Abstract
The aim of this study was to identify what makes college students take part in extracurricular activities, what kind of activities they join, and how they evaluate this experience. The participants were 24 students of Psychology and Economy from a university of Southern Brazil. The information was gathered through private semi structured interviews and was submitted to content analysis. Results showed that students of the sample identify the need to seek knowledge and opportunities to complement their educational background. To do so, they take part in volunteer work, research and extension projects, and internships. In general, participants evaluated extracurricular activities positively, once they make it possible to apply knowledge built in classroom into practice. However, the students face difficulties to join extracurricular activities. We conclude that professional exploration may contribute to students’ engagement with the course as well as to the development of self-taught behaviors, which are useful especially after graduation when students are concerned about joining the labor market.
College Students; Higher Education; Extracurricular Activity