Case Study: How Yaymaker Events Keep Rutgers Students Engaged

Rutgers University is one of the highest-ranking colleges in the United States. As a powerhouse research university, it’s the oldest and largest in the NY/NJ area. Over 67,000 current Rutgers students share common goals and interests, and for their time in college, they also share a home at Rutgers.

With so many students at campus locations across New Jersey, it may seem difficult to maintain a feeling of connectedness and camaraderie for students at Rutgers. However, the opposite is true! 

Ever since the school’s charter was signed in 1766 by the son of Benjamin Franklin, Rutgers University has gone all out to make sure its students know they are valued, and Yaymaker is honored to help them do it!

Rutger Students and the Activities That Bind Them

The university is the proud home of one of the world’s biggest collections of student activities, organizations, and clubs across all of its campus locations. Knowing how important it is for students to remain connected throughout their college careers, Rutgers has prioritized offering students social opportunities at every turn.

In fact, the university is home to:

• More than 20 bands, choirs, orchestras, and other music ensembles
• More than 100 sororities and fraternities
• More than 100 intramural and club sports groups
• More than 800 student organizations and clubs

There are also more than 30 dining halls, food trucks, and student center eateries on the campuses. Here, students gather and commiserate every day, sharing stories, laughing, and forming friendships that will last a lifetime. 

The Importance of Social Events for College Students

The COVID-19 pandemic sparked a renewed focus on the mental health of college students and revealed a mental health crisis that only worsened as the pandemic lingered. As colleges struggled to meet the overwhelming surge in demand for mental health services on campus, they were met with a challenge of epic proportions.

In 2020, a national survey of college students revealed that 33% of them suffered from anxiety, 40% had depression, and almost 15% of them had considered suicide. 

That same year, another survey was conducted that focused on the directors of counseling centers on college campuses. That survey found that 90% of colleges reported that the demand for mental health services on campus had risen from the previous year.

Social interactions with peers are critical for college students to build quality friendships while reducing depression and anxiety. When students interact with each other, they can focus energy and “let it out” while reducing feelings of trapped apprehension and stress.

Social events for college students can help them gain perspective on diverse subjects, and they may find a new hobby they can turn to when they need stress relief. In addition, social interaction strengthens interpersonal skills, builds a strong support structure for students, and can even improve their leadership skills and more.

How Rutgers Wanted to Improve Life for Its Students

Even with the hundreds of social events for college students at Rutgers, the school realized that there was a deficit in activities available for students who remained on campus during breaks. This was especially true regarding events for international students who couldn’t always go home during vacations from classes.

Realizing the value of social events for college students, the university committed to improving student engagement opportunities and helping students remain connected to each other and the school during breaks. 

Rutgers called on Yaymaker to help make it happen.

Yaymaker Steps in to Help Rutgers Students Stay Engaged and Connected

Yaymaker and Rutgers University began working together to offer more social events for college students on campus; this was the general primary goal of the initiative. The second goal was to pay special attention to events for international students. 

With such a large, diverse student body, Rutgers wanted to make sure that a vast array of activities and opportunities were offered to students as often as possible. The university understood the importance of engaging students with one another during school breaks, and the need is even greater during the holidays.

Together with Rutgers University, Yaymaker created a solution that included setting up various activities for Rutgers students to lift their spirits. Some of these activities included arts and crafts and making food in cooking classes — such as hot cocoa bombs — during the winter break of the 2022–2023 term. 

The Results of Yaymaker’s Social Events for College Students

While these activities prove valuable to all students, they are especially worthy events for international students and others who remain on campus during times when most of their fellow students leave campus and go home for several days.

The Yaymaker events have proven to be exceptional for students who aren’t able to go home for the holidays, giving them a sense of community and belonging while easing loneliness.

Every activity and class Rutgers has presented to students with Yaymaker has been an overwhelming success. The university allows 40 spots for each event; students fill up all the spots every time! Yaymaker has been hosting Rutgers events since 2021.

Yaymaker and Rutgers for Student Mental Health

On-campus activities and social gatherings for students may have little or nothing to do with academia, but the mental and emotional benefits gained are those that no lecture, lab, or lesson can provide.

Social events for college students have been found to improve students’ productivity because they’re able to take their minds off their troubles, classes, and exams for a bit. Their creative muscles can flex while their academic muscles get a break, and they build relationships with others at the same time.

As relationships grow, interpersonal skills are honed — including everything from networking to negotiation to communication, all of which are valuable in the workplace. Students also develop emotional intelligence and empathy by engaging with others from different backgrounds and cultures.

Whether you represent a giant university or you’re someone who wants to help organize activities for a much smaller group — filled with children, adults, or teenagers — Yaymaker can help. We work with organizations and people to plan in-person, virtual, and hybrid events because we know it’s all about the experiences, not the products. 

If you’re interested in learning more about Yaymaker and our activities for college students, girls’ night packages, corporate packages, events for holidays, or anything else we do, contact Yaymaker today!