Everyone you meet when you get to Quinnipiac is going to tell you the same thing: get involved.  And of course I’m going to tell you the same thing. Quinnipiac is a small school and it’s a lot easier than you think to become the leader, president, editor-in-chief, manager, etc. of any organization you decide to join.

Don’t be afraid to step outside of your comfort zone, either. Go to the involvement fair, the media summit, research organizations on DoYouQU and try to find something that catches your eye. You can even create your own organization and get it chartered. Whatever you try, make sure that you’re also trying something different. The “different” thing I tried was The Chronicle, and now look where I am.

If I hadn’t gotten involved in several different organizations starting freshman year, I wouldn’t have a job on campus, the internship that I had, as many friends as I do, as many connections as I do or as much knowledge as I do.

The hardest part is taking the first step. It can be awkward, at first, to go to a meeting with people you don’t know. You’ll probably have to do an embarrassing ice breaker and wish you had just stayed in your dorm. Stick it out because those people could be your best friends one day. All the awkwardness will eventually fade away when you have mutual interests and are working towards whatever goal the organization may have.

Freshman year I went to a meeting where the ice breaking was to hum your favorite song and have people guess what it was. I pretended I liked Taylor Swift and hummed “You Belong With Me.” The worst part of it was that apparently I was a terrible hummer because no one could guess it. Writing that I want to cringe and go away somewhere where there are no other humans. But all you incoming freshmen out there reading this are at orientation, which means you’re being punched in the face every minute by cringeworthy and awkward situations. As a survivor, all I can say is that you’ll make it through, and there are less annoying days ahead that don’t include OL’s doing dance numbers and screaming at your car.
The possibilities at this school are endless, but they all start with you getting involved outside the classroom.