Why jumping in head first is the best move

Everyone assumes that they will enter college with a clear mind, ready to jump into anything and everything out there. We all plan to get super involved on campus, break out of our comfort zone and make life-long friends. It will be oh-so-exciting.

Unfortunately, that is not always the case, even for super outgoing people like myself.

I’m so outgoing even monkeys wanna hang

When I came to Pitt, it took me some time to join clubs and I only really joined the ones some of my friends on my floor were already in. I went to a few meetings, but it didn’t really stick. When I found out that I wanted to build a career around the business of fashion, I joined the Fashion Business Association but wasn’t really that involved until the end of the year. I joined the Animal Lovers Club but also only went to two or three meetings. I made friends in my building, and that was it. I made an effort to change the fact that I wasn’t completely indulged in anything my Freshman year and made a conscious effort to become more proactive Sophomore year.

I now realize I went about it the wrong way. Those “friends” I made in my building – the ones I assumed would be “lifelong besties” are people I no longer talk to… like, at all. Thank goodness for my honor society, Lambda Sigma, because if not for their requirement of attendance at meetings and required service hours, I would be one lazy piece of shit.

I became the Co-Service Chair of Lambda Sigma a month or so into the year. I created service projects, met with the rest of the e-board weekly, and actually did stuff. Now, I volunteer weekly at the Animal Rescue League, which I absolutely love, and am friends with a bunch of Lambda Sigma members. Also, since joining The Tab, I’ve made even more friends and we literally all talk on a daily basis. The Tab is my full-time job, and I couldn’t be more in love with it.

My advice to college students, freshmen and seniors alike, is to stop focusing on making friends and start focusing on making yourself. That sounds bad, I know, but my point is that if you partake in activities that you enjoy and go to club meetings that interest you, you’re bound to meet people there that are like you.

For instance, I am not in a sorority and two of the friends that I lost are, so we are different in that sense. I am really close with Melanie, the other Launch Manager for The Tab Pitt as well as Morgan, the president of Lambda Sigma, because they share my interests and aspirations.

By focusing on clubs, organizations and activities that you like, you’ll find others who are as determined and focused as you are. My freshman year, I became friends with some people who just wanted to sit around all day and play videogames… That did not work for me because I wanted (and still want) to be productive and go out and explore the world.

Joining Lambda Sigma and The Tab Pitt allowed me to do that – to find people like me. Even taking classes that seem super interesting to you but are very small, like one of my classes called Power and Performance in Africa, may land you a little group of friends that stay in your life for semesters to come! That’s what happened to me, and I am so glad I decided to take that class. We had very intense, eye-opening discussions and became a little family in the process.

My challenge to all my readers this week/month/year is to have a crack at something new that you’ve been thinking about but have been reluctant to try. Go to that club meeting you keep putting off. Join that organization that looks cool to you, despite having no one to go with. College is about putting yourself out there and following your heart. I followed mine and I could not be happier with the outcome.