Best student orgs on campus (joining available for spring 2016)?

SEC is prob the best group engineering majors can join, members are the best of the engineering bunch. You'll have to apply, but if you're accepted there are plenty of academic and networking benefits, and SEC is definitely a tight-knit group with some fun social events too. They're an official organization sponsored by the university and they also host some of the biggest engineering events during the year.

SWE is also a great place to start! Included in your dues are a free meal every other Tuesday which might not seem all that important now but after you move off campus it's definitely convenient haha. Meeting people early on in your same engineering discipline is pretty important too as the material increases in difficulty you'll already have a nice network to study and collaborate with.

I'd recommend joining groups where you already have common interests or are genuinely curious as a start, you'll find it easier to mesh with people rather than feeling somewhat forced to socialize. If you're interested in any sororities certainly test the waters and see if it's for you, they can be great if your intentions are in the right place. I'd be wary of indoctrination as some people only seek out organizations for a sense of belonging, and (no offense, ignorance is bliss, to each his/her own) that's pretty fake. Along those lines, also be aware of groups who are literally just looking to recruit more people to fund and grow their organization and their own interests. Just my two cents. For as many excellent student orgs being run, there is an equal number of amateur ones posing as something greater.

In general imo the best way to go about this is to be outgoing and do your best to make genuine friends during your own university adventures. If they're a part of an organization they're passionate about, then check 'em out, and odds are you'll find like-minded people and more of "your crowd".

And as a disclaimer, yeah there's a little bit of bias in this but just wrote this as food for thought, I just have a lot of friends in the organizations I've mentioned but wasn't an official member of any of them, and though I have a handful of greek friends I've rushed and it wasn't for me. Hope this helps!

/r/UTAustin Thread