<p>In high school, the resume for college was so fantastically important that, sadly enough, I sometimes joined clubs simply out of a pressing need to make said resume more impressive. And even now, here at college, I can't quite seem to get rid of that mindset. Clubfest and the sheer amount of clubs here at Cornell just made me really antsy, haha. I just can't help wondering: am I finally allowed to join clubs purely because I want to, without having to question if they're "good enough" or whether I'm "doing enough"? How much do they matter for getting into grad school? Because I honestly just want to enjoy myself and experience new things without feeling obligated to plan everything out in advance like in high school.</p>
<p>Thats just tragic!..“Yea um, I want to do stuff I really love to do now. Oh wait, we still have grad school, maybe I’ll just do things genuinely then.”</p>
<p>do things you want to do. the subject of the group doesn’t really matter. it’s your involvement in it. for example, if you’re going to get your MBA, then try to be president of the club.</p>
<p>Meaning that they do matter?</p>
<p>I think you should just sign up for whatever club seem interesting to you. while I was in high school, that was also my policy, but I have to admit that I did end up doing some of the very traditional extracurricular activities, like model UN. there are a lot of differences in college, though.
first of all, there are so many clubs with different purposes, so it’s not at all necessary to become some kind of multi-club-leadership type in order to be successful in the future. you don’t have to be the top of the top at Cornell to be plenty good. remember that when you’re getting your first grades too.
secondly, that variety means that you will likely find a club that is pretty closely related to your academic interests, yet also seems fun. the club I’m most active in is loosely related to what I’m studying, but the reason I chose to join is because what the club does seemed like a cool opportunity. it’s something I actually enjoy doing. since I also enjoy what I’m studying (which is why I’m studying it) that’s not a huge surprise.
thirdly, there are a lot more ways to get involved in college than there were in high school. more than any club, I am involved in the lab where I work. such positions are often not just a job where you go in a few hours a week - you end up getting to know the people in the lab and the department, and this could lead to other opportunities. having experience working in a lab is a highly valued part of an application for grad school in the sciences, and also for any kind of work you’d do after graduation. there are also jobs you can get working in research in other disciplines, and those are also good opportunities. there are also undergraduate TA or grader positions in some classes, and those can obviously demonstrate a lot of positive qualities.</p>
<p>you are going to need to plan out some things, like classes with prerequisites, when you might want to start research or a job, and those sorts of things. however, I think you should really take the opportunity to try something new and interesting while you’re in college, or keep up with some hobby or activity that was your favorite in high school. I definitely sympathize with not wanting to overload your time, so choose carefully and don’t worry about not returning to a club after the first meeting if you aren’t feeling enthusiastic about it.</p>
<p>My daughter also felt over loaded by the time she got to Cornell. Initially she told me that she was going to focus on her schoolwork, stop ballet, stop doing volunteer work, or be involved with the school. Another word, she just wanted to do what she wanted to do for a change (she thought some how she didn’t enjoy any of those things).</p>
<p>She didn’t do much her first semester, then she joined a dance club second semester, started teaching dance off campus, and joined a sorority. Every semester she just became more and more involved with the school and her handful of ECs. As a senior, she is on the student counsel, peer leader for freshmen (don’t remember the exact name for it), some leadership role at her sorority and her dance club. </p>
<p>Don’t be too anxious about having to get involved with clubs right away. In college it is not as important to have to pad your resume to get into a medical, law, or other graduate schools. Do what you like to do, and it will come together for you.</p>