Involve yourself with what’s going on on campus and make new friends through a student organization! They often offer leadership opportunities, learning experiences, and environments to network with professionals. Here are five great benefits of joining student organizations:
Better Grades and Time Management
While you may think that keeping up with your classes is going to be too much, think again. Joining a student org can give you great skills in balancing your time. Because you will have other projects or deadlines to complete outside of the ones for your classes, you will learn how to create this balance between involvement and school, while still leaving free time for yourself to do other activities you enjoy. Studies show that working about 20 hours a week or less can actually raise your GPA, so get involved!
Student Organization Networking
One of the benefits of joining student organizations is being able to network with professionals in the fields you are interested in. Many schools have student alumni groups, who work with alumni of the university to foster engagement for students who are on campus. These student alumni groups have direct lines to hundreds or thousands of alumni, with who you can easily get in contact. Networking is highly important in our world today and can help you achieve your goals.
Experience
Maybe you weren’t involved in anything during high school, so you’re looking to gain experience working with others or planning events in college. Student organizations can give you just that. Depending on the kind of org you are looking to join, you can gain a ton of valuable experience. Employers don’t only look at the grades you received in classes you took. They also want to see what you decide besides that. The experience that comes with coordinating a huge, on-campus event can be used in the real world beyond college. If you want an extra experience outside of your major classes, you could potentially join a student org tied to your major. Most universities have a list of student organizations and activities. Be sure to look for that list and see what you can find.
Community
Joining a student org is an easy, quick way to meet people. Starting at college can be scary, and dipping your toes in a student org can help you transition to college life. Look at student organizations that actually interest you; they will be full of other people with the same interests. If you’re nervous about how to go about talking to new people, don’t worry! Lots of organizations facilitate icebreakers early on when new students join. If the club really is something you’re interested in, it’ll be easy to talk about with other members. Because most organizations meet a few times a month, you’ll be able to make friends fast and build a community.
Fun
Besides all of the real-world skills you can get from a student org, you can also have a lot of fun! The other members will become some of your closest friends and biggest cheerleaders, all while you get to do something you love. Seeing hundreds or thousands of students attending an event you helped put on can be the best feeling in the world. Whether it’s a campus activities club, a big fundraiser for your favorite charity, or a food tasting club, you can make new memories you didn’t think of before.
Currently in a student organization, or interested in joining one? Tell us in the comment below!
Be sure to use our College Match tool to figure out what schools fit best with your needs. From there you can go to the school’s student life pages and see what organizations and clubs you can get involved in.
