★ Get Involved at Notre Dame! ★
A bit of extra-curricular advice...
It can be rather overwhelming to pick which clubs, activities, and events are right for you! So many service, arts, sports, research, and hall council extra-curricular activities are great opportunities to meet new friends, pursue your passions, deepen your faith, and generally craft your college experience. Don’t feel too much pressure to find the perfect activities right away, though. It’s alright if it takes you a semester or two to find your niche. Given that, be bold, try new things and try many things, but do remember to give the time needed for sleep, eating, personal time, and of course academics! Good time management and self-care are skills and habits that can make the rest of your adult life better if you practice mastering them in college. It is often better to care for yourself and to do a few things well than to do many things poorly.
There is ALWAYS something going on at Notre Dame. Visit the official Calendar of Events to see what's happening on campus today!
PE events ★
See the Hall Council portion of the website for more information. There are many opportunities to serve, lead, play and learn in hall council events. One great way to connect with the Pyro community is to serving as a Eucharistic minister, choir member, or lector at PE Sunday evening mass.
Clubs ★
There is a club for everyone on this campus. Can't find the one you want? Create it yourself! Activities Night gives you the chance to browse all the possible clubs (the date will be set early in the year). Every club on campus will have its own booth (and usually some pamphlets or free stuff) and tell you all about their organization.
Some clubs are: Archery Club, Climbing Club, Compassionate Care in Medicine Club, Handbell Choir, Ultimate Frisbee, Figure Skating, and Campus Ministry’s Compass, Anchor, and Iron Sharpens Iron groups.
Find even more exciting ways to get involved on campus by exploring everything the Student Activities Office (SAO) has to offer!
Service ★
The constant and voluntary involvement in service is one of the most unique and rewarding aspects of our school. Whether you're interested in building and repairing houses with Habitat for Humanity or working with children in the Big Brother Big Sisters Organization, there will be something for you. If you aren't quite sure what you want to do yet, check out Circle K (we're on their home page - peep the PE shirt in the middle!), which offers a myriad of opportunities in service. Also, Geddes Hall, home of the Center for Social Concerns (CSC) has some great programs and seminars that can help you get involved in service. Don't forget about the service projects offered over Fall and Spring Break in various places such as Appalachia, New York City, and Washington DC. ND also offers social justice clubs, such as the Right to Life Club. Campus Ministry (located in Coleman Morse Building) also has a treasure-grove of faith-building groups and events, including the highly recommended Freshman Retreat.
Arts ★
Are you an actor, singer, or dancer? If you're interested in being in a choir or the band, there are plenty of opportunities. Auditions for the official Band of the Fighting Irish, Liturgical Choir, Folk Choir, Handbell Choir, concert band, etc. are very early in the semester or even during Welcome Weekend itself-so look into them now if you're interested! The Theatre Department will hold auditions. Get involved with cast or crew - it's a great way to meet people! Also, our own very PE is home to the Pasquerilla East Musical Company (PEMCO), which produces excellent musical theater on campus-recent shows include The Wedding Singer and Legally Blonde the Musical. Dancers, look into the Swing Club or even try out for the Pom Squad! Become a Glee Club Groupie and swoon at the Undertones (an a capella group) in concert. Anyone who loves music, make sure to check out the various artists coming to Legends, Notre Dame's on-campus nightclub, each weekend.
Sports ★
Football - You probably know about the Notre Dame football reputation already. With 11 national championships and 7 Heisman winners in its storied history, Notre Dame has had an excellent football program for decades. During fall semester, football is inescapable; campus will suddenly swell with crowds of people on Friday afternoons as fans gear up for Saturday games. Throughout the weekend, there are special events on campus, which you can find at gameday.nd.edu. There is always a pep rally on Friday evening before home games; this is the time for dorms to show up with full spirit! Pyros who go to pep rallies wear red, paint faces and walk over together with the new PE flag. At the end of the football season there is an award for the dorm with most spirit and participation. Another great home game tradition is Drummer’s Circle; at the stroke of midnight on Friday night, the percussion section of the marching band performs under the lights of the Golden Dome on God Quad.
Most games start at 3:30pm on Saturday, although not all will. Students stand doing cheers and singing songs during games, although they sit at halftime to watch the incredible marching band’s show. When the team gets a touchdown, the student section erupts in modified pushups (which involve throwing friends into the air; you’ll know it when you see it!) After the games, the dining hall serves an extra-delicious candlelight dinner. Even if you claim not to be a big football fan, you might be surprised at how fun the community atmosphere can be and how you might grow to become one!
Besides football, there are so many other great teams to cheer on, such as soccer, hockey, swimming, baseball, and lacrosse. If you're interested in more than just watching, and want to play sports try out for a varsity sport - it might help if you contact a coach as soon as you can to let them know who you are and that you are interested. Club sports are also a great option. PE offers a ton of fun interhall sports, such as Pyro football (which is coached by varsity players!), volleyball, cross country, soccer and ping pong, which allows you keep active while being on a team with less time commitment than a club or varsity sport. RecSports also offers opportunities to participate on coed teams and many classes (such as Zumba, beginning/intermediate ballet, and yoga) are offered in at the Smith Center in Duncan Student Center.
Employment ★
There is a job board on insideND where some jobs are posted, although there are also many other avenues to getting hired as a student worker. Au Bon Pain, Starbucks, the Huddle, Hesburgh Library, the Snite Museum, the Center for Social Concerns, North and South Dining Hall, the Writing Center and many other areas on campus employ students. Many students work as managers for varsity sports teams, as tutors for a class they took the previous semester, as admissions and Eck Center tour guides, as research assistants, and as undergraduate teaching assistants (TAs). Additionally, the university hires students to stay an extra week and work commencement activities right after school ends in May. Make sure to bring either a passport or birth certificate to campus if you plan to get a job. HR needs this to put you into the ND system and will not accept copies!
It can be rather overwhelming to pick which clubs, activities, and events are right for you! So many service, arts, sports, research, and hall council extra-curricular activities are great opportunities to meet new friends, pursue your passions, deepen your faith, and generally craft your college experience. Don’t feel too much pressure to find the perfect activities right away, though. It’s alright if it takes you a semester or two to find your niche. Given that, be bold, try new things and try many things, but do remember to give the time needed for sleep, eating, personal time, and of course academics! Good time management and self-care are skills and habits that can make the rest of your adult life better if you practice mastering them in college. It is often better to care for yourself and to do a few things well than to do many things poorly.
There is ALWAYS something going on at Notre Dame. Visit the official Calendar of Events to see what's happening on campus today!
PE events ★
See the Hall Council portion of the website for more information. There are many opportunities to serve, lead, play and learn in hall council events. One great way to connect with the Pyro community is to serving as a Eucharistic minister, choir member, or lector at PE Sunday evening mass.
Clubs ★
There is a club for everyone on this campus. Can't find the one you want? Create it yourself! Activities Night gives you the chance to browse all the possible clubs (the date will be set early in the year). Every club on campus will have its own booth (and usually some pamphlets or free stuff) and tell you all about their organization.
Some clubs are: Archery Club, Climbing Club, Compassionate Care in Medicine Club, Handbell Choir, Ultimate Frisbee, Figure Skating, and Campus Ministry’s Compass, Anchor, and Iron Sharpens Iron groups.
Find even more exciting ways to get involved on campus by exploring everything the Student Activities Office (SAO) has to offer!
Service ★
The constant and voluntary involvement in service is one of the most unique and rewarding aspects of our school. Whether you're interested in building and repairing houses with Habitat for Humanity or working with children in the Big Brother Big Sisters Organization, there will be something for you. If you aren't quite sure what you want to do yet, check out Circle K (we're on their home page - peep the PE shirt in the middle!), which offers a myriad of opportunities in service. Also, Geddes Hall, home of the Center for Social Concerns (CSC) has some great programs and seminars that can help you get involved in service. Don't forget about the service projects offered over Fall and Spring Break in various places such as Appalachia, New York City, and Washington DC. ND also offers social justice clubs, such as the Right to Life Club. Campus Ministry (located in Coleman Morse Building) also has a treasure-grove of faith-building groups and events, including the highly recommended Freshman Retreat.
Arts ★
Are you an actor, singer, or dancer? If you're interested in being in a choir or the band, there are plenty of opportunities. Auditions for the official Band of the Fighting Irish, Liturgical Choir, Folk Choir, Handbell Choir, concert band, etc. are very early in the semester or even during Welcome Weekend itself-so look into them now if you're interested! The Theatre Department will hold auditions. Get involved with cast or crew - it's a great way to meet people! Also, our own very PE is home to the Pasquerilla East Musical Company (PEMCO), which produces excellent musical theater on campus-recent shows include The Wedding Singer and Legally Blonde the Musical. Dancers, look into the Swing Club or even try out for the Pom Squad! Become a Glee Club Groupie and swoon at the Undertones (an a capella group) in concert. Anyone who loves music, make sure to check out the various artists coming to Legends, Notre Dame's on-campus nightclub, each weekend.
Sports ★
Football - You probably know about the Notre Dame football reputation already. With 11 national championships and 7 Heisman winners in its storied history, Notre Dame has had an excellent football program for decades. During fall semester, football is inescapable; campus will suddenly swell with crowds of people on Friday afternoons as fans gear up for Saturday games. Throughout the weekend, there are special events on campus, which you can find at gameday.nd.edu. There is always a pep rally on Friday evening before home games; this is the time for dorms to show up with full spirit! Pyros who go to pep rallies wear red, paint faces and walk over together with the new PE flag. At the end of the football season there is an award for the dorm with most spirit and participation. Another great home game tradition is Drummer’s Circle; at the stroke of midnight on Friday night, the percussion section of the marching band performs under the lights of the Golden Dome on God Quad.
Most games start at 3:30pm on Saturday, although not all will. Students stand doing cheers and singing songs during games, although they sit at halftime to watch the incredible marching band’s show. When the team gets a touchdown, the student section erupts in modified pushups (which involve throwing friends into the air; you’ll know it when you see it!) After the games, the dining hall serves an extra-delicious candlelight dinner. Even if you claim not to be a big football fan, you might be surprised at how fun the community atmosphere can be and how you might grow to become one!
Besides football, there are so many other great teams to cheer on, such as soccer, hockey, swimming, baseball, and lacrosse. If you're interested in more than just watching, and want to play sports try out for a varsity sport - it might help if you contact a coach as soon as you can to let them know who you are and that you are interested. Club sports are also a great option. PE offers a ton of fun interhall sports, such as Pyro football (which is coached by varsity players!), volleyball, cross country, soccer and ping pong, which allows you keep active while being on a team with less time commitment than a club or varsity sport. RecSports also offers opportunities to participate on coed teams and many classes (such as Zumba, beginning/intermediate ballet, and yoga) are offered in at the Smith Center in Duncan Student Center.
Employment ★
There is a job board on insideND where some jobs are posted, although there are also many other avenues to getting hired as a student worker. Au Bon Pain, Starbucks, the Huddle, Hesburgh Library, the Snite Museum, the Center for Social Concerns, North and South Dining Hall, the Writing Center and many other areas on campus employ students. Many students work as managers for varsity sports teams, as tutors for a class they took the previous semester, as admissions and Eck Center tour guides, as research assistants, and as undergraduate teaching assistants (TAs). Additionally, the university hires students to stay an extra week and work commencement activities right after school ends in May. Make sure to bring either a passport or birth certificate to campus if you plan to get a job. HR needs this to put you into the ND system and will not accept copies!