Whether you’re in your first year or final year at CU Boulder, it’s never too late to get involved with something new. Getting involved with new opportunities can help you make new friends, grow your professional network and feel more comfortable on campus.
I recently connected with Sophia Stadler, a second-year student studying ecology and evolutionary biology, Emily Reynolds, a senior studying anthropology and linguistics with a Spanish minor and writing certificate, Seth Wells, a senior studying ecology and evolutionary biology and anthropology with a classics minor, Vaishnavi (Vee) Prabu, a first-year full-time MBA student at Leeds School of Business, and Bodhi Rubinstein, a first-year student studying chemical and biological engineering, to talk about campus involvement. We discussed how they are involved on campus, challenges they experienced and advice for other students.
Here are some takeaways from our conversation and resources to help you find your place on campus.
How are you involved on campus?
Sophia: I am an employee at the campus Recreation Center, working at the FitWell desk. I do various tasks such as checking in classes, helping set up for special events and whatever else needs to be done at or around the desk. I am also a member of Delta Gamma, and I am living in the house this year! I absolutely love the girls, and living in the house has made us all even closer. I’m hoping this year I can get involved with some more clubs, such as the EBIO club, just because I feel that getting more involved opens more doors and gives one access to super cool opportunities, and you get to meet all types of people.
Emily: Most of my involvement has been through undergraduate research in linguistics, anthropology and cross-disciplinary work in computer science. Currently, I do research through the anthropology department and the STUDIO Research Lab where I record and transcribe stories of people’s experiences during and after the Marshall Fire. I’ve found that to be really rewarding work, and it has heavily influenced my career goals. I’m also a co-president of the Undergraduate Linguistics Association and a peer tutor at the Writing Center, and I volunteer on campus through a few different organizations.
Seth: I am the president and one of the captains of the Men’s Ultimate team (Mamabird). This is my fourth year playing on the team, my first year as a captain and my second year as a part of leadership. I started playing ultimate in high school and loved it so I wanted to continue in college.
Another way I am “involved” on campus is working in the Smith Lab. I work with a lab partner to score morphological traits of plants within the Solanaceae family. I got hired by Dr. Smith at the end of the spring 2022 semester. I found out that she needed a lab assistant from a forwarded email from my favorite professor, Stephanie Mayor, who taught EBIO classes focusing on plants. So I emailed Dr. Smith, she interviewed me over the phone and I started working with her and one of her grad students in June 2022.
The final way I would say I am involved on campus is by volunteering at CU Sports Performance and Medicine Center, which is a sports medicine clinic behind Folsom Stadium. I was a patient for five months and grew very close to the PT I worked with and am happy to say we became really good friends. The following summer I reached out to him about coming into the clinic as a volunteer and shadowing him. So, after completing all the required paperwork, I started going in once a week to volunteer. One of the reasons I wanted to do it is because I am considering going to medical school after graduating and need volunteer hours at a clinic to get into most schools.
Vee: As an MBA student focusing on real estate and sustainability, one key element of CU Boulder that drove me here was the unique clubs and centers which provide experiential learning by connecting you with industry professionals in various fields of interest. The various boot camps were a huge platform to help me navigate a new field and if that piqued my stimulus on the subject or career path. This not only is helpful to students who are seeking opportunities for career advancement but also exploring a pivot in careers. I actively take part with the CU Real Estate center – which is one of the best in the country. I have personally benefited from their workshops and networking with well-established industry experts.
Bodhi: I am an undergraduate researcher and current Biological Sciences Initiative scholar at Root Lab where I work on both behavioral neuroscience and computational neuroscience (brain rendering) projects. I’m also a Norlin scholar, part of the Undergraduate Enrichment Program (UEP). Finally, and certainly most importantly, I started my own knitting club!
Why did you get involved in that job, club or activity and what do you like best about it?
Sophia: Coming up to Colorado for school was very stressful for me, because I did not know a single person here. I wanted to get involved, but in all honesty I had no idea where to begin, and no one to do it with. I decided to rush because I had heard great things about it, and they all proved true!
Once I was more comfortable with the school and felt a little more sense of home in Delta Gamma, I began to branch out more. I had been looking for an on-campus job, and my friend recommended I look at The Rec because she thought I would enjoy it. Ever since getting hired, I knew I made a good choice listening to her. My boss is incredibly supportive, and makes sure we put being a student first. I feel like I have developed a sense of community working among my peers, and I know I have made some lifelong friends. Working around an active environment is something I enjoy, and The Rec is perfect for that.
Emily: I think my idea of 'involvement' before coming to college was limited to student clubs and sports, but being involved in research, on-campus work and volunteering feels a lot more true to my personality. I’m lucky that my jobs, research and volunteer commitments are all aligned with what I’m naturally curious and passionate about, which makes all the difference once my schedule starts to fill up. Even when I’m busy, I’m so grateful to be spending my time the way that I am. I really feel like I've found my niche!
Bodhi: I was drawn to Root Lab because of my interest in neuroscience and my high school research at a similar lab. What I enjoy most about this experience is being a part of something innovative and meaningful. The feeling of contributing to the generation of new knowledge is incredibly satisfying. I feel like I am making a difference and that my contributions are valued. Being part of the Root Lab team has been a wonderful opportunity to connect with others who share my passion and to learn about and use cutting-edge technology and techniques: a truly invaluable learning experience for an undergraduate.
I also started my own knitting club because I wanted to connect with others who share my passion for this hobby. Knitting has always been a source of creativity and stress relief for me, and I wanted to share that with others on campus. It's a space where I can connect with others who have similar interests and share ideas, tips and finished projects.
Did you find it hard to find your place on campus? If so, how did you get through that?
Emily: I did find it difficult to find my place on campus, especially as a freshman coming from a small, rural town. Instead of jumping right into several activities, I spent most of my first year introspecting about who I wanted to be, what my values were and how my choices could reflect those things. One thing that I knew right away was that it was really important to me to be a volunteer in my community, and I think volunteering is a great way to make meaningful connections with others based on shared values. I've worked with Reading Buddies, the Buff Pantry, Alternative Breaks and several other organizations on campus, and I've met some really delightful people that way! I've also learned a lot about myself and how I can use my strengths to be a good community member.
Seth: My first two years on campus I struggled to find "my place." I was the last pick for the roster of the ultimate team. I spent the first month of two semesters as a temporary employee at the CU Book Store without being fully hired. Then Covid-19 hit and the campus was closed. When it fully reopened I didn't have a job. I was still at the bottom of the roster on the ultimate team. To fill my time, I dove entirely into ultimate. I watched film of games during my free time, I lifted at one of my coach’s houses, and worked with the captains on improving my play. When we competed at fall nationals in 2021 with the same roster I was picked last to be on, I was now a starter (this is different then starting in basketball/soccer games but has a similar connotation). And by this time other opportunities for me had popped up and I had taken advantage of them.
Vee: Being an international student in Boulder has been an interesting transition and the university has played a vital role in easing into the transition. Being proactive and exploring the campus filled with people from various ethnicities, indulging in conversations and following the social media pages of the university were helpful to find interesting events that were happening in various nooks and corners of the campus. This stimulated my appetite for venturing into untrodden paths and gallivant into the domains of my interest. For example, taking advantage of the Taekwondo classes or rock climbing to see if it intrigued me, and shockingly those were amazing. This paved way to find myself and people who share similar interests.
What advice do you have for students who haven’t found involvement opportunities on campus yet?
Sophia: Just try everything! Even if you have to go do it alone, that's how I found some of my favorite extracurriculars. Another thing I would say is take advantage of all the flyers on the bulletin boards in the buildings. I have found so many cool opportunities just by taking a peek, from rave club to research positions.
Emily: Another piece of advice I would offer to students is to muster up a little bit of courage and try cold calling. I'm sort of an anxious person, and that was advice that I really didn't want to take as an underclassman, but it ended up being the most effective thing I've done to get involved in research. It never hurts to send a quick email to a researcher you admire to ask if they could use an assistant—they might say 'no,' and that's ok! This is a huge campus with lots of opportunities, and oftentimes, people will refer you to someone else. Or they'll keep you in mind for later.
Seth: What I would recommend to students who haven't found involvement opportunities on campus is pick one aspect of your college experience that you love and dive into that. That could be studies, a club sports team, a different type of club or anything else that happens on and around campus. For me, that was the ultimate team and my EBIO classes. Those two things provided me with all of my current extracurricular activities.
Vee: One key takeaway from my experience here is just push yourself out of your comfort zone. The mountains are a sprint away—go for a hike, or take a leap of faith and enroll yourself in a finance class or a kickboxing class that might be daunting. And have random conversations, show up on campus and hang around as the campus is bustling with hustlers 24/7 and you can bump into a friendly face now and then. I always had the approach that a friend is just one conversation away from a stranger, and that has made me a happy go lucky person. Go Buffs!
Bodhi: My advice to students who haven't found involvement opportunities on campus yet is to be proactive and take the initiative. One of the best ways to do this is by reaching out to your teachers and professors. They have a wealth of knowledge and experience and can often provide valuable insights into potential opportunities in your field of interest. And while it may seem daunting at first, don't be afraid to initiate these connections. Even if you don't get a response right away, persistence is key. By continuing to reach out and make connections, you'll eventually find individuals who want to see you succeed and can provide opportunities to help you do so.
Another way to get involved on campus is to be open to new experiences and embrace the possibility of failure. This can mean attending campus events, club fairs, and student organization meetings, or even starting your own club or organization. By being open to new experiences and taking risks, you'll have the chance to learn new things, make connections, and discover your passions.
When it comes to finding opportunities that you want on campus, connections are crucial. Building relationships with other students, teachers, and professionals in your field can provide valuable insights and open up new doors. That's why informal opportunities are so important. Whether it's attending a campus event, reaching out to someone in your field, or simply starting a conversation, these informal opportunities can break down the barrier to participation and lead to bigger and better opportunities.