As you take a look at the extracurricular activities available at your college, you might find that nothing really stands out. So why not create your own club?

Whether you enjoy underwater basket-weaving or watching Spanish telenovelas in your spare time, there is bound to be someone else who does, too. Here are 6 steps to take to get the college extracurricular experience you have always wanted by starting a club.

1. Find Other Students with the Same Interest

Just because there is not currently a club catering to your interests does not mean others on campus do not share this interest. Not everyone is enterprising enough to start a college extracurricular club, but they would likely join one made by you!

Ask your friends and roommate if they have any interest in the subject you are considering. You can even get acquaintances to join the club by posting an invitation or status update on your Facebook profile or even just by mentioning the idea on Twitter.

2. Know the Club Requirements at Your College

Every college is different when it comes to extracurricular activities, so you should contact your school to find out more about the process. You will likely need to have a list of interested members and possibly even titles. For example, you can be the president/founder, and then find out which of the founding members would be best at being the treasurer, secretary and other positions.

3. Meet with the Club Coordinator at Your School

Many colleges require in-person meetings with club founders to make sure they are current students. When you set up this meeting, you will likely need to bring the list of initial members to the person in charge of approving all college extracurricular activities, and then fill out any paperwork. You might also need to find a faculty member to sponsor the club.

4. Write the Club’s Bylaws

The next step is to decide on the policies of the club. You and your founding members can determine these, but they may already exist if you are simply starting a new branch of an existing club at your school.

You will need to present the bylaws to the college club coordinator before your extracurricular group is approved, so make sure they are appropriate and realistic. Bylaws should include your club objective, rules and meeting frequency and location.

5. Recruit Additional Members

Once your college extracurricular group has its founding members in place, it is time to get more students interested.

You can do so by simply advertising the club’s initial meeting so students can come and decide if it’s right for them. Posting flyers around your college is a good start, but you should also consider an ad or write-up in the school newspaper. The use of social media like Twitter and Facebook is also a good way to get noticed by college students.

6. Plan a Memorable First Club Meeting

You want to get and keep new members for your extracurricular group in college, so you need to get all eyes on your club during the first few meetings. Be energetic so your passion for the subject comes through and gets others excited. You should also have refreshments and fun activities planned for the recruits of your new college extracurricular club.

Now that you know the basic steps of starting a club, you can truly enjoy the superior extracurricular activities at your college!

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