Top 5 reasons to join a club

Every September, student-run clubs gather in the Tegler Student Centre to help you find your community at CUE. Club leaders are passionate about their causes and at our largest community-building event, we strongly recommend you ask plenty of questions and sign up if a club piques your interest. 

Student organizations are an essential part of the CUE experience; they open doors to new friendships, leads to potential career paths and help you feel connected on campus. Clubs are resume-building opportunities that help you develop leadership skills and enhance your academic life.

Joining a club helps you meet people who are doing big, imaginative projects that impact change on campus and in the world. “Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much. Join a club or union and make the most out of your university experience! Don’t see a club you are interested in? Start your own today!” said Rowan Hanf, VP Finance/Clubs and Unions coordinator.

There are hundreds of reasons to join a club, but here are our top five:

1.  Networking opportunities

Meeting new students and building relationships will help you with career growth when it comes time to graduate. Those invaluable connections with people who have the same interests and who have seen your skills in action will recommend you to other employers. Some clubs even keep contacts with alumni, who you can receive mentorship from and connect with upon graduating. 

2.  Self-discovery

Joining a club helps you stretch yourself to form new goals, and explore where your strengths align. It also provides the opportunity to meet people from various backgrounds, so you are exposed to diverse viewpoints that expand your thinking. 

For more introverted students, joining a club is the perfect way to challenge yourself, as Shannon Ross, a recent graduate of the Bachelor of Science program, found out. “As someone who started university as quite shy, getting involved in the CUE community helped me come out of my shell and contributed to me leaving university as a more confident, outgoing individual.” 

3.  Leadership Skills

Many clubs require that you organize events, take a leading role in social media or collaborate directly with faculty members and university staff. All of these tasks will teach you project and time management skills that will guide you in your career. You can highlight these skills on your resumé showing employers you are able to multitask and handle greater responsibilities. 

Bachelor of Arts student, Hermella Haile, took a leading role in starting a new association at CUE: “With the support of my peers, faculty and staff, I helped create CUE’s first Black Students Association.” 

4.  Reinforce learnings

For students looking to apply their in-class learnings in practical and real-life ways, clubs are a safe environment to test your knowledge. Clubs give students decision-making responsibilities to raise funds, plan events, execute logistics, and divy up funds strategically. Learning is also enhanced when students can apply the concepts they learn in the classroom with an immediate situation.

5.  Increased well-being

As social creatures, humans are happiest when they have a wider social network. When academic stress rises towards exam time, you’ll be happy to have that support system with friends going through similar struggles. Making those friends early in the academic year can prevent feelings of isolation at university that leads to higher levels of stress. Taking the time to join a club is a wise investment in your mental well-being. 

Your commitment level is entirely up to you.