So, it’s the second week of class, and you might be a little overwhelmed. Don’t worry — it happens to the best of us! But, now is not the time to retreat into your shell and come to campus just for class. This week is all about getting involved (and it just so happens that you can find out more about specific student orgs and ways to get involved during Rush Week this Tuesday through Thursday), whether you’re doing it to make friends, to develop new skills or to get ahead in the job market. No matter the reason, getting involved is sure to enhance your college experience.

Students who participate in co-curricular activities study more, have higher GPAs and are more satisfied with their social lives, according to a 2009 report from the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA). Students who were surveyed reported overwhelmingly that being involved wasn’t a burden on their schedules but a benefit — 65 percent said participating in orgs helped them learn to balance their social and academic lives. Need more evidence? See what these UH Bauer students have to say about how getting involved enriched their lives, both personally and academically:

“The most valuable advice I could give to new students would be to get involved at Bauer. There is so much to do here, so take advantage of the Bauer resources! By getting involved, you’ll meet people, begin forming your business network and grow tremendously!”
-Kim Pham (’10), Spring 2010 Outstanding Undergraduate

“Being an officer in a student organization teaches you about balancing school and extracurricular activities, along with professionalism, communication and organizational skills.”
-Melissa Hernandez, Vice President, Hispanic Business Student Association (HBSA)

“We always push our members to be ambitious, dedicated and outspoken, and one of the ways we do this is through our MIS Career Mixer. We held our first career mixer last year, and it was a success with 70 members and six companies attending. This semester, we’ll have 12 companies, including ExxonMobil, Shell, Hitachi, and M.D. Anderson, and more than 70 MISSO members attending. We want to build networks of peers and employers in the field to connect students to opportunities to improve both their technical prowess and to improve the community around us.”
-David Chuah, President, Management Information Systems Student Organization (MISSO)