Coming from a small out of state high school, Alabama gave me the fresh start that I had been craving; I had a blank slate ahead of me. But as soon as school started, I realized that I needed more activity in my life than classes and homework. I had my roommates, but besides that I felt alone at a school of 37,000. I knew that UA had clubs and organizations but the sheer number of them overwhelmed me. I attended Get On Board Day and visited so many tables and heard so many elevator pitches about why I should join this club or pledge that organization that my head was spinning. I wrote my email address down for everything that even remotely interested me, and immediately regretted it once I saw how full my inbox was. It took some time to sort through that mess, but in doing so I found a handful of events that I actually cared about and once again became excited about finding something to do with my time. Attending the interest meetings was the scariest part because I knew no one there, but quickly bonded over that fact with the people sitting around me. Listening to the officers of each group talk about their club and how near and dear it was to their hearts made me feel like I was about to be a part of something special. I had to make some careful choices as to which ones I would devote my time so I wouldn’t end up overbooking myself. I’m in my third year now at Alabama, and I’m still in every one of the organizations that I started my freshman year. I’ve even added a few more over the years and haven’t regretted any of it. Within each group, I’ve found a home. A group of people who are there for the same reasons that I am and enjoy me as a person, not just tolerate me because we’re in a class together. I have met amazing people that I wouldn’t have otherwise found. UA still would have been a good fit for me even I hadn’t found any extracurriculars, but getting involved on campus has made my college experience all the more better.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Alabama chapter.