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One of the most overwhelming things to a student on campus is the amount of clubs there are. You can literally find a club for any interest whether it be Harry Potter, chocolate or in my case, public relations. The question is how do you first of all, figure out what to join and second of all, balance it out and harness your passion for a particular interest? Below are a few tips on what has worked for me.
StUDent Central can be a great way to find out what’s going on around campus, and what groups you can get involved in!
1. Attend Student Activities Night. The majority of active student clubs will be in attendance at Student Activities Night. Beforehand, there is a full list of the clubs attending that will be released, so I would encourage you to check it out and find a few clubs that scream “you.” Hey, that might even be the Genshiken (https://studentcentral.udel.edu/organization/genshiken/about) club, which is all about video games.
2. Go to a few of the interest meetings. All clubs will have an interest meeting which is where you can find out all of what this club is about. This is your first impression of the club and you will know pretty much right away if you want to join or not. If not, then all the better! You can check it off your list and visit some of the other clubs. I promise you, you will not be able to be a part of all of the clubs that interest you, at least not actively. I tried that freshman year and it really didn’t go well…
3. Seek out someone in that club to talk to. It’s always nice to have a friendly face when you show up to a meeting, and it also makes you want to go back. Introduce yourself to someone in the group and see if they want to meet up for coffee/froyo/Rita’s and talk about their role in the organization. You’ll get a better gauge of how the club will fit into your schedule and if you’re able to make the time commitment
4. Lastly, be active in it. It’s truly hard to develop a passion in something if you’re not committed. I can say that I am so passionate about PRSSA because I have grown as a person and as a professional throughout my three years being involved, and now I’m the president. You want to be able to develop that passion for a club on campus, because let’s face it; everyone wants to belong to something. I’m not saying that you have to jump up and be a leader on the first day, but take initiative and make your face known. Trust me – the leaders of that group will be more than appreciative.
So say you’re a junior, there’s definitely still time to get involved! All groups will welcome new members, and what else are you doing next year besides taking some of the easy classes you have left (sorry engineers/all science majors, I know that’s not the case for you)? So next year, when you’re considering what to do with your free time, take these tips! It’ll pay off big (and look great on your résumé).
~Chelsey Rodowicz
