Freshmen who have been continuing their university life online due to Corona 19 have probably been confused and facing some difficulties. The only way to get advice was to write posts on the school community, such as how to register for classes, how to join clubs, how to submit assignments, and how to participate in extracurricular activities. Though they could get a variety of information this way, when you look around the community, most people continue to ask questions because the answers are not well understood. Some of the questions that get posted do not even receive any answers. In this respect it is never an easy thing for freshmen to only gather information through the school community. Getting good credit during your university life is of course important, but doing extracurricular activities which are related to your major is also necessary for a better future. However most freshmen do not know what extracurricular activities are and where they can get information about them.

First, let’s talk about what extracurricular activities are and why we should participate. The term “extracurricular activities” means activities such as supporters, contests, internships, etc. These are activities that are conducted outside of school. Some students think they just need to get good grades in university. Of course, credits are an important part of getting a good job in the future. But the more momentous thing is extracurricular activities. From the perspective of employers, a person who is not only good at studying but also has lots of experience will be more attractive compared to those applicants who only got excellent grades. In addition, people who participate will be able to develop more talent by experiencing various human relationships through extracurricular activities and solving conflicts that arise in the process. Therefore these are necessary in your university life and will be a good foundation for the future. Pharos would like to say it will remain in your own life as valuable experience.

As I have mentioned, doing extracurricular activities may help you in a lot of ways. However if you choose the activities before you choose the direction of your career, they will not be as relevant to your career and future. Students should have some kind of idea of what career path they would like to follow by their second year of university. For example if you want to be a hotelier, preferentially you have to participate in extracurricular activities or contests relevant to languages and service and try to acquire certificates in these areas. It’s true that you can accumulate various experiences even if you start such activities without any direction of your career, but it is not possible to have deep experience and knowledge in one area and you will have a more difficult time when you determine your career. Finally you should have enough time to think about your future when you are in your first few years at school. After that you had better do some activities related to the goal that you set. Pharos is convinced that you will face a much better future if you proceed in this way.

In order to hear realistic advice and stories about this, Pharos interviewed a senior majoring in Economics who actually has experience with various extracurricular activities.

Q1. Please introduce yourself.

Hello. I’m Kim Eun-Su, majoring in Economics.

Q2. What type of extracurricular activities did you participate in?

As Uniblu 8th college student ambassador for SH Suhyup Bank, which is an extracurricular activity in the suburbs, I communicated with my team members and promoted Suhyup Bank’s financial products.

Q3. What is the most important part of choosing an extracurricular activity?

The most important part was whether it could help me prepare for employment. I want to be a banker, so I chose to be a public relations ambassador for a bank where I could solve and understand questions for college students.

Q4. Where do you usually get information about extracurricular activities?

Information about extracurricular activities is mainly used for contests and internships, and I got to know it through the recommendations of my seniors around me. Also, I could get a lot of information from the Naver cafe ‘Dokcheosa’ and many other Internet sites such as WeBIT and Link Career.

Q5. Please tell me about the good things and disappointing things of doing extracurricular activities.

The good thing is that I can create an experience where I can interact with a variety of people and learn about real relationships. It is very difficult to team up with others to do something in a strange and new environment. However, I think it was a very proud time to see myself developing and moving through these processes. My regret is that not only other team members but also all of the people involved were preparing for employment, so they passively conducted extracurricular activities. If you worked with a relaxed mind, you will be able to get more opportunities.

Q6. Finally, please say a word to your classmates preparing for extracurricular activities.

There are many students who think that extracurricular activities are big and difficult. I hope you do not think it is difficult and prepare confidently based on your talents and abilities. It will definitely help you prepare for future employment while preparing for a self-introduction or interview. Also, you can accumulate knowledge in your field of interest. Therefore, if we constantly support and prepare for extracurricular activities, we think that we will be able to do meaningful work.

Extracurricular activities will not only provide a different experience that students have not experienced in school, but also provide an opportunity to grow and demonstrate their capabilities. In the process, there are many trials and errors and hard times, but in the future it will help make you a person with high potential. We hope that many freshmen and college students preparing for employment will recognize the importance and benefits of external activities and that these will help them find employment. Pharos hopes that your goal will be more easily achieved based on experiences with extracurricular activities.

75th Cub Reporter HAN SONG HEE shhan0509@hanmail.net

75th Cub Reporter KANG ROK KI krk1754@naver.com