Top Ten Best Kinds of Student Clubs and Societies to Sign Up for at University

I'm starting college very soon, and no matter what university you're going to, there's a lot that they do to promote your extra-curricular interests. When you start college, it's imperative that you take on at least something, either to enhance what you're interested in and explore it further, or broaden yourself by taking something well out of your comfort zone. Either way, you're making yourself much more adaptable, much more competitive, much more knowledgeable, and much less socially awkward (for that last part, THANK YOU! ) So this list will go into detail about the various things you can do while you're at university, besides your degree, because university is meant to be fun. But also, don't join too many, because you'd obviously like to get your degree done!
The Top Ten
1 Academic/Departmental

Why did you come to university? Because you love your subject, and you want to explore it further! And at many a top range university, a good way to explore your field further and make you love the subject even more is to join a club built around it. This can be a club that the department in general organises and encourages, which makes hot competition and debate with other departments, or something specific like an astronomy club or a poetry club. You may well already consider yourself an expert in your academic field, but the various debates about the subject in the past, present and future, as well as the trips to world class institutions and exhibits around the world and group activities that range from dissecting animals to tracking the stars, is bound to expand your horizons. And the fact of the matter is, every expert has a different scope of knowledge for their subject. I, for instance, know some things about physics in intricate detail, but not absolutely everything. Thus, I ...more

2 Creative

Whether you're on a course of the arts and want to share experience with people who share your enthusiasm, or an analytical academic course and want to let off steam, a creative society is highly recommended. In all the commotion of university, chances are you'll jump at any opportunity to let your mind wander, and creativity is the ideal way to express yourself. There are societies out there for making art, from calligraphy to sculptures, and also clubs for home film-making, creative writing and professional photography. At some universities, they even have a network for publishing these works, whether it's on college exhibits or college radio, you'll get many a chance for your skills to stand out.

3 Careers

At university, you're enhancing your knowledge and your aptitude for a successful, high-level career. But if you don't know what you're going to do with your degree, a career related society will help you decide. There will be ones that link directly to your subject, from law to chemical engineering, and also ones that are tailored to a very specific career path, such as becoming a teacher or a pediatrician. Even if you're taking a completely different course, a certain careers society can enhance your skills that you can apply to what you ultimately want to do. For instance, many lawyers have physics degrees, and still make contributions to science, because both of these skills require critical analysis. And if you don't believe that, just look at the history of the field, and you'll find many scholars with qualifications that are far outside of their academic works.

4 Musical/Film/Media

Everyone has different tastes in entertaining arts, and at university, there's a lot of diversity. You can join a musical society built around rock and metal, electronic and dance, classical, jazz, you name it. And what do they do there? They encourage and support the musical scene, as well as take you on social trips, perhaps to gigs and festivals, and if you get into it, they encourage you and help you to make some of your own music. The same is true for films, books, T.V. and the likes. You can explore societies for science fiction, horror, romantic drama, fantasy, or even certain backgrounds from anime to old British comedy, and whatever floats your boat. But don't feel put off if you think it's not adequately categorised. There's a lot of diversity within the societies themselves, so whether or not you've joined the fantasy society for Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings, you'll find your passion here, and undoubtedly find someone who shares your passion, or like you, is keen to ...more

5 Charitable

What better way to fulfill your generosity and self-worth while at university if you know that you're doing something for good causes? Not everyone is as fortunate as you, and even people at university will take that for granted, so it will be a very enlightening experience if you do something to make other lives better. The university will open a lot of opportunities for you to volunteer to help these charities out, whether it's by distributing information or by actively raising money. And the society will definitely help you out with this. And if you think that it's the same generic practice for AIDS research as it is for Amnesty International, think again. The people you meet will share their views on the matter in hand, and it gives you a greater opportunity to make a case for your charity, develops you as a person, and will hopefully make a change in the future, because only with support, from you and maybe even the government, may the charity do what it is set out for.

6 Performing

At university, you'll undoubtedly be under a lot of pressure, and sometimes you'll have trouble to let it out. So why not let it out in the form of a performance? Whether you're passionate about a performing art or want to find a talent for it that you never thought you had, you can do it right here. You can find clubs for street dancing, belly dancing, Irish dancing, as well as comedy performance, chamber choir, a cappella, and drama and acting. And if you don't want to embarrass yourself with your foolish performances, you can watch your equally passionate friends do it and learn from them.

I'd be the first to sign up for this. The need to express myself through dance, acting and comedy is too great not to sign up.

7 Debating

A lot of high level degrees exist because people disagree on how it works, whether it's speculation over scientific theory or political and religious controversy. Thus, you'll want to develop your argumentative skills, if you love arguing or want to get better. There will be a number of debate-oriented clubs about the various issues in society and in your subject, so even if it is unrelated to your subject, you can see what other people think about left-wing and right-wing political ideologies, the treatment of science in the government, the living conditions of ethnic minorities, the best ways to deal with pollution, anything at all. This is a great way to get a voice and opinion heard, especially if you think yours is unpopular, so what are you waiting for?

8 Exploration

Is your campus in the middle of nowhere? No worries, because the university knows well that there's a huge world out there, and they put emphasis on this by advertising clubs for caving, canoeing, mountaineering, and many more fun outdoor activities. Sometimes these clubs will be local, but they'll take you literally anywhere in the world, from deep crevasses in New Zealand to rapid rivers in Peru. This is a great opportunity for you to travel the world, and that's what you'll need if you're stuck in a small dormitory every night.

This would actually be really cool.

9 Social/Cultural

If you're coming from another country, or have a different background, you may feel that you're not fitting in. Help is at hand, though, because top-level universities are well known for being culturally diverse, and so, they open societies for people of certain ethnicities, religion, sexual orientation, even disabilities. My college even has a society for Linux users. So if you feel like you're the only gay student, the only Argentine, the only Sikh, or the only bipolar student, these societies will bring these people together, including for a broad range of social events, and prove you wrong. And if you're not one of these people, but take general interest in these cultures or support their equal rights, you're equally welcome to join and explore.

10 Sport/Athletics

These are very popular, and very competitive, and doing something to keep you fit and healthy, as well as for pleasure, is a lot of fun, and a good way to allow you to take out your frustrations. Martial arts are one of the most popular of these, hosting dozens of different types, some built on strength and power, others built on speed and wit. But there's also clubs for tennis, rugby, croquet, even clay pigeon shooting. Joining one of these clubs can make you more agile and quick, and can help you perfect a game you were previously terrible at.

I have dreams of getting a baseball scholarship from a presitigious American college. Probably not happening, but you never know.

If I had enough spare time, this is definitely what I'd be interested in.

BAdd New Item