College is much more than studying and going to class — it is a chance to get out of your comfort zone and connect with your home. If you are beginning your freshman year or entering your final year at UT, getting involved can increase your chances of success.

There are many benefits to being connected to campus, including networking and career planning, a sense of belonging, finding like-minded people and overall growth as a student. Additionally, some important life skills cannot be learned in the classroom and being active on campus can be very effective.

Here are some ways you can be more engaged with your campus.

Discover what you’re passionate about

Deciding what you’re passionate about will help you find outlets on campus where you can pursue these interests. UT has numerous student-run organizations and clubs that you can join, whether you are interested in politics, Greek life, student media, academic and professional societies, arts, acting or intramural and club sports. Students also have the opportunity to create their own organization or club on campus.

Organizations and clubs can be found on volink.utk.edu.

Discovering your interests and passions will also allow you to use your voice towards administration and faculty so they can understand what is important to you and other students.

Stay connected with UT online

Keeping up with UT’s different social media and apps will keep you informed on all things happening on campus.

Through the Tennessee and Vol Life app you are able to discover information on dining, tickets for games, the campus calendar, your schedule information and much more. Essentially, these apps answer many questions that you might have about life at UT.

UT has social media pages that post a variety of information, like campus events, sports games and administrative updates. There are also social media pages dedicated to each college, which will help you stay up to date with anything involving your major. Many organizations and clubs also have pages.

There is a social media directory that can be found at https://brand.utk.edu/standards/social-media/.

Attend campus events

UT hosts a wide range of events throughout each semester to engage students. Though this is the most obvious way to get involved on campus, it is effective. There are guest lectures, speakers, movie screenings, events within your specific college and much more available to students. Campus events allow you to meet new people with similar interests, as well as connect with faculty members and professors.

To find information on upcoming events, visit https://calendar.utk.edu.

Study on campus

A simple way to get engaged with your campus is to study on campus rather than at home. Other than Hodges library, UT has a variety of areas to study.

The Student Union has study rooms and secluded areas with comfortable seating, as well as places to grab food and coffee during study breaks. Another great study spot is empty classrooms. Depending on the time of day, it is likely that you can find a classroom that is unoccupied. This will give you an open space where you can work on projects or use as a quiet spot. There are also many great outside study locations, such as the steps of the HSS Amphitheater or the Communications Building patio.

Spending time on campus will help you become comfortable and connected with the university.

Campus job

Acquiring a campus job is a great way to be involved on campus while also making money. UT offers many different jobs for students, whether it has to do with what you are studying or just for fun. On the more academic side, there are tutoring opportunities, teaching assistant roles, library work – but there are also dining jobs, student media roles, TRECs jobs and much more available to students.

Check out SGA’s website page with student job listings on https://sga.utk.edu/campus-job-opportunites/.

Volunteer opportunities

Volunteering around UT and in the Knoxville community is a perfect opportunity to get engaged on campus. Students can volunteer independently or with a group depending on the program. Not only does volunteering allow students to engage on campus, but it also opens up networking and professional opportunities.

More information can be found on https://hr.utk.edu/volunteer-opportunities/.