Living In USA

American children are among the most scheduled in the world. In addition to their academic work, children in the United States are offered a wide range of activities sponsored by the school during after-school hours. These activities, usually called extracurricular activities, are designed to help broaden children's skills and abilities and to give them a chance to practice leadership and assume responsibility, to supplement school courses, and to provide additional stimuli. These activities are another way for you to remain involved in your child's school experiences — adult volunteers are usually in short supply.

There is often a range of activities from which to choose, particularly at the junior high and high school levels. Nature clubs, musical organizations, science clubs, art and drama groups, or language clubs are common, as is a wide selection of sports activities. Virtually every high school has a student-run newspaper, often with a photographic darkroom. Some extracurricular activities take place during the school day, but many are held after classes are over. Even though they are optional, they are considered a part of the American educational experience. Parents encourage their children to participate in those programs that best suit their own special talents and interests. Students learn a great deal during these activities, especially in terms of relationships, social and intellectual skills, and a welltrained body.

Both employers and college admissions officers in the United States carefully consider the extracurricular activities in which students have participated, both during their free time after school and also during the long holidays. These are indicators of a young person's leadership potential, enthusiasm, creativity, breadth of interest, vitality, and personality. These qualities are weighed, together with the student's or candidate's academic record, to assess intelligence, perseverance, and ability to use what he or she has learned.