Why get involved? 10 Reasons to Join a Student Organization

Going to college can be an exciting and sometimes nerve-wracking time, but becoming involved on campus can make your transition more enjoyable! There are many reasons why students should join a student organization while at Bay State College. Some help you with your career aspirations, some focus on engaging in the local community, and others focus on the social aspect of meeting new people. Here are the top 10 reasons to join a student organization at Bay state College.

1) Meeting new people - Getting involved in a student organization is an excellent opportunity to meet people with similar interests as you. It's likely that they are also trying to make new friends and put themselves out there, so introduce yourself! 

 2) Learning about new resources - College can be a complicated time for many students, so joining student organizations can point you in the proper direction if you are seeking guidance.  

 3) Using your creative noodle - Student organizations require lots of event planning, fundraising, and collaboration. All of this brainstorming allows you to think outside of the box for new and engaging events to make your group stand out. 

 4) Improving your resume - Employers love to see that a candidate has leadership skills and is a team player. A student organization is the perfect place to develop these skills.

 5) Giving back to the community - Many student organizations require a community service aspect, whether that is volunteering at the local soup kitchen or hosting a clothing drive on campus. These efforts are beneficial to not only the campus community, but the global community as well, and they make you feel good about yourself. 

 6) Critical thinking - With all this planning and strategizing going on, student organizations are a great place to work with others in order to think about topics and issues that students care about. 

 7) Developing time-management skills - Joining a student organization is certainly a time commitment, but these time commitments can help you to develop a set schedule and make time for work and for play!  

 8) Building community - Many students who become involved in student organizations describe their fellow members as a "family." This is a supportive group of students who share similar interests, so it is likely that you will all enjoy each other and hangout outside of meetings, making the space more inclusive and positive for everyone.  

 9) Challenging your beliefs - Another part of being involved on campus and working with others is learning how to deal with opinions and beliefs that you may not agree with, which helps you to grow, as well as to learn about your own morals.  

 10) Have fun! - Above all, it is important to remember that being a part of a student organization is supposed to be fun! So while planning and meetings may get stressful on top of your course load, remember why you joined the group in the first place and stay positive!

If you are interested in joining an existing student organization or starting a new one, contact Kristin Staine, Assistant Director of Student Involvement and Leadership (kstaine@baystate.edu) for more information.