Four reasons why joining student clubs is important for university experience

By Lauren Conn, September 19 2018 —

“Get involved!” every orientation leader seemed to tell you over the last couple weeks. While it may seem tempting to only show up to campus for the occasional class and leave immediately after, joining a club or two gives you a pretty great reason to stick around after classes end. With Clubs Week upon us, make sure you take the time to visit the tables in MacHall and chat up some club reps while you’re there. It’s worth your time, seriously.

1. The perfect recipe for new friends:

Joining a club is a great way to meet new people with similar interests. Even though it feels like every human in Calgary is inside MacHall during the lunch hour, making friends can be pretty tough in university. Joining a club creates a space for you to meet new and like-minded people, which is the perfect recipe for new friendships.

2. Learn a new skill or hone in on old one:

Have you ever wanted to try something new but never knew where to start? Maybe give gardening a shot? Or join a Dungeons & Dragons campaign? Or learn how to play Quidditch? Expanding your horizons to new skills and interests could result in some awesome adventures.

3. Advocate for a cause you’re really passionate about:

Not all clubs on campus are organized around hobbies. There are several clubs that centre around advocacy for different issues. Working on an issue you’re passionate about gives you a great background that could help you out later on down the road — plus, it looks great on resumés. If you’re not too sure what sets your soul on fire, that’s cool too. With the variety of activist and advocacy groups on campus, something is bound to catch your interest.

4. De-stress by focusing on something that isn’t homework:

Everyone’s had those days where seeing another lab write-up, online quiz or essay assignment makes you dream of dropping out and becoming a lawless hermit who herds sheep in rural Scotland. When you join a club, you are able to spend time focusing on something that isn’t the huge pile of coursework that’s taken your desk hostage.