It is easy for incoming freshmen to be overwhelmed by the hype surrounding a few high-profile student groups and then quickly disheartened by a generic email rejection.

The challenge many underclassmen and even upperclassmen face when trying to find their niche on campus stems not only from a battery of rejection notifications but also the misconceptions that only several select groups provide an exciting social experience and that most of these members were accepted on their first attempt. Adding in the fact that most new students are more accustomed to overachievement than rejection can create an atmosphere of discouragement and isolation.

Fortunately, such an attitude is misguided. There are more than 200 clubs and organizations on campus, and each provides a unique opportunity to connect. Be it in Campus Ministry, The Corp or the Caribbean Cultural Circle, dozens of clubs have the potential to enhance one’s college experience. Though it’s true that some clubs have a larger presence on campus, it is important not to lose sight of what makes getting involved worthwhile: finding a smaller community whose ideas resonate with you within the sometimes-overwhelming setting of a university. And this isn’t always achieved by simply joining the most popular, selective group, but often done through perseverance, even in the face of initial rejection.

If you ask most Georgetown students, they will admit they did not find their niche by submitting a single application. Many applied to the same organization more than once or realized later on that a different club offered a better fit. In either case, underclassmen can take heart in the fact that all Georgetown students who desires to feel like they fit into a larger group have many paths toward doing so.