Dear St. Pete High:

   I know that one of the big worries that starts when we get into high school is college. This isn’t necessarily the case for all of us because some people know exactly what they want to do after high school, or just aren’t bothered enough to be worried about it at all. However, for those of us that do worry about what life is going to look like after graduation—if we will get into a college of choice, what to study, expenses, and things like that—even the idea of college is a huge stressor and can set people off. This brings us to one of the ways students cope and try to guarantee their chance of getting into a good college they like. This factor is school clubs.

   The idea is that if you really, really like literature and want to study something related to that in college, then you can join the English Honor Society. Well, some people don’t know what they want to study quite yet. Or they don’t actually care about studying something they find interesting but just want their transcript to look impressive for colleges. So these people might join school clubs that are about topics held in very high esteem by colleges, such as anything medical or an honor society. But if you don’t genuinely want to be a part of that, you don’t enjoy it, then it can cause even more stress than school generally does. It is not a good path to go down even in the short term. All you will be doing is causing problems for yourself, all on your own.

   So, when choosing which clubs to join, it is important to consider a limited amount. Joining too many could make for a conflicting schedule, such as two clubs meeting on the same days or having similar deadlines. To avoid this stressful schedule, make sure you will be able to participate fully in each new club you join. If you won’t be able to do that, don’t add any new ones to your repertoire. They should also all be clubs where you are doing things that you enjoy. Don’t participate in, say, a book club if you don’t actually want to read that much, or just because your friends are a part of it.

   Now, if one of the clubs you are interested in is a service club, there lies the topic of volunteer options. It is part of the commitment of the club. When looking to volunteer, keep in mind, there are plenty of opportunities to do that are already in our school, such as discovery nights or helping out your teachers. As for volunteering outside of school, you should choose a place you would enjoy working with. If you are fond of animals, then shelters are a great place to start. In certain cases, your choice should correspond with the club you are in. For an art club, you can volunteer at the many art galleries there are in this city.

   At the end of the day, there really is no benefit to joining clubs that will only make you unhappy. Keeping yourself as stress-free as possible should be the goal. A good indicator for checking if you are in over your head is to see if you think of your club time as free time that you are using for your hobbies or passions. That is always a good place to start in choosing your club!

                           Sincerely,

                                     Your Advice Columnist