When you first start college freshman year it’s totally possible to get overly excited by all the club opportunities on campus. Make sure you don’t stretch yourself too thin and remember that you’re technically there for school, not clubs. They’ll look good on your resume for grad school, but not if you failed any classes because you were so busy being club president. Which leads to some cautions:

Don’t accept a leadership position until at least sophomore year. By then you have a handle on your studying habits and how you handle maximum stress so you’re better able to manage your time. If you try as a freshman you may get overwhelmed, depressed, and not know what to do.

Only do two clubs your first year and then decide if they really provided everything you expected the second year. If you’re still happy with them stick with it and jump on a few more, just make sure you can manage your time. Also, make sure your study sessions take top priority over a meeting; you’re not getting credit to hang out with your friends.

Get yourself out there if you’re really passionate about the club you joined. Championing for your cause and getting your voice heard is the best way to build self esteem and your network with the campus faculty. This comes in handy in later years when you’re looking for a job and going to interviews needing recommendations from professors.

If you like the people in your club make friends with them outside of club time. It will make finding new friends easier and make campus events more fun when you have a new posse that you’re already comfortable with.

As always, if you have any questions, comments or funny stories you'd like me to share about college or the blog, email me at stu@stuvu.com