Being involved on campus sets you up for success in the future.
Going into college I didn't really have any desire to get involved because I'm an introvert; so going out and meeting new people wasn't something that came easily to me. Until one day, my roommate and I went to a Greek 101 seminar. That's where it all started. I became part of Greek Life, which led to meeting a lot of people. I became a wing representative and soon to follow I became a residence hall association representative. Later I became an executive board member of the hall I was living in. I then applied to be a resident's assistant and will be starting that in the fall. In a year's time (for an introvert) I got heavily involved and made so many connections around campus I never even dreamed of.
If you don't think getting involved on campus will help you, here are some things that it helped me with:
1. I became less of an introvert - I had to put myself out there in order to get involved and overcome my fear of "the outside world."
2. I gained better social skills - While I was involved on campus I had to speak to many different students and faculty members in order to receive and forward information. I also had to speak in front of groups of people which had eventually helped me become comfortable speaking in front of crowds.
3. I realized that I could put these experiences on a resume - Whether you're captain of the intramural volleyball team or head of the glee club you can put your leadership experiences on your resume.
4. I made connections throughout my state - Being involved in Greek Life I had the opportunity to go to a state-wide convention and I got to meet members of greek life from all over my state!
5. I got better grades - Being involved helped me manage my time wisely as well as stay on top of my academics.
6. I got the chance travel - Whether it was around campus or around the state being involved on campus helped me get there.
7. I felt more connected to my school - You see a side of campus you never thought of seeing. I got a look at all the information kept behind the scenes and had the opportunity to forward that information to the students.
8. It kept me busy - As weird as it may seem, it's easy to become bored in college when you're not doing your school work. So by being involved I always had a meeting or an activity to attend.
9. It gave me new friends - You make so many connections on campus and it's obvious you'd make friends along the way, from my sorority sisters to everyone I met in the residence hall and everyone else, I made a ton of friends!
10. It gave me a sense of belonging - That's pretty self-explanatory :)
Getting involved made my life a whole lot better. That's why I highly encourage getting involved in either sports, intramural sports clubs, greek life, the resident's hall you're living in, etc. Being involved gets you to become a part of your campus. Depending on what club, organization, or sport you're a part of you will see different angles of the campus you have never seen before. It will give you something to do and it will surely pay off in the long run.
So...GET INVOLVED!
