Building friendships and skills: The benefits of societies and sports clubs…
…by Katie / from Edinburgh / studying Economics (MA)
One of the best things you can do to settle into university quickly, meet a wide variety of people and get to know the city is to join a sports club or university society! There are so many options to choose from, university is a great opportunity to experience things you may never have tried.
Welcome week & taster sessions
During welcome week there is an opportunity to explore all of the societies and sports offered at the university during the sports fair or society fair. This is a great opportunity to speak to current members of different clubs and societies about what to expect from joining them and hear about upcoming events you can get involved with. All societies and clubs offer taster sessions during welcome week, interacting with committee at the stalls is a great way to find about about these taster sessions. You can also find out about taster sessions on various clubs and societies social media as well as the sports union website of the students association website. Often there is no commitment to buy a club membership until a few weeks into the semester, it is a great opportunity to try things you’ve never experienced before commitment free! The majority of sports clubs have affiliations with various clubs, pubs and bars across Edinburgh, during welcome week it is common to distribute discount cards for their affiliated venues. Attending a variety of taster sessions and sports socials early in the year is a great way of exploring as you get to see different venues across Edinburgh and potentially get your hands on some discount cards that will be invaluable throughout the year.
Meeting like-minded individuals
Joining a society is one of the best ways to meet a variety of like-minded individuals at university, making it a great way to settle in quickly. There are over 290 student led societies to get involved with, you can easily find something you are interested in (if there is a society you can’t find anywhere, you can also propose a new society and you may bring it to life during your time at university). Societies are also a great way to reconnect with familiarity if you are feeling a little unsettled and far from home. Building support networks and feeling settled is so important at university, getting involved with societies is a great way to start. There is a wealth of cultural and international societies to join, to name a few: Chinese Dance Society, Dutch Society, Italian Society, Northern Society, The Highland Society and Salsa Society! Immersing yourself in these societies is a great opportunity to meet people with similar experiences to you, engage in activities you may miss from home and help you feel more settled in Edinburgh. There is something for everyone, whether you want a taste of home, to try something new or immerse yourself in Scottish culture.
Sports clubs are also a great way to meet people and bond over shared experiences, there are over 60 sports clubs to engage with. When getting involved with sport at university you can choose to play recreationally, competitively or intramurally (different schools within the university compete against each other). University is a great time to pick up something new, don’t worry if you have no prior experience of the sport, clubs are excited to share their love of the sport with new people and expand. Additionally, it is never too late to join, if you didn’t attend any taster events during welcome week or it is halfway through the year, most clubs accept new members throughout the year!
Physical and mental health boost
Being part of a sports society significantly boosts your physical and mental health, regular exercise can improve fitness levels and reduces stress, while sense of community and support can enhance mental well-being. Societies and sports clubs often have socials or events every week or every other week, utilising these is great for expanding your network and becoming part of a supportive community, this is so important for helping reduce feelings of loneliness or anxiety. Sports clubs are also encouraged to host “stressbuster” sessions throughout busy exam periods which are open to all. This is a great way to distract yourself from exam stresses for an hour or two and try something new, something to look out for even if you are not part of a particular sports club.
Opportunities for personal growth and development
The university offers a range of academic and peer learning and support societies, these are a great way to meet people from your subject or discipline. Additionally, they are a great resource for reaching out if you have any questions about your course, you have the opportunity to be peer mentored by students in years above you who have completed your course in previous years.
Becoming a member of sports clubs and societies provides many opportunities for developing invaluable soft skills such as leadership and communication. Being part of a club or society enables you to vote in the future of that society, you even have the opportunity to take part in running of that society through joining committees. Being part of a sport of society committee provides the opportunity for you to participate in the Edinburgh Award for leadership or coaching which is a great journey for developing leadership skills and a great signal to future employers that you have developed those skills.
These experiences not only enhance your resume but also prepare you for future professional challenges. Additionally, being involved in sport or societies at committee level enables you to experience organising large events such as end of year balls or run weekly training sessions, these experiences are invaluable for building skills and being able to refer to when demonstrating all the skills that you have gained from your university experience.
Want to find out more?
