The Top Five Reasons to get involved with Societies

If there is anything I regret about my time at Swansea University so far, it is that I haven't joined enough societies.

As much as I like putting that down to my 'extortionate' workload, realistically, it is due to my pure laziness , lack of enthusiasm and lack of motivation that I am not involved in all of the societies that I would like to be. In my first year, I spent at least 6 hours, if not more, wandering around the Fresher's Fair trying to find something I'd enjoy, (whilst bagging all the free pens I could fit in my pockets), and even at the end of it, I wasn't sure I could commit to attending anything weekly as I was just getting to grips with everything that was going on.

In my second year, I was a part of the Fresher's Fair, manning a stall trying to entice people into writing for The Waterfront newspaper as I battled round two of severe Fresher's Flu. Again, I had major hopes of joining lots of societies like cheerleading, netball, Hogwarts appreciation, French and Photography. But as I wandered aimlessly around the fair, (again, grabbing all the free stuff I could get my hands on), I never really got round to it.

Now, I'm halfway through my degree and still, all I have managed to achieve is signing up for the newspaper, drinking my liver into a comatose, successfully scheduling my classes around showings of Jeremy Kyle and doing a bit of work towards my degree. It doesn't really seem to me that I have utilised my time here to the best of my ability.

This thought was particularly renewed in the midst of the Swansea University Students' Union Full Time Officers elections. (Try saying that twice as fast.) Election night is always particularly exciting for me - not because it's probably the biggest event of the year for the paper or because of all the emotional candidates that add up for some fantastic coverage, but because I get to work alongside what I refer to as my 'Waterfront family', to produce some incredible work.

My Waterfront FamilyFrom left to right - Jake, Alan, Craig, Catrin, Fred, Me, Jon, Sam, Melvin, Chris, Lauren, Emma, Ina and Sophie. 

I've been working at the Waterfront now about a year and a half and the people there have literally become my family away from home. There are really no words to describe how wonderful these people are, but they have become my brothers and sisters and, more importantly, my very best friends.  I spend every single day with these people, putting together a paper, finding stories and working hard and yet, at the end of it all, I don't want to kill them. That, my friends, is love.

My point is that I should've joined more societies and met more people like this.

So, all this got me thinking of why exactly students should and do join societies. Whilst I may not have had the true motivation to get off my arse and do it, I think I've nailed it into five points.

1) Smart students have realised that societies don't just mean sport

When I initially started studying at university, I was under the clichéd and very American impression that all societies were going to be very much sport orientated. With my being 'athletically challenged' leading to my inability to understand the offside rule, (no matter how many times the salt shakers are brought out), and my motivation to pass my driving test on the first try, it was the one thing that was making me dread my upcoming time at university.  However, it turns out that there are societies out there to cater to everyone and everything from snitch and bitch societies to Quidditch societies, (I've done my research - these are genuine societies).  For me, this was fantastic news, especially as I was born and bred to be a writer, not a runner.

2) Some students just can't rely on their CVs

CVs can either be the bane of your life or wonderful, magical slips of paper that grant you access to money.  I've had it constantly drummed into me throughout my education that employers are now being increasingly greedy and wanting someone who has more than a good degree. Being a part of a society proves to potential employers that you have had previous experiences of fun that will prepare you for the staff parties throughout the year. This separates you from someone who focuses all their time and energy on their degrees. Sure, it's great to get a first, but I'd rather get a 2.1 and have fun doing it than get a first and be a boring sod for the rest of my life.

3) Knowing that socialising is key

The very last thing you want to do at university is not to socialise and meet new people. Societies give the nervous and shy students to meet other like minded students who they can drink with, chat with, drink with, have coffee mornings with, drink with and generally enjoy themselves with. Plus, you genuinely do make lifelong friends through all this stuff.

4) Wanting to learn new things

Ah all you freshers with your shiny new backpacks, student accounts, notepads, pen and stars in your eyes! You've just passed what you feel have been the hardest exams you'll ever have to sit, you're free of the shackles of sixth form and A levels, you're free from the time old 'you'll live by my rules when you live under my roof' argument, and you finally have your own space. You think you know it all but think, take a step back between finding the best things to pawn when your student loan runs out and consider that you may actually learn something new through joining a society. Since joining the Waterfront, I have learnt so much about the career I'm planning to go into. And not just that, I've learnt so much about myself - what exactly I want to do, where I want to go and who I am as a person. Societies are just one massive learning curve which is why they're so fantastic.

5) ALL THE DISCOUNTS AND FREE THINGS

Some societies, (not all, but some), offer you some worthwhile perks for joining them. Apart from all the new things that you'll be learning, all the friends you'll be making and all the alcohol that you will undoubtedly be drinking in socials, discounts and free things are available. And you know how much students love discounts and free things. Enough said.  

If that's everything covered here, I'm off to start up a 'writers not runners' society - I'm a lover of good alliteration and, well, if there's a way to accept that I'll more likely be writing about the 2016 Olympics than competing in it, then starting a society about it is it. And hey, I have a whole day left of freedom before I dive head first back into my ridiculous 'workload'. I may as well use the remainder of my time wisely and join a few more societies, right?

The new symbol for the writers not runners society! 

All the inspiration you'll need to join or start up your very own society. ----> Top 20 amazingly weird university societies