University clubs and societies span across a wide range of interests, there’s bound to be something that is suitable for you or one that you’d like to try out. You could join a book club, learn a new language, take up a different sport, or even join a club that shares your interests (such as a Star Wars Club!)
So how exactly can participating in a society or club work in your favour?
Stand out from the Crowd
Employers are always on the lookout for aspects in a candidate’s CV that sets them apart from the rest. Joining a society or club during your university days, especially if you’re holding a position of responsibility on the committee can serve as evidence to back up the skills that you’ve learnt. For instance, sports clubs can illustrate your qualities such as leadership and teamwork, which are sought after. Taking part in a debate club would give you the confidence to speak confidently in public and the ability to think on your feet.
Increased Social Opportunities
Being in a club gives you plenty of opportunities for you to meet new people. As a newbie, the first place that you would make friends would be where you’re staying. The second would be your coursemates. Participating in a club or society would open up a whole new group to you that share a common interest with you. On top of that, most clubs and societies have meet ups at least once every week and hold various social events, where you can make even more new friends.
Well-balanced experience
Simply focussing solely on just academics during your time at the university might not be the best way to ensure that you score all A’s for all for subjects. Taking a break and being a different environment that a club or society provides you with can be healthy. It gives your brain a chance to recharge and helps you de-stress.
Promoting an active Lifestyle
Studying abroad means that you won’t have an open access to delicious, healthy home-cooked meals the way you did back home. The lure of instant meals, junk food and almost zero physical activity can lead to inevitable weight gain and we don’t want that! Working out can be difficult on a student budget given the membership prices of local gyms. However, you can still exercise from home, there’s a ton of youtube videos available online to make the most of your dorm space of the room that you’re renting. Joining a sports club at your university is a fantastic and affordable way to keep fit and have fun. There will also be a variety of sporting events that you can take part in throughout the year- no matter what level you’re at.
Potential Platform
It’s a great place for you to network and form relationships that might benefit you when you step into the working world. Clubs and societies also hold plenty of performances and musical gigs that you can take part in and who knows, you might even be scouted!
Unique clubs or societies that you can join
Universities today boast some impressive and intriguing clubs and societies, some of which are you would not believe even exist! Take for instance, the University of Wisconsin-Madison had a Concrete Canoe Club, yes. The engineers in this club were able to make concrete float! How cool is that? Love Harry Potter? The College of William and Mary has a Wizards and Muggles club. They’ve got a Quidditch team and members are divided into houses to compete for points! An aficionado of all things Japanese? The University of York has a KiguSoc. Kigurumis are Japanese onesies that look like children’s animal costumes, you can even get one that looks like Pikachu. Do you happen to be a big fan of Assassin’s Creed? Durham University has an Assassins Societies, where students are assigned a target by the Guild, and are required to kill them without being noticed.
Participating in a club or society gives you a doorway to the other side of university life, providing you with many opportunities to learn, develop and interact with people that are not from your course of study. At the same time, you’ll also pick up valuable lifeskills that will make you look good on your CV. To learn more about how to write your very first CV check out our guide here. We’ve also got some tips to help you include your study abroad experience in your CV here.
Want to study abroad? Check out the courses available here!
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