Going to college for the first time creates a lot of uncertainty for new students. Will I like my classes? Will I pass my classes? What if I get lost or go into the wrong lecture? And of course, the biggest uncertainty: Will I make friends? 

There are plenty of ways to make friends in college. Roommates and neighbors are always a good place to start, along with people in your classes. And for those going through recruitment: joining a sorority or fraternity is a guaranteed way of meeting new people, along with joining clubs through your major or minor. But what about those who want more than those groups? The ones who are now juniors and seniors wanting to make new friends? What if you’re a biology major but you really like to write or make pottery?

Joining a campus organization or club is one of the best ways to explore new interests or rekindle old ones that may have been forgotten since high school. There are so many unique and cool student-led organizations at Clemson like the English Major Organization, The Chocolate Milk Club, Tigers for Tigers and many more. As far as joining a new club goes, I understand how intimidating it can be to walk into a room full of people you’ve never met. But don’t let that be a reason to not branch out! Most students involved in clubs are always excited for new people to join and will do everything to make you feel welcomed and included. 

In my own experience of joining something new, I was pleasantly surprised at how quickly I could get involved. Older members of the clubs made a point to share what events or meetings they are having, so that you can get more familiar with the goals and members of that group. When I joined The Tiger, I was caught up on all the important information I had missed before being able to jump right into writing and creating stories. But I never would have been able to start if I had waited any longer to join. 

I know how easy it is to procrastinate on making decisions that are scary or just unknown, but there will never be a “right time” to try something new. Sometimes you need to simply put yourself out there, show up to the meeting, and see where life takes you. 

It is an unfortunate fact that not every club will be a lasting one. Sometimes scheduling conflicts or changes of interest can lead to you wanting to pursue a different subject, and that’s okay! No one is going to hate you for wanting to make the most of your college experience and a fear of not liking one club out of the hundreds available should not deter you from trying whatever you want. It is a lot better to feel awkward for a brief moment than regret for a long time not going to something you may have genuinely liked. 

Clemson University encourages and offers a lot of ways to get involved on campus because of the importance of learning about yourself through them. There are some things you’ve never even heard of but may end up loving just because you dared to go to that one interest meeting. Joining different organizations and meeting people who share common likes or dislikes helps you develop who you are and can create possibilities to your dream career or hobby. 

With the multiple opportunities available to get involved, I personally think most students should try at least one new club just for the fun of it. One of the best places to start is by searching for an interest on TigerQuest and scrolling through all the different clubs around that topic. Members like talking about and sharing their organizations with new people and will do what they can to help you find what you like within that group. And if you choose to leave and do something else, that’s fine too. The possibilities are endless at Clemson and the only way to find the right one is by putting yourself out there!