Bloom Community College Student Government, ca. 1961-1962
This image was taken from the PSC Library Archive.
I was a music major in college and went to music school hoping to go from being a decent violist to a great one. (In classical music, a viola is something of the violin’s older brother and sounds like this.) Early in my freshman year, one of the seniors talked to me about becoming the new viola club president. This person would represent the viola studio’s interests on the conservatory student council, whose interests would be represented in the larger student government.
I was a reluctant leader, yet I still did this role for several years. It was an overwhelmingly positive experience. This experience shaped me as a leader and improved my soft skills. “Soft skills are essentially “people skills” — they’re the skills that allow us to effectively interact with others, like communication, attitude, and work ethic.” We had a victory when I secured funding for a guest musician to come and teach a class. We had a devastating defeat when we learned that the conservatory’s gamelan instrument (the only one in the States at the time) would be sent back to Indonesia because the administration no longer wanted to fund it. But in the end, I got to have a voice on campus and represent the interests of our little club.
My advice to you about student clubs is the same that my grandmother-in-law gave me about the key to her 59-year marriage: “Just show up.”
With that, we hope this month’s blog will convince you to join a student club. Which student club? It doesn’t matter! PSC has many student clubs, which you can see here. If you don’t see a club you want to join but have an idea, please speak to Helen Manley about starting your own. To join one of these clubs, just show up at a meeting.
If you struggle to make friends or find your people, this can provide built-in friendships.
“In addition, people who are from diverse disciplines or have different backgrounds from you can enrich your life by exposing you to a whole new perspective on research or life in general.”
Manager of Student Life & Leadership Development, Helen Manley knows a thing or two about student organizations. When I asked her why you should join a student club, she had many reasons, which included:
- “Resume builder: Colleges and Employers are looking for well-rounded students and student leaders.
- Being in a club allows you to meet new people and learn about what is happening around the school, and about resources.
- Surveys from club members have shown students gain confidence which helps with their communication skills.
- Joining a club is fun, and can help determine things you are good at that you might not have known you were good at or liked, and some students have said it helped them choose a career.
- Joining a club can help with networking and opportunities for scholarships and internships.
- You won’t regret joining a club, but you may regret not joining!
- Don’t miss out on all the fun – Join or visit and find out for yourself.”
But don’t just listen to those of us who work here, former PSC student, Ramon Morgan said:
“Involvement in community college clubs is vital for transitioning to a university. As a former club president at Prairie State College and now a graduate student at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, I’ve learned essential skills like responsibility and time management. My leadership roles allowed me to inspire and guide fellow students, which has been rewarding. These experiences have greatly influenced my success at the university level. Being a member of multiple clubs improved my college experience and provided valuable networking opportunities. Student clubs have significantly molded my academic success and prepared me for future endeavors.”
Just as much as your professors, your peers shape your experience in college. They challenge you and provide lifelong friendships and a support system. Nobody will understand your college experience like your peers, so find “your people” in one of these student clubs.
I consulted these articles to write this post. You can check them out, too:
“5 Reasons Joining a Student Group Can Benefit You Professionally.” Career Connections | Villanova University, 26 July 2023, https://connections.villanova.edu/blog/2023/07/26/5-reasons-joining-a-student-group-can-benefit-you-professionally/.
12 Reasons Why You Should Join a Student Organization. 20 Dec. 2022, https://www.bentley.edu/news/12-reasons-why-you-should-join-student-organization.
Mallik, Tithi Basu. “Why You Should Join Your Graduate Student Organization.” Inside Higher Ed, https://www.insidehighered.com/advice/2022/09/26/many-benefits-joining-graduate-student-organization-opinion. Accessed 12 Apr. 2024.