Leverage Your Campus Life with SP Jain’s Student Clubs

S P Jain Blog | July 15, 2019 | Dubai, Student Life & Experiences | No Comments

With classes, seminars, tutorials, exams, social life and more, SP Jain students have quite a lot on their plate. So, why would you want to add something more onto your list by joining or starting a student club/organization? Well, you would do so simply because it makes you a well-rounded individual — one who’s ready to take on their future career!

Megna Kalvani, Senior Manager Global Learning & Student Life at SP Jain Dubai Campus lists the top reasons why joining student clubs are a crucial aspect of SP Jain student life and the long-term benefits that can be reaped when students invest time in them.

Gain self-awareness

Life at university gives you ample opportunities to learn more about yourself, your goals, your strengths and your areas of improvement. It provides you with a chance to get out of your comfort zone and push your limits. You get to test your knowledge and gain experience to handle different situations outside of the classroom. You get to find out what you’re good at and what you like, and experience new interests in a safe environment. This self-awareness helps build character and personality and aids development, both personally and professionally.

Boost your social skills amongst a diverse peer group

Your time in university is one where you must practice and hone your soft skills that will allow you to interact effectively with people from different cultures and countries. Focus on good communication skills, attitude, and work ethics. Exposure to diverse individuals and large groups helps in broadening your existing skillset while sprucing up your emotional intelligence as well.

Teamwork makes the dream work

While focussing on your individual work is important, working in collaboration with others, without letting your ego reign, is equally important. By joining a student club, you learn how to work in teams in different situations, just like you will later in the corporate world. You will find yourself being self-motivated to test your listening and decision-making skills as well as response and reaction to situations outside the classroom as you work towards a common objective with your club members.

Develop your leadership skills

Student clubs and organisations offer plenty of opportunities to develop leadership skills. Be a part of the student council, take an active lead in a committee, initiate a club or event of student interest. Accepting challenges and taking responsibility are integral to becoming a good leader. By pursuing such opportunities, you can build confidence by working on your public speaking, problem-solving and management skills.

Build an enviable network

Joining a student club allows you to meet and work with a wide network of like-minded people. You get a great platform to interact with faculty, staff and alumni, thereby increasing your networking opportunities. Building a strong network always comes in handy in future when you are looking for a job or need assistance in your area of work.

Experience on-the-job application of classroom concepts

By joining student clubs, you get an ideal platform to apply classroom concepts to real-life situations. You get to test your skills in project management, event planning, fundraising, finance and more in a safe environment, where making mistakes is not going to cost you your job. Instead, it will help you learn from your mistakes.

Use it as a creative vent

With so much academic work going on, taking part in a club serves as an excellent way to take a (necessary) break and use it as a creative vent to explore skills you wouldn’t normally do in a classroom setup. Not only will you dabble in various creative activities that can help you discover a hidden passion, but you will also be able to experience personal growth. You are free to start a club based on your interest and get peers to be a part of it too.

Spruce up your CV

A CV that shows your participation in student organisations as a founder and/or active member acts as an impressive quality for prospective employers. They will see you as a hard worker who is willing to take initiative and can handle multiple responsibilities. The additional skills, qualities and knowledge you gain as a member of a student body portrays you as someone who will be able to adapt well to a robust workplace. And if that’s not enough, your experiences in organising a Model UN, TEDx or a business or cultural event will add to the quality of conversation in your interviews with prospective employers.

Friendship and fun

One of the most basic reasons to join a student club is to have fun. Being part of student organisations will help take the stress off your studies, assignments and exams. It allows you the opportunity to meet new people, build friendships and broaden your knowledge. You will create memories that you will cherish forever as you make the most of your student experience at SP Jain.

Still not convinced? Here’s what our students have to say:

1) Anushka Khemka (BBA 2016); President of the Student Council (2017-2018)

“Becoming the president of the student council pushed me out of my comfort zone and gave my self-awareness a big boost. Taking up a leadership role as a student taught me to be confident and patient and become effective at conflict resolution. It has been one of the most enriching experiences of my life!”

2) Napassanan Chan-udom (BBA 2017); Member of the CSR & Sustainability Club, Dubai

“I was interested in CSR and sustainability since high school. While our cohort was in Singapore, I got a chance to organise an Overseas Community Project with a group pf people that shared the same interests. This led me to be a part of the CSR and Sustainability Club while in Dubai, which allowed me to work on something I’m passionate about – doing social good and making a difference in society with like-minded people. The opportunity helped me network and broaden my knowledge. The Club helped me find my values, goals and strengths through practical experiences.”

3) Ujjwal Bansal (BBA 2015); Culture Club President, Singapore; Media Team Head Designer, Sydney; Organising Team Member of Magnate Business Club, Dubai; Deputy Secretary General – SP Jain Model United Nations, Singapore; Organiser of TEDxSPJainSydney

“Student clubs and events are not an extra part of university life; they are integral to it. They are what makes university life enriching, interesting, full of challenges, comradeship and fun. While these definitely add to your resumé, the biggest impact they have is on your personal growth. After 4 years of continuous participation in activities, clubs, events and the student council, I’m the most confident version of myself. I have friends from all over the world because of the student organisations I was a part of. It has added to my overall experience, impressing prospective employers.”

4) Sambhav Jain (BBA 2016); Sports Club

“When I first came to college, I didn’t know anyone. On my first day, I saw a bunch of people heading towards the football field and followed them to the field. I walked to the field alone but came back with a bunch of friends. The clubs & events that that the college hosts are the best places to make friends, network and let go of stress. Being part of the Sports Club taught me leadership skills, team building skills and most importantly, it taught me how to connect with people. It is not the easiest task to head a club but it sure is the best feeling to see people enjoying and appreciating things organised by you and your team.”

5) Angad Shah (MGB, Sept 2018 cohort); Arabic Language Club

“Being part of the Arabic Language Club allowed me to carve out time from my rigorous academic schedule to gain a foundational understanding of the language for basic conversational purposes while I was in Dubai. Learning the Arabic language was an exciting experience that gave me a chance to understand the culture better and broadened my way of thinking, thus enhancing my cultural intelligence. It may possibly also open up more job opportunities for me in Dubai and the Middle East region.”

Join a few student clubs. Make memories. It’s your year and your time. Make the most of it! Visit your Global Learning & Student Life office for more information if you are keen to join or start a club.

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