What I gained from the experience of being the French Club president!
A note from Alice Bayly (Current French Club President)
You know how in high school and college, your professors, parents, older siblings, etc. would all give you advice like: “sit in the front of class,” “go to professor office hours,” “always make yourself an annotated bibliography before starting a research paper”?
I often took that advice, begrudgingly, but I never really knew why it would be useful or why I was following it – and those people giving the advice never told me. I would find out later, though. For example, the first time I actually made myself an annotated bibliography it was SO useful, and I got so excited every time I remembered I could just go to that document to open find an open my sources (and use the bibliography I HAD ALREADY MADE for my works cited).
But this is not a spiel about annotated bibliographies… the point is, I always found out AFTER taking the advice why it was useful. There were many times before I created my first annotated bibliography that I could have made one, but didn’t because I didn’t know why I should be doing it.
So, professors and other authority figures have told you that you should get involved with club leadership, huh? I agree! But I’m going to tell you why, too.
Like the annotated bibliography, there are hidden and wonderful advantages and experiences to getting involved as a club officer! Here are my key takeaways from my time with the French Club:
· You gain CONFIDENCE
Before French Club, I was an insanely reserved and quiet person who would shake uncontrollably during presentations and NEVER talk to new people unless directly prompted.
At my very first French Club meeting, I had none of that anxiety - because I couldn’t, I was the person in charge, I had to run the meeting! Also, why should I be nervous? I’M THE PRESIDENT (I’m not this cocky, but already being in an authority position did make all my normal nervousness vanish). This confidence has stayed with me and has allowed me to take assertively take on new opportunities.
· You get a nice community
I know everyone says this about every college opportunity you are supposed to take on but… you will make GREAT friends. Most of my favorite people I know at OSU are people I met from French Club.
· Your French speaking skills and confidence skyrocket
Being the club president, I had to set the precedent for speaking French going into club meetings AND engaged in a LOT of email communication with French professors. This is a very, very good way to improve speaking and written skills! – Nothing like having to do the thing to make you do the thing! (And I have no regrets about it).
Obviously, there is no better way to improve speaking confidence than to speak – and being involved directly with the club definitely gets you to speak, but in a low-stakes scenario where your grade in a class does not depend on your success or failure to speak well!
· Community with French Professors
Being a part of the club has helped me build relationships with all the French faculty here which has been an amazing part of my university experience. Their continual support and enthusia
sm for everything we do with the club has been amazing and knowing how much they appreciate the club makes it all the more worth it to be involved!
Final Thoughts!
All in all, if you become a club officer – you definitely won’t leave the experience thinking “how can I talk about this experience to make it sound impressive?” Because IT IS impres
sive and the skills you gain from it will be easy to identify, easy to talk about, and really, really exciting to have!
After two years as President of the French Club, I absolutely rate my experience 10/10. If I could go through my college experience 100 times, I would do the French Club over again EVERY. TIME.
No matter your speaking level in French, you should get involved! Nothing like practice to help you improve. And even if other club members speak more fluently than you, you will be in charge and they won’t! 😉
Interested??
Follow this survey link to express your interest in running for a French Club officer position!
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