The post was updated Sept. 28 at 9:14 p.m.

Not even a sweltering midday sun could stop thousands of students from weaving through rows of club booths at UCLA’s annual Enormous Activities Fair on Monday.

Over 500 student organizations and departments participated in the three-hour event, according to the EAF website. New and returning students can attend the EAF, where student organizations advertise themselves at booths sprawled across Dickson Plaza and Wilson Plaza.

Samantha Lyle, a third-year geography/environmental studies and political science student, said she found the Model United Nations at UCLA club when she attended as a first-year student – and has gone to the fair, either advertising the club or as a general attendee, every year since. She added that she “jumped right in” when tabling for the club – and immediately started talking with students walking around.

“Every year I come to rep Model UN, see the other clubs I’m in, see all my friends (and) also look for new things,” said Lyle, the director of finance for MUN at UCLA. “I’m a third-year, but after I’m done, I’m totally going to walk around and see if there’s anything else I want to join. I feel like every year there’s something new.”

Nayeli Perez, a first-year human biology and society student, said walking around the fair allowed her to explore the medical and cultural clubs she’s interested in. The club leaders, she added, were all welcoming and excited to engage.

Finding information about clubs through Instagram or club websites could be difficult, said Zoe Santos, a fourth-year statistics and data science student. She added that attending the EAF can allow students to meet new people and explore clubs they didn’t know existed.

Santos tabled for Untitled Theatre Company – an organization that helps students develop written works for theater – during the fair. She said she hopes people at the event will have umbrellas available in the future to shade students from the sun, so they can enjoy the fair safely.

“It’s so hot, but I still want to be out here,” she said. “I want to let people know about the club and at the end of the day, I’m braving through the heat.”

But for some new students attending the event – like Guadalupe Arroyo-Ortiz, a first-year biology student – the seemingly endless rows of club booths can be both exciting and overwhelming.

Arroyo-Ortiz said she enjoyed the diverse clubs represented at the fair, but the crowds made navigating the space difficult. Having additional signage and categorizing tables by club type – such as by community service or cultural clubs – could make browsing clubs easier, she added.

Last year, signs on Dickson Plaza categorized the clubs. However, this year, there were no signs to section off specific organization zones around the fair.

“I’ve liked it a lot since all the clubs are here,” Arroyo-Ortiz said. “You can get a feel of what the campus has to offer and find things you want to be involved with.”

Santos, a transfer student, said she encourages other transfers and first-year students to embrace club opportunities at the fair because she wished she joined more clubs when she was a new student.

“For incoming people – anything that piques your interest, even one percent – get their Instagram, get their information, learn a little bit about them – at least try for one quarter,” she said.

While the fair can seem daunting at a first glance, Lyle said students should walk through the whole event and not be intimidated by the amount of people in attendance. “Embracing the chaos” at the event is the best way to find a community, she added.

“Find something that speaks to you,” Lyle said. “Definitely give yourself a month to commit to something you enjoy or find interesting, and I think that it will really carry you far when you’re here.”