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My 4 roommates and I have a golden retriever puppy living with us at school, and it has been a great experience. She makes the house much more inviting and it's always great to be greeted at the door with a wagging tail. She has also proven to be a challenge with our busy schedules and the constant attention that she requires. This blog will explore the many positives that having a dog brings, and how we have learned to best deal with taking care of her.

When one of my roommates told us he was getting a puppy the summer before junior year of college, everyone was obviously very excited, but when we started thinking about her living with us the entire year, we had some doubts. Are we up for this bigtime commitment? Is someone always going to be home to feed her and let her out when she needs? Should we prepare to say goodbye to these carpets now? I will say, my roommate did a good job potty training her over the summer, and that was a huge help.

Still, a 6-month-old puppy comes with its hardships. Cleo (short for Cleopatra) loves socks. We quickly learned that leaving any article of clothing on the floor was a bad idea, because she scoops it up and chews it up in the blink of an eye. We faced the challenge of learning everyone’s schedules and making sure that someone is always home to feed her breakfast, lunch, and dinner and let her out (we have a fenced in backyard, which is very helpful, but we will still take her out on a leash sometimes). When it rains, or like right now in Ohio, the snow melts, our backyard becomes a muddy mess, and we must catch Cleo when she comes running inside so we can wipe her paws before she jumps in all of our beds (which has definitely happened more than once). At the end of the day, I think we have done a good job of finding the humor in all these things, which is necessary with a young puppy.

Now enough of the bad stuff, having a dog is the best thing ever. We take Cleo on walks through the student neighborhood, and our neighbors and friends love her. She knows tricks like lay down, spin, stand up and speak, and we have fun giving her cheerios for doing them successfully. We have a large, gated turf field that we take her on and throw the football around while she chases it, and she has the best time ever. Coming home from class is always fun when she flies down the stairs to say hello at the door. She loves to sleep, and she’ll take turns hopping in one of our beds and curling up for the night. She has made this years’ experience so much more enjoyable, and I think everyone needs a Cleo in their life.

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Looking for something fulfilling to do in your free time? Service is a great way to get involved on your campus and serve those who are less fortunate. It also helps you meet new people, make connections, and have experiences that you won’t find anywhere else. As college students, we spend most of our time on our campus, so my goal is to provide you with ways to find service opportunities and get involved at your school.

My Experience

I am a sophomore at the University of Dayton, and I have already been fortunate enough to participate in multiple service activities. Most recently I helped with Dayton’s Christmas on Campus, which is a night of fun activities on campus that young children in the Dayton area can enjoy. I rode on one of the buses that went to pick up second grade students from a local school, and I was able to interact and hang out with them on the ride back to campus, where they were paired with a buddy and were free to roam around and enjoy the experience. Many of the schools that attend are in poorer areas, so it gives the kids there a fun thing to do around the holidays. It was a very rewarding experience, and I’m glad I took part.

Ways to Get Involved at Your School

Oftentimes, the reason that people don’t participate in service is because they are unaware of the opportunities around them. I quickly found Dayton’s service website by looking up “University of Dayton Service.” I was introduced to many different service options and learned that we have 40+ clubs dedicated to service. I encourage you to try the same search with your school and the results will probably surprise you. I tried this search with various other schools across the country and every school had at least one page detailing service opportunities that they offer.

Another great pathway to service is Greek Life. I know that Greek Life is not for everyone, but you don’t always have to actually be a member of a fraternity or sorority to take part in their various service activities. Following various Greek organizations on social media will keep you up to date with service opportunities they are hosting, and often it is as simple as donating money for a good cause. A few fun ones I have taken part in were people donating a few dollars to pie me in the face, and playing in a basketball tournament for women’s health. There are great opportunities everywhere, you just have to know where to find them!

To wrap things up, service is a fulfilling way to spend your time, and it is something you should always approach with an open mind. I have been hesitant to commit to service opportunities in the past, but every time I said yes, I have been so pleased with my experience. I encourage you to take action at your school and bring along some of your friends. You won’t regret it.

Do you have a compelling story or student success tips you’d like to see published on the ɫèAV Students blog?  If you are a college student and interested in writing for us –����to pitch your idea and get started! 

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