I still remember the feeling of freedom and excitement I carried when I set foot on campus as an official college student. It was similar to the gut feeling that told me Boise State was were I should be. If I was going to make this place my home, I didn’t want to not waste any time getting involved on campus to meet new people and have new experiences.
One of my first strolls through campus as a student, two friendly men carrying a basket of Rice Krispie treats approached me. They wore kind smiles and since I never turn down a free snack, I chatted with them. Billy and Ben and they handed me a colorful flier listing fun events that a student ministry called Cru was organizing. Floating the river one day and hiking table rock the next, I was determined to join as many activities as I could.
Little did I know that this student ministry is where I would make the most genuine connections with people. I felt welcomed from the moment I walked in the door of a little church on Euclid Avenue where they held their weekly gathering. Several people approached me to get to know me and invite me to small groups. I clicked with some sweet, fun-loving girls who later became my roommates. These connections encouraged me to lead a women’s Bible study with my roommate out of our home two years later. I remember craving connection and community my freshman year, so I wanted to help new students feel connected and find belonging too.
Finding belonging
I suffer from the fear of missing out (or as my friend calls it, “Fomolly”). I filled up my schedule with Boise State events and ran from one thing to the next. Even though I was busy, it was worth making meaningful connections.
Getting involved right away made an impact on my social life and overall well-being. I thrive through quality time with people who will do fun activities with me. It’s how I made some of the best connections and found my college friendships. In fact, I learned a lot about friendships which I reflected on in “What I Wish I Would’ve Known About Old and New Friendships”.
One thing I learned is that who you surround yourself with can make or break your college experience. I’ve heard “you become like the five people you hang out the most with”. And I’m forever grateful that I was able to be surrounded by like-minded people who have similar interests and values.
To connect with people, I had to leap out of my comfort zone. As an introverted girl who kept to herself in the past, I challenged myself to strike up conversations with strangers and take myself to events with the goal of making a new friend before the end of the night. A quote from author and speaker Jennie Allen became my motivation: “I’d rather risk feeling awkward than miss an opportunity for connection”.
Exploring new opportunities
I was so burnt out after high school that I didn’t want to enter my first year of school being committed to anything other than building new friendships. No job, no sports, no obligations. But I quickly felt something was missing from my active lifestyle.
When I started college, the hardest thing to put on hold was dance, my emotional outlet and favorite activity. In my second year, I heard about the Bronco Dance Club when interviewing the president of the club. After asking her a few questions about the club, I was sold.
The Bronco Dance Club was the welcoming, low-stress environment (located conveniently right in the Rec Center) I was looking for. When I heard about the club’s annual spring showcase, I jumped at the chance to audition. I hadn’t performed in two years, but the student-run show reminded me how much I missed it. A whole row of my friends came to watch and cheer me on. I learned that Boise State has opportunities for anyone to do what they love if I put in the time to look for them.
My other active outlet I can’t live without is hiking. This year, I decided to go on the California coast backpacking trip with the Outdoor Program and it was one of the best spring breaks I’ve ever had! I wish I would have learned about it earlier. You can read all about the impact this adventure had on me and the lessons I learned about the nature of community. Because I said “yes” to this opportunity, I made friends who I might have not met anywhere else.
Making connections
Student organizations and clubs helped me find my people. Cru gifted me with community and spiritual growth, the Bronco Dance Club offered me a chance to dance and perform again and the Outdoor Program fed my hunger for adventure and exploration. I wish I would’ve known how impactful these communities would be on my college experience instead of worrying about if I was ever going to make friends when I moved to Boise.
Knowing how to get involved in a new environment can feel overwhelming. A great place to start is by going to the Involvement Fair to see the plethora of clubs that Boise State has to offer all at once. You can meet new people and see which student organizations may be a good fit for you. Whether you’re interested in art, sports, the outdoors or video games, there’s a club for almost anything you can think of.
Following @getinvolvedbsu is another great way to stay updated on what’s happening around campus, find something fun to do and meet new people.
I wish I would’ve realized earlier that it never hurts to ask. Talk to other students and ask them how they stay involved and connected at Boise State. Ask if you can join them at the next club meeting or campus event. Invite new people to go do things so you can get to get to know them. Try new things, even if you don’t know anyone else who’s doing it. You might just meet your best friends.
