College To-Do List Week 18: Start something on your campus

Want to win scholarships and get the attention of your dream transfer schools? Do this one. :)

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College Firsts: What to do at the Club Recruitment Fair

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During the first week or two at almost every community college and university in the country there is a club recruitment fair. 

Though it can go by a different name, it is essentially an event where all the clubs on your campus set up tables so you can learn more about how to get involved.

Go to your club recruitment fair!

Look on the student life website or your college's event calendar to find out when and where it is and do whatever you have to do to be there (e.g. take off work, go to campus even if you're not usually on campus at that time). 

Then show up.

You can go with a friend if it makes you feel better, but I highly recommend going by yourself so you can focus on the clubs that really interest you and be able to go up and talk to the people behind the tables.

Here are the steps to take to make the most of your club recruitment fair:

1) Leave at least an hour of time for you to walk the entire fair.

2) Walk up to every club that interests you and ask someone behind the table questions. Here are a few to get you started:

• What do you like about being a part of this club?
• When do you guys meet?
• What kinds of events do you have coming up this semester?
• Do you have any officer openings or committees that need involvement?
• What is the best way for me to reach you if I have any more questions or want to get involved?

Be sure to leave every table with clear contact information. 

3) Remember that the people behind the tables want to know you and want you to be a part of their club. Most every club wants to grow their club with people who want to get involved. They will be so excited when you show interest.

4) When you get back home, take out the contact information you collected and decide on the club that interested you the most and with which you clicked best. Contact the person you talked to from that club and volunteer to be on a committee, help with an event, or even be an officer. 

The biggest mistake people make in clubs is waiting too long to get involved. Jump right in and commit fully to one club. Then, once you've done that, consider checking out the meetings of some of the other clubs that interested you.

But remember - it's better to fully commit to one club than to go to the meetings of many. People who accomplish things in clubs are the ones who win the best scholarships, internships, and jobs. 

Be a leader. Trust me, you can do it. 

Ask Isa: How to move from acquaintance to friendship in college

Below is an e-mail a student (who gave his permission to have this exchange shared on the blog) sent to me earlier this week. His question was so genuine and I wanted to share his question and the answer I gave in case it helps anyone else in this situation:

Hi Isa!

I just read your article titled "You're not alone in feeling alone: how to make friends." Your article gave me a better perspective on finding friends at community college. It's hard finding new friends, especially when you have transferred from two different colleges. I've been pretty depressed lately because I don't really have any friends to hangout with anymore. 

I stopped hanging out with my old high school friends because they are always getting into trouble; and all my other friends are 8 hours away at my old college. I was a commuter at a school close to my house but it was too expensive so I transferred to a community college. It is very hard to make friends there because I haven't taken a class for my major yet (since I started during the spring 2013 semester).

I'm shy so its hard for me to step out of my comfort zone to meet new friends. In one of my night classes there is a girl that is the same major as me (she also sits right beside me in class) and 2 weeks ago I got her number so we could try to study together for the final exam. We were going to meet but we never found a time that we could meet. 

Earlier this week, I texted her asking if she signed up for classes, she said she didn't yet. So I said, "Since this is my first semester here, I dont know anybody in my field of study, since you are basically the same major as me maybe we could take some classes together?" She said yes.

I really want to be friends with her (since she is the same major as me and also because she is pretty). I really want to be friends with her and maybe be able to do stuff together outside of class (I don't want to date her, I'm just looking for a friend). I don't want to come on too strong and make her think that I want to date her. I just want a friend to talk to. What should I do?

Sincerely,

Blake*

Hi Blake,

Thanks so much for reaching out.

I think it's great you are making an effort, and that you have strayed away from friends that were getting into trouble. That is not easy to do but incredibly beneficial; it will pay off.

As far as the girl, go ahead and be casual about it and don't worry too much. The fact that she said 'yes' to taking classes together is awesome (great idea, by the way). Don't over-think it and instead just, well, be friends. Think about how it worked when you were a kid - when we're kids we rarely think about these things; instead we just connect with people who we have fun with. It can be the same in college.

Sit together in class, help each other with homework, study together, and just hang out, talk, and be friends. As far as not wanting to seem like you're hitting on her, I think you're already there because she said yes to taking classes together. If she was creeped out she would have avoided that. So just enjoy classes together! And when you study, consider inviting other people to form a study group.

And finally, consider how you can make other friends too so you're not too worried about this one person. Does your college have a student life department or a website that lists its clubs?

Check that out, meet with a student life coordinator at your college, and go to different club meetings that interest you. Find the one you connect with the most and ask the President of the club if they need any more officers or committee leaders or help with anything. Get involved right away. You'll be amazed at the bonds you'll create without even thinking about it.

Let me know how it goes! :)

Sincerely,

Isa

*name was changed

To submit your question for the blog visit the anonymous Ask Isa inbox. Or you can e-mail me directly at isa@communitycollegesuccess.com.