Freshmen are always hearing a plea from a wide amount of people at ETSU to get involved, and I know that at the beginning of college it is the hardest thing to do. Stepping outside of one’s comfort zone and seeking out various organizations and clubs can seem like a huge commitment early on, especially with the already stressful environment still being navigated, but I am here to tell you that it’s not as bad as your mind makes it out to be.
This college has a wide variety of organizations and clubs that allow a person to get easily engaged without the stress of having to meet every week. Getting involved in a club or organization can be as simple as meeting with someone one-on-one to get coffee or lunch. Whether it’s a group focused on leadership, community, ministry, sports, art, film or a club recognizing the value in multicultural affairs, ETSU has exactly what you need.
Personally, my college experience began to actually hold weight when I started involving myself. In the beginning, I did not immediately join any specific organization on my own. Instead I just made friends who I tag-teamed along with to various meetings and gatherings that offered free food. Doing this allowed me to test out a lot of various groups without having to make any huge commitments.
Seek out flyers, or check out the campus-hosted event booths. On specific days, people scattered around campus are excited to welcome you and talk to you about what improved their college experience. At times I would be walking around my freshman year and see an event’s details written on the ground in chalk, and repeatedly seeing it while walking from place to place provided an incentive to go.
College is great, and because ETSU has so many different ways to get involved, it’s a perfect place to do what’s required in figuring out who you are and your interests: Going to meetings and gatherings, even if that means not returning back to that organization or club; talking to coordinators; or simply just starting your own if ETSU doesn’t have what you’d like (that’s possible too).
It’s not as scary as it might seem in the beginning, and it will feel easier with people around you supporting you with the same goals in mind.
