Finding an organization that fits you: A student’s guide

Writing And Graphic By Jiselle Santos

What you need to know about student orgs

Finding an organization and joining one can be intimidating if you don’t know what to look for. Many students join organizations and clubs to meet new people, connect with others who share the same interests as them and maybe even for academic and career purposes.

You can find more information about organizations at UH through GetInvolved from your AccessUH account or events such as Cat’s Back and Weeks of Welcome, which the University often hosts at the beginning of the academic year.

The types of organizations you can find at UH can be the following: academic, cultural, social, recreational, community-service based, media, religious-based, student government/political, and sorority and fraternity life.

Academic organizations such as honor societies and clubs affiliated with your major can be something that can be added to your resume to gain experience in your career field. Some examples can be the American Advertising Federation UH chapter and the American Marketing Association, in which students can get involved with learning more about what these fields have to offer.

Cultural organizations at the University can be a way for many students to celebrate their culture and create inclusive spaces and emphasize the diversity among the community at UH. The Council for Cultural Activities, which promotes cultural awareness among students and supports other cultural organizations on campus is one of the many organizations many can join.

Then there are religion and faithbased organizations like Chi Alpha and Younglife, which encourage students to share their interests in faith and spirituality with others.

Social and spirit organizations at the University promote school spirit and the community of UH by hosting events for all students. Some of these organizations are universitysponsored since they revolve around significant events such as Homecoming and Frontier Fiesta. However, events held all-year-round that promote school spirit and involvement can be seen hosted by the Student Program Board (SPB).

Organizations at the University allow for students to volunteer in the Houston community such as Metropolitan Volunteer Program. However, students can also find volunteer opportunities and help out the Houston community through IMPACT, a living-learning community under Student Housing and Residential Life.

Hobbies such as sports can be a great way to meet people, the UH Recreation Health and Wellness Center has intramural clubs that students can sign up for, ranging from basketball, tennis and other sports.

Some of the major media organizations that you can find at UH are located at the Center for Student Media: these organizations are CoogTV, Coog Radio, The Cougar and Cooglife. If you’re interested in writing, music, film and graphic design, these are some of the organizations to check out.

Student government and political organizations are also another way for students with interests in politics to get involved on campus. Many tend to join the Student Government Association to pursue this.

Lastly is sorority and fraternity life, many of which have established chapters at the University, helping students develop leadership, networking skills and being involved in their communities. Consisting of chapters from the United Greek Council, Houston Panhellenic Council, Multicultural Greek Council and National PanHellenic Council, many of these councils have found a home for themselves at UH.

However, learning more about organizations at UH and how you could benefit from joining them can be helpful when choosing the one for you.