6 Benefits of Joining Student Executive Board

Being a student is certainly hectic with endless cycles of assignments that must be completed before deadlines. Not only are they busy with academic pursuits, but some students invest their time in a student organization or a club. In my case, it's the student executive board. Here are the benefits of participating in the organization:

1.      You Know More About Yourself

Participating in a student organization means you allow yourself to cope with many social calendars and people. You’ll show up in meetings, gatherings, seminars, exhibitions, and all of the behind-the-scenes to prepare those agendas running. Oftentimes, you must negotiate, convey your ideas, compromise with other people, and agree to disagree with your nemesis's ideas to achieve the same goals. You must learn to adapt fast and hone your emotional intelligence. In the meantime, you'll see that it's also the process to get to know yourself better, like you become aware of your weaknesses and strengths. And that, my friend, is a valuable lesson.

2.      You Learn How to Teamwork

Planning, projecting, executing, and evaluating programs need solid teamwork. Will you buy it if I told you, some people really cannot work with other people? That's surely not a thing that will benefit you in the future, talking about us as a homo social alone. You are encouraged to share and to cooperate. That's how a bigger goal will be achieved, together in teamwork.

3.      Improve Your Skills

The exciting part about being on the board is that you have the opportunity to show yourself. One member to the other has different-unique talents and skills that contribute to the running of a program. There will be many programs, and you will have alternating roles on the committee. On one occasion, you are in charge of the documentation, on another, of the sponsorship, run-down, publication, and many more. It improves your skills, soft and hard. 

4.      Rich with Practical Experience

You will learn how to organize an event, make proposals, make MOU, and be a liaison organizer. You have the chance to apply what you’ve learned in class in reality, which is a good deal. If you learn about public relations in class, then you can implement it into practice in the organization. The world after graduation will be much similar. Having an organizational background will help a lot further.

5.      Broaden Your Connection

You make connections, meet new people, and build relationships with students from different faculties and even communities. Your friendship is not limited to your classmates. Bonus: you become Mr/Mrs. Popular too because your face is so familiar around the campus corners. Tempting? 

6.      Expand Your Resume 

No doubt, but having a list of organizational background on your resume will attract the employer, especially for a fresh graduate. A company is basically an organization, and when they find you have the soft skills, you've already got one point. Life after college is a jungle, and you might be an entrepreneur or a 9-5 hero, either way, an organizational experience prepares you for the office politics and other sour things you might want to avoid, but you have to face them.

So, those are the benefits you will get when you decide to join a student organization or a club in your uni. Personally, I recommend it for the sake of your future. No matter how tight your schedule is, and no matter how exhausted you are with all the loads of a college student, think of it as an investment. The reward will be worth it.

- Lista, BEM Sastra UG 15/16