According to a presentation given at the College of New Jersey by Alana Filosa, involvement in extracurricular activities raises student's self-esteem. This outcome is produced because students obtain an enhanced sense of worth and responsibility through their participation in activities outside of school. Filosa points out that this increase in self-esteem could lead to more confidence and participation in the classroom and thus increased academic success.
A student who is involved with activities outside of school improves their time management, organizational and problem-solving skills because they must learn to balance their schoolwork with their extracurricular commitments. These abilities all translate into improved academic performance. According to Iowa State University, high school students who are involved in extracurricular activities have higher grades than students who are not due to their increased social and intellectual development.
According to Iowa State University, extracurricular activities may help motivate high-risk students to work harder in class in order to remain in school and be able to participate in sports, fine arts or other programs and thus be the factors that prevent these students from failing or dropping out of school. Parents can mimic this motivation by telling young children that they must keep their grades above a certain level if they want to continue being involved in their extracurricular activities.
According to a study published in the Journal of American College Health, fatigue is one side effect of extracurricular activities that could negatively affect a student's academic performance. A student could become mentally and physically exhausted if she spends long hours on both her schoolwork and her extracurricular programs. Parents and students need to work together to achieve a sense of balance, which includes proper nutrition and rest. If necessary, a student may need to reduce her out-of-school commitments to ensure she remains healthy and avoids exhausting herself.