It can be said that non-traditional students that work and attend school, and even those who are juggling the responsibilities of an academic life while trying to raise a family, find it challenging to maintain their daily lifestyle. These days, getting a college degree is just the starting point to landing a successful career.
As admirable, rewarding, and gratifying attaining a college degree is, nowadays, one must do more than acquire a college degree. As little free time one may already believe that he or she has, it is highly recommended to considering affiliating oneself with some sort of school activity.
It can also be argued that one barely has the time to go to school, so why in the world would one try to involve oneself in an extra-curricular activity? There’s simply no time!
School Activities Today
College and university school activities are much more accelerated than the after school programs one may be familiar with in high school. For some, when one thinks of school activities, sports tend to immediately come to mind, and rightfully so considering the potential amount of revenue those departments can earn for a school. Yet, as some universities provide a strong athletic department, there are also academic activities that work for students as being a threshold from being a new graduate to a working employee.
Academic courses are designed to teach students the foundation and concept of a subject while helping them apply it to their area of study. Certain school activities can help students implement some of these concepts.
School Pride and Camaraderie
Becoming involved in school activities helps students take ownership at their alma mater. It also gives them the same kind of school pride that other alums, who might be in a position to hire, can identify with. This may not guarantee a job, but it certainly helps.
Here are some of the ways becoming involved in school activities can enrich your academic and professional career:
Gain Social Experience
Not everyone considers himself or herself a ‘people person’. Yet even in the most independent working jobs, it is crucial for one to be able to effectively communicate with their peers. This applies to students and professionals. Businesses are operated by a group of people and rarely, if ever has it been done single-handedly. It’s not like one can get a school hall pass to success.
In order to succeed in a project, big or small, people need to be able to work together. Not only does one need to be able to communicate, they must also be able to know how to convey information to certain personalities in a certain way. Textbooks can offer theories and modules explaining this, but experience is the number one teacher. What better way to gain social experience by getting involved in school activities?
Build Personal and Professional Relationships
Some of the most lasting relationships are developed in college. There is a mutual respect of sharing the grueling task of earning a college degree and witnessing how one’s classmates suffered, yet rose to the occasion of passing every pop quiz, every test, and every course, one semester at a time.
One thing most students don’t realize is that while they’re in school, they may be sitting in class with the next Steve Jobs, the future CEO of a corporation, their future employer or maybe even their future employee. Getting involved in school activities gives students a chance to build personal and professional relationships that might help in them later in life: professionally or personally.
Networking
Networking is about building trusting business relationships. Professionals are looking for qualified people who can get the job done.
By involving oneself in organization within their college or university, he or she will be able to demonstrate their skills and work ethic proving that they are a viable candidate to carry out any tasks assigned to him or her.
Build a Trustworthy Relationship with the Academic Department
It never hurts to get on the good side of the academic department. Professors and administrators have a lot of influence when it comes to acknowledging students for their academic achievements.
If they feel like you are going the extra mile to learn more and to even becoming an excellent role model, that not only makes the professor look good, it also makes the academic department look good, and if the academic department looks good, then so does the school. When the school looks good, more people will want to enroll and when more people enroll, the more money the school makes, and when a school makes more money, it is then able to invest in better resources for learning, making the student’s academic experience more enriching!
So in short, it is most advantageous to develop a trusting relationship with your academic department and the only way to do that is to get involved in some sort of school activity.
FNU: Helping Students Evolve
Florida National University (FNU) is committed to providing education for students of all ages. We also dedicate ourselves to equipping graduates with life skills that will last them throughout their professional careers. Our academic and extra-curricular school programs offer a flexible workable curriculum that can possibly complement anyone’s existing hectic schedule. If you are ready to get a good educational foundation while improving your social skills, visit our website to review what type of degree and programs FNU has to offer.
There is much to accomplish when beginning a college career. So it helps to start the enrollment process now as soon as possible as there is much paperwork required. Speak to your counselor to begin the enrollment process! Apply to FNU today to secure your education and improve your future now!
