With school in its second week, the student body is deemed sufficiently introduced to the riveting pace of high school and with that the avalanche starts. Soon the cheery posters wishing freshmen good luck and resourceful maps or APs pointing people in the way of their classes will disappear, and they will be replaced by club advertisements.

Dozens of posters will dot the walls and for the only time in the entirety of the school year, there will be not a single fleck of brown cork left on the billboards. Some will be self explanatory: Chess Club, Ping Pong Club, Video Game Club, Engineering Club. Others will simply be acronyms you feel like you’re supposed to already know: HOSA, DECA, FFA, JWAC.

It is easy to feel overwhelmed, pulled in too many directions, stretched too thin. At club fair, you’ve likely received flyers to join all of these clubs but those flyers have long since conveniently disappeared and now you have no idea what meetings to go to or who to follow. Just due to the sheer magnitude of options you have, you’re going to feel smothered and chances are you’re going to make some mistakes.

The first mistake you could make is to simply join all the clubs. You’ll tell yourself that you can handle it and sign yourself up to participate in everything. You’ll rationalize your decisions by thinking of the killer resume you’re going to develop by the end of your high school career; you’re bringing “renaissance man” back into fashion.

However, you’ll quickly realize that moderation is your best friend, especially if you’re a freshmen. The more responsibilities you stack on top of your already stressful course load, the less you’ll sleep, the more you’ll stress, the more you’ll regret your decisions. So some advice for my overachieving friends (don’t worry, I’ve been there too): take a chill pill.

The opposite but equally stressful mistake is not joining any clubs at all. Maybe you think that clubs will distract you from your school work or maybe you don’t think any of the clubs are worth your while. In this case I would urge you to talk to your friends and some upperclassmen to figure out what the missions of each club are and whether those activities interest you. Clubs are invaluable for networking and meeting new people but they also help you build your resume. Even though college is a long ways away for some students, it is never too early to think about how to fashion yourself into the coveted “well-rounded student”.

At the end of the day, all clubs aim to offer students an interesting, unique outlet for all the pent up energy they acquire during the school day. So find a club that seems like a good time: maybe you like engineering or perhaps you like dance better. Maybe you can’t find a club that suits your interests; just gather a couple of friends and like-minded individuals and make your own club! The bottom line: you’ll get out of it what you put in.