You asked:

I’ve been focusing on academics, but now that I’m settled, I want to get involved in some campus activities. Where do I start?

You go to college to get an education, right? It’s good that you’re focusing on your academics, but it’s also important that you get involved because a large part of the learning takes place outside the classroom. In fact, many employers are most interested to see which extracurriculars are on students’ resumes.

Take advantage of the opportunities around you. You’ll learn more about yourself and your community. You’ll have fun, make new friends, develop teamwork and leadership skills, work on your time management and allow your mind to refresh itself from the academic workload. Here are some helpful tips:

Do your research. What kind of involvement interests you? Sports? Pre-professional groups? Community service? Fraternity and sorority life? The list is endless. Look at your school’s website to see if it has an office or page devoted to student activities. Look through the organizations and take note of those that sound appealing. If your school doesn’t have a resource, start asking hall mates and friends about groups they’re in.

Read fliers. All those fliers around campus that you pass mindlessly each day actually have valuable content. They advertise group meetings, events and opportunities for you to get involved in all sorts of activities.

Attend an event. Once you find the group you’re looking for, go check it out. Leave your contact info with the group’s president or leader and ask to get more information. Some groups are exclusive, meaning that you must be selected to be a member. If you find yourself liking a group that requires an invitation, find out from current members what you need to accomplish to get that spot.

Volunteer. Many large campus programs need volunteers for setup, technical work or running the event and actively seek students to fill these positions. By volunteering to help, you’ll network with other students and continue to learn of the many opportunities at your school.

Start something new. Can’t find the organization you want? Ask your school involvement center how you can found a new organization that best fits your style. Every group on campus had to start somewhere, so maybe this is your chance to kick off a new tradition.

Name: Sarah Arsenoff
School: UNC Wilmington
Year: Senior
Major: Marine Biology
Her Deal: This is Sarah's third year as an R.A. for freshmen and international students. She writes for Periplus, a university newsletter for students who, like her, are in the honors scholars program.

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