So much room for Activities! Or not…The aftermath of activities night.
Imagine a non-air conditioned basketball arena in the first week of September. Hot, sticky, and unbelievably crowded with first year students who are desperately trying to find a place for themselves in this bubble that is Notre Dame.
We’ve all been there, maybe even more than once. Whether you’re there for the free stuff, the candy, the people watching, or to actually join a club you feel passionate about, activities night is quite the unique experience. Four never-ending rows of fold-up tables with stacks of informational pamphlets on why you should join a specific club accompanied by copious amounts of bribery candy constitutes for an overwhelming evening.
Upon entering activities night, student activities board members hand you a program sheet with about one million clubs listed and you’re expected to pick a “few” of them. From the fishing club to the Leprechaun Legion, there is no possible way that you can walk out of activities night without having signed up for something. Free ND license plates, posters, Hershey bars, or blue and gold hats lure you in, pressuring you to join clubs.
You probably leave the arena feeling overwhelmed and barely able to list off the clubs you’ve joined. So…what do you do now? In order to successfully pick and choose which Notre Dame club to be a part of, here are three main tips to keep help you decide.
- When you receive all of the club emails, put them into a sub folder titled, “Clubs I’m but not really in.” Remember: you’re not technically committed until you attend that first meeting. Or pay those $5, or even $50, dues.
- Get a planner and really look at your schedule. Decide what you have time for and be honest with yourself. If you’re crunched for time, limit yourself to just a couple clubs.
- Do not join a club you’re not interested. If you aren’t gluten free, don’t join the Gluten Free Club, even if your friends are desperately trying to have you join with them. You don’t want to waste your time here, you only have four years!
Unless you take this advice, you risk forgettingwhat you signed up for, and when the email comes in to remind you of that first informational meeting, you will feel obliged to attend because you did take a lot of their candy. Follow these steps, and the clubs you choose will turn out to be truly awesome and you’ll find yourself pretty thankful for that crowded, overwhelming night in the Joyce Center.
Hannah Drinkall is a Saint Mary’s College contributor to Her Campus Notre Dame.