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Read more to find why student blogger Katie Overby got involved with extracurricular activities at her home university, Louisiana State University, and why you should too!
To Pursue your Hobbies and Interests
When searching for extracurricular activities, you can find clubs that suit all of your interests and hobbies. During my time at LSU, I joined German Club, Society for International Affairs (SIA), and Volunteer LSU. This gave me the opportunity to further pursue my interests, as well as find new interests. Universities have clubs for different professions and majors, sports, foreign language and more. You are guaranteed to find a club that meets your interests and personality, and if not universities often give you the opportunity to start your own club.
2. To Make Friends
Another great advantage of getting involved in extracurricular activities is to make friends. School clubs give you the opportunity to meet with other students with similar interests. Many students struggle in finding similar students on large campuses and clubs are a great way to make large college campuses a little more familiar.
3. Resume Builders
Another benefit of joining clubs is that involvement looks great on resumes and applications for jobs, scholarships, fellowships, and more. School clubs also often have executive committees, which means members have the ability to run for leadership positions such as president, vice president, secretary, or treasurer. This is another great opportunity to strengthen leadership skills which are often sought out in job candidates.
4. To Get Closer with Faculty and Staff
Another reason to join clubs is to form more personal relationships with faculty members and staff. Most schools require a club to have a staff advisor, which is a great opportunity to allow for professors to get to know you outside of class. This is extremely important in the event that you need letters of recommendation or a reference, that a staff member knows you more than on an academic level.
5. To Have Fun!
Finally, extracurricular activities are an important part of the university experience. It is easy to get caught up in only academic activities, but extracurricular activities are meant to create a fun environment for students. Throughout my time at LSU, I have gotten to participate in super fun activities such as taking trips, baking for our fundraisers, and having movie nights.
