Hey I was wondering if there were any clubs that start in the winter or during the second term? I didn't sign up for any clubs at the beginning of the year because I thought I'd be busy with school work all the time, but now it's harder to meet new people and make friends because I don't do any extracurriculars.

Yes there's a club fair that happens again on a smaller scale during the beginning of the Winter semester. The MSU should post the time close to the date.

Originally Posted by macman

Hey I was wondering if there were any clubs that start in the winter or during the second term? I didn't sign up for any clubs at the beginning of the year because I thought I'd be busy with school work all the time, but now it's harder to meet new people and make friends because I don't do any extracurriculars.

There are also clubs you can join now if you want to start early and taste the waters. Check out clubza https://www.msumcmaster.ca/clubza and search your interests. E-mail the execs or coordinators, check out their FaceBook page and see what's going on. Clubs usually need general volunteers so you could potentially start volunteering right away since clubs could always use extra hands. And you could do it risk free and let them know you are just trying things out so you don't have to be committed.

I don't get it.

Is it a common perception that clubs have an official start and end date? Points of entry? Do clubs actually seem so formal that people perceive them to be like their courses --- enrollment at the beginning and end of a term only? To me, and to any reflective person who has participated and who doesn't take themselves too seriously, clubs are just a group of people who get together and make something happen, because they want to. Not strictly enforced, attendance-mandatory, scheduled events (with some exception for getting the most out of some clubs).

I honestly don't believe there are many (if any) clubs on campus that have so many members, or such strict guidelines, that they wouldn't take you whenever you decided to get involved.

Point of this message is:
Don't make the excuse for yourself that you'll "start in the winter term" because you think that's when club enrollment is. Start NOW, because you can. And because you're excuse is just that --- an excuse to put off what you SAY you want to do eventually.

If you're up for volunteering, here's a good place to start: http://www.opencircle.mcmast er.ca/volunteer

There's a volunteer fair for these organizations in January, and you can get started on contacting the facilitators for those groups now. There'll be some old and new volunteers that you'll work with so you won't have to worry about being alone!