It’s that time of year again! This Friday, September 4, is the much anticipated Org Fair, Where Elon’s clubs and organizations set up on The Boobs in an attempt to persuade first year and transfer students to surrender their email address for a piece of candy or a baked good.
Navigating this event is what we imagine navigating the maze portion of the Triwizard Tournament in “Harry Potter,” felt like. Although overwhelming and challenging, if you make it out alive, it’s a great experience.
Photo Accessed from: http://www.elon.edu/images/e-web/students/activities/top-imagery/2.jpg
These are our top five tips for not just surviving, but thriving, at Elon’s Org Fair this year.
1.Don’t get distracted by the shiny things
We know how tempting the pins, lanyards and free food are when all you need for collateral is an Elon email… But, you will regret giving out your email to every on-campus club once you find your inbox full of interest meeting reminders and updates. If you’re in it for the sweets, put that all-access meal plan to use and walk across the lawn to Lakeside!
With that being said…
2. Don’t be afraid to sign up for organizations that really interest you
Before going to the Org Fair, I was warned to avoid being too frivolous with the clubs I signed up for. While that did save my inbox from being dominated by club meeting emails, it also stopped me from joining some clubs I was on the fence about. If you see a table that looks cool to you, put your name and email down! You can always unsubscribe from an email list, and it’s a lot harder to join a club when you’re late in the game.
3. Don’t be embarrassed to join a club
Going to the Org Fair with a group of friends has its ups and downs. While friends are fun and can push you to try new things, they can also make you feel bad about joining a club that might not fit their expectation of the college norm. If a club looks interesting to you, join it! Don’t let the haters bring you down.
4. Walk through the entire fair
Each organization is set up at a table, and the tables are lined up to create pathways for attendees to walk through. The Org Fair can be pretty hard to navigate, and there is no way to know where a particular organization is located without physically passing it. By walking down every path, you will gain the full Org Fair experience! Even though it can get really crowded, the entire fair probably won’t last more than 30 minutes, so definitely try to at least glance at every table.
Photo accessed from:https://www.pinterest.com/pin/205336064235060013/
5. Utilize the information given to you
The Org Fair is absolutely useless if you do nothing with the information the organizations are offering. Go to the interests meetings, visit the websites, and watch their videos. Giving out your email is just a foot in the door. Take the extra steps to really get involved – it’ll show your ambition to the organization’s leaders as well. Put yourself out there and follow up with the clubs you want to join!
Happy Org Fair-ing!