The people you meet and friends you make in college are some of the most important people in your life, both during college and after. Your friends will become your biggest support system that you can take with you throughout life and the people you meet may be your connection to incredible opportunities. With that being said, in order to find these kinds of people, we must branch out and step out of our comfort zones, even if it is as simple as complimenting someone on campus as you walk by each other. One of the most effective ways to build your community is by getting involved on campus.
Your community and friends consist of people with common interests, hobbies, and priorities. Meeting fellow students in your classes is a great start, as you are usually studying in the same college department, and maybe even in the same major. But you can go one step further by joining a club or student professional organization that relates to your major or future career. This will allow you to meet students that you wouldn’t have met in your classes, as they include a variety of years and ages, ranging from freshmen to seniors. By joining this kind of community, you already share a common interest, the club or organization, which can be a conversation starter, and then possibly going to meetings together and sharing ideas. For underclassmen, this kind of community will allow you a space to ask upperclassmen about anything in your future that you might be confused about, such as the internships, interviews, and networking process. You gain hands on learning and experience that isn’t taught in the classroom, allowing you to enhance your resume and have more to mention in interviews!! There are so many organizations and clubs offered here at Temple, and you can find them all at https://www.fox.temple.edu/students/student-professional-organizations or on Owl Connect: https://temple.campuslabs.com/engage/
Another way to build your community is by joining a sorority or a fraternity. Greek life is a great opportunity to meet all different kinds of people that share similar priorities to you. This is a chance to specifically focus on your non-school related community, as you build a support system and connect with people you will have for the rest of your life. There are events held within, such as formals, sports games, and group activities each week like tote decorating workshops. These are set in place to spend time with each other and create memories that you can hold with you forever. Greek life is also a great opportunity to meet people from all years, for example, upperclassmen in sororities choose a freshman as their mentee in hopes to guide them throughout their time in college. I suggest looking into each sorority/fraternity before rushing, as each consists of different goals, cultures, and reputations. Click this link to learn more about Greek life! https://studentactivities.temple.edu/fraternities-sororities
Most sororities and fraternities are a big commitment, so if you wanted something consisting of less time and money, joining an intramural sports team is a great way to get active, compete, and meet other people with common hobbies. It can be used to take a break from stressful schoolwork and enjoy time with teammates. Temple’s campus has two recreation centers, the Student Training and Recreation Center and Independence Blue Cross Student Recreation Center, where most games are held. Click on this link to sign up for an intramural sports team today!! https://www.temple.edu/campus-recreation/rec-sports/sport-clubs
There are so many opportunities offered when getting involved here at Temple University! We must take advantage of these resources that allow us to build our community, which is so important as we continue to move through our time in college. It will be over before we know it and the last thing we want to do is look back on our experience with regrets and wishes that we would have met more people by getting involved. Let’s step out of our comfort zones and start making college not just about schoolwork and degrees, but also a chance to meet unforgettable people and learn the unimaginable.