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Secret to success: get involved in student organizations

I discovered a secret early in my college career, and it has helped me since the first day that I stepped foot on Bloomsburg's campus: get involved early and stay involved.

Some wise college graduate I met before I went away to college told me that the secret to success was not necessarily to get the best grades or to be the most popular. No, he said, if you are involved in lots of activities on campus, then you have truly used your education wisely.

When I first heard this piece of advice, I took it right along with the multitude of other advice given to me pre-college, such as "don't drink too much" and "wear shower shoes." And while I heeded both of those pieces of advice, I have found the "get involved" speech to be much more beneficial to me in the long run.

By getting involved early in my freshman year, I felt like I was a part of campus. I was involved in some of the student organizations with other students who share my interests. One of the most trying things in college is meeting new friends, but I was able to do it without much of a problem, even with my arrogant personality. At least that's why I've been told.

The most difficult part of my freshman year was becoming a part of the campus when I was just one person in the mix. Well, by becoming involved in student organizations, I became the kind of student that I wanted to be: an involved student who can juggle both classes and activities. Beyond being the kind of student that I wanted to be; I became the kind of student that employers wanted to hire.

Beyond just being more involved in campus activities, I began to develop a set of skills that I haven't been able to learn in the classroom. I built practical experience by completing activities that employees in the work force accomplish everyday.

In recent days, State Representative Lita Indzel Cohen, from Conshohocken, stirred up local controversy by telling State System of Higher Education (SSHE) Chancellor James McCormick that his "graduates aren't fit for any type of job." The local and state uproar was obvious. A letter writing campaign by SSHE alumni is in full swing. Cohen said business people told her that graduates can't write a sentence and are totally unprepared for the workplace.

Cohen's statements caused a significant amount of chaos and rightfully so. She accused the state system of not preparing its students for any employment in any field.

I don't agree with Cohen in her statements. While there will always be students who don't get a good education at a state school and who happen to slip through the cracks without being able to "write a sentence," I think that's the exception rather than the rule.

Cohen didn't take into account any of the non-classroom activities that have done wonders for the students. Many student organizations have helped students to focus more closely on their career goals and, at the same time, given them a strong set of skills necessary for a job or graduate school.

Cohen does bring up an interesting point, though. If the state schools are indeed not providing the education that they should be providing, then some action needs to be taken. Sure, administrators and the higher-ups in the system need to take some action. But, I'm going to keep my remarks where they may actually have some effect: with the students.

As a student, if you feel that you haven't received the best education that you can get, it's up to you as much as it is up to the administration to make amends. If your classes and your major aren't giving you the skills you need for an internship or a job, get involved in student activities. Often student organizations are many times better than any classroom instruction.

The Philosophy Club, for example, can be a very educational club. There you can discuss different ideas with other students and think critically on some of life's greatest mysteries and debates. Recently, the Philosophy Club sponsored Dr. Michael Behe, a pro-creationism speaker, to give a discussion on a different side of the creationism/evolutionism debate. This is the kind of practical critical thinking skills that you should be learning in college. Besides that, isn't the idea of a whole bunch of students sitting around talking about pressing issues exactly how you pictured college?

Beyond the Philosophy Club, there are plenty of other student activities on campus that can supplement your classroom knowledge. Any of the media organizations on campus give students an environment where learning is fostered and skills are acquired. At The Voice, WBUQ and the Spectrum, you can refine your written and spoken skills as well as beef up your portfolio.

In the Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA), you can acquire some practical skills to help you in the workforce, as well as establish contacts. The Association of Information Technology Professionals (AITP) offers a tutoring lab for any students who just can't figure how to get their COBOL program to work.

Without any sort of activities under your belt, you will be a step down from the other candidates when you apply for a job or an internship. Employers look to see that you are well rounded and can balance between activities and classroom work. Even better is for you to lead an organization. Very few things look better to an employer than an individual who took the initiative to be a president, vice-president, secretary, etc. in an organization.

By juggling a number of activities as well as classes, you become better organized,—a quality that employers actively seek in job candidates. You also learn the necessary people skills needed to succeed in any work place, unless you intend on working in a closet for the rest of your life. As a member of a student organization, you become a more rounded, cultured individual. You expand your interests and will probably better understand where your skills do and do not lie. Beyond the acquisition of new skills, you quite simply make yourself more marketable, both to employers and to the people around you. People like other people who can handle themselves under stress and can persevere.

So, get involved in something that interests you. After all, it's always nice to know a secret.