When students first learn about NSCS, the often ask the question, “will an NSCS membership really help me?” While it would be easy to just answer this question with a “yes,” and move forward, we know our members — and our prospective members! They tend to be educated, inquisitive people who really want to understand something before getting involved. And we are proud to provide them with the information they need to make a sound, rational decision as to whether NSCS membership is right for them.
So, on that note, here are some ways in which NSCS membership tends to help students succeed. We hope you bear this information in mind if you’re considering joining.
Outside Perspectives
College is a time for students to develop a well-rounded view of the world. In order to do so, they need to be exposed to a wide range of perspectives. This is not always the experience that students have inside their college coursework. In many major degree programs, students are mostly exposed to the perspectives of those in their same major.
Joining an honors society like NSCS gives students an opportunity to interact with those in different majors and programs from their own. As such, they get to experience and learn from different perspectives, which helps them graduate with a well-rounded view that will serve them well in life and in the workforce.
Internship Opportunities
If you’ve ever looked around for internships, you may have noticed they’ve become harder and harder to find. And yet, interning remains one of the best ways to develop job skills and get your foot in the door for future career opportunities. NSCS can and does help members find internships, both at home and abroad. Since the right internship can be life-changing, we feel this is one of the greatest benefits of becoming a member.
Scholarship Opportunities
Sometimes prospective members are hesitant to join because of the one-time membership fee. However, NSCS membership can pay off, easily negating that fee and more. Members have access to plenty of exclusive scholarships. On top of that, we also help our members find other, publicly available scholarships to apply for. With the cost of education continually rising, students need all the help they can get to keep loan balances down. Joining NSCS can be a great step from a financial perspective.
Growth Possibilities
Every NSCS member has the opportunity to tailor their experience to meet their own needs. This is not like a structured degree program in which every student needs to take the same classes and satisfy the same requirements.
If you feel you need more help developing leadership skills, then you can seek out opportunities for leadership through NSCS. If you know you need practice public speaking, then NSCS offers chances to engage with that, too. Maybe you need a pathway into organized public service opportunities. NSCS gets involved in the community, and as a member, you can, too.
This is one of the best reasons to join NSCS, in our opinion. You have the ability to tailor your own NSCS experience to your needs and use the opportunities in ways that will benefit you the most.
Will an NSCS membership really help you? We think it will, but in the end, it’s up to you to decide. If you do join, you’ll find there are many different ways to make your time as a member worthwhile.
