You always hear the phrase, “Where do you see yourself in five years?”

The question for the University’s incoming freshmen: “Where do you see yourself in just three years?”

Do you see yourself invested in Bowling Green State University, or do you see yourself transferring after one year?

As the staff of The BG News, we firmly believe being involved outside of the classroom is just as important as going to class. When students become involved with an organization on campus, they lay the foundation for their home in Bowling Green.

Getting involved right away – and staying involved throughout the semester – helps students make an early connection. There are countless organizations to fit any interest.

Sept. 1, the University hosts Campus Fest, where all the on-campus organizations gather near the Union and try to persuade students to join their ranks. Every group will barrage you with information, but don’t feel like you have to sign up for every one. In fact, we recommend you only sign up for the few you can actually see yourself sticking with for months to come.

Many BG News staff members learned about the newspaper because of Campus Fest and getting involved with The BG News resulted in more than just a few newspapers every week.

We prepared ourselves for our careers, whether as journalists, photographers or designers and made an endless amount of connections and friendships along the way.

Interning at the newspaper has allowed us to not focus on schoolwork 24/7. Having a priority outside of the classroom gets students out of their residence halls and into a group of people they can work with in a hands-on environment.

So, what will your investment in the University be?

Will you be the person sitting in their room all day, watching Jersey Shore reruns? Or will you be the person who is jump starting their career early and becoming a valuable member of the University community?

When you graduate, employers will look for more than just a grade point average. They will look for a well-rounded individual.

When you look back at your stay at the University, you won’t remember the nights you sat in your room and studied or the time you went to bed early. You will, however, remember the times you met with a study group and crammed until midnight or the time you were the rowdiest group at the football home opener.

Getting involved will keep your heart in Bowling Green and your eyes toward the future.

Also, you won’t feel out of the loop when someone says “Ay Ziggy Zoomba,” or “Do you remember Sic Sic?” or “What did you do when you were at Bowling Green State University?”