College Life
The Ultimate Guide to Starting a Club in College to Build a Fun and Successful Campus Community
Learn how starting a club in college can boost your campus experience. Follow this guide to lead and create a lasting impact on your community.
Being in a club is a shining example of how great college can be. While it’s not necessary to be in a club while in college, I would say not being in one is missing out on what can be the most fun part of your experience.
It gives you the opportunity to make new friends, connect with your school community, and build up your resumé with new experiences.
But every school is different, and may not have a club with topics you’re interested in.
There’s a chance you aren’t alone, and there are others who are dying to share those interests and don’t have any outlet for them.
Starting a club can be fun and exciting but there is a lot that needs to be taken into consideration. That’s where you and I come in
We’ll be discussing how to get started, finding your membership, organizing events, and sustaining our club so it can be successful for a long time.
In This Post:
• Why Start a Club in College?
• Brainstorm and Refine Your Club Idea
• Get Official — Registering Your Club
• Building Your Team and Membership Base
• Plan Events That Keep Members Engaged
• Sustain Your Club for the Long Term
• Creative and Popular Club Ideas to Get You Started
Why Start a Club in College?
• Make an Impact on Campus
The biggest reason to start a club yourself is that you believe there is a gap in the community.
If you feel like you want to start a club, the question you need to be asking is “What do I feel I can provide that doesn’t already exist?”
Colleges have loads of clubs for various things, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t roles to fill or interests to be explored.
• Build Leadership and Teamwork Skills
Being a founder and leader of a club is a great personal experience for you as well.
There’s a lot of work involved from things like organization, management, and budgeting, but that means there are a lot of skills to learn and practice that will carry over to many different careers.
Speaking of careers, you can actually put significant club work on your resumé. It’s a great way to show your employers your leadership skills by explaining what you did for your club.
• Meet Like-Minded People
Running a club is one of the easiest ways to make friends in college. It’s basically a cheat code.
Being in a club guarantees you something in common with everyone there, so starting a club about something you are interested in is a great way of finding people who share that same interest.
• Unlock Campus Resources
You may be wondering until now what the benefit of being an official club is over just hanging out with people. The answer is campus resources.
The first major one will be getting your own room on campus to hold your meetings, along with a faculty advisor to help out with logistical stuff and guidance.
If your club is big enough and proven, you’ll also get access to funding from the school to do activities and easier access to promotional tools to grow even bigger.
Related: College vs. University: Understanding the Differences and Making the Right Choice
Brainstorm and Refine Your Club Idea
Photo by Robert Kusk
• Identify a Need or Niche
Your first step has to be coming up with your initial idea. We already talked a little bit about picking a niche, but what you really want to look for is a gap.
Make sure you are familiar with the other clubs on campus and that none of them are filling the role you want to fill.
• Define Your Purpose and Goals
Once you have an idea of what you are solving, your next step is figuring out a solution to your problem.
You need to decide in a basic and simple statement what purpose your club is serving. Think of it like a pitch for when people ask what you do.
Once you have your mission statement, you can make a short list of more specific things that make up your broader mission.
• Choose a Club Name That Stands Out
Choosing the name for your club can be the most fun part of this process. Some things to keep in mind while deciding is keeping it creative while still being clear.
The creativity is going to show people what makes your club special, but you need the name to also reflect what the club is actually about.
Get Official — Registering Your Club
Photo by Robert Kusk
Photo by Robert Kusk• Check Your School’s Requirements
Our next stage of getting this club together is very boring, but extremely important. Your school very likely has a big list of rules and regulations that clubs have to follow.
Every school is going to be a little different, so you’ll want to go talk to the student affairs office for guidance.
Some common ones you’ll probably see include minimum member counts, writing a club constitution, selecting a faculty advisor, and providing a list of club leadership.
• Write a Club Constitution
Your club constitution is going to be very important to provide to the school administration because it essentially shows them all of the important information about your club.
This document will also be useful to keep for the club to follow as leadership changes and members come and go.
For that reason, you should include your purpose that we wrote earlier, club structure, officer roles, voting procedures, and a list of rules for leadership and membership to follow.
• Recruit a Faculty or Staff Advisor
Your club advisor is going to act as your bridge between the club and administration, as well as being able to help you make things happen when you need help organizing.
The most important thing to keep in mind when picking an advisor is finding someone who can share the same passion for the club as you do. Someone who will be just as eager to help out as you are.
I recommend asking staff that you already know and trust to let you pitch your club to them, and they may be able to connect you with people who may be interested.
• Submit Your Application
We’re nearly there. For this step, all we have to do is gather all of the information we’ve worked on so far and organize it into an application that presents everything to the administration.
Make sure not to forget anything, and keep things professional and we’re ready to submit. Alright, boring stuff is over, time to get back to work on our next step.
Related: What to Do When Bored in Class: 120+ Productive and Entertaining Ideas
Building Your Team and Membership Base
• Recruit Your Core Team
Before we even think about outside membership, I recommend convincing some of your friends and classmates to join.
You’ll need leadership already established to start planning events and recruitment, so having a core team established is a must.
Once you have the manpower, you’ll want to start assigning roles. You should already have your leadership outlined in your constitution, so you can meet with your team and decide who is most suited for what task.
Some common ones from clubs I’ve been in are President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, Social Media Chair, etc.
Every club’s needs are different, so it will be up to you to judge what you need and who is best suited to do the work.
• Launch Your First Recruitment Push
Now that we have a team, we need a membership. You are going to want to take advantage of every recruitment opportunity you have.
The main one you want to plan for is going to be the engagement fair if your school has one.
These are usually events where clubs set up tables to attract new members and get the word out about meetings.
Alongside prepping for the fair, you can take advantage of public advertising like social media and bulletin boards on campus.
Making social media posts and posters can be a great way to get information out there.
• Use Digital Platforms to Stay Organized
There are two very good ways to use digital platforms to help your club.
Like we discussed in the last section, you can use platforms like Instagram and TikTok to promote the club and make public announcements.
Alternatively, you can also create a custom website for the same purpose. The other type of platform that you can use is for messaging, like Slack, Discord, or GroupMe.
I prefer Slack and Discord because you can create separate discussion and announcement channels to divide communication among members really easily.
Plan Events That Keep Members Engaged
Photo by Robert Kusk
Photo by Robert Kusk• Start Small but Consistent
I find the best way to hold your members’ attention, especially early on, is to make sure the schedule is consistent.
When you are able to maintain a weekly or biweekly schedule, it makes it easier for your members to work it into their schedule and makes them more likely to come back.
You also shouldn’t worry about doing huge events when you first start. It is perfectly fine to start with small activities like guest speakers, games, and workshops to work on building your club and getting comfortable.
• Collaborate with Other Clubs
A great way to expand your reach is to collaborate with other clubs. Talking with other clubs on campus and organizing an event together benefits both clubs by doubling the audience for whatever event you decide to do.
• Promote Like a Pro
You have several different options for promoting your club, so we’ll go over some of my favorites.
Posters are going to be a very good option because most campuses have public bulletin boards for you to promote yourself.
The poster can also be shared as a social media post, and you can ask your teachers to show it to other classes.
Another way to spread the word is to go to your school’s newsletter and request to be put in the newsletter or in email chains.
Related: Good Habits for Students-The Complete Guide for Students to Thrive in School
Sustain Your Club for the Long Term
• Set Realistic Goals Each Semester
Ultimately, we would love for our club to last as long as possible, but we also have to keep track of the moment.
It’s best to plan each semester out by setting new and achievable goals. Some goals to set could be to grow membership, host a signature event, or win a campus award.
• Create Leadership Transitions
It is important to create good transitions between leadership roles as people graduate and leave their roles. You want your new leaders to be well-trained before they need to step up and fill the roles.
I recommend choosing your new leaders one to two semesters in advance so they can work with the current leaders to learn and document everything they need to do and what their responsibilities are.
With the help of that training buffer, the club will be able to maintain high-quality leadership in the long term.
• Get Feedback and Stay Flexible
Getting feedback is essential for maintaining your membership. You need to be aware of any problems people have and open to suggestions, so you can adapt to what your members want to get out of the club experience.
I suggest sending out surveys regularly to give your members a chance to voice their opinions.
I like to send them out once per semester, but when you’re just starting out, it may be a good idea to do them more frequently as you are figuring things out.
Creative and Popular Club Ideas to Get You Started
Academic & Career-Focused Clubs
Photo by Robert Kusk
Photo by Robert Kusk- Pre-med, pre-law, or business clubs
- Coding, data science, and engineering groups
- Debate or public speaking club
- Women in STEM / Underrepresented Minorities in Tech
- Resume review or interview prep groups
Arts & Creative Expression Clubs
Photo by Robert Kusk
Photo by Robert Kusk- Photography or film club
- Creative writing or poetry groups
- Fashion design or the Thrifting Club
- Theater and improv
- Music jam sessions or a cappella groups
Social Impact & Service Clubs
Photo by Robert Kusk
Photo by Robert Kusk- Environmental/sustainability club
- Volunteering or community outreach
- Mental health awareness and advocacy
- Fundraising clubs for specific causes (e.g., cancer research, disaster relief)
- Campus recycling and zero-waste initiatives
Cultural & Identity-Based Clubs
Photo by Robert Kusk
Photo by Robert Kusk- Black Student Union, Asian-American Alliance, Latinx Coalition
- LGBTQ+ support and activism groups
- International student networking groups
- Language & culture exchange meetups
Related: 30 Best Dorm Room Ideas You Will Absolutely Need in College
Health, Fitness & Lifestyle Clubs
Photo by Robert Kusk
Photo by Robert Kusk- Yoga, pilates, or running groups
- Intramural sports teams (or fan clubs for your college teams)
- Wellness & mindfulness club
- Cooking, plant-based eating, or nutrition clubs
- Hiking and adventure groups
Gaming, Media & Tech Clubs
Photo by Robert Kusk
Photo by Robert Kusk- Video game or eSports teams
- Anime, K-drama, or fandom discussion groups
- Podcasting or student-run media outlets
- Blockchain, crypto, or finance clubs
Just-for-Fun & Niche Interest Clubs
Photo by Robert Kusk
Photo by Robert Kusk- Meme or TikTok creation club
- Book swap or silent reading club
- Plant parenting or urban gardening group
- Thrift flipping or DIY/crafting club
- Dog-watching or pet therapy meetup group
Final Thoughts
Starting a club can be one of the most rewarding things you’ll do in college.
It gives you the opportunity to connect with people and friends, build important skills and gain experience, and create a lasting impact on campus that will be important even after you graduate.
It is a lot of work and that can be intimidating, but with the right inspiration and a driven personality, I’m sure you can do it.
Do you have ideas or plans to start your own club? Let us know in the comments what you’re doing and if we were able to help you out.
We’re excited to hear how you’re impacting your campus community!
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