“What the F do I need extracurriculars for?” was my first thought when I saw my To Do list as a senior high schooler. Extracurriculars were a waste of time and energy that I wanted no part of. But now that I’m a UPRRP alumni, I know that adulting doesn’t make extracurriculars less important. It’s actually the complete opposite.
Being in your early 20s can feel like opening a pandora box of relationships, finding your path, and gaining professional experience. Luckily, your remedy to early adulthood mayhem can be condensed and solved with one word: extracurriculars.
The benefits of taking on extracurriculars are legit, and though it may sound cliché to bring celebrities up, but even Morgan Freeman– yes, that Morgan Freeman, discovered his love for music and theater through extracurricular activities. In other words, investing time on alternate collegial activities can help shape your identity and forward aid your self-knowing journey. Some find comfort in belonging to a community within their area of interest and consider it as an outlet to socialize. And if you’re more of a productive person, let me remind you that student organizations are formidable experiences to add into your resume and it can positively impact your professional life after college.
Personally, student organizations have helped me with all of the above. Mixing and matching hobbies and switching majors has allowed me to see up close what student organizations are really worth. They even guided me through my early indecision of picking a profession. So without further ado, here’s my journey with UPRRP student organizations.
- Pre-Vet Student Association
My first semester in la IUPI was spent brainstorming possible career paths that actually interested me. At first, studying Biology to enter Vet School abroad was something my younger self dreamed of and that’s exactly what I aimed for. I joined the Pre-Vet Student Association (PVSA UPRRP). It felt encouraging to surround myself with a community of people who had similar goals to mine. Within the organization, I attended multiple Vet School virtual orientations and participated in a couple in-person activities. I won’t lie, feeding a herd of calves really stuck with me. However, I couldn’t picture myself performing as a veterinarian. It wasn’t specifically my reason to be. It hit me at that moment that maybe it was time to listen to my current self, rather than trying to embody a child’s dream.
The brainstorming continued until my second year where I began crossing out Natural Science majors and started searching for professions I felt more inclined to. I knew I liked writing, but what exactly? Journalism and Creative Writing were on the top of my list. It wasn’t until I joined Pulso Estudiantil that I understood the difference between one from the other.
2. Pulso Estudiantil
Pulso Estudiantil is a communications media run by college students with the goal of voicing college-oriented dilemas, political issues, injustices, among other topics. They were looking for writers so of course I had to join. Plus, I needed an insight about what life as a journalist would be like. Definitely not for me. The writing style between creative and informative differs enormously. And although I found myself able to properly inform, it also felt empty to transcribe an interview, add information, and reword one or two details. I wanted to create. I did, however, enjoy interacting with interviewees, but it didn’t equal the satisfaction of creating an idea from scratch and developing it into something unimaginably beautiful. And that’s how I ended up majoring in Creative Writing.
3. Her Campus at UPR
Like they say, “Third time’s the charm”. For me, Her Campus at UPR magazine fitted me perfectly. The chapter encouraged to polish my creative skills through writing and digital art. Unexpectedly, I leveled up to become the Social Media Director of the chapter as I improved my graphic design abilities. But that wasn’t all. Forming part of the organization pulled me out of my comfort zone. I ended up establishing new friendships. Oh the power of friendship. To put it simply, I ordered a single writing experience and ended with a whole meal of new abilities, connections, and unforeseen career ideas.
From the Biology department to the Humanities faculty, college has been a rollercoaster of decisions. It would be a lie if I denied that student organizations were just for fun. Feeding calves, interviewing people, and writing for an Elite leveled college magazine are definitely wonderful experiences for ever to be treasured. But more than that, my extracurriculars were eye opening tools. UPRRP has way too many student organizations to choose from! Regardless of what your reasons or needs are, discovering the pros and cons of student organizations is better than missing out on an experience that can literally turn your life around.