Following this September’s Club days (Sept. 17-18), in which many of the various clubs hosted by the school showcased their ideas and activities, there is a huge number of clubs for you as a student to participate in. From the Red Cross Club to the Campus Environmentalists, you’re bound to find the club for you if you search hard enough. What exactly are some of the benefits of joining an on-campus club?

For starters, joining any club will allow you to meet new people. Because clubs are generally focused on a goal, activity, or learning target, the members of the said club will most likely have an interest in that very topic. This means that if you join a club because its premise interests you, then you will find that the other members of the club will also have similar interests. This is one of the best parts of joining a club because finding people with interests similar to your own is a great way to make new friends. Junior Ashley Yeung says, “Not only do you get to meet new people but you also get to create long-lasting memories with your friends.” What exactly it is that you do with these friends, well, that belongs in another article.

Another reason to join a club is because of the skills they can help you develop. If you’re in an art club, you’re naturally going to be brushing up on your art skills. If you’re in a book club, you’re going to develop your skills in English and text analysis. The specific lessons that you might learn in your club really depend on the type of club you join, but there are some lessons that joining any club can teach. These include time management, interacting with your peers, learning from criticism, and sharing your work with others. You will most likely utilize these essential skills throughout most of your life, so an easy way to begin developing them would be to start with simply joining a school club of your choice. After all, practice makes perfect! Junior Renee Lotfy says, “I’ve learned a lot through the various clubs I’ve joined, and I think club experience is very valuable!”

While expanding on your current interests and passions is certainly a great thing and one of the largest benefits of joining a club, joining a club outside of your range of expertise can also be fun and beneficial. By doing this, you are expanding your horizons as both a student and a person, and becoming more open-minded to new kinds of activities and people is something that everyone could use a little more of. As long as you are able to show commitment and devotion to trying out your new activity, you can pretty much accomplish whatever you put your mind to. Who knows, maybe you might just discover your new favorite hobby?

Lastly, joining a club (especially those that include volunteer or academic work) can be a great way to power boost your future college applications. Application agents at colleges and universities like to see that you as a student have an interest in learning both inside and outside of the classroom. They want to see that you not only have devotion to the clubs that you participate in but the capacity to take on the new challenges that may come with them as well. They also like to see that you have the ability to take charge of your club’s field of work and become a natural leader who can make a true difference in not only your club but your entire school as well.

However, despite all that, you shouldn’t just join a bunch of clubs simply because you want it to look good on your college application. Just like senior Alice Y. of Allies Club says, “The more clubs you join, the more school starts to seem fun.” Clubs are meant to be fun and interesting for you, so make sure the clubs that you join truly interest you so that your high school experience can become one of both having a good time and learning challenges.

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