As a school with a limited Greek life presence, clubs are the pillar of Georgetown’s social scene. Maybe you’ll make friends for life in your clubs. Maybe you’ll dramatically quit one. Perhaps you’ll rise through the ranks and eventually lead one. No matter how it turns out, you’ll almost certainly join a few of them over the next four years.
For many, these clubs easily become their whole lives—the people you meet end up being not only coworkers but also roommates, toxic lovers, best friends, and even enemies. For others, being in a club is a full-time job with zero compensation and even worse funding. Some may be such casual members of a club they forget they’re even in it. Your first step on this wild ride is the Council of Advisory Boards (CAB) Fair, Georgetown’s club fair.
On Aug. 29, you’ll be surrounded by tables of upperclassmen, laptops in hand, waving free stickers at you to get your attention, ready to take down your NetID and bombard you with emails for the next four years of your life. It can be overwhelming, so here are some tips to help you get the most out of CAB Fair.
Keep an open mind!
Clubs exist for more than padding your resume—take a chance and try something fresh and exciting! Don’t worry about experience; you’d be surprised at how many clubs are full of beginners.
The tables at CAB Fair are organized by category: academic, interest, faith-based, service, media, cultural, sports, and arts. Try to check out at least one table in each section. The best combinations are a balance of competitive professional opportunities and the utterly unserious. Whether you’re pairing Hilltop Consultants with the anime club or student government with Survivor Georgetown, dedicate yourself to having fun, building community, and trying new things. Building community can also start in affinity groups like the Muslim Students Association, GU Ukrainian Society, Georgetown’s Queer People of Color, and more.
Be generous with your sign-ups
When it comes to putting your name down at CAB Fair, more is more. Keeping track of meetings, social events, and application deadlines can quickly become complicated, and some really cool opportunities can easily slip through the cracks. When you put down your name and email address at a club’s table, that club’s communications will go straight to your inbox so you don’t miss out!
Or, if flooding your inbox is too stressful, drop a follow on Instagram or join the GroupMe for any and all clubs that seem interesting to you. That way, you can keep track of who else is involved, get reminders for big events, and see what kind of work they do. Don’t be afraid to DM an account if you forgot to get on their email list or misplaced a flyer—showing initiative goes a long way.
Maximize your free swag
You might have heard that the college experience is about falling in love with academia, making friends to last a lifetime, or preparing for your real adult job. We’re here to tell you that it is none of the above. That’s because college is about getting free stuff.
Over the next four years at Georgetown, you’ll run into countless opportunities to score free stickers, free boba, free everything. Capitalize on them, dear freshman. CAB Fair will likely be your first step into this world of gratuitous offerings, and our advice to you is to dive right in. For starters? Bring a bag—you’re going to need somewhere to store your loot. Follow our advice above, smile encouragingly while a club leader enthusiastically delivers their pitch for the 78th time, get your name on that newsletter, and you’ll have earned the right to get that free T-shirt that you’ve been eyeing.
Follow through
If you are even remotely interested in a club, you should immediately add their first interest meeting to your calendar. It might be five minutes after your Econ recitation, and you might have no idea where the meeting room is, but it’s worth showing up. Actually attending a club meeting is the best way to meet new people, get some face time with the leadership, and get a real sense of the club’s social environment.
Another thing to note: you probably spent a good portion of last year writing essays and answering the question, “Why us?” and we regret to inform you that your time spent filling out applications did not end with your college acceptance. Certain Georgetown clubs, especially pre-professional ones and those that come with a paid position, can be competitive. Application season will begin directly after CAB Fair, so be sure to note when deadlines are. Try to apply to as many clubs as you’re interested in and can write essays for—until you can’t take it anymore. Finally, immediately following—and even worse than application season—is rejection season. Be prepared for bad news, but don’t let it stop you from reapplying or heading in a new direction.
That being said, there are also plenty of clubs that are open access (including a certain campus news magazine whose website you may or may not be lurking on).
Once you’re done making your rounds around the fair, dump out your tote bag. If what you have in front of you is a decent selection of flyers and QR codes—alongside a plentiful haul of candy, laptop stickers, and a variety of campus swag you’ll never wear—you can be officially ordained as having conquered CAB Fair. Congratulations!
