What are five benefits of joining a club or society?
This is the second of three chapters about Clubs and Societies. To complete this reader, read each chapter carefully and then unlock and complete our materials to check your understanding.
– Review the introduction to clubs and societies in Chapter 1
– Introduce five benefits for personal and professional development to joining clubs and societies
– Offer activities to check comprehension and guide learning
Chapter 2
The range of clubs and societies available at many universities is quite phenomenal and can be one of the most rewarding benefits of studying at a higher-education institute. While some students may begin a bachelor’s degree with a clear idea of which club or society they wish to join, the truth is that many students rarely take this opportunity into much consideration – particularly when there are so many other aspects of settling in to distract you. To make the decision somewhat easier for students, this chapter builds on Chapter 1’s discussion of societies and clubs by highlighting five of the most important benefits that encourage students to sign up to these rewarding extra-curricular activities.
Benefit 1: Healthy Living
University may be the first time a student has lived alone, and it can take some time and discipline to adjust to this new-found autonomy, independence and responsibility. While studying is not necessarily the most important thing on a first-year student’s agenda, socialising in the pub or gathering at house parties or student bars shouldn’t be the only way to hang out with newly formed friends. Joining a sports club or an active society has obvious health benefits, and even less-active clubs and societies will increase a student’s opportunity to make friends and share ideas and interests away from the temptations of alcohol, drugs and social media. You’ll be a better balanced student for it.
Benefit 2: Diversifying Friendships
One aspect of university that can be challenging for newly enrolled students is the making of a solid and supportive network of friends. While it’s likely that faces from lectures and seminars will become familiar, it’s also possible to widen your friendship groups by joining clubs and societies. For some, doing so may be the best way to make friends as it can be difficult for shyer or more introverted characters to integrate into their dormitory, flat or subject-major cohorts.
Benefit 3: Personal Development
With so much choice on offer, universities really do provide a fantastic opportunity to develop skills and characteristics that an academic qualification simply cannot offer. As frustrating as it may be, a university degree is rarely enough on its own these days, and because club and societies often require managing, funding, promoting and organising, such experiences allow students to gain transferable skills that enhance a CV or resume and produce a more competitive candidate for future employment. Similarly, personal skills such as teamwork, communication, compassion and open-mindedness are often honed in these extra-curricular contexts and help to make a person well-rounded, likeable and confident.
Benefit 4: Building Lifelong Networks
Although not true for every culture, this benefit may be paramount for some – particularly in countries such as China and South Korea. The initiation into a society (a process in itself) equates to an often unspoken agreement that for future educational and career opportunities, alliances will be honoured and preferential treatment will be awarded to a society’s members over others. This is particularly true of the fraternities and sororities mentioned in Chapter 1. Whether this is fair or not, societies and clubs are in any case where you are most likely to meet the most passionate and driven individuals, and building relationships with such people may well open doors to you for exciting future opportunities.
Benefit 5: Saving Money
It is very often the situation that the clubs and activities provided for students are cheaper than those available to a member of the public. Whether this is because of group deals, government subsidies or local business co-ops, university clubs are often able to secure discounts for national and international events. Signing up may therefore make for the most cost-effective period of an individual’s life when participating in extreme sports and competitions or in learning new hobbies.
To reference this reader:
Academic Marker (2022) Clubs and Societies. Available at: https://academicmarker.com/careers-advice/getting-experienced/clubs-and-societies/ (Accessed: Date Month Year).
Downloadables
Once you’ve completed all three chapters in this short reader about Clubs and Societies, you might then wish to download our Chapter Worksheets to check your progress or print for your students. These professional PDF worksheets can be easily accessed for only a few Academic Marks.
Chapter 1 explores the topic: How are academic clubs and societies different? Our Chapter 1 Worksheet (containing guidance, activities and answer keys) can be accessed here at the click of a button.
Chapter 2 explores the topic: What are five benefits of joining a club or society? Our Chapter 2 Worksheet (containing guidance, activities and answer keys) can be accessed here at the click of a button.
Chapter 3 explores the topic: What are five tips for choosing university societies? Our Chapter 3 Worksheet (containing guidance, activities and answer keys) can be accessed here at the click of a button.
To save yourself 2 Marks, click on the button below to gain unlimited access to all of our Clubs and Societies Chapter Worksheets. This All-in-1 Pack includes every chapter, activity and answer key related to this topic in one handy and professional PDF.
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