Hey @cocolover80 . Congratulations on your acceptance and your decision to go to William & Mary! It is excellent for the exact majors and areas of study that you described. In all honesty, during my four years of William and Mary I haven’t heard of the Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity. That may just mean that it may not be as active on the undergraduate campus, but is instead more active on the law school campus. Nevertheless, there are many ways that you can get involved.
There are many political groups on campus that are very active if that is an area of interest. These can range from political groups like Virginia 21, Young Dems, and College Republicans to more specific issue-based groups like the Student Environmental Action Coalition, Amnesty International, and the NAACP. There are a bunch of ways to explore law while you are an undergraduate, there are organizations such as the minority pre-law association or even through your major advisers who have experience guiding students as they apply to law school.
There are also numerous related groups that are competition-based and are very successful. These include Mock Trial, Debate Club, and the International Relations Club. These organizations also tend to be very tight-knit social organizations as well, as they are also a hub for social events, but are considerable time commitments.
When it comes to opportunities for students interested in the government/public policy/international relations, there are plenty. I talk about them more in this post [url=<a href=“http://talk.qa.collegeconfidential.com/discussion/comment/18645604/#Comment_18645604%5Dhere%5B/url”>http://talk.qa.collegeconfidential.com/discussion/comment/18645604/#Comment_18645604]here[/url], but they include the Social Networks and Political Psychology lab, the Institute for the Theory and Practice for International Relations which hires many student interns, the Bosnia Project, the Weingartner Institute for Deliberation, the Project for International Peace and Security think tank, and much [url=<a href=“http://talk.qa.collegeconfidential.com/discussion/comment/18645604/#Comment_18645604%5Dmore%5B/url”>http://talk.qa.collegeconfidential.com/discussion/comment/18645604/#Comment_18645604]more[/url].
Many professors will work with students on research projects as early as freshmen year, that range from helping them write a book, work on research projects abroad, or even help them with their own independent studies projects. My best advice for you is to take the time talk to your professors, your peers, and take advantage of the opportunities around you, there are numerous. Get to know them, express your interest, and you will find opportunities that even your fellow William & Mary students didn’t know existed. Lastly if you are interested in a law school track, realize that there is no specific classes or majors you need to take, so do use the time to explore and expand your horizons.
As for social opportunities, there are plenty, but what people do vary based of your individual interest. There are comedians, bands, performances, movie nights, canoeing, petting zoos, scavenger hunts, dance nights, dodgeball games, and pretty much anything you can think of that happens pretty regularly. It really depends on what you want out of your college experience, and if I am to be completely honest the people you end up making friends with. Many people become close friends with people from their freshman halls.
As for parties, some specific organizations such as the International Relations Club or SEAC will consistently host parties and mixers for their members, however with sororities you are more likely to have at least one event per weekend. They more heavily emphasize the social aspect, but are also significant time commitments, not to mention a lot of money. For similar experiences, you can also try the co-ed honors fraternity (PSP) or the co-ed service fraternity (APO) for a more well-rounded experience.
Overall college is what you make of it. You’re already on the right track looking for opportunities for you to explore. Congratulations again on getting into William and Mary, and enjoy your next four years.