How to Get Leadership Experience in College

By Alyssa Laffitte on January 10, 2018

One amazing thing about college is the number of opportunities that are presented to each student. Each student can become whatever they want to be! This includes becoming a leader. Leadership skills are important for your work, not only as a college student, but as a future professional, so you should develop these skills as soon as possible. Here are seven ways that you can get leadership experience as a college student.

Image via Isorepublic.com

Become a Teacher’s Assistant (TA)

If you like teaching, a good way to get leadership experience in college is to become a teacher’s assistant. Usually, TAs help professors with paperwork, attendance, grading, and helping out students of the class when the professor can’t. Undergraduate teacher’s assistants are generally required to have taken the course they are TA’ing for and have done well in it. You might even get paid or earn credit hours in a position like this. Being a TA is rewarding, but it is a big time commitment, so before you jump on this opportunity, be sure you have the time and the passion for it.

Become a Resident Assistant (RA)

Another great way to get leadership experience if you are a social, nurturing person is to become a resident assistant (RA). As a resident assistant, your job is to create a community among those who live in a certain floor or building. You need to have knowledge of residence hall rules and be able to enforce them. Like a TA position, an RA position is a big time commitment, as you will have to attend training sessions and weekly staff meetings, and on some days, you must remain on-call to help residents with any emergencies (such as lockouts). It requires creativity to not only solve disputes among floor members, but to encourage them to become a community, too. A resident assistant position looks amazing on a resume because it shows you have what it takes to be a leader.

Run for student government

If you are interested in making important decisions for the school, why not run for student government? You will have to represent the school’s student body when making decisions to ensure that your fellow students have a great school experience.

Start a study group

Starting a study group may not seem as big as being a resident assistant or a teacher’s assistant, but it is still a great way to gain leadership experience. Gather a bunch of friends in a group study room and solve problems together. You will gain leadership experience and you and your friends will be able to collaborate to help each other understand the class material. I like learning in groups because it takes advantage of our differences in understanding. A concept one person in the group is weak in, someone else in the group is strong in, and they will be able to help them.

Start a new student organization

Have you looked at the list of student organizations and have found nothing particularly interesting? If so, why not start your own student organization? Come up with an idea for your organization and get some friends to support you in this idea. Then, visit the student activities office to see what steps you can take to make your new organization official. Of course, you will need time and patience to do this, but once it is set up, it will be a fantastic leadership experience.

Organize an event

If you don’t want to start a completely new student organization, you could organize an event. You could plan a fundraiser, an open house, a party, or anything like that for a cause you are passionate about.

Champion for a cause

Is there an issue that’s important to you and to fellow students at your school? Why don’t you bring it to the school administration’s attention? You could possibly be the first one to start paving the way for an important change that could benefit your school. People will be impressed that you were the leader of something so important.

As an aspiring young professional, you should seek opportunities to gain leadership experience. Thankfully, there are many resources on campus to help you with this. Taking on even one of those projects will help you become a better leader and to prepare you for your future.

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