Are you looking for ways to boost your post-secondary experience outside of the academics? University/College life doesn't just have to start, and stop with going to your classes, and going back home!
Of my mental list of recommended things to do to enhance your university/college experience, becoming more active in campus and student life is arguably number one for me, and I'll probably never stop advocating for it.
I can tell you now, looking back on my first year year in Canada, and at university, I wholeheartedly regret not being involved more in my first year. I feel like I missed out on a lot of opportunities.
In general, I'm a very introverted, and shy person, so pushing myself to go out there and meet people literally sounds like a plot of a horror movie for me.
I took my first year to really get more acquainted with being in a brand new country all on my own - getting better acquainted with university life, living in a dorm with people from different backgrounds (and different upbringings), adjusting to the Canadian temperature differences, trying to understand the TTC and trying not to get lost on campus - this and so much more.
It took a while for it to click for me, that university is not just about attending the classes you're paying essentially a house mortgage on. (ah the trials and tribulations of an international student.)
Academics only make up part of your experience. Student life and campus involvement are intertwined with university/college life, and can make up another part of your overall experience if you're open to it!
So this is my advice to anyone reading - if there’s even just one club or organization that may stand out to you, don’t hesitate. Join!
Especially as a first year student, but you can get involved at any year, even as an alumni member since some organizations also have a large alumni membership.
There is nothing to lose, but much to gain!
Whether it be a cultural club, an academic one, sports clubs, student government or more. While getting involved might be voluntary work yes, and for most of your involvement you probably won't get paid, there's more to it, and I’m a strong believer that it’ll elevate your whole post-secondary experience so much more.
I can’t even begin to formulate the words to accurately express how much joining the Caribbean club at York has helped me not only grow and develop into the person I am today, but it also helped introduce me to some amazing new people, friends who've turned to my Canadian home-away-from-home family, and above all, it provided me with a space I felt truly comfortable in.
When I compare my first year to the remaining 3 years of my undergrad degree, it's impossible to deny that the rest of my university experience was elevated in the best way by becoming more involved not just in clubs, but becoming more involved on campus and in the student community.
Being able to find that group you feel like you belong to, finding people you can relate to and vice versa, and finding a comfortable space that brings you peace while you weather the storm that is post-secondary education, it is an amazing feeling.
As a black female international student, the peace and happiness it brought me was immeasurable to say the least.
The time I dedicated to the club, rewarded me with that comfort space, friendships, and those well needed breaks from the academic stresses of university.
I was able to celebrate my culture with likeminded individuals, and promote a part of me I was afraid I was going to have to water down as an immigrant in Canada.
While your academics will always understandably be top priority, I really advise you take time to have fun. You didn't come all the way to Canada to stress about school, and the thing is, a lot of that fun can be found right there on campus.
You really don’t have to go looking far to find it. If you live on residence, you can think of it as adventure and excitement waiting for you literally in your backyard.
As a generally shy person, putting myself out there to get more involved, it took a lot of personal pep talks, but I really wanted to push myself.
I adopted a "what do I have to lose" mindset, because in reality, what did I have to lose?
I signed up to actually join the executive board, so the most they could do was say no, and even then, I could still become a general member and go up for a role in the next election for the following academic year.
I was lucky enough to be voted onto the executive board, and the remaining 3 years of my life in university, aside from my classes and academics, became all about the Caribbean club, the United Caribbean Islands.
I even pushed myself to go up for the position of Co-President in my final year alongside one of the very friends I met through the club who became family.
First-year Maya would've been horrified and would've never entertained that thought of going up for a role with the work 'president' in it, but fourth-year Maya had grown in her confidence.
Like I said, it had become my comfort space.
I would say my rocky first-year experience, where I had to cut ties with a few people that I didn't feel were contributing to my university experience in a positive or healthy way really gave me that push I needed to go out and find something that did actually contribute to my experience in a positive way.
Going into my second year with a clean slate opened me up to wanting to try new things, and stepping into any and everything that attracted my attention - that's how I found the Caribbean club.
There's a life lesson in this though - not everything will come to you wrapped up in a nice, neat bow on your doorstep. Sometimes you have to venture out and seek what it is you're looking for; Make the effort, make the first step.
When it comes to the clubs, you may be shy like me and initially not ready to join an executive board. Your first step may be to just attend an event to get a general feel of things.
I can attest that being part of a club, while again, is majority voluntary work, at the end of the day, it can still be a lot of work that really challenges your time management, commitment and communication skills above all. If you're hosting events for 100+ peoples, that's an all-hands-on-deck type of situation for example.
However, I really suggest that whenever you have some free time on your hands, check out an event or two that may be hosted by the organization(s) you’re interested in.
Feel them out, determine if that's something you'd want to be a part of, or willing to invest your time and efforts into.
Meet and Greets are a great place to start, but any event is great.
First year,
Second year
Third year,
Fourth year or more?
Use some of your free time and invest it into a campus club or campus organization!
You've probably heard this before, but I'm here to reaffirm that it also helps with all-rounded development, problem solving, and at the end of the day, it’s nice to have something you’re proud of to put down on your resume as well!
My bit of advice here, is when applying for schools, obviously the programs offered are the most important, but also look into what organizations and clubs at your school stand out to you.
And if there isn’t anything you feel you can relate to, or interests you, look into your university or college's policies at starting your own club!
There may be people just like you who are interested in something that isn’t represented, and you just may be able to find people you can relate with through the formation of a new club.
Another tip of mine is that if you join a club or organization, and there comes a time where you no longer feel comfortable within that space or you know you may no longer be able to fully carry out your duties if you decide to pursue an executive position, communicate!
I can’t stress how important communication is, so many problems are avoided that way.
And above all, go with your gut.
I came back up in second year with the intention of joining as many clubs as I could so I could make some new friends and have better experiences because I refused to feel like how I felt at the end of my first-year again.
But I realized I’d bitten off more than I could chew, because I had to remove myself from a different organization after realizing not too long after joining, that it just wasn’t for me.
You’re going to be investing your time into something, in addition to having others in your team depend on you, so don’t stall if you aren’t feeling it anymore.
Lastly, don’t burn yourself out!
Joining everything under the sun sounds like a fun idea, but remember your academics should take top priority.
I learned this the hard way. There were at least 2 paper deadlines I almost missed that were worth about 25% of my final grade I had to rush to complete after getting tied up in club commitments, but I would say my time management has improved drastically since being part of a club.
It’s easy to get excited at the idea of being more involved, I mean compare planning a Halloween party to writing a 15-page paper. Obviously the party sounds more interesting.
This is how campus involvement truly tests your time management and ability to prioritize tasks. Don’t drown yourself in campus/club duties and have your school work suffer for it.
Time management is key!
And so is communication!
YorkU Multicultural week 2019
I've done a lot of talking on behalf of club involvement being one way to enhance your overall post-secondary experience, but not everyone may have a liking, or an interest in joining a club, and if that's you, just know that you aren't just limited to joining a club or organization!
If clubs aren't really your style, the great thing about university/college is that there's never just one way to get involved!
If you're looking for other ways to boost your post-secondary experience beyond the academics, other ways you can get involved include:
↠↠ Becoming an orientation leader to help welcome the next incoming year group through lots of fun events and activities.
↠↠ Becoming a volunteer through numerous opportunities around campus. (Especially around the beginning of the academic year, or a semester.)
↠↠ Applying to become a Residence Don - Live on residence and oversee the well-being of other students who live on your floor, host meetings, prepare events and more.
↠↠ Attending an event or two to get a feel of the student community at your organization.
(Big up my undergrad safe space one time, the United Caribbean Islands.
If you're a new or current York student, (even if you don't go to York,) - if you’re from the Caribbean, part of the diaspora, or interested in learning more about Caribbean culture, check them out on Instagram @yorku.uci)
Thanks for reading!
- Maya 💛
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