Sophomore Isaac Perez has been in a couple of clubs during his college career. One was a mentor ship club for youth, which he participated in during his first year. Another was in the marketing club, which applied to his major. When asked about why he joined the marketing club, he said, “I wanted to get to know the major and see what it was all about.” Why did he do that? What’s the difference between learning in his intro classes and joining the club?
This week is Club Rush week, and even though UVU student participation is common the whole school spirit thing seems to be dwindling with only a fraction of the student body actually joining clubs. Maybe students who are not in clubs simply don’t see the purpose of adding something onto their college workload that takes away the free time they don’t have (which clubs can do).
For me, participation is important. With grade inflation and growing competition for jobs, I need to participate. While everyone is clocking in and clocking out to get their degrees, I am spending my money here to become a practitioner of my chosen field. The difference between lectures and clubs is that you get practical experience for your careers in clubs. Clubs give you real world experience that you can take into the workforce. Most jobs require 3-5 years of experience before one can apply. So, where can I get that experience? Through the extracurricular.
My major is Info Systems and I write for a newspaper. While I can join the IS club, which I can do later in college, I engage in cross disciplinary clubs to get experience in conveying my thoughts through writing. Becoming a better writer will make me a better communicator when I start my career, which an IS guy needs to have.
Students should think of clubs as a way to “sharpen the sword” or to hone the skills they have been learning in class. Perez understood that getting to know his major meant getting his feet wet in the marketing club. So, if you want to know your major, join a club! Want to strengthen weaknesses? Cross disciplines and join a club that has nothing to do with your major!
