It is very important to participate in extra-curricular activities in college. I would say one of the best decisions I took to date was to bunk a lab and attend an MUN training sessions. These sessions have helped me learn many news skills, particularly communication skills, group interaction, presentation and participating in events.
I’m Satwik, and I am a 4th year student, pursuing Computer Science and Engineering at CBIT, Hyderabad. I’m almost done with regular college, now that the more serious issues of placements, projects etc. have come up, and I must say, I already miss those days, despite having close to a year left here.
I come from a well to do family, with excellent grades up until my 12th, but as luck would have it, I ended up far away from the IITs and the NITs, in a remote location in Hyderabad known as Gandipet. It was definitely not the best college I could’ve been to, but I wasn’t really bitter. I decided I would pounce on every opportunity I got at college, make the most of it, and take away whatever I could.
“I would say one of the best decisions I took to date was to bunk a lab and attend an MUN training sessions. Not only did they build my confidence in my abilities gradually, they made me more outgoing, more aware of what generally was happening in the world, and most importantly, gave me the opportunity to lead CBIT MUN, one of Hyderabad’s biggest student run conference.”
Now to anybody pursuing Engineering, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend MUNs as a perfect extracurricular activity supplementing academics. However, since there really is no one size fits all policy with respect to extracurricular, I believe every student must look to find their niche and excel in any such activity. Not only do these help polish soft skills, they also look good on your resume, and help secure a good impression, be it with interviewers, or with colleges that you’re applying to if you wish to pursue higher studies. Sometimes, you meet people who think on the same lines that you do, and the friendships you make are everlasting.
Every student must, at some point or the other, be associated with a club or an organization in college, for it helps develop a skill set that puts you apart from those burning the midnight oil trying to secure top marks. I am not the best student in my class, and I personally know quite a few people with better extracurricular profiles than mine. However, I’m glad that I learnt whatever I could by balancing both priorities, and to be honest, I’ve never felt more ready to take on what’s in store for me. I’ve made the most I can of my Engineering life, and I hope you do too.
