The best time to join a new club is at the beginning of the semester. Different groups on campus will be heavily marketing themselves to attract new members to their meetings. At Appalachian, we have hundreds of organizations to get involved in. All of the resources and information for them can be found at the Center for Student Involvement and Leadership offices in Plemmons Student Union.
Check out clubs and honor societies related to your major.
If you’ve declared your major, or have been accepted into the program for the major you want, then you probably already know about the groups related to your program of study. Depending on what your career path will be after college, there are specific organizations that can help you reach your career goals. Connecting with a group that has a presence on campus, strong alumni base, and is recognized nationally in a particular field of study can be extremely beneficial for you in the long run. A good way to find out about these kinds of clubs is to email your advisor or talk to a professor in your department to see if they can give you more information on how to join.
Branch out and try something new!
It’s easy to get stuck in the same routine during the week with classes and other obligations but you shouldn’t let yourself get bored in school. If you feel like your schedule is becoming monotonous it’s time to spice it up by joining a club just for fun. The variety of clubs at Appalachian is astounding; we have everything from Meditation Club to Fly-Fishing Club! This semester I personally joined a new club called Friends of the Blue Ridge Parkway that focuses on protecting and preserving the Blue Ridge Parkway. Trying new activities like Fencing or Rugby can be intimidating at first but you never know how much you might like it until you try it!
Be careful not to over-extend yourself.
It’s best to limit yourself to joining a few active clubs a semester. That way, if you start to feel like schoolwork is piling up or you take on a part time job; you will still be able to manage your busy schedule. Making time for extacurriculars is important but not if the tasks become too stressful to keep up with.
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Join a sports team.
In high school we joined sports teams because all of our friends were on them, we’d been playing the same sport since childhood, and sometimes our parents forced it on us. If you’re just not ready to give up the sport you’ve been playing all your life, you can join a club or intramural team! Staying active during the semester can be a challenge for some of us who might prefer to sit around and drink coffee during the cold weather. Having the motivation and support of a team of friends will help keep you off the couch everyday.
Volunteer for a good cause.
There are many different service organizations at App that are directly involved in the Boone community. During the school year there will be philanthropy events, 5k races, documentary showings, food drives, and opportunities to give back to the High Country community. Volunteering a few spare hours every week to a local organization like F.A.R.M. Café, Watauga Humane Society, or Hospitality House is a great way to get involved with helping others in Boone.
Watch out for organizations that are “scams.”
There are some organizations that send blanket acceptance letters to all students over a certain GPA or specific qualification. These groups try to lure students into paying ridiculous fees every semester for the cost of a membership and have little to offer in return. More often then not, your money is best spent somewhere else. Before joining an obscure honors organization or something of the like it is a good idea to do some fact checking with outside resources. Not all honor societies are scams for students but weeding out the ones that are will certainly save you from a headache of dues to pay.
There are many benefits to joining clubs and student organizations but at a school with literally hundreds of options, finding the right one for you may be a difficult task. As collegiettes we spend most of our time during the week on campus whether it be going to class, hitting the gym, or studying in the library. Finding ways to spend time productively is not hard to do, but joining a new club could open up a whole new world of possibilities!