Hobbies in College

Are you interested in pursuing one of your hobbies or activities in college? Think sports, art, music, or even video games. Similar opportunities will exist for everything from theater to agriculture. We strongly recommend that you start researching schools early on because opportunities vary greatly from school to school. We've chosen a few to discuss below, but remember that this list is NOT exhaustive. If you have a hobby you'd like to pursue in college, whether through your major or on the side, talk to your TRiO or GEAR UP advisor and school counselor to learn about some opportunities!

Chase down your passion like it’s the last bus of the night. -Terri Guillemets
Terri Guillemets is a quote anthologist. She's been collecting quotes since she was 13 years old, and she created the website anthology Quote Garden Links to an external site.. Click the image for more information about Terri. Take her as an example of someone who followed her passion!

Clubs on College Campuses

College campuses have tons of clubs, and if there isn't a club for something you'd like, you can create one! Most campuses will have some clubs related to music (think instrument-specific, DJ-related, acapella, or genre-specific), art (think painting, ceramics, film, or jewelry making), gaming, and so much more. Actual club offerings will vary depending on your school, so ask around, check online, or go to your campus' club office and ask them what clubs already exist. To get a feel for clubs available on college campuses, check out Cal Poly Humboldt's club list.

Music

So you're into music, and not just in the listening way? Awesome. There are several ways in which you can continue to pursue your passion.

I think music in itself is healing. It’s an explosive expression of humanity. It’s something we are all touched by. No matter what culture we’re from, everyone loves music. -Billy Joel

Official School-Level Participation: Many schools have official organizations revolved around music. Your school might have an official Marching Band (sometimes housed under the Athletics Department), other band offerings, choir opportunities, and more. Participating at this level will require more commitment on your side, with regular practices, rehearsals, and travel for concerts and competitions. Finding programs will take a bit more research on your part, but your TRiO or GEAR UP advisor and school counselor can help.

Majors/Minors: You can Major and/or Minor in lots of different music-related fields. They will all involve Music Theory, some instrument and/or vocal skills, performance, and so forth. Additionally, you could also add a Business emphasis (handy if you're planning on running your own business teaching lessons, playing shows, songwriting, or anything along those lines) or Music Education emphasis (allowing you to teach in the K-12 system), and those are just two examples. Check out Cal Poly Humboldt's Music Department page for an example of what a Music Department looks like.

Art

Artists, this section is for you! Whether you want to study art in college or continue your hobby, you can find something to help you do so.

Talent is a pursued interest. Anything that you're willing to practice, you can do. -Bob Ross

Art Classes: If you aren't interested in majoring or minoring in Art, you are still able to take Art classes, and they will likely count toward your elective requirements. Start out with introductory courses unless you are already proficient in the basics of a specific type of Art.

Majors/Minors: You can Major and/or Minor in lots of different art-related fields. From Art History to Visual Arts, we encourage you to explore the type of Art you would like to study and find a school with a program that is appealing to you. There are jobs in museums and other art exhibits, curators, restorationists, and K-12 art teachers. While the market for these types of jobs is not large, it does exist; if you choose to pursue this route, do your absolute best to become excellent, and never be afraid to pursue your passion and dreams. Check out Cal Poly Humboldt's Art Department page for one example of what you might find on your campus.

Leadership

There are SO MANY ways to step up into leadership roles in college. We're going to tell you about some of them.

Have passion and pride to be dynamic, distinguished, and extraordinary. -Mirna Lopez Freitag

Club Leadership: Remember the note about clubs above? Within those clubs, the bulk of the work is done by students. Students fill roles such as President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and all sorts of other roles. There might be a Social Media Chair, an Activities Chair, a Communications Chair, and so forth. There are even official Student Government organizations on most campuses is that's more your style.

If you are interested in club leadership, it's a good idea to join the club and participate as a member for a little while first. Once you've been an active participant and understand how the club functions as well as the goals and purpose of the club, ask current leadership about open opportunities. There might be an election process or you might be able to jump right into a role.

Housing: Taking on a leadership role in Campus Housing can be a really amazing opportunity. If you live on campus your freshman year, you'll meet your dorm's student leader. The name of that role varies from campus to campus, but you might hear terms such as Resident Advisor (RA) or Community Advisor (CA). Regardless of the term your school uses, the idea is the same: RAs are older students who (you can't do this job as a freshman) who live in the dorms and serve as your first contact for any crisis, big or small.

If you choose to be an RA, you'll usually have your housing paid for, plus you'll often receive a meal plan and/or a stipend. The perks vary depending on your school, but they are extensive, can help minimize Student Loan debt, and will help you build interpersonal and leadership skills. Cool!

Other Leadership Opportunities (links to examples at various schools):

Video Games

While advising students, we have this conversation all the time:

Advisor: What do you like to do?
Student: Play video games.
Advisor: Cool! What else?
Student: Uh....video games. That's it. Can I do that in college?

The conversation might also include what video games are their favorites, whether they prefer single or multi-player gaming, and so forth, but you get the gist. Maybe you've had that exact conversation with a TRiO or GEAR UP advisor or school counselor. Continue reading this section to read about some cool integrations of college and gaming.

A game is an opportunity to focus our energy, with relentless optimism, at something we’re good at (or getting better at) and enjoy. In other words, gameplay is the direct emotional opposite of depression. -Jane McGonigal, PhD
Jane McGonigal, PhD, "is a world-renowned designer of alternate reality games — or, games that are designed to improve real lives and solve real problems. She believes game designers are on a humanitarian mission — and her #1 goal in life is to see a game developer win a Nobel Peace Prize." Click her image above for more about Jane, and think about playing her ground-breaking game for health, SuperBetter Links to an external site..

Making Gaming Your Career: If you are interested in making a career in the gaming industry, it's possible! Jobs are available in video game design, development, and art, for starters. Video games also need to be marketed and sold. Here is a list of schools Links to an external site. with video game-centered majors.

Campus Communities: Some colleges are even creating gaming-themed housing. Check out Crown College at UC Santa Cruz Links to an external site., featuring the Harvey House for gaming (including board games), outings, and more focused around digital opportunities. If you find any other schools offering gaming-themed housing, let us know and we'll add them here!

E-Gaming: E-gaming is a pretty new field, but it is growing in popularity. Check out these articles on e-gaming and see if it's a path you'd like to pursue: Inside Higher Ed Links to an external site., Venture Beat Links to an external site., and the Center for Digital Education Links to an external site..

Time Management & Video Games

Our guess is that you've heard adults tell you to turn the game off and do your homework more times than you can count. We've had difficult conversations with high school students about prioritizing homework and sleep over gaming, and studies show that this problem gets worse in college. More college students play video games than those who don't (we found data ranging from 2002 Links to an external site. to 2018 Links to an external site. giving numbers from 70% to 85%). General studies show that anywhere from 3-4% Links to an external site. to 12.5% of gamers become addicted. 

Our message: If playing video games is causing you to miss class, miss assignments, or not rest enough to be successful, cut back. We're not saying stop, just cut back. Gaming can be a great hobby, a fun activity to do with friends, and even way to keep your brain moving, but don't let playing stop you from reaching your academic potential.

Bottom Line

You've spent years exploring and cultivating your talents and interests. Going to college and taking on more intense studies does not mean that you need to give up your hobbies. You could choose to pursue careers related to the things you love to do or keep them as fun, relaxing activities to do between commitments. Good luck!

 

Click Next to learn about playing sports in college.