Filling free time may be as simple as joining a club, organization or creating a new one.

Ceci Brinker, director of the Student Life Office, said there are more than 200 clubs and organization for students to get involved with to fill their free time.

“I believe there is something that fits every student’s on this campus if they are willing to initiate and start something,” Brinker said.

Brinker said students can also join fee-driven organization like student government and the University Board.

“They learn how to deal with a budget, how to market, how to organize an event,” Brinker said. “It also improves their communication skills and leadership skills.”

Another way to get involved is by participating in events that are at the Student Recreation Center.

Brinker said a major way for students to get involved is by showing their school spirit.

“Showing school spirit and going to athletic events is a great way to get involved,” Brinker said.

She said students can find on-campus clubs they are interested in by visiting the Student Life Office or the registered student organizations list on the Student Life website.

“(Students’) outside-the-classroom experiences will make them a much more rounded person who’s competing in the real world,” Brinker said. “They’ve experienced different things; they’ve worked with different people.”

Brinker said extracurricular activities can take up the time that students do not use in class or studying.

“Students are only in class an average of three to six hours and there are 24 hours a day, so there is a vast amount of free time that students have to account for,” Brinker said.

Elena Scoggin, a senior English major, said she was a member of the English Club and is thinking about rejoining spring semester.

Scoggin said she finds other ways of getting involved by seeing what events are taking place.

“Anytime I see something fun or interesting, I try to schedule it in,” Scoggin said.

Scoggin said because students are away from home, they need something to do to fill their free time.

“If you live on campus, it’s easy to get bored and lonely,” Scoggin said. “Yeah, we have homework, but that doesn’t take up 24 hours a day.”

Rachel Fisher, director of Student Community Service, said another great way to get involved on campus is by volunteering through Student Community Service.

Student Community Service is designed to allow students interested in specific topics to take their passion and positively express it, Fisher said.

“What’s really great about a lot of different options and different ways to get involved on campus that with so many different venues, you can really find what you are passionate about,” Fisher said. “And you can also try some things.”

She also said by volunteering, students live up to Eastern’s name.

“It is what it means to be EIU,” Fisher said. “We are living our legacy and part of our legacy is service.”

To get involved with volunteering students can email volunteer@eiu.edu and they will be placed on a list to receive a weekly letter with upcoming volunteer opportunities.

“(Service) gives students the opportunity to fully discover who you really are and who you really want to be,” Fisher said.

Brinker said student involvement has less to do with the opportunities given and more to do with the drive of individual students.

“The key to students getting involved is they have to take the initiative,” Brinker said. “There is a vast amount of opportunities for involvement, but students have to knock on the door of opportunity.”

Students that want to start their own RSO have to find a faculty sponsor and at least 10 other students, Brinker said.

Rachel Fenner, a sophomore English major, said the main thing she does on campus is go to the Student Recreation Center.

“All I do is go to the (Rec Center), but there are always posters all over campus,” Fenner said. “If I really wanted to go, all I have to do is look.”

Alison Faller, a senior biology major, said she gets involved by doing undergraduate research and getting involved in departmental organizations.

“I am getting involved with the American Chemical Society raising money for the vandalism in the chemistry labs,” Faller said.

Fisher said students can also build life-long friendships through community service.

“Some students meet first year at service projects and three years later they are roommates,” Fisher said.

Scoggin said extracurricular activities allows students to connect outside of the classroom and eliminates the lonely feelings that can come with entering college.

“It’s important not to be isolated, because we are all away from home,” Scoggin said.

Faller said she likes getting involved because she gets to meet new people and faculty members.

“You get a sense of being a part of something, a group,” Faller said.

Samantha McDaniel can be reached at 581-2812 or slmcdaniel@eiu.edu.