Whether it’s your first year or your last, clubs are an integral part of student life at McGill. A cursory glance at someone’s laptop in the library can reveal their extracurricular alliances from publication clubs to environmental groups. With the buzz of Activities Night fading away into the rearview and hundreds of club listservs pestering you with general meeting details, you may start to wonder: “Should I join a club this semester?” Going straight to the biggest source of club recruitment on campus can reveal exactly why joining a club can make or break your first year of university. First, a basic rundown:
What is a club and what kinds of clubs are out there?
The Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) has over 250 official student-run clubs registered. Clubs are generally interest groups and can be sorted into ten categories: Athletic and recreational sports; charity and environment; community outreach and volunteering; fine art, dance, and performance; health and wellness; language and publications; leisure activity and hobby; networking and leadership development; political and social activism; and religion and culture. There are also 17 student-run services and 11 independent student groups.
How do I join a club?
The best way to find out is to reach out to a club directly! Getting in touch with a club through their website, social media, or by email can make you aware of whether there is a membership fee, an online channel to join, a tryout, or other parameters to start your club journey.
What will clubs expect from me?
There are usually two levels of membership in a club: General members and executives. General members are typically expected to attend club meetings and events. Executive members have more specific roles such as President, Finance, or Design, and manage the club’s day-to-day activities. However, this structure varies—for example, services are composed of executive members and the people they provide for are the McGill community. As such, you don’t need to sign up for anything to use services like WALKSAFE.
The tasks associated with each role vary between clubs, so it’s best to review each club constitution on the SSMU website to know more.
Why should I join a club?
In deciding whether or not to join a club, the choice comes down to your available time and personal goals.
Brianna Luo, U3 Science, stresses how athletic clubs can offer a low-pressure alternative to sports that require tryouts and competition.
“[A] lot of sports have tryouts but the McGill Climbing Club doesn’t, and I think that McGill clubs are so welcoming and it’s fun to be around people who have similar passions and even to learn a new passion,” she said in an interview with The Tribune.
Clubs can also help when you want to explore something that the university may not offer, as Lachi Ezeokafor, U3 Arts, mentioned in an interview with The Tribune.
“You should join a club in your first year to expand your horizons, and get away from studying, because life is about doing what you enjoy. Arts clubs like Dsign Lab give students a creative outlet especially because there’s no fine arts faculty at McGill.”
Culture clubs are also known for bringing together people who want to connect over their shared experiences.
Dominique-Louise Magleo, U3 Arts, shared her thoughts with The Tribune.
“[Clubs] will give you a sense of community,” she said. However, Magleo cautions first years against pledging your time to too many associations.
“Some people sign up for everything but don’t go to any of the meetings. You have to truly put effort into a club,” she added.
Learning new skills, sharing your passion, and meeting new people are the main highlights of joining clubs. Balancing the time commitment with other responsibilities may be a challenge for incoming students, but it’s a challenge that many club-goers recommend. The world of extracurriculars cannot wait for you to dive in!
