The first few weeks at school can seem a bit intimidating. Since there are so many clubs on campus, and usually, figuring out which ones to join can be one of the challenges of adjusting to your first year, or even your second or third year on campus. One of the nice things though, is that there are so many clubs to join. Now comes the hard part, deciding which ones to join. Here are some steps that are sure to help you decide.
On Monday, September 2nd a majority of the clubs on campus participated in activities fair, which is a great place to start the club search process. The key is to look at as many tables as you can and ask questions to the students sitting at them. You might find a club you never thought you would get the chance to try, or a club pursuing one of your passions. If you see a club you are curious about and want to know more about, ask! Chances are, the students sitting there want to talk to you about their club.
While walking around you will see signups for listservs for all the different clubs. If you are in anyway curious about what time they meet or the events they have, put your email down. If you find out later on that you are not interested you, can easily unsubscribe from the emails. The first few days after the activities fair you will get a lot of emails, but chances are they are all informative in one way or another.
However, attending the activities fair is only the first step. Going to the meetings are also important because going again and again will help you develop relationships with the other students involved in the club. Depending on the club there are a lot of different ways to get involved: you can submit articles to various publications on campus, audition for a spot in an a capella group or for a role in a show, sign up to do tech for a show, or help plan upcoming events, etc. If you know of a club that was not at the activities fair, then contact the representative and ask them to add you to the listserv. Some clubs might not have participated at the fair but do still exist you just need to seek them out. Lastly, if there is a club you want to see on campus that is not currently here, then start your own!
The most important thing is that you feel like you have activities you are passionate about doing outside of your classwork. By getting involved, you not only meet other students but you also can further a passion or discover a new one altogether. When the opportunity arises, apply for positions on boards of different clubs, spots in student-run organizations, audition for spots in performance groups, try something new or do something you know you love. Extracurriculars are the life of our campus and are what make Brandeis such a unique university.