6 Reasons To Join A Club In College
While you are attending college to get an education, but there is so much more to college life other than just going to class and studying. You have more opportunities to connect, learn, grow, and change for the better than you may have the rest of your career. One of the ways you can enhance your college experience is by joining a college club.
This isn’t to say you’ll never have other opportunities to join an organization that allows you to express your creativity or sharpen your skills, but this is the perfect time in your life to join an organization that fits your interests. Here are 6 college club ideas that will help you through college and after you leave.
Build Your Resume
One reason to join a club during college is to add experience to your resume. When you graduate college, you will be competing with other candidates for entry-level jobs where experience is often valuable. If you’re competing with other candidates, having some experience from a club or campus organization will give you more chance of getting hired than those who don’t. Employers love it when you show that you used your skills outside of the classroom!
Make Friends
When you join a club, you’re going to be with a small group of people who are interested in the same thing you are. It’s the perfect way to make friends! One of the best parts about college is making friends with people you wouldn’t have reached out to otherwise. You will have the opportunity to meet people of different backgrounds and cultures with something in common that you can talk about. You can meet lifetime friends and possibly even a romantic interest, you never know!
Build Skills
Whether you’re joining an organization that’s related to your major or a hobby, you’ll have the chance to sharpen your skills and further develop your talents. You have an opportunity to practice what you’ve learned and continue to get better at it. Clubs also give you a chance to see if you like what you’re studying. It’s the perfect way to see what you want to specialize in or if you want to change career paths altogether. Clubs also allow you the opportunity to build “soft skills,” like leadership and teamwork. These skills make you a valuable employee but can also qualify you for promotions and raises later on in your career.
Networking
Attending clubs and organizational activities also allow you to network with students and professionals that are going into the same career or industry as you. You can then connect on social networking sites such as LinkedIn. Remember these people when you are looking for a reference or job, you never know who is going to be the person who gets you into that dream company or position. Remember, your net worth is your network!
Have Fun
College is well-known to be stressful. Studies show that taking breaks from studying helps memory retention while improving concentration and motivation, which basically means that you need to squeeze fun time into your busy schedule to be successful. If you join a club that involves sports or creativity, you have a pretty good chance of bringing that positive energy back into your studies and attitude. Having fun supports a healthy mind and keeps you motivated. Some popular clubs that are focused on fun are intramural sports, cooking clubs, and clubs that help animals.
Make a Difference
Many clubs can help you make a difference in your community through public service, politics, and mentoring other students. If you have a strong sense of purpose, then you may find a home in a volunteer organization. Service clubs exist to help meet the unmet needs of the community or students through volunteer work. This could include tutoring, planting gardens, cleaning up the community, and helping those with disabilities. If a type of service resonates with you, don’t hesitate to reach out and see how you can help!
There are many reasons why you should join a club, but it really boils down to what you want to get out of your college experience. Are you interested in making friends? Learning a new skill? Or padding your resume for when you leave? Whatever the reason, you’ll find what you’re looking for in a college club.
References
- “9 Reasons Why Joining a Campus Club is Beneficial to You.” — https://blog.hocking.edu/9-reasons-why-joining-a-campus-club-is-beneficial-for-you
- “Energizing Study Break Ideas & What to Avoid.” — https://www.fastweb.com/student-life/articles/energizing-study-break-ideas-what-to-avoid
- “Campus Life: Joining Clubs and Organizations.” — https://www.heath.gwu.edu/campus-life-joining-clubs-and-organizations#:~:text=Personal%20Development%3A%20Joining%20student%20clubs,expand%20your%2
Originally published at https://thatcollegelife.com.
