Getting Connected

[Allison DeSoto]

For this upcoming New Year I have decided that I am going to make it my duty to get connected at my new school!  This past semester was my first semester at the University of Georgia—GO DAWGS! haha The past semester was filled with so many changes.  It was my first semester being away from my family and living on my own, which would be a big step for anyone, but due to my diagnosis I had become extremely close to my family and being home all the time with them.  Not only would I be living away from my family but I would also be living with a complete stranger as a roommate.  Luckily I was blessed with an angel of a roommate who was more than I could have asked for of one.  It was my first semester at a new school and I had never been to a University before, just community type colleges.  While most others my age were already plugged in and knew their way around campus, I was the one constantly looking at the bus routes and maps to see where I was going and how.  There were many times I got lost that first week and I had never done so much walking in my life!  I was extremely frustrated and felt like giving up already!  Many told me that it would get better as time went on.  I would learn my way around campus, the bus routes, and the University would not seem as massive as it did.  I was enormously doubtful of these claims but there was no other choice but to truck on.  Each week my routine became more defined and I was getting into the groove of things.  But as time went on, my work load for homework also got heavier.  So now that I had figured my routine out and had a little more time to do things, those time slots were now filled with piles upon piles of homework.  There was barely any time to eat or sleep, let alone do any extracurricular activities.  From the time of my acceptance letter to the university, I had been looking at groups and organizations to join, but now that school had started, it was impossible to even think about that possibility.  Now that I have scheduled my classes more efficiently this semester, I am confident that I will have more time to engage in these groups.  I am really excited because last semester was mostly just stressful and all about not getting lost or failing.  Now that I have gotten the hang of things I can focus on truly getting connected in the university and college life.  See what being a DAWG is really all about! (;  What groups have you guys gotten plugged into?  Has it helped enrich your college experience and meet people?

[Elizabeth Allen]

Hi! I remember being really excited before going to college, looking at all the cool clubs and organizations. I was also psyched just looking at all the interesting classes; now that I only have three semesters of college left, I'm kind of bummed as I realize I'll never get to take them all! Yes, I know, I'm weird like that, haha. I really enjoy the extracurriculars that I'm involved in, although taking pre-med classes doesn't give me much free time. I'm currently president of the Colleges Against Cancer group at my school; we raise both awareness and funds for the American Cancer Society, and I've had some amazing experiences there. Though the survivor group the club runs, I've met the other survivors on my campus; I've also met some other pretty amazing and passionate club members. And then, just for fun, I'm also an enthusiastic member of the Gospel Choir on campus =)

[Hillary Husband]

Hey! I can't imagine going to such a large campus. My college is very small, no transit. Since everything is pretty low-key comparatively, it's pretty easy for me to get involved. I am on our Danceline, and I also participate in AED which is a science/pre-med honor society. I recently got involved with the International Student Organization, and I get to hang with Chinese students for the purpose of improving their English. We've ended up becoming friends though :) I also got plugged in with the theater program. I feel like college is the time to try your hand at new things while they're offered! :)

My school is also really great about campus-wide events which are no commitment but they give you a great distraction from your workload. I've felt that its kept me from burning out on school.

[Kane Weinberg]

Really like this post! I faced similar issues the first few weeks of school. I have gotten involved in a few extracurricular activities, intramural sports and the entrepreneurial club being among my favorites. They have provided great alternatives to working on schoolwork all the time and have led to many friendships. 

[Jennifer Toth]

Hey! I can definitely relate to the all-too-familiar feeling of not having time for anything! Before I came to college I had a whole list of things that I wanted to get involved in, but I quickly realized I couldn't make time for everything and picked just a few things to devote my time to.

The group I'm most involved in is Penn Cru, a Christian group on campus.  The other people in Cru have become like a second family to me, which I'm super thankful for, and I honestly can't imagine what college would be like without them.  I'm also involved in the student nurses group, and in some community service activities.  I've done some tutoring in local West Philly public schools, which is really fun because it's a chance to get off campus for a little while and interact with kids of different ages. Tutoring younger students is really rewarding, and it's been very eye opening to see how disadvantaged the schools are in neighborhoods just a few blocks away from our campus. 

Even though all these activities require time commitments, I find that the make me less stressed because they force me to spend some time on things other than studying and they've helped me meet lots of awesome people.  Good luck finding some groups at UGA, let us know what you wind up joining :)

[Natasha Bear]

Hey Allison! Great post! My best friend goes to UGA and he loves it!  You guys went back yesterday, hopefully everything is going well for you!

I've gotten really involved in a club called GlobeMed.  This club raises money throughout the year for the impoverished community in Butare, Rwanda.  Each summer, we send a group of interns to educate the 50 most impoverished women in the community about different health issues such as nutrition and contraception.  After they go through the program, we use the funds we raise to buy the women a plot of land and a goat to generate income for them.  I am going to Rwanda this summer for 2 months, I am so excited!  This club has definitely helped me feel more comfortable at college.  I feel like I am doing something important that can help me change the lives of other people.  I would like to join more organizations, but like you said, not much time for this stuff in college.

Thanks for posting!