11 Ways to Meet People and Get Involved at UC Davis

It’s the end of your senior year of high school and you’re top of the heap: you know everyone worth knowing at your school, the freshmen quake when you walk by, and the teachers *finally* know your name.

Cut to three months later: you’re on a college campus one hundred times the size of your high school, surrounded by people who look like they know where they’re going when you don’t have a clue, and the only person you know lives in a dorm on the other side of campus. What’s a college freshman to do?

First, take a deep breath. It’s completely normal to feel stressed about moving away from home for the first time, even if you spent the whole summer dreaming of the moment you watch the back of your parents’ minivan as they drive away. There are ways to help you prepare for the transition before you even set foot on campus, and once you get there you'll find tons of people feel exactly the way you do.

To help you gain your footing and start rebuilding that social empire, we've compiled eleven ways to meet people and get involved at UC Davis: 

1. Go to summer orientation.

UC Davis has three-day orientations all summer long, June to August, designed to introduce you to the campus and your fellow students. Take placement tests for math, science and language classes, get help setting up your email account and registering for Fall quarter, and get a feel for the dorm furniture and room layouts.

2. Take advantage of networking opportunities.

During the summer, events are held around California for incoming students to meet other UC Davis freshmen in their area; you should receive announcements about a meeting in your area in the mail or via email. This is less an opportunity to meet people than to hear about universities policies and events, but if you’re around you may want to check it out, if only to scope out carpool possibilities for the future.

3. The internet is your friend.

The internet is making adjusting to college easier and easier. There are tons of websites to help you meet new people and learn about your new town. Here are four.

           Facebook groups and pages are a great resource, especially the current incoming UC Davis freshmen group (for Fall 2008 see the Class of 2012 group). The group admins are all students and faculty trying to make your transition as easy as possible, and they’re very helpful in answering questions. The group walls discussion boards are full of posts looking to meet people and find potential roommates; it’s also a great place to find possible carpool buddies for the holidays.

           DavisWiki is a wiki for Davis and UC Davis. Anyone can sign up and add to it in the form of reviews, business pages, and local events. Most DavisWiki members are friendly and encourage students and residents to get involved; they also try to have a Wiki potluck bbq a couple times a year to put faces to names.

           UC Davis LiveJournal community. Anyone can post anything here, from questions about building locations to campus events to apartment subleases to o-chem midterms.

           Yollege was started by UCD alumni, so you know it's good. Get reviews from other students and alumni for local restaurants, housing, professors, classes, even weather.

4. Take advantage of the first week.

Before classes start, student organizations and clubs tend to have socials to meet the incoming students. Plus, you get free food. Look for flyers around campus and in lecture halls, announcements on chalkboards, and signs around campus.

5. Explore the outdoors with Outdoor Adventures.

They regularly have outings in the form of white water rafting, backpacking, and rock climbing. You’ll meet new people from all classes and even grad students who share similar interests.

6. Another great outdoor bonding activity: intramural sports

Play your favorite sport with a new group of friends of your own choosing, or join an existing team. RAs often try to put together IM teams from residence hall floors; it’s a great way to get some exercise and bond with your dorm mates.

7. Rush!

Greek life offers a house full of frat brothers or sorority sisters and lifelong inclusion to an organization; it’s no wonder fraternities and sororities are so popular. There are all kinds of frats and sororities: social, academic, philanthropic, religious, and honor societies. Visit SPAC for more information on individual groups.  

8. Join a spiritual organization.

For religious and soul-searching students, fellowships and other gatherings occur several nights a week in lecture halls around campus. Search SPAC for more information.

9. Talk to people in your classes.

You’ll gain potential study partners and someone to pass notes with when the lectures get so boring even the Aggie Sudoku isn’t helping you stay awake.

10. Live in the dorms.

It’s the easiest way to meet people, I promise.

11. Most importantly, just be yourself.

College is an opportunity to get away from the drama and cliques of high school. Be who you want to be but be true to yourself.  

For more information on UC Davis, check out OneGate for UC Davis for tips on where to eat, a heads up on biking laws, and other helpful UC Davis websites.

Update: we just kept going. Check out 10 More Ways to Meet People and Get Involved at UC Davis.

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