by Brandon Kim and Abigail Martin
Introduction
Many first-year and transfer students at Georgia Tech struggle to find their place within the campus community in their first semester. While Georgia Tech hosts hundreds of student organizations, many new students are unaware of where to start. As a result, many students choose to wait until later to join a club or miss opportunities to meet people with similar interests.
To assist students in locating clubs, Georgia Tech provides a wealth of resources and events like GT Engage and the Student Organization Fair. This tutorial will help you utilize these resources to locate clubs, prepare for the organization fair, and evaluate prospective clubs. Completing these tasks will enable you to explore and strengthen their networks of connections, especially during your first semester at GT.
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Step 1: Understand Why Joining a Club Matters
- Step 2: Use GT Engage to Explore Organizations
- Step 3: Choose Clubs Based on Your Interests
- Step 4: Prepare for the Student Organization Fair
- Step 5: Talk to Club Representatives
- Step 6: Join and Attend Your First Meeting
- Step 7: Making the Most of Club Membership
Step 1: Understand Why Joining a Club Matters
Student organizations are a vital part of the college experience. Being a member of a club can allow students to make new friends, learn how to be a leader, expand their professional network, increase their academic performance, and explore career pathways.
Social connection is essential for mental health and also are beneficial for positive habits and productivity. Several studies have found correlations between strong, positive friendships and academic performance, evidenced using GPA and other metrics.
Joining pre-professional organizations or clubs related to a career discipline can help both for job prospects and readiness to succeed in an internship. Cultural clubs can help students find a home away from home. Sports and hobby groups encourage maintaining interests outside of school. No matter the type of organization, meeting people and finding community is one of the most important aspects of the college experience.
Step 2: Use GT Engage to Explore Organizations
Georgia Tech hosts more than 500 registered student organizations. The best way to explore these options is through the platform Engage.
Navigate to GT Engage
Follow the link in the heading above or navigate to engage.gatech.edu.
Log in using your Georgia Tech account
Signing in allows you to view officers’ contact information and request to officially join an organization. Press the blue “Sign In” button in the upper right corner of the page and log in using GT SSO.
Browse organizations by category
Use the sidebar to navigate to the Organizations page. Use the filters to select categories like Academic/Professional, Cultural, Recreation/Leisure, Spiritual/Religious, and more. Alternatively, use the search bar to find clubs related to specific topics or keywords.
Join clubs that interest you
Use the join button to request official club membership. Keep in mind, not all organizations are active on Engage. Check Instagram or external websites for each org to see if there is additional information for applying or joining. Engage also includes a contact form to reach out to club officers or leadership for more information. Watch the tutorial below to learn how to browse for clubs and officially join them on Engage.
Step 3: Choose Clubs Based on Your Interests
Not all organizations are the same, and the best fit depends on each student’s personal goals and preferences. Below are some of the major categories. Choose which categories are most interesting to you!
Academic/Professional Orgs
These organizations focus on educational or career disciplines. They include national societies like the GT chapter of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers or student-run groups like Data Science at GT. They often provide resources, a strong career network, and leadership development for a specific field or discipline.
Cultural Orgs
These organizations allow students to find community based on shared identity or interest in exploring culture and heritage. Some examples at GT include the African American Student Union, India Club, Chinese Student Association, and more.
Hobby/Recreational Clubs
These groups provide opportunities to make friends with shared interests and do fun things outside of school. Georgia Tech has a variety of recreational clubs from Beekeeping to Hacky Sack to Outdoor Recreation and more!
Intramural Sports
Intramural sports are hosted by Campus Recreation at Georgia Tech. Over 20 different sports are offered each year including soccer, ultimate frisbee, flag football, pickleball and more. This is a low-stakes way to enjoy competitive sports with others in the GT community.
Service Orgs
There are many ways to volunteer or support others in the on-campus or broader Atlanta community. Rescue Paws USA allows students to foster pets in campus dorms and support local animal shelters. Madhatter Knits teaches members how to knit hats for premature babies in NICUs in Georgia. Beyond these, there are many more ways to get involved in service organizations.
Step 4: Prepare for the Student Organization Fair
Finding Information About the Org Fair
The Organization Fair is held near the beginning of each semester. Information about it is usually posted on the Center for Student Engagement website. Check out the Center for Student Engagement here. Information is also sent via email to all Georgia Tech students, so make sure to check your inbox for upcoming events.
Attend the Fair
Head to the walkways by Tech Green to attend the fair! No prior registration is necessary. The entire area will be used for the club fair, and there will be Georgia Tech representatives handing out maps and providing information.
Each club will have a table with a poster, flyers, and other materials to show what they do. Usually organizations in related categories will be grouped together, making it easy to survey similar options. Visit the tables of all the clubs you are interested in and any that pique your interest as you walk through the fair. The Organization Fair is often held over 2 days, so check the website and emails to see which clubs will be tabling each day.
Step 5: Talk to Club Representatives
Make sure to ask good questions when meeting a potential club. Important topics to discuss include:
- Time commitment: When does the club meet and are there attendance requirements?
- Prerequisites: Are there expected skills or qualifications for new members?
- Membership: Is there a tryout or application process, or is the club open to everyone?
Step 6: Join and Attend Your First Meeting
Attend Interest Meetings
Most clubs will advertise the dates of their interest events or regular meetings at the Org Fair. Feel free to attend these for as many clubs as you want. Attending an interest meeting is not a binding commitment and allows you to get a feel for the group and meet other members. Make sure to check your email for invites as well!
Communication Channels
Most clubs use one or more platforms to send updates and communicate outside of official meetings. Some popular options include Slack, Microsoft Teams, and GroupMe. At the Org Fair or interest meetings, each group will explain the process to join.
Step 7: Making the Most of Club Membership
Balancing Multiple Extracurricular Activities
Don’t spread yourself too thin. Make sure you have time for school. It is better to be in a few clubs where you can be very engaged and involved instead of many that you don’t have time for. A good rule of thumb is to choose 2 or 3 organizations to invest in the most.
Club Leadership
Seek out leadership positions in the groups you join! Taking on a role with more responsibility can help you gain skills that will be useful for school and the workplace and provides experience that can go on a resume! A 2022 article, How College Clubs Can Lead to Careers by US News and World Reports shows how leadership in extracurricular activities can open doors for internships and future career growth.
Volunteering and Service
Many clubs (not just service focused clubs) have opportunities for volunteering or doing service projects! This can be useful if you need service hours for applying to medical school or if you just want to help out in the community!
Found Your Own Club
If the club you want doesn’t exist yet, you can create it! The Georgia Tech Center for Student Engagement oversees this process, and you can learn more about the club charter process here. As long as you have a unique idea, faculty advisor, and ten or more founding members, you are good to go!
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