Campus Life: Why Should I Get Involved with Campus Organizations?

Extracurricular activities "campus clubs and groups" may be the most overlooked indicator of a college or university's quality. Why? Students who get involved may spend more time in those activities than they do in class. And those activities may help them succeed in life as much as their diploma.

A journalism major who edits her school newspaper leaves college ready to work at a "real" paper, because the difference is minimal in many ways. A student who organizes a charity dance marathon has valuable event-management skills in addition to a bachelor's degree. A member of the debate team possesses the invaluable talent of articulating his thoughts clearly and persuasively. Even the president of the hacky-sack club has flexed some leadership muscle in college.

You may not have checked out every extracurricular activity on campus before arriving at school, but your employers notice when you've used those activities to improve yourself.

Grace Choe, who in the previous section explained her passion for getting involved, is a public relations major at the University of Southern California. It was only natural for her to join USC's chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America. "I've met so many P.R. professionals from many of the top agencies in L.A. and have learned a lot about the industry," says Grace, who has served as secretary of the group. "I've kept in contact with several of them and I do bump into them during P.R. events. This is a great head start in an industry that I am going to pursue and it shows these professionals"since they see me often"that I am serious about my future."

Grace hopes to follow in the footsteps of a friend of hers who was president of her school's accounting club. The friend ended up being recruited by top accounting firms before she graduated because she had networked so successfully at club-related events.

As a dual major in business marketing and communications, Cody Quintero's involvement with the Association of University Residence Halls at the University of Kansas has been both rewarding and enriching. "I have had the opportunity to attend national conferences and represent my school in ways that I never thought possible," says Cody . "I have been able to plan events that affected almost 1,000 students. . . . There are things that I can put on my resume that I would have never been able to if I did not get involved."

The difference between high-school extracurricular activities and those in college, Cody points out, is that the students handle every single responsibility in college clubs, providing practical experience. "Joining campus clubs always gives you opportunities that you will never experience anywhere else," he adds.

Students just don't join clubs to advance their career opportunities. They join to explore their social interests, meet new people, and have fun. What follows can often have a broader impact on your college career and even your life.

Elizabeth Flynn (University of Tennessee, Knoxville) got involved with the annual Dance Marathon during her freshman year simply because she was "looking for things to do." It seemed like a worthwhile endeavor, and several of her friends had joined up, as well. The event raises funds for East Tennessee Children's Hospital's hematology and oncology unit.

Her interest blossomed into a commitment that spanned her four years at Tennessee, allowing her to give to a highly worthy cause while also having fun and building her career credentials. In her sophomore year, Elizabeth was appointed to the executive committee and oversaw the event's catering. In her junior and senior years, she handled public relations"her field of study.

"I took what I was interested in doing as a career and put my skills to work in both these positions," says Elizabeth. "I was able to learn a lot about fundraising, event planning, and crowd control during my time as director of catering, and I developed a media kit, got articles placed in the campus newspaper, and served as a liaison to the media as director of media relations."

Similarly, Jake Liefer (University of Pittsburgh) gained interpersonal skills as president of the Resident Student Association, a group he initially joined because it was the first thing that jumped out at him and because the meeting was held in his dorm. "It helps with interacting"dealing with people, dealing with situations," says Jake. "You get outside your comfort zone."

Those skills helped when he was named publicity chair for his fraternity, Lambda Chi Alpha, which was hosting a teeter-totter marathon to raise funds for the Big Brother Big Sister organization. While Jake had no formal training in the field, he managed to send out press releases and generate interest among the Pittsburgh media. Eventually, he grew comfortable fielding inquiries and speaking to the press because of his experience with the Resident Student Association.