How Can I Start an Engaging Science Club in a College Where Few Are Interested?

[Curieuse]

Okay, so i study in this college where ALMOST everybody doesn't or wants to seem like they don't give a damn about science... except me and an estimated 30 people! So basically in my class of 50 or so there are 8 people GENUINELY interested in participating in anything close to science activities. There's about 2500 people in my college and that's including all streams of arts and sciences. The science people are mostly studying life sciences: microbiology, biotechnology, biochemistry, zoology, botany and also nutrition.. and the rest are into math, physics, chemistry, electronics, computer sciences, statistics and all. We get to choose three of these as an undergraduate 3 year course .. for example, my course is Math-Physics-Chemistry.. so i basically study all of them, a bit different compared with the conventional BS courses where you choose only one major!

So I'm this people sort of person and I enjoy teaching and learning from my age group a lot!
I am particularly excited by the idea of a study group where we can familiarize ourselves with stuff that isn't in the portions allotted or better build on them. We basically have a very stereotypical teaching system so not much emphasis is laid on the more interesting applications and details of the subject. The bulk of the class doesn't give a damn so there's good reason why the teachers don't too.

So, I've tried communicating this idea of setting up a club for such activities so that anyone interested can join it and learn more about science irrespective of their current course. So, it must be like an open club. And also, I want us to be able to discuss higher concepts and help ourselves with lower ones. One thing I really want to stress is that this group of GENUINELY interested people IS NOT very well-versed with the fundamentals of the subjects and it is the process of trying to do the same while balancing the current syllabus and also being in tune with current developments of science ...that is the aim, i guess! It's basically sharing our resources and understanding and imaginary powers through such a club! It's more like a study group, i know. But we'll also maybe in later stages try to host some activities as such but that's the far future!

SO, here's where I need your help, PF! How to go about this? What are the possible ways of attracting these GENUINELY interested people to one place? How to amalgamate these sciences together? We have a 5-day week and the timings are 9 in the morning till 4 in the evening so I'll need some duration left out for these activities? And many people asked me to start with a seminar, but that'll be too one-sided for this group? I thought I should probably project the messenger lecture #1 by Feynman on tuva silverlight, and so it'll be a movie session, but I want people to think actively and this won't help because they are used to WATCHING movie films and they haven't got the sufficient amount of background yet! Is there anyone who already went through this process? Please give me some idea as to what would appeal the most to the GENUINELY interested minds in this ocean for a first-day act! And also schedules which aren't too demanding or too boring! I ask for a basic framework so that i can trim it to the details and start off on the right foot if there is any! I'd really appreciate tried-and-tested theories so that it won't be all empty-vessels-make-much-noise-thing! Thanks a lots! :P

 

[Simon Bridge]

YOu advertise your club and have a meeting - the clubs goals and methods are up to the club.

 

[martane]

It's great to hear that there are other students in your college who are genuinely interested in science! It can be frustrating when the majority of your classmates don't share the same passion.

One way to attract more people to your club would be to actively promote it through posters, social media, and word of mouth. You could also reach out to professors or advisors in the science departments and ask them to spread the word to their students.

In terms of amalgamating the different sciences, you could plan activities and discussions that involve interdisciplinary topics. For example, you could have a session on the role of physics in biotechnology or the intersection of chemistry and nutrition. This will not only appeal to students from different science backgrounds, but also help them see the connections between different fields.

As for scheduling, it's important to find a balance between keeping the club meetings engaging and not overwhelming students with too much work. Maybe you could have a mix of movie sessions, discussions, and hands-on activities. You could also consider having guest speakers or organizing field trips to science-related places.

It's great that you're thinking about starting off on the right foot and asking for tried-and-tested theories. One suggestion would be to have a brainstorming session with the interested students to come up with ideas and plan the club together. This will not only make them feel more invested in the club, but also ensure that the activities are tailored to their interests.

Overall, the key is to make the club fun and interactive, while also challenging and expanding the students' understanding of science. Good luck with starting your club and I hope it becomes a thriving community for science enthusiasts in your college!