I’m Alice, an Education Studies graduate from ARU.

During my time at ARU I’ve been on a variety of Give it a Go (GIAG) trips, including Camden Market, Aerial Arts, Thorpe Park Fright Nights and the People’s Patch.

Out of all of them, my favourite was probably the Camden Market GIAG, there were so many stalls to go around and don’t get me started on the amount of food available! It gave me a great excuse to shop for some Christmas presents since we went during the first semester, but even if you don’t have much money to spend, browsing can be just as interesting. The Aerial Arts comes in a close second though!

• The exciting thing about a Give it a Go is it gives you the chance to explore something new. The Give it a Go’s at ARU Students’ Union give you the chance to do things you wouldn’t normally consider and can lead you to taking up a new hobby or joining a society you wouldn’t originally have thought about joining. They’re great snippets of things you could be doing in your free time.

• In the same vein as societies and as the point above, Give it a Go’s allow you to meet people with the same interests as you. Or at the very least, who are interested in learning about the trip you’re going on. It may give you a chance to bond with other students from other courses and can lead to a new friendship or two.

• In some cases you get to learn something new! In the Cocktail Masterclasses or the Henna Tattooing session you’re learning to create something or learning about another culture. But don’t worry, it’s nothing like learning in your lectures and the Give it a Go’s are about learning in the most fun way possible.

• It can lead you to volunteer in your local community. The Volunteering service offers some Give it a Go session too and they can give you an insight into how you can be volunteering your time. Whether this is with a homeless charity, growing produce or visiting a nature reserve, these events can get you into something completely new. They can really inspire you into wanting to do something for your local community and get you in the mood to do a whole lot more in your free time, on or off campus.

So don’t miss out! This could be a once in a life time opportunity or a way to introduce you to your new favourite hobby. It really doesn’t hurt to Give It a Go!