Danielle McDonald
Assistant Dean/Director of Student Involvement

Student involvement in out-of-class experiences has been shown to increase satisfaction with the overall college experience. Students who get involved in campus activities are also more likely to graduate. Company recruiters also look for students who are well-rounded and have developed leadership skills. However, there is the tendency for students to get over-involved, which can have the opposite effect and result in burn out and lower grades. There are also students who have the urge to “pad” a resume with activities, a strategy that can backfire if an employer asks questions about those activities.

How can parents help their student create the balance they need to succeed at Georgia Tech? The best way is to help them make good decisions about what organizations they join. There are five questions students should ask themselves before getting involved in an organization.

1) What am I already interested in?
2) What abilities or skills do I want to improve or learn?
3) How much time can I commit to this organization?
4) Does this club have dues, and if so, can I afford them?
5) What does this club require for membership?

As your student starts to answer those questions, the next step is to find out what is available on campus. Georgia Tech offers a wide variety of activities for student engagement. The groups span from student government associations to publications to sports clubs to spiritual organizations. If students cannot find the organization they are interested in, they can easily charter their own organization. Encourage your student to go online at www.involvement.gatech.edu, to learn about these activities. All these organizations along with the campus activities calendar can be found on this Web site.

Students can also visit The Student Involvement Center (StIC). The StIC is the place to find out about organizations, charter a new organization, find resources for established organizations, and discover what is happening on campus. We have staff and students who can assist your student in finding the right organization. Students can also attend the Student Organizations Fair during the second week of each semester. There will be organizational representatives available to give out information on their activities and answer questions.

Four tips we give to students regarding student involvement are:
1) Get involved in at least one activity your first semester.
2) Attend campus events.
3) By the time you leave Tech, have done something just for fun, something that challenged you, and something that will benefit you professionally.
4) Be able to express what you did and what you learned from it.

This fall, there are many great events in which students can participate, either by attending or helping to coordinate the event.
GT Night at Six Flags: September 25 www.fun.gatech.edu
TeamBuzz: A campus wide community service event on October 10 http://main.teambuzz.org
Homecoming Concert: October 16 www.fun.gatech.edu
Homecoming: Mini 500 and Freshman Cake Race October 12 - 17 www.homecoming.gatech.edu
Fall Festival: November 17 www.fun.gatech.edu

By encouraging your student to get involved you will be helping them develop new skills, meet new people, decrease homesickness, improve stress levels and time management, and get the most out of their college experience. For more information, please contact me at danielle.mcdonald@vpss.gatech.edu or call 404-894-3458. You may learn more about student involvement by visiting www.involvement.gatech.edu.