What is the most important thing you could do as an incoming freshman? Besides prioritizing your academics, it’s getting involved with on-campus organizations.
Now, I know this can be intimidating, but don’t fret, everyone is trying to find their niche or organization to join. Nonetheless, Ball State has some great resources for you to get out there to explore new hobbies, meet new friends, and even gain professional experience and find resume builders.
The first week you move in is crucial to finding out where organizations meet, when they meet, and what they are about, as well as simply finding out what you might be interested in.
During Ball State’s “Weeks of Welcome,” you will have opportunities to explore potential activities on campus. During the activity fair, usually on the Friday before classes start, organizations set up tables to give students information about their club, meeting times, and upcoming events. You can give organizations you’re interested in your email to contact you with more information. It’s also a good place to grab some free swag!
Ball State has over 400 student organizations you can join, but here are a few big ones to pique your interest. To search for more, check out the Benny Link website, where you can scroll the listing of all organizations in alphabetical order. Most clubs also have social media accounts on Instagram or Facebook, so students can surf around and see what fun stuff that clubs are up to this year.
THE BIG FOUR
The big four refers to the four largest organizations on Ball State’s campus: Asian Student Union (ASU), Black Student Association (BSA), Latinx Student Union (LSU), and Spectrum, the campus LGBTQ+ organization. These orgs host popular events like the Unity Pageant, Latinxpalooza, drag shows, sex-ed bingo and more! These organizations pride themselves on being diverse groups that emphasize inclusivity on Ball State’s campus—no matter who you are, you have a place here!
STUDENT GOVERNMENT ASSOCIATION (SGA)
Ball State’s student government represents the student body’s voice to the University’s administration. From funding small events to hosting speakers and other student organizations—the SGA helps the student body in big and small ways. The SGA appoints students to University Senate Committees to help with decision-making, from public safety, event planning, student rights, to teaching evaluations and standards.
UNIFIED MEDIA LAB (UML)
The Unified Media Lab is the home of student media. There’s a group for nearly any media interest you might have: working for a newspaper with The Daily News, the student magazine Ball Bearings, TV news casting with NewsLink Indiana, or entertainment and pop culture writing with Byte. For interests in sales, PR or advertising, The McKinley Avenue Agency may be the place for you. These organizations aren’t just for journalism students either. Talented writers, designers, photographers and videographers from all majors are welcome.
GREEK LIFE
Fraternities and Sororities are a pretty big part of Ball State’s extracurricular experience. Formal recruitment for the fraternities governed by the Interfraternity Council (IFC) and the sororities by the Panhellenic Association (PHA) are held during the beginning of the fall semester. Once recruitment ends, bids or invitations are sent and new members go through orientation and initiation. After the first week of classes, some fraternities and sororities host informal recruitment throughout the semester—so do some research to find what chapters offer information recruitment.
Greek life is a great way to make friendships and grow your personal development both on campus and off. Each fraternity and sorority has a community service and philanthropic element, like raising money for charity partners, which vary from chapter to chapter. By joining Greek life, you are committing to a group that has the same academic and professional goals and values as you do. For more information on recruitment and different chapters, visit the Ball State website page “Fraternity and Sorority Life.”
SPORTS AND HOBBIES
Ball State has several intramural sports teams you can register for on the Ball State website, including basketball, flag football, soccer, handball, and volleyball. We also have other athletic clubs outside of intramurals—like the Running, Fencing, Badminton, Gymnastics, Pickle Ball, Rock Climbing, and Tennis Clubs.
If you’re not interested in athletics, no worries. More of an artist? You can try the Art or Ceramics Clubs, or Cubed Creatives for designers. Or the Student Dance Association or University Signers for the performers. Want to further your academic path? Some clubs are major-focused, and you can set the Benny Link filter to “Academic/Professional” to find clubs that align with your academic interests. Don’t be scared to try something outside of your major either, because it never hurts to learn something new.
What makes joining an organization so important to your college career?
Well, first, it’s a good way to get acclimated to campus life. You will be able to meet people with similar interests. During college, you may meet friends that last for years after graduation.
Second, getting involved is a great way to build a resume. Most, if not all organizations are major-specific and need executive officers to help run it. If future employers see that you were president, vice president, or even treasurer of an organization, they will know that you have some professional experience—no matter how small. All of these leadership positions help land internships or that job that you want.
Third, it’s a chance to explore a new hobby. Perhaps you have always been interested in rugby, or running, or disc golf, but never had the chance to try it. Or you have a secret talent for poetry, painting or pottery. College is the perfect time to fulfill these passions and spend more time on campus doing what you enjoy.
Finally, don’t be scared! Everyone is trying to figure college out just like you, so don’t forget that you’re not alone.
