My favourite thing about high school was having so many extra-curricular activities in one place.
I didn’t sign up because it would look good on a university application, I wasn’t thinking that far ahead. I signed up because I enjoyed it all. If there was a single day in my week where I had to come home straight away and I didn’t have some sort of activity, the day felt flat.
I played rugby, football, hockey, touch rugby, dragon boating, volleyball, did theatre, improv comedy, played in bands, and participated in debating. And all of it for a very modest cost because the school was publicly funded. I’m convinced that it built within me a habit of play—that working hard at something, learning new skills, and facing challenges, are all fun.
I’m so grateful for having all of those experiences in one place, and what those experiences enabled me to learn.