How to Prepare for Club Fest

With club fest rapidly approaching, many new students have questions. Here are some of the most important things to know to prepare for Clubfest!

 What to Expect From Clubfest (and immediately after)!

How to Prepare for Clubfest

• Research clubs to join:
  • While this is not an essential part of preparing for clubfest, you may find it helpful to look into what organizations will be at club fest so you can plan accordingly
  • Club Fest is on Sunday, September 13th and will have 2 sessions featuring different clubs
    • Clubs in session 1 include recreational clubs, pre-professional organizations, and greek life
    • Clubs in session 2 include community service, health, media, political, and environmental organizations
  • A full list of clubs can be found here
  • If you are interested in learning more about a specific club, you can look at campus groups linked here!

 

What to do at Clubfest

• Talk to different clubs – even ones you don’t think you would be interested in
• Sign up for email lists to receive more information about meeting times, requirements, opportunities, etc
• Ask about the application process
  • Some clubs have applications while others are open for all
  • Good questions to ask are:
    • Is there an application to join?
      • If yes:
        • What is the recruitment process?
          • Are there interviews? Coffee chats?
        • What is the application timeline?
        • Is there anything specific you are looking for in prospective members?
      • If no:
        • How to I ensure I stay up to date with your club
    • Are there any costs associated with joining?
    • What opportunities do you provide on or off campus?
    • How often do you meet?
      • Is attendance required at meetings?
    • Are there any requirements for event/service attendance?
• Take a deep breath! At the end of the day clubs are optional extracurricular activities and getting into a competitive club will not define your college experience

 

Applying for Clubs

• While many clubs don’t require an application, it is common for pre-professional clubs to require admission
• If you know someone in a club or have an opportunity to talk to an involved upperclassmen at an info session, you should take it!
  • It is extremely helpful to talk with people directly involved in the club you are interested in especially if it requires an application
• Potential aspects of applying to clubs:
  • Resume
    • You can get your resume reviewed at your college career center:
      • Human Ecology students: you can get a walk in resume review during open hours from peer advisors at the Human Ecology Career Exploration Center!
  • Application (Why do you want to join? What can you contribute?)
    • Some may require a cover letter or personal statement which you can also get reviewed at the resources above!
  • Coffee chat: A brief, informal conversation that is similar to an interview. Often conducted by board members of the club you are trying to join. The aim of a coffee chat is to get to know each other. Feel free to ask questions and come prepared to sell yourself and explain your interest in joining the club
    • People conducting coffee chats are often students just like you who are passionate about the club they participate in and want to make sure you are a good fit. 
      • This is also an opportunity to get to know a member of the club and see if this person and what they have to say about the club aligns with you!
    • It is less like a formal interview and more akin to networking
  • Interview: more formal interviews are sometimes required and usually look like a traditional job interview.
    • Business clubs may require a special type of interview called a CASE 
    • Some clubs have technical interviews to assess your skills
    • The CEC offers walk-in practice for interviews and scheduled practice interviews for a more tailored experience!
• The application process and timeline for every club is different so make sure you are clear on the requirements well in advance of the deadline!

 

How many clubs “should” I join?

• The short answer is that there is no magic number of clubs to join. It is important to find an appropriate personal balance between campus involvement and saving some time for yourself
• General advice is to not over commit right away
  • It is more than okay to attend a clubs info session or general body meeting and decide that is not the right fit for you
  • Explore your options thoroughly before you commit your time and energy to a club
• The importance of involvement in competitive clubs varies greatly based on your intended field
  • The major benefit of clubs is the networking opportunities they provide, so it is often more important for someone in finance to join a competitive club compared to someone interested in nutrition
• The bottom line is that while clubs are fun and can provide amazing learning opportunities they are extracurricular activities at the end of the day and should be treated as such
  • If you follow your passions and explore organizations that you are interested in you will end up where you need to be!