Newly minted adults flock to campus from all over the world. The fresh men ready for a fresh start. Whether Wisconsin is home or soon-to-be home-away-from-home, looking online, connecting with peers, and learning about yourself helps you find where you belong.
The Wisconsin Involvement Network can be a great place to start! I used WIN to find the triathlon club, and took advantage of their trial period to try it out. The flowchart below includes just a small snippet of the clubs and organizations on campus. It would be impossible for me to fit the 1,000+ orgs on one infographic, but hopefully it points you in the right direction.
In your first year, your community might be found in the dorms.
From experience, living off-campus can be lonely (I often find myself talking to my cat). Wherever you are, keep trying to find people with common interests. It’s important to find your niche on campus for three reasons. According to LifeHack, community helps us live rich and fulfilling lives, it can prevent chronic diseases, encourage better mental health, and lower stress.
Being open to new relationships and experiences can help you find yourself and your niche. The niche flowchart is something to be revisited, even revised. It’s a cycle of asking yourself, what am I interested in, what are my values, who are my people. Even when the semester is busy, commit to checking in with yourself. And remember, sometimes you find your niche, and sometimes it finds you.