By Dericka Stinchcomb
Contributor
From the time students begin their university careers they are taught to focus on their grades. Although grades are extremely important, it is also important for students to be involved on their respective campuses. Being involved on campus is but is not limited to joining a campus organization that offers leadership positions and requires dues/fees. When speaking about our campus, A&T offers numerous organizations that other schools may not have. Some of these organizations include Bombshells in Business and Men on the Move. However, almost every campus gives their student body the opportunity to be a part of student government or to join a highly distinguished greek organization.
A lot of students enter universities having participated in extracurricular activities in high school, but with lost motivation and interest. Because of this, a large portion of the incoming student population becomes and remains inactive. When undergraduates become active on their college campuses as soon as they begin their college career it really forces them to come out of their shells. Incoming freshmen have the opportunity to join campus organizations within their first few weeks of being on campus. The high school to college transition is typically very nerve-wracking for students. This being the case, joining these organizations are not number one on majority of the student body’s priority list. It seems as though a number of students feel as though extracurricular activities lose credibility once they arrive to college. The sad truth about this is, that same number of students is being surpassed by their classmates that immediately get involved.
Student activity is vital to student success because of all that comes along with joining these different organizations. Students gain experience, network expansion, and leadership positions by being active and diligent members of these organizations. Every official campus organization offers a minimum of one community service activity during the semester. This gives students experience within the surrounding community while serving and giving back to the public. Along with these types of experiences, campus organizations also ensure that students get the chance to expand their networks. Network expansion is crucial for anyone, but especially an undergraduate student seeking a job in corporate America. Networking is able to make or break a deal when employers are seeking new employees. Employers often times give people they know priority over random John Doe’s they have never met; whether if the random John Doe’s are more qualified or not. In basically every industry it is not about what you know, nor who you know; it is about who knows you. Networking can also be useful when you are aspiring to gain a leadership position. Some leadership positions within an organization include president and vice president. Leadership positions give students the opportunity to be direct liaisons for their peers.
With that being said, it is very clear that being a part of campus organizations can only benefit you. Campus organizations are meant to help people both outside and within the organization. Students should take advantage of these opportunities during their undergraduate studies while they still can. It is never too late to start being active on campus; however, the sooner you do the better.
