Page 276 - Keys to College Success

Academic and professional organizations welcome
interested students, and usually have few require-
ments—check individual organizations for details.
Chances are good that, whatever your interests or pro-
fessional plans, an organization on your campus will
support and enrich your studies. If you can’t find one
in your student handbook or on the college website,
ask an advisor or RA. You may also want to search
online to see if it exists anywhere. If an organization
has no chapter at your school, risk exploring how to
start one.

Student Government
and Judicial System

Most colleges, in addition to the system of governance
run by their employees, have a student government and
perhaps even a student judicial system. The student gov-
ernment acts as a liaison between the student body and the administration and faculty.
Consisting of representatives from the student body, a student government operates
much in the way that any representative body does—bringing up issues, considering
different actions, and making recommendations (in this case to the college) on behalf
of those represented.
Every college has a judicial system that handles violations of the school’s code of
conduct. At some schools, students participate in the system. Students may serve on
juries, as judges, or as “attorneys” representing other students accused of misconduct.
The student judicial system may be of particular interest if you are considering a career
in the legal system.

Honor Societies
Students do not apply to honor societies. However, if you show exceptional academic
achievement in the area(s) of focus of an honor society, it may offer you membership.
Some honor societies recognize achievement in a range of areas, such as Phi Beta
Kappa (academic achievement) or Omicron Delta Kappa (a combination of scholar-
ship, service, arts, athletics, and journalism). Others focus on a specific discipline, such
as Omega Chi Epsilon (chemical engineering) or Sigma Tau Delta (English and litera-
ture). Some recognize achievement in a specific context, such as Tau Sigma (high-
achieving transfer students) or Delta Alpha Pi (high-achieving students with disabilities).
If you are recognized by an honor society for your achievements, be sure to note your
membership on your resume, so that prospective employers can take that information
into consideration.

Print and Electronic Media

All kinds of media and reporting thrive on college campuses. Your college may have
print media, electronic media, one or more radio stations, and perhaps even televised
journalism.
Newspapers can be campus-wide general news publications appearing weekly or
more often, or focused on a specific interest or topic and less frequently published.
Magazines, in print or online, may publish student poetry and prose, artworks, politi- People, Resources, and Opportunities
cal essays, or writings on a particular topic. Academic journals are magazines with a
more serious academic focus, and are usually focused on one academic area such as
medicine or business. Literary journals publish fiction and poetry and sometimes art
and photography as well.

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