Many people fear that when they go to college they will become “just another number.” From the beginning of freshmen year, some students begin to set themselves apart from the rest of the crowd. However, some might be slow to jump on the extracurricular bandwagon. So, if you are looking to set yourself apart from the crowd of faceless college students, here are a few tips on how to get involved around campus.
Join a Club or Organization
Getting involved around campus is an excellent way to boost your resume and make yourself marketable for future employment. Ohio University offers numerous clubs and organizations that are major specific. Getting involved in organizations that are geared towards your major early on can be an amazing learning opportunity.
Most majors require numerous general education requirements, which means that students won’t take the bulk of their major specific classes until their junior or senior year. Clubs and organizations that are major specific are geared towards teaching and getting experience that you would not get in the classroom. Students who join these clubs tend to do very well once they take their major classes because they have already been exposed to the material.
Ohio University freshmen Caleigh Bourgeois has already taken advantage of many of the clubs and organizations related to her major in broadcast journalism.
“These organizations give you practice for the real world of whatever profession you plan on entering in to,” she said. “You never know how the experience and the people that you meet there will benefit you in the long run.”
Start Your Own Club
Ohio University has over 350 student organizations. However, if you cannot seem to find an organization that is right for you, then start your own! The Campus Involvement Center encourages students to get involved, and founding your own organization is a perfect way to do so. By forming your own organization you can create something that is perfectly tailored to what you would like to do, learn and experience.
Being a club founder is an excellent way to stand out. It shows that you are ambitious, hard working and goal oriented, as well as highlighting your leadership capabilities, which are all characteristics that employers look for in job candidates.
Before you contact the Campus Involvement Center with your idea, make sure you research existing clubs and organizations to ensure that there is not a club that is already doing the same sort of thing you wish to do. Then, ask around and see if there are other students with the same interests as you who would be interested in joining. Think about what type of commitment your members would be required to do and what goals you wish to accomplish. If you have an interesting and unique idea for a student organization, start it up and make a name for yourself.
Becky Meiser, our very own co-editor of Ohio University’s Her Campus branch, explains the benefits that she has found from starting an organization.
“You learn a lot of things that class can’t teach you,” she says. “I’ve never had to manage people before or handle this amount of work knowing that it affects other people the way it does. It forces you to learn a sense of responsibility and leadership.”
Get to Know Your Professors
Getting to know your professors can help you out in the long run in many ways. Careers in fields such as journalism and business can be very competitive – it’s not about what you know but it is about who you know. Having connections in your field of study can be very beneficial and many of your professors come from very successful backgrounds. In their past, it is very possible that they have many people who would be willing to take a chance on a young college graduate because of a glowing recommendation letter.
In large lecture classes it can be hard to get yourself noticed. If you attend office hours and speak up in class then your professors will recognize you name and face. If you get to know them and ask questions, they will gladly help you out. When your professors know who your are and respect you as a student, they will reach out to you and help you better your future.
Ohio University junior Luke Hart feels that creating a relationship with your professors is beneficial “simply because you get to know each other by name. This puts a face with the name at the top of the exam which the professor is about to grade.”
A university is home to thousands of bright and talented students striving to make a name for themselves. Each student is fighting to set his or her self apart from the crowd in hopes of one day having a successful career. Networking is a key factor in setting yourself apart from the rest. The more people you know, the more connections you will have in the future. Your professors are an excellent place to start networking. If you can prove yourself to your professors, they will help you find a way to reach your goals.
Joining clubs and getting involved around campus can be a fun way to learn necessary skills and experience you might not learn right away in the classroom. In the end, the effort that you put in will determine how much recognition you gain among your peers, faculty, and future employers.