When it comes to student organizations, fall quarter can be a bit of a shuffle. Northwestern students of all years flock to the fall organization fair, looking to find their fit on campus whether they just arrived or have had their eye on a particular organization for a couple of years now (it’s never too late!). Finding out which student organizations Northwestern has to offer is the easy part – the fall organization fair and Wildcat Connection are great resources. Sharing my experience with student organizations at Northwestern will hopefully help you through the tough part – figuring out which ones seem like a good fit for you! 

There are multiple reasons to join a student organization, of which resume-building and gaining valuable industry experience are among the most popular. I had these goals in mind when I attended the organization fair during fall of freshman year, and I was greeted with an abundance of pre-professional organizations to choose from (think Undergraduate PreMedical Society, Women in Business, and MockTrial).  As an aspiring marketing/communications professional, I was drawn to Form and Function Marketing group, and after an application and interview process, joined for that very first quarter. Just as I had hoped, F&F has connected me to students with similar interests, as well as provided lessons in industry news and interesting marketing concepts each meeting. Our real passion as F&F members, however, is to take on clients from the Evanston and Northwestern communities and provide them with the services of a marketing firm. Not only has F&F been a great opportunity to build skills and a fantastic step forward on my career path, but it’s also a fun experience that I look forward to every week! 

Of course, there are other fantastic examples of just how hands on things can get – in Northwestern Formula racing, for instance, students interested in engineering actually design, build, and race their own cars. Student publications like the Daily Northwestern, Stitch (our fashion magazine) and Spoon University provide a similar level of involvement, giving the aspiring journalist a taste of newsroom life. Service clubs like Northwestern Community Development Corps and NUHeights (which involves tutoring local elementary, middle, and high school students) are also great for gaining experience to set your resume apart!! 

One thing that I strongly suggest you keep in mind, though, is that not every student organization needs to be that ~perfect resume-builder~.  It is more than okay (strongly encouraged, even) to join a student group simply because you enjoy it! When classes get stressful, sometimes the last thing you want to do is sit through a meeting that reminds you even more of your impending med school or grad school applications. Essentially: you don’t have to be majoring in any sort of performance to join a dance team (like Dale Duro, our new Latin Dance Team!), and you don’t need to be pursuing a professional football career to justify participating in club sports (professional Quidditch is tough to break into, anyway). Joining a student organization can be a great way to focus on your hobbies, find a supportive community, and take time out of the week to participate in fun activities! Participating in Happiness Club, which seeks to spread cheer across campus, can melt away exam week blues. Knitwestern combines a relaxing hobby with service, as a community of peers gather to make winter items for donation to local organizations. The Medicretones, a new a capella group on campus, bring aboard students who may not have the most musical talent to sing their hearts out and have a good time. 

The bottom line is: joining a student organization is about finding what you want to do in your spare time – not about what you think you should do (you have your classes for that!). Join the organizations that make you feel one step closer to achieving your goals, or the ones with the community and activities that you love being a part of. Whatever you’re hoping to get out of a student organization (we have over 500!), you’ll be sure to find one that delivers at Northwestern!