Being a student can be difficult: there are the academic demands, the financial constraints, and of course the uncertainty of securing a decent job after graduation. But it’s also an exciting time, full of opportunities and new ideas. Here are some reasons why you should love being a student, especially if you’re pursuing a degree in industrial hygiene or occupational and environmental health and safety.

1. Discounts

AIHA knows that many students can’t afford to pay for full membership or attend our annual AIHce EXP conference, which is why we offer our students discounts on almost everything.

Membership. As a student, you only pay $31 for a full year’s national membership—that’s over $180 in savings! Students who aren’t AIHA members can save even more by joining now, because membership is half off at $15.50. Just check out the student membership requirements to see if you’re eligible and use the promo code STUDENT to join online.

The reputation and resources associated with AIHA membership are tremendous for the price you pay. Your student membership's benefits and features include access to Catalyst, AIHA’s members-only online portal, where you can network, discuss, post, and learn from other students, as well as industry experts. Other benefits include our mentoring program and CareerAdvantage, to name a few.

Education. Another reason people join AIHA is our top-notch educational offerings. If you need additional contact hours or professional development courses, then you should know that AIHA issued 109,892.5 credit hours last year, serving over 20,000 industrial hygiene and occupational health and safety professionals with an average of 5.5 hours per person. With eLearning courses, road courses, webinars, AIHce EXP OnDemand, and virtual and live conference programming, AIHA offers you the opportunity to learn a lot in a way that works for you.

As a student you can get 10 percent off AIHce EXP 2019 Professional Development Course registrations (only using the supplied promo code). If you are an AIHA student member, call us at (703) 849-8888 and provide your member number to receive the promo code.

AIHce EXP 2019 in Minneapolis. Students save over $600 on full-conference registration and receive a 25 percent discount on select publications purchased on site. If you can’t make the entire conference, you have the option to join us for just one day for only $40.

2. Support

Navigating your career after graduation can be tough without guidance and helpful advice from experienced professionals. As an AIHA student member, you have all the support you need.

CareerAdvantage. As an AIHA student member you have access to CareerAdvantage, which is a reliable online job board that connects IH and OEHS job seekers with employers across all industries. You can also get helpful tips on how to write your resume and interview successfully, and helpful networking suggestions.

If the discount didn’t tempt you enough to register for AIHce EXP, maybe the CareerAdvantageDevelopment Fair will get you to book your next flight to Minneapolis. From speed networking to resume advice, the development fair is one of the best places to sharpen your interview skills and meet top employers. We are also offering a new Academic Education Track this year. Developed in partnership with faculty advisors, the Academic Education Track is designed to help you map out your career.

Mentoring Program. Being a member of AIHA national also gives you the opportunity to sign up for our Mentoring Program. Having a mentor helps you stand on the shoulders of an experienced IH/OEHS professional who can give you advice, insights, and suggestions on topics or skills you would like to work on.

3. Opportunities for Growth

Being a student is an excellent time to get involved in AIHA because it expands your networking circles and gives you opportunities to develop professionally and personally. Here are a few areas within AIHA where you could shine:

• Our Future Leaders Institute focuses on strengthening the leadership skills of young industrial hygiene and OEHS professionals.
• Participation in a student local section is one of the primary paths to association leadership and is an excellent way for interested students to get active in the industrial hygiene profession.
• If you are struggling, as many of us are, to pay for your educational costs in the fields of IH and OEHS, we have the American Industrial Hygiene Foundation. The AIHF aims to advance the profession by awarding scholarships for funding education and professional development in industrial hygiene and related disciplines.

4. Volunteerism and Professional Growth

Giving up your time and not getting paid doesn’t sound appealing. But volunteering your time to the profession helps you gain valuable skills and hands-on experience, and establishes you as an up-and-coming leader. In fact, several former FLI, student volunteer group, and local section leaders have served on the AIHA Board. With almost 50 technical and professional development volunteer groups to choose from, you won’t have a hard time finding an area that interests you.

Having the resources that AIHA membership offers at an annual rate of just $31 is an opportunity not to be missed. Please consider joining AIHA to help us achieve our mission to protect worker health. I look forward to meeting you at AIHce EXP this May!