Join more activities – Get the best out of your college life

“What you do today can improve all your tomorrows” – Ralph Marston

I love this saying, reminds me to do something a little more productive every day. No matter how much I liked going straight home after every class to my cozy bed and some good movies, I always felt like I had been wasting my youth into such unnecessary things afterwards. College years are for you to grow and to discover yourself, aren’t they? So why just stick to a repetitive cycle of going to classes and going home while you can do more.

There is no better way to spend your free time than to join some meaningful extracurricular activities. Sports, events, fairs, competitions, workshops, school projects, voluntary works, … choose whatever activity you like!

Hmm why?

Duh, it looks good on the CV!

Yes, one way or another it will definitely help showing your development process, your interest, your skills, and your personalities to the recruiters. Just like being a reporter at your school’s magazine proves your writing skill, volunteering at a local nursing home shows how much you care about others, joining a volleyball team demonstrates your teamwork skill, you name it.

And no, it’s more than just the CV. Joining more means you experience more, get to know the world more, and develop yourself more. It is time for you to have fun and to learn at the same time. Think of everything you do now as a small step to prepare for your future career. And think of the extracurricular activities that you are taking now is how you transform from a college student to an adult, with confidence, experiences, skills, and diverse perspectives.

It is also a great opportunity to make more friends and create more connections. You will be amazed by how strangers can transform your thoughts completely, how much you will learn from their stories, or how motivated you can be after meeting successful people. Besides, every time spent on an extracurricular activity is already felt more productive than wrapping yourself in a blanket and eating snacks, right? Life is short, make every moment counts.

How exactly?

Let say you finally want to get out of your bed, but where to find activities to join may be a bit of problem. Well try your luck with some of my suggestions here.

The simplest way would be just asking your friends what they are up to and join them. No better way to find hidden events than to ask that friend who showed up at every event. Plus, you will have a partner to enjoy all the fun.

The Student intranet is actually a good source to find activities like workshops, sports events, job opportunities, …

Our magazine also has a really great section to sum up all the upcoming events every week. Keep up with that and you may find your favorites.

Watch out for recent Facebook events too, a great tool to find activities within a specific range of time and location to your preferences.

Create connections while working for companies as an assignment of your academic course. This way works wonder for me, where I found a position for the Villages on Move Baltic project. Try to impress them with your course’s tasks, or just ask if they need any help with the work. Most of the time companies actually need the resources, and new ideas from a fresh look (from you, as a student).

Does that sound good? Let’s say hello to new challenges now!