Life as a Husker

Getting Involved

"How will my student make friends here?"

Involvement is key to creating a network and finding community.

If your student participated in extracurricular activities prior to their arrival at UNL, such as sports, the arts, or leadership organizations, those involvements are transferable to college with a bit of tweaking. If your student wasn't involved in high school, it's not too late! UNL has more than 500 recognized student organizations (RSOs), and if your student can't find one that suits them, they can create their own. Aside from RSOs, it's common to meet people and develop friendships through other avenues like intramural sports or club sports, on-campus jobs, and leadership organizations like student government and Greek Life.

Hi, I'm Carlos! Check out my POV on creating an RSO!

Watch Carlos' POV

POV: Creating an RSO

Hi, I'm Abby! Check out my POV on joining an RSO!

Watch Abby's POV

POV: Joining an RSO

Hi, I'm Jacob! Check out my POV on joining an RSO!

Watch Jacob's POV

POV: Joining an RSO

Is your student interested in joining a Greek organization?

Watch these videos for more info!

Panhellenic Sororities

IFC Fraternities

Multicultural Organizations

What: Student Leadership, Involvement, & Community Engagement oversees Recognized Student Organizations (RSOs), hosts small- and large-scale events, and can help your student get engaged in the community.

Where: 2nd floor of the Nebraska Union on City Campus and 3rd floor of the Nebraska East Union. On the web and on social media @involvedUNL.

How to: Your student can visit NvolveU and log in with their MyRED credentials to begin searching through RSOs and to find events. Students should plan to check out Club Fair and a Campus Night Life event at the beginning of the semester. Students should download their Event Pass in advance!

How much: It's free to join most RSOs, and all events are free to students.

A good starting place for your student is to join two clubs or organizations in their first year: one that is hobby- or social-related, and one that is major- or career-related.

How does my student actually join an RSO?

The formality of RSOs vary by organization, but if your student finds an RSO of interest on NvolveU, they can request to join the group via that platform. Typically, the university will also host a Club Fair at the beginning of each semester, where your student can visit booths hosted by organizations that interest them, and representatives will provide information on upcoming meetings or activities. They may even add your student to their email list or group messaging platform. It's OK for your student to go to an RSO meeting even if they are not 100% sure they want to join the group; meetings will give them a peek inside the organization and help them decide if it's the right fit.

How does my student find RSO events to attend?

UNL's RSOs host thousands of events each year. Attending these events adds value to your student's Husker experience, as they are a great way to meet new friends and find new RSOs to join. To find RSO events, your student can explore the NvolveU Events page, where they can see RSO events that are open to the UNL community. Your student can sort these events by their interests, categories, and perks, like free stuff, and can RSVP to upcoming events to add them to their NvolveU homepage and personal calendar. Your student can also download an Event Pass on NvolveU to quickly scan in to events.

What is the difference between Sport Clubs and Intramural Sports, and how does my student join?

Intramural Sports offer everyone the opportunity to participate, regardless of skill level or prior experience. They are offered with the goal of matching participants with others of similar abilities, and ultimately the leagues involve competitions among other UNL students. The majority of participants play for the social benefits of playing Intramural Sports. While many individuals know whom they want to play with and are able to sign up as a team (residence hall floor, fraternity/sorority, club, or RSO, etc.), there is the option of signing up independently as a "free agent." With this option, individuals are matched on a team with other free agents, or they are “picked up” by a team looking for players to add to a roster.

Your student can sign up for Intramural Sports once the semester starts by visiting the Intramural Sports office, filling out an entry form, and then making an account with IM Leagues, which is the online platform where your student can find available sports and view their schedule once registered.

Sport Clubs present the chance to compete against clubs from other colleges and universities. Each Sport Club has their own competition structure, so the competitiveness and skill level required vary with each club. Many require no experience and simply a willingness to learn and have fun! To learn more, visit the Sport Clubs website, or have your student stop by the Sport Programs Office in the Campus Recreation Center on City Campus.