At this point of the year, most people are already set with their group of friends; you know who you’re getting dinner with every Tuesday before night class, you know which bars to go to on which night, and you know the best time to do your laundry. And while I don’t know exactly how you got to where you are now, I’d take a bet that most of your friendships didn’t develop from sitting around in your room all day. Maybe you joined a sorority, ran for a student government position, started going to church with the girl from calc class, or had coffee dates with your MCDE choreographer.
Whatever the case, I think there’s one thing we can all agree on: getting involved during your (short) stint at college is the most rewarding experience. Not just in terms of making friends, though that’s a big benefit, but also in terms of getting more from your school than just an education. Being involved in clubs, teams or fraternities gives you a sense of what else is out there in the world. You can dip your finger in something new just because you feel like it and maybe you’ll discover that you want nothing more than to immerse yourself in this new activity.
Involvement helps you achieve a sense of community from college, learn what it takes to be a leader, and find out more about what you want to do after you graduate. Maybe you want to continue on with an organization or coach others. Or maybe you have friends that feel like family and memories to last a lifetime.
So if you’re ever feeling lost, or like maybe you’re not getting as much from your college experience as you had hoped, look no further than the next activity fair and GET INVOLVED! And don’t ever for a second think it’s too late to join – I joined clubs as a sophomore and plan to join more as a junior. Everyone is always welcoming to new members, no matter their age. Heck, I even joined a club when I went abroad (and WOW was that an incredible experience). Don’t graduate with no ties to your school besides the classroom. Stop making excuses and just do whatever you want to do – experiment, take risks and meet new people. I promise you won’t regret it.