How to get involved in college and why

Getting involved in college can be fufilling and helpful.

Emmanuella Shokare
Staff Writer

We all have seen the scene from the start of school, students are rushing around either going to class, rehearsal or work, it can be difficult to make friends, especially for a freshman or a transfer student.

This was my story as so many student stories in college. To get a fulfilling experience in college, it is crucial to join an activity or club in your new home. It is never too early or late to get involved on campus.

One thing I did when I wanted to get involved was to research different organizations to get a better understanding of clubs that I would be interested in.

At the beginning of the semester in most universities, different on-campus organizations have a fair in which they showcase their different activities and students who have the opportunity to talk to representatives of the organizations and fellow students who are part of the organizations.

But if you miss this fair, you can still reach those organization reps via their contacts. 

One thing students find to be difficult about participating in extracurricular activities is how to manage their time. Luckily for us here are MNSU, there are programs/seminars hosted here to teach students how to balance their time and stay on track which leads to flying colors at the end of the semester.

There are also a variety of organizations that students can choose from: academic/honors clubs, student government such as the MSSA, Greek Life, community engagement, student media, religious organizations, intramural sports and more. 

According to an article found on College Express, one way to begin to get involved is to start with your major, “a great way to dip your toes into campus life is to explore organizations within your major.

This can provide you an automatic path to students who share your interests and passions. Most schools offer pre-professional societies and various honor societies for different fields of study.

One such example is Psi Chi, the International Honor Society in Psychology, which hosts conferences and competitions each year to help its members grow intellectually and professionally.”

Here at MNSU, there are varieties of major based organizations such as the Accounting club and Student Nurses Association to name a few. Here you can meet students with the same interest as you and could make some connections like how the Accounting club holds a fair in which firms come in and students could get internships and more. 

Another way is to pay attention to posts on the notice boards around campus as most organizations advertise via the notice boards. You can also volunteer, there are so many activities going on on-campus and may be in need of volunteers.

At MNSU, opportunities to volunteer are posted on Engage where students who are interested can sign up to volunteer. You can also get a part-time job on campus, MNSU post jobs vacancies on MavJobs where students can apply for them. 

Why do I need to get involved? It is a great way to make friends, build a professional network, make memories and prepare you for the world after college. 

Feature photo by David Bassey | MSU Reporter.