So many colleges, so many students… Variety is the spice of student’s life! And it heavily depends on the way school activities are organized. A good campus is the one offering a wide range of everyday activities that will easily distract any teen from living it up. Instead of wasting time in front of online games and silly videos, each student has a unique opportunity of joining some student’s community and make a go of it. Under these activities, I mean sports and recreation, special events and holidays celebrations, on-campus gigs, fun games, clubs, culture (theatre, music, literature), health care, accommodation, and meal taking. Student’s life is closely connected with each of the mentioned elements. In order to avoid feeling like a fish out of water, a good campus has to be provided with careful treatment of every aspect of student’s life.

Basically, campus is student’s second home. It is the shelter even for those living at home. First and for most, only a campus with excellent safety control is capable of making a hit. Hiring plenty of guards as well as installing all the latest security measures stand to reason.

Planning lays in the heart of any successful campus organization. This stage is especially crucial while preparing some event. E.g., Halloween party, Christmas Eve or Prom night. People leading the university life have to be splendid psychologists and strategists at the same time. Their primary goal is to involve as many students as possible into various ongoing activities. It is believed that best Management class students are the one to supervise college life. Anyway, here is a brief guideline describing how to set up all kinds of special events for students.

Just as in business, each event begins with an idea. Some of them may be related to official holidays celebrations, but some can be dedicated to the events which make sense only to the students of a particular institution, or even a separate group of people (i.e., local “Alpha” or “Zeta” community, cheerleading team, math club, etc.) The name and time schedule should be set four weeks prior to the “judgment day”.

The first thing to take care of is the expenditures part. To avoid falling face down in the dirt, it is critical to forecast the potential costs. The group of people responsible for the event organization has to make all necessary calculations to see if any sponsorship is needed. In the case, additional financials are required, one more week is recommended to be given in advance. There are a lot of organizations financing student’s events at solid discounts. Try to search for one in the list of your university’s partnerships. Another option is to contact Student Government Finance Committee.

Next, space is a great deal too. It’s important to count how many students will possibly come. It’s easy to do when the party is closed, but there should be enough space for all students on, let’s say, general Thanksgiving celebration. Reservations staff is usually responsible for this sort of things. Set-up and clean-up time must be taken into account.

While registering an event, follow the instructions below.

• Include its name, date, time and length;
• Briefly describe the event (reasons, target audience, format, etc.);
• Specify the location;
• Define the number of visitors;
• Add an admission charge information (if suitable);
• Mention the activities to be taken during the event;
• List all the food and beverages;
• Tell if any other services will be needed (music band performance, fireshow, professional actors staging etc.)

As a rule, there should be a kind of Event Registration System for that purpose.

Sign all the contracts with all external participants of the party.

It is also important to think of the promotion strategy and distribution channels. By the way, it turns into a valuable experience in the future. In addition, on-campus marketing unites students by involving them into one process. Usually, each gig or party is waited with a bated breath by most of the students. So, there will be no problem with engaging some help.

All is left to do now is monitoring the corresponding message board. An information regarding any related meetings can be posted there. Keep in mind one “Golden rule”: the success of your party depends on the number of volunteers you manage to get.

To persuade you in joining on-campus activities, I will highlight pros once more:

• Networking. Looking for a devoted friend to share your interests? Then campus is the right place. Later, you can even open a topical club.
• Social skills development. Having some problems with classmates? By getting in touch with students of different ages from other faculties, the one obtains a chance to improve his communication and become more confident.
• “From zero to hero” concept. Even a student quaking in his boots before each public performance can gain the acknowledgment by organizing own community or a noisy party.
• Professional experience. Taking active part in student’s life require a lot of skills useful for potential career. Many successful businessmen are raised from the most active on-campus students. Just think of it: while setting up some appointment or event, the student has to pass through the same stages as most managers, market analysts and even accountants do.
• Alumni networking. It is, probably, the most commonly met issue in academic language. Bringing in alumni makes it possible for them to share the experience. It includes all types of challenges you might face in the future like graduate exams or admission essays. Via alumni, a student can even find an internship or a part-time job.
• Just for fun. No, really. A leisure has to work hand in glove with the studying. And, as they say, “Friendship isn’t a big thing – it’s a million little things.” A college life is the best period to start building strong relations. It does not matter whether we’re talking about first true friend or beloved one, it’s never too late to begin new relationships on campus.

Campus life is exactly the thing which makes American educational system so unique. This phenomenon cannot be found in Slovenian or African culture. That’s why any American college or university has to pay off its name by suggesting the best conditions and exciting student life.