Navigating the Maze of Extracurriculars

I spent much of my first year in a daze of lectures, coffee and homework, so I wasn’t as involved as I would have liked. But eventually, I was able to participate in some clubs and now I’m even a member of Juxtaposition Global Health Magazine’s executive team! Looking back, I realize that it’s not always easy for everyone to find those one or two clubs that they are passionate about. So, I decided to map out my path so far to help navigate the maze of student organizations on our beautiful campus! Try out everything. Seriously. – I bounced around a few clubs and I went to a few events before I came across Juxta. I searched through Ulife and the UTSU clubs directory to find things that suited my interests! I also got on a few mailing lists by signing up for every club in sight at the UTSU Annual Clubs fair. They also have free stuff, and if that isn’t reason enough to come, then I don’t know what is.

  Think about what YOU like – There are so many clubs at U of T you’re bound to find something you like. And once you find it, think about what you want to do with them. I have a lot of experience in planning events and it’s something I have a lot of fun doing, so I applied for the events co-director position with Juxta. That way I could do something I was good at and had experience in, while still being immersed in the global health community at U of T.

Social media is your friend! – I found out about Juxta through a Facebook page of another group, and I found out about their executive team positions through their Twitter account. Social media is a great way to get a better idea of the club in question if they don’t have any upcoming events. Get ready for some work! – This one is pretty obvious, but let me explain. If you take on any sort of leadership role, in entails a fair amount of work. The catch is that when you love what you’re doing it doesn’t feel like work. The last few months with Juxta, combined with my summer job and summer courses have felt overwhelming at times, but nothing is more rewarding than seeing the results of your hard work.

You don’t need me to preach about joining clubs and getting involved because it’s an idea we encounter a lot as university students. It’s not the easiest thing to do when there are so many different opportunities, but I can assure you, navigating the clubs at U of T is worth it when you start to meet like-minded individuals, get invaluable experience and build a sense of community! If you want to know more about Juxtaposition, then fear not, I will likely be tweeting about it nonstop! Let me know down in the comments about how you found your favorite clubs or what clubs you want to join!