The following post was written by Peer Advisor Prakriti, a sophomore in CCAS studying economics and political science.
Making the Most of Student Organizations At GW: Knowing When to Quit
Student organizations are an important part of college; they are where you meet many of your friends, explore passions outside the academic realm, and become involved with your community. As a result, students often struggle with knowing if and when it is the right time to quit a student organization. In fact, it is probably one of the hardest things to consider about a student organization, especially for those of us who tend to overcommit and are highly motivated to be involved.
Quitting tends to come with a negative connotation. But ‘quitting’ is not always bad. There sometimes comes a point when being in an organization is not worth it anymore and quitting becomes the best action to take. It does not make you less smart or motivated or involved. Sometimes doing the right thing for yourself is leaving one organization so you can pursue something else more beneficial.
As a quick disclaimer, this post is not trying to promote quitting student organizations or not getting involved. I am not advising to drop every single organization that takes up some of your time or gives you one negative experience. At that rate, you wouldn’t be involved with anything. However, this post is to prompt students to consider the environment they are in and ask if they are getting the experiences that they want. If you aren’t happy in the organizations you are in, then you should at least reconsider your involvement.
If you are confused about leaving an organization, here are some factors to consider that will hopefully make your choice a little easier:
- Time. Consider how much time your organization is taking up and pay attention to whether you find yourself skipping classes, ignoring homework, or avoiding sleep on a regular basis. You may need to tone down your individual involvement or, if hours are not flexible, consider leaving the organization.
- Benefits and Opportunities. Consider the opportunities that the organization gives you. Sometimes an organization looks great on paper or social media, but it may not actually be what you hoped for, and it isn’t worth being in an organization just so you can list it on a resume; if you cannot genuinely speak to the ways in which it helped you grow, then it probably is not worth your time.
- The Opportunity Cost. Being heavily involved in an organization takes away from other things you could be doing. Keep your options open and know that it is okay at times to leave something when a better opportunity comes your way. You cannot do everything and need to pick and chose your commitments carefully with your personal goals and the future in mind.
- Socializing. Joining a student organization does not necessarily guarantee that you will make friends or more often times, that you will make the friends that you want. If you find yourself questioning the character of people you spend your time with or realize that you are not having fun, then you might want to consider leaving that organization for another one.
- Losing Friends. You might find that a student organization is not worth it for you personally, but you do not want to lose the great friends that you have made. Keep in mind that if these people are actually your friends, then it won’t matter that you quit.
- Time Investment. A major reason I didn’t want to quit an organization in the past was that I felt I had already invested so much time into it. I know it might be hard to negate the time you’ve already spent, but a lot of times, it is just cognitive dissonance and not a valid reason to stay in an organization.
- Quitting is “Bad”. Students feel like by quitting, they are admitting that they couldn’t handle the pressure or that they failed. However, quitting is not always a bad thing. Make sure that you are quitting for the right reasons and are following the path that you want.
Deciding to leave a student organization can be daunting and there are a lot of factors to consider. At the end of the day, however, there is really only one fundamental question to consider – Are you happy in the organization that you are in? If you don’t know the answer, then you should rethink your involvement. While I would not advocate making a rash decision, I would suggest reconsidering the pros and cons with your involvement. You might decide to reduce your involvement, rethink your approach to an organization, or quit altogether. Trust your instincts – you know what is good for you better than you may realize.
