With the fall semester a blur of football tailgates, socials and new experiences, we tend to shy away from adding more activities to our already busy lives. However, once we have gotten used to our new living spaces and routines and have had time to recharge over winter break, it is the perfect time to get more involved on campus. Spring semester is a great time to join new organizations and become comfortable with the new additions to our schedules before the overwhelming fall semester rolls around again.
Don’t Pass Up Those Fliers
While locating your classes and figuring out your new schedule, take the time to check out who is tabling in Turlington. In the fall it is so easy to overlook the great clubs looking for new members because everywhere you go you are constantly bombarded with information and it takes some time to get back to the grind after a summer off. Not only should you check out the clubs tabling, but you should also go to the Student Activities and Involvement website and peruse the long list of student organizations for something that piques your interest. Also keep an eye out for groups and pages your friends are joining and liking on Facebook. This can be a great way to find out about new organizations to join.
Join Professional Societies
Many societies and clubs at UF are social as well as educational. If you are interested in Advertising, consider joining Ad Society. Ad Society gives you the opportunity to work on the branding for local companies and hear advice from industry professionals as well as getting the guidance of a “guru,” being automatically invited to post-meeting socials, and going to woodsers. If you are interested in retailing, consider getting involved with The UF Retail Society, which brings in a multitude of speakers and offers great advice for internship-seekers.
Greek Life
If you opted not to participate in formal Panhellenic recruitment in the fall but have regrets, spring recruitment will be occurring soon and joining the Greek community is a great way to get involved in all areas of campus. If you are unsure if a sorority is the right fit but still want the chance to become connected to a large group of people with similar interests, look into joining an honorary fraternity such as the co-ed Phi Sigma Pi. Spring is a great time to join, as you need one completed semester at the university to apply. Phi Sigma Pi gives you the opportunity to get a big brother, participate in Dance Marathon, volunteer, attend parties, and bond with your new brothers. If you want something more service-oriented, Alpha Phi Omega is a coed service fraternity that has a chapter at UF.
Leisure Courses
Adding more classes to your course load is probably the last thing on your mind right after break, but the Leisure Course Program is a fabulous way to heighten your creative skills and enhance your resume. From computer skills to crafts and sports, there are courses to fit a wide variety of interests and they are offered at low costs. Spring is a perfect time to branch out and try something you were never bold enough to consider in the past and the Leisure Courses provide this opportunity in a relaxed atmosphere.
Check Opportunities Through Email
As students, our email inboxes are constantly flooded with emails and it can be easy to delete ones we might feel are irrelevant. But if your goal is to get more involved, make it a New Year’s resolution to actually read the Gator Times emails this spring as it gives information about service, academic and career opportunities on campus. There are so many opportunities to get involved in at a school as large as UF and you are sure to find a way to get involved that be fun as well as serve as an impressive addition to your resume. Keep an open mind and who knows where you might be at the end of the semester!
Check out these links:
https://www.studentinvolvement.ufl.edu/StudentOrganizations/StudentOrganizationListing
https://www.union.ufl.edu/leisure/secure/index.asp?
http://www.ufadsociety.com/
http://ufretailsociety.blogspot.com/
http://pspuf.com/?p=1
http://www.apotau.org/