<p>When I changed districts (went from a private school to public school) in freshman year, I went through a rough patch of depression, anxiety and loneliness. I was lethargic and lazy during that time; ie no ECs. </p>
<p>I'm regretting my decision of not doing any ECs (besides a spring time sport). I'm much better now though, more outgoing, more ready and happier too! </p>
<p>So please suggest some ECs for me. </p>
<p>Here's some information about me:
-I live in the bay area
-I'm a high school Junior</p>
<p>-I love TV, Movies and the Internet (was my escape)
-I'm very interested in neurology and psychology (basically the brain)
-I'm interested in law
-I'm somewhat interested in engineering and computer science
-I love technology
-I'm not very sporty (except for a growing passion of fitness), or musically gifted</p>
<p>I really need some advice, thanks in advance!</p>
<p>There are so many opportunities out there if you have access to transportation (public or your own wheels) that I don’t know where to begin listing them all. Look for volunteer opportunities in a public interest law firm - a firm that provides pro bono services to the indigent. Go to virtually any non-profit whose mission interests you and offer to help with their computer systems - trust me, all but a few are in desperate need of tech savvy volunteers. Call your local Alzheimer facility and offer to volunteer assisting with the residents or find a tutoring program for students with learning disabilities. If you volunteer at an adult literacy program, you will find a huge number of adults with learning and other cognitive disabilities that were never diagnosed as children, which is why many are illiterate. </p>
<p>The first step is volunteering so you get to know the clients your organization serves, the services they provide and the challenges that the organization faces. Once you’ve been doing that for a while, step up your engagement by taking on a project (perhaps over the summer before senior year?) that will have a measurable impact on their operations or clientele. Do some statistical analysis related to their effectiveness, start a program, document their operating procedures, standardize their data entry processes - there is just so much impact that a smart person with some initiative can have if they find the right fit and aren’t afraid to point out a problem - and then propose to study the issue and suggest some solutions.</p>
<p>Example: D started as a volunteer at a tutoring program. By the time she left, she had automated many of the offices manual processes and they made her Dir. of IT. When she left for college, they hired a full-time replacement for her. S worked at a public health clinic. Over the summer, he did a chart review for them to see how effective they were at providing obesity counseling to patients based on ethnicity. Both left those positions with a raft of new skills, great letters of rec, and a tremendous sense of accomplishment because they had had a real impact on the lives of the people those organizations employed and served.</p>