By Melanie Spina
Co-Opinions Editor
With just a month into the new year and starting spring semester, I can’t help but feel like it’s time to, in a way, start all over again. Although it’s the second semester of the year it still feels like it’s a good opportunity to have a blank slate and do things that we perhaps wanted to do last semester but just didn’t have the time to, like for example, joining a club on campus.
Joining a club in college can sometimes be time consuming but I have to say it’s extremely beneficial. During my first few years of college I was the type of person that tried to get into campus clubs, went to the first meetings, but then just stopped going because I felt as if I didn’t have time. Now, in my senior year of college and being a member of a club for almost two years, I have to say that I wish I stuck it out and joined more clubs in the very beginning.
Clubs don’t only allow you to meet new people on campus but they also allow you to network and prosper professionally. Most, if not all, of the resume workshops I’ve attended in the past three years have discussed how important it is to join clubs. Having a resume filled with clubs and organizations will stand out more than just a resume of your education and classes.
Not all students feel the same. Stephanie Rozza, a senior accounting major, claims that with all her classes, work, and being a commuter she really doesn’t have the time to join clubs. “It’s really hard when you not only are a full time student but also have jobs,” she said. “I’ve tried to look into it but every semester I usually have class or have to work during the time they meet.”
Rozza believes that her major courses and her jobs come first. “I do agree that it’s good to join clubs but for me there just isn’t enough time,” she said. “I like to prioritize my time and classes and jobs are always above the clubs on campus. If I had more time, I’d definitely think of joining a club or two.”
A big factor that interferes or prevents people from joining clubs is being a commuter student. Rozza and other students may feel that way since they don’t have the convenience of living on campus; it becomes more difficult for them to connect to all clubs’ activities. “The reason I am not part of any club is not only time-wise,” Rozza said. “I have a 45 minute commute and I don’t tend to be on campus every single day so that doesn’t make it any easier for me to be motivated to join.”
On the other hand, some commuters find a way to still commit to on campus clubs, like for example Marianna Scalise, who graduated in January 2015 with a BA in psychology. “I think it’s important to be a part of something you stand for in college,” she said. “Because that’s where you really get to meet other individuals who share the same ideas and beliefs.”
During her last semester, Scalise held the position of President of the Rainbow Alliance club. “It is definitely something that jobs or internships like to see,” Scalise said. “Going to college of course provides you with more opportunities but being a part of a club goes beyond what they ask for.”
It’s important to realize that everything worthwhile takes work, therefore although clubs are definitely time consuming, it does pay off to be part of one. On the other hand it’s also understandable to prioritize and if a club just doesn’t fit into your schedule maybe there are ways to even make small contributions.
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