Residential and commuter students can get the most out of their college experience by getting involved with campus life.
Transitioning into the college environment is sometimes scary and it can be a very challenging time for students. There is just so much information to process and students often don’t know where they should start. It is a perfect time to find an academic essay writer who could assist you throughout your courses. It can be either a special service or just a mate.
The natural impulse is for students to focus on what courses they should take or how they can create a perfect schedule. What many students neglect to realize is that in addition to focusing on their academics (and sometimes focusing on partying too much) they also have to become involved with campus life.
Campus Life Opportunities
Campus life encompasses so many things and when students don’t take the time to explore these options they miss out on one of the most critical aspects of the college experience. Some ways to get involved with campus life include:
- Getting involved with student organizations;
- Civic engagement/volunteering;
- Considering various internship opportunities;
- Attending campus parties, shows, concerts, and other programs;
- Exploring leadership opportunities;
- Learning about various cultural programs/events; and
- Possibly joining a fraternity or sorority.
These are just a few of the areas that make up campus life on some campuses. The options available to a student can vary greatly based on the type of institution. The size of a college as well as the type of school it is (public, private, 2-year, 4-year, Jesuit, etc.) certainly play a role in terms of what opportunities exist on campus.
For example, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey has a different assortment of campus life opportunities than the College of Notre Dame of Maryland. Typically, if a student does their research and chooses an institution that is a good fit for them, both personally and academically, they should be able to find activities that pique their interest and fit their needs. There are many ways to get involved on campus but here are a few basic tips to get students started.
- Visit the student activities or campus life office. They can provide a calendar of events.
- Contact the student government association on campus. They usually govern all the student organizations on campus and they can tell students how to get started.
- Find out if there is a service learning, community service, or civic engagement office on campus. They will have many opportunities that may pique a student’s interest.
- Visit an academic major department and find out if any student clubs are connected to the student’s area of study.
- Find out if there is a student organization fair at the start of the fall semester (this is an easy low key way to find out what’s available on campus).
- Check out flyers posted across campus. It can be overwhelming at times but they often have information about great programs/events.
- Contact offices like career services, multicultural affairs, and admissions. They often have great opportunities for students to get involved on campus.
- Check out the school’s website to see if they have a calendar page or a place where events are listed. That way students can see what’s being offered in the coming weeks.
- Commuters should find out if their school has a commuter lounge and/or organization. Connecting with other commuters can help.
Commuter vs. Residential
Another important consideration is that getting involved on campus often seems to be more of a challenge for students who are commuters than for students who live on campus.
Commuters tend to go to class and head home afterward, so many never get involved with campus life. Sometimes this occurs because they don’t feel as connected to campus as students who live on campus. In other instances, students who are commuters often have jobs and other responsibilities that make getting involved less appealing to them. The reality, however, is that getting involved is well worth their time and can help them both personally and academically. They simply have to reach a point where they realize this and it is the institution’s job to help these students reach that point.
Benefits of Campus Life Involvement
Getting involved has countless benefits. Students that get involved tend to form friendships earlier on and those connections help to ease the transition they are experiencing. Student involvement also allows students to develop skills that can complement their areas of study and make them stronger candidates for internships, post-graduate positions, and graduate school. Leadership skills like public speaking speech writing, interpersonal communication, critical thinking, and conflict resolution are skills students often develop by getting involved on campus. Most importantly, figures show that students who get involved on campus tend to do better academically than students who are not involved.
Getting involved in college is something students surely will not regret. Not only will they find it personally satisfying but they will soon realize how much it adds to their college experience. Getting involved, even in a small way, can help a student make friends, boost their resumes, develop great skills, have fun, and challenge themselves in ways they never have before. Students should not become involved but they should certainly explore what their school has to offer and make the most of it.