Get involved
This post is for all of you freshmen out there or anyone else looking to get involved more. My biggest piece of advice to those of you starting college is to find an activity of group to get involved with. This is the best way to meet people outside of your residence hall. I strongly recommend joining a group that does an activity new to you. Not only will you learn a new skill, but you'll meet some really great people along the way. I suggest going to callouts for several different clubs before deciding which one you want to join, so you can get a feel for what you like best. Callouts will provide you with all of the information you need to know before you have to start paying money to the club and can sometimes involve free food. The great thing about most clubs here is that you don't have to have any sort of experience to join. I only suggest joining one group for at least your first semester because figuring out how to manage your time in college can be tricky at first.
My freshman year, I went to callouts for swing dance club and ballroom dance club. I decided to go to these callouts after hearing about these clubs through chalking and the student involvement fair. I chose these clubs because I didn't want to continue with band and choir after high school, I wanted to try something new, and I have always wanted to learn how to dance. After attending both callouts, I decided on ballroom because I enjoyed the callout more and I liked the fact that I could travel and compete as a team. My second year at IU, I rushed Alpha Chi Sigma, the coed Chemistry fraternity. Now I will be starting my third year at IU and joining yet another club, Ritmos Latinos, and trying to manage all of these groups on top of classes and work.
Make sure to hit up RecFest during Welcome Week to learn about different club sports along with intramurals. This year RecFest will be at the Wildermuth Fieldhouse from 1-3 on Friday, August 23. Also, be sure to make it to the Student Involvement Fair to learn about all of the student organizations you can get involved with. The Student Involvement Fair will be on Tuesday, September 3 from 11-2:30 in Dunn Meadow. Also, pay attention to the chalk all over campus as you walk to class and any fliers posted in the buildings for more information on different organizations. For more information on getting involved at Indiana University, check out this student blogGetting Involved.