![Activities fair](https://uclafirstyearexperience.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/activities-fair.jpg?w=809)
So you are well into your first quarter during your onederful first year, but it still feels like a huge campus, too difficult to navigate. Now, whether that feeling ever goes away is up to you (but not entirely up to you)! The best way to get familiar with your campus, tap into all the great opportunities, and get started on all the exciting experiences you will get while at college is to join a campus organization. The challenge now is to figure out which you should join. “But there are so many of them! Jeez,” you may say. “But have no fear a guide is here!, Jeez” I may say back.
Step 1: Research
Given that you have attended the Enormous Activities Fair, step number one is pretty much covered. (If not, attend the many other resource fairs happening throughout the year.) Now, where did you end up putting all those flyers? Find them, sort them by interest level, and check them out! If you misplaced them, that is totally okay! Just walk down Bruinwalk and you’ll get tons of flyers again! Also, you can check out UCLA’s organizations by visiting the Student Organizations, Leadership and Engagement (SOLE) website.
In a Nutshell: Sort your flyers and contact the ones you are interested in
Step 2: Attend a meeting
![Hardest step](https://uclafirstyearexperience.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/hardest-step.jpg?w=809)
Now this may be the hardest step, but you will never know if that organization is right for you unless you attend that first meeting. Find out the time and date of their meetings. Are they weekly? Bi-weekly? Add them to your calendar. You may even want to bring a friend or two with you. Do not be discouraged because “it is too late in the quarter to join.” Most organizations are very welcoming of new members and will do their best to get you up to speed on what they are doing. Orgs centered around social identities can be some of the most challenging ones to attend, but if you are willing to take that first step, you will find out they are some of the most emotionally rewarding.
In a Nutshell: Find out where and when the meetings take place and attend 🙂
Step 3: Bond with members
Once you start to get familiar with the people in the organization, you can start expanding your social circles. You will find people who have different interests than you (here is your chance to try something new!), such as rock climbing, scuba diving, ice skating, sculpture building, and the list goes on. On the flip-side, find people who have similar interests as you do and will be more than happy to join you on your karaoke outings, movie marathons, or even jogging marathons.
![Karaoke](https://uclafirstyearexperience.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/karoke.jpg?w=264&h=277)
The great thing about getting to know more people is that now you have new study buddies! You may find out that you are taking the same classes or share the same major. You now have academic partner(s)!
![study buddies](https://uclafirstyearexperience.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/study-buddies1.jpg?w=300&h=267)
In a Nutshell: Joining campus orgs will allow you to meet new people, try new experiences, and even find the people who academically motivate you the most.
Step 4: Share your story
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Sharing your story can be a powerful thing; you may realize new things about yourself and find the courage to try new activities. Letting new friends know things about you can also open the door to new opportunities. For example, you casually mention to your friend that you are currently watching The Walking Dead. You go on about how the science behind an outbreak fascinates you and you wish you could learn more. Your friend connects you with another friend that’s very much into zombie science and they then connect you to a faculty member from the Public Health department. You find your new passion in life and just like that you save humanity from an outbreak! All because you attended a meeting, made a friend, and shared your story.
In a Nutshell: Your experiences are unique. Your story is unique. If you are willing to put it out there, you may find people that can connect you to resources or things that guide you in the direction that is right for you.
Step 5: Get involved
![get involved](https://uclafirstyearexperience.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/get-involved.jpg?w=300&h=225)
Now that you are frequently attending the meetings, bonded with your fellow peers, and have a passion to get more involved, consider joining next year’s board. Use your first year as the time to learn all about what the organization does, so that the following year you can take the next step and join the student board. Being part of student leadership allows you to taste what it is like to be in a position with many responsibilities, have time-crunched tasks, and, most importantly, express your voice in a public setting. You will gain skills around networking, office politics, marketing, and so many more. All good stuff that can help you later down the road. You will also get to see the behind-the-curtains details of programming, requests for resources, and management of large groups.
In a Nutshell: After getting familiar with the organization and feel connected to its goal, become part of the leadership and develop those skills that will beef up your resume!
Step 6: Grow as an individual
![grow](https://uclafirstyearexperience.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/grow.jpg?w=300&h=276)
By joining a community on campus, you will learn new things about yourself. How do you interact with new people? How do your identities contribute to your experience? How are you in a group setting? One-on-one setting? All these questions will help you re-evaluate the way you communicate and can contribute to your growth during one of the most important parts of your life.
In a Nutshell: If you become part of an organization, you just may learn a few things about yourself that you wouldn’t have known otherwise. Use this time during college to step out of your comfort zone and expand your mind.
Step 7: Repeat with a different organization
![Royce](https://uclafirstyearexperience.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/royce.jpg?w=809&h=455)
The great thing about UCLA is that there are MANY organizations on campus. Feel free to try them and repeat this process with as many as you’d like! (While prioritizing your academics of course!). Check out SOLE’s website to find the organizations by category, what their mission statement is, and their contact information.
In a Nutshell: Explore the den and met new Bruins!
If you are already attending campus organizations, what encouraged you to go? What made you want to go again?
Written by FYE Intern Cristian De Nova Ledesma