<p>We have had lots of discussions about what ECs mean for college apps. Life doesn’t end after college acceptance, however. So, what should one do with their ECs after they go to college?</p>
<p>Pursue them, drop them, or just keep them as recreation?</p>
<p>This is a bifurcation from the other thread about unusual ECs. Let’s keep that focused. Let’s use this for the usual bickering, till it is locked.</p>
<p>There is no “should,” IP. Your focus on ECs for the sole purpose of college admissions is extreme. People should do what they want. For example, many people enjoy playing musical instruments. If they get pleasure from that, then they “should” continue doing so. It would be pretty ridiculous not to play an instrument you once loved just because you weren’t good enough to go to Juilliard or because you were now majoring in math, right? It would be pretty ridiculous not to continue an interest you once had because of some misguided belief that one can only do one thing at a time.</p>
<p>I think this question stems from a difficulty on your part acknowledging that it’s ok to do things for fun, regardless of whether one is “the best.” if you enjoy playing tennis, well then play tennis! Who CARES if you wind up being any good at it, or your peak is your high school tennis team?</p>
<p>For what it’s worth: </p>
<p>I graduated hs with at least State Level and possibly national recognition in my most dedicated Academic EC.</p>
<p>After getting to college, I realized that the amount of time and effort it would take to continue it in college (special circumstances of there being no real way to pursue this recreationaly, my school only has one team, and it’s the best in the country for a reason) wasn’t something I wanted to give up(also not sure if I would’ve made the team, it’s selective) and dropped it entirely.</p>
<p>I started doing other things; none of them are quite the passion my first one was, so I think I’m becoming more well rounded in college, (but once I find what I’m looking for…whole new story will start 
). </p>
<p>Regrets? Yes and no. I’m still finding ways to keep what I originally loved in my life, and I’m finding other things that I enjoy. Will any of these other things translate to a career? EC-wise, i doubt it 
On the other hand, I think I’m getting what I wanted: time, to explore, and rediscover a whole new passion, but also to just relax for a moment.</p>
<p>Pizzagirl, I am not recommending that ECs be dropped, I am recommending that when people drop ECs they shouldn’t be shown condescending sorrow.</p>
<p>People should do what works for them. For me, and for many others it seems, there isn’t enough time in the world to do more than one thing properly. That position needs to be respected, no?</p>
<p>[Rupert</a> Murdoch hit by custard pie: Wendi Deng’s volleyball spike - Telegraph](<a href=“Rupert Murdoch hit by custard pie: Wendi Deng's volleyball spike”>Rupert Murdoch hit by custard pie: Wendi Deng's volleyball spike)</p>
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<p>You’re fond of asking questions, IP, so let me re-raise the one you skirted on the other thread. You already know I think students should pursue their ECs in college if they enjoy them. But what do you think would be the result if all kids dropped their ECs once on campus in order to devote all their time and effort to their majors? No physics majors writing for the literary journal, and no architecture majors playing in the wind ensemble. How would this impact the richness of life on campuses? And before you say that music majors should be the one filling the orchestras, a cappella groups, chamber music ensembles, and all the other musical groups, let me throw out a number. Yale granted a grand total of 13 Bachelor’s degrees in music in 2010, the last year for which those statistics are published. So without all the economics and applied math majors to populate musical groups, music on campus would simply cease to exist. Do you believe that this result would diminish the greatness of Yale and its peer institutions (and every college!)?</p>
<p>Pursue your EC as a major or drop it is indeed what you said on the other thread:</p>
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<p>It’s your insistence on “properly” that is the sticking point. Why can’t the kid who likes playing piano simply keep playing it on occasion for fun? Why can’t the kid who was on the tennis team just go and play tennis with a friend? What is wrong with doing things for enjoyment? It’s extreme to give up playing piano, tennis, etc. because you can’t do it “perfectly.”</p>
<p>“However, I also can’t blame parents who are worried about how good their kid really is, as it is far, far harder to make a living through music than it is through any academic field”</p>
<p>What if the kid just wants to be a high school music teacher? Or is it concert pianist or bust?</p>
<p>Wjb, I am sympathetic, but this is not just about Yale. This is also about the student. If the student feels that they don’t have the time, I don’t think it would be right for Yale to force the student to make the time. Athletic scholarships are one thing where the condition is that you play for the college. But general admission kids shouldn’t feel obligated to join the orchestra just because Yale has very few music students. If Yale wants to ensure a vibrant music presence in the campus, it should just admit more music students. I am not sure I like this entitlement attitude on part of the institution.</p>
<p>Happily, very few talented young musicians share your perspective, so Yale does not have to worry about a vibrant music presence on campus. They don’t have to force anyone to participate. To the contrary, many musical groups on campus are highly selective.</p>
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<p>Oh, there I have no disagreement. If you are playing tennis once a month - go for it. Everyone needs relaxation. It’s like watching TV. I am all for it. I thought the complaint was that kids do not continue to pursue the ECs with the same intensity after they get into college. My point is they can’t in many cases, and that’s fine.</p>
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<p>Ah, then there is no problem at all, even though many other talented kids who started at age 3 and reached great heights by 18 drop off after entering college. So why are you sad? I think we have reached a win-win situation here.</p>
<p>D1 continued with ballet in college, but in a different way. She taught part time at a local studio and was paid better than minimum wage. She continued dancing in college, but more at a club level. She started working a month ago (long hours), which won´t give her too much time to dance. She is living in a city with many ballet schools, so I imagine she probably will take some open classes. I think at some point, she will teach again because it is something she loves.</p>
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<p>Ultimately it is the kids’ choice. But if I were the parent, I wouldn’t encourage anyone to aim to become high school music teacher.</p>
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Simple–Yale could simply stop taking as many STEM majors and take more music majors. Problem solved!</p>
<p>Actually that’s what I would do if I were running Yale and wanted music to be vibrant there. Become Peabody.</p>
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But what if that is what they want to do.</p>
<p>I LOVE sports and my volunteering as an adult is mostly as a coach and administrator of sports type activities. At one time I had visions of transitioning into working for pro teams and making a living at the top end of the sports world … eventually I came to the realization that what I enjoy the most and am franky much better at is coaching younger kids (say 4th-8th graders). I now focus on my volunteering on these age groups and my semi-retirement plan (working for some bucks but doing what I want to do since I have the big bills covered) is to get paid to work with kids this age … it certainly isn’t the top of the professional heap by any means but it certainly provides me a ton of enjoyment and fulfillment.</p>
<p>There are 30,000 high schools in the United State so there must be something like 500,000 high school varsity sports coached in the USA (and another 1/2 million JV coaches and another 1/2 million frosh coaches) … and these coaches certainly aren’t coaching for the bucks; for most their pay comes out to a little more than minimum wage … they are coaching high school because they love their sport and want to share that love of their sport with another generation.</p>
<p>Re Post 17: Ah, but music IS vibrant there. No need to become Peabody. Let Peabody be Peabody, and let Yale be Yale.</p>
<p>wjb, Then I totally don’t understand why you were upset that some kids who started at 3 and reached great heights by 18 then dropped out. Yale didn’t lose out, and neither did the students. So, what’s the problem here? Remember, that’s what started this discussion. That’s the key question to me at this point.</p>