Colleges can seem to be huge places, especially if you went to a small high school or grew up in a small town. To feel comfortable in the college environment, it is important for you to find your comfort zone. It’s not hard to find the place where you belong, but it will take some initiative on your part. Consider your interests and the high school activities you enjoyed most, and choose some activities to explore. You might be interested in joining a sports team, performing community service, or running for a student government office. Or you might prefer joining a more structured campuswide club or organization.

Almost every college has organizations you can join; usually, you can check them out through activity or club fairs, printed guides, open houses, Web pages, and so on. Find out what the organization is like, what the expectations of time and money are, and whether you feel comfortable with the members. Students who become involved with at least one organization are more likely to complete their first year and remain in college.

You can also get involved in the surrounding community. Consider volunteering for a community service project such as caring for animals at a shelter, serving the homeless at a soup kitchen, or helping build or renovate homes for needy families. Your college might offer service opportunities as part of first-year courses.

Be careful not to overextend yourself when it comes to campus activities. While it is important to get involved, joining too many clubs or organizations will make it difficult to focus on any given activity and will interfere with your studies. Future employers will consider a balance in academics and campus involvement an important quality in applicants.