Getting Involved at Penn State

It’s super easy and it’s a great way to meet people!

Coming into college as a freshman is definitely one of the most exciting times of your life. It’s probably the first time you’re going to be living on your own and with that comes a whole new sense of freedom, right up there with getting your driver’s license. With that said, I know that it can also be a little scary and a big part of that is that you might be coming in knowing no one at all. I am writing to reassure you that there is no reason at all to be nervous about making friends! Getting involved will help you meet a lot of different people who share some of the same interests as you.

If you want to get involved with some sports, the first thing you need to know is that there are club sports and intramural sports (aside from the official school teams). The next thing you need to know is that the level of intensity varies. Club sports are typically a lot more involved, with practices during the week and games, matches, meets, etc... against other schools’ club teams. The time commitment and level of intensity vary with each sport. If you think you might be interested in a club sport, I encourage you to look into it here: http://sites.psu.edu/clubsports/

Intramural Soccer

Intramural sports are a little (actually a lot) more laid back. IM sports are only as intense as you want to make them. There aren’t any practices (unless your team decides to get them together) and it’s not the end of the world if you miss a game because you have a lot of homework that night. For a list of sports for each season and sign up information, visit the Rec Sports website: http://www.athletics.psu.edu/recsports/
Here’s some advice: sign up on the first day you can because spots fill up fast!

Both of these levels of sports are a lot of fun, depending on what’s best for you. The only way to find out is to give them a try!

Engineers Without Border, Penn State Chapter

Aside from sports, there are a TON of clubs and organizations out there. There is literally one for everyone. I mean everyone. Are you interested in cycling? There’s a club for that. Do you LOVE Harry Potter? Yup, there’s a club for that too! I’d recommend joining at least one engineering club or professional organization to meet some fellow engineering students, but definitely don’t be afraid to branch out and join a club just because it sounds fun! THON (The Penn State IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon) is a huge part of Penn State. It is the world’s largest student-run philanthropy and there are a lot of different ways to get involved with it (committees, orgs, and most clubs contribute as well). Here’s the link to a complete list of all of the student organizations at Penn State: http://www.clubs.psu.edu/

An involvement fair is held at the beginning of each semester at the HUB. This fall, the student organizations fair will be held on August 25, 26, and 27. The club sports fair will be on August 25 and 26. If you’re interested in Greek life, a fair is being held on August 28.

Brittany Bolmer is a junior in Civil Engineering, and she is a Mentor for WEPO '14!