So you’ve just started a new year and have a whole lot of new motivation to get involved. What’s the best way to meet people and build a sense of community?Join some clubs.
You may have joined your fair share of clubs in high school, but in college, they’re on a whole other level. Because meeting people in a 600-person general chemistry lecture can be tough, for example, joining a science-related club will give you the opportunity to connect with people who have similar interests as you. But, with so many to choose from, how do you know which ones to join? Here are some of our suggestions.
Newspaper/Literary Magazine: If you like to write or have an opinion, getting involved with your schools’ publications is a great way to meet other writers and generate clips (which are incredibly important for journalism majors). You may not get an article published your first week there, but if you keep up with it, you could quickly go from staff writer to editor, which always looks great on any resume.
Program Board: If you consider yourself a great party planner, your school’s program board may be the perfect place for you. You’ll get to help plan campus wide activities that students will actually want to attend—from movie screenings to free concerts. Also known at other schools as student government associations.
MEISA: The Music & Entertainment Industry Student Association is a nationwide club that holds educational events and panels all over the country. Depending on your school’s location, you may get the chance to volunteer behind the scenes at music marathons like South by Southwest and CMJ music marathons.
Quidditch: For all you Harry Potter fans who want to try your hand at the famous Hogwarts sport, get this: over 300 universities and high schools around the world now offer Quidditch club teams! If your team is good enough, you may even get a chance to play in the Quidditch World Cup in New York City.
Make your own!: Tons of schools give students the option to create their own university-funded club if it doesn’t already exist. For example, if you love Arrested Development and think a lot of students in your school would want to get together and watch it, you could petition your school to let you create a club for it. This means you’ll get a space on campus to meet and possibly even a stipend to buy mayoneggs and blue body paint.
