My pigeon-holed view was a true disadvantage and part of why I never branched out past the comfortable social circles I already grew into early on. Three reasons that I couldn’t connect with these other groups were:

Because I was closed off to finding any sort of outside niche, or small, group…especially on a campus/city as gigantic as UT Austin’s it made avoiding shit way too easy. Social stigmas are 100% well and alive across college campuses nationwide. The hesitation to put myself out there is what drove me away from the more academic and/or art-driven clubs. I missed out on developing my creative personality and skill…which oddly enough I now rely on for my PR career. Not many had the social help I did when I started college in a top fraternity. I instantly gained 55 brothers and the shit we went through made us quickly evolve into closely-bonded friends.

I ponder on what might have developed within myself if I would’ve connected with more people. What other friends would I have met if I would have put myself forth more in an attempt to learn and grow with others on campus?

Sure, you can party on the weekend and still make it to class, get laid, and then get your degree…but did you truly sprout into the person you expected to become during college?

Did you play to your strengths and pursue any personal hobbies by joining clubs that stereotypically you wouldn’t? Or did you just have courage by trying as many new things as possible?

No, unfortunately, most don’t reach out or invest much effort towards penetrating new social groups.

When will college campus’ become fully integrated and the dumb and ancient social barriers blocking full communication and diversity be broken down?

We live in a modern and globalized world, so why are our campuses not integrating seamlessly? Why aren’t students from different backgrounds matching up like yin and yang?

When will joining a club be as easy as signing up for Facebook or Insta?

When will the “frat star” confidently become the treasurer of the chess club as well?

We need an intelligent and convenient way for communities of students to reignite our desire to learn, and I think it’s just being friendly.

I hunger for the chance to re-do my freshman year having the knowledge and a more humble attitude I now have.

I know this article can sound obvious, or even like college is a scam. It’s not. I hope any future college freshman, or current college students, GET MORE INVOLVED, and see what you’re really made of. Discover your deep passions, challenge yourself and freaking run with it.

Bottom line and the overlying lesson for this article is to learn from my mistakes. Be all you can be during your short four years, as they tend to fly by.

Right when your time is up reality slaps you in the face pretty damn hard, and you’ll end up sitting at a desk, writing a medium article about how you “could have” done more just like I’m doing now.

So get up, stop staring at your screen, and do more with those around you...in other words, be human.

Cheers,

J. Robert Fallon