Why Student Involvement on Campus Matters

By now, you’ve probably heard about your student participating in a club or organization on campus. If so, that’s great. If not, you may be thinking that not joining a club is a good thing. But student involvement on campus is a very good thing for students. Here’s why.

What Does Student Involvement Do?

Student involvement on campus isn’t just students having fun, though there’s nothing wrong with the right kind of fun. For one thing, we know through research that when students are involved on campus, they tend to stay enrolled rather than become disillusioned and leave college. In other words, it may keep your student in college, rather than in your basement! Let’s go a little deeper on this.

The Impacts of Student Involvement

Beyond helping students remain enrolled, there are other benefits of student involvement on campus. The first—and this may seem counter-intuitive—is that students who participate in clubs are often better at managing their time than students who aren’t involved. This is because to participate fully in their activities, they’re pushed to set up a schedule to get their academic done and stick to it. I know many student athletes who find their grades are higher in season than out of season because their time is so carefully structured during their seasons.

A second positive impact of student involvement on campus is the opportunity to develop and strengthen their leadership skills. College Data cites this opportunity as well as the chance to build a resume through participating in clubs and organizations. US News and World Report agrees. They cite leadership opportunities, as well as the chance students have to discover their passions and strengths as key reasons to be involved on campus.

Becoming Part of Something Bigger

But there’s another reason that is just as compelling as those cited above. By becoming involved on campus, your student is becoming part of a community. This is a community of fellow students, staff and faculty. Feeling part of a community like this is what students often highlight as something they valued from their college education. This connection to a community also helps students identify employment and graduate school options, and helps them build a strong base for their futures.

Student involvement on campus has tremendous benefits for students. Make sure your student doesn’t miss them.