Getting involved on campus can be tough, especially if you are an introverted person, new to the campus, or simply struggle to find ways to engage with the Redbird community. Luckily, your residence hall provides unique opportunities to get to know your fellow Redbirds in genuine ways. Here are some tips from University Housing Services on how you can get involved:
Attend your residence hall’s kickoff event!
Taking place at the start of the semester, these events are a great way to meet other students living in your residence hall/area. With a mixture of group activities and free snacks, there’s a little bit of something for everyone. Pro tip: Don’t want to go alone? Grab your roommates and attend the event together!
Fall 2023 kickoff schedule
- Watterson Towers: Thursday, August 24, 8-11 p.m., Watterson Plaza (outside Subway)
- Tri-Towers: Friday, August 25, 5:30-7:30 p.m. outside Tri-Towers
- Hewett-Manchester: Saturday, August 26, 4-6 p.m., outside Hewett-Manchester by the basketball courts
- Cardinal Court:
- Transfer Student Social—Monday, August 21, 5-6:30 p.m., Cardinal Court Community Center
- CCLA Tabling—Tuesday, August 22, 1-5 p.m., Cardinal Court Community Center
- Student Employment Tabling—Wednesday, August 23, 1-5 p.m., Cardinal Court Community Center
- Bingo Night—Thursday, August 24, 8-10 p.m., Cardinal Court Community Center
- Silent Disco—Friday, August 25, 6-8 p.m., Cardinal Court Community Center
Join a Leadership Association or Diversity Coalition
Leadership Associations and Diversity Coalition (LAs & DCs) are student-led groups that aim to empower on-campus housing residents to engage with their residence hall operations while fostering inclusivity meaningfully. These organizations collaborate on programs and activities to provide fun, social, and educational programs for students. Be on the lookout for information at your residence hall, or ask your RA/CA for more information!
Visit an Association of Residence Halls General Assembly
If it is looking like you might not have time to serve on a Leadership Association or Diversity Coalition executive board, another great option to remain active in your residence hall or area is to attend an Association of Residence Halls (ARH) General Assembly. These student forums are a great way to get acquainted with new initiatives happening in your building/area. ARH General Assembly will meet every other week on Thursdays at the Rosa Parks Conference Room at Watterson Towers starting on August 24. All University Housing residents from all areas are welcome to attend.
Connect with others on your floor and in your residence halls
While events are a fantastic way to meet other Redbirds, sometimes the best way to get to know others on your floor is to connect with them directly! Your resident assistant or community assistant on your floor is a perfect resource for getting you connected with others. They’ll often host programs and activities that allow you to spend quality time with your neighboring Redbirds.
Set reasonable goals
Lastly, don’t forget to set realistic expectations for getting involved on campus. It can be easy to start the school year strong with many different goals. However, once classwork and other responsibilities begin, it can potentially get harder to maintain that same level of engagement, making it easy to become discouraged. An easy way to remedy this is to set a few reasonable goals in advance and have a friend join you in them, helping to keep each other accountable.
Now you have some helpful suggestions on how to get the best involved while living in the residence halls. While these suggestions offer general advice, it’s important to remember to take it one step at a time. Getting involved can be a challenge for anyone, so having a plan of time is a great way to help alleviate stress before the semester begins.
We can’t wait to see you at #RedbirdMoveIn!
