Many opportunities in student organizations

keenan.watson

Many incoming students by now are sure to have noticed all the booths and posters scattered around campus, a sight many upperclassmen are now quite familiar with.  Usually the first instinct for students is to tune out this advertising, ignoring fellow students who are trying to promote their clubs and organizations.  This is a natural reaction; most people don’t like to have their daily routine interrupted by others making a pitch or stopping to read posters. While it is important to focus on academics and making it to class on time, students shouldn’t limit their university experience to the classroom. There are many rewarding opportunities and learning experiences at SDSU for those who have the initiative to seek them out.

One such opportunity is all of the free events that the university puts on every school year. Some of these events are small Friday night events, like bingo and a free movie in The Union. Some of these events are quite entertaining. I recall a particular event put on by UPC that brought in a painter who created a massive and colorful portrait in mere minutes to pop music.

There are larger events such as the Harding Hall lectures or the Great Plains Writers conference that the university hosts every year.  These events range from all kinds of topics and issues. Here, students can learn from experiences and perspectives that these speakers share when they visit campus. There are many multi-cultural events that are held every year, such as India night and China night for example. There is even one later this week when SDSU hosts the 22nd annual Wacipi Pow Wow, which is a wonderful opportunity to experience one of the many different cultures on campus. In this way students also can learn instead of reading out of text books.

If those were not good enough reasons to get out of the residence halls, I have some very practical reasons for getting more involved on campus. Another opportunity that many students miss out on is joining one or several of the many student organizations and clubs on campus. While some might see joining such a group as taking away from their free time when they would be playing video games or partying, the time they put into these clubs will most likely pay dividends down the road.

Let’s say if a student is elected to SA, they will gain valuable experience working with professionals inside the university as well as others, such as businesses and state officials as they work to improve the student experience. This can also be said of any other organization. Putting the time into a certain group can open up doors for opportunity. A group that I joined and became and officer of helped me to get a great internship over a summer.  Some of these additional opportunities include jobs, making professional connections, and even  earning scholarships. It may be time-consuming to reach these goals, but it will all be worth it when you graduate college and enter an unfriendly job market. Then all of these extra activities, scholarships and internships on your resume will be extra arrows in your quiver.

It is with all of these reasons that I encourage students to show extra initiative and become more involved in extracurricular activities. For those who do, there are plenty of opportunities because you will only get out of college what you put into it.