When I arrived at college, I had an idea of a few types of extracurriculars I wanted to pursue. I sought to continue my involvement with theater and singing, and luckily I have joined organizations at UVa that have fostered my love for the performing arts. I also joined a sorority in the spring of my first year, which has widely expanded my circle of college friends and given me a new outlet through which I can express myself.
Throughout this year, I have frequently considered just how much these extracurricular activities have contributed to my enjoyment of UVa and college in general. I believe very strongly that extracurriculars are not just activities to fill your time outside of class.
Getting involved in a club, Greek organization, or CIO allows you to meet people who have a similar passion or outlook on life as you do, and it helps you meet people who you may never have met otherwise. You can't choose the people in your dorm, but you can choose which clubs become your main focus and which people in those clubs become your closest friends. I'm not saying that your dorm friends cannot become your best friends, but there is a certain camaraderie among all of the members of, say, a choir or a literary society that is much harder to foster outside the bounds of an organization.
Extracurriculars are also a great way to meet people in other grades that can offer helpful advice about college, life, or the best places in town for a light night snack. Especially as a first year, it can be difficult to immediately find kindred spirits with whom you share a deep personal connection, which is where campus organizations play such an important role.
I have also found that extracurricular involvement has greatly helped me structure my time and work more efficiently. One might think that with fewer commitments throughout the week, it would be easier to complete hours of reading and assignments, but I find that if my days are more concretely scheduled due to my extracurriculars, with fewer large blocks of free time, I am more motivated to use my precious spare time productively. College is all about learning how to manage your time, and extracurriculars are helpful with figuring out how to schedule your day and work with conflicts.
Classes are no doubt a central focus of college education, but I feel that my extracurricular involvement has educated me almost as much as have my various courses this year. This education is certainly of a different nature than the content of a lecture, but the lessons I've learned and advice I've gained through extracurricular involvement has been invaluable for me.
Clubs and CIOs provide opportunities for improving leadership, management, teamwork, and publicity skills, all of which are transferable to jobs in the real world. Holding an executive position in any organization is a hefty responsibility and certainly teaches these skills, but even as simply an active member of a club, you can learn extensively about how to work together with people to achieve a common goal.
Let's not forget one of the most important aspects of participating in extracurriculars: they're really fun! Clubs almost always have social events outside of their actual meeting hours, which allow for fun bonding time with other members. If you are genuinely passionate and enthusiastic about an organization, your involvement with it will be fulfilling, inspiring, and thoroughly enjoyable.
At UVa, but certainly at any college or university, there are bound to be hundreds of organizations you can get involved in, or at least investigate, early on in the year. You may not end up joining the exact ones you want, but starting with at least one will add indescribable depth and meaning to your first year. This will hopefully carry through the rest of your college years and into your post-graduate life.
