With over 250 different clubs and organizations, the benefits of getting involved on campus at Longwood are vast. Getting involved in one of the many clubs and organizations is the best way to create the greatest college experience while being a student at Longwood University. So why get involved? Whether you want to make a new set of friends, or enhance your resume with an extraskill or two learned, getting involved will set you apart from others. It can help you become a leader on campus and, believe it or not, it can even boost your social status as well.
When talking to an older gentleman this summer about what he thinks of when someone says Longwood University, he said, “The first thing I think of when I think [of] Longwood is student activities and student affairs.”
With that said, I decoded his quote more like: if you are not involved in at least one club or organization, you are probably not going to last at Longwood for very long. So now the question is, why not get involved?
When asked why she got involved, student Katie Lyons replied, “Because it is such a small school and you have to get involved to make a lot of friends here."
Now, in my opinion, and from doing numerous observations around me, I have found that one of the reasons why students choose to leave Longwood is lack of friends and lack of involvement on campus.
With Farmville being such a small town and with not much to do other than be involved on campus, I don’t really see what else people who are not involved do.
I also really just do not understand how a student could not find one club or organization on campus to get involved in that they like here. We offer so many options, from campus media, to Greek Life, to art; the list could go on and on.
Also, another benefit from being involved is that these clubs and organizations are where I have found a bulk of my closest friends. They are also how I found connections to other clubs and organizations and have developed as a leader more from being involved. Why not decide to meet new people and explore the different types of professional or recreational groups that Longwood offers to students.
There are also struggles of being involved at Longwood that people often do not see. Many people have the problem of being over-involved in too many organizations and often lose time to do their homework or focus on their classes. Many overinvolved students get less sleep and are more exhausted than other students, which translates into their everyday lives. I am not saying that being “too involved” is bad, but in my opinion, I believe that students should get involved in enough organizations that they can handle while still receiving good grades. There is a difference between being “involved” and “over-involved.” I recommend to students, whether they are first years or seniors, to find that balance and stick with it, because being involved at Longwood is the best choice you will ever make. Be a part of what makes Longwood unique.
