Check out these cool clubs on campus
When I first got to campus, it wasn't exactly a problem for me to find clubs I wanted to join, given Rutgers' overwhelming roster of organizations. But it was challenging narrowing this list down to only a few clubs to commit to.
It was especially difficult to do this using only the getINVOLVED website and a few group chats on hand to help me make the decision, but luckily for any new students, this is a thing of the past.
Post-pandemic, there are involvement fairs and in-person meetings constantly going on all over campus, so you can easily try a bunch of different clubs that you're interested in. If you still don't know what to join, or you have some free time you'd like to spend, here are some of the coolest clubs on campus.
This adventurous club offers many activities in, you guessed it, the great outdoors. The group goes hiking, rock climbing, kayaking and fishing together, which is the perfect escape for any Rutgers student feeling a bit cooped up on campus.
The club gathers weekly, and like most clubs on campus, there's no pressure or commitment to go to every event or meeting. To find out more about getting involved with the Outdoors Club, you can check it out here.
Not only is this a great way to make friends (both furry and human), but it's also a chance to get involved with a nonprofit organization. The club raises puppies from a few weeks old all the way into adulthood when they're ready to become seeing-eye dogs.
If you want to go all in, you can become a sitter, taking care of puppies when it works for you and the full-time raiser's schedule. After at least two semesters of that, you can apply to become a raiser and be in charge of training the dogs.
But the cool thing about this club is you can just be a general member. General members go to the weekly meetings and club events as often or as little as they want. So if you'd like the chance to pet some pups without the commitment, swing by and meet some future service animals.
READ, the Rutgers University Book Club
I may be a bit biased, as I was a part of the club in earlier semesters, but READ is truly one of the best clubs on campus. The club hosts meetings twice a month where members pick and discuss books, as well as just whatever's going on in the world.
It's a great chance to meet new people and, if you're a bookworm, a way to make friends who share your love of reading. Because it only meets every other Tuesday, it's an easy enough time commitment. And you're always welcome to come, whether you've read ahead and finished the assigned book or barely even cracked it open.
Most college students come to campus with little to no cooking experience. Though many students currently live in residence halls and use dining halls as their main source for meals, we're all going to have to fend for ourselves eventually. And the best way to prepare is to learn how to cook.
Like Chef Auguste Gusteau from "Ratatouille," this club believes anyone can cook and aims to develop those skills while also encouraging creativity and passion for the culinary arts. Meetings are held in the dining halls, so the organization is easily accessible to students living on or near campus.
The great thing about all of these clubs is that there isn't an extensive membership process, and you can join at any time even if you can't make every meeting. So if you haven't been to a single meeting this year, it's never too late to start.
Clubs are a great way to make friends, try out new skills or just get more involved on campus. If your time is running out at Rutgers, prioritize joining one of these great clubs before you graduate because you really can't have the college experience without a little (academic) clubbing.
