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How do you decide on which extracurriculars you want to do in college?
I'm an incoming college freshman who is very excited to try new things and join different clubs and organizations at my university. I want to explore new interests while maintaining the ones I already have, but I don't know how to decide which extracurriculars to commit myself to. There's at least seven different clubs I'm really interested in.
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Jennifer’s Answer
Short answer: Attend, self-educate, and prioritize.
Longer answer: You won't know how much you'll enjoy a group of people from the subject. Honestly, my favorite group were not directly related to my field of study. I joined ASME, American Society of Mechanical Engineers; AIAA, American Institute of Aeronautical and Aerospace; and NSPE, National Society of Professional Engineers, and was an officer, but they were dry experiences. The ones I had the most fun with were groups like swing dancing, wake-boarding, and Theta Tau. The people are what made it more or less fun.
I wouldn't recommend it, but I did bounce around to a lot of different student orgs. If you're the "mile wide, inch deep" Jill-of-all-trades type, this gave me more experiences that I enjoyed. If you want leadership experience than picking a few and devoting time will get more vertical growth in an org.
Also, some groups will be VERY beneficial to join that you wouldn't consider. I joined IEEE and AIChE as a member and the groups had study sessions that really helped me with homework and studying for their respective specialties; electrical engineering and chemical engineering, respectively.
Longer answer: You won't know how much you'll enjoy a group of people from the subject. Honestly, my favorite group were not directly related to my field of study. I joined ASME, American Society of Mechanical Engineers; AIAA, American Institute of Aeronautical and Aerospace; and NSPE, National Society of Professional Engineers, and was an officer, but they were dry experiences. The ones I had the most fun with were groups like swing dancing, wake-boarding, and Theta Tau. The people are what made it more or less fun.
I wouldn't recommend it, but I did bounce around to a lot of different student orgs. If you're the "mile wide, inch deep" Jill-of-all-trades type, this gave me more experiences that I enjoyed. If you want leadership experience than picking a few and devoting time will get more vertical growth in an org.
Also, some groups will be VERY beneficial to join that you wouldn't consider. I joined IEEE and AIChE as a member and the groups had study sessions that really helped me with homework and studying for their respective specialties; electrical engineering and chemical engineering, respectively.
Hi Ms. Lu,
Thank you for your thoughtful answer! It's nice to hear advice coming from a person's lived experience. I definitely see myself being one of those "Jill-of-all-Trades" people, and club hopping doesn't sound like too bad of an idea, especially for my first semester when I'm just trying things out.
Elliana
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Katie’s Answer
I recommend attending the first meeting of each club and find out what they expect of their members and what you can expect of the club. Introduce yourself to returning members to get a better feel for the club—are these people you want to spend time with? What is their schedule of meetings and activities; will this fit into your schedule? Your list of extracurricular options may be smaller after attending the first meeting.
I also suggest including at least one professional organization in your extracurriculars. When I was in school, I learned a lot from the American Institute of Chemical Engineers including different industries that hire Chemical Engineers and what hiring managers are looking for an interview. These meetings were scheduled during a free time on the Chemical Engineering course schedule. Bonus—we got a free lunch.
I also suggest including at least one professional organization in your extracurriculars. When I was in school, I learned a lot from the American Institute of Chemical Engineers including different industries that hire Chemical Engineers and what hiring managers are looking for an interview. These meetings were scheduled during a free time on the Chemical Engineering course schedule. Bonus—we got a free lunch.
Hi Ms. Katie,
Thank you for such a quick response! This is my first time using careervillage and already I see that it is a good resource. :) You're right that attending the first meetings and learning about each club's scheduling will definitely help me shorten my list. That along with really getting to know the people in each club. Also, thank you for suggesting I look into a professional organization. It'd definitely help me in my developing my career.
Elliana