Freshmen: Get Involved and Have Fun

This is it: It's your first week of college and you're raring to get started on what you had dreamed of every day in high school. The true college experience lies ahead – an experience you will want to live to its fullest potential.

What is written on your class schedule are the fundamentals of the college experience. However, though your notebook may read "English 161" in black Sharpie, there are also elements of life at Rhode Island College that cannot simply be labeled with a subject and a number. In fact, you can even think of these elements as classes that are structured by the students. They are student activities, and they may benefit you in more ways than you might initially perceive, especially in your freshman year.

It should come as no surprise that there are dozens of different clubs covering a wide range of interests. Everything from accounting, to anime, to literature can be found in a RIC club, organization or Greek life. And, of course, there are more to clubs than making friends and building relationships. The social stimulation gained from being involved with these activities has a wide variety of effects such as boosting your confidence or increasing your academic performance. If you're in your first year, you definitely won't have much room to mess around with your GPA. Every little bit counts, and stimulation will keep you alert and active enough to do well.

Being involved in a club is not only a great way to pass time and have fun. Clubs also benefit you by providing you with qualities and skills that employers will be looking for upon your graduation. Many organizations on campus incorporate the same elements one would find in the workplace. Teamwork, organization and planning are just a meager few of the many skills to be found – skills that employers want.

Getting involved as early as your freshman year will help you become accustomed to these facets much more quickly, and spending multiple semesters in a club can lead you to an officer position and beyond, emulating the desire to ascend the corporate ladder in a real company. After all, you're here in college to get a job later on, and club activities are excellent resume-builders.

But how does one join a club? Breathe a sigh of relief knowing that this is the easy part, for getting in contact with these groups can take a number of routes. The RIC Web site always has a list of organizations with their contact information.

Perhaps the more exciting way to get involved is to attend Student Activities Day, scheduled this year for Wednesday, Sept. 15 during the Free Period, and meet people around the Quad. You'll get great opportunities to talk with members of various clubs and get a hands-on feel of the different types of activities that students have to offer you. Of course, you may also know someone in a club already, which is also a great way to get your foot in the door.

With fewer students becoming involved in campus activities in recent years, these openings are an excellent way to help you stand out in the job market. As nervous as you may be in your first semester or two, joining groups can help you alleviate your post-high school stress. So get involved, have fun and meet new people!