How to Get Lots More from Societies with Little Effort

“Who needs societies? They’re a waste of time!” That’s what some guy whose name we don’t remember said when we were at uni, and where is he now? Who knows. The point is he was wrong.

Societies are a great way for you to get additional skills, confidence and even friends who are interested in the same area. How do you do that? Well, get comfy, and we’ll tell you.

Get more

There are five simple ways to really make the most of student societies:

1. Figure out the different roles

Not all societies have a wealth of different roles (like computer games societies, which are pretty much straightforward) but many societies are a little more diverse, and so they have a whole bunch.

For example a film society normally has someone to organise, someone to publicise, and someone to hold discussions at events.

You can talk to the current society leaders to figure out the structure of the different groups. But many also include this information online these days too.

2. Join ones for jobs

If you’re in first year of studies, you’ll maybe not be 100% sure where you want to go with your career. That’s okay. But if you want to get some insight – this is possible too. Let’s explain.

Universities often have profession-based societies you can join and these give you an opportunity to see how the work works. Suppose you’re into marketing or advertising roles, the relevant societies may give you different projects to attempt: a major benefit for your CV.

3. Go to social gigs

Go to the social events. One reason to join societies is to make more friends. But in a different context you can also go to societies to network – although this does require long-term rather than short term thinking.

If you spend extra time at the social events you’ll meet a wide variety of characters and this could lead to opportunities further down the line. Why miss out?

4. Get out when nothing’s going on

Sometimes, it’s important to cut your losses. Most of these posts assume that the society is working well for you, but it’s a good idea to pay attention to when it’s not. Why’s that?

Well, societies are often somewhere to go for fun. But when you’re also there to get skills, keep this in mind and ask yourself “Is the society helping me to achieve my goal?”

5. Take the lead

Hot to develop leadership skills, or you’re particularly passionate about a cause? Get involved in the upper echelons of a society.

In fact if you really want an advantage over your peers, get started today. Join political and ecological societies, sports and exercise societies, or even set up your very own. In this, you often get the chance to negotiate, organise and run successful campaigns. And what’s more, experience like this makes you more likely to quickly progress in your chosen field.

What to do next

The great thing about societies, whether you’re happy in your current position or not, is that you can join or leave them whenever you like – this lets you pick and choose the best options for you – so you’ll have an arrangement that works. But how to get started?

First figure out which societies are for you. There are plenty of different choices. Especially if you’re studying at a university in a big city, say you’re at London, or Edinburgh.

While you’re in your city, if you want to get lots more from your home then look at our student accommodation across the UK. It’s all pretty great, if we do say so ourselves. And then if you’re interested in a room, drop us a line via the internet pipes and we’ll tell you all about it.