Finding ways for college students to get involved can seem perplexing with so many options for participation, especially for new students. Indeed, a well-rounded collegiate experience entails good grades and experiences. The task of college involvement can seem daunting. These five ways for college students to get involved on campus can make student life easier to navigate.
1. Try something new
Colleges have a plethora of student organizations college students can get involved in. These include:
- charitable interests
- hobbies
- politics and more
The ways for college students to get involved seems endless, but they provide opportunities for new experiences. College students should try as many of student organizations as they can, no matter how foreign, explains U.S. News and World Report. It propels college students into new experiences. It allows them to discover themselves independently and meet people from more diverse interests. Some of these new experiences could even parlay into a change of major.
2. Join Greek life
Fraternities and sororities provide ways for college students to get involved on and off campus while improving skills to make them successful. Participants in these organizations plan events on campus and perform charitable works in the community. Greek organizations provide interaction not only with current students, but thousands of alumni as well. They help students network for employment after graduation. People in the same organization also support one another academically through group study. Students can join a fraternity or sorority at most universities during a university’s “rush” period.
3. Create a student organization
When students have a certain interest or hobby and want to get involved they looks for people with the same interest. It can be a good idea to start a student organization. Universities have individual policies on how to set up a new organization. Many even allow for funding from student government to put on campus events or conduct charity fundraisers. For instance, students could create a film club or volunteer outreach program and rally other students to get involved as well. Creating a student organization also provides leadership opportunities.
4. Use social media
Many updates on ways for college students to get involved on campus disseminate through social media. University volunteer and student organization offices push out notifications on upcoming events and vacant campus leadership positions. Some social media websites even have private sections just for groups associated with a university. This makes it easier to comb through the many opportunities to:
- get involved
- determine the activity level of an organization
- see which clubs and activities friends attend
Social media is also a great place to find discussions about campus issues. It helps find classmates to invite to study groups.
5. Attend faculty office hours
Along with social engagement, college students need to find ways to get involved academically. The easiest way to do this is to attend faculty office hours. This is time faculty members set aside each week to meet with students. This gives professors an opportunity to get to know students. This helps students in terms of:
- consideration for volunteer research opportunities
- using connections to secure student internships
- seeking advice on how to get involved in the field
Professors can help guide students to productive involvement in a particular line of work to keep them on track.
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Involvement in college outside of class can:
- improve social skills
- grades
- better prepare students for transitions to the work place