Universiry Prep: Finding & Joining Clubs
It’s that time of the year where we begin to think about university once more. While academics are often top of mind, joining clubs and student groups is a fantastic way to make your university journey more exciting! Regardless of whether you’re entering your first year of university or are well into your undergraduate studies, it’s always good to learn some new tips for how to find and join clubs at your university.
The Search: How to Find Clubs
As you may have already guessed, my number one suggestion for finding clubs is to look on Instagram. It’s very common for clubs to cross-post and share posts from other relevant clubs on their stories. So if you find a club you’re interested in and follow them, chances are you’ll soon learn about another related club too!
Another great resource for finding clubs is to look through your university’s club/student group registry. For instance, the University of Toronto has a list of all the registered groups on campus and related info. Many other universities, such as Queen’s, have similar databases.
Though it seems – and is – tedious to look through such long lists, it’s well worth the effort. Of course, you can search for terms you’re interested in to see if any clubs matching your interest exist at your institution. But looking through the list may lead you to find a club you would’ve never thought of before and help you explore new areas!
The final, and least efficient but perhaps most fun, way to find clubs is by talking to other students! Once you’re back to school, add “So, are you in any clubs?” to your arsenal of small talk questions. This has helped me find clubs I didn’t know existed even after a year.
Joining Clubs
Most groups have two main ways for members to get involved: The first is by becoming a general member and the second by becoming an executive member. General members generally attend meetings/events but don’t have any large tasks or responsibilities. By contrast, executive team members often organize such events and run the club. This is a bigger commitment but also often more fulfilling and challenging, helping your grow as a person and develop new skillsets!
I’d recommend taking it easy with the number of clubs you join as an executive member so you can really give it your all. But, especially as a first year, I’d also recommend joining lots of clubs as a general member to gauge where your interests lie and meet lots of new faces!
As for the process of journey, Instagram is again a great place to start. Most clubs will begin posting about how to join – particularly as an executive member – beginning in August. Some have rolling applications for general members.
With that, good luck with your search and happy club joining!
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About the Author
Parmin Sedigh is a stem cell and science communications enthusiast. She’s also a first-year student at the University of Toronto, studying life sciences. You can usually find her on her computer following her curiosity. Connect with her on LinkedIn
