_{Nathalie Reeve is a third year International Business Management BSc student. Here's a glimpse into the wonderful world of socities:}

_{I don’t want to be that cliché where I say that societies are fantastic and that you should absolutely join them as soon as you get to university, as some people simply can’t. If you commute in or you work it may be hard to find a society that interests you and will work with your schedule but I will say that if you are at uni, you should definitely look into what there is on offer. No matter what kind of person you are, what course you are studying, whether you commute or work, chances are there will be something that will interest you.}

_{I am a Third year International Business Management student and these are my top tips to societies:}

•  _{See what societies you are interested in and see what they have to offer.}

• _{Don’t try to cram it all in during Fresher’s week, you can sign up all year round.?}

•  _{Societies tend to have a laid back atmosphere where you can unwind, relax and enjoy your downtime.}

•  _{Even if your friends aren’t part of a society you’re in, you can still bring them along to see if they enjoy it too.}

•  _{Be open minded, societies can provide you with some great opportunities which look good on a CV.}

• _{You will get the chance to meet some amazing people that you may have never met if it wasn’t for societies and you WILL have things in common with them.}

_{My society experience}

_{First Year}

_{When I came to uni I looked up all the clubs and societies they had and the main reason I went to Fresher’s Fair was for the free stuff. I did however make the mistake of rushing to sign up to loads of clubs and societies and only ended up going to maybe two on and off. I found that first year is for finding your feet, not only with getting used to your course but also which societies there are. This is why I would suggest dabbling about and try seeing what different societies have to offer, but not all in one go, some may not be for you but others may be something you really enjoy.}
 

_{Second Year}

_{After settling back into university life I realised I needed a break from the uni routine and life at home. I wanted something relaxing to do that I didn’t have to pay too much for. So, after literally stumbling across a Film Viewing Society meet up one evening, I poked my head in and was welcomed to come and watch a movie with them. I kept returning each week and ended signing up. I brought friends to it and in turn went to societies that they were part of. It gave me the confidence to then go to them myself and I ended up finding myself becoming President and Treasurer of the Film Viewing Society for my third year as I enjoyed it so much and  I had pride in what I was part of and wanted to continue that. Of course you don’t have to do anything like that but you should have an open mind and see if any opportunities like that interest you.}

_{Third Year}

_{As mentioned, I was in a society committee but I think for me it only made me realise that there are more active societies than I first thought back in first year. As part of the committee I would go to meetings to see how everything’s going and to see how the SU could help improve societies. I met some great people there and ended up doing collabs with their societies during the year. I became really close friends with my own committee as well. Societies really brought everyone together which was fantastic to see! A lot of the event we held were free entry so that more people would get involved and I found that people that wouldn’t usually talk to each other in fact were!}

_{Being part of a society (or more than one) isn’t for everyone, but when you find that society you feel is for you, you will feel part of something bigger, you will be part of the uni community as a whole and I can guarantee you that you will take away some amazing memories from university.}