Summer plans changed/cancelled? Extracurricular plan B?

Hello, this is Shellee Howard of College Ready, and I'm excited to speak with you today about extracurriculars. You may be wondering, how in the world is this even possible? How are we supposed to do extracurriculars while being social distanced? Well, I am going to give you some great ideas, but before I do, I want to talk a little bit about extracurricular. I know there are some people that are disappointed about some of the camps that they were going to attend this year, or some clubs, organizations. I mean, even ASB camp has been postponed or put online. So we have two choices. You can either get frustrated or you can decide, what can I do with the things that are important to me? So today I wanted to give you some examples of what that might look at— look like, because Truly, it's nothing like you've probably ever done before. Now, if you think about extracurricular, right, there are the athletics, there is music, there's arts, the creatives, there's robotics. Extracurricular can mean very different things to different people. And so as you look at what is important to you and what do you want colleges to know, I want you to think about something different. So if you are in athletics and you had plans to do a combine, or you were going to, uh, plan on doing your reel, um, do not lose sight of getting creative when you go to put that together. It just means you may have to do batting practice. It may mean that you have to do something a little bit more unique Don't give up. Don't just get frustrated and throw up your hands. Now's the time to really step into it and show colleges what you're made for. So then you think about, okay, band. Marching band is a huge commitment over the summer, and if your school is not coming together to do marching band, what is that going to look like? Again, getting creative. You may have to do it via Zoom. You may have to practice your instrument over the internet. And I know even cheerleaders are doing cheerleading tryouts where they videotape themselves and they're doing tryouts that way. The main thing I want you to realize is colleges know. They know exactly what you're going through and you're not alone. But be mindful, don't just stop there. So if you do play a sport, think about how might I coach the sport? What kind of activity can I do while social distancing? If your extracurricular is teaching, how might you teach? Well, you could teach online or you could teach 6 feet apart. You can teach things in a very safe way. The most important thing is don't give up. Fight through it. I know you can do it. So there's just some examples of How will colleges think about this? Well, I mean, if you've been doing the same activity for years upon years, they're going to realize your commitment. Now, if you're just doing an extracurricular activity because you think colleges are going to like it, you might be careful in what you choose. Remember, colleges want to see students who are active. They want to see students who are passionate. They want to see students who are making a difference in their community. So when you think about extracurriculars, think outside the box. Think about what can I be doing right now? I have a list of 100 extracurricular activities that you can do while social distancing. And if you would like a copy, feel free to either message me or text me or call me, um, whichever way you want to reach me, and I'm happy to give you the list. I work with our students individually to help them strategize, to help them figure out what is it that I want colleges to know, what's important to me, what am I passionate about. Remember, to be part of an extracurricular, it could be the National Honor Society, it could be an academic extracurricular,. It doesn't have to be just the traditionals. So, when I talk about the traditionals, I mean, you know, the sports and the band and, you know, the drama, the things that have been extracurriculars forever. But now, I mean, I have a student doing fencing and karate black belt and, you know, robotics club and peer court. Like, there's so many cool activities that you could be doing and you just have to be a little bit more mindful of what can I do now. I know a lot of students are doing online classes. A lot of students are doing things like CPR certification or speed reading. Extracurricular activities can mean so many different things. So we have an application activities tracker, and what we do is we have students put in everything that they've done and then assess what is missing. So I'm sure you're aware, but leadership is critical. They— colleges being they— want leaders. So if you think about how do I get leadership, well, if you're in 8th grade and you're going into high school, you're thinking, oh my gosh, there's no way I'm going to lead this. But be mindful, okay, maybe not your freshman year, but maybe your junior year, senior year, or National Honor Society. Colleges want to see that you're passionate about doing something, that you've been doing it for several years. They don't wanna see try this, drop that, try this, drop that, try this, drop that, because it just seems very immature. And now I know that younger students are going to explore and try new activities, and that's fine, but by the time you're a junior or a senior, They want to see stability. They want to see that you know what it is that you're passionate about. So think about it. Ask yourself these questions. When your student is not in school, either online or physical, what are they doing with their time, right? Because on the college application, guess what? It's going to ask them, what's the activity, how many hours a week, and how many weeks per year? Okay, they want to know, is this something fly-by-night? Is this something that you truly are passionate about? They want to know, are you dedicated? Are you going to come to their school and leave? No, you want to show them that you're committed. And the more passionate you're about that activity, the better off you will be. So think, ask yourself those questions. If you have some Students who spend way too much time on their phone or way too much time behind the computer or the TV, I can help you help them to get off of the technology and get into what colleges are looking for. Does your student participate in a club or activity? Oh my gosh. So think about it this way. They join all of these clubs, right? When they were in session, school was in session, go, go, go, go, go, do, do, do, and they really didn't get that involved because they were just busy doing a lot of stuff. So it's actually better to have an extracurricular that you're fully committed to, that you can lead at some point, that you're passionate about. And when colleges ask you either in an essay or an interview, why did you choose to play or to do, and you have a wonderful response, You know, I've been ice skating since I was 3 years old is a lot more impressive than I just haven't found my thing and I didn't know what else to do. So think about those. How much time are you doing it? I know my students who are doing crew— wow, right? Hockey— unbelievable. Gymnastics— there are students who seriously live doing their extracurricular activity. I even have students who go to a private school, so they— and it's half online, so they can do their activity. So extracurriculars are important. Now, if you want to do your extracurricular after high school, you absolutely have to give it everything. If you're doing it just to balance life and having some fun and being involved, then make sure you're balancing that out so your academics do not suffer. Do you want to play your sport in college? Okay, let's talk coronavirus now. This is where it gets really interesting. Several colleges have dropped certain non-revenue-generating— trying to put it nicely— have dropped these athletics. I mean, track and field was dropped. At several universities. So if you are planning on your activity to get you into college, start to look. Is that even possible? If you're a junior or senior right now, you have got to be in the know. You need to be in the know what colleges are doing. Are they going back this fall? If not, what does that look like? If we have to stay inside, how do I do my extracurricular? I was with a student who was working on their tumbling and acrobatics, doing handstands, doing, you know, tumbling, all of these things to keep their self fit. I have musicians who are absolutely training their ability to participate when life gets back to normal. If you're an athlete, if you're like, what do I do now? I have a student who's just so bummed they missed their spring baseball season. I suggested go out there on a tee and learn how to switch hit. Don't let people tell you you can't do anything right now when really there's plenty you can do. If you're a soccer player, go out and juggle. See how many you can come up with. If you are in drama, think about how you can work on your appearance, how you can transform yourself from one character to the next. There's so many things you could be doing right now. Please do it. This summer is such a great time to get involved. If you're an artist, absolutely compete in art. There are so many opportunities. I just saw one come over the internet right before I got on through the high schools, and all you have to do is sign up. And you'll get an award. If you are a writer or if you are a drawer, what about getting a book published this summer that would show your true passion for writing or for drawing, whatever that may be? What if you're into video? Say you want to be a movie producer. Why not do a documentary of what is going on in this world? Pulling it all together, getting people to invest in you. You're not alone. I know it feels alone, and I know it can be so frustrating, but know that there are a lot of students doing a lot of great things. I know our COVID team of students, they are doing amazing things. So they took their, their passion to serve their community, and they've gone out in many ways. They're even doing online babysitting. Extracurricular can be what you want it to be. Please remember, colleges understand, but they also want to know how did you feel, what did you experience. Should you put that on a college essay? How many essays would you want to read about COVID and what happened? Give them something unique. Give them something to really get a good feel for who you are and what you want. And when it comes down to it, Do something you're passionate about. If that's a sport, great! Go out and do your sport. Teach it to little kids. If you are a musician, do you know music heals the heart? Play, record, and give. All of these things are your extracurriculars. They may not look like they did last year, but there's a ton of opportunity. I also have a gift for you. I wrote this book, bestseller, and it's How to Send Your Student to College Without Losing Your Mind or Your Money. If you message me, I will send it to you. There's a whole section on extracurricular activities. There is no time like the present. I spoke to 3 of my students today, super excited. School's out. It's now time to get back to what do we do now. How are we going to make this summer meaningful, exciting, important? What can you do to make a difference? Those are all things that I'm truly passionate about, and I would love to share that with you. Feel free to call me at 949-235-7350 and let me help you. Let me help you brainstorm. Do you know what your passion is? Ask yourself this question: if I gave you a million dollars cash and you had to spend it in one day, or else you had to give it all back, what would you spend it on? That may lead you to a passion or an extracurricular. We're not about just giving out a bunch of random personality tests. We're about helping students find what are they passionate about, What would they like to see changed in the world? How to be that change in the world? What matters to them most? When we do a passion project, it's all about figuring, do I like to lead or follow? Do I want to be at a desk all day? Do I want to be with people? There's so many things students can be doing right now. So please help them get excited and support them. And we are here to support you every step of the way. Thank you so much and have a wonderful day.