How university clubs enrich student life

Starting university is no easy feat. Whether you’re coming into it straight from high school, or starting later in life, settling into university can be difficult. It can be a struggle to adjust to a heavy course-load, find new buildings, and especially make friends. Some aspects of university are always going to be a little difficult, such as the coursework. However, things like a sense of belonging and finding community should not be a challenge.

The feeling of loneliness and wanting a sense of community extends to a lot of students on campus. It can be difficult for students to bond beyond the interactions they have in their classes. A lot of the time, socializing in courses is superficial, since everyone is required to attend. Clubs, on the other hand, provide a unique opportunity for students to gather with like-minded people. The difference between classes and clubs is that people choose to go to club meetings. Whereas in classes, a lot of students just want to get through that agonizing hour without talking to anyone. 

That’s not to say you can’t meet people in your courses and connect with them. I’ve met some close friends from a few of my courses. However, the overall goal of clubs is to foster a sense of community with people that are passionate about the same thing.

Even though most clubs at the University of Alberta have some sort of executive team running them, there is still a lot of freedom in their structure. Depending on the type of club, there is no fixed itinerary that you need to follow in order to attend. Classes usually have a set structure, and don’t often allow for conversation with your peers beyond discussion time. With clubs, socialization is the all-intended purpose. They’re meant to be fun and you usually have the freedom to do whatever you want. 

The U of A has over 400 clubs and organizations to choose from and find like-minded people in. With this in mind, there are a plethora of options that are appealing to students. Whether you want to join the Video Gaming Club or the Electrical Engineering Club, the options are endless.

Another vital part of clubs is that they can be a break from the intense routine of school. As university students, it is so easy to get caught up in a never-ending loop of going to class, doing schoolwork, and going home. We either forget to make plans with friends, or struggle to find the time to do so. For these reasons, university can be a challenging time for many people. Additionally, making friends in your 20s is not as easy as it was in kindergarten. Going into university from high school can be a difficult transition. You go from seeing your friends and peers everyday, to constantly being around strangers. There is no doubt that making friends outside of high school, and in adult life, is not easy.

Yet, by joining clubs and attending regular meetings, there is the opportunity to rekindle that similar experience of seeing people every day. Attending club meetings, even for the chance to make friends, is so important. There is no pressure to get things done, or meet deadlines. It can be completely stress-free. 

Along with using clubs as a way to unwind, they also provide the opportunity to network and work on projects in a space that fosters creativity. One successful example of a project completed by a U of A club is the University of Alberta’s Creative Writing Club’s (CrW) anthologies. 

Former CrW president, Bree Taylor, explained that the idea of creating an anthology was something they had thought of for a while. Finally in 2019, the club made it a reality. Their first anthology, Liminal Spaces, is a piece of work with contributions from CrW club members and alumni. The anthology’s content consists of poetry, fiction, flash fiction, and creative non-fiction. Since then, the club has published a total of three anthologies.

“I worked with a team of my friends and fellow people in CrW and we made a book together, which is something that not everyone can say,” Taylor said. 

Taylor recounted that her involvement with CrW, both as a group member and an executive member, gave her a sense of community on campus. She explained that these connections have also extended into opportunities and connections post-graduation. 

“A lot of the skills I learned through the club, and the things that we did, were transferable skills that helped me get jobs.”

Taylor mentioned how she learned skills such as project management during her time at CrW and working on the anthology. She described how she goes on to use these skills in her job everyday.

“CrW gave me those skills and helped build up the confidence to be able to use them.”

Clubs provide the unique opportunity for students to collaborate and connect with like-minded people, beyond the superficial nature of the classroom. Additionally, they provide students a space to build their repertoire based on similar interests — which can translate to skills that are useful after graduation. 

Most importantly, clubs can turn a stagnant undergraduate degree into an exciting and fulfilling time. One that encourages students to carry out their degree to the fullest. University degrees should be more than just milling about from building to building, and suffering with agonizing assignments. Clubs can help to promote a sense of community among students, and give them the tools they need to thrive post-graduation.