Advice for Extracurricular(ish)Answered
I am a Freshman and am currently stuck between whether or not to take "orchestra" as a course for next year; this course also comes with an afterschool club which requires being in the course to attend. I like playing violin but the course was a constant stressor throughout the year. The dilemma lies in, I want to show my interest in an instrument and this is the only way I know of but as I said above it was a constant stressor for me.
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3 answers
Hi!! I totally understand as I had to make a similar choice with choir last year. The biggest thing is enjoying what you do and looking at what you want to do in the future. I chose to drop choir to take an extra science class, but i have lots of sports. Perhaps maybe look into after school lessons if you want to set your schedule with your instrument, but if you really love it and are passionate stick with it!!! You only get one high school experience.
hey! I'm a senior this year but I had the same dilemma last year deciding whether or not I should stay in orchestra because it was so stressful and time-consuming. ultimately I chose not to stay for this year because I already had 3 years of orchestra prior to that.
in your case, you've only had one year in orchestra but if it's so stressful, I would advise you to find some other extracurricular that you enjoy/doesn't stress you out and can also show colleges that you have a well-rounded HS experience.
do you take private violin lessons? if so, that would count as an extracurricular that shows your interest in violin. if not, maybe you could start a small chamber music ensemble with friends that play musical instruments just for fun - that would show initiative on your part to really be involved in music, but maybe not stress you out as much as orchestra did.
I hope this helps, and good luck!
Hey there! If the course is causing you stress, please don't put yourself through it just to impress colleges! Your mental health is much more important :) there are definitely other ways to express interest in violin! Maybe check in your local area to see if there are any orchestra programs that are not connected to your school/the class that's stressing you out. If not, even just teaching yourself violin can be impressive on its own! You could start an Instagram or TikTok page showing off your skills, and if it gets popular colleges will think that's very impressive! Don't let wanting to get into a certain college force you to sacrifice your mental health/happiness <3
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Thank you! I don't take private violin lessons, I taught myself violin for the most part. Starting a small chamber music ensemble would be hard since my school also has that. I appreciate your answer a lot!