It is a universal agreement that trying new things can be really scary. This rings especially true when attending college – it is so much easier to go away to a school with many of our friends from home instead of taking a shot in the dark and choosing a place full of strangers. It's simply human nature.
Of course, there's nothing wrong with wanting to stick with the things we know and find familiar, but a great first step at trying new things in college is joining a club or two. Whether you're a freshman, a senior, or even a graduate student, it's never too late to do this – clubs and organizations are always excited to welcome new members! There's even a lot to gain in taking a chance and joining something new.
1. You're guaranteed to meet new people.
The most common reason for one to join a campus club is to make new friends! Obviously, when deciding which one(s) to join, people are drawn to choose an activity, sport, pastime, culture, etc., that interests them, leading to them meeting people that share those same interests.
2. You'll find new ways to spend your free time.
If you're not sitting through hours of lecture or studying your life away in the library, what else is there to do? Most, if not all, campuses are filled with such a huge variety of groups, teams, and committees hosting all kinds of meetings, events, banquets, and performances that you'll never have a reason to be bored and alone (unless you want to; you do you, boo).
3. You can gain some leadership experience.
So you join a new club, you make new friends, you attend all the events, and you fall in love with it. What better way to show your appreciation than joining the executive board? Working on an e-board is a wonderful way to give back to your favorite organization and come up with new, fun ways to draw in new members in the same way you were! Not to mention, it's a nice booster that you can enjoy and proudly add to your résumé.
4. You'll make memories that will last you a lifetime.
Clubs are a great way to enjoy your time in college. What you choose to do in these few years should be fun and memorable, since it's all the time you have left for yourself before entering adulthood. However, years after you graduate and move on from your past life as a carefree college student, the things you'll hold closest to your heart is the people you met and the time you spent in your favorite campus groups.
Personally, I have never been good at taking chances on new things. I remember starting my freshman year at Binghamton, terrified of the big, foreign world of college. I even spent all summer plucking up the courage to branch out.
Within the first two days, I stumbled upon the Philippine-American League or PAL. I was instantaneously welcomed, and over the next three years, its general body members became my best friends and family away from home.
Although we are not exclusively just for Filipinos and Filipino-Americans, I learned so much about my family's culture and about myself, as both a Filipina-American and a college student.
Now, I can't even imagine what my college career would have been like if I hadn't stepped out of my comfort zone to join a new club.
