There is a certain tension in classrooms here at Skyline College. It seems like most students come to school, do what they need to do for themselves, and then leave without interacting with anyone in their classes.

Everyone comes to school and then leaves as if they want to get out as fast as they can. Professors tend to think that students will create their own study groups within classes, but in reality, not many people do.

We would rather focus one hundred percent of our attention on the content we are taught by professors, but what about the person next to you doing the exact same thing? Knowing the material is important for test time but sharing your opinions and hearing other points of view can help you learn about the people around you and even minimize stress.

Socializing with people in your classes can make you feel more engaged in school and like you are part of something bigger. It can make you feel less bored in class and may even lead to forming meaningful relationships over time.

Some community college students may feel like community college is not a “real” college experience. They do not feel like they need to participate on campus activities because of this. Also, many students might also be parents, or have families that they need to attend to. This can lead to students missing class or going straight to their car after class.

This couldn’t be anymore false. Community College is a real college experience, because you are in a real college campus and getting real college credits. There are also students that come from many backgrounds, many people have many different reasons for attending community college after high school.

According to Ryan Samn the Student Life & Leadership Assistant for the Center for Student Life and Leadership Development at Skyline College, there are about 48 clubs active in the Fall 2019 semester. Ryan also says there are 10 on Hiatus until Spring 2020.

Over the last 3 years Ryan has also noticed that many of the clubs on campus that have many members are clubs that are centered around heritage. Such as the Latin American Student Organization which is the club with the most members with about 60 students.

The Filipino Student Union has 35 people in their club, which is the second largest club at Skyline and the club with the least number of students is the Sexuality and Gender Alliance with less than 10 members.

Ryan also noticed that the majority of students who participate in campus activities tend to be the same group of people every semester. This would imply that not many other people are participating in student activities or joining clubs on campus.

Being an active member of campus can help students academically, it can also allow Skyline students to get to know one another and be even more engaged in the campus community. And just because you are in one club does not mean you cannot participate in another.

Some of the other clubs on campus include the Environmental Club, the Philosophy Club, Ceramics Club, Bits and Bytes Programming club and the Dance Honor Society. These are clubs that could be joined aside from your heritage club because they pertain to other studies and focuses.

Socializing regularly with the people in your classes can help create friendships over time. A classroom full of people is a perfect opportunity for starting up a conversation with the person next to you. Group work doesn’t have to be a drag. These are opportunities to create those meaningful friendships that could even benefit you as a student when you ask for help or study together.

Joining a club can help you become a part of something bigger on campus. It can make your time here, whether its for 2 years or more, a bit more exciting. If you have issues, Skyline Campus offers assistance such as the health center. Sparkpoint can help you build and establish credit or help you receive benefits such as childcare.

Truly, it is important to make your time on campus more meaningful, give yourself more time to create new relationships. It is a way to make you feel included, which is what we all want deep down inside.