<p>I'm in my junior year of high school and I'm currently a member of my running, computer and table tennis clubs at school. Ever since freshman year I never joined more than 3 ECs. I think the current ECs I'm taking now are pretty average as well. Also I have always just been a "member" of clubs, I have never been a leader or any major part of any club that I joined, and the thought of it terrifies the shizz out of me. I am quite shy and introverted and I either stutter or get an anxiety attack every time I speak in front of a group of people. Next year I am planning to join much bigger clubs like the Student Union or MUN but I don't think it will change anything coz I'll be just a member but not secretary, leader or president. None of my ECs stand out.
I can say that my academics are good, do I stand a chance of getting in a top University (like for instance, HKU?) with such average ECs?</p>
<p>People in leadership positions at my school don’t really do any intense speeches in front of people. It’s mostly just a title with maybe a few extra chores.
The hard part, if you’re not charismatic/popular, is getting elected in the first place.</p>
<p>You can do other EC’s than school clubs, though. You can volunteer or take up an instrument or get a job or start a business. Depends what interests you.</p>
<p>@halcyonheather you mean like community service? I’m planning to do that over the summer, helping out my church and stuff. My school does not let anyone graduate without doing at least 30 hours of it anyway.</p>
<p>the best way to make your ec’s better is to find something you’re passionate about and put yourself fully into that</p>
<p>30 hours of community service is really not a lot, there are people who will accumulate that in one week over winter or summer break. Once you have a decent number of community service hours and some basic leadership began to focus on doing things you enjoy. That being said I know of experiences where you will start doing community service somewhere, fall in love with the organization, get really involved and end up with leadership anyway.</p>
<p>It says AT LEAST 30 hrs of CC, which obviously means that I can do a lot more hours</p>
<p>Yeah, but you can do community service that goes along with something else you’re interested in. For example, I’m in a book club at the public library so every summer I volunteer at their children’s program.
Productive hobbies you spend a lot of time on can work too.
And you can get a job, if you’re old enough. It shows that you’re hardworking, you don’t think you’re above doing menial labor to get what you want, etc.</p>
<p>What’s the difference between community service and volunteering?</p>
<p>Nothing, although “community service” sounds like something a judge would assign you as punishment or something you would do to get hours on paper. “Volunteering” sounds more, well, voluntary.
(And there’s nothing in “community service” that says you don’t get paid, although most of the time you don’t. I suppose a paid job could be considered community service.)</p>
<p>There is no difference between community service and volunteering, people just tend to say community service in a more formal setting like a resume of scholarship application.</p>