Do extracurriculars matter... in college?

Dead of Knight

Dead of Knight

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I'm a freshman in accounting, with a 3.7 GPA in the honors program, and all I hear is, get involved, get leadership positions, blah blah blah. The thing is, I'm not too sociable and there's not really anything I'm truly interested in doing on campus. I definitely want to get an intership in my sophomore year and/or beyond, but that's about it. Is it REALLY necessary to become involved during college to get special opportunities and jobs? Or is it just crap to try to get you involved on campus?
 
[quote name='Dead of Knight']I'm a freshman in accounting, with a 3.7 GPA in the honors program, and all I hear is, get involved, get leadership positions, blah blah blah. The thing is, I'm not too sociable and there's not really anything I'm truly interested in doing on campus. I definitely want to get an intership in my sophomore years and/or beyond, but that's about it. Is it REALLY necessary to become involved during college to get special opportunities and jobs? Or is it just crap to try to get you involved on campus?[/QUOTE]


you could always volunteer that looks great and it shows that you were active, i worked at a soup kitchen, animal shelter, and a boys and girls club during my 4 years of college
 
Who's telling you this? I'm majoring in accounting too and no one has told me anything about extracurricular activities... but then again I'm at a community college.
 
[quote name='Blade']Can you play football?[/QUOTE]

No. And I'm a girl, so it doesn't matter anyways.

I would be game for volunteering for things like Ikohn said. Whenever I did that in high school, I enjoyed it. I just had to get up off my ass and do it. I just don't think I could handle a leadership position in some club, though, because I'm just very shy.

DT778: Pretty much everyone in a leadership position at college tells me this. My RA, my advisor, etc.
 
Well I hope its bs because I probably won't have time for them when I transfer in the fall since I'll be working and living on my own.
 
It depends on what. Get involved in things pertaining to your major and it could help you network, get internships (which can often lead to job offers after college) etc.. Though it may help if you're eventually going to go to graduate school, but that's just a guess.
 
Yes they do matter and for the main reason being references and maybe even more importantly networking. If you are the president, vp, etc. of a club or something you often have a deep source for at least character references and depending on the club references regarding your work. Then there's the networking, it can open a huge path to the job market after college. Getting to know faculty that often have connections in the job market, working with companies and local groups, hiring and communicating regularly with guest speakers or special invitees. All those and more can be part of being in extracurriclars.

There's also the obvious internship, even internal ones. I think my college had a program where undergraduate business majors could intern in the offices athletic department (don't be fooled at a big college it's very much a business) for a semester. Talk to people that will hire kids straight out of college and I'm sure they are gonna glance at your GPA but they'll almost without a doubt tell you that your co-curriculars will give them a much better idea of who they are hiring and what you can do for them.
 
An internship is a very good idea, I've known several people who got their job at the company they interned for.

Everything else is mainly useful for resume padding and contacts. But if you do feel concerend about getting involved look at things inside your department like undergrad research/thesis courses.
 
To answer your question quickly: no, it's not REALLY necessary for you to get involved on campus to get better opportunities/jobs. Does it help? Absolutely.

I can relate to your exact position: I'm a finance/accounting dual major, I was rather shy all throughout my life, and I currently have a 3.95 GPA (junior year in college right now). But if you really want to excel in the work-world, you're going to have to learn skillsets beyond what a textbook/classroom experience can teach you. You'll develop traits such as leadership, teamwork, public speaking, and hierarchy through involvement in clubs. I've been involved with 3 student organizations, and they have all helped me tremendously. Honest.

As a part of the student government for the College of Business, I get to see and help shape the direction of something that directly relates to me. I also get to meet students with like interests, and see some of my classmates outside of the school setting. Getting up in front of the group and talking has also worked wonders for my comfort level in job interviews. Being a part of an advising group for freshman entering the business college has also allowed me to help students who were in my same shoes two years ago. I feel great when I can direct someone in the right direction. I am also part of an ambassador program, which lets me take place in college promotional activities, so that I can network with the faculty and staff. I may rely on these guys in the future for letters of recommendations when I apply for jobs.

Really though, my student involvement boils down to a few key points: 1)resume builders, 2)networking- both making friends and finding professionals in my majors, 3)skillset development, 4)free food, and 5)breaking out of my introverted tendencies.

Your student fees (usually general fees) include a certain allocation towards student groups; that's how they get funding. So essentially, you're paying for these clubs whether or not you're a part of them. Why not use something you pay for? -should make sense to an accounting major, ;).

Hope that helps. If you have any questions regarding specific clubs or how to network, feel free to PM me. I don't check threads regularly, but I do check PMs.

Peace out.
 
[quote name='Dead of Knight']But do you NEED these extracurriculars to get an internship if you have really good grades?[/quote]

Often internships are more about teacher recomendations than just grades, so getting to know 3 important profs. in your department would be a good idea.
 
[quote name='jeffreyjrose']To answer your question quickly: no, it's not REALLY necessary for you to get involved on campus to get better opportunities/jobs. Does it help? Absolutely.

I can relate to your exact position: I'm a finance/accounting dual major, I was rather shy all throughout my life, and I currently have a 3.95 GPA (junior year in college right now). But if you really want to excel in the work-world, you're going to have to learn skillsets beyond what a textbook/classroom experience can teach you. You'll develop traits such as leadership, teamwork, public speaking, and hierarchy through involvement in clubs. I've been involved with 3 student organizations, and they have all helped me tremendously. Honest.

As a part of the student government for the College of Business, I get to see and help shape the direction of something that directly relates to me. I also get to meet students with like interests, and see some of my classmates outside of the school setting. Getting up in front of the group and talking has also worked wonders for my comfort level in job interviews. Being a part of an advising group for freshman entering the business college has also allowed me to help students who were in my same shoes two years ago. I feel great when I can direct someone in the right direction. I am also part of an ambassador program, which lets me take place in college promotional activities, so that I can network with the faculty and staff. I may rely on these guys in the future for letters of recommendations when I apply for jobs.

Really though, my student involvement boils down to a few key points: 1)resume builders, 2)networking- both making friends and finding professionals in my majors, 3)skillset development, 4)free food, and 5)breaking out of my introverted tendencies.

Your student fees (usually general fees) include a certain allocation towards student groups; that's how they get funding. So essentially, you're paying for these clubs whether or not you're a part of them. Why not use something you pay for? -should make sense to an accounting major, ;).

Hope that helps. If you have any questions regarding specific clubs or how to network, feel free to PM me. I don't check threads regularly, but I do check PMs.

Peace out.[/QUOTE]

Thank you!!! That helps a lot.

EDIT: I was looking at various business organizations, and I think the Undergraduate Business Women's Assocation might be a decent fit. There aren't TOO many members (and only THREE freshmen!), so it might not be too hard to get a leadership position, and the meetings are only once every other week. Thanks for all the tips, guys.
 
Good grades won't matter too much once you've got your foot in the door but if you've never been in the real working world they serve as your first instance of credibility and your resume should reflect that. That said, extra-currics aren't a bad way to show that you're well rounded and capable of working in an organization. If you've got an exec position in your organization, it's also a good leadership display and reflexs nicely to a recruiter. That all said, your GPA won't mean squat once you're in however as I don't know too many employers who care if you got a 'D' in sophomore college english literature 201, especially if you're an accy. major.
 
I guess you should get involved just so you know some people if you ever need a favor in the working world. Or if you need help movin' some heavy shit into your apartment. Or buryin' a body.
 
I remember that when I was applying for colleges, the fact that I worked full time while going to school worked against me because I didn't have time for any real extra curricular activities. If I'm also working while attending college as a full time student, do I still need that many extra curriculars? I'm hoping to go to med school (yeah...right...not possible with the amount of games I play) and I've always been afraid that working so much might end up counting against me.
 
My personal opinion is that its absolutely vital that you get in as many extracurricular activities as you can. And I dont mean intramural dodge ball or something like that. I'm saying get enrolled in an honors society/fraternity, join a club(s) related to your major, get involved in volunteer activities, etc.
 
I didn't bother with too much in the way of extracurriculars, and it doesn't really matter all that much. Honestly its the same as high school activities. Either you do something related to your field so you are involved in it more than just classes, or you just do stuff so it appears to those looking at you that you are a well-rounded person. Even in business, you will generally have to relate to people. Therefore employers would like it if you could show you did something besides sit in your room and study.

It's not at all necessary, but it can be helpful. If for nothing else than avoiding silence when asked in an interview what you did outside of classes.
 
the thing is having extracurriculars will never hurt you as long as you still do well in school, though I am not saying doing nothing will hurt you but it cant help
 
NO!! They don't do anything. The most important things in college are, internships, recommendations, and grades. Hell, when I graduated from college most entry level positions were looking for experience already. Therefore the kids who did internships and such while in college already had 1 up on me even though we had all just graduated. Companies these days are less willing to take on someone and train them, they would rather take on someone who has some kind of experience, and your recommendations are necessary for a character reference. Grades just show that you aren't a slacker and can do what is asked of you.
 
Depends. I know at my college, the extra currics are pretty limited and completely idiotic. Internships and Community Service (aka Slavery) are way better. I'd also suggest going abroad during the summer or something, you know, to make it seem like you're a "worldly" person(and that's not meant as an insult).
 
Not as much as you'd think, really.

Honestly just make sure you attach yourself to a professor or two and become intimately involved with their professional career - become a TA, help them with course material, do special projects and independent studies. A good recommendation in a given industry goes a lot further than "Intermural Ultimate Frisbee." The business world is 90% who you know, 10% what you know....
 
[quote name='Maklershed']My personal opinion is that its absolutely vital that you get in as many extracurricular activities as you can. And I dont mean intramural dodge ball or something like that. I'm saying get enrolled in an honors society/fraternity, join a club(s) related to your major, get involved in volunteer activities, etc.[/QUOTE]
I definitely actually had an intramural dodgeball game last night :lol:
 
Internships and co-op are the things you should be worried about above all else. Experience will do more for you than any other activity. Shit, even that whole honors things is really a bunch of bullshit. At my school, all it really means is more work in classes that don't relate to your major. Many people who were in the honors program because of this.

Reccomendations are pretty important, too. Many high-level professors know people in the field they teach, so they can help you a lot. Like someone else said, being a TA is a good idea. But these sort of things won't really come up until your about 2 years into your field of study (I mean 2 years from the point you started taking classes that would have fulfilled requirements in your major). But you should definately speak to all your professors as soon as possible to see if they have any summer internships or TA work they can get you.

Basically, anything that doesn't provide you with direct experience in or help you get to know people involved with your field of study should be avoided. Why waste your time with shiity volunteer work when you could be interning at an accounting firm? The volunteer work will make you look like a good person, but the internship will make you look like a good employee. Also, interning at a company now puts you in a great position to be hired by them later.

Man, I wish I had a 3.7 GPA. I was an idiot and went into Pharmacy for 2 semesters before I realized how much I hated it. That D in Microbiology pisses me off. Oh well, I got a 3.75 last semester, and I'm looking at getting a similar GPA this semester, so I'm outpacing my high school grades by a couple years. I love mechanical engineering, and the starting pay is around $50,000-$60,000.
 
[quote name='daschrier'] The most important things in college are, internships, recommendations, and grades. Hell, when I graduated from college most entry level positions were looking for experience already. Therefore the kids who did internships and such while in college already had 1 up on me even though we had all just graduated. Companies these days are less willing to take on someone and train them, they would rather take on someone who has some kind of experience, and your recommendations are necessary for a character reference. Grades just show that you aren't a slacker and can do what is asked of you.[/QUOTE]

This is SO TRUE. My boyfriend has a BA in PoliSci (with a ~3.87 GPA), an MA in International Relations, and a JD from the university I am attending right now... and he still cannot find a lawyer job. Why? Because he didn't do any internships (this is what several people, including advisors at law school, have said). Thankfully, things seem to be turning around for him and he might get a lawyer job soon, I sure hope so.
 
All of my friends who have graduated have told me that even their grades don't matter, nor do their degrees -- it's experience in the field. Because of this, an internship is probably a really, really good idea.

Also, if you can get into some kind of leadership position in a club relating to your field, it's a big advantage. For example, my roommate is a Criminal Justice major, he's president of Criminal Justice Club or whatever.

And you don't need to be something like President -- I worked as the Secretary for our club for about a year, and I didn't have the responsibility of actually doing much, but I was exposed to it enough that I understood how everything worked. And that is valuable too.

Whatever you do, don't rely on your degree/grades solely, because they aren't going to be a lot of help once you're out -- get jobs relating to the field, and do things related to it. Get as much professional experience as you can, because that's what recruiters look for.
 
Volunteering will look really good to prospective employers. It shows you're well rounded and give a damn about something more than yourself.
 
[quote name='Dead of Knight']This is SO TRUE. My boyfriend has a BA in PoliSci (with a ~3.87 GPA), an MA in International Relations, and a JD from the university I am attending right now... and he still cannot find a lawyer job. Why? Because he didn't do any internships (this is what several people, including advisors at law school, have said). Thankfully, things seem to be turning around for him and he might get a lawyer job soon, I sure hope so.[/QUOTE]

A lot of the problems with finding a job as a lawyer is most places look at where you went. Is OSU Ohio, Oregon or Oklahoma?
 
I'd only do it for self-enrichment. Colleges want you to do them for $$$; but you should do them for yourself.

I've taken quite a few classes outside of my requirements. In fact, I'm not even working under my "plan", anymore. I'm just taking classes I want to take.
 
[quote name='Dead of Knight']But do you NEED these extracurriculars to get an internship if you have really good grades?[/quote]

Yes, even more so. If your grades are too high, employers may think that you only sit around and study all of the time. From people I knew in college, those that were more involved than just classes got more job offers than people with far better grades. The first company I worked for wouldn't even interview people with a 3.5 or better unless they had tons of extras. Employers want well balanced people who can interact with their coworkers and customers as well as manage their time. Being involved is just one way to do this.

I had a 3.0, limited work experience but a lot of extra curricular stuff and I got several more offers for jobs that people who only studied, with grades 3.5 and above.

Here's one relevant story about me in particular. I was in the marching band at Iowa State. I would say that 9 out of 10 interviewers first question was "What's it like to be in a college marching band?" Its an easy question for me to answer and really broke the ice.

Bottom line, get involved. It can't hurt. I was always busy in college, shy when I started as a freshman but by the time I was done, I was in several leadership positions and it only helped me out when I needed it.

Hope this helps some.

TBW
 
Grades usually just a starting point for most employers. If you meet their cut-off, they they'll want to know what kind of person you are and your extracurriculars will reflect that.
 
I was an accounting major also for my undergrad. I had a 4.0 for most of my time in college, and I ended up graduating with a 3.9. Only one firm I interviewed with mentioned my GPA, the others didn't care.

If you're going to be taking part in something solely to put it on your resume, be a leader in it. I was in the accounting "fraternity" (and I use that term lightly) Beta Alpha Psi solely to put it on my resume, and when ever it got brought up in interviews, it was followed by the question, "which office did you hold".

Also, join a large fraternity/sorority, or make friends with people in one. Most of the people are ridiculously shallow, but you would not believe what kind of business contacts you can make (why else do the very wealthy send their kids to elite schools). This was how I got my first job:
  1. I became friends with a frat-guy in a Coporate Tax Accounting class
  2. that was fraternity brothers with another guy
  3. who's dad was the manager for a local office of a big financial firm
  4. who pulled some strings with a friend in another department to hire me
 
One of the important things is what kind of job you're looking to get. I know there's employers that come to my school looking for people with a 3.5 or higher GPA only, so having buttloads of activities won't help you out a whole lot.

Of course, that's not to say that you shouldn't do any. I'm in Materials Science and I try to volunteer for all the activities we sponsor around the school and the surrounding area. I do it because, yeah, it does look good on a resume, but they also tend to be a lot of fun. I used to be involved in some groups outside of my major, but I had a hard time sticking with them since meetings were often scheduled at times when I had classes so I had to ditch them.

Also, something that nobody's mentioned so far (at least, that I remember reading) is to apply for scholarships and awards. They're a great thing to have on your resume. So even if the award is only $100 or something small, it's another thing to say that you've gotten and if it's from your field, then it's a total plus.
 
Moonshinin'! Them college recruitioners love them the moonshinin'!

If it wasn't for moonshinin', Burt Reynolds woulda never got his dum gad education at Florida State.

burt-deliverance98.jpg
 
So basically experience and internships are important if you want to find a good job after you graduate? What about for graduate school or med school?
 
No offense, but how does a 3.7 in business land you in honors? UW's Honors Program has an average GPA of 3.95, and business/social science people are pretty much required a 4.0... only science/math majors are accepted with anything below a high 3.9. I have a 3.85 toward physics and even I wouldn't dream of applying to the honors program here. Does your school grade really hard or something?

Anyway, on topic, extracurriculars are important, but also join clubs you enjoy. A gaming club, snowboarding club, whatever. Just to meet as many people as you can. It's more important than you think.
 
[quote name='vietgurl']So basically experience and internships are important if you want to find a good job after you graduate? What about for graduate school or med school?[/QUOTE]

Those are based mostly on the applicable test (MCAT, LSAT, etc.) and your GPA. Extracurriculars are just kind of a bonus.
 
[quote name='vietgurl']So basically experience and internships are important if you want to find a good job after you graduate? What about for graduate school or med school?[/QUOTE]

Extracurriculars are extremely important for med school. Having gone through the process myself, the objective stuff (grades and MCAT scores) are used as a cut off for which applicants will get interviews. After that you need to differentiate yourself somehow and the best way to do that is with extracurricular stuff (volunteer work, research) and during the interview. I would imagine that this would be the same for competitive graduate programs but med school definitely requires this.
 
As other people have said, internships are the key. Even if they are unpaid, they are worth it in the long run because the experience is worth it times 1000000. I am currently doing a part-time internship and loving it because seeing my name in print is fuckin' sweet.
 
[quote name='dopa345']Extracurriculars are extremely important for med school. Having gone through the process myself, the objective stuff (grades and MCAT scores) are used as a cut off for which applicants will get interviews. After that you need to differentiate yourself somehow and the best way to do that is with extracurricular stuff (volunteer work, research) and during the interview. I would imagine that this would be the same for competitive graduate programs but med school definitely requires this.[/QUOTE]

Yeah, seconding the research thing if you're going into a technical field. I've been doing research in one form or another since my Freshman year and it's helped me build contacts with professors, go to a few conferences, and, hopefully sometime this summer, get a paper published. From everything I've heard from my professors, that's much better than having been president of the underwater basketweaving club any day of the week.

[quote name='Koggit']No offense, but how does a 3.7 in business land you in honors? UW's Honors Program has an average GPA of 3.95, and business/social science people are pretty much required a 4.0... only science/math majors are accepted with anything below a high 3.9. I have a 3.85 toward physics and even I wouldn't dream of applying to the honors program here. Does your school grade really hard or something?[/quote]

It really depends on the school that you're attending. I only kinow of one person within my major that has a 4.0, and very few of us are pulling over a 3.75 overall (what's required for Dean's List here). When you take a class, what's the usual percentage of people that get As, Bs and Cs?
 
[quote name='RacinReaver']It really depends on the school that you're attending. I only kinow of one person within my major that has a 4.0, and very few of us are pulling over a 3.75 overall (what's required for Dean's List here). When you take a class, what's the usual percentage of people that get As, Bs and Cs?[/QUOTE]

Most classes do a bell curve, in sciences the average has to be (req'd by administration) a 2.6, so they usually curve down, and for humanities it can range from 2.9 to 3.3 (if the class average is below 2.9 they have to curve up to 2.9, if it's above 3.3 they have to curve down to 3.3). Other classes, like social sciences, maths, PE credit, etc, aren't regulated. Many are easy GPA boosters, except the math courses which are usually around 2.8-2.9 uncurved. The school-wide average GPA is 3.1, but that's just because there aren't many science majors. A lot of business.
 
If they have to curve a class down then the tests are usually too easy. :p

I know on lots of exams I take the high grade will usually be around an 80 and the low close to a 20-30. That tends to give a much better grade distribution (and, as far as I'm concerned, fairer) to give a curve off of instead of the traditional slamming everyone into 30% of the scale. I don't know of any 'official' requirements for curves here, generally professors just give a curve how they think it should be. For example, I know my year has consistently higher grades on average than the year ahead of us since, from what the professors tell us, we tend to learn the material a lot better.

Of course, if you're at a really huge school the requirements to get into the honors school probably are a bit more stringent. I know we don't even have one here, but that's probably because it's darned hard enough to get into in the first place. =p
 
[quote name='Koggit']No offense, but how does a 3.7 in business land you in honors? UW's Honors Program has an average GPA of 3.95, and business/social science people are pretty much required a 4.0... only science/math majors are accepted with anything below a high 3.9. I have a 3.85 toward physics and even I wouldn't dream of applying to the honors program here. Does your school grade really hard or something?
[/QUOTE]

OSU (Ohio State)'s honors program is COMPLETELY different from what you appear to be talking about at your college. You are accepted as an honors student when you are accepted into the university. You generally have to have a 1300 SAT (from the old SAT scores) or a 29 ACT and be in the top 10% of your high school class. So yeah, what we are talking about is totally different. OSU has other, more stringent programs that are more like what you are talking about, but they just aren't called the same thing.
 
depends on your major. Im an electrical engineer and while an engineering frat or whatever might look good, It probably wont get me a job. Focus on getting internships during the summer, much more important for your future.
 
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