I’m not going to lie. I cried my eyes out on the first day of kindergarten. I mean, do you blame me? Being away from my parents for a whole six hours was unbearable. But in the end, I got through it, crayon in hand, with a new set of friends to boot.

College is not too different — you meet new people, learn to work in a new environment and find out that coloring inside the lines isn’t a requirement. But instead of being afraid of new experiences, choose to seek them out. You came to college to learn anyway. You might as well start at Quad Day.

Quad Day is full of potential new opportunities. Although it may seem like a daunting task, navigating the endless booths can be especially rewarding in the long run, but only if you’re open to trying new things.

As you wander through the congested maze on Sunday, don’t dismiss an RSO or club that you haven’t heard of. Instead, think of it as a learning experience that is separate from academics. While a number of RSOs look for people who have experience in a specific activity, several others welcome anyone who is interested, even with no relevant background.

After all, everyone who is an expert at anything was once ignorant about that same activity. It only takes an open mind to find out what your forte is.

Conveniently enough, Quad Day is chock-full of new prospects, and the best way to try something new is to jump at the chance while it’s available. Why not speak to a student representative of a little-known RSO? How about a larger one you keep hearing about, but never considered?

After Sunday’s displays are torn down, it always helps to go to the very first meeting for an RSO or club to get the feel of it. Don’t hesitate to sign up for several groups, because you may end up honing in on one or two that really interest you. That’s how I ended up writing for The Daily Illini, after all.

Although there are tens of thousands of students on this campus, it’s always more memorable to connect with a smaller group with your same interests. Out of more than  1,000 student groups, there is sure to be one that catches your eye, especially if it’s something new and different.

It might seem like a daunting task at first — sifting through all those potential opportunities to find a couple that you like — but it can be rewarding in the end. The worst that could happen is you’ll end up with a bag full of free stuff and a bunch of fliers.

Ultimately, college — like kindergarten — is all about having fun, learning some things and finding people with whom you like to share your crayons. Use Quad Day to help you find those groups of people, and you may find some lifelong coloring buddies.

Reema is a junior in Fine and Applied Arts. She can be reached at [email protected].