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Greg Merema | Northern Star
By getting involved, students are more likely to succeed in college
Last updated on 10/15/2009 at 11:37 p.m.
When most people go to college, they are told to find a lucrative major, make good friends and network with all the right people.
The stereotype is that these things can all be done through academics.
You excel in classes to get a good job, meet the people in your classes to make good friends and brown-nose your professor to network.
This may work for some, but many people feel unattached to those they only see for 50 minutes, three times a week.
College social integration is what makes the college experience worthwhile.
“A diverse and open environment that allows people from different backgrounds and cultures to come together,” is what Ariel Hamilton, senior communication and media studies major and president of Expression Inc., believes makes his organization a part of the college social integration process. “[Expression Inc.] provides an environment for people to express themselves creatively and freely,” Hamilton said.
Expression Inc. is for creative students from different artistic areas that want an outlet to express themselves.
“Being very involved has made me more passionate about academics, as well as helped me become a better leader,” Hamilton said, who is also involved in Black Men Initiative (BMI) and a Student Association Senator of District Four.
Another way to socially integrate into college is by delving into activities that are of pure and genuine interest.
A “family bond,” is what Dana Clark, senior early childhood development major and president of Envy Dance Troupe, said brings her organization together.
“My organization is not just based on dancing; it’s about getting an education, helping each other and also having a good time dancing, while doing so,” Clark said, who’s troupe’s members are also a part of BROTHERS, SISTERS, the Greek community and Trio Scholars.
Academics are very important to Envy Dance Troupe members, who take classes together and hold weekly study sessions.
“I have great time management skills; I plan in advance and I’ve learned to balance dancing, schoolwork and my job,” Clark said, when asked about how being president of her organization has affected her college experience.
Trio Scholars is one way academics and socially integrating activities can be brought together.
Trio is an organization that focuses on academic excellence as well as opportunities to socialize. Trio organizes fundraisers, participates in community service and helps students find scholarships, as well as adds to college social integration by holding movie nights, presenting speakers on relationships and planning a trip to Six Flags Great America for Fright Fest.
“Trio Scholars provides the best of both worlds,” said Felicia Cotton, senior sociology major and President of Trio Scholars.
Because Trio is a part of Student Support Services, its purpose is to provide services that will
help students persist and graduate from NIU.
“If you don’t plan, you fail at everything you do,” Cotton said. It’s a motto she swears by and that has helped her have a positive college experience.
She said that being president is similar to a job because it has commitments and consequences.
By analyzing different organizations on campus, it is clear to see that college social integration is not only about academics, it is about socializing on a higher, more mature level by surrounding yourself with people and organizations that are enjoyable and help improve upon the skills necessary for later life: time management, responsibility and priorities.
Keeping these themes in mind can be the secret to your college success.
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