A key aspect of having a successful college experience is figuring out how to get involved. A sure-fire way to get yourself more acclimated to life on campus is to get involved with Registered Student Organizations (RSOs). Here are some methods to try and figure out what RSOs would be a good fit for you:

Go off of what you know.

If you were involved in high school — whether captain of the tennis team, editor of the yearbook or advocate for LGBT rights — and wish to continue following your passions in college, look for RSOs that can help sustain your drive. Or if there were clubs and activities that you were always itching to give a go at, go ahead and do so. The University’s wide variety of RSOs offers students a chance to get involved with nearly anything that piques their interests.

Do your research.
You can also find out about certain RSOs online. UofI Connections offers a database of all of the RSOs available on campus. Each organization is accompanied by a bio, a list of events they’re holding, a photo gallery and advice for how to get involved. RSOs also actively use social media to get the word out about their organizations and attract students’ attention. Even while walking around the academic buildings you can see fliers and posters encouraging students to get involved.

Ask questions.
It might be scary to know where to start with RSO involvement, but the most vital thing you can do is go out and ask questions. On Quad Day, walk up to any booth that looks interesting and ask any and all questions. Whether it’s about the RSOs time commitments, events or students’ favorite aspects of the RSO, go ahead and ask.
Pose the question, “Why should I join?” and you’re sure to get an honest answer from someone who is truly passionate about what he or she is doing. If you want to know about RSOs more typical to your major or ideal career, your academic advisers usually know about those inner-workings.
Also go out and ask your friends, classmates and roommates what they’re involved in. It’s interesting to hear about other people’s passions and it might even spark an interest of your own that you wouldn’t have known about otherwise.
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