Getting Involved Without Burning Out
It’s a social shock to move off to college and know almost nobody when you’ve spent the past twelve years with the same people! Even though it may seem like everything is clearly not fine, you can make friends at WEPO and can also build support networks by getting involved in the thousands of student-led organizations at Penn State!
Early in the first semester, Penn State will host an Involvement Fair on the HUB Lawn (a central location on campus — bird’s eye view pictured here!). All the orgs at Penn State have the chance to host a booth and bring their leaders, info about how to join, and maybe some fun activities or treats to encourage you to sign up for their org! It seems overwhelming, but don’t let it scare you — those large yellow flags are one of the many ways that Penn State helps you organize yourself.
Bring a friend along, and sign up for emails for every club that you’re interested in joining (you can always unsubscribe if you decide you don’t like it as much as you thought, instructions here). The involvement fair will last for most of the day, so if you need to leave for a class and come back later to stop by the remaining orgs, that’s an option! There are maps and guides to the orgs present standing at information booths surrounding the fair to help you streamline the process if you’re looking for something specific! On that note, if you know you want to foster a hobby of yours, do some research to find an organization that you can join to stay active with others!
Lots of people choose to get involved in THON, Club sports, orgs for your major, and so many other options! Amongst the WEPO leadership, SWE is very popular, as well as orgs for your major (e.g. I am an Engineering Science major, and I am in the Society of Engineering Science).
This is your biggest chance to meet other people and enhance your experience at Penn State — our alumni network is #1 for a reason!
Now for the difficult part: getting involved without stressing yourself out. The following are some helpful tips to make the best of getting a world-class education but fostering your creativity and finding some amazing hobbies and pastimes!
- Go to the first meetings of clubs you are interested in
- If you can’t go, email the club president to ask for the intro slides
- Ask your friends what they are doing and try to attend some meetings together!
- Let meetings be an outlet for stress — join something fun that you look forward to during the week!
- You don’t have to be a leader in all of your clubs
- Settle on about 6-8 extra hours of involvement each week (this includes things like clubs, leadership involvement, and using these orgs as an outlet for stress!)
- Add some extra time for yourself to workout or meditate or do whatever you need to do to melt the stress away
- Manage your psu email so you don’t miss anything! Sort by folders or make some rules to sort your emails the way that best helps you stay on top of things!
- If you need a nap, then take a nap! The best power nap is 26 minutes and Spotify has tons of amazing playlists to help you relax
- If you’re an introvert and struggle to talk to new people or even to motivate yourself to talk to new people, going to the first meeting of an organization is a great way to experience that unfamiliarity alongside other new members who feel the same way (and nobody will know if it’s your freshman or your senior year!)
- Finding besties happens when you search for people you get along with and open yourself up to meeting new people
- If you need motivation to attend meetings, you can tell yourself that you are relieving stress and building your college network! (it’s always nice to “know someone” when you need it!)
The most important thing to remember is that now is your time to take advantage of the resources that Penn State has to offer. You pay student fees that go towards supporting so many of the things that campus offers, so get your money’s worth and give what seems interesting a try!
Laura Brownstead
Team G Mentor
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