Smile, You're... in HSE Extracurriculars!

Sociologists from the Centre for Youth Studies, together with the Centre for Youth Project Support of the Department of Youth Policy, at the initiative of the HSE — Saint-Petersburg Student Council are ready to present the first analytical results of the project 'The Talent Factory'.

the official HSE illustration from love.hse.ru

Staff and volunteers at the Centre for Youth Studies analyzed the motivations and perceptions of success among students who participate in extracurricular activities at HSE University – St. Petersburg. Students engage in sports, research, and creative activities, and also organize events that are adored by all university’s students. For the St. Petersburg campus, this study was the first experience of combining a scientific approach with practical activities in the extracurricular sphere.

Why do students get involved in extracurriculars?

Researchers explain that the desire to engage in extracurricular activities is based on a balance of internal and external motivation. If internal motivation relates to self‑realization, the search for one’s true self, and the desire to “leave a mark at the university,” then external motivation manifests itself in the desire to find a supportive and friendly community. Students perceive extracurricular activities as a safe space and a truly “their place.” Young HSE University students find future colleagues, loyal friends, or even love in extracurricular activities. Therefore, sociologists note that the real value for students is people: friends, and the close circle.

"...participation in extracurriculars is the key element that directly influences this association as part of the overall whole"

(from the interview with HSE student, the member of sports club)

From generation to generation, students are taught to understand that extracurricular activities are an important part of university life. Participation in student clubs and organizations helps develop skills and competencies that become the foundation for future success.

One informant, speaking about the internal atmosphere in the club, noted the cohesion and willingness to help each other even outside of extracurricular activities:

"If in some life situation a person will need help, then the whole team will come together and help. The atmosphere is super‑friendly"

(from the interview with HSE student, the member of creative club)

Extracurriculars as a test drive of adult life

A series of interviews with active participants and organizers of extracurricular activities at HSE University – St. Petersburg has shown that extracurricular activities become a kind of platform for safe experiments and professional trials for students. Here, they learn to work in a team, make decisions, and take responsibility, relying on the support of mentors and like‑minded peers. Resolving a conflict, quickly finding a way out of a difficult situation, or assembling a team for a major event — these are the skills that students acquire in practice while still studying, without waiting for the start of their careers.

"Extracurriculars is a unique environment for cultivating leadership self‑awareness. It provides an opportunity to gain experience and demonstrate expertise, to gain recognition” – this is the conclusion sociologists reach in their report.

Extracurricular activities provide an environment that helps students develop a new perspective on success. Here, success is no longer limited to high‑ranking positions, outstanding achievements, or income levels. Instead, a more realistic and sustainable understanding of what it means to be successful is formed — one that helps prevent burnout in the endless race for results. Extracurricular activities give students the opportunity to feel their own worth today: through completed projects, recognition from the community, new skills, and personal contribution to a common cause. At the same time, it becomes a platform for developing competencies that may later translate into career achievements, professional confidence, and life satisfaction.

"For me personally, it seems that succes is when you've achieved a particular level of development and self-realisation and you no longer need, let's say, some kind of encouragement from the whole world or you no longer, let's say, expect any kind of proof that you're the best. You've just self-actualised, you’ve done what you wanted to do. And you can pass it somehow to another, to the next person"

(from the interview with HSE student, the member of creative club)

Extracurriculars as a part of university ecosystem

Extracurricular life at the HSE University — St. Petersburg has long ceased to be "extra". Today it is a full-fledged part of the university ecosystem. Student organisations create a space in which youth learns to interact with the university as with a living community. The extensive network of initiatives within the HSE St. Petersburg helps students adapt and feel like part of a large environment. In interviews, students note that the HSE is truly "their place" precisely because of the extracurricular activities.

The diagramme above demonstrates that the absolute most of student organisations are created on the initiative of students themselves. It means that extracurricular life in HSE St. Petersburg is build "bottom-up" as students come up with ideas, assemble a team and launch the project themselves. At the same time, it is worth noticing a small share of organisations created by the university. It shows that the administration can also act as a a founder of sertain associations. One case represents a hybrid model in which the initiative came from both students and the administration simultaneously. Extracurricular activities at the HSE St. Petersburg represent a living ecosystem born out of student ideas.

The survey results showed that members of student organisations meet quite regularly, and in case of some activities they even meet several times a week. At the same time, there are clubs that meet less frequently. This might mean that extracurricular organisations adjust their schedule to suit the participants’ busyness, and students always have a choice between fully immersing themselves in extracurricular life and attending activities seldomly but with intention.

Participation in extracurricular activities fosters a positive image of the university in the eyes of students and shapes the identity of a HSE University student. Graduates who strive to support extracurriculars also maintain strong connections.

The survey data among the organisers of 36 student organisations showed that in almost half of the clubs, the connection with former members remains active — graduates attend events and participate in extracurricular activities as listeners or lecturers.

For both current students and graduates, extracurriculars become a full‑fledged third place where they want to stay and grow.

"If there were no extracurriculars, I think I would perceive the university as a place where you just need to study. Thus, you’ve studied, sat through the classes, as they say, clocked in and clocked out. And you kind of need to do something else. And so I’ve always had and still have a strong feeling that most of my adventures are connected specifically with HSE, with the Higher School of Economics. That is, everything that happened in my life in one way or another was almost entirely connected with HSE… And I really liked the fact that you can simply never leave HSE. You come there in the morning, study, do your homework during the day, chat with friends, and do some networking. You have [the club] at the evening and than it's 10 p.m. and it's time to go home"

(from the interview with HSE graduate)

There is a "but"...

Despite the success and strong interest that students have in extracurriculars, there are also areas in this sphere that are gradually developing and being refined. For example, students note that the process of finding information about the clubs could be improved. By becoming part of HSE, students gradually become acquainted with extracurricular activities through the university’s vibrant events or on social media. Organisers of small clubs emphasize that students often choose large and well‑known organisations, although smaller communities can also be of great interest.

Another challenge is the high workload. Students note that it is not easy to maintain a balance between studies and extracurriculars, and the accumulated fatigue leads to burnout and a decrease in motivation. Active members of extracurricular organisations are aware of the accelerated pace and intensity of their activity. They make use of every opportunity to develop their planning skills, independence, and ability to work with bureaucratic procedures. Under such conditions, extracurriculars also become a serious school of time management, responsibility, and the negotiating skills.

Who is higher? Who is stronger?

The study also showed that the structure of student clubs largely depends on their scale. Large associations need a clear management system and distribution of roles, as it is difficult to organise events for dozens or even hundreds of participants without it. However, along with efficiency, a distance often arises between the management team and the other members. The leadership forms a tightly-knit core and newcomers usually find it difficult to join it.

"...even if they do take you in. you won’t be able to make friends with anyone there, because they’re all already friends, they’ve already formed a team, and, at first, everyone is scared"

(from the interview with HSE student, member of the sports club)

In small student organisations the situation is different. Here, management is often based on horizontal connections, and participants are more actively involved in decision‑making and community development. This model creates a more democratic atmosphere, where everyone feels their importance. But it also has a downside: most of the responsibility falls on the shoulders of a few people, and sometimes even on a single leader, who has to simultaneously look for new participants, organise events, and ensure the club’s further development.

Practical results

The St. Petersburg campus of the HSE University applied a scientific approach to solving practical problems in the extracurricular sphere for the first time as part of this study. Based on the collected data, guidelines were developed for educational organisations and companies that wish to apply the ideas of safe space in cultivating an environment for future leaders.

Based on the interviews conducted, a typology of young leaders was also developed. Sociologists from the Center for Youth Studies identified four types among those actively engaged in extracurriculars: observers, organisers, achievers, and explorers. The first type includes young men and women who are quick to learn and open to change, and who have experience. Organisers are responsible and stress‑resistant young people who are ready to organise “everything from nothing,” as well as those who are capable to productively distribute tasks and focuse on the team. Achievers are resilient and use all accumulated resources to achieve their set goals. The leader‑researcher analyses situations based on their extensive experience and sees the changes as opportunities rather than difficulties. All four types of leaders have different ideas about success, so data on their work will make it possible to create personalised support tracks, turn differences into a resource for complementarity, and create an environment where young people can realise their own understanding of success without compromising the overall result.

To summarize, sociologists have concluded that extracurricular activities occupy one of the key positions in the university ecosystem, and moreover, their role is growing at present. In the modern era, when knowledge and skills become obsolete at an unprecedented rate, and a university education alone can no longer guarantee a well‑paid job, young people are looking for new terminal meanings of education. One of them is access to new opportunities for personal growth. And this is precisely what extracurriculars provide. As previous studies have shown, obtaining an education becomes a rite of passage into adulthood, during which agency increases, meaning the ability of young people to make decisions independently and act in conditions of chaos and uncertainty. Extracurricular activities provide exactly this: young people build connections, learn to make decisions, and take responsibility. Participation in extracurriculars allows young people not only to invest in the future but also to feel significant right now.

The Centre for Youth Studies thanks for the assistance in conducting the study our volunteer sociologists:

Barkovskaya Elena, Burdun Sofiya, Garipova Leisan, Minina Galina, Rubtsova Ulyana, Reznik Bogdan, Naumova Elizaveta