Students who want to find their niche among the thousands of students and acres of red brick buildings should look no further. With hundreds of clubs and organizations to join, students can easily find their place at the University of Arizona, officials said.

But picking the club or organization to join can be tricky, said Terry Thompson, lead coordinator for the Arizona Blue Chip Program.

"The most important thing is getting students involved in something they like," Thompson said.

While involvement in a group could absorb time that students can otherwise devote to studying, statistics show that students who are involved often perform better in school, Thompson said.

However, getting students to actually see the values of joining a club can be a monumental task. That's why Victoria Ruan, administrative vice president for the Associated Students of the University of Arizona said she and members of the Residence Hall Association are working together to help guide students down the involvement path.

"All of these clubs are trying to get students to join them, whether it be the Home Brewers or whatever," Ruan said. "It's really important for us to get their names out there."

Getting involved in ASUA, the governing student body, is sometimes as easy as hanging around where the action happens. From there, students can potentially find a responsibility that they'd enjoy having, Ruan said.

Another way students can get involved is to keep their eyes peeled during the first week of school, said Jim Drnek, ASUA adviser. That week, several clubs will have information tables in the Student Union Memorial Center and on the Mall. There, club members can fill students in.

"And they're always looking for more people to join their group," Drnek said.

As for getting students involved, those who commute to campus are the biggest challenge. Students who live in town and have no reason to wait around on campus tend to stay away from the university, Thompson said. He added that whether they commute or not, students also need to realize how much more they'll stand out as a candidate for their first big job if they were involved in other activities.

However, Thompson warned prospective club-goers to beware of mixing extracurricular activities with an already hectic schedule.

"You've got to be brutally honest with yourself," Thompson said. "Some of us can handle a lot of things, and some of us can't. This is really a gut check (to see) if you can."

But ultimately, finding happiness at the UA means finding people with like interests. They can be found by joining a club or organization, Drnek said.

"You just need to find a mini-community within this immense community," he said.