"Student engagement is the product of motivation and active learning. It is a product rather than a sum because it will not occur if either element is missing," writes Elizabeth F. Barkley in Student Engagement Techniques: A Handbook for College Faculty. I'm a college student myself, and I'm very familiar with this equation — and how low the product sometimes can be.
Take professional associations, for example. They exist in essentially every industry, and most offer substantially discounted student rates. Yet in my experience, not many college students are motivated enough to get involved. Should they?
Here are five reasons why students should be active in associations that align with their career path.
1. Test the Water
It's perfectly normal and acceptable for students to change their majors in college at least once or twice. But it is also in the best interest of your bank account to change your mind earlier rather than later. It's going to be pretty tough to graduate in four or even five years if you decide to transition from Recreation and Leisure to Chemistry halfway through your junior year.
If you had attended a few meetings or events hosted by the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) during your freshman year, you probably would realize much sooner that this wasn't the right field for you. If you aren't positive about how in love you are with your major, what better way to figure it out, than to get outside of the campus bubble and see how it really looks in the real world?
2. Add to Your Education
Through award ceremonies, roundtable discussions or guest speaker presentations, professional organizations provide plenty of ways to simply learn about an industry. Why do you think so many established, successful individuals participate in them? It keeps them sharp and refreshed on current trends, new ideas and different approaches.
Even in less formal networking opportunities, there are many things to learn from talking with the best of the best in any industry. Listen carefully to the language they use to discuss their work, and the types of things that seem important to them. Chances are, information like this will be more valuable than the things you read in your textbook the day before your midterm exam.
3. Experience the City
If you went away to college in an area you've never lived before, it's important to leave campus and get a feel for the rest of the area, as well. No matter how great your campus' amenities are, you will graduate one day, and won't be able to hang out by the pool tables in your residence hall anymore.
Even if you chose to go to college very close to where you grew up, like I did, you'll still manage to see and experience different things than you would have if you didn't attend events of local organizations. From new restaurants and bars to auditoriums of other nearby colleges, it's all a part of learning the culture of the area in which you find yourself.
4. Build a Portfolio
If you're confident in the career path you've chosen, and checked out a few meetings of an organization already, it might be time to look for even bigger benefits. Professional associations are made up of volunteers -– most of whom have day-jobs, families and social lives that matter, as well. In other words, the leadership is likely to be open to having some extra help.
There are a ton of things you can do to get involved with an association, and simultaneously grow your experience and portfolio. For example, offer to live-tweet the next event, write a blog post to promote it or distribute survey questions after the event to improve event attendance.
5. Network
Most importantly, professional associations are composed of your future boss, hiring manager and colleagues. In the ultra-competitive job market that young professionals face today, it's no secret that the adage, "It's not what you know, it's who you know" rings true.
In this day and age, we have the advantage of digital and social tools to enhance and simplify our networking efforts. During each event, it's important that you meet at least three to five new contacts. Afterwards, connect with them on LinkedIn, including a personal note so they remember who you are. Follow them on Twitter, and don't be afraid to talk to them about a professional topic. Not only will you stay on their radar, you will also be building your relationships, which could prove to be invaluable in your job search.
If you're a student, do you participate in professional organizations yet? If you're already a pro, what advice do you give students interested in your career field? Let us know in the comments.
Mashable Job Board Listings
The Mashable Job Board connects job seekers across the U.S. with unique career opportunities in the digital space. While we publish a wide range of job listings, we have selected a few job opportunities from the past two weeks to help get you started. Happy hunting!
Process Coordinator at Break Media in Los Angeles, Calif.
Account Supervisor at Carrot Creative in Brooklyn, N.Y.
Social Media & Public Relations Manager at Starmark in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Image via iStockphoto, sodafish
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