College life is a great adventure for many of us and offers so many opportunities to have new experiences. In addition to your studies and social life, your extracurricular activities have the ability to have a positive impact on your professional life in future.
There are several aspects of college success and making the most of your free time when you’re not attending lectures is one of them. There are several activities that focus on the different interests of students in the form of student organizations and clubs.
Joining or forming student organizations that interest you are a great way to share, network and develop leadership skills as you expand your experiences, improve your skills and gain valuable experience.
Here are some types of college student organizations.
- Academic and Educational organizations
These organizations are typically founded on particular fields of study, for example, business and entrepreneurship students can be involved in Entrepreneurs Network that brings together like-minded individuals.
Students can participate in events, forums or programs that can develop their skills and help them gain valuable experience.
- Recreation and sports organizations
Students who are passionate in sports are spoilt for choice and are most likely to find a club or organization of students with similar passions. Students who played in particular sports in high school find that it is easier to join sports clubs that they fancy in college.
In addition to sports, there are clubs that bring together students who share common interests in particular hobbies such as dancing or hiking. These clubs offer opportunities for students to experience both on-campus and off-campus activities that are both learning experiences and fun.
- Religious and spiritual organizations
These organizations are a great way for students who share the same beliefs and faiths to keep in touch with their culture. This is especially essential for students who are far away from home.
Students are able to network with other students from the same background and remain active in the cultural and spiritual aspects of their lives. Activities such as bible study, fellowship and outdoor activities help to foster and strengthen these networks.
- Community service organizations
There are a variety of student organizations that focus on various aspects of community service such as those geared towards alleviating poverty or getting involved with human rights activism.
There are also those that seek to promote environmental protection and sustainability while others seek to promote generosity by creating more opportunities for the less privileged in society to better themselves.
- Political or multicultural organizations
There are several organizations in college that bring together students from the same region or national background. These could be societies for Chinese students or the African Student Association to many others.
There are also organizations such as the International Students Association that target international students who may find themselves overwhelmed by initial culture shock. These associations help such students get accustomed to the new place they find themselves in.
- Media and Publication organizations
For students who are interested in writing or journalism, an ideal association to join would be your university’s newspaper or magazine. There are also societies such as the Animation and Film Club that is particularly useful for those who are interested in this specific line of study.
There are also organizations such as Radio clubs and Advertising clubs that create a fun environment for students to hone their skills in radio presenting and the creation and presentation of advertising campaigns respectively.
- Student government organizations
Student government associations or councils are an important foundation for students who want to be actively involved in the decisions that the school’s boards make that affect or influence their college life.
The goal of Students associations is to advocate for students by educating and empowering them on their rights and responsibilities and helping students become more engaged with policymakers to maintain and improve access to education.
It’s important to realize that student organizations and clubs can reflect positively in your resume and getting into the right ones can transform your resume into a winner. Here are some organizations and clubs that can help make your resume flawless.
- Sports Club
Participating in a particular sport in college whether that’s football to basketball to swimming to tennis is a fantastic addition to your resume because it clearly emulates that you are a team player.
Employers are quick to pick out this trait in potential employees because every company requires its employees to collaborate effectively so as to achieve its objectives. Employers also prefer students who have demonstrated the ability to combine both academics and an activity that they are passionate about.
- Magazines/Newspapers
Being a writer for your university’s newspaper or magazine demonstrates that you are accustomed to dealing with deadlines. The news industry is cutthroat with the need for its employees to meet strict deadlines.
A student who has demonstrated that they are able to balance both their course load and also meet deadlines for the college newspaper is a great asset to an employer.
- Entrepreneurship Club
This club brings together a vast array of students who have different strengths and studies of interests. Members typically range from business majors to engineers to artists to leadership majors and many other people. This space is perfect for bringing like-minded people together to share knowledge and collaborate.
Some important skills that students who actively participate in this club develop are: public speaking skills, leadership skills, teamwork and how to solve problems creatively and uniquely. These skills are highly transferable and are key traits that employers look for in potential employees.
- Academic Club
The active participation of a student in almost any academic club whether it’s a history club or psychology or environment or a math club has the main objective of helping students expand their knowledge in a given sphere.
The benefit of being a member of such a club is that you gain valuable skills in research and a proactive attitude that is demonstrated by learning more about a certain field outside of lectures and classes.