As the fourth week of classes draws to a close, it can be useful to think about how your first month of the 2018 college school year has measured up to your expectations—and how it can be improved. Have you met new people? Are you getting the most out of your time on campus? Are you taking advantage of all the resources provided to and by the student body? If the answers to these questions are not all enthusiastic yesses, then even though you are on the best college campus in the country, you are missing out on a lot. And the easiest way to do all three is to join a club.

If, like most freshmen, you signed up for dozens of email lists at various activities fairs and have been putting the subsequent email blasts in your spam folder ever since, now would be the best time to give one a chance. Student groups are still in the recruitment-phase and love seeing new faces. Even if you just attend a general body meeting to see what a group is all about, you will never know what could be “your thing” if you don’t show up.

If you applied for a specific interest group, and didn’t make the cut, don’t get discouraged! With over 650 groups on Washington University Group Organizer (WUGO), the missions of student groups frequently overlap. If a cappella didn’t work out, get involved with the productions in Edison Theatre. If you didn’t size up for powerlifting, try club rowing or rugby. If you weren’t able to be a teaching assistant this semester, try again in the spring.

If you are worried about the time commitment, don’t be. There is an admirable, but ultimately harmful, perfectionist attitude amongst Wash. U. students to do everything either to the max or not at all. If you don’t excel at something or can’t devote all your energy to something, then it is still worth doing. There is no shame in being unabashedly bad at something, in devoting your time to a hobby you enjoy or in participating in activities not connected to your career goals. Doing all of these things are not just parts of college (and life), they are the best part.

There is a reason the idea that “college is a time to experiment and find yourself” is such a cliche—because it’s true. There is no other time in your life that you will be surrounded by so many talented, passionate people your age, who all have so much free time (even if it doesn’t seem like it) and with so many quality things you can do. Without putting yourself out there and giving yourself a chance to experiment, you will lose an essential part of your college years. So, before schoolwork gets even busier, meet some new people, try something new and get the most out of your next month at Wash. U.