Explore your interests…
Want to get more involved on campus? Are you looking for more friends with common interests? Well, Syracuse University has what you’re looking for with over 300 student organizations full of opportunities. Take a chance and try something new! It’s always good to find a mix of your interests and try to find new ways to blend them into your campus experience. As parents say with vegetables, don’t knock it until you try it!
Now does getting involved sound more interesting? Wow, you could curb the enthusiasm a little bit. We didn’t know the vegetable comparison would get you that excited. You can get started on ’Cuse Activities, the one-stop shop for students to find clubs that interest them. Through ’Cuse Activities, students are able to browse through a database of different activities and organizations as well as events.
With so many options to choose from, here’s a few tips on being successful and being more involved as a student:
1) Make Connections
It’s easy as pie! Join a few solid organizations you would enjoy being in, and get to mingling! Once you find the place that’s right for you, you will be able to grow your personal community and find a firm foundation here.
Connections are not solely limited to students on campus as there are plenty of professional staff and off-campus organizations around the Syracuse area. Additionally, many community organizations have volunteer networks and provide a variety of opportunities to leave the Hill and get involved locally.
After establishing those connections, chances are you can make more friends by learning and meeting new people and bonding over common interests.
2) Take Responsibility
After spending time in an organization and making new friends along the way, you may feel like it will be a good idea to get involved in the gears and mechanisms of your organization. An organization is as good as its leadership, so if you feel you can make a better impact on an organization, then shoot for the stars and try joining the group’s executive board!
3) Don’t Over Commit
If you take 19 credits, have two labs, own a Beagle/German Shepherd mix puppy in your apartment on Clarendon and also are part of three different, time-intensive clubs, it’s going to be tough to make it through the year, let alone a semester. So let’s remember this: know your limits! Life is full of time commitments, but it is your job to get a sense of what is the most important to you.
Here are a few tips within a tip that might help with this:
- Take responsibility for what you feel is the most impactful in your life. If yoga club is somehow stressing you out, drop it. Don’t overextend yourself. Having more open time is better than having no time.
- Prioritize what is important to you. If your personal life is more important to you than your extracurriculars, drop what’s excessive. Try creating a list and writing what is most important in your life from top to bottom. If something isn’t worth it, leave it. And as always, be sure to prioritize your academics.
4) Know the Resources
As with ’Cuse Activities, there are an abundance of ways to get involved on and off-campus that you can find using the right resources. Each student organization has an advisor in the Office of Student Activities that assists members with navigating running their organization. Check in with them to see where you can find an opportunity to expand your horizons. Also, the office offers workshops periodically for students to help their organization succeed. Stay tuned for upcoming workshops!
Part of a Greek organization? Don’t forget the Fraternity and Sorority Affairs for more information and support.
In the end, it is about finding the organizations that will give you the biggest impact and change the way you see things. We wish you luck!
Written by Christopher Scarglato ’23, S. I. Newhouse School of Public Communications