Almost every university and college has an organization where former students get a chance to gather from time to time and choose the most interesting themes, activities, and events for discussions. In some institutions, it is obligatory to point to contribute to an alumni association. However, the vast majority of education institutions promote an idea of free choice and free will. If a person wants to join an organization, he/she is welcome. If he/she does not, no one insists.
If you still do not know whether it is worth joining an alumni association or not, you are welcome to analyze the possible pros and cons of your membership in such organizations.
Reasons to Join Alumni Organizations
- The presence of support after your graduation;
- A possibility to continue communicating with college (university) friends;
- A chance to develop business relations in different spheres with familiar people;
- An opportunity to influence and contribute to the development of your native college (university);
- An ability to know everything about a college (university) and decide whether your children can study here.
Reasons Why Alumni Associations May Frustrate Your Plans
- Some people are weak enough to develop, and the presence of such organizations may distract people from self-development;
- Activities in such organizations should be frequent: some people are not ready for such responsibilities;
- Financial support is sometimes required (not every former student can make payments);
- Graduate students have to communicate with each other (many students do not have good relations with each other);
- It is hard to control personal activities, and participation in such associations may happen at expense of some other activities.
As you can see, it is possible to find enough reasons to support and deny an idea of alumni organizations. This is why such a choice should be made independently considering personal demands and wishes.