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I am not sure if this discussion has been posted before, but even if it has I believe that it is very important to reiterate and may be get new perspectives. As an undergrad I was part of M.E.Ch.A., Sigma Delta Alpha Fraternity, Inc., and La Raza Pre-Law Student Association. As a freshmen, I was under the impression that getting involved in organizations would just distract me from my academic goals. I thought that it would be a waste of time. I had no idea how wrong I was. Being involved in organizations will not only help you develop new friendships, connections, long term relationships, and employment references, but they will also develop skills which will set you apart from the rest when applying to graduate school or for employers.
I am a strong believer of the saying "It's not how much you know, but who you know," and to be more precise "it's not about who you know, but who knows you". Being involved in organizations immensely increased my circle of friends. I went from having a group of 5 friends with my similar background to dozens of individuals from different backgrounds. This helped me not only to have a great time while in undergrad, but also learn more about others and to increase my network. As a result, I got my job which helped me pay for my 4 years at school, and I got my job right after I graduated. Up to this day I keep in touch with most of those individuals whom I met by being involved. They help me remember why I am doing what I do, and they always encourage me to strive for excellence.
Thus, I always tell those about to start college or even those in collge: Get involved, enjoy your undergrad experience and learn how to network. Your involvement will make your whole experience much more enjoyable and it will set your resume apart from others.
Now, what I would like to know is: were you involved in undergrad, and if so how did it benefit you? |
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I was also heavily involved in various org's during my undergrad and must admit that some of my best memories are times that I spent with my fraternity brothers. After reading the HBR article about stress it reminded me that most of the stress I put on myself was also because of the amount of involvement I allocated to those org's. It definitely took me a couple years to realize that my priorities (education) were not getting the proper attention. Now that I have graduated and started my career I preach to the younger guys the importance of being involved but also creating an environment were they can reach their academic goals, which is the primary reason of going to school.
Julian, don't mean to change the topic even though it falls under the same tree, but what do you think are the benefits of joining a fraternity/sorority?
Danny |
