Colleges today have clubs to suit any and every interest. Better yet, many are created and run by students, and according to Kenneth E. Kelly, Ed.D., vice president of student affairs and dean of students at Utica College (Utica, NY), they can help you foster a sense of community and even choose your career path. "Students who create their own clubs gain transferable leadership and management experience by learning start-up skills - how to create a viable organization from the ground up," he explains.

Just ask Rachi Govil, one of the founders of CHANCE (Creating Healthy Alternatives for a New College Experience) at Rutgers University (New Brunswick, NJ), a club designed to show students they can have fun without drinking. "My friends and I had seen and experienced the normal pressures of college night life and decided we'd like to start a program at Rutgers that took back the word 'partying,'" Rachi explains.

They advertised CHANCE through catchy flyers, but what really got the buzz going was word of mouth. "People would come to our events and then tell their friends about the good time they had," she says. Past good-time CHANCE events included a karaoke night and a smoothie night, sans alcohol. "We want people to come and see that they can have fun without a drink," Rachi says.

In order to begin the club, the four girls approached the activities board at Rutgers, planned a budget, and created a mission statement. From there, they were able to start planning future events and spreading the word. "We started with our base and were able to expand our social circle with people who had similar interests," says Rachi. They even co-sponsored events with other groups.

The most important lesson of all? "I've learned that it's always important to have fun and to take time to celebrate the club's successes with those who put in their precious time and resources," Rachi says. Though she graduated this past May, Rachi hopes CHANCE will continue in the future, and has confidence leaving the organization in good, capable hands of underclassmen.

Looking back, she admits a start-up is hard, but is definitely worth it. "You're not going to be a big hit right away, but keep at it and have a good time doing it."

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