The first week is finally over. Everyone survived syllabus week (congrats!) and you can finally start getting into the swing of things.

This, fortunately, also includes clubs getting back into the swing of things. Personally, I’m really looking forward to all the theater performances, Hello Dali! shows and attending the student senate meetings.

I love the talent that the actors have in the performances, a good laugh and I love seeing how much students can really impact a university for the betterment of all Eastern students.

I know what you’re thinking: she’s crazy for wanting to do all of that in one week, on top of school and two jobs. I promise you; it isn’t as much as you think.

While student senate meetings are every week at 7 p.m., Hello Dali! is usually every other Thursday at 8 p.m. in the Doudna lecture hall and theater productions can be found on the Doudna website.

The first theater production, Circle Mirror Transformation, is Sept. 29 through Oct. 2 and student tickets are five dollars.As the school year starts to gear up and everything is getting into full swing, I love going a little crazy to get involved in so many things but know it’s impossible (unfortunately).

That, in part, was because I was so anxious about meeting people and gaining new experiences when I transferred here a year ago. So, now that I’m on the other side, here’s some advice I have for those that are in the same boat I was in or don’t know where to begin.

One- do something that is a resume booster. This may be an independent study, an internship, studying abroad, an on-campus job, joining a club, or whatever you can think of. It will be fun, interesting and you will learn a lot about yourself and the world around you.

Two- do something that will make you stand out (not in a bad way). I’m applying to graduate schools this year. One of the schools I’m applying to publishes a resume book for all the second-year graduates as they get ready to graduate and I’ll be honest, these resumes are impressive.

However, many of these graduates were Resident Assistants when they were undergraduates. When applying to graduate schools, I wanted to stand out. If I look the same on paper as everyone else, then what does it mean I’ll get accepted over someone else?

Three- do something that interests you. I love to write, so I thought that joining a club or getting a job that involves writing would be fun and interesting. Now, I’m here writing about news and writing columns involving EIU.

Fourth- if you see someone you recognize, say hi. It’s easier than you think it is, and everyone on campus is really friendly.

Even though it’s scary, I promise you’ll get used to it. Welcome back Panthers. Good luck this semester, you’ll do great!

Katja Benz is a senior English major. She can be reached at kkbenz@eiu.edu or 217-581-2812.