How to Make Most Out of Your Time in Bits of Good!

Being in BoG isn't only about making social impact, but its about creating a community around you!

Hello BoGgers! My name is Nithya Kasaraneni, the current Executive Director of Bits of Good! I am super excited to get to know you all more as we go through the Bits of Good semester.

One of things I noticed through my different positions in BoG is many people think that Bits of Good primarily is about building web applications for our nonprofits. Even though this is a large part of our mission at BoG, we also focus on building a strong community amongst our members. We encourage everyone to get involved with Bits of Good outside of their specific tasks and role responsibilities. Some of my very close friends at Georgia Tech are friends I made in Bits of Good by attending events and connecting with other BoGgers. Now if you're new or haven’t participated in BoG outside of your work, you might ask: how do I get involved in BoG? 

Attend Events
Throughout the semester you will have multiple opportunities to come to BoG events. Our Launch Party and End of the Year Bash are mandatory for all our members, however we have multiple fun events throughout the semester to encourage our community to come out and get to know each other. Right after Launch Party, we have Liftoff which is a series of events hosted by our departments and committees. This is a great opportunity for you to meet other members for the first time by doing fun activities together. Even if you missed Liftoff, we have many community events throughout the semester to encourage bonding amongst our members and strengthen our connections as Bits of Good members. Attending events allows you to meet people outside of your team which allows you to learn more about what other members in BoG do and helps you meet other Georgia Tech student’s to help grow your personal network.

Come to General Meetings
General meetings are mandatory for all members in Bits of Good, however, you should make sure you come to general meetings not only because it's mandatory, but also because it's a great way to get to know your team and work together in person. You are going to be working with your team throughout the entire semester and getting to know each other personally will make your teamwork much more memorable at the end of the semester when you showcase your work during Demo Day. So, make sure you come to general meetings unless for emergency situations to create that bond with your team members.

Volunteer!
You will have multiple volunteering opportunities throughout the semester you can participate in. Every semester, we have community volunteering day where we partner with one of our nonprofit partners to do community service. This is an amazing way to give back to the Atlanta community while interacting with other BoG members. This usually happens once a semester so make sure you take the opportunity when you hear about it during a general meeting. Sometimes you’ll even get to meet cute dogs!

Go on Donut Dates
Donut Dates are fun dates you can go on with other BoGgers every two weeks. You will get paired with two or more BoG members to plan an outing for all of you all to get to know each other. Donut Dates can be as simple as grabbing coffee or studying together. This is a great way for you to go outside and have fun with other Bits of Good members outside of meetings and events so you get to know each other as peers and friends. Plus, when you go on Donut Dates you get bit points. Bit points is a point system we have in Bits of Good to have a friendly competition amongst all our BoGgers. The more donut dates and pictures you take gets you more bit points. The person who gets the most bit points by the end of the semester wins a prize. 

By stepping beyond your role’s tasks and engaging with the community, you’ll not only have an enjoyable experience, but you will also build connections that could last long after the semester ends. So don’t hesitate to take that first step, whether it's by attending community events, meeting new BoGers  in Donut Dates, or volunteering with us! Your time at Bits of Good is what you make of it, so let's make this semester a one to remember!