Last week’s Clubs Days introduced students to many different groups on campus. It can be very intimidating to join a club, especially if you don’t know anyone in the club or don’t know if it will be right for you. Throughout high school and now into my first year at the University of Windsor, I have been involved in many clubs; jazz choir, drama club, curling team, debate team, a few fleeting appearances in other groups, and now Her Campus. Upon joining, I was never sure what I’d be getting myself into. However, I’ve noticed that there are five benefits that come from being a part of any club.
1) Meeting new people
Even if you join a club with a friend, you are always going to meet new people. Usually, it’s easy to get along with the people you meet because you all have something in common: your interest in the club. Most clubs have regular meetings or get together a few times a week, which means you spend a considerable amount of time with other members. From my experience, club members often become good friends with one another.
2) Learning new skills
All members of a club contribute to the group. Regardless of whether or not a club is casual or rigid, everyone has a job to do. Your job may be something you are already great at or it may be something you have no experience with. Either way, there is always something to learn. I’ve discovered a lot about how to work with and trust other people. Some specific skills have been how to curl, how to act, and the rules of debate.
3) Getting better at time management
The amount of time you commit to a club varies with each group, but that’s still time that you have to fit into your busy schedule. Between work, school, friends, family, and other commitments, the idea of joining a club may seem daunting. However, with good time management, it is often very possible to join a club and still have time for everything else. I’ve found that once I get used to my role in a club and figure out how much time I need to put into it, there’s always enough time left over for everything else that needs to get done each day.
4) Gaining experience that could help you in the future
Learning new skills and improving your time management are things that will help you in the future. If you join a club that is similar to the career you wish to pursue, the specific skills you learn will not only help you thrive in that career, but will also look great on a resume! For instance, if I wanted to be a lawyer, I would be thankful for the practice I’d gotten from being part of a debate team.
5) Improving confidence
It takes bravery to join a club. You’re not sure if you’ll fit in, if you’ll get along with other members, if you’ll be good at your role in the group, along with other worries. Though you’ll soon find that you fit in and get along with other members because of a common interest. The more you practice your role in the club, the better you’ll be at it. Usually, the more time you spend in a club, the more comfortable and confident you’ll be. I was very nervous the first few times I joined clubs, but it gets easier every time.
If you’ve thought about joining a club, I hope that the benefits I’ve experienced make you feel less anxious about becoming a member. There’s something for everyone at the University of Windsor, so if you want to become part of a club, do your research and figure out what’s right for you!