Just as Welcome Week initiates the freshman masses into their first strides of campus life, and Alma eventually initiates them into the foreign realms of post-grad, Quad Day navigates students through the various spheres of the campus community.

More so than serving as an introduction to the University’s ever-expanding repertoire of Registered Student Organizations, Quad Day offers new students a glimpse into vast opportunities — ranging from academic departments to non-profit agencies. And while voyaging through over 1,000 RSOs may be tedious, the experience is anything but.

The ingenuity behind the University’s RSOs is that if there’s not one for you, you can make your own. But seriously, there’s everything from The Illini Hot Tub Club all the way through Club Disney. So if you’re exiting Quad Day dissatisfied, you’re probably too picky. And if you don’t receive a surge of emails from RSOs you carelessly signed up for, you aren’t doing it right.

Think of Quad Day as your freshman induction: You’re unfamiliar with campus, let alone one that sprawls over two cities. You’ve never lived without your parents, and now you have to do your own laundry (don’t worry, you’ll learn) among many other previously taken-for-granted chores. Even if you aren’t interested in joining extracurricular clubs or organizations, Quad Day is the ideal representation of the chaos, enormity and vast opportunities that consume campus on a regular basis.

But don’t just assume that Quad Day is reserved solely for those interested in non-academic organizations and clubs. The University hosts four cultural centers, the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts and Spurlock Museum, as well as 21 NCAA sports teams and various club teams. Whether you’re interested in participating in an organization that will further your knowledge in your field of study, or if you just really want to go squirrel-watching, something is there. Otherwise, you’re just being plain stubborn. 

Quad Day isn’t just a University legacy, it’s a student tradition. The very booths and RSOs many students come across their freshman year are the ones they remain involved with all the way to graduation. It’s more than just seeing what’s out there and getting involved; it’s not even entirely about being dedicated or motivated. It’s about participating in something that not only intrigues you, but that can supplement and extrapolate your interests.

With over 40,000 undergraduate and graduate students, you’re going to want to set yourself apart from the rest. Any student can work hard and get on the Dean’s List, but how many students can say they created their own RSO that will be on campus for years to come? Whether you want to check it out or skip it entirely, the decision is yours. But Quad Day is just the preview to the opportunities that the University has to offer. Participation and involvement on campus are just the beginnings of the success you can achieve here. 

Adam is a senior in ACES. He can be reached at [email protected].