1. Make friends.
You’ve realized some of the awesome potential of technology and how it fits into your life — now you can meet other people who share your interests and passions (technology and otherwise). Who knows, you might even find a date!

2. Save the day.
A lot of students, faculty, and administrators are looking for help. Group leaders can create a forum for helping people with their questions. It’s rewarding to provide these opportunities and answers, and it’s a great way to make contacts that get you through school.

3. Tell your own unique story.
You have the opportunity to start a group that’s unique on your campus. Your group would be about more than technology. It could center around how our lifestyles can be enhanced through the use of movies, photos, music, and more — you decide.

4. Get better grades.
Your group can help you get access and training for technology that lets you better present your ideas. For example, create movies instead of final papers and many professors will reward your efforts. Campus groups provide a way for you to showcase your projects and see what other students are creating.

5. Get in on the action.
User group leaders have tremendous chances to learn more about working with people and leading organizations. Apple, the User Group Advisory Board, and other companies such as Adobe host events exclusively for user group leaders that are both informative and rewarding. You can often find ways for your school to pay part of your travel costs to these conferences.

6. Save money and get cool stuff.
Many vendors realize the influencing power of user groups, and vendors give groups and group leaders special offers and discounts. User group leaders receive this information first and can also receive special opportunities to get demo products for their groups.

7. Lead the way and get a job.
Running a user group requires the ability to motivate, to organize, and to lead. By running a group, you learn more of these talents and gain skills that can be applied to everything else in life. It makes a great resumé line and offers unique experiences you can discuss in job interviews. Many former user group leaders report that their user group experience led directly to their first real job.

8. Make a difference.
Your group can use technology to leave a lasting impact on your school. The possibilities are endless — you can create movies for the admissions office, volunteer in the community, or do anything else you can imagine. Most students don’t recognize all that they can do with technology. You can tell the campus — and the world — what’s possible and help students and faculty reach their true potential.

9. Obtain school funding and resources.
By becoming a chartered school organization, you’ll often find that you get access to numerous school resources. You may be able to apply for funding for events and travel. You may receive access to meeting rooms, LCD projectors, and some of the latest technology. Plus, you have numerous opportunities for publicity and buzz marketing.

10. It’s just plain cool.
There’s something about user groups that makes their leaders spend hours each week organizing and leading. They love it. They love the people they meet and the opportunities that user groups create. Running a user group...it’s just plain cool.