The following piece is an opinion and does not reflect the views of The Eagle and its staff. All opinions are edited for grammar, style and argument structure and fact-checked, but the opinions are the writer’s own.
In the first week of classes, all of American University’s clubs and activities were on the quad in full force during the student involvement fair. While seeing all the clubs can be extremely overwhelming, I strongly recommend joining one and determining which clubs are actually meant for you.
In the fall of my freshman year, I made a critical mistake: I decided not to actively participate in the involvement fair. I thought I knew which clubs I wanted to participate in, and I did not engage with those outside my pre-decided bubble. The first week at AU can be an overload of information about the University and its activities, and sometimes it is hard to immerse yourself fully, like it was my first year.
When I engaged with my pre-decided clubs more, I was not enjoying them as much as I thought I would. Many of the clubs I had joined were ones my hometown friends were also taking part in at other colleges, and it became a game of self-comparison. Going to the involvement fair might have helped me venture outside of these pre-planned decisions and comparisons.
Realizing that the clubs I had joined weren’t right for me was tough. As college students, we hope to join a club our first year, fall in love and never leave, and that just was not happening for me. If you resonate with that at the end of a semester, know you are not alone.
I was so unhappy with the clubs I joined that I decided to make a complete 180 in the spring semester of my freshman year. I figured out a way to join what felt like every club on campus. I joined The Eagle and AWOL, started a new internship, rushed for a sorority and attended general body meetings for various other clubs. I completely overwhelmed myself with E-Board commitments and constant interviews.
Once again, at the end of the semester, I took an honest look at my schedule and determined which clubs I truly enjoyed attending. I dropped the ones that felt like a chore to go to because, in the end, my time was limited. I made a point to only join clubs that I truly enjoyed, even though it can be tough to turn down organizations whose missions I believe in but can't fully commit to.
Clubs will be a massive portion of your college experience. They’re a place to meet your future friends and maybe even your future roommate. However, ensuring that you genuinely enjoy the clubs and activities you do is critical. As time becomes too limited with class work, internships and hanging out with friends, it is vital to make sure that the clubs you are doing are something you enjoy, not another item to check off your to-do list.
Ritika Shroff is a sophomore in the School of Public Affairs and a columnist for The Eagle.
This article was edited by Alana Parker, Rebeca Samano Arellano and Abigail Turner. Copy editing done by Luna Jinks.
