Does your social calendar feel a bit empty? Here are some more tips to help you meet people on campus!
Volunteering
Following on from my last post, another way to extend your social network is to volunteer. There are so many different ways to be a volunteer on campus; it all depends on what you’re interested in, what you’re prepared to do, and how much time you’re willing to invest in your volunteering efforts.
During Career Fest I was told by a number of employers and HR mangers that volunteer experience is regarded just as highly as your employment history. Activities that demonstrate your community engagement and commitment can be something to highlight in a CV/resume, graduate application, or in an interview – think of it as a long term benefit for your future career, as well as having short-term social benefits.
Personally, I love volunteering. I started in my first year of university and it was one of the best decisions I ever made. It has shaped my university experience, and through it I have be able to participate in some amazing opportunities, met incredible people, and learnt so many new things. I couldn’t imagine my university experience without it.
Here are some ways I have volunteered on campus:
Join a Committee
Why not apply for a committee role with a university club that interests you? Being on a committee means that you work as a team with a group of people over the year to achieve the club’s objectives and engage with its members. If a committee role isn’t for you, see if you can help out your club in other ways, like assisting at events, handing out flyers, lecture event announcements etc.
Apply for the Student Services Student Leadership Program
If you want to learn more about participating in the university community and your potential to make a positive difference, the Student Leadership Program is a great place to start and meet other like-minded people. This program is open to all Griffith students. I had a great time doing the program and met some wonderful people, good luck to all the prospective applicants!
Be a Griffith Mate!
I currently volunteer with the Griffith Mates, and I would definitely encourage other students to apply. You get the chance to meet so many domestic and international students who study from a variety of degrees through the opportunities provided – it’s like a support network of friends across all five Griffith campuses. Whether you like caring for the environment, mentoring, practicing a foreign language, organising events, or photography – there’s something there for everyone.
To see some of what the Griffith Mates get up to read Kento’s post about the Griffith Mates’ trip to Noosa and the Eumundi Markets during the mid-semester break, or Angela’s post about her trip to Korea as a Griffith Mate.
These are just a few ways that I’ve been involved on my campus, and through them have made friends and met a lot of students. I hope these posts have been helpful if you’ve been feeling overwhelmed with the social side of university or just wanted to know about more options for meeting people on campus.
What you do with your time at Griffith is entirely up to you – the possibilities are endless. We gain so much by making and maintaining connections with other people at university. Being involved on campus can help expand your circle of friends and keep you entertained, but it also might be where you meet future colleagues – so when you do leave university you get so much more than that white piece of paper!
Let us know if you volunteer on campus, and if you’d like more people joining you!
