Finding the Perfect Student Organization For You

Looking for a way to meet people in college? Think about joining a club. There are tons of student organizations on most college campuses and all of them have something different to offer members. But choosing which group is right for you can be challenging for a new student on campus. Try the following techniques to find the best fit.

Ask around

If you're new on campus, you probably won't know about any student organizations unless you're from the area. This means you'll have to do your homework on campus clubs. It's a good idea to learn all you can about a group before you commit to joining. Ask upperclassmen about which student organizations are most active on campus and which ones might be best avoided. Your resident advisor is a good resource for this sort of information.

Attend activities fairs

Most colleges hold some sort of expo the first week or two of school to introduce new students to the different groups on campus. If you want to join a club, it would be silly for you not to go to this. All the organizations on campus will be there with information about what they do and how to get involved. Club members will be there too, so you can see what kind of people are involved in each organization and determine if you'd be compatible.

Stop by a few meetings

Student organizations' general meetings tend to be open to anyone. If you're thinking about joining a specific group, find out when they hold meetings and drop in. Especially if it's a larger group, this shouldn't be a problem.

Look online

If you know what type of organization you'd like to join but aren't sure what exactly is out there, check your school's Web site. Most colleges have a department in student affairs that's dedicated to managing student programs; check their Web site for a list of groups on campus. For example, you may know you want to join an art group but aren't sure what is available. You should be able to find the names and contact information for all art groups online.

Think about club sports

Sports groups are great options for people looking to make friends while being active. You don't have to be very athletic to join a club sport; most groups will train new members, and some club sports, like ultimate Frisbee, are made up of people with varying skills levels. If you know you want to get involved but are unsure of which group to join, club sports are a good choice.

Extend your high school clubs to college

Some high school groups have college equivalents. If you enjoyed being in a certain organization in high school, do some research to see if there's a similar college group out there for you. For example, student government is an organization that's always around in both high school and college. And high school service organizations sometimes have college counterparts.

Remember: if you don't like a club that you join, you can always choose to leave it. So you've really got nothing to lose. Get out there and get involved on campus!

Tawan Perry is a dynamic speaker and award-winning author. He is author of College Sense: What College and High School Advisors Don't Tell You about College. He topics range from student leadership, college access, college success, and diversity. Visit him online at http://www.tawanperry.com