Student activities

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Student activities (also known as campus activities) are student-focused

• Action in Africa
• Colleges Against Cancer
• Lions Club
  School Chapters
• Circle K International
• Political Party-Based Clubs
• College/University Day of Service

Diversity/Cultural

Some examples of diversity/cultural activities include:

• Black Student Union
• Asian Pacific Student Association
• Feminist Club
• LGBT Alliance
• Disability Alliance
• Diversity Training Programs

Honor Societies

Honor societies are student activities that recognize academic excellence among students. These organizations are usually exclusive to students who have excelled academically, based on scholastic ranking and/or grade point average. Honor societies are typically national or even international organizations that have established chapters at certain colleges and universities.

Some examples of honor societies include:

• National Society of Leadership & Success
• National Society of Collegiate Scholars
• Alpha Kappa Delta
• Mortar Board National College Senior Honor Society
• Phi Beta Kappa

Leisure

Leisure clubs are student activities that give students the opportunity to connect with other students with similar hobbies and are an opportunity to socialize and take a break from the academic side of student life.

Some examples of leisure activities include:

• Acapella/singing groups
• Acting clubs
• Fan clubs
• Cooking clubs

Recreational

Recreational activities are student activities that involve some form of physical activity.

Some examples of recreational activities include:

• Dance classes
• Intramural Sports
  teams
• Club sports
• Surfing clubs
• Sports tournaments

Some examples of athletic activities include:

• Football
• Baseball
• Soccer
• Volleyball
• Wrestling
• Basketball
• Golf
• Hockey
• Cricket

Religious/Spiritual

Religious/spiritual student activities refer to clubs and programs that allow students to connect with other students of similar faiths, practice their chosen faith, and/or learn about other faiths. Many schools have a faith center where these sorts of programs take place.

Some examples of religious/spiritual activities include:

• Interfaith Council
• Fellowship of Christian Athletes
• International Justice Mission
• Latter-Day Saint Student Association
• Groups for minorities that may fit into the religion of Pagan, etc.

Student-Run Event Planning Board

A student-run event planning board is a student activity that works under a faculty advisor to plan events for students, including concerts, speakers, dances, movie screenings, etc. Generally, this board is also responsible for hosting specific traditional events. These types of groups are often funded by grants from the college or university.

Quote

• "As a student run organization, externals are what gives us support, credibility and recognition. External affairs and internal development are interdependent and symbiotic in their essence." - Ralf Georges Mansour

Student-Run Businesses

Student-run businesses are student activities that involve running a business that has an affiliation with the college or university and is almost completely, if not completely, run by student workers.

Some examples of student-run businesses include:

• College/University Radio Stations
• College/University Local Television Stations
• Production Company
• Advertising Firms

National

National clubs refer to student activities that exist throughout the country.

• Habitat for Humanity
• Honors Across State/Country Borders
• Engineering Without Borders
• Global Brigades

Greek Organizations

Some examples of Greek organizations are:

• Alpha Gamma Delta
• Delta Tau Delta
• Pi Beta Phi
• Alpha Epsilon Pi

High school

Compared to college, high school provides a platform to experiment and build a concrete foundation for further education. Students can join various clubs such as student government, athletics, and science olympiad to make one well rounded and diversified. Participation in these clubs not only boosts one's resume for college applications but also provides essential skills they can use in the future.^[4][5] These skills include teamwork, organizational skills, leadership, critical thinking, and social skills.^[6] Early development of these skills allows the student to hone and sharpen them during their time in upper education.

Benefits

Participating in such clubs can impact the academic and social performance of the student involved based on their level of involvement. Skills such as academic autonomy, cultural participation, educational involvement, life management, and establishing and clarifying purpose increase in direct relation to the level of involvement.^[7]

Students who participate in club activities in their

Engagement in such activities can provides student with more credentials for applying for upper-level positions and schools. In addition, there is greater personal growth both in the workplace and mind as well as giving back to the community in the form of volunteering.^[10]

Disadvantages

Spending too much time in a club can potentially have negative effects on the student's studies. Clubs require commitment physically, mentally, and in the value of time. With that being so, taking time and energy away from one's studies in order to fulfill the clubs commitment can hinder academic performance.

Breaking such commitments can lead to one being kicked out or preventing one from participating in future club events. In some cases, clubs may require a travelling aspect where a student must not only devote time but also weekend and breaks due to their commitments.^[8][11] Noting that students do pursue certain clubs for resume purposes, some leaders of the clubs might not be as dedicated as others.^[12] Though the lack of quality does leave the door open for the student to correct and improve it, the value of time must still be considered.^[12]

While this isn't the case for all clubs, understanding the quality, atmosphere, and emotions the leaders present can give valuable insight on how the club will perform. For clubs that tend to travel within or out of the state are not typically funded by the university or college. Clubs do tend to provide ways for the student to gather money such as fundraising, drives, or club hosted activities. On one hand, it does provide the student to explore the world through a college setting, on the other hand, it does take time and money to complete such trips. Students who are considering joining clubs must ultimately decide whether the trip and accessories of the club are worth those sacrifices.^[13]

How to get involved

Campuses offer a variety of ways to introduce incoming and current students to the student activities that are held on campus. Involvement fairs are a common enrollment method where groups have designated a booth, giving them a platform to generate interest in their activities. From there, students are able to walk through these booths, chatting and learning what the clubs do, what their beliefs are, their mission, cost, etc. A quick and efficient way for students to talk to a variety of clubs in a short amount of time to figure out how and what they can get involved in. These fairs are normally held once a year typically in the first half of both semesters.^[14] Websites are also used that allow the student to input keywords or phrases to search and filter clubs within the university. From there, the user can then gather contact information, read quick biographies about the club, and look at photos to get a sense of the club. Other ways of getting involved are through friends, word of mouth, other clubs, or through flyers and posters around campus.^[15]

Additional benefits and disadvantages

Increasing Social Network

Students can find it difficult to make friends with random people. Participating in clubs allows students to find common ground between others which can hopefully start a friendship. These friendships are essential in college as they provide a place for social interaction, others to study with, people to eat with, and more.^[7][12][16]

Networking

Meeting people and creating connections provide opportunities in the future when searching for jobs. Even if the connection is weak, the more connections one has the higher the chance he/she has when job searching. Those connections can either direct or recommend their friends to those who are hiring in hopes to land a job.^[12][13]

Resume

A resume is a list of accomplishments an individual has achieved throughout their lifetime that they wish to include when applying for a job. The resume and quality of it are essential when applying as it is a direct representation of the individual it belongs to. Participation in clubs and organizations allows the student to add that information to the resume and in turn making it stronger. If the student can reach upper-level positions within the club, that too can add to the resume.

Lack of downtime

Not participating in clubs can impact the college experience as it increases the amount of downtime the student has. A deceiving problem to have as if a student feels that they have more time to complete work they might push it back decreasing their use of time and increasing their procrastination. Also, having a more structured schedule allows the student to have consistency and rhythm throughout the week which can aid in planning, time management and ease of mind.

References