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School clubs and organizations can be one of the best ways to meet people who share your interests. When you first begin college, the large amount of choices available can be both exciting and overwhelming: It may be tempting to join every group (believe me, I know) but it is best to commit to just one or two that you really enjoy.
When I first started at Chatham, the Student Activities Fair was the best thing ever to me. There was the Creative Writing Club, All Faith Gathering, newspaper and countless other organizations with booths set up and ready to give us information. Everything sounded so interesting that I attended initial meetings for nearly half of the organizations; not only did this prove to be very overwhelming but also I ended up realizing that there were only a few groups that actually lined up well with my genuine interests.
Once I had narrowed down what I would be most interested in, I started to only attend meetings for the Gay-Straight Alliance and Chatham’s All Faith Gathering. I went on to become the president of the GSA, which just goes to show that putting a lot of effort into a club you really love can be very beneficial to both yourself as well the club’s future! Don’t get me wrong, it’s always great to lend a helping hand to an organization every once and a while – and by all means attend campus events if they sound like a fun way to support your fellow students! – but you shouldn’t overextend yourself.
Although a ton of student organizations can be exciting and the people may be friendly, it’s always a good idea to choose wisely and stay actively involved in the ones that most interest you. Remember, you are at school first and foremost to take classes, so don’t get so caught up in extracurricular activities that you run out of time to study.
Melissa Garrett is a sophomore at Chatham University majoring in creative writing with minors in music and business. She works as a resident assistant and is currently in the process of self-publishing several of her books. She also serves as the president of Chatham’s LGBT organization and enjoys political activism. Melissa’s ultimate goal is to become a college professor herself.