(written by Kendra, STAR blogger)

Hey there, Bloggers:

Do you want to know what's even more fun than living on a college campus? The answer is simple; it's getting involved! But what exactly does "getting involved" even mean? Well, let me start with the basics about what getting involved is and is not.

Getting involved on your campus has nothing to do with going to all of your classes, spending lots of time studying and doing work at the library, eating meals at the dining hall, going to the gym regularly or spending free time in your dorm room on Facebook. Although those things are important, they are a normal part of most college student's lives; and limiting yourself to those activities is not taking full advantage of your college experience.

Getting involved has everything to do with varsity, club, or intramural sports; with joining a sorority, fraternity, or special interest club; with student organizations, recreational activites, and community services. As long as you're doing something fun or productive that involves meeting other people, then you're getting involved and getting the most out of your time in college.

The only difficult part about getting involved is time management. No matter what, school is your number one priority and it has to come before your extracurricular activities. The great thing, though, is that having something to do on your campus, other than school work, can actually balance you out and make your life in college much more fulfilling. For example, I've been cheerleading at my university for my entire college career and I couldn't imagine it any other way.  But I am always so busy with practices, sporting events, fundraising, and competition that I struggle sometimes to balance cheering and my school work and it causes a lot of unwanted stress. The motivational side of that, though, is if I don't do well in school then I can't continue cheering and I let myself and my team down; so I always get my work done. Of course, not all activities hold you to those academic standards, but even so, if you're not making the grades to stay in school then you probably won't be able to participate. Just think of it like this: you're going to college to better yourself for the future, which is by far the most important part of your life right now. (For some excellent study tips to help you manage your time click here). But, in order to take advantage of your college experience as much as possible, you need to feel happy and fulfilled. So, a great way to achieve these goals is by getting involved.

Remember: It doesn't matter what kinds of activity you get involved in. As long as you're doing something you love or that sparks an interest in you, and you're getting out of the dorms and meeting people, then that's all that truly matters. Getting good grades in college is important for your future, but getting involved is important for your present state of mind. If you can master the balancing act of academics and activities, then you're one step ahead of your peers. So what are you waiting for? GO GET INVOLVED!

Until next time,
Kendra