Coming to a large university, you might ask yourself: How will I spend your time? How will I get involved? These were questions I definitely asked during my first week. So, when it came time for the Student Organization Fair I hoped to find all of my answers. While I was exposed to a ton of new opportunities that fall, I didn’t find the concrete solution right away.
Here are two expectations I had, and the reality of how they turned out:
Expectation: “I’ll see every organization on campus and know exactly what I want to do”
Reality:The fair can be a little overwhelming! You might want to put your name on so many lists, and by the end you might not even remember what you signed up for. Because UW has over 1,000 student groups, there’s no way to meet them all in one night. That’s okay, there are other opportunities to get involved: you can attend the org fair every semester and sign up at any point during your college experience!
Expectation: “I’ll be involved every organization I sign up for”
Reality: A lot of groups meet at the same time, you’ll get busy, and you won’t be able to attend every meeting for all them. Don’t feel bad if you’re on an email list but can’t attend the events, I like having information so if I ever have a chance I know how to get involved.
After changing my expectations, I’ve learned that the best way to take advantage of the organization fair is to look out for new things, meet as many people as possible, and have fun!