College is a time for students to find themselves and discover their passions. Joining on-campus clubs and organizations is a way for students to broaden their horizons and make connections with other students and community members.
The editorial staff at The Outlook shared their experiences with other clubs at Monmouth University, and gave advice to those looking to join clubs and organizations. While some of our staff are fully dedicated to the production of the paper, other editors are involved in various organizations across camps.
One very busy editor said that they are currently involved in the Student Government Association, the Honors School Association, “…an Honors Peer Mentor, a School of Science Peer Mentor, a member of Beta Beta Beta (biology honor society), and a student researcher that works in neuroscience/cancer study and experimental design.”
“Outside of The Outlook I am a brother of Tau Delta Phi and member of Monmouth University’s chapter of Active Minds,” said another editor.
Some of our editors even juggle an off-campus job during the school year. One editor stated, “I am currently a hostess at Simko’s in Neptune City, as well as a babysitter.”
Another said that they, “…currently serve at a restaurant in Hazlet and have a sports writing internship at 12 Up Sports, a branch of Minute Media.”
Some are not currently working off-campus, but have done so in the past. “I do not currently, but I have held a few on-campus jobs over the years,” said an editor.
“Last year, I balanced an off-campus job with school and I worked there through the summer, but now I am only focusing on my academics this semester,” added another.
First Year Seminars and New Student Orientations always encourage students to get involved during their first or second semesters. For those students who are upperclassmen or transfer students, just know that students can join organizations at any time. An editor said “I started in the first or second week of freshman year by filling out my SGA application after the involvement fair. It all just kind of snowballed from there as I heard of different ways I could develop my leadership and communication skills.”
Another staffer added, “… [I] started looking to join different clubs at the end of my freshman year, and then didn’t become really active in The Outlook until the fall of my sophomore year.”
One editor stated that they have always been a very involved student and that before transferring to Monmouth, they were “very involved” at Brookdale. The editor continued, “I was an executive board member of the honors association as well as an honors peer mentor. Also, I have been teaching kindergarten CCD for four years at my local parish. When I transferred to Monmouth for my junior year, I took my first semester to acclimate myself to my new academic program and waited until spring 2018 to get involved on campus.”
Most editors said that they have gotten better with managing their time over the years and now have it down pat. “Usually, I just try to mentally prepare myself beforehand because I have long days and early mornings so I need to be efficient and purposeful with how I spend time, especially this year. An often overlooked aspect of managing time is scheduling time for yourself, so I make it a point to try to do one “active” thing a day whether it’s go to the gym for a quick lift or playing pickup basketball with friends,” said an editor.
Although, one editor said, “Time management isn’t my strong suit, but I always pull through.”
The editors then offered their advice to freshmen and anyone looking to get involved. Do not hesitate to join a particular club or organization. An editor said, “A lot of the times it ends up being counterintuitive thinking about whether you have ‘time’ for another activity you want to do.”
“There is a ton of opportunity at MU, and not living up to your potential to give back to and be an important piece of the environment you’re in may just make you regret it,” an editor added.
“My advice for those looking to join clubs is to go for it. I feel that getting involved, even if it’s just baby steps, is crucial to your overall success in school. You need to be involved and make connections with others besides just going to class,” said another editor.
“Also, I would say try an activity that you’ve always thought about but weren’t sure if it was a good fit for you. College is the time to try new things and you might meet awesome people you never thought would be your friends.”
All of the editors at The Outlook recommend getting involved in an on-campus club and doing so early on in a student’s academic career. While it may be difficult to juggle the workload at times it can be worth it in the end.