Extra Curricular Activities and Career Success Introductory Paragraph - Thesis

How important is it to become involved in extracurricular activities while in college? Some students who do the research about how education impacts their lives and maybe helps their careers know that just attending classes and getting grades may not be good enough. To have a full life and have a job that is a good one, a graduate looking for a job should have good communication and interpersonal skills, in addition to good grades and a smart outlook on life (Chia, 2004). The author Chia makes a point that is very important: having a good job interview means showing the company you apply to that you have what is called emotional intelligence (how to control your emotions and use them wisely), that your grades are good, and that you were involved in extracurricular activities in college. Thesis: Students taking advantage of extracurricular activities have a better chance to get a good job.

Synthesis

The head of any company's human resource (HR) department usually interviews applicants, and according to Chia's peer-reviewed article in the Accounting Education article, because there are very high rates of unemployment, those looking for jobs must make a very good impression on the person doing the interview. Of course the HR person looks at grades, but that person also looks at an applicants' involvement in extracurricular activities" because...

It is even better if a person while in college shows leadership in social activities. Let's say, a person was involved in an environmental club on campus, if the person was a leader, a president or vice president or maybe treasurer of that environmental group, the HR interview person is going to like knowing that, Chia's article explains. Also in the article the author writes about the stress that a job applicant goes through. Because the person wanting the job will probably experience stress, that also means there may be uncertainty and a feeling of a loss of control (Chia, 79). This stress can be so bad that the person wanting the job may experiences a poor performance, which means, he or she won't do very well.
In the Studies in Higher Education article the authors mention three components needed for the knowledge and skills a student must have to succeed in college. One is having good personal interaction with instructors that are supportive and responsive to students. The second is getting involved in subjects that have substantial and intellectual for interaction with peers and faculty. The third is having a curriculum that has very interesting and coherent topics that motivate students (Vermeulen, et al., 2008). But after those three, the authors also say motivation and extracurricular activities outside of class are important. In…