Chapter 6: Personal Considerations
55 Getting Involved
Listen, we aren’t all extroverts, joiners, or eager to get involved… and that is completely ok! But there are many opportunities for you to get involved in ways that suit you. Maybe you want to join (or even create) a club, sports team, study group, assemblies, or run for the student government. Or maybe you are comfortable chatting with the person who sits beside you, participating in an online book club, or gaming with others in residence. 
6 key reasons to get involved on campus:
- Build your skills
- Demonstrate time management
- Improve collaborative skills
- Make friends and network
- Build self-confidence
- Increase marketability
Getting involved (in any way) will help you to build community with others and help you to feel a sense of belonging to your institution. Having positive feelings of belonging has been reported to increase a student’s commitment to their schooling, which ultimately improves their academic performance. (Finn, 1989).
Remember that there are opportunities to get involved outside of college too. The town/city you are living in likely has many organizations, clubs, groups, etc. that you can take part in. Examples may include 4H, religious congregations, gyms, charities, government organizations, community courses/workshops, libraries, etc.
