Being in college is one of the ultimate social and professional challenges. Trying to balance having friends and fun hobbies while also building a network and gaining real-world career experience is no easy task. However, there’s something out there that can help ease those troubles — clubs.
Clubs allow you to make friends and connect with people while still gaining some type of experience, either vocational, social, academic, athletic or a mix. Of course, some clubs feel more like all work and no play, while others seem to be mostly play and little work — again, it’s all about balance. But how do you figure out what clubs to join?
Northeastern has over 600 clubs and organizations open to students. All of these options can feel overwhelming, especially when there’s only five days in the workweek to attend meetings. And with this lengthy list of clubs, it can be really hard to pinpoint exactly which hobby you want to dedicate time to. Semesterly events like Fall Fest and other organization-oriented fairs can help ease these challenges and let students explore a bit more. But a lot of club outreach, especially interdepartmental clubs, relies on word of mouth.
Exploration is key. Entering my freshman year, my father advised me to try out four clubs and stick with two. “Trying out” a club didn’t mean committing, joining e-board or doing a lot of work to apply. It just meant, “Go to one meeting, see what it’s like.” And if you like it, or want to try it, stick with it. Get involved. Participate. Go to events.
It’s okay if you go to a few meetings and decide it’s not for you or only decide to show up once a month. Maybe you just want to go to events to get a feel for the club, rather than sit at meetings. Or, maybe you immediately fall in love with the club and want to be the next president straightaway. The good news is that there’s a range of clubs that require differing levels of involvement.
While there are many clubs that are more casual, there are still many clubs that do require a significant amount of time and energy to participate in. For example, The Huntington News staff is required to write at least two articles a month and are expected to attend weekly meetings. But you don’t have to be staff to write for The News, so you still have a chance to participate without having to feel chained into something, especially if you’re still getting a feel for what you want.
While trying to find what you want to do with 600 options can be hard, the best thing is to pay attention to what’s going around. Watch for flyers laying out or hanging around. Ask your professors if they know of any clubs related to your major. Look up clubs on Instagram. Tag along with a friend to a club meeting and see what you think. Find an affinity group. If you don’t see the club you want, start your own.
Keeping an eye out was how I found out about The News, and now I’ve been with it since fall 2024. Another club I participate in is related to my minor. Among the list of clubs I’ve attended, there’s some for fun, others to build professional career experience and a few affinity groups. I tried some and loved them, and I tried others and hated them — and that’s okay.
There are so many opportunities at Northeastern, and it’s tantamount to try and stick with at least one club. You can build career and leadership experience for your resume, even before working on co-op. You can find new friends beyond your existing circles, exposing yourself to new perspectives. You can make memories and connections with people you never expected to meet before, but one day, will be thankful you did. And it can all happen with just one meeting.
Antaine Anhalt is a second-year communication studies major and columnist for The News. He can be reached at [email protected].
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