School in your spare time
Thursday 12 January 2006
If you want to do more with your spare time, and don't have enough cash to fill your time with fun activities, one way of getting up to more in an evening is to stay behind at school. Yes, really!
If you thought staying on after school hours was just for people who got detention, think again: more schools are realising that students need stuff to do after hours, too, and are stepping up their after-school activities.
We asked five n2k readers to tell us what they get up to.
Making music
Even if you don't have a musical instrument, you still might be able to make music. James, 16, tells us more: "My school has its own instruments that you can borrow under supervision from a teacher or helper.
I'm teaching myself guitar and every now and again I have a proper lesson with a special teacher, which doesn't cost very much."
Drama king or queen
If you have a theatrical side, most schools have a drama department. Your school may even put on its own productions, and you don't always have to study drama to be involved.
"I love acting and think it's definitely the career I want to do," says 15-year-old Mel. "My school puts on a play or musical every term and I get involved as much as I can.
Some of my friends also do the behind-the-scenes stuff like lighting or scenery, and it's a great way of seeing what the theatre world is really like."
Sporting chance
If you love the great outdoors, no matter what, maybe your school's sport team would be all the better for having you?
Christie, 16, explains: "I'm a member of the hockey team and it's not just about staying after school to practice. We get to travel all over the country to take part in competitions. I was worried at first that I wouldn't be able to play because I couldn't afford the equipment, but I can just use the school's stuff for free."
Robbie, 15, reckons that being in a school's sport team isn't for the light-hearted: "You've got to be committed because it can take up a lot of your time; sometimes we play football at the weekends as well as after school."
Community care
If you want to spend your time helping others, some schools have a programme where students can go out into their local community and lend a hand.
Marc, 16, helps out in a soup kitchen for the homeless sometimes. "My school has being helping out in this project for years, and I've just started here in the run up to Christmas.
You get to meet loads of different people and you feel like you're really helping someone out who really needs it."
