Making the Most Out of Fordham's 135 Clubs

Are you the kind of high school student who is an all-season varsity athlete, NHS scholar, after school volunteer at a local nursing home, school newspaper editor-in-chief, president of both French Club and Painting With Watercolors Club, and an active member of the Chess Club and Grecian Club even though you’re 100% Irish?

If you can relate, have no fear, most Fordham students were also stupidly over-committed in high school too.

Being involved in so much isn’t necessarily a bad thing- it usually means that you’re passionate about a lot of things and have a wide array of interests, which is an extremely respectable quality to have. It also helps you master the art of time management, and allows you to meet new people with similar interests as you.

However, being over-committed, especially in college, can also be a curse. If you take on too much, you not only overwhelm yourself, but also lose the opportunity to really immerse yourself in what you’re involved in. College can be a big adjustment for some people, so between classes, homework, internships, having fun with friends, exploring New York City, and getting enough sleep, it’s important to remember to only join things you think you will have time for.

That being said, I will now tell you that Fordham has 135 clubs and organizations for undergrads. That’s everything ranging from the Finance Society, to club sports teams, to Fordham Experimental Theatre Group to the Paranormal Society. You can pretty much find an organization geared toward anything you’re interested in; but if not, you can always submit a proposal to start something new!

At the beginning of every semester Fordham hosts a fair (in the fall around Eddies and in the spring in McGinley 2nd) to showcase all of the different clubs. It’s literally like a scene out of Pitch Perfect- the performance groups are singing and dancing at you, and every group in between is offering you candy and trying to get you to sign up for their organizations. 

Fall Club Fair Around Eddies

My advice to freshmen would be to get a feel for all of the clubs first. Talk to the people representing the club at the fair, take tons of brochures and flyers and free food, and do a little bit of research. Whatever you do, don’t sign up for a club right on the spot because if you end up not joining, you’ll still get tons of emails from them until you graduate anyway. After you’ve thought about it and figured out which clubs’ schedules fit into your schedule, join one to four of them. Join some that you know you’re passionate about, and maybe one that you’re curious about. You might learn something new, and meet different people. Also, be active in your clubs! Attend meetings, volunteer to work events, and maybe even run for an e-board position. Getting involved is such a great way to meet great people and truly feel like a part of the Fordham community. 

Expressions Dance Alliance at the Fall 2014 Club Fair

For a full list of the clubs and organizations offered on campus, click here!