Mind Over Monsoons: How To Be Productive When It's Raining

Some people walk in the rain, others just get wet

-Roger Miller

Its that time of the year again when the sunlight has been tuned down to a minimum and the sky is overcast with clouds, rain, thunder, and lightning. Every time you look out of your window it gets harder to tell what time of the day it is and you can't help but feel sleepy, lazy and oh, did I mention hungry? It doesn't help that it is almost holiday season so you are stuck at home, with nothing to do, or at least that's what you think. 

As the rains have started in many parts of South India and will now be moving up north, I thought this was the best time to write a blog post on Mind Over Monsoons. I had been feeling gloomy and unproductive in this weather but I find myself having a lot of free time and I am here to tell you how to be productive when it's raining outside. Your ultimate guide to monsoon productivity is here, so make yourself a cup of hot tea or coffee and settle down, take notes and spend the rest of your summer and monsoon break at maximum productivity level!

Top Ten Ways To

Planning You Way To Monsoon Productivity 

      1. Organize/Plan/ Make a To-do list
This is a no-brainer and applicable for all year round productivity but the reason why this is the number one point in my guide is that during the holidays we feel entitled to 'do nothing'. I myself have been guilty of this several times. Even if you do not have a day to day list of items that you want to do at least have a general idea of the goals you want to complete in this one or one and half month break. This will help you stay on track and god, oh god, the satisfaction of ticking that thing off after you have finished it is something your inner nerd will thank you for later.

      2. Get Creative
Okay, so you can't go outdoors, big deal. There are hundreds of interesting things to do from the comfort of your home. 

• Have you always been wanting to decorate your room, put up photos or fairy lights? You can do that now!
• Paint pictures or glass painting on old used bottles
• Make that scrapbook which you have eyeing on Pinterest.
• Start a photo journal
• Play some music, write blog posts, make your website, make YouTube videos!!!

    3. Hello, Endorphins!
It's raining outside and it's not drizzling. No. It's pouring sideways and the roads are jammed and you cant make it to your gym. You can't go out jogging in the park. So what do you do? Watch F.R.I.E.N.D.S on repeat? Yes, you could do that. But you could do that while exercising from the comfort of your own home!

• Try yoga at home. You can find many YouTube videos and follow along.
• Do a quick skipping session with your simple jump rope
• Put on loud music and dance like no one's watching
• Pilates! Just you, your body weight and a yoga mat. 
• Clean your house. It's going to help you stretch and get in a good work out.

     4. Online Courses.

School or college is closed but you can still learn a lot through online courses and this can be in any field of your interest. Websites like Coursera and Udemy offer many online certificate courses for you to choose from and it will not only give you a new skill but also add to your resume.

    5. Online Internships

I am not asking you to fly across the country here. From the comfort of your home, apply for Work From Home internships and do freelance work for companies. If you start looking you will be surprised at how many companies need an intern to help them out. Internshala and Twenty19 can help you there. 

     6. Cooking experiments

All those dishes you said you would cook but never did because you did not have 'enough time' well guess what, now you are free and I am hungry. So cook some delicious food because we tend to get more hungry in this weather. Bake some delicious food too and don't forget to take photos and tag #TimeTravellinShutterbug on Instagram if you want them to be featured on my account.

Photo credit ITC Hotels

   7. Pamper Yourself With At Home Spa Day

You finally have some time for yourself so while you watch that movie for the 15th time, you can simultaneously pamper your skin and hair. Please remember that all the rain and dirt in the monsoon is going to leave your feet dirty and they will need some extra care.

• Scrub your face, arms and legs do de tan with some potato, tomato or even homemade besan and channa flour scrub.
• Put on some hair oil after a good hair and head massage or put on a hair mask
• Put on a face pack/ Multani mitti/ yoghurt-honey-turmeric etc
• Clean your nails and give yourself a mini meni-pedi, soak your limbs in some hot water with salts
• Take a long hot shower, shampoo, and condition
• Moisturize and finish off with fresh nail paint

Viola, you are a whole new person!

Photo from Google Images

   8. Indoor games

Be it board games or other small in-door games, the time to play them is now when it is raining. Try monopoly, snake and ladders, housie, card games, hide and seek, dumb charades etc. Growing up, I used to have my neighbor girls and friends over all the time during holidays and we would play these all day long. It's time to bring back some of that childhood memories to our grown up-adult self- summer/monsoon breaks.

   9. Reading & Writing

I am guilty of buying or borrowing novels and never getting around to finishing them as I get caught up in academic work. Monsoon holidays can be the perfect time to catch up on reading and hey if you are that broody writer type then start writing now! Stay motivated with hot drinks like green tea, coffee, hot chocolate or tea! It will instantly give you a boost.

  10. Time Off

Monsoons many time come with power cuts and this is the perfect excuse to get off technology, internet, and social media. Make some tea and pakodas, play games with your friends and family read a book, make your arts and crafts and just take a social media detox.

Are there any other things that you love to do in monsoons which I have not mentioned in this ultimate guide to monsoons? Leave them down in the comments below. Suggestions, comments, and questions are always welcome.

Share this blog post with your friends who have complained of being bored in the holidays or feeling lazy due to the gloomy weather and you can thank me later!

Like what you see and want more travel blog post, inspiration, travel style and budget travel ideas then go follow my Instagram account @timetravellingshutterbug

Acknowledgement: To my sister, Sonali Khetia for taking my photos for this blog post.

Links To Get You Going:

Exercise: Pilates Videos

Online Courses: Coursera, Udemy

Internships: Internshala, Twenty 19

Signing off,

Nishma Khetia.

How To: Kill It At The Beach In Indian Summers

We all love a good beach vacay. Am I right or am I right?! Whether it is a boys day out playing ball and getting dirty and sweaty with no shirts on or a girls gang going out on the beach to enjoy some suntan or a couple’s lazy day out, beach vacations are the best. A lot of people who face long winters many times seek out beach vacations to get away from the cold and I can absolutely see why. Having fresh coconut, building sandcastles by the sea, enjoying seafood and the sun, seems just perfect recipe for a vacation to relax and unwind. 

But, here's the Indian Summer twist to the Vitamin Sea dream. Indian Summers are hot! Very, very hot. I was just reading a thread on a travel group where someone asked if Goa in May was a good idea. Let's rewind to exactly one year ago around 26-27th May. That is exactly where I was! Right out of B Pharm, planned the perfect mandatory Goa trip after graduation. So, yes, sometimes it is inevitable that you find yourself planning a beach vacation in this scorching heat. But that's where I got your back. I have got a few essentials, tips and tricks to help you plan a smooth and hassle-free beach day trip or an entire weekend.

Top Ten Essentials For A Beach Vacation

1. Sun Screen.

This is the most essential item you absolutely must carry with you while you head out to the beach. Ignoring sunscreen on a daily basis is one thing (not good, but okay :/) while not wearing sunscreen on the beach is totally bad for your skin. Find a good waterproof sunscreen of SPF 50 with UVA and UVB protection to ensure maximum protection. Make sure to apply it liberally on all exposed parts and reapply after a few hours if necessary. I have a sunburn that is of a cold shoulder top shape and is going to last about three months so I absolutely know what I am talking about.

2. Beach Wear

Bikini, shorts, speedos, swimsuit whatever is your style do not forget to carry it to your beach trip. You might not want to swim but even the toughest of decisions are changed once seeing beautiful beach waters. So just carry it as a back-up. Try it out at home first in case it has been a while since you last wore it to ensure it is okay and fits right in all places. Another mandatory must is a plastic bag to store your wet clothes after swimming so it does not drench the rest of your bag. Flip flops are recommended instead of other shoes which might get spoiled in the sand.

3. Lounge Mat/Bedsheet/Towel

Depending on the beach you decided to go to you may or may not have beach beds/chairs etc. It is best to carry a bed sheet or a lounge mat to the beach. You can use your towel too if you have an extra one in hand. Anything you can use to lie down/sit on the beach will work. Get something larger if you are meant to share it with your partner for a date.

4. Beach Hat and Sunglasses

Admit it or not, selfies on the beach need sunglasses in them.  Period. To have this in check and also for the more important reason of protecting your eyes, carry your sunglasses with you to the beach. A beach hat is also recommended to protect your hair from the heat and keep your head cool.

5.Music/Speakers/ Earphones.

Soft music or party music, the choice is yours but music is essential while you are chilling on the beach. If you are in a group, carry a speaker or if you are on a private beach carry your earphones and blast in some tunes to match the rhythm of the beach waves. In fact, you could make a beach playlist right now after reading this article and get ready for your next beach vacation! This one down here is on amaizing discount and was voted a bestseller!

 6. Beach Ball

If your beach vacation happens to be with a group, carry a beach ball with you. You could play football, volleyball, cricket or even play with the plastic ball in the ocean. The options are endless and all you need to make that happen is a good beach ball. You can carry other games like a pack of cards. 

7. Food/ Picnic Bag

As this article is written for the masses, we need to address the fact that not everyone will be going to a commercial beach with shacks and restaurants. If your vacation happens to be a secret getaway on a remote beach in the middle of nowhere you definitely need food and drinks with you on the go. Easy options include sandwiches of all kinds, chips, biscuits, fresh fruits, sodas, beers etc

8. Summer Reads

The ride to the beach or any time during your beach vacation you may come across a situation where you just want to hang out on your own and read a book. Easy summer reads or even an audiobook can come in handy. Carry a book with you at all times! 

9. Camera

It can be your mobile camera or something advanced like a DSLR, but you will want to take back memories from your beautiful beach vacation and you absolutely must have some form of camera on you in order to make that happen. If you plan to go on a long vacation carry additional memory cards for your camera with you too so you do not run out of space while you capture the beautiful beach photos.

10. Batteries/Chargers

Carry some extra mobile battery or a backup charger/battery with you while on the go. You will be using your phone a lot, for music, photos, directions and what not. Having a backup battery option while saving you in time of need and give you the peace of mind! Do not rely on someone else having a charger or battery to match your phone. With the technology variety in the market, everyone has a different pin/plug on their phones. It is crazy out there!

PRO TIP:

You can easily get dehydrated so drink lots of water and coconut water too. That is one thing people forget to do. Remember, having water around you does not mean that you drink less water!

Before you go, be sure to follow my super active self on Instagram where I share all my trips on Insta Stories

@timetravellingshutterbug

So there you have it, the top ten items you need while going for a beach vacation. Which item do you swear by? Is there something I missed on this list? Be sure to let me know in the comments section below. Get that head start on your summer beach body and stick to those new year resolutions. You will be beach ready in no time. And oh, don’t forget to get all your beach essentials on your vacation. 

That's all for this blog post. Be sure to leave your comments and feedback down below. Are you going to any exciting beaches this summer, if so where?

Signing off,

Nishma Khetia.

Girls On A Mission: Christmas Travel Diaries

"A nomad I will remain for life, in love with distant and uncharted places"

-Isabelle Eberhardt.

Five girls on a mission to have the most unconventional Christmas ever. A summery Christmas, by the beach, who would have thought of that? Well, me of course. Duh! Some trips are cut short for a reason. It is because their destiny is to be fulfilled later, in a better way. This was one of those trips for me. On my last blog post Lost In The Forest With No Network: Exploring Yana Caves, I explained how my trip was cut short. Luckily just two weeks after that, I was ready for yet another trip to the same village of  Kumta. 

Mirjan fort had been on my bucket list for the longest time. It is at equidistance from both Gokarna Railway Station and Kumta Railway Station (12 kilometers). Travelling as I normally do on a budget-friendly style, we took the 7.30 am train from Udupi station and reached Kumta by 10.30 am. Although the train was jam packed due to the holidays and we had trouble finding seats, our timing was really good. After grabbing a bite from the local bakery near the station, we took a bus to Mirjan fort. The fort is just 0.5 kilometers from the highway and we easily walked up to the fort. 

There are many versions of when and who made the Mirjan fort. One of them talks of Queen Chennabhairadevi of Gersoppa (Vijayanagar Empire). She built the fort in the 16th century and is said to have ruled for 54 years. A lot of items were traded from the fort under her rule the prominent one being pepper and hence she was named as the Pepper Queen by the Portuguese.

It was an extremely sunny day but we were all pumped and sunshine was not going to come in the way of our spirit. We took a ton of photos from every angle possible. This was also the first time I was traveling with my new phone the MIA1 from Xaomi. The photos came out relatively good although the phone does not perform well in low light situation but this is a travel blog post and not a phone review :p

A little dehydrated from walking around the fort we took shelter under what literally seemed like the Tree Of Life. It seemed like the perfect picnic spot as we snacked on food and listened to good music while chatting away. After some rest and refreshment, we headed back to the highway and caught a bus to Gokarna. From the Gokarna bus stop, we took an auto and were on our way to Kudle Beach. Nostalgia hit me right in my guts as I stepped on Kudle Beach. It seemed just like yesterday when I was in my third year and had gone for my first girls trip with my best friends. It was TheTime When The Ticket Checker (TC) Caught Us and it was my first ever blog post on my blog (so many memories). The beach looked perfect. Just the way it did two years ago like nothing had changed but I knew it did because for one thing the shack where I previously stayed was closed down.

The photos in this blog post cannot justify my experience. I must insist that if you are a travel or photography enthusiast go ahead and follow me on my home planet Instagram. My handle is @timetravellingshutterbug. I post my travel updates in my Insta stories and am always writing mini blog posts related to my trips with each photo and leaving extra tips and tricks for all my followers. Here is the nine photos from this trip that I just posted and not including this screenshot would not justify my experience of this trip. So go ahead find me and follow me. I promise my comedic stories and polls shall not disappoint you.

We were starving as it was almost five in the evening and we were surviving on tea, lemonade, and one samosa since morning. We went to the Sunrise Cafe and found ourselves a nice table. I ordered myself a Hawaiian pizza to go with the tropical vibe. The crowd at the beach was perfect and everyone was enjoying the Christmas holidays. A bunch of guys were trying to balance and walk on ropes tied to trees, people were getting hair wraps, others were sunbathing and many swimming. 

 

After finishing our food my friend Nandini convinced me to join her for a swim and I gave in because the water temperature was just perfect. It was one of the best swims I have ever had. We jumped up and down with the waves like little kids. I was glad to have packed a beach dress just in case of a situation like this. It was not a swimsuit but it was an extra pair of clothing, just what you need for an impromptu swimming session!  

After the swim, I changed in the restroom of the same cafe where we had our meal. After watching the sunset, we got autos and headed for the station to make our return journey back to base. Luckily the train was a few minutes late or else we would have missed it. It also had an empty ladies compartment and we relaxed on our way back, chatting away in loud voices over the sound of the running train and the wind.

I am not going to do the tips for Gokarna because honestly there are no tips. You can go for a single day or stay overnight. It is just a place to let loose, enjoy the ocean and some good food. Travel to and fro from Manipal or by railway is cheap. I spent only 700 rupees on this entire trip and 300 of that was on my pizza and cold coffee. It is a perfect place for a quick getaway with friends. It is also picturesque and you can go off exploring. Gokarna also offers treks from one beach to the other. It is a must visit for all beach lovers. As for the Mirjan fort, my one and crucial tip would be to go somewhere just after the rains so that the fort is much greener and better for photography instead of dry and summer weather.

That's all for this blog post. I hope you enjoyed reading it. Please feel free to share your comments and suggestions. Also if you have any travel destinations around Karnataka that you want to suggest go ahead because I am a self-proclaimed Karnataka Travel Ambassador. The tourism department needs to start paying me now :p Go follow me on my very public Instagram profile. Until next time, have a great January and stick to those resolutions!

Signing off,

Nishma Khetia.

The Monsoon Walk: Heritage Village In Manipal

"We travel not to escape life, but for life not to escape us"

-Anonymous.

Rushing through the women and children ward at the hospital, I stopped in my tracks as my eye caught something interesting stuck on the notice board. It read "The Monsoon Walk". My colleagues stared at me as we were getting late for morning ward rounds so I quickly captured the details on my phone and continued with my morning duties. There was a heritage village somewhere in the neighborhood of university town and it sounded exactly my kind of thing. I counted days, waiting to get done with my exams and seminars so I could happily visit this new interesting place and obviously tell you guys about it!

Hasta Shilpa Heritage Village in Manipal recently opened its gates and has started with a Southern tour but has a full plan of expansion for Northern and Eastern tours as well as aiming to be a center for historical research. I announced on my Instagram that I was planning to check out the heritage village and found a friend who I had never met before and who was visiting Manipal for the weekend to accompany me! It was meant to be :) We went for the 10am tour (Link to their website at the bottom for further details). They had hiked the price from 200 rupees to 300 rupees and had also started charging a 250 rupee fee for DSLR cameras so, on a student budget, I decided to make do with the Pro Mode on my phone.

You can see the Manipal Lake in the background!

 The Heritage village project has brought in structures from all the South Indian states as they were all linked to the once great Vijayanagara Empire (The one in my Hampi Blog). In the one and half hour tour, our guide showed us the Nawab Mahal, Kamal Mahal, Harkur Olaginamane, Harihar Mandir, a classic Mangalorean House and many such interesting structures and elaborated on their details giving us a unique insight into the lifestyle of people who lived a generation ago. Many of the structures were around 700-800 years old! And some parts which had been recreated were to be the exact replica in size, shape, and material as per the original structure.


These structures have been transported from hundreds of kilometers away to be a part of the heritage village project. The Kamal Mahal can actually be dismantled within half an hour as it has been all fit together in that way! The Mangalorean house displayed some of the old cameras of the time and hunting gear, as well as a classic kitchen setting. The famous Mangalore tiles were used in the structures and the floor tiles were also a part of the Mangalorean house.

Christian Mangalorean House

Lets Play? 

Old Architectural Beauty

Heritage Village Tour Exclusive Video

Kamal Mahal Ceiling Details

Coloured Glass WIndow Details

There was a good crowd of around ten people in our group and very curious souls, they asked detailed questions too! The walk through the Bazaar Street told us about how charcoal was used in olden day water heaters as there was no electricity. The pots and pans also told a story. The one with a ridge was used for oil so that spilled oil would not reach the floor and instead, collect on the ridge later to be cleaned. All this was really fascinating to me and made perfect sense. Our ancestors were smart in a pre-smartphone generation.It had been a cloudy day but the tour did not disappoint us as it did drizzle halfway through but it was not brutal either as it quickly stopped and we did not get drenched. The last part was the Harihar mandir which did not have the deity as it was restored in another temple but everything else from the temple which got flooded was brought here and restored. To restore wood with layers of paint and waterlogged needs next level skill and the heritage village workmen have all of the necessary methods for restoring and preserving these beautiful old structures of historical significance.

Inside The Mangalorean House

Contrast Stories

It was a wonderful 'time travel' as the guide mentions in the video. Be sure to check it out to see much more of this beautiful place and all the structures they have restored. Manipal has been an excellent place as there are a dozen of places around it to explore and as someone who loves to explore, I definitely see this becoming a major attraction and successful story. I do think however that there should be some concession for students (seriously, a student cannot afford 550 rupees for entry plus camera). Other than that, everything else was fantastic and I cannot wait for the North and East tours to start as well as to see the art galleries from the famous painter Ravi Verma whose paintings I have previously seen in the Laxmi Villas Palace in Baroda. 

TOP THREE TIPS FOR VISITING THE HERITAGE VILLAGE

1. When to go? 
If you are a student then it would be convenient to go on Sunday Morning 10am or 4pm tour. Yes, they are open on Sundays!

2. What to take?
Take your camera/phone. Be sure to charge it. You can also carry a power bank just in case. Also, clear up your storage in advance! Carry a water bottle and an umbrella (#Manipal). DO NOT wear shoes (please). You will have to remove and put them on a dozen times at least, at every entrance!

3. What to expect?
If you are a history, architecture, photography or travel lover this is the place to spend on. If you do not fall into that category but still want to check it out, go ahead. After all one must always try new things ;)

On that positive note, feeling very happy for such a wonderful project in my university town I will end this blog post wishing the heritage village a lot of success in its future plans. Check out their website. I will be posting more photos on my social media in the coming days so keep an eye out for that. 

As always, your suggestion, feedback, and comments are very welcome. Be sure to leave them down below or message me on my social media handles. I hope you enjoyed this blog post, photos, and video as much as I did. Please share it with your friends so you can make your own plans to check out this beautiful place. Thank you for reading. 

Another article on the Heritage Village: Between desire and empire

You might also like Wanderlust: Agumbe, Kundadri Hills, and Hanuman Gundi

Signing off,

Nishma Khetia.

Extracurricular Activities: Are They Wasting Your Precious Time?

30 certificates and 10 trophies later, 

what have I really achieved?

All of our lives, as children, teenagers, and young adults we have been taught how extracurricular activities are so important, and rightly so, but many times we forget (parents, teachers, and students) on where to draw the line on these extracurricular activities. It is very true that college admissions give a huge importance to extra-curricular and even provide scholarships to extremely talented students in their own fields but this is for entering into the undergrad level. Before, I go into the details of my own experience, achievements, and lessons I want to highlight a few key points.

Key Points While Considering Extra-curricular Activities

1.Time Management

I am just going to go ahead and say it. This is a real struggle. And not everyone is capable of learning at the same pace. I count myself in that category. Some people can pull all nighters or be super fast as grabbing new concepts, I am neither of those. How are all the students expected to participate equally in extracurricular activities if more than half of us are slow learners and need more time to focus on academic material, which after all is the primary reason for going to college. 

Lets me be real honest and tell you that any college needs committees and students to carry out activities, they also need an audience to see these activities and participate in the contests organized so you will be told it is 'important' for you to participate and attend these events but at the end of the day, you have to decide if it is something you really need to do and if it will bring you closer to your ultimate goal, whatever it may be.

2. Pick your strengths. Be specific. 

I have struggled with this. There are people who are truly what people call  'all rounders'.Most of us are, however, not all rounders. Pick your favorite thing that not only relaxes you but where you feel you can truly stay committed. Whatever it is, make sure you stick to it and continue it forward. When it comes to extracurricular, like anything else, practice makes perfect and you need to be the best in your game.  college.
Trying to be an all rounder is not happening and I learned this a little late in life. Jumping from debate competitions to essay writing to the joint editor of the college magazine, juggling amateur photography, anchoring college events, organizing a bunch of unrelated college events are a lot of activities that I had on my plate during my first two and half years of college life with no common goal.

3.Learn to say No.

Whether you are forced by your parents or your peers if you think an activity is not right for you do not do it. You will waste your time and energy and neither will you benefit from the activity nor will you excel in your academics. Set aside your weekly time dedicated towards your activity. It can be hard to not think about it throughout the week especially when you need to pre-plan meetings etc but learning to say no is crucial in group events. Don't take me in the wrong way. Team work is important but what is the point in grinding yourself if it is not worth your time.

The Secret To Pick, Excel, and Benefit 

At Extra-Curriculars:

First of all, you need to think and plan, on what you are trying to achieve. Is your goal to pursue an MBA after your undergraduate degree or are you going to go for core Research or something totally different like take up teaching or pursue a career in sports? Once you have decided that all you extracurriculars should automatically align with that. Now, wait for a second, of course, your interest matters. If you enjoy singing or playing a musical instrument while doing research in Biotechnology that is totally your choice, the point I am trying to make here is don't let someone else (parents and teachers included) tell you to do something totally unrelated and uninteresting to you. 

If you are planning to go for administrative or managerial positions, yes, your communication, leadership skills, team work, problem-solving skills will immensely develop through coordinated group activities at college level. Definitely, try for leadership posts! But if a lot of your future and interest works through individual-based work like creative or content writing, photography or something along those lines or you just enjoy swimming for example then there is no need to collaborate and break your head doing it.

Yes, group work teaches you a lot. I cannot even begin to explain that in this blog post. But the truth is group work is time to consume unless the leader is near perfect but the ideal situation is quite the contrary in most cases. Only a few people work and the rest enjoy the benefits of praise. Unnecessary meetings to plan events that could easily be coordinated with simple phone messages are scheduled, but wait the leaders are not crazy! No one replies to phone messages anymore. Wouldn't the world be simpler if we could effectively communicate and finish all the task without face-to-face club meetings that take up an entire evening? So basically, everyone is at fault. That's ok. But, in all of this, if you find that you are the hard working person whose efforts are going in vain then stop wasting your time and find a better outlet and a brilliant alternative for yourself. Trust me there are many!Do not nod your head next time someone tries to throw a group task your way. Politely refuse it altogether. 

It is not your job to fill the seats in the audience and increase the number of participants in a competition for God's sake. 

I realized this later. But better late than never. 

Why don't you invest time in yourself instead? Take up a sport, exercise, cook and eat healthy food, read your favorite book, sleep! Because at the end of the day when you have that endless list of college events, one after the other and numerous extracurriculars lined up on your schedule you will be drained out and before you know it your focus will shift from the task at hand, academics! 

Try Out These Student Planners And See The Difference!

This blog post is written from my point of view with the target audience of college students but if you are a parent or a high school kid, you can apply this too. High school is the time to experiment and try what you like. I was too shy back then hence the over compensation on my part for extracurriculars in college! If you are a parent, help your kid pick what they like. Do not pressurize them with a crazy schedule that steals their childhood away and leaves them unhappy trying to go to football practice when they clearly have a musical heart.

To sum up this rant of a blog post, I will tell you to honestly reconsider the time invested in extracurriculars and be very stingy with it. There should be only two reasons for an extracurricular activity: true joy or long term benefit. The ideal situation would be where you can find something that can do both. Cheers!

Disclaimer: 

This blog post is not meant to offend any college, institution, clubs or leadership positions. It is a student lifestyle hack to teach students to be smart and wise with their time. 

Think I am nuts? Here are some interesting articles I came across discussing the same topic. Check them out ;)

How To Adult: Disadvantages Of Extracurricular Activities

Classroom: Negative Aspects Of Extracurricular

Content Wise: Advantages & Disadvantages Of Extracurricular

Signing off,

Nishma Khetia.