College Success: Joining Campus Groups to Feel Connected

 

Every year, hundreds of thousands of young people enter higher education for the first time. So it might seem easy for new students to make friends, right?

Not always. College official Matt Couch¹ admits that life at a college or university can be lonely sometimes. Couch is Associate Dean² of Students at the Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio.

Couch notes that many students, especially new ones, face a number of difficulties ahead of them. High school academics are usually less demanding than those at a college or university. So, high school students are likely to have succeeded with less effort then they will need in college, he says.

Most students have strong connections to their homes and the people they grew up with, he adds.

These issues are often combined with natural feelings of homesickness.

“If they don’t find someone that they connect with right away ... that can … lead to all kinds of issues,” Couch told VOA. “But at most college campuses, there’s … a life outside the classroom that’s really vibrant³, and there're going to be people that share a common interest. It’s just a matter of finding them.”

Couch says the answer is joining student organizations. Almost every college and university in the United States supports a community of these groups to help students find other people with whom they can connect. Ohio State has around 1,400.

These groups can be based around almost any interest, like watching movies or creative writing. The ones that are less serious do serve the purpose of helping⁴ students meet people who enjoy the same things as them. For example, at one point the largest group at Ohio State was built around enjoying the kind of food known as barbecue. Couch suggests that those new friends can become the support system a student is missing back home.

But he also notes that the ones centered on a field of study can be even more helpful to students. Research has shown that involvement in these groups helps students’ academic performance and makes them more likely to graduate.

If an economics⁵ student joins a student-run economics group, he or she will meet on a usual basis with other students to discuss economics. Their group will likely invite experts in the field to their school to give presentations, or they might take trips to economics-linked events.

In short, Couch notes, they are taking what they are learning in the classroom and making use of it in the real world. And that can be helpful later in life.

“When you’re involved, that’s going to give you experiences that you can draw upon for problem-solving and for relating to other people,” he said. “And … I think that employers are … more interested in students who have an extra dimension [to] their college experience.”

Couch urges students who cannot find a student group on their campus that interests them not to worry. Most colleges and universities make it fairly easy for students to start their own groups.

Usually there are rules governing the structure of those groups. For example, most schools require groups to meet a membership⁶ level. Also most groups must have a professor or other school employee to act as an accountable advisor⁷.

Getting official approval as a group has some benefits. Often these groups receive financial support and services from the university.

Even if there is already an existing group that is somewhat similar to a student’s interests, that does not mean they cannot make their own group, Couch says.

Schools often have rules against making more than one of the exact same group. But administrators⁸ often approve the creation⁹ of groups that serve a smaller population, such as female African American engineers as opposed to engineers in general. That is because especially at larger colleges and universities, it can be harder for those people to find others sharing their exact experiences.

Couch argues that no matter what, students should join some kind of campus group, because he cannot imagine a complete college experience without them.

“It’s pretty rare in a person’s life to be in a community that has that much organization around … diverse ideas," he said. "And it could really be the best opportunity you’ll ever have to get some exposure to a new culture or new political ideas or to do service.”

I’m Pete Musto.

Words in This Story

academics – n. courses of study taken at a school or college

campus(es) – n. the area and buildings around a university, college, school

vibrant – adj. having or showing great life, activity, and energy

graduate – v. to earn a degree or diploma from a school, college, or university

dimension – n. a part of something

accountable – adj. required to be responsible for something

benefit(s) – n. a good or helpful result or effect

diverse – adj. made up of people or things that are different from each other

opportunity – n. an amount of time or a situation in which something can be done

exposure – n. the fact or condition of being affected by something or experiencing something

1 couch   

n.睡椅，长沙发椅；vt.表达，隐含

参考例句：

• Lie down on the couch if you're feeling ill.如果你感觉不舒服就躺到沙发上去。
• The rabbIt'sprang from its grassy couch.兔子从草丛中跳出。

2 Dean   

n.(大学)院长，系主任，教务长

参考例句：

• The students much like the new dean.学生们很喜欢这位新系主任。
• Who is the dean of the Foreign Languages Department?外语系主任是谁？

3 vibrant   

adj.震颤的，响亮的，充满活力的，精力充沛的，(色彩)鲜明的

参考例句：

• He always uses vibrant colours in his paintings. 他在画中总是使用鲜明的色彩。
• She gave a vibrant performance in the leading role in the school play.她在学校表演中生气盎然地扮演了主角。

4 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

5 economics   

n.经济学，经济情况

参考例句：

• He is studying economics,which subject is very important.他正在学习经济学，该学科是很重要的。
• One can't separate politics from economics.不能把政治与经济割裂开来。

6 membership   

n.成员资格，会员全体，从属关系

参考例句：

• I must renew my membership of the sailing club.我必须延续我的航海俱乐部会员的资格。
• He made up his mind to apply for membership in the Party.他决心申请入党。

7 advisor   

n.顾问，指导老师，劝告者

参考例句：

• They employed me as an advisor.他们聘请我当顾问。
• The professor is engaged as a technical advisor.这位教授被聘请为技术顾问。

8 administrators   

n.管理者( administrator的名词复数 )；有管理（或行政）才能的人；（由遗嘱检验法庭指定的）遗产管理人；奉派暂管主教教区的牧师

参考例句：

• He had administrators under him but took the crucial decisions himself. 他手下有管理人员，但重要的决策仍由他自己来做。 来自辞典例句
• Administrators have their own methods of social intercourse. 办行政的人有他们的社交方式。 来自汉英文学 - 围城

9 creation   

n.创造，创造的作品，产物，宇宙，天地万物

参考例句：

• Language is the most important mental creation of man.语言是人类头脑最重要的产物。
• The creation of new playgrounds will benefit the local children.新游戏场的建立将有益于当地的儿童。