Everywhere you look on campus, there’s a flyer for a club about an interest you didn’t even know people had, like Comedy Club, Russian Club, and even Survivor Club. The open spaces next to elevators and classroom building bulletin boards overflowing with posters can seem overwhelming when trying to decide what extracurriculars to devote your time to.
Although college is the best environment to explore your interests, with the endless club options on campus, it’s important to remember you’re also a student and you can’t be everywhere all at once.
Pick Your Priorities
If you have the time, especially at the start of the semester, one of the best pieces of advice I’ve received is to involve yourself in everything you might be remotely interested in. Once you’ve had the opportunity to explore your options, then narrow down your extracurriculars to the clubs you are most passionate about and actually want to devote your time to.
When choosing which clubs to join, consider your major, personal interests, and interests that are not as developed, which you might want to explore further. Clubs are an excellent space to become involved in something you might enjoy but don’t have as much time for, as they are less of a time commitment than a class.
Once you’ve collected your clubs like Pokémon, reassess where you want to dedicate your time. Observe where you have time conflicts with club meetings and consider which clubs you enjoy most.
It’s also important to consider which clubs provide you with the most opportunity to grow, whether that be in a skill essential to your major or through obtaining an executive position farther down the line, which can give you the chance to build your leadership and professional skills.
Keeping Track of It All
Now that you’ve got all these clubs under your belt, you need to make sure you can uphold your commitments. Whenever you first join a club, carefully read through the requirements, including the time commitment and the meeting times.
Although you’ve probably heard this advice too many times to count, keep an Apple or Google Calendar or a paper planner! Input all your classes into your calendar and then add your club meeting times and workshops so you never miss a meeting. I’ve found that if it’s not on my calendar, it will slip my mind.
When balancing classes, clubs, and maybe even work, social life can be a difficult thing to add to the calendar. Although this may contradict my title, I believe it’s ok to say no sometimes. It’s important to show commitment to your extracurriculars to build connections and grow, but if it ever feels like too much, it’s time to reassess your priorities.
If you’re spending all your time on classes and extracurriculars, forcing you to cancel coffee dates and time with friends, it might be time to reassess what involvements mean the most to you.
Building a Community
It’s true your extracurriculars will look good on your resume, but truly being involved in a club is one of the best ways to build a community. Instead of just showing up to meetings and doing the work, I encourage you to build connections with the members in your club.
You and other members are like-minded (I mean… you did join the same club), and you could even meet some of your best friends in an extracurricular. Even if you’re not making best friends, the people in your club could help you get involved in other areas of campus or even land you an internship.
One of the easiest ways to get closer to other members is to go to socials if your club hosts them. Set aside some time out of your day to attend that pumpkin-decorating social or yoga on Landis Green with your club. To keep fostering those connections, make sure to greet a club member if you ever see them in passing or invite them out to spend some time with you.
College is the perfect place to say yes, but the real skill is knowing when to say yes to the right things. Start by exploring everything that sparks your curiosity, then narrow down your list to the clubs that truly fit your passions and goals. Keep it all organized with a calendar and remember it’s okay to say no when your plate gets too full.
Most importantly, treat your clubs as more than resume lines. The friendships and connections you build along the way are what make the late meetings and packed schedules worth it. So go ahead and grab that flyer, then figure out how to show up for the people and passions you discover!
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