In a recent article for Times Higher Education, Dr Robert Phillips (University of Manchester) underlines the importance of extracurricular activities to postsecondary student life and to universities. Phillips discusses how extracurricular activities–from debate clubs to living labs–help students nurture their interpersonal skills, apply knowledge outside of the classroom, boost their sense of belonging within the postsecondary community, and combat feelings of loneliness. The author adds that recent studies have also shown that students who were involved in extracurricular activities were more likely to donate to the universities after they had graduated. “In short,” Phillips concludes, “any investment in extracurricular activities by universities is likely to be repaid many times over.”
