When I arrived at Boston University, I was overwhelmed in almost every way possible. That is pretty normal, especially when you’re like me and attend every event BU has to offer for clubs and involvement in the school.
I wanted to get involved in literally everything, from gender equality clubs and writing to organizations within the College of Communication. I was eager to start my college career and build a resume of all the things I love to do.
This became problematic, though, because as I attended events such as Splash, where all the clubs market themselves to you, I realized there was so much I wanted to do and not enough time in the day.
I found that the best way to deal with this problem was to attend all of the informational meetings for each club to figure out which seemed like the best fit. I found myself at a meeting for the club HeForShe at Boston University.
HeforShe is a small, fairly new gender equality club based on Emma Watson’s United Nations campaign. At the meeting, we were given an opportunity to say what we were interested in working on in the club, and I raised my hand to offer my two cents.
Before I knew it, I was offered a position on the general board — all because I offered my idea. I almost didn’t accept the position at first because I thought, “I’m just a freshman. It’s my second week here. What can I offer them?”
Don’t ever think like that. Regardless of experience or lack of past leadership positions, everyone can bring something to the table. Ignoring the doubts I had, I jumped into this opportunity with HeForShe, and it has become a defining chapter in my college career.
By second semester I was on the e-board as marketing director, and in September, I will be co-leading the club as vice president. I have achieved all of this by believing in myself and stepping up into a position I was scared to take.
As an incoming freshman, I did not imagine for a second that I would be taking on larger roles and responsibilities in any aspect of my college career so quickly, but in doing so, made my freshman year so much better.
I learned so much so quickly and found out things about myself I didn’t know, such as the fact that I love advertising and coming up with creative events that market our club. I also met some amazing people who helped shape my freshman year and show me what I aspire to do within and outside of the club.
While HeForShe was not the only thing I got involved with my freshman year, it was one of the most important because of how hesitant I was to do it. Your freshman year of college is a big leap out of your comfort zone, and this pushed me even further out of that zone.
The best thing to do when you get to BU is to not hesitate to dive right in. Everything seems pretty scary at first, and something as simple as joining one club can be daunting, but that one club could change your whole college experience.
Getting involved in the things that matter to you will make your college career so much more fulfilling and enriching. Obviously, we are all here to take classes and get a degree, but who says you have to start making a difference only after you graduate?
Take advantage of everything BU offers so you can start changing the world as soon as you step on campus. The opportunities at this school are endless and so are your abilities to become a part of them.
