As a transfer student who just arrived at the University of California, Riverside (UCR), navigating the social scene and finding new connections has been a challenge. When I first arrived on campus, I wasn’t sure where to start or what to do. There are over 20,000 students here at the university, so how would I be able to connect with others like me and find those with shared interests? Luckily, there are opportunities that are available to everyone.
One way to make your journey easier is to find a club that interests you. UCR has a diverse selection of clubs. With around 500 registered student organizations on campus, there is sure to be something for everyone. There are clubs that help students explore their cultural roots or connect with others of the same faith. There are clubs whose sole purpose is to build your professional skills. If you are looking to play your favorite sport or game with people on campus, there’s definitely a club for it as well. There’s a club for almost everything. Some professional clubs even form to serve students of a specific community.
Go to tabling
I’d suggest speaking with members of a club in-person to learn more about it. Every Wednesday, many clubs set up stands around the bell tower by the center of campus. The Highlander Newspaper even has a stand here as well (which is how I first learned about it)! This club showcase starts at 10 a.m., and even though I have seen clubs set up earlier before, I recommend going at around 11 a.m. or noon to see as many clubs as possible. I tend to look for activities that interest me and join the respective club once I’ve found it. Don’t be afraid to approach the club representatives as they’re usually very friendly and make sure to take advantage of the opportunity to learn more about their organization.
Lean into your interests
Generally, the club representatives will explain what their club is about, their activities and other details. While they’re explaining, you should ask yourself if their club interests you and if it’s something you enjoy doing. At the last club showcase, I spoke to dozens of club representatives to learn more about their club and find out whether it was a good fit for me. Many of them have social media pages, usually on Instagram, so I decided to follow them to get a better idea of what the club did, how many people were in the club, etc.
While a club having friendly and open people is a factor you should consider, I would encourage you to also choose a club because it has an activity that genuinely interests you. Building familiarity with people takes time, and it’s good to have an activity you genuinely enjoy, like a sport or a hobby, to motivate you to attend meetings regularly. It’s also good to know how often the club meets. Most clubs meet weekly, but there are some that meet biweekly or even less frequently than that. I prefer weekly meetings to get to know people the best, but of course it depends on the person.
Go in person
Finally, there’s the step of actually going to the club meeting. This can be scary, but it’s important if you truly want to get to know the club. Even if it’s scary, just remember there are probably at least a few others who are new too! It’s best to speak to the club leaders you met previously and ask them to try and introduce you to others to make getting to know other people easier.
I really hope that this guide will help you find the perfect club this quarter. I understand that it’s not easy for some people, and it might be difficult to find a club that fits you at first. However, I want to encourage those who are currently struggling. Hopefully someday, you can look back and be glad that you put in the effort to find a community of like-minded people!
