Cocurricular activities are a great way for psychology students to get more involved in their area of study outside of the classroom. In addition to boosting your resume, these activities help you learn more about a topic you have passion for and strengthen the skills you need to thrive in academic and workforce settings. Many students seek out the opportunity to be inducted to a national psychology honor society like Psi Chiopens in new window or Psi Betaopens in new window, if they meet the academic requirements and if there is a chapter at their school. Some students join local chapters of national organizations like Active Mindsopens in new window or nami on Campusopens in new window, that support mental health awareness and aim to reduce stigma, and/or they become members of national psychological organizations like APA (see APA Membership Types: Undergraduate Student Affiliate). Finally, many students start or join an existing local, school-specific psychology club at their college or university.
Local psychology clubs can offer an enriching environment to students who want to engage more deeply in the discipline outside of the classroom. Psychology clubs can provide valuable information about career options, help create a sense of community, open the door to new opportunities, support networking, and offer enjoyable activities with peers for people who wish to become more integrated in the psychology major. In other words, psychology clubs can help students to advance in their majors while networking with professors, fellow students, and individuals in the field.
For this article, I had the chance to hear from several psychology club presidents and members to understand the inner workings of different psychology clubs, the activities involved, and the impact club membership has on students.
Psychology club structure and content
Many psychology clubs meet once or twice a month, either in person or over Zoom. A typical meeting begins with introductions and ice-breaker activities and then moves to planning events and identifying potential speakers.
Although most psychology clubs have a general focus, some focus on a particular topic or area within psychology that may suit students’ specific interests and needs. For example, at UCLA there is a general psychology club (Undergraduate Psychology Society at UCLAopens in new window), a Sport Psychology Club, and a club focused on promoting mental wellbeing among international students (Mood Psychology @ UCLA). Harvard also has a variety of psychology clubsopens in new window, including Methods Dinner (a dinner discussion on methods in psychology) and PsychConnect (a club aimed at building connections/mentorships in the area). Other ideas for specialized clubs could be those that focus on a particular subfield such as neuroscience, positive psychology, industrial-organizational psychology, or developmental psychology. Focused clubs can also be developed to address an issue that requires attention. For example, Maryanna Schabert and Mikayla Kaiser started the Women in Psychological Sciences Club at the University of Minnesota Duluth after noticing the underrepresentation and inequality of women in psychology.
A sampling of club activities
Clubs vary considerably in the activities they host. Some potential activities you may find your local psychology club engaged in include fundraising, volunteering, arranging guest lectures, organizing a career day, attending conferences, and more. Nora Whitten, president of the Lipscomb University Psychology Club, described a blackout poetry night as one of their most successful events. Students used recycled psychology textbooks and novels to create mental health/psychology-based poems. At this event, students could also watch Inside Out, a Disney movie that highlights the functions and complexities of human emotions. To add to students’ enjoyment, the club provided s’mores and a campfire.
Whitten also described an educational event that brought women from different professions (social work, therapy/counseling, family science) in for a panel during Women’s History Month. The panelists shared their general experiences, and their specific experiences as women, working in several fields associated with psychology.
Ana María Subtirelu, president of the University of Tennessee Psychology Club, shared some of the activities that her club will be offering in the 2024–2025 school year, such as study groups and sessions on how to apply to graduate school. She emphasized the importance of helping students understand the essential role that research experience and internships play in strengthening one’s graduate school application.
Subtirelu’s goal as president is to get students more involved in psychology. One particularly intriguing event that she is planning is “Are you smarter than a psych professor?” where students will compete against their professors to see how much each really knows about their field.
The importance and meaning of participating in a psychology club
Clubs can have a strong impact on students' experiences as a psychology major. Alexandria White, founder, and former president of Delta College Psychology Club underscored the important role that the psychology club plays in terms of creating a sense of community. She further noted that “Creating a community where students come together and talk about psychology is needed, especially in today's world where mental health challenges are becoming more common and awareness is needed.”
In addition to creating community, psychology clubs can expose you to opportunities and resources not as readily available in your day-to-day school life. For example, Erik Vincelette, member of the Purdue Global University Psychology Club, described how club-hosted panel discussions lead to more profound conversations about topics and theories in psychology. Matthew Smith, president of the University of Central Missouri Psychology Club summarized the benefits of club membership by describing it as a gateway to one’s future. Abeer (Abby) Samawi, a member of the Cerritos College Psychology Club shares that perspective. After describing the countless opportunities available to members of the Cerritos College Psychology Club, Samawi stated that she “couldn’t be more grateful for this family I have made here,” acknowledging that “without the members and the wonderful advisor, I would not be where I am today.”
Next steps
Given the many benefits to membership in a psychology club, it might be worth asking your faculty advisor or the chair of your department if joining a psychology club is an option for you.
But what if there is no psychology club at your school? Each college has different methods for onboarding new clubs and organizations. Due to unique policies, it would be wise to independently research your school’s guidelines on starting your own club. Most schools will have a designated webpage to register your organization after reading instructions and filling in detailed information about the specifications of your club. Frequently, colleges and universities require clubs to have a faculty member advisor from the institution, so it may be helpful to reach out to your advisor, someone who taught a psychology course you found fascinating, or your department chair for ideas.
Although psychology clubs offer many positive benefits, starting a club or assuming a leadership role can also be hard work. Joseph Pardee, president of the Plymouth State University Psychology Club, admits that managing a club can be challenging, particularly since students may not be able to give their undivided attention to the club. But Pardee’s passion for psychology motivates him to continue trying to unite the students in the psychology department at his school and inspire them to create new opportunities in the world of psychology.
After reading this article, I hope you consider joining or creating a psychology club, as it can truly be an enjoyable, meaningful activity that benefits your academic and professional career.
About the author
Ariana Jording interned for APA in the Office of Precollege and Undergraduate Education during her last semester at Arizona State University. She earned her BS in psychology and is in her gap year, during which she is working as a research study assistant at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Ariana plans to enter a doctoral program in psychology in the fall of 2025, with a focus on decision-making in animal behavior. In her free time, she enjoys reading, painting, and playing piano.
