With the deadline to apply for honor societies approaching quickly (Feb. 6 @ honorsocieties.ua.edu), I’ve been asked by many of my younger friends about my thoughts on which ones are the best and if any of them are even worth the effort of applying in the first place.

Ultimately it depends on what you want out of your membership. Are you just looking for something with national recognition and few or no requirements after induction? Would you like to be involved in community service opportunities or network with other campus leaders or professionals?

Decide what matters to you and only choose those that match; it is unnecessary to join all of them. Most groups sound very similar on paper, so my best advice is to either ask a friend who is already a member or email an officer of that group.

There is a large population on this campus who feel that honor societies are a waste of money, have undue reverence, fail to accomplish anything tangible, or all of the above. While that may be true for some, it is certainly not a fair assessment of all. There are three main areas where honor societies provide the most value – scholarships, service and networking.

Most societies have a national organization that grants graduate scholarships. These usually range from $500 to $10,000, and even some up to $40,000. Golden Key, Mortar Board, and Phi Kappa Phi all have such opportunities.

Beyond a focus on academics, most societies claim in some way to focus on service, but here is my advice: you get out of it what you put in. For example, The Anderson Society, with its Homecoming T-Shirt fundraiser, requires a substantial commitment from its members (though it is also the only society without dues), but it will also provide $6,184 to Tuscaloosa charities this year.

Lambda Sigma is also known for a traditionally service-focused agenda. Finally, an important aspect of an honor society can be opportunities to network, either with current students or professionals in your future career. Major-based societies like Alpha Kappa Psi (business) and Tau Beta Pi (engineering) usually have this emphasis.

Ask yourself this question. Do you think honor societies accomplish what that they should for students at UA? My answer is that they are held back by a need for an energetic and optimistic membership – something only you can provide.

Richard Cockrum is a senior majoring in biochemistry with a minor in computer-based honors and the president of the Anderson Society.