# Introduction ife satisfaction can be conceptualized as a "cognitive judgmental process in which individuals assess the quality of their lives on the basis of their own unique sets of criteria (Miroczek & Avron, 2005). These cognitive judgments are largely independent from an individual's more immediate affective (emotional) interpretation of an event. From general observation, life satisfaction varies among students -money, sound CGPA, high social economic class, high self-esteem, among others. Life satisfaction is of importance because it predicts a number of positive mental health and lifestyle outcomes. It represents how satisfied people feel with their life generally, as contrasted with positive affect (sometimes called just 'happiness'), which represents how they feel at a single point in time. Life satisfaction involves people thinking about their life as a whole, including factors such as whether they are achieving their goals, are doing as well as other people around them, and are happy generally rather than just right now. Life satisfaction is thus a longer-term measure than affect. Positive psychology research indicates that people are happier, more creative, and more productive when utilizing what psychologists call their signature strengths. Identifying your personal strengths and then consciously incorporating them into daily activities will bring greater happiness and life satisfaction. This research will focus on the undergraduate students as the sample for the research. Social Interest deals with the ways people interact with each other as they work towards individual gain or collective goals (Anderson, Mikulic, Vermeylon, Lyly-Yrjanainen, and Zigante, 2009). Often, this results in competition as groups or individuals with conflicting interests attempt to influence events or take actions that are to their benefit. A variety of social theories have developed in the ongoing attempt to understand how people negotiate their interests at different levels in society. If something is done in the social interest, it is exercised for the common good of society as a whole. Generally, there can be a good amount of disagreement on what exactly this means depending on views on society's role. For example, people who think society should make it easier for people to maximize their own self-interest will not agree with others who believe steps taken toward egalitarianism are beneficial to society. Over a period of time, when adolescents are asked how they use their leisure time, most report some involvement in organized structured activities such as sports, performing arts, clubs, service activities and church youth groups. If students are often bored and unmotivated, then they need something in which to become engaged. The primary goals of extracurricular activities focus on the individual student level, the institutional level, and the broader community level. These activities exist to complement the university's academic curriculum and to augment the student's educational experience. According to Davalos, Chavez & Guardiola (1999), almost any type of student involvement in college positively affects student learning and development. Extracurricular activities provide a setting to become involved and to interact with other students, thus leading to increased learning and enhanced development. Specifically, a student's peer group is the most important source of influence on a student's academic and personal development. By identifying with a peer group, that group may influence a student's affective and cognitive development as well as his or her behaviour. As the development of the well-rounded individual is a principal goal of extracurricular activities on college and university campuses, the numerous experiences these activities afford positively impact students' emotional, intellectual, social, and interpersonal development. By working together with other individuals, students learn to negotiate, communicate, manage conflict, and lead others. Taking part in these out-of-the-classroom activities helps students to understand the importance of critical thinking skills, time management, academic and intellectual competence. Involvement in activities helps students mature socially by providing a setting for student interaction, relationship formation, and discussion. Working outside of the classroom with diverse groups of individuals allows for students to gain more self-confidence, autonomy, and appreciation for others' differences and similarities. Organized activities provide a forum in which to explore and express one's identity, talent and passion and to gain a sense that "one matters". Students mostly choose an activity that reflects core aspect of their self-beliefs and that participants can in turn, both reinforce and channel both the way that youth think about themselves and how they behave. In the process positive development in a range of domain can be facilitated, including identity, body image, initiative life satisfaction and conduct. Student involvement in extracurricular activities also positively impacts educational attainment. Pascarella and Terenzini's (2007) research indicates that extracurricular involvement has a positive impact on attaining a bachelor's degree and on educational aspirations. Students who are actively engaged are more likely to have higher educational ambitions than uninvolved students. There is evidence that adolescents' friendship status is associated with their school satisfaction. Social interest and school satisfaction are correlated in the low to moderate range on a multi-componential life satisfaction scale (Ash and Huebner, 2002). According to Gilman (2001) children with more friends and higher quality friendships score higher on measures of life satisfaction possibly because an increase in friendship provides more opportunity for social support or opportunities to engage in positive extracurricular activities.With the above knowledge of the three variables, it is the aim of this study to examine the relationship between life satisfaction, social interest and participation in extracurricular activities. # II. # Statement of the Problem From observation, the level of satisfaction and social interest such as dissatisfaction and low social interest, has led to a negligible knowledge, awareness and information about some extracurricular activities among the undergraduate students of University of Lagos. However, their life satisfaction and social interest study is not evident, there is a need to develop and experiment one, hence this study. Table 1 shows the level of life satisfaction among University of Lagos students. From the table it can be seen that most of the students (94%) are just unsatisfied with their life while 1.5% were very unsatisfied. However, another 1.5% of the respondents were very satisfied while 3% of the respondents were just satisfied. # III. # Objectives of the Study # extracurricular activities among undergraduate students of University of Lagos? To answer this research question, a Kruskal-Wallis H test was conducted between the students' levels of life satisfaction and their respective levels of participation in extracurricular activities yielding a chisquare value. The result is presented in table 2 To answer this research question, the students' responses to all items in section B (except items 7 and 8) were scored in such a way that larger values were allotted to greater responses of satisfaction while small values were allotted to greater responses of dissatisfaction. However the values were transposed for negative items such as items 6, 12 and 13). The resulting scores were cumulated to build a measure of life satisfaction and categorized in such a way that those who scored 19 or less on the measure were said to be very unsatisfied with life, while those who score 20 to 38 on the measure were said to be "just unsatisfied" and those who scored 39 to 57 were said to be "just satisfied" while those who score above 57 were said to be very satisfied. These categories were given descriptive analysis and the result is presented in table 1 below Research Question 2: What is the effect of life satisfaction level on the level of participation in Table 2 shows the test of effect of the students' levels of life satisfaction on their respective levels of participation in extracurricular activities. It can be seen from the table that chi-square coefficient obtained between the two variables is 8.705 at p = 0.033. It can be interpreted to mean that the students' levels of life satisfaction has a significant effect on their respective levels of participation in extracurricular activities, as the p-value fails the mandatory 0.05 level of significance. It can therefore be concluded that the students' level of life satisfaction has a significant effect on their level of participation in extracurricular activities. 3 shows that there is a positive correlation (r = 0.113) between life satisfaction and social interest on one hand and students' participation in extracurricular activities. The R-square value was 0.013 meaning that the maximum (overestimated) proportion of the observed variance that can be attributed to this model is 1.3% while the actual proportion of the observed variance that the model can account for as given by the adjusted R-square value (0.003) is 0.3%. Consequently the significance of this model needs to be explored and the result is presented in table 4 below. Table 4 shows the test of significance of the model produced in the test of relationship between life satisfaction and social interest on one hand and the students' participation in extra-curricular activities on the other. The F-value obtained is 1.273 at p-value = 0.282. Since the p-value far exceeds the 0.05 threshold, it can be interpreted to mean that the relationship represented by the model is not significant. It can therefore be concluded that there is no significant relationship between life satisfaction and social interest on one hand and the students' participation in extra-curricular activities on the other. To answer this research question, a spearman correlation analysis was conducted between the students' levels of life satisfaction and their respective levels of social interest. The result is presented in table 4 Research Question 3: Does participation in extracurricular activities have any connection with their social interest and life satisfaction? To answer this research question, a multiple regression analysis was conducted using the students' raw scores in social interest and life satisfaction to predict their participation in extracurricular activities and the result is presented in table 3. Research Question 4: What relationship is apparent between the levels of life satisfaction and social interest among the undergraduate students of University of Lagos? * Correlation is significant at the 0.05 level (2-tailed) Table 4 shows the relationship between the students' levels of life satisfaction and their respective levels of social interest. It can be seen from the table that spearman correlation coefficient obtained between the two variables is 0.170 at p = 0.016. It can be interpreted to mean that there is a fairly strong relationship between the students' levels of life satisfaction and their respective levels of social interest. However, since the p-value fails to attain the mandatory 0.05 level of significance, the relationship can be said to be significant. It can therefore be concluded that there is a significant relationship between the students' level of life satisfaction and their level of social interest. Table 5 shows the test of relationship between the students' levels of life satisfaction and their respective levels of participation in extracurricular activities. It can be seen from the table that the chisquare value obtain in the test is 19.992 at p = 0.018. Since the p-value is less than 0.05, the null hypothesis can no longer be accepted. It can therefore be concluded that there is a significant relationship between the students' levels of life satisfaction and their respective levels of participation in extracurricular activities. To test this hypothesis, a cross tabulation was conducted between the students' levels of social interest and their respective levels of participation in extracurricular activities. The chi-square value was also obtained. The result is presented in table 6. Hypothesis 1: There is no significant relationship between life satisfaction among undergraduate students of University of Lagos and their participation in extracurricular activities; To test this hypothesis, a cross tabulation was conducted between the students' levels of life satisfaction and their respective levels of participation in extracurricular activities. The chi-square value was also obtained. The result is presented in table 5. Hypothesis 2: There is no significant relationship between the students' levels of social interest and their respective levels of participation in extracurricular activities. Table 6 shows the test of relationship between the students' levels of social interest and their respective levels of participation in extracurricular activities. It can be seen from the table that the chi-square value obtain in the test is 2.132 at p = 0.907. Since the p-value is greater than 0.05, the null hypothesis can no longer be rejected. It can therefore be concluded that there is no significant relationship between the students' levels of social interest and their respective levels of participation in extracurricular activities. # VI. Summary of the Findings 1. Most undergraduate students are not satisfied with their life. 2. Students' level of life satisfaction has a significant effects on their level of participation in extra curricular activities. 3. There is no significant relationship between life satisfaction and social interest on one hand and the students' participation in extra-curricular activities on the others. 4. There is a significant relationship between the students' level of life satisfaction and their level of social interest. 5. The study shows a significant relationship between the students' levels of life satisfaction and their respective levels of participation in extracurricular activities. 6. The study shows that there is no significant relationship between the students' levels of social interest and their respective levels of participation in extracurricular activities. VII. # Conclusion The study reveals that the undergraduate students' satisfaction with their family was the largest contributor of their overall life satisfaction. Satisfaction with friends and good grades in school was also a significant predictor. So those who have high level of life satisfaction seem to participate more in different extracurricular activities. The present study also reveals that family/friends relationships are particularly strong among undergraduate students who report high social interest. # VIII. # Recommendations In the light of these findings, the following recommendations are made: i. That school administrators and educational policy makers, should establish or continue in strategies that stimulate participation in extracurricular activities which is likely to benefit students' positive 1This study seeks to achieve the followingspecific objectives:a. determine the level of life satisfaction, social interestand participation in extracurricular activities amongthe undergraduate students of University of Lagos;b. examine the relationship between life satisfactionand social interest;c. investigate the regulatory effect of life satisfactionand social interest in participation of extracurricularactivities.a) Research Questions1. What is the prevalent level of life satisfaction amongundergraduate students of University of Lagos?2. What is the effect of life satisfaction level on the levelof participation in extracurricular activities amongundergraduate students of University of Lagos?3. Does participation in extracurricular activities haveany connection with their social interest and lifesatisfaction?4. What relationship is apparent between lifesatisfaction and social interest among theundergraduate students of University of Lagos?b) Research hypothesesa. There is no significant relationship between lifesatisfaction among undergraduate students ofUniversity of Lagos and their participation inextracurricular activities;b. The performance in extracurricular activities has noconnection with their social interest and lifesatisfaction. 2activities 3extracurricular activitiesAdjusted RStd. Error ofModelRR SquareSquarethe Estimate1.113(a).013.0036.92409a Predictors: (Constant), Life Satisfaction, Social InterestTable 4ModelSum of Squares dfMean Square FSig.1Regression122.090261.0451.273.282(a)Residual9444.78519747.943Total9566.875199a. Predictors: (Constant), Life Satisfaction, Social Interest. b. Dependent Variable: Participation in Extra-curricular activities. 4Level of socialLSginterest 5extracurricular activities 6Year 201443Volume XIV Issue IV Version I( A )Global Journal of Human Social Science -extracurricular activitiesLevel of participation in extra-curricular activitiesLevel ofModerateHigh level ofVery high level? 2dfPsocialPoor level oflevel ofparticipationof participationTotalinterestparticipationparticipationLow131052.13260.907© 2014 Global Journals Inc. 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