Being freshmen comes with many new twists and turns. For most of you, it’s your first time living away from home in a completely new town filled with unfamiliar faces. Luckily, this also opens up a whole new world of possibilities in which to create a new reality for yourself. So, in light of celebrating your upcoming adventures throughout this next year, I am sharing with you some of my tips and tricks to get involved on campus and make this year the best possible foundation for your college experience.
- Talk to everyone the first few weeks
The first few weeks set the tone for the rest of the year. It’s when everyone is talking with everyone, no cliques are made yet and people are the most social that they’ll be all year. The best part about talking to everyone is there are so many ways to go about it. Here are a few ideas that worked for me my freshman year:
- Knock on people’s doors in your dorm and invite them to play a fun card game (For the Girls, Lets Get Deep, Cards Against Humanity, etc.).
- Eat with different people in the dining hall
- Talk with different people in the dorm bathroom
- Create a Snapchat group chat for your dorm/dorm floor
- Talk with people in your classes
- Make a study group with people from your classes
2. Greek life
While this tip is not for everyone, joining a sorority or fraternity is a great way to meet new people and involve yourself in philanthropy. Greek life comes with many benefits such as a sense of community, networking with alumni, learning essential leadership skills, and the opportunity for outreach to charitable causes. Formal recruitment is in the winter, so you may have to wait a little bit, but it’s a great way to feel a sense of welcome!
3. Exercise classes
Some colleges and universities offer (usually) free exercise classes like yoga, pilates, dance, and spin which is a great way to meet new people. Often, people go to these classes alone and in my experience, are very interested in meeting and talking to new people. It is also a great way to get some exercise!
4. Join clubs
This is especially a good idea if you don’t plan on joining Greek life. In clubs, you get the opportunity to explore your interests further or interests you’ve been wanting to try out, while meeting new people who also share that interest. Clubs also can offer leadership opportunities like president, vice president, treasurer, etc., which can be valuable on a resume for future employment or grad school.
5. Work-Study
There is the obvious benefit of financials but work-study, especially on campus can be a great opportunity for a few different reasons. One is that most of these jobs have very flexible schedules as they are used to working around school schedules and understand the prioritization of academics. Work-study can also allow you to make more connections with faculty and students, providing valuable networking opportunities. In some cases, you may also receive more financial aid if you do work-study on campus, but this does not apply to everyone.
6. Attend campus events
It is more than likely that whatever college or university you are attending, they host an array of welcome events and fun activities throughout the year. These events and activities are an amazing opportunity to meet new people as they are quite literally set up for you to socialize and meet new people. Even if you are usually a little shy and going to these events alone, you are also most likely not the only one there who is interested in making friends.
7. Participate in student government
Often overlooked, student government is a great way to become involved on campus and take action to change your campus for the better. You get to meet many different groups of people at tabled events and network with the other student government candidates. This also looks great on your resume for future job opportunities and for potential grad school applications.
If you would like more insights or tips to make this year the best, check out more of Chico State’s articles. Wishing all of you freshmen the best of luck on the journey ahead!