Campus Involvement

This blog post is an excerpt from IVO's We Gaucho Back: UCSB Freshman Student Guide

Campus involvement at UCSB is, much like the student population: relatively diverse. UCSB does a great job providing a space in which students can learn and grow outside of just a textbook.

Clubs

Some of the mainstream areas of involvement revolve around the bevy of clubs presented within specific majors. A few examples of this would be the Screenwriting club within the Film and Media Studies major as well as IEEE for Electrical and Computer Engineering students.

As far as major-specific clubs go, we highly recommend that you search within your classes by asking fellow students, as they potentially overheard or were introduced to some of the clubs you have yet to hear of. Chances are, you will also be introduced to clubs within your major thanks to in-class announcements often presented by members of these clubs.

If you’re seeking a club atmosphere that isn’t necessarily restricted by major, there are a wide range of clubs throughout campus that aren’t tied to one specific major. Some clubs to keep in mind include Improvability, Ultimate Frisbee Club, and Fencing Club. 

A good way to be informed of club opportunities can be found via Kiosks posted throughout campus. These are usually dressed to the brim with everything from club invites to work opportunities, such as tutoring or even babysitting. These Kiosks can be found everywhere on campus, but it is also important to keep in mind the advertisements throughout The Arbor and the University Center, which we simply have dubbed The UCen — we abbreviate almost everything here, just some unwarranted advice that seemed pertinent right now. Anyway, the UCen and Arbor are great for meeting people and getting club information quickly; however, any UCSB student or alumni will recommend a pair of headphones at the arbor, as this is a site where unwarranted solicitations are rather frequent. 

Additionally, the Campus Involvement Fair is usually held at the beginning of each school year at Storke Plaza, between Storke Tower and the UCen. Here, you can find aa wide range of clubs tabling, eager to welcome you to the school.

You'll obviously find some good resources through UCSB's Getting Involved page, which will direct you to the list of groups on their Shoreline Resource page, allowing you to sort, explore, and fid the purpose of each group!