College can be a scary time. Students often have to make important decisions for the first time. Who they are? What do they want? Who they want to be around? What do they want to do? The things students do in college likely will determine who they will be in the future.

Involvement is key in college, especially at a small school like Baker. It connects students to each other and their university. They learn the things they love and hate. What they are a part of in college goes on their resumé.

Baker prides itself on innumerable extracurricular activities for students. Everything from sports teams to clubs to community outreach. So what are the benefits of joining any of these activities?

A few obvious benefits are the relationships built with other students and it’s a definite resumé builder. These extracurriculars also allow students to discover passions for new things and find their strengths.

According to an education infographic from eLearning in 2014, 70 percent of CEOs reported they held at least one office in a campus organization during college. The graphic also showed that 6.7 percent of students were involved in an intercollegiate sport, 22.9 percent participated in volunteer work, 32.5 percent worked and 35.6 percent were involved in other organizations.

Students who were involved in outside school activities skipped less class, had fewer unexcused absences, had higher GPAs and scored higher on reading and math comprehension tests.

Extracurriculars gave students a better management of decision-making processes, understanding of human behavior, understanding of general business concepts, interpersonal skills and foundational skills.

College is a short chapter with a lasting impact. Don’t let the time pass without getting involved. It’s not just to pass the time. It’s to make it the best time.