Freshman orientation was a completely different beast than anyone's used to. You're in a new place, surrounded by new people and likely being bombarded with information on all the clubs, organizations and activities that campus has to offer. Did you feel as overwhelmed as I did?
Coming into college I wasn't sure what my experience was going to be. I had been involved in high school but didn't know where to start now that everything around me felt new and different. To be honest, I withdrew a little. I wasn't as involved as I could have been during orientation and ended up not having the amazing experience that movies and TV led me to believe that I would have.
After a few weeks on campus, getting a job and meeting my peers and upperclassmen I knew that sitting in my dorm room in my free time wasn't going to get me very far. I was bored and lonely and knew I needed to do things to help me relax and stay active.
So, I did what everyone drilled into my head during orientation, what my RAs wrote on every bulletin board and what every college student seems to dread hearing: I got involved. First, I attended campus events and activities and then became a student leader.
I just finished my third year of college and my second full year of campus leadership and I can honestly say that I don't think I would still be attending college if I hadn't felt that push to take a step farther than a lot of students do.
I hear a lot of my classmates and peers talking about how boring campus is or how much they dislike being on campus and I just think of how rarely I see them out doing things to better their college experience.
Sure, classes are important and getting a degree is the main priority of most students but why not have some fun in the meantime instead of complaining about it?
One of the many beauties of college is the increased probability of finding other people like you and there's no better place to connect with these people than at clubs or campus events. Making friends is never easy, but when you find people you share things in common with is gets a little less painful.
Not only is getting involved on campus great for social reasons but it can lead to great opportunities and even paychecks. My first leadership position on campus was as a resident assistant, so I got my room and board paid for. I live off campus now but I work as a tutor and a mentor for students on academic probation. These leadership positions allow me to help students like me get the most out of their college experience and it helps pay my bills.
Getting involved on campus was the best decision I ever made. If you're worried about your college experience or feel like you're missing out go find an event or a club that interests you and dive on in!
