College can feel like a race, especially during the era of internship anxiety and job hunting. 

There’s nothing more satisfying than adding another credible hobby or new extracurricular to your resume to further showcase your interests on the college campus. Because of this perspective towards clubs, we have forgotten the main point of why they exist, which is simply to have fun.

Schoolwork, jobs and internships are all large factors in college. However, they often take over students’ personal lives and make them forget to savor their time. 

College is also about students exploring and figuring out what they enjoy in life during a transitional period. One of the best ways for students to accomplish this and figure out what they’re passionate about is by joining clubs.

Augustana has a variety of clubs on campus to cater to each student’s interests, which encourages students to pursue a passion, learn a new craft or try something new. 

With so many options, it is important to join the ones that feel most comfortable to you– whether it is a culture club, interest group or Greek life.

These extracurriculars can effectively boost a person’s social life at college. Not only do they provide an opportunity to make friends and meet people, but they also allow students to build connections that will help them later in life. 

Networking is not just a tactic to use for LinkedIn, but one that allows you to find the people that will later be in your life outside of college. 

The friends students make in college have potential for life-long relationships, which is why students should involve themselves in extracurricular activities that they’re passionate about. 

By involving themselves in clubs that revolve around their interests, students have the opportunity to make connections with people who are similar to them. Recognizing these similarities and putting themselves out there allows students to have an outlet where they can interact with other students they may not connect with in their classes. By finding communities and interests outside of the classroom, students can maximize their on-campus resources. 

The leadership opportunities within clubs are also one of the biggest benefits. Executive board positions and organizing activities are both important skills for students to have during their college years and will help them in future endeavors. 

Being a leader in an executive position can help a person gain confidence with public speaking, delegating and help foster a sense of professionalism, all of which will come in handy later in life. 

Underneath all the practical benefits clubs can offer, they can be fun, which is what students need in their lives. 

Students should not feel pressured to take on clubs to fulfill an imaginary idea of success or to add another bullet point to their resume.

Instead, clubs should be a way to enrich a student’s life on and off campus, as well as allow them to potentially find lasting relationships.