I remember weaving through the massive herds of students, following the crisscross of the long Quad sidewalks, incapable of moving at a pace much faster than a slug (a slug that wasn’t in a hurry, mind you). I’m a fast walker by nature, so you can imagine my frustration as I tried to pass the dilly-dalliers — apologies to anyone who was a victim of my passive-aggressive shoulder nudges or eye rolls, it’s nothing personal.

But this was my first Quad Day, and I was a new, squeaky clean University freshman looking to join in on all of the excitement. I was overwhelmed not only by the amount of students swarming the Quad, but the sheer number of booths representing the registered student organizations, all of which were ready to lure me in. And chances were pretty good that one of the more than 1,000 RSOs would pique my interest.

It wasn’t until I passed one particular table, however, that I realized there truly is something out there for everyone at the University.

As I continued through the Quad, I heard a casual “Hey, Nicki,” and turned to see my older cousin, Johnny, standing by a table representing the University’s Humans vs. Zombies club, which, evidently, he was heavily active in.

I stood there gawking, not sure whether I was more shocked that I actually ran into one of the probably five people I knew on a campus at the time (a relative, nonetheless), or that our school had a Humans vs. Zombies club.

It was at this point I realized a couple things. One, my family is as weird as I suspected. Two, you really can do anything you want here and have it contribute to your success in some way at the University. I get a chuckle knowing that somewhere on my cousin’s resume, underneath his completed degree in physics and other prestigious accomplishments, there is an indication of his involvement in Humans vs. Zombies. I’d love to be a fly on the wall during some of his interview conversations.

After this brief encounter during Quad Day, I began my crazy, sign-up-for-everything excursion. I highly recommend this route for new students because, most of the time, you don’t really know what you like until you try it — and I know that I like pizza and I also know that many clubs offer free pizza during their first meetings.

All I can say as a result of my email giveaways at Quad Day is that freshman year I ate a lot of free pizza, attended a haunted house outing, participated in yoga on the Quad, produced a commercial for the campus TV channel, played Bingo at a retirement center and took my first self-defense class.

Unfortunately, I did not partake in Humans vs. Zombies, missing out on that little gem of an opportunity for some quality cousin bonding time. But instead, I became a part of several different groups on campus that I did end up loving and learning from.

Long story short, as a new student, Quad Day is the time to explore all of the amazing organizations the University has to offer and to learn how to get involved, as well as explore your interests. Chances are you miss out on many opportunities you didn’t even know you had if you don’t attend this event.

What starts out as a casual walk past a booth can turn into becoming an active member in an organization that truly shapes your college experience.

Aside from all of the RSO bliss that Quad Day has to offer, this event also has the potential to deliver you a gnarly sunburn and/or farmer’s tan, as well as contribute to your already-existing hatred for large masses of people gathered in one space — but I promise it’s worth it.

Nicki is a senior in Media. She can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @NickiHalenza.