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Joining a club on campus may be a daunting task for some, but the fact is finding a group of people with common interests can lead to life long friendships. Finding a club that fits your needs starts off with knowing your interests.
Taking a few key steps will help take the guess work out of where to begin to find the club of your dreams.
Step 1: Ask Your Advisor
Your advisor is your personal search engine for all campus information. Advisors not only help you pick your classes, but can tell you important campus news.
Advisors can point you in the right direction for the following:
Club fairs
Open houses
Cultural events
Did you know?
If you're a student at Toronto Metropolitan University, you can attend drop-in appointments and 30 minute 1-on-1 advising appointments that can easily be booked online. If you attend a different school, see if your institution offers something similar.
Step 2: Decide What Type of Club
There are many different types of clubs that can be found at your college or university. They range from sports, to social clubs, student government, or even to excel your academics. Below are just a few of your many choices.
Academic Clubs
As the name implies these clubs will focus on your academic needs. They typically coincide with a major. Often you may find an IT club, nursing club, or even a foreign language club that revolves around the academics of your major. These types of clubs can be beneficial for mentoring, possible internships, and even valuable study skills.
Fun Clubs
Fun clubs can range from sports, cooking, gaming, anime, books or even joining a fraternity or sorority. Participating in a club for entertainment is a good way to de-stress while attending college or university. Meeting other young adults who have the same interests can help create life-long friendships.
Cultural Clubs
College is a time for exploring. For many students, this means meeting and talking with people who share their culture, sexual orientation, race, or ethnic background.
Cultural clubs are a great way to find people who share your background. You’ll probably find a group that’s a good fit.
Remember these are just a few of the types of clubs your university or college may offer. Your college may offer art clubs, media clubs, radio stations, etc.
Did you know?
The Ted Rogers Students' Society (TRSS) at Toronto Metropolitan University joins the student body of all five of the institution's schools together! Learn more about TRSS here. If you attend a different institution, there might be a similar student society you can join.
Step 3: Can't Find One That Interests You? Create One!
Where to begin?
Define your purpose
Recruit other likeminded students
Find a staff member to oversee the club
Register your club with the college/university
Write your constitution, aka "all the rules"
Sign the anti-hazing agreement from your school
Attend officer training if your school requires it
Hold your first meeting
Photo by Jason Goodman on UnsplashWhy Create Your Own Club?
Maybe your university doesn't have what you are looking for? Following the steps above can help you create the club of your dreams. In addition, not only will you find other students with similar interests, you'll learn how to start something from scratch!
Quiz
Sarah thought sewing club would be a great fit for her because she loves making costumes for cosplay. However, Sarah's club mates all enjoy sewing fashion outfits. What should she do? Select all that apply:
Sarah can do all of these! While staying with the sewing club, she can learn valuable skills that help her create better costumes. In addition, joining an online group can help her learn new skills. Finally, by finding other cosplayers on campus and creating a club she can share her skills with new members while they share theirs.
Take Action
Remember, college is supposed to be fun while learning. Following these steps can help you reach both academic excellence and personal achievement.
This Byte has been authored by
Michele Prezioso
Adjunct Professor Aspiring Instructional Designer
Master of Arts