Being able to play in your college's orchestra or band can have a lot of benefits. In an interview I had with Johnny Bizon, a student and orchestra player at North Central College, he shared how he got started in the orchestra and the influence it has on him. Including college, he has been playing in an orchestra for ten years, and after nailing his audition before his freshman year, he received the opportunity to play in North Central College’s orchestra along with receiving a scholarship. 

He said that, “Orchestra has been such a great experience for me! It’s one of those things that has given me a sense of purpose and allows me to get involved.” He found a lot of his now good friends in orchestra and has been able to express his talents and voice through playing the cello.

It is clear to see that these clubs have a larger reach than other college activities. They help develop valuable life skills such as strong discipline and a strong sense of teamwork, which are needed in the corporate world. College sports can also help give you the experience necessary to join a national sports team if that is your goal after college.

Clubs Requiring No Prerequisites

These types of clubs are the most common you can find at your school. The obvious difference between the two is that these types of clubs welcome anyone with open arms. These are a great opportunity to explore your interests, find new ones and to meet others.

There are many of these types of clubs to join, but for simplicity I will divide them into three general categories, so I can dive more into depth about examples from each category. I believe that they can be generally separated into these three branches:

1. Academic

2. Social

3. Cultural

These broadly define every type of inclusive club in most colleges; however, some colleges might have other clubs that do not fall into one of these three categories. I strongly encourage you to research your college's unique offerings, they can be easily found on your school’s website or by looking up your college with clubs or student activities.

Academic Clubs

These clubs are the best for learning more about a professional field or complementing your major. Anyone is welcome to join, for instance, you don’t have to have a marketing major to join a marketing-based club but of course, it’s helpful. If you have any interest at all in learning about a certain academic field, you’ll find vast variety of options including: 

• Finance Club 

• American Marketing Association (AMA)

• Enactus

Some can even be entrepreneurial businesses that run on your campus. One example is the North Central Coffee Lab, which is a student-run venture that sells Guatemalan coffee, chocolate, and other artisan goods, while focusing on providing a sustainable future for their farmers and maintaining their message of mutual empowerment. I am part of this wonderful organization, and it’s provided me with a lot of knowledge about entrepreneurship, while also being a great place for meeting new people and recognizing them in my business classes. Many members of this club don’t have a business major but are still extremely interested in giving their time for the club's message and positive social impact.

Some other benefits of academic clubs according to Elizabeth Simmons, Executive Vice Chancellor and physics professor at UC San Diego, include “[trying] out activities that relate some aspect of your academic studies to the real world. This will give you a better idea of what kinds of careers you might want to pursue in the long run.” This is especially helpful for students with undecided majors or with broad majors. It can help them decide on what major they want to pursue or even help decide a minor.

Social Clubs

As the name suggests, these types of clubs are all about meeting new people with similar interests to you. These are great for making new friends or even finding a new interest you didn’t know you had. Some of these types of clubs include:

• Book Club

• Chess Club 

• Bowling Club (non-athletic)

These can be a fun and stress-free way to get involved on campus and become integrated into your college community. There’s so many to choose from that you’re bound to find something you enjoy. Of course, not every club is for everyone, it all depends on your interests or personal goals. If you have an open mind and love meeting new people, you’ll have an easy time choosing a club and enjoying your time at college.

These types of clubs have the same, or even more benefits than clubs requiring previous experiences, tryouts, or auditions. Because no previous experience is required, social clubs make up the majority of most college offerings. Elizabeth Simmons also shared some benefits of social clubs, including “[being] involved in activities that you enjoy. This improves your sense of well-being and your enjoyment of life. It also gives you a break from studying so that you can return to your books refreshed and ready to work again.”

Making friends on your campus is one of the most important things you can do during your time in college. While you can try to create friendships in your classes or at social events, joining a club can help you more easily create friendships with people who share similar interests.

Cultural Clubs

These types of clubs are all about joining a community based on your beliefs and your heritage. There are a lot of clubs specializing in diversity, which focus on creating a community for minority groups. Some clubs that fall into this category are:

• Black Student Association (BSA)

• Spiritual life

• DivOUT

Many colleges are focused on providing an environment focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion. These types of clubs harness this atmosphere and provide a great way to meet those similar to you in a variety of ways. They’re also a great way to raise awareness about certain cultures. For example, the African and Caribbean Student Organization (ACSA) at University of Chicago aims to celebrate these cultures by organizing events that shed light on the heritage and provide meaningful dialogue. These kinds of clubs are fantastic as they are not only welcoming to their culture of focus, but anyone interested in exploring various international cultures. 

Another type of clubs that I believe fall into the cultural category are LGBTQIA+ focused organizations. As the name suggests, they provide a safe space for members of various gender communities and their allies. They focus on providing an open ear to any issues people are facing due to being part of the LGBTQIA+ community. The vast majority of schools provide these various safe spaces and are open to allies as well, those who don’t identify with the LQBTQIA+ community.

I sincerely hope that I’ve helped shed light on the various club options all of you have as college students, and those about to start your college journey. I’m sure that each and everyone who reads this can find a club offering that interests them. There’s honestly a club for everyone, but in the rare chance you don’t find something, you could always start your own. Who knows, it might become one of your school's most popular RSO (recognized student organizations).

To keep things brief, each college has its own unique list of requirements that need to be fulfilled before you start your own club, however these are a few things you should consider. First, you need to make sure that enough people will want to attend your club. If you make one, research and determine if there are any similar clubs of your nature already operating on your campus. Next, select a supervisor, it will most likely be a faculty member. Finally, create a proposal that clearly defines your objectives or niche, and if you get approved you can start to spread the word about your club. You want to note that the club can be maintained over a long term. But most importantly, be sure to research your college website for additional and specific information.

Again, I hope that I helped share some simple ways to get involved on your campus. I also hope that by sharing the positive impacts of joining a club and socializing that I genuinely made you feel excited about joining a club. It’s part of the college experience that many people miss out on or overlook the importance of, so I hope that I provided the resources and advice needed to help you feel involved and have a fulfilling college experience.