Monday, December 27
Editor: Amy Halperin
Artist: Hayden Erich
It’s that time of year again: Festifall - club booths buzzing with conversation on the Diag, enthusiastic board members waving flyers in prospective members’ faces, and me - and probably you too. It’s time to sign up for clubs! You go up to a club booth and put your uniqname and email on the sign-up sheet (or you scan the QR code if the club really has themselves together). A few hours later, you look at your email and there is a Google Form to fill out: ok, no problem. Wait, this club wants your resume too? AND your transcript? It’s five days into freshman year and the only thing on your resume is your two-week long stint as a Ben & Jerry’s ice cream scooper.
But, you want to get involved so you submit all the required materials for the interview process. And, because you’re interested in business, you head to BBA Meet the Clubs.
You step into the Winter Garden on a Wednesday evening, and there are consulting, banking, and marketing clubs as far as the eye can see. Literally every single person you have ever seen in the Ross Starbucks line is here right now - let the networking games begin!
Part of me is so grateful to have all of these opportunities presented to me almost immediately upon my arrival. But, there is also a part of me, a growing part, that seriously doubts my ability to fit in or simply get into any of these clubs. I think it’s a symptom we all face at some point; life can’t just be game days and tailgates - we have to deal with the hard things too.
I hoped I was not alone, so I asked some friends to share their experiences and advice:
One of my friends Carlie, a computer science major from Scottsdale, Arizona, rushed a pre-professional technology fraternity at the beginning of first semester. She felt pressured to join because “everyone around her told [her] to”. And, as someone new to the technology and coding space, compared to everyone around her, she felt like “she [had] to know everything”. Ultimately, after getting rejected after the application process, as Carlie puts it, her “ego was shot to death”. Offering advice for Carlie and people in a similar situation, Naman Miglani, a BBA freshman involved in Victor's Value Investments and IPO Investing Group, and hailing from my hometown of Atlanta, Georgia stressed the importance of recruiting for a club or rushing a professional fraternity because you want to, not because someone told you to. Ultimately, you will be more fulfilled if you join a club that you are genuinely interested in. Conor Alt, a BBA freshman from outside of Philadelphia, PA echoes Naman in the recognition that clubs are not the end of the world. Clubs are not make or break and if you “get down on yourself” about the process “it’s not going to be fun”, and getting into a club or a business fraternity will feel more like a “relief” rather than a new community to be excited about and thankful for.
Similarly, Remi Williamson, a sophomore from New York City, NY, excited to be back on campus after a “painful” freshman year on Zoom, “thought [the rush process] was kind of dumb” and “unnatural”, but ultimately, everyone in the club is just like her, so she had no reason to be intimidated, even after her initial rejection. She knows that there are other opportunities all over campus.
Finally, we go to the sage advice of Alex Guberman, a BBA freshman from New York City, NY, and a current pledge of the Phi Beta Lambda professional business fraternity. Alex knows how “terrible” the process can be, especially the sheer size and overload of BBA Meet the Clubs. Rushing a business or pre-professional fraternity is “complicated and you get the stress of regular greek life rush in addition to feeling like, ‘oh am I not smart enough, am I not professional enough?’”. And, “When you are in that toxic environment of Ross and all of that pressure and all of that competition, it can be hard to feel good about yourself”. These feelings of not being good enough, “although that’s not what business is trying to do, it is definitely a side effect,”. Alex says she is “proud of herself”for choosing not to change anything about herself throughout the rush process, possibly one of the most important pieces of advice both in the recruitment process and life.
My Final Bit:
My Emotions
Through the entire club recruiting process, my emotions looked like a cosine graph - troughs, peaks, positives, negatives, and everything in between. When I didn’t get into the club that I wanted and my two close friends did, I automatically reasoned that I had failed and that I was not doing the right thing. I think when it comes to this process, especially within Ross, we have to recognize our own unique achievements. For me, I am proud that I immersed myself into highly social situations where I did not know anyone to attempt to form a connection. A year ago, I think I would have refused (in fact, I’m pretty sure I did). We have to deal with rejection because it is a part of life - and that’s ok. We will always recover if we remind ourselves how amazing each little achievement is.
My Advice
No one actually knows what they are doing - embrace this
People show up to these events after class, when they are tired, hungover, you name it. They just have to come because they are part of the organization. They just do their best. And that is all you have to do too. Your best.
Join because it is the best thing for you, not because someone told you to
As Naman and Conor put it, this process is, at its core, low stakes and ideally fun. But, it won’t be rewarding if you are there for the wrong reasons or if it feels forced. Again, the process can be emotionally and mentally exhausting, but, if you are there because you truly believe you belong there and are enthusiastic about being a part of the organization, the process will work itself out. Trust the process.
BELIEVE IN YOURSELF AND STAY TRUE TO WHO YOU ARE (or fake it until you make it)
People can tell when you doubt yourself, and it affects how you portray yourself. If you want to be part of something, you have to believe that you can. You HAVE to believe and maintain your authentic self because that is when you will feel the most accepted. When we feel like we belong, we will be more motivated and successful. You will be proud of yourself, like Alex, if you remain true to yourself and don’t change who you are to align with what you think organizations are looking for.
Good luck to everyone who is planning on going through this process - you can do it and you are worthy - don’t ever forget that!