College is awesome. Does not matter if you are a freshman or a senior, in undergrad or graduate school, or if you are an international student or not. You will always remember your college years. However, some people are so focused on their classes that they miss all the other things a college has to offer. So if you really want to have fun, be engaged, make strong friendships, acquire new skills and be successful during college pay attention to the following 3 points.
Student Organizations
Most colleges, especially in the US have clubs or student organizations. Although these can be related to careers such as the Accounting, Business or Entrepreneur clubs, or to cultures/countries like the Chinese or Brazilian clubs, you can find very random organizations as well. Some colleges have more than 100 clubs so most likely you will find a few that are interesting to you.
These organizations are a great way to meet people outside of your major/classes, learn or practice different skills, de-stress from any issues you are having and just have fun. Once you graduate and start working full time it would be very difficult to be part of any organization, so really take advantage of your time in college and explore different things.
International or introvert students tend to make excuses not to join any organization because they are afraid of talking with strangers, or believe they do not have the social skills. But if you do not go out of your comfort zone then how are you going to keep growing?
I was a shy international student when I started college, however, I knew that by joining clubs I could make more friends, improve some skills and have fun at the same time. They definitely enriched my college experience and contributed to my future. (I also wrote another article on how to network for international students).
Thanks to the Brazilian club I improved my Portuguese which later helped me get a job at Ernst & Young (EY), and thanks to the Entrepreneurship club I learned valuable concepts to create a startup after graduation. I also created the Colombian Club which helped me gain leadership and team building skills.
I was part of those clubs while taking 18 credits and working part time in College, so time can’t be one of your excuses. There is nothing you can lose and many things to gain, so start searching for clubs in your college and join at least one.
College Events
Most colleges also organize events every semester for all students. For example, at UVU we had the Bachata fest, International Week, and Wolverine Wednesday (games, music and food every Wednesday!). Depending on your college the events would be different but most likely you will find events such as Business competitions, TED talks, hackathons, dances and festivals.
I would recommend not only attending but actually helping or participating in some of them. During my undergrad I participated in Mr & Miss UVU International where I had to dance, talk and model in front of hundreds of people as part of the contest. Even though we got second place it is definitely one of the experiences that I will always remember and that helped me to become more confident and less shy.
During grad school I volunteered to help with the TED talk at UF, and it was also and awesome experience where I learned new things and met successful people as I was coordinating VIP attendees.
You really do not know who you are going to meet, how an event can help you in your career, or how much fun can you have so make sure you attend many events while you are in college. By the way, do not miss the halloween parties they are pretty crazy!
Challenges
As I mentioned before, student organizations and events can make your college experience much better. However, if you really want to take your game to a whole new level, and break the status quo, you need to participate in competitions related to your career.
If you are in accounting or finance you can participate in case competitions for that. If you are in computer science, there should be plenty of hackathons that you can attend. If you can’t find any in your college, then look in your city or even other cities, but I am sure you can find competitions for your career field.
If you see an interesting competition but think you do not have all the skills, just apply! Never underestimate your potential and possibilities to keep growing.
During my Master at UF, the directors announced that 4 spots were available to represent the whole school of business for an International Graduate Consulting competition at HEC Montreal with all expenses paid. At the time I did not have much consulting experience and there were more than 150 students that could apply. Without thinking twice, I submitted my application and was confident that I could get selected.
Certainly a few weeks later I was traveling for free, staying in a 5 star hotel in Montreal, Canada representing my University.
The college environment has something especial that make us dream big, work hard, take risks and define our careers. It’s crazy how those few years can create memories and skills that you will have forever. So make sure you join a student organization, attend/participate in events and take some challenges. Enjoy college and enjoy life.