Watching the freshman walk around campus with fresh, shiny faces and matching lanyards has given me several moments of déjà vu. I remember going to Campus Connections during Wolfpack Welcome Week and feeling overwhelmed by the sheer number of student organizations available to join. I must have picked up dozens of free cups, stickers, key chains and flyers. I was ready to join anything and everything.

As the year went on, I took advantage of having my car close to my dorm by traveling off campus to try out all of Raleigh’s restaurants. I also started an internship downtown at the North Carolina General Assembly and used my car to get there every day. Slowly but surely, I fell away from most of the clubs I had hoped to join in the fall. I realized that giving half of my energy to a slew of organizations benefited no one.  

I also realized that I was more willing to give my time and energy to some organizations and events happening off campus rather than on campus, such as Boys & Girls Clubs, my political internship and programs through the Alexander Family YMCA and Pullen Community Center.

There were some NC State students at the events I helped out with, but not many.

Getting involved on NC State’s campus is important, but let’s not pretend we live in a bubble. Our campus certainly stretches through a good section of the city of Raleigh and there are so many awesome organizations and events in the city that need the help and initiative of NC State students.

Another reason to consider becoming more involved off campus is the connections you are making now may provide opportunities for a later career. If you solely focus on NC State, you are missing out on internships available in Raleigh. It is not enough to discuss politics on campus with a club; help out with one of the many ongoing campaigns or seek out opportunities at the state legislature down the road from our campus.

There is a wealth of resources and opportunities available to us in our surrounding community, and let’s not forget, we owe it to Raleigh to give back with volunteerism and community activism. Whether you are from North Carolina, another state, or another country, Raleigh is home for a good few years of your life (at least).

That’s not to say that we don’t need all of the organizations that put on displays every year at Campus Connections, which brings me to a piece of advice I am still trying to learn myself: don’t overcommit.

If you are going to choose a way to give back to your campus community, and hopefully the city of Raleigh as well, consider that focusing your energy on a particular group (not four or five) will yield better results for you and the organization. Everyone needs a niche. I have found an incredibly motivated group of students at Technician whom I love working with, and I equally enjoy my time spent outside of the campus bubble applying what I have learned at NC State.

Finding the right balance between your communities is important, especially when you consider that as a college student, you are part of a privileged group of Americans. In 2015, studies by the United States Census Bureau found that one in three adults had completed a bachelor’s degree or higher.

When you receive your diploma, you will join that 33 percent. Start applying your privilege and knowledge now by taking initiative in your community of Raleigh and remembering that overcommitting does more harm than good.