Hello fellow Champlainers!
When you arrive in September, you’re going to enter a new phase of your life. A phase that has the potential to help you grow academically, socially and personally. I say "potential" because it all depends on what you make of your experience and whether you take advantage of the opportunities made available to you. Indeed, attending university is all about learning and growth. Learning takes place from lectures and your professors, your seminars and your fellow-classmates and of course, your books. However, a whole other dimension of learning comes from extra-curricular involvement through student groups and varsity sports.
Trent is home to numerous student groups. You can view the list here. You can get involved with groups as diverse as your academic department’s association (Trent Anthropology Society, for example) to the Jiu Jitsu Club and other athletic groups, to the World University Service of Canada and Sustainable Trent. During my time at Trent, I was involved with a few groups and gained tremendously, especially learning how to develop and utilize leadership and team work skills. Each Champlain student will have the chance to get involved and make a meaningful contribution to the group, and the university.
When you arrive in September, you’re going to enter a new phase of your life. A phase that has the potential to help you grow academically, socially and personally. I say "potential" because it all depends on what you make of your experience and whether you take advantage of the opportunities made available to you. Indeed, attending university is all about learning and growth. Learning takes place from lectures and your professors, your seminars and your fellow-classmates and of course, your books. However, a whole other dimension of learning comes from extra-curricular involvement through student groups and varsity sports.
Trent is home to numerous student groups. You can view the list here. You can get involved with groups as diverse as your academic department’s association (Trent Anthropology Society, for example) to the Jiu Jitsu Club and other athletic groups, to the World University Service of Canada and Sustainable Trent. During my time at Trent, I was involved with a few groups and gained tremendously, especially learning how to develop and utilize leadership and team work skills. Each Champlain student will have the chance to get involved and make a meaningful contribution to the group, and the university.
I am always extremely cautious when it comes to giving advice, however, my one recommendation to incoming first-years to Champlain is to get involved with just one student group. Feel free to join more if you are so daring and ambitious, you will indeed benefit insofar as you can balance your academics with your extra-curriculars. However, one group is a safe bet and that is exactly what I did in my first-year.
Even if the commitment is 2 hours a week (which might seem like a lot in first-year) the rewards, benefits and networks created can add a lot of value to your education (especially first-year) at Trent. You'll meet new people and discover a new world that you didn't even know existed, that of a community where others share similar interests as you.
In addition, getting involved in first-year will open the doors to many opportunities in your upper years at the university. While extra-curricular involvement can help develop academic skills (presentation, writing and debating skills, for example) it will also help you with your future employment prospects and most definitely when/if you apply to graduate school as I did.
Our very own community of Champlain College is conducive to learning in many ways. Among them is learning within a community of friends, your peers, college mates and classmates. The college will act as a first step to meeting other students and finding a community. Indeed, you will be a part of several communities at Trent and a student group will take your experience that much further.
Belonging to a community such as a student group, can be an avenue to success and to a more enjoyable and fulfilling undergraduate journey.
Remember, in your undergrad, it’s more important to embrace the journey than solely focus on the destination.
Even if the commitment is 2 hours a week (which might seem like a lot in first-year) the rewards, benefits and networks created can add a lot of value to your education (especially first-year) at Trent. You'll meet new people and discover a new world that you didn't even know existed, that of a community where others share similar interests as you.
In addition, getting involved in first-year will open the doors to many opportunities in your upper years at the university. While extra-curricular involvement can help develop academic skills (presentation, writing and debating skills, for example) it will also help you with your future employment prospects and most definitely when/if you apply to graduate school as I did.
Our very own community of Champlain College is conducive to learning in many ways. Among them is learning within a community of friends, your peers, college mates and classmates. The college will act as a first step to meeting other students and finding a community. Indeed, you will be a part of several communities at Trent and a student group will take your experience that much further.
Belonging to a community such as a student group, can be an avenue to success and to a more enjoyable and fulfilling undergraduate journey.
Remember, in your undergrad, it’s more important to embrace the journey than solely focus on the destination.
No comments:
Post a Comment