When it comes to making friends in college, it can be overwhelming. In a school as big as UW-Madison it is especially important to find your smaller communities within the big world of being a Badger! A great place to start cultivating these friendships and communities is through joining clubs on campus. While it may seem intimidating to sift through nearly 1,000 different clubs and organizations, start small and leverage your passions, do not be afraid to find what you don’t like rather than what you do, and remember that everyone is trying to find their place too.
Start Small & Leverage Your Passions
- Whether you are a business major interested in marketing or an aspiring nurse passionate about social work, there is a club for you.
- The Org Fair happens once each semester at the Kohl Center and is a great place to find the clubs for you. It is an amazing way to meet some of the people within the club and find similarities between you and the organization.
- List of Clubs and Organizations at UW-Madison
Find What You Like… More Importantly Find What You Don’t Like
- While this may seem counterintuitive, your freshman year is the perfect time to realize what you don’t enjoy doing or being a part of.
- The biggest tip I received was to join every club I was interested in, even if I did not know much about it. This led me to put my email down on what felt like a million different forms at the fair.
- Whether it was the time commitment or the organization itself, I found what didn’t align and wasn’t afraid to let it go!
Start a Conversation — Be a Badger!
- It can be scary to be on campus and experience so much change at once, but remember that everyone wants to make friends.
- Keep an open mind and don’t be too hard on yourself if you don’t find “your people” immeadiately.
- As a Badger, embrace the fun and be welcoming. Everyone is so kind and willing to help, so start the conversation and don’t be afraid to show everyone who YOU are.
I can’t wait for you to find your community at UW-Madison and the clubs are the best way to begin finding your forever friends. On, Wisconsin!