| Campus life on a college or university is an exciting world full of new people, organizations, and opportunities. Regardless of the institution you choose, there will be many opportunities to get involved in the world beyond the classroom. During this transitional period from high school to college, it's a good idea to think about what will be important to you during your college career. Getting involved should be high on your priority list. I've compiled a short list of why getting involved is worth your time. Here are my top five:
1. Give of yourself to something bigger than yourself.
The community life of a college campus is based upon students who give of their time and energy to something bigger than themselves. Most will not get paid for their efforts, but their hard work to enrich campus life will provide them with a priceless gift of working for something bigger than themselves. When you place value on serving others, the reward is sweeter than you'd think. Getting involved is a powerful way to learn the important life lesson that the world doesn't really revolve around you. Use your motivation of wanting a new experience to help others and your school. You'll be amazed at how good it feels to give of yourself to something bigger than yourself.
2. Don't be lopsided!
It's easy as a college student to live a life that is lopsided. It's either all or nothing. This mentality can set in before you know it. So it's important to branch out and get involved outside of the classroom to balance the experience that you're gaining inside the classroom. One of the greatest aspects of college is that there is an amazing amount to get involved in. Those who don't take advantage of it, truly miss out. If you have a strong interest in a certain area, whether it's a political affiliation, a social justice issue, or certain cultural background, getting involved with a student organization will provide opportunities for you to grow in your area of interest. Being involved in a student organization provides you the opportunity to live a college life that is balanced and well rounded. It's not impossible!
3. It should always be about the people.
Being an active participant in a student organization, athletic team, or even an artistic troupe will, without a doubt, greatly impact you. Regardless of the group, your involvement will connect you to the personality and heartbeat of your school. This happens through the interaction you'll gain with your peers and with the faculty/staff advisors. Your social sphere will exponentially grow. You will get to know fellow students that maybe live in a different residence hall or who commute to campus. You will get to work alongside faculty or staff members who have given their careers to helping young people like you. Getting involved provides those priceless opportunities to make new friends and to grow in relationships that would have never crossed your path otherwise.
4. "I get to do what?"
This is a phrase I often hear from my student leaders. Student organizations provide college students with unlimited opportunities to gain life experience. Experience that includes but is not limited to: event planning, managing a budget, running a meeting, team building, updating campus policy, producing a concert, or planning a campus wide celebration. Working with both peers and faculty/staff members, students are given the opportunity to learn the "how to" of these important skills in a flexible and fun environment. As you grow intellectually, being involved in a student organization is often teaching you about the life lessons that are needed for the everyday life which happens outside the classroom.
5. Its pays to have connections… seriously.
Before you know it, you'll be walking across the stage at your college graduation. Even before that ceremony, you'll be asked a million times what careers plans you have for the future. One of the major benefits of getting involved while in college is that you've created a bigger world for yourself. Often times, college students get involved in a certain area of interest that will lead to a future career path (i.e. joining the Tutoring Society if you might be interested in becoming a teacher). Not to mention, the relationships you formed along the way may lead to either job leads or strong recommendations from your faculty/ staff advisor. Resume building should not be your sole reason for getting involved, but it is one of the brightest benefits. Along with the experience and training you'll gain, your involvement in college will play a large role in where you end up after college.
As you can tell, I'm highly biased about the importance of getting involved in college. After signing up for classes and settling into your residence hall, finding out how to get involved in your school should be next on your to-do list. It will play a major role in how satisfied you are with your college experience. The benefits are directly related and far outweigh ... |
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