Everyone’s an expert when it comes to college. If you’re a freshman or a transfer student you’ve, no doubt, been subjected to countless speeches or breakout sessions promising tips to enhance your college experience. Nestled among those tips you’re sure to find the phrase “get involved.” If everyone’s saying it, it must be something important. But what does it mean? And why is it so important?

There are over 300 registered student organizations on campus. If you like politics, we got you. If you like producing concerts, we got you. Even if you like Disney movies, we got you. There is bound to be some group that interests you on campus. There are organizations at Mississippi State University that serve students from all walks of life full of people whose peculiarities compliment yours in ways that would enhance you both. We call those people friends, by the way. Student organizations are just ways to bring like-minded people and future friends together.

But why? Why would you waste time being involved in a group, organization or club? Because that’s what life is about. It’s how we grow what we know, hone our skills and create impressively cool things — by combining our skills and passions with others’. Also, because it’s much less lonely that way.

From personal experience, getting involved in groups of other people makes everything else you do much more manageable. It’s more fun to do school work when you have friends to share the burden of studying for that test; it’s easier to get up and go run when you’re meeting someone at the Sanderson; and so, and so on.

I transferred to MSU after a year away from school. I knew exactly two people on campus when I arrived last fall. It wasn’t until I decided to get involved in some organizations that I really began to find my place on campus and enjoy all of the opportunities that are afforded to an MSU student. The more involved I was, the more friends I made. As the number of friends increased, so too did my grades and morale. I currently live the dream. 

Some readers are the type that need a little push to begin to step out there and get involved in something. I hope this article has been a step in that direction for you. But there are others who need no pushing and are chomping at the bit to throw themselves neck deep into some student organizations. But quickly check the size of those eyes relative to your mouth. There is certainly a cautionary tale to be told. I’m an economics major, so allow me to use some vocabulary on you. There exists a point of diminishing returns when it comes to “being involved.” You can over do it, so my advice is to take it slow.

Your ideal level of involvement is going to be different than others’. If you asked some of my friends, they would tell you I am over-involved, but I tell you I’m living the dream. We’re all different people, so just take it a step at a time. Find your niche and figure out what level of involvement is right for you. 

So take my advice, which is to take everyone else’s advice: get involved. Find something you’re passionate about or are interested in and see if there aren’t others who like the same things you do. There’s even a slick little website the university has set up to make finding these groups quite simple. Visit one.msstate.edu or the Center For Student Activities on the third floor of the Colvard Student Union to find out more about the groups on campus. And in the event that there isn’t an established club that interests you start one.

Being involved is more than just signing up for a club. Being involved in something is to share a vision, passion or interest with a group of people. It is a way organized people can accomplish things far greater –and/or cooler– than one could do by themselves. And that’s something worth doing.