A picture of a table with club materials on it

Three Things I Learned From Joining Clubs at U of T

In first year university, I barely joined any clubs, I was so worried about balancing academics and extracurriculars. Fast-forward two years, I’m part of multiple clubs and loving it. For me, joining clubs was an essential step towards embracing my U of T community. Over the years, I’ve learned a couple important lessons about joining clubs in university.
  1. Don’t be afraid to get involved 
Like I mentioned, in my first year I didn’t plan on joining clubs because I was worried about performing well academically. A computer on a desk Though it's important to not take on too much, not joining clubs prevented me from feeling like I was part of the U of T community. I’ve found that being in university isn’t just about studying— it’s about being part of a super cool group of people and learning who you are through that community.  Once I finally decided to join clubs, it allowed me to live a more well-rounded life and not obsess so much over academics. Plus, I found that there was always time for both extracurriculars and academics; when I knew I had an event to go to, I just studied extra hard instead of procrastinating. So everything worked out in the end!  2)   Exec teams are great  Instead of joining the general membership of a club, I’ve always found joining executive teams to be super rewarding. Exec teams are the people who actually run the club— think the President, Vice president, communications person, and Treasurer. I like joining exec teams because in addition to getting involved, you also get to develop a new skill, which is super helpful when applying to jobs or other club positions. For example, through holding two Communications positions in clubs, I gained a lot of experience in social media and communications which allowed me to become a Life@U of T blogger! 
A person sitting with a laptop computer on their lap.
Doing communications
Being on an executive team also means you'll work closely with other people in the club. I’ve found this makes it a lot easier to develop relationships, as you’ll be seeing them a lot. Some of my closest friends are the people I work with on executive teams, and I probably wouldn’t have got to know them otherwise. 
Two people smiling and laughing, looking at each other
Exec bonding!
3)   If you don’t see it, start it!  Keep in mind that if you’re looking at all the clubs U of T offers, and don’t see anything you like, you can always start your own club. This may sound intimidating, but it’s actually pretty easy— in first year, the one club I was involved with was the Canadian Politics Society, which two of my friends and I started. Now, the club is very popular, and I get to say that it’s all thanks to my friends and I, which is super cool and rewarding! I’ll be writing a post soon talking about my experience starting a club, so stay tuned for that. 
A group of people sitting in a room
Canpol!
Now that school is in full swing, will you be joining a club? Let me know in the comments below!

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