Joining a university society can be a game-changer for your university experience.
Let’s look at:
-
Some of the different university societies out there
-
The benefits of joining a society
-
How to join one
-
How much university societies cost
-
How to start a university society
What are university societies?
A university society is a group of university students who share an interest and come together to engage with that interest.
Societies are usually ‘run by students, for students’. There will be tons to choose from, with many societies falling into one of these categories:
-
Languages and cultures
-
The subjects you study
-
Social good, charity and volunteering
-
Food
-
Diversity, inclusion and community
-
Sports and fitness
-
Music and theatre
-
Careers
-
Religion
-
Art and photography
-
Leadership and development
-
Politics
Each society will have its own specific ways of doing things. Some will involve regular themed, fancy dress socials while others will be more serious and formal.
What societies does my university offer?
The best place to learn about all your university’s societies is at your freshers’ fair. Each society will have a stall with members there to answer your questions.
Make the most of this opportunity to speak to any that interest you - this will help you get a better feel for the society.
If you can’t make it to the freshers’ fair, there should be a list of all societies on your university students’ union website, including contact details. Or you might find societies on social media - many have their own accounts.
There’s going to be a society for almost every interest. And some pretty unique ones too.
For example, a lot of unis have a Quidditch Society. And The University of Sussex has a Nicholas Cage Appreciation Society.
There truly is something for everyone. ✨
And if you can’t find something of interest? You can always start your own society! We’ll talk more about this later.
Benefits of joining a society at university
So, why bother joining a society? There are lots of benefits to joining a society, but here are six of the top reasons:
Meet new people
You don’t usually pick the people you share first-year accommodation with.
So, joining a society is the perfect way to meet like-minded people who share your interests. You get to handpick the group of people you’ll be around, which means you’re more likely to find people like you.
They’re also a much less awkward way of meeting people: everyone has chosen to be there and you’ve got some easy conversation starters, since you know they’re interested in whatever the society is about.
Do something you love and have fun
Societies provide a completely different side to the uni experience that can bring lots of joy to your time at university.
Even when studying gets tough and you’re not enjoying your course, you’ll still be having fun every week engaging with your hobby.
Learn new skills
If you join a society doing something you’ve never done before, you’ll learn a completely new set of skills.
And joining societies for existing hobbies will mean you’ll get much better and deepen your skill set.
Broaden your worldview
We spend much of our lives doing the same things over and over again. This can narrow our view of the world and leave us stuck in our ways, less able to relate to others and see things from their point of view.
Joining societies exposes you to different people and experiences than you might normally engage with. This can give you a more well-rounded view of the world. 🌍
Further your career
Anyone can say they enjoy something - but showing active engagement in an activity through a society? This will impress employers.
It’ll be particularly impressive if you earn a leadership role in a society related to your dream career and can demonstrate measurable positive outcomes.
Build your network
Societies provide opportunities to meet people from outside your university who could help and support you throughout life.
You might meet:
-
Professionals from the industry you want to go into
-
People who run programs/charities you’d love to be a part of
-
Leaders from similar backgrounds to you who would be great mentors
Meeting people in these settings, making a great impression and staying connected with them is a great idea - you never know what might come of it in the future.
How do you join a university society?
First, you usually register your interest with a society at your university’s freshers’ fair or online.
Most will then host a free taster session or workshop early in the academic year, where you can get a proper feel for the society and try things out to see if you’re really interested.
If you decide you want to join, you’ll usually then have to pay a fee.
Some societies will also require trials or auditions (think high-level sports, music or drama).
How much do uni societies cost?
You’ll have to pay to join most societies. This fee will contribute to the cost of events they put on, resources they need, hosts they invite to the events, food they provide, etc.
Some societies will charge less than a fiver to join. Others will charge a higher amount, with the most expensive ones costing hundreds of pounds a year (these are likely to be societies that put on fancy events with famous guests, or the elite sports teams).
On average though, societies will cost around £20 a year for a membership. 🎟️
You should be able to get the specific cost details at the freshers’ fair and online.
How many societies should I join at university?
There’s no one right answer to this question. It’ll depend on the following:
Interests
What interests you so much that you’d be willing to commit to it for the whole academic year?
Try out as many things as you want to at the start of your university life. Go to as many taster sessions as possible to get a feel for different societies.
But only become a member of the ones you have a genuine, deep interest in, or that genuinely excite you.
Time
You need to set time aside to do well in your degree first. This includes lecture and seminar time but also time allocated for solo study.
Next, you want to make time for rest - you probably don’t want to fill every hour of your day with study and activities or you’ll get burnt out (here are some tips if you’re already suffering from burnout).
Finally, account for any other responsibilities you have.
Then see how much time you’ve got left for societies.
Money
Weigh up the initial costs of joining a society plus how much you expect the society to cost over the year - there might be costs for events throughout the year on top of the initial joining fee.
Ask for information about society costs when you speak to existing members.
Best societies to join at university
There’s no one ‘best society at university’.
The best society, or societies, for you will depend on what you want to get out of the experience. The ones you decide to join will differ depending on whether your goal is:
-
Having fun
-
Achieving your career aspirations
-
Learning specific skills
-
Engaging with your interests
-
Meeting people from similar backgrounds to you
Or a mixture of the above. Luckily, there’s likely to be a society that aligns with your motivations.
How to start a university society
Not found the society you’ve always dreamed of? Start it yourself!
Any student can start a society. And while other students won’t share all your interests (we’re looking at you, extreme ironers…), if you enjoy something, other students at your university probably will too!
Starting a society - requirements
You’ll need to fill out an application to your university’s students’ union, letting them know:
-
Why you want to start the society
-
What your grand plans and ambitions are
-
Where the society will meet
-
How it will be funded
-
Who the ‘founding team’ will be - other students who will take on leadership roles
And any other information they need. You can find the application form by searching ‘start a society + Uni Name’ on Google.
What’s a society without keen members? You may also need to demonstrate to the Students’ Union that you’ve got interest from other students. Some SU’s will quote a number (e.g. 10) of students that need to be actively interested before they’ll consider your application.
Roles in a university society
Your society’s leadership team, or committee, will be responsible for the success of the society.
This small group is elected each year. The roles can vary, but the most common ones are:
-
President - in charge of the society, the president makes major decisions and oversees all aspects of the society
-
Vice president - second in command
-
Treasurer - looks after the society’s finances
-
Secretary - takes care of admin and signing up new members
-
Social secretary - organiser of events and socials
First-years won’t get one of these positions off the bat as they’re elected at a meeting towards the end of the academic year. So if you’re a first year, you’ll have to earn one of the roles first.
How to get sponsorship for university societies
You’ll need funds for the activities and events you want to run.
Members’ fees from students will contribute and you may be able to get funding from your uni’s students’ union. But you might still have a shortfall between what you have and what you need (here are some budgeting tips to give you a headstart on working out your society’s money situation).
This is where sponsorship can come in.
Sponsorship - Where a company or organisation contributes money or other resources to your society
What can I get from sponsorship?
-
Money
-
Guest speakers for your events
-
Access to venues to host events
-
Advice
-
Any other benefits that would support the success of your society
What will I have to do in return for sponsorship?
If a company or organisation funds your society, they’ll probably want something in return. This could be:
-
Including their logo and saying ‘sponsored by [company name]’ on all society materials
-
Allowing them to run certain events for your society
-
Letting someone from their organisation speak to your society members
-
Advertising - their logo on your sports kit, handing out their flyers, etc.
-
Attending their events - just you or all members of your society
These are just some things an organisation might request. You’ll have to make sure you’re happy with the terms before committing to an agreement.
Tips for sponsorship success
-
Seek out sponsors that have common goals and clear alignment with your society - this will ensure a fruitful partnership
-
Reach out to sponsors way before the start of the academic year to ensure everything is finalised in time
-
Create a proposal that strongly conveys the value of your society, why you need their sponsorship and what’s in it for them
-
Your university might not allow sponsorship from certain companies or organisations that don’t align with their values - check this before agreeing to anything
Joining university societies forms the best part of many students’ uni experience. Be open and make the most of the societies your university has to offer and they could transform your time there.
