11 reasons why freshers should join university societies - Debut

11 reasons why freshers should join university societies - Debut Youve probably heard all of this advice before.  Of course freshers should join university societies! Joining a bucket-load of weird and wacky societies is part and parcel of the overall fresher experience. Besides the obvious, there are plenty of fantastic reasons why you should make societies a big part of your new uni life. Here are just a few of the good ones. 1. You get to try things youve never even considered trying I mean, Dumbledores Army would have never thought they could produce a Patronus charm until they banded together to form an anti-Umbridge society. 2. Learn new, practical skills Most of your lectures and seminars are geared towards your academic education, but life needs so much more than that. Societies teach you things like cooking, photography, journalism, knitting and more, depending on which one you go for. 3. Perhaps more importantly, earn soft skills You may be wondering what soft skills are. Theyre basically the skills that make up emotional intelligence, for example, how easy it is for you to fit in with a group. Societies are a great testing ground for developing those skills, and soon youll probably have a secret handshake with a fellow member in no time at all. 4. You get  to try your hand at leadership Who runs societies? Exec committees run societies. Running for an exec position is a great experience, even if you dont get the position. And if you do, you will learn so much about being a leader, which is a great thing to talk about in future job interviews. Disclaimer: we recommend  not running a campaign like Kanye would, just sayin. 5. Not to mention the networking opportunities Academic societies (like the ones tied to your course, for example), regularly run events where you get to meet potential employers. Those are the perfect way to introduce yourself and mingle with your potential new colleagues. The more events you go to, the more likely theyll remember you. 6.  There may be opportunities to travel Society veterans know: in between the second and third terms will come the much-anticipated society tour. Weve heard of societies heading to Amsterdam, Paris, and even Prague for their society tours. 7. Keep fit and active through the increased activity Work on yo fitness with societies like Salsa Dancing, Muay Thai, or even Pole Dancing. University societies are a great way to keep healthy, especially after heavy nights at the student union. 8. Meet people with similar interests to yourself University societies are the best place to meet new people on campus, yes, even better than halls or lectures. Why? Well, youre guaranteed to have at least one thing in common, so starting up conversations should be a breeze. 9. Gain access to exciting events run by the society Were talking things like speed-dating, training sessions, and society balls. Trust us when we say you wont get a chance to dress up in ball gowns much when you graduate our glad rags are now sitting forlornly at the back of our closets, lamenting the fact we didnt take advantage of society events when we were students. 10.  Being in societies teaches you about work/life balance Being a member of a few university societies may be a little overwhelming at first. But once you have your routine  down, youll have people wondering how you can balance lectures, Glee Club and the Doctor Who Appreciation Society whilst keeping a 2.1 average. 11. Best of all, youll make friends for life Societies arent just about the skills you learn or the events you go to. Theyre about the great people you meet. Cheesy as it is, they will likely be the people you remember long after you leave university. If that reason isnt good enough to get you joining a society this term, we dont know what is. Feature Image ©  Warner Bros Download the Debut app and you could totally grab yourself a summer internship  way before anyone else. Follow Brenda on Twitter @brendaisarebel Connect with Debut on Facebook and Twitter