices (volleyball, basketball) and physical fitness training (aerobics, step, swimming).
How to Write Descriptions for Your Activities List
- Use action words.
- Quantify.
- Use common acronyms and abbreviations.
- Omit “a” and “the”
- Use punctuation creatively.
Considering the US national average GPA is a 3.0, a 1.0 is far below average. Generally, a 1.0 is considered a dismal GPA. Raising a 1.0 GPA to an acceptable number is extremely difficult, but possible with diligence and determination.
At most high schools, this means that the highest GPA you can get is a 5.0. A 4.5 GPA indicates that you're in very good shape for college. You're most likely in high level classes earning As and high Bs. You can apply to colleges and have a good shot at getting admitted.
Whatever your motivation, even though colleges want to see dedication over time—meaning the earlier you get involved with extracurricular activities, the better—it is generally okay to join a club during your junior or senior year of high school.
If you're a sophomore or junior, you have time not just to craft and cultivate what you already know, do, and love, but also to take on new activities. Volunteer or work at a camp or nursing home this summer. Babysit. Learn how to code.
Originally Answered: How in the world do college admission counselors verify the extracurricular activities that a student puts down on his or her application? Lesser colleges don't have the time or inclination to even look at your extracurriculars; if you can pay and have acceptable grades and scores, you're in.
Playing varsity sports in high school can definitely benefit your college application. Playing a sport shows that you're competitive and hard working. But if you're not being recruited, playing sports will not give you an advantage over your peers.
Extracurriculars are NOT important at most colleges. Most colleges don't even ask. But then again most colleges can't afford the luxury of being selective. In the top schools however, EVERY reasonable candidate has excellent grades and test scores.
Most who lie on college applications may get away with it. If it's a little exaggeration, it may never be found out. If you're about to lie on your college application, don't. It's not worth it.
