By Crystal Branden

brandencr@mnstate.edu

With homework, reports, papers, quizzes, tests, and midterms on the mind, it can be difficult to remember there is more to college than academics. MSUM is a college with plenty to do and an abundant amount of activities for any student. Whether it’s joining a club, going to a sporting event, or attending an academic lecture, MSUM has an expansive range of activities free to students.

Like myself, most scholars will find that academic work requires a lot of study time, but college is more than receiving a higher education. College presents the opportunity to pursue old interests and discover new ones — a learning experience all its own. Focusing solely on your academic life can take away from enhancing your education with activities and organizations.

By joining groups and getting involved, you can meet people with similar interests. It can also be a fun way to take a break from studying. Getting involved can lead to meeting new people and networking, which can help you in the future.

Involvement within the Dragon community can also help you discover a hidden skill or bring about new passions. By getting out into the community, students who are undecided might even find the career path they have been searching for.

Not only will involvement boost your college experience, it is known to lead to skill enhancement, confidence-building and enhanced ownership. Though graduating cum laude is an accomplishment, associating yourself with organizations can be resume-building in itself.

The ultimate college experience is a balance between a focus on academics and being an active member of the community.

Not only will organizations and activities improve your time on campus, they will also bring the opportunity to learn how to deal with all kinds of people, leading to increased self-esteem, which can help develop leadership qualities. It is well-observed that students who are involved succeed more academically and will not feel the need to transfer.

Participating in more than academic affairs is important for students. It allows us to find a healthy balance between academics and activities and helps us become well-rounded individuals. Not only will being involved bring a break from academic stress, but you can meet people and make friends.

Nowadays with technology, social connections are more difficult to make. It has been found that human connections help students learn more than a technological connection. By meeting people with similar interests, questions can be asked and discussions can take place over academic material,  affirming information from classwork and lectures.

One of the more difficult challenges for first year students is making friends on campus, and by joining organizations, they can be surrounded by classmates with similar interests. Finding common ground among strangers is tough, but in an organization there is already a byline of interests, and the chance of finding someone with similar hobbies dramatically increases.

Being involved on campus is not a difficult concept here at MSUM. When you walk into the CMU, it is obvious there are a lot of activities Dragons can participate in.

From Muggle Quidditch to Astronomy Night, going to events and getting involved is as simple as walking across campus.