So Many Emails, So Many Opportunities
I think the great thing about being a Newhouse student is that there is always something to do that has nothing to do with class work. If you are looking for ways to have an active social life do not worry. Student activities within Newhouse will take care of that and the proof is in the emails.
However, you may be surprised by the amount of emails that await you between your classes and student activities. Take comfort in the amount as hopefully it will do for you what it did for me which was to remind me why I wanted to be a student here. As much as it may have felt overwhelming at times to see so many emails, it warmed my heart because all I kept thinking of was opportunity. At Newhouse, the opportunities to learn skills on your own outside of class while bonding with fellow students in your own way is indeed endless. The best part is that you even can create new opportunities yourself.
In fact, I encourage anyone reading this to create opportunities, as well as join in on whatever you are interested in as long as you have the time to do so. Please do not overwhelm yourself with additional things. However, I encourage this because while it is important to engage with the undergrad students it is equally important to create many spaces for graduate students. Finite is the way to describe our time as graduate students here. How you spend your time outside of class is crucial to helping to shape your experience at Newhouse and the university. So, getting involved on campus outside of class can be just the motivational boost needed when having to deal with a tough time in class.
For me, whenever I saw the emails about different opportunities, I was both excited and disappointed. I was disappointed because my schedule did not always provide the time to actively be involved but I knew there were ways to do so. One way is by simply emailing the leaders of the various student publications like the independent student newspaper Daily Orange or other student media groups and publications such as magazines like Baked or Medley. If you know, like I did, that you want to get involved but cannot make it, simply emailing creates a connection and provides a chance to get involved. For me it helped, and I am glad that I did.
The many emails that will flood your inbox are simply there to remind you that when you need a break from class there is something to do that may fill you up where your classes cannot. It may help to spark a new interest or awaken something you put down a long time ago. It may lead to new friends that are not in your cohort or maybe even a future job contact. I strongly suggest not looking at many emails that will fill your inbox as “another email” but rather as an invitation to do something different.
