What Are the Best College Clubs and Organizations to Join?

Why College Clubs and Organizations Matter

If you’re interested in the best college clubs to join, you’re in the right place. We’ll discuss the different types of collegiate clubs and their benefits. Then, you’ll know the steps in choosing the right club for yourself.

We have Harvard University to thank for being the pioneer in college clubs. The university’s Spy Club was the country’s first college literary society (1722). This makes sense, considering that Harvard is the country’s oldest college (1636).

Today, almost every college and university has student clubs and organizations. Even online colleges offer these clubs in one form or another. These student clubs and organizations enable students with common interests to come together.

Furthermore, students in these college clubs enjoy many benefits. The return on investment that your time and energy extends beyond your college years, too.

Here are the benefits of student involvement that you can look forward to.

• Boost your academic achievement because you can have peer mentors and tutors
• Develop your hard and soft skills for your personal and professional growth
• Build meaningful relationships with your peers and others
• Expand your network, a must for career growth
• Take on leadership roles that can boost your resume and career readiness

Best of all, you’ll feel a strong sense of belongingness and community. In the epidemic of loneliness among college students, it’s a crucial benefit.

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Academic and Professional Clubs

The most popular college student organizations are the academic and professional clubs. Students connect with their peers and industry professionals in their specific industries. Business, psychology, and computer science clubs are popular examples.

Students can either join an academic club or a professional organization. While an academic club is student-operated, a professional organization consists of industry professionals. Many professional organizations have collegiate chapters, too, such as:

• American Marketing Association (AMA)
• Society of Women Engineers (SWE)
• Association for Computing Machinery (ACM)

Students in academic clubs and professional organizations have many networking and internship opportunities. These groups provide these benefits by:

• Organizing workshops, seminars, and conferences
• Inviting resource persons who provide industry insights and information
• Conducting formal and informal networking events (e.g., mixers and career fairs)
• Partnering with companies for job fairs and other events
• Maintaining strong connections with the alumni network for mentorship, career advice, and internships
• Providing access to exclusive internship and job postings
• Enabling students to take on leadership roles

Indeed, the benefits of joining college clubs extend beyond your graduation.

Student Government and Leadership Organizations

Both are student-led groups that represent the student’s interests and well-being. Also, both groups organize extracurricular activities and service projects.

But there are significant differences between them. A student government enables students to participate in their college’s decision-making process. Leadership organizations enable members to develop their leadership skills.

There’s no need to choose between these two groups either. You can be a leader in the student government and a member of a leadership organization.

Being involved in either of these student-led groups has many benefits.

• Develop your leadership, negotiation, and conflict resolution skills, among others
• Deepen your understanding of community service, civic responsibility, and active citizenship
• Gain more experience in managing teams
• Build your network for your personal and career growth

Your leadership experience will boost your resume and career prospects, too. Being a student leader demonstrates initiative, adaptability, and resilience. Prospective employers place a premium value on these traits.

Cultural and Diversity-Based Organizations

If you want to connect with your peers from the same culture, ethnicity, or nationality, this is it. You’ll also find exciting extracurricular activities for college students in these groups.

Be a member of a cultural and diversity-based organization and enjoy these benefits.

Connect with your culture and heritage.

Enjoy cultural events, such as language classes, food festivals, and music events. Knowing your culture and heritage also means being able to share it with others.

Feel a sense of belonging.

You won’t feel so isolated anymore because you have a community. Being part of it can boost your academic performance and confidence. You’ll also learn new aspects of your heritage via formal and informal discussions.

Diversity-based groups also promote better inclusion amongst students by:

• Creating a welcoming environment that students—particularly the disadvantaged and marginalized learners—feel safe in:
  • Enabling students from different backgrounds to engage in open discussions
  • Promoting more understanding between cultural groups through the sharing of experiences
  • Building and strengthening intercultural friendships 

On a personal level, you’ll create friendships that transcend race and ethnicity. In a globalized world, it’s as valuable as any material asset.   

Service and Volunteer Clubs

If you want extensive networking opportunities in college, consider service and volunteer clubs. Why? You’ll go outside of your campus to meet new people.

Service and volunteer clubs enable members to make a positive impact on communities. Check out these collegiate chapters of notable organizations.

• Lions Clubs – Campus Lions Clubs
• Rotary International – Rotaract
• Kiwanis International – Circle K International

Join a service and volunteer organization and enjoy meaningful experiences through:

• Community clean-up drives
• Food donation drives and feeding programs
• Youth tutoring and mentorship
• Disaster relief and humanitarian aid
• Health and wellness initiatives

In the process, you’ll enjoy these benefits that boost your personal and career growth.

• Develop your communication, teamwork, and problem-solving skills
• Learn to interact well with people from diverse backgrounds
• Gain diverse experiences that open your eyes to society’s issues
• Access internship and job opportunities

Plus, many of these groups offer financial aid, including scholarships and grants. This is true for Campus Lions, Rotaract, and Circle K members.

Sports, Recreation, and E-Sports Clubs

Sports and recreation, college clubs and career development don’t go hand-in-hand. Or do they? Yes, they do because the sports and e-sports industry offers excellent careers. Think professional athletes, coaches, and managers, as well as behind-the-scenes jobs.

Even in college, you can make money in sports and e-sports through:

• College club scholarships (i.e., athletic and e-sports scholarships)
• Company sponsorships
• Tournament and league prize money
• Revenue from content and streaming
• Sales of merchandise (e.g., jerseys, hoodies, and caps)  

Being in a sports, recreation, or e-sports club also means networking opportunities. You’ll meet talent scouts, peers from other schools, and industry professionals.

Other notable benefits of being a member in these clubs include:

• Boost your physical health and maintain a healthy weight.
• Improve your mood, focus, and sleep, as well as decrease your stress.
• Develop your communication, leadership, and teamwork skills.
• Enhance your cognitive function and, thus, your academic performance.
• Develop your digital literacy skills.

Whether you engage in physical or virtual sports, your mind, body, and pockets benefit.

Creative and Performing Arts Clubs

Students in these clubs explore their creative talents with their peers and mentors. Better yet, you can transform your raw talent into bankable skills. Keep in mind that many students have raw talent. But it takes practice, perseverance, and passion to turn it into skill.

Large universities usually have many types of creative clubs, including:

• Music clubs and ensembles
• Creative writing clubs and poetry groups
• Theater and drama clubs
• Visual arts and photography clubs
• Dance clubs
• Film and media clubs

If you choose to join one of these clubs, your student life becomes richer because you’ll:

• Be able to explore and express your ideas, emotions, and perspectives. You’ll explore different media and genres with your peers and mentors. 
• Develop technical skills in your preferred art forms. If you play the piano, for example, you’ll develop advanced finger techniques. 
• Build your confidence in your art form.
• Expand your network and boost your career prospects.

You’ll also find many opportunities in whatever art form you’re interested in. College clubs usually organize campus concerts, theater shows, and art exhibitions.

Special Interest and Hobby-Based Clubs

You’ll find leadership opportunities in college through these clubs, too. Think about creating your own special interest or hobby club and be its leader.

But remember that being a student leader in any capacity has its challenges. You’ll lead the group in organizing extracurricular activities for the members. The group may also want to raise awareness of your interests among the student body.

Popular examples of these clubs include:

• Outdoor clubs (mountaineering, kayaking, and hiking clubs)
• Gaming clubs (chess and ping-pong) 
• Tech clubs (coding and robotics)
• Culinary clubs (cooking and food critique)

While these are so-called niche clubs, they appeal to the mainstream, too. You’ll find that being a member brings benefits like:

• Building friendships among your like-minded peers
• Reducing your stress by getting emotional support
• Getting new perspectives about your interests and hobbies
• Sharing your knowledge and skills with others

You can even turn your hobby into a career through these clubs. If you’re into cooking, your fellow members can be your first dining customers.

Religious and Faith-Based Organizations

If you want to express your faith and spread awareness about it, consider these groups. Religious and faith-based groups consist of students who share a common faith. These can be Christianity, Judaism, or Islam, among others.

Notable examples include:

• InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, a Christian evangelical student movement
• Hillel International, the largest Jewish student organization globally
• Muslim Students Association, a religious organization that maintains Islamic societies in colleges

Other examples are Chabad on Campus and Catholic Campus Ministry. When choosing from among these groups, consider your own faith.

Every group has its specific religious identity, focus, and programs. But these groups provide their members with:

• A strong sense of belongingness in a community of peers and mentors
• Access to mental health and spiritual growth support services
• Opportunities to take on leadership roles
• Social connections that can lead to lifelong friendships

Many of these groups also organize community outreach programs. Food drives, homeless shelter volunteering, and clean-up drives are common.

Entrepreneurship and Business Clubs

If you’re a business or entrepreneurship student, it makes sense to join these clubs. In a few cases, membership may even be compulsory for students.

Notable examples include:

• Future Business Leaders of America
• DECA Collegiate Division
• Young Entrepreneur Council
• Beta Gamma Sigma

As a member, you’ll enjoy these benefits.

• Learn more about business and entrepreneurship beyond textbooks
• Network with their peers, professors, and industry professionals
• Gain insights from successful business leaders during seminars and workshops
• Access useful resources and services that boost your academics and career

You’ll also gain practical training in real-world settings. This way, starting a business or a startup becomes more efficient. The practical training comes in the form of:

• Internships where you’ll be part of a business team
• Apprenticeships where you’ll work under the direct supervision of a business professional
• Incubators and accelerators that enable students to develop their businesses
• Business competitions and hackathons where you’ll solve real-world business issues

Many of these clubs also provide mentorship and funding opportunities. Take full advantage of them so that you can kickstart your business idea. Make your elevator pitch to angel investors and venture capitalists.

How to Choose the Right College Club for You

With so many clubs, even ones that didn’t make it to this list of the best college clubs to join, you’ll feel overwhelmed. Don’t be because here are our steps on how to choose a college club that’s right for you.

• List down your interests and goals.
• Research the clubs and organizations in your school. Check their websites, talk to their members, and attend club fairs.
• Determine their membership benefits, time commitment, and other aspects.
• Choose clubs that meet your interests and goals.

Don’t spread yourself too thinly. Let’s say you’re deciding between student government vs. academic clubs. Choose based on your course schedule and other commitments.

Be sure to strike a good balance between your academics and extracurriculars, too.

• Always prioritize your courses.
• Create a manageable schedule.
• Set your boundaries.

In the end, extracurriculars enrich your college experience. But being in college means putting your academics first. 

Conclusion: Why Joining a College Club Is Worth It

In conclusion, joining a college club brings enriching experiences. Networking, skill development, scholarships, and career preparation are its key benefits.

So, join college clubs ASAP, particularly in your freshman year. This way, you’ll get the most out of your membership.