The first week of school means thousands of decisions for freshmen — specifically between the thousands of clubs UF offers.
As the school year starts off, some freshmen feel pressure to join clubs to get the “college experience.” But it can be a balancing act to handle school work and the demand of clubs.
Over the Fall semester, The Alligator will be keeping in touch with some of these freshmen, tracking the organizations they join and drop throughout the semester — and how many they’re still involved with by the end.
Mira Kraev, an 18-year-old UF material science and engineering freshman
Mira Kraev said she’s intimidated by the pressure to join several clubs. They’re really important, she said, and employers take the experience seriously when it comes to applying for jobs and internships.
“If you’re not involved in anything, it just looks like you don’t care,” Kraev said.
She said she’s worried she won’t have time to study if she’s “overdoing it with clubs.” Kraev plans to join organizations related to her major, like engineering clubs and the Society of Women Engineers.
“I’ll meet people who will connect to me and motivate me to try more,” she said.
To start their integration, freshman students enjoyed food and explored the clubs UF offers at the annual Freshman Kickoff on Aug. 20. Leadership clubs, sports teams and interest groups attended. Even Gator Connect, a resource for students to discover what clubs fit them best, marketed itself to new students.
Arianna Estrada, an 18-year-old UF business freshman
Students are still trying to navigate what works for them. Freshmen, similar to Arianna Estrada, believe that clubs will allow connections to be made. Estrada said joining clubs gives her a platform to make friends and mingle with upperclassmen.
"It's all about networking,” Estrada said.
Still, she can’t shake the nerves of everything that is on her plate. There’s an expectation to be able to balance having the right amount of clubs, navigating college life and simultaneously making sure it all fits into your work schedule, she said.
Brayden Allen, an 18-year-old UF computer science freshman
Not everyone is nervous of the workload they’re going to face. Some even have high hopes for their busy schedules. Brayden Allen said he is looking forward to all of the clubs UF offers.
Although he feels some pressure to join clubs, Allen said it isn’t overwhelming. He feels like he still has a choice in what he wants to do, and he knows he can cut back on clubs if he has too much work.
“I want to do things that are really good in my major,” he said.
Jane Jones, an 18-year-old UF exploratory freshman
Jane Jones said she thinks students are able to have more free time in college through customizing class schedules to have days off. That makes it easier to manage time and find things you love to do, she said.
“The most important thing is making sure you’re making good decisions,” Jones said. “And if you follow that path, you won’t get burned out.”
Contact Madeline Herring at mherring@alligator.org. Follow her on X @m_herring06.
