Your college years will be full of papers, tests, lectures, and late night study sessions. You will learn a lot in an academic sense, but it is also a time to network, grow, meet people, and have a ton of fun.  One of the best ways to accomplish these goals during your collegiate years is to get involved on campus–and the University of Oklahoma has plenty of ways for you to get involved!

Student Life at OU is huge with hundreds of student organizations to pick from. The list of organizations can be intimidating, so here are some suggestions on how to pick a way to get involved:

1. Stop by Student Life! They are located on the third floor of the Student Union in Suite 370. Don’t be shy – stop in to find out how you can get involved and what applications are currently out to apply for different positions throughout campus. The Student Life Office is ready to help you find the perfect fit, so be sure you utilize this resource! You can also check them out online at http://www.ou.edu/studentlife.html. You will find information on student organizations, Greek life, and Campus Activities Council.
2. Sign up for Camp Crimson this summer! You can sign up right now at http://www.ou.edu/campcrimson/. Your camp leaders are great sources for information, and they are students who are involved on campus. Camp Crimson will also have information on many student groups. This is a great time to get to know other freshmen!
3. Consider participating in formal recruitment for sororities and fraternities. Information packets are mailed to students the summer before their freshmen year, but you can also find out information online at http://www.ou.edu/content/studentlife/get_involved/fssl.html. Sorority recruitment begins the week before regular scheduled move-in for freshmen while fraternity recruitment is during the first week of school. Going through recruitment does not mean you have to join a sorority or a fraternity–it can just be a great experience to meet many other Sooners.
4. Keep your dorm room door open when you are in your room to make friends on your hall. Your hall mates might have information on different clubs, so why not go check one out together? Knowing the people on your hall is a great way to get plugged in. Don’t forget about your Resident Advisor–your RA is an involved student at OU and he or she is an upperclassman who will be able to share his or her knowledge on different organization and activities-like intramurals that your floor can compete in together! Another tip is that during your first weekend in the dorms, known as Sooner Orientation Weekend, there will be plenty of information on how to get involved on campus so be sure to leave your dorm room and check it out.
5. Go to class! Well, you are here for an education, right? But on your way to class be sure to look down– there is side walk chalk all over campus announcing the different activities and groups meeting that week. Announcements about organizations specific to your major are often mentioned in class as well.