<p>I think people are chastising you for not participating in EC activities because they assume you aren’t passionate about anything. This isn’t high school. You don’t attend 4-5 EC just so you can put it on your resume. You’ll find that most of the clubs are a waste of time; they’re an opportunity for people to stroke their egos. You do an EC because it happens to coincide with a passion, You don’t do an EC just to say you did one.</p>
<p>My passion happens to coincide with my academics. Amidst writing my thesis, going to plays, the opera, and museum with my department, and keeping my head above water in my classes, I have no time to join clubs such as “Save the Fluffy animals” and “Lets discuss what we can do to help minorities without actually doing anything”.</p>