Are you involved in campus activities? Then YOU ROCK too!

Every year campus clubs set up booths in Place Riel to recruit new members, positions open up in the University of Saskatchewan Students’ Union and college student unions, and other organizations and the many centres on campus seek volunteers. Joining a campus club, running for a student union position or helping out at a centre are just some of the numerous ways for students to get involved in campus, but often students forgo these opportunities.

Extracurricular involvement is a hugely important part of the student experience, which is why universities offer so many different ways to get involved. The university is a community and students should take advantage of what this community has to offer.

One of the greatest aspects of university is the diversity among students. Students come from different countries and cultural backgrounds and have different interests. The university setting offers students the chance to interact with and get to know people that they may have otherwise never had the pleasure of meeting.

But making new friends can be intimidating. By joining a campus club or group, students can make the process easier on themselves. Whether students wish to connect with other people in their major or with people who share a common interest, there are countless opportunities to network on campus.

Getting involved in university activities and groups also brings new opportunities. It is amazing how many jobs, friends and experiences people can find because of who they know and what they do during school. Universities are full of chances for students to succeed, and of people who wish to see students do just that. The easiest way to see this in action is to find something on campus in which to get involved.

By finding your niche on campus and participating, you can directly impact the university community. Student government is the prime example of this, but even if that is not your cup of tea, other organizations on campus create change as well. Student societies plan events and outings for their members, volunteers at the university centres help individual students and sports teams bring fans together. Every organization on campus adds to the community and gives students the chance to create a smaller community that is connected to and can influence a larger one.

Rarely is such a diverse group of people brought together in one space. But students often stick with their established circles and grow reluctant to branch out, whether this be in terms of meeting new people or trying new things. This is wasting what the university has to offer.

The student experience is not meant to be lived from the sidelines. The more involved students are, the more they gain from their time in school. Whether it be making new friends, discovering new opportunities or directly impacting campus, there are many great reasons for students to become active in the university experience.

Really, there are no good reasons not to become involved.

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Photo: UWGB Admissions/Flickr