Importance of Being Involved on Campus
One of the best things you can do for yourself at college is to get involved on campus. Join a sorority or fraternity, a club, an organization, a team, anything. There are so many different clubs and groups that you’ll definitely be able to find something you like. My school, which was only home to about 2,200 students, had a variety of different clubs from a belly dancing circle to a gaming club to an outdoor club. Then there are varsity sports teams or just club teams if you don’t want a big involvement. And even intramural teams, for those who just want to play. And if you ever want to start a club, it’s so easy as long as you have some other students who are also interested.
There are so many benefits to getting involved. You’ll become more connected to your college and the people who attend it. Even though I did go to a small school, if I hadn’t been on a sports team, I definitely would not have met all the people that I did. You become part of the community at your school. If you sit inside all day or don’t meet new people, you won’t have as fulfilling an experience as someone who took full advantage of what was given to them. Even just making an effort to go to your school’s football games or something will help you to have a better time. And it’s way easier to meet new people and make friends with people you would never think you would be friends with when you’re part of a club or team, because you have a basis to start from, and a reason to hang out together.
You can also discover new passions you didn’t know about. Try joining a club about something you’ve never heard of, and it could just turn out to be something you’re good at without even knowing it. And doing extracurricular activities will boost your resume, and help give you an edge when you’re applying for jobs. If you’re a writer, for example, by working on the campus newspaper, or submitting to on-campus magazines, that will definitely help you when you’re looking for jobs because you’ll have more experience. Or if you want to go into politics, joining the Student Government will give you extra leadership skills. Plus, students who are involved in campus tend to have higher GPAs and a better experience overall. I know that when I’m busier, it usually helps me to budget my time better and get everything done. When I have too much time on my hands, I procrastinate more and my work becomes sloppier. Being busy gives me that extra kick I need to actually settle down and focus when I set aside the time.
Like I said, there are plenty of ways to be involved. If you see something you think you might be interested in, try it! If you don’t like it, you can always stop going to the meetings, but you’ll never know if you don’t try. Thinking about going Greek? Check out this article explaining the benefits and downsides. Utilize the resources from your school. Check out the activity fair in the beginning of the year to see what you would like to sign up for. Plus clubs will always be putting flyers up looking for new students to join, and most colleges will have an student life center where you can find more information on what is around. Don’t forget to check out the school website, which will often have information on all the organizations that can be found on campus. And remember that it is an ongoing thing. There are plenty of service projects or things that are temporary positions that you can get involved in too. With so many choices, there is no way that you can’t find at least one club, organization, or team where you can fit in and get involved! So go enjoy college to the fullest.
Pictures from here, here, and here.
