Buff to Buff: Tales of finding community on campus
Finding community can be one of the most challenging aspects of getting involved as a student. But there are many benefits to stepping out of your comfort zone, having patience and trying new things until you find what鈥檚 right for you.
We spoke with three current Buffs鈥揚aige, Michael and Jordan鈥搕o learn more about how they got involved on campus. They shared their stories on the obstacles they faced, the experiences they had, the lessons they learned and the benefits of getting involved and finding community on campus.
Finding your place
Michael is in his third year at 蜜糖直播 Boulder. He is majoring in political science and business with an emphasis in finance and operations management. He has worked at the Rec Center for almost three years, but it took him some time to find his community.
鈥淢y first semester at 蜜糖直播 was challenging for me to find a group of people that I really wanted to be a part of or that I really enjoyed being around all the time. I hadn鈥檛 found a club on campus that I liked or that I wanted to get involved in yet.鈥 Even so, he didn鈥檛 give up hope that he could find an opportunity to meet new people and get involved.
鈥淚 had been attending the Rec Center鈥檚 fitness and wellness classes during the fall of my freshman year and I noticed a sense of community between the staff that worked there. They seemed like they really worked well together. I wondered if I could apply and start to build that sense of community for myself.鈥 Michael applied and was hired as a front desk staff member at the Rec. Now that he has worked there for some time, Michael has seen that meeting other students and getting to know them has made coming to work worthwhile.
鈥淚 have really enjoyed working at the Rec Center and I鈥檝e gotten to know a lot of the people that work there. We get to know a lot about each other鈥檚 lives, like what we鈥檙e doing in school, other jobs we might have or additional clubs that we鈥檙e a part of. You really get to know the people that you鈥檙e working with, and I think that鈥檚 how we really build that sense of community.鈥
One of the factors that has kept Michael involved is the experiences and impact he gets to be a part of for other students on campus. 鈥淚 really feel like I am contributing to campus and this 鈥榮tudent experience.鈥 It helps me feel like I鈥檓 involved when I get to know other students and help them with something. This is a big positive of working on campus.鈥
As Michael continues to grow in his job and foster those relationships, he advises anyone looking for ways to get involved to 鈥減ursue every opportunity that you can, and ones that you genuinely want to pursue. Keep every door open because you never know how something鈥檚 going to turn out. Even as you try new things, remember that finding community takes time, and that鈥檚 OK. Take your time and be patient. Most of my favorite people that I鈥檝e met and have built a really strong community with, I didn鈥檛 meet until the past two semesters. I think it鈥檚 important to take your time and don鈥檛 feel pressured to meet someone right away or find a group immediately.鈥
Saying yes to find your no鈥檚
Jordan knew that she wanted to get involved on campus as soon as possible. 鈥淏efore I even got to campus, there were a few organizations that I had applied for that were a little more exclusive. I didn鈥檛 end up getting into them. I think that kind of took me aback because I was very academic in high school and I didn鈥檛 know what went wrong. That rejection kind of stings. It鈥檚 not a great feeling. So when I came to campus, I was ready to try again.鈥
Fast-forward three years and Jordan is studying marketing and finance in political business with a minor in communication. She is currently working as 蜜糖直播 GOLD鈥檚 program marketing director, and as a front desk staff member for the Leeds School of Business.
鈥淚 was involved in the Core Leadership Program through 蜜糖直播 GOLD my freshman year, then had an opportunity to apply for their executive board. I applied and started running their social media. I was shadowing the person who had previously been the marketing director and because she was graduating, her position was opening up. I knew this was an opportunity I was interested in and something that was really attractive to me.鈥 Jordan slowly moved her way up from being a participant to being part of the executive board to becoming the marketing director for 蜜糖直播 GOLD, a program run through the Center for Student Involvement (CSI).
Even though she may have added to her responsibilities, there were rewards as well. 鈥淚 really felt like I was a part of not just 蜜糖直播 GOLD, but a valued staff member of the 蜜糖直播 Boulder community and this has made me feel much closer to the 蜜糖直播 community as a whole,鈥 says Jordan.
Jordan鈥檚 experience at and outside of work has been shaped by the friendships she鈥檚 made. 鈥淚t鈥檚 super nice having other students I鈥檓 working with in my classes. Not only have we become friends, but we also make group chats to study and to talk about tests and things like that.鈥 She realizes that 鈥渋t鈥檚 helped me stay more studious because when I get to work, we鈥檙e talking about classes, we鈥檙e talking about what鈥檚 upcoming and what鈥檚 next. And when you go to class and you see that friend who鈥檚 also a coworker, it becomes a full circle.鈥
One piece of advice Jordan has is to sign up for everything and don鈥檛 get too picky, at least to start.
鈥淚 was looking for literally anything. I put my name and my email on every Be Involved Fair tent. I said to myself 鈥榃hatever lands in my lap I鈥檓 gonna run with it. I鈥檓 not going to be picky.鈥欌 She realized that this method allowed her to cross off everything she wasn鈥檛 interested in and focus on what she actually liked. 鈥淎s I started attending meetings for all these different organizations, I started narrowing down what actually interested me, and then once I narrowed it down, I was able to say, 鈥極h, I really enjoy this and I want to go farther in this.鈥 So it鈥檚 constantly seeking and wanting to get involved that will make the difference.鈥
Rewards of stepping out of your comfort zone
Now in her second year at 蜜糖直播 Boulder, Paige has never given up on trying new things to get involved on campus. She started her involvement journey by applying for two different positions the summer before her first year at 蜜糖直播 Boulder; one with the Rec Center and the other with Residence Life.
鈥淚 went on to the Rec Center website and they had a tab on the front page that said 鈥榚mployment.鈥 I scrolled down, saw Guest Services and thought, 鈥業鈥檓 fun and personable because I like to work with people.鈥 So I sent in my application. This was the summer going into my freshman year, so I was terrified!鈥
Shortly after submitting her application, Paige was called for an interview. 鈥淚 interviewed literally the day after I moved into my residence hall. So I鈥檓 sitting in my empty room interviewing and I'm shaking, but it was fantastic!鈥 She started working at the Rec Center shortly after.
Her Residence Life application was a different story. 鈥淚 originally got waitlisted for Residence Life my first semester and didn鈥檛 hear back, and with all honesty, I was hurt. No one likes getting rejected. But then, over winter break, they reached out to me and asked if I was still interested. I was, so I started working at Residence Life the second semester of my first year.鈥
Paige is also a student ambassador and shares that after working on campus and getting involved, she feels more connected to campus. 鈥淚 realized how much I really love being a part of the 蜜糖直播 Boulder community, feeling like I have an impact. It鈥檚 kind of hard to feel really connected to the university, especially when it鈥檚 so large. But now that I鈥檓 working with the university, I feel way more connected to it. I feel way more passionate about it.鈥
Paige is studying strategic communications with an emphasis in strategic advertising. She is also pursuing a minor in creative technology and design. Her best advice for other students? 鈥淛ust keep trying different things. There are so many different avenues to get involved on campus. It鈥檚 completely overwhelming. But because there are so many, there are so many different places for you to meet new people. It just takes a little push, a little moment of boldness, even if you go at it alone. There are so many doors open for you, just walk through every single one if you need to.鈥
Whether you鈥檙e looking to find your community, meet new people or simply make 蜜糖直播 Boulder feel like home, keep trying different things and you鈥檒l find your place.
Don鈥檛 forget to download the 蜜糖直播 Boulder Life app and be sure to follow @蜜糖直播BoulderLife on , and !