What is a good way to go into college knowing the activities you would like to be involved in, all the while having an idea of your limits as a first year student?

Hi Allie,

Great job on being a forward thinker, and deciding what paths you may want to take within your first year of college! College can potentially be a big adjustment, more-so if you are choosing to dorm at your new school. Colleges have so many great opportunities to be a part of something, and some result in more involvement than others. You will want to remember to prioritize your tasks, for example if you are choosing to have a job or do work study, that is something you will want to ensure comes before extracurricular activities. With that being said, you may want to consider using your first year as an opportunity to network, and get to know your new surroundings and peers. This can help you develop your foundation of what kind of impact you'd like to make on your new community. Try taking a look at the website information for your college to see what programs are available, potentially even mentoring opportunities to network and learn more about what is available. Good luck on your new journey!

Allie,

I was very similar when I was transitioning from high school to college. One way to look at the different activities that are available in college is to do a quick search on their website. You will be surprised how many different activities and clubs each school has.

Additionally, when it came to my "limits" with involvement, I started out small. I joined a bunch of email lists my first couple weeks, would look through these emails for the "most interesting" offerings and remind myself to attend those events. When the time for the event rolled around, I was able to gauge how much homework/research I had to get done and determine whether or not it made sense to attend. From there I could narrow down clubs/orgs I was willing to prioritize versus which ones I had a passing interest in. As time went on, I began to get involved on the exec teams for these organizations, making sure to watch my stress levels and my grades.

In short, I liked being able to start small, determine which clubs/orgs I would be willing to make a priority in my life, and then get more involved as I got a better handle on college and my studies.

Hope that helps. :)

I think it's amazing that you are looking to be so involved in university life! I would encourage you to gradually ease into this rather than take on too much right from the start. College involves an adjustment period and I learned the hard way that taking on too much can be problematic for your grades as well as your work-life balance . You want these experiences to supplement your education, not hinder it! Do your research and have an idea of the groups and activities you are most interested in, and start by simply signing up and attending information sessions your first semester. Prioritize your interests and over time increase your involvement in different clubs, associations, etc.