Going off to college can be quite an intimidating task. One thing that really adds to this is having to start over, completely. In high school, you may have been the president of the class or maybe even captain of the soccer team. But when you get to college, none of that matters. While having the opportunity to start over can be such an exciting opportunity it can also be very daunting.

I experienced this at a very large scale my first year at The Ohio State University. With over 66,000 students in attendance, it felt nearly impossible to find something to be a part of that would make the campus feel more personal. No matter how big or small your school is, everyone goes through this struggle. Here is my advice on how to get involved:

1. Explore your interests

This is the first step you need to take when finding where you belong at school. I was an athlete my entire life whether it was the years and years I spent training gymnastics or the last few years of high school I spent playing soccer. I never pursued any other interests I had or even took the time to find out what they were since I was too busy with my sports schedule.

I felt really lost when I started school and was not a part of a team or participating in the sports that I grew up loving. I spent some time throwing myself a pity party but I couldn't allow it to last much longer. I decided I needed to explore my other interests.

The first step I took in doing this was going to the student involvement fair. At Ohio State, there are over 700 clubs and organizations set up during the fair, so I knew I would find something. Each school will have an involvement fair at the beginning of the semester, so make sure you go!

2. Join clubs

Don't make the same mistake of signing up for too many clubs and later realizing its nearly impossible to keep up with all of them. What is really important to keep in mind when signing up for clubs is that you want to make sure you will be a part of something that is going to be a great resume builder and get you further in your life/career. You do not just want to sign up for anything.

Think about everything that you are already involved with at school. How many credit hours are you taking? Will you be working a part-time job? Are you playing sports? These are all very important to keep in mind to make sure you won't be overworking yourself.

Personally, I found three clubs was enough for me. I work a part-time job on campus, take 16 credit hours and am still able to balance three clubs. When you decide to be a part of something make sure you dedicate yourself fully to it, don't flake. Also, make sure they all are targeting different areas of your interests so you become more well-rounded.

I decided to join A Kid Again, a club focused on spending quality time with children with cancer, a film club to pursue my interests in film-making and a marketing club since my first major is Marketing.

3. Consider the benefits

There are SO many benefits in becoming involved with your campus! One of the most important benefits in my opinion is all of the diverse people you will meet and become friends with. As an out-of-state student, it was difficult finding the right friends, but when I started joining clubs and participating in campus activities I started to find myself making great friends and meeting new people I might not have met otherwise.

Another important aspect to consider when becoming involved is that you're going to be more connected to your school. There is a reason you decided to attend the college you did so why not explore all of the great opportunities it has to offer?

You will also discover new passions and interests in areas you have never considered. You may also stumble across things that you realize are not for you, but it is all a part of the process.