Starting high school is a tremendous change in a student’s life. However, there are many ways to make the transition easier—joining a school club is one of them. Although the Merriam-Webster Dictionary describes a “club” as a group identified by some common characteristics, I would describe school clubs as a safe space where students come together to pursue their interests and hobbies.

There are a variety of clubs at Burnaby North. They can be indoors like gaming, business, and various academic and language clubs. There are also outdoor sports clubs such as Ultimate Frisbee! Art, textile, drama, dance, and music clubs are great choices as well. The amazing thing is if you can’t find a club that meets your needs, you can also start a new one by applying to the administration. A good way to find out about all the different clubs is on Clubs Day, an event that happens annually at the beginning of the school year. On this day, most clubs will advertise what their club is about, what you do in the club, and when they meet. To make it more tempting, some clubs even give out candy and other sweet treats to new members to attract them to sign up.

The process of joining a club is typically easy. For most clubs, you can sign up by providing your email on Clubs Day, though some require you to fill out an online form due to limited space. Additionally, most clubs have social media accounts where they post updates and let you sign up. After signing up, clubs are a fantastic way to meet new people and make new friends. You will meet people who will have the same interests and hobbies as you, and you will build connections with some of them. Those people could be the people you make life-lasting memories with. You might also become friends with someone who can help you with homework, tests, and quizzes. When you are old enough, they might even be able to help you find a job by being a reference or connection!

Moreover, clubs have multiple members that have different personalities and different temperaments. You will learn skills like commitment, leadership, effective communication, and how to work successfully in a group with other people; you will also become more confident. As such, clubs are a great way to demonstrate your extracurricular activities and score high on your college application. When you are applying for a job, you will have a higher chance of getting accepted if you have more service hours. You can earn service hours by selling things for your club, volunteering, or being more involved by taking on a leadership position.

Finally, clubs will help you build character and find out more about yourself. Research has proven that clubs help you develop as a “whole” person. You might also gain new interests and hobbies, such as with chess or Model UN club, or you might find out what it is you want to do in the future. Clubs are a fantastic way to have fun, make new memories and forget about schoolwork for a while.

I hope the above has given you an understanding of clubs and how they benefit you. Clubs are a stepping stone in your high school life, and they will hopefully make the transition from elementary to high school easier. The clubs at Burnaby North can open doors to multiple opportunities, but most importantly, they are fun places where you meet new friends!