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Joining societies in January

I’m set to start uni in January ( not an international student) I just wanted a break and didn’t feel ready to start uni in just a few weeks. I was wondering I what it’s like starting in January, how different is it to the September start and how would I go about joining societies.

Reply 1

De Montfort University

Official Rep

Hi there ! It's great that you took some time out before starting university , sometimes a little break is exactly what you need before you start a new phase in your life.
Assuming that most other universities will operate the same as ours in regards to societies , you should be able to tryout , join and leave societies as you wish at any time of the year , at DMU you can easily join online. You may have missed some fun gatherings or events by the time you join but that should be about it , you will probably be amongst many students who start in January and join societies a little later.
Starting in January is pretty much the same as starting in September except that it is colder and you won't have a freshers week with all the fun events but student unions host events all throughout the year and you will still have plenty of opportunities to socialize.
Just be aware that in student halls some students may have already made friends and you will have to play catch up in that aspect but luckily for you there will be plenty of students in the same boat as you.
I hope this helps and enjoy your break before university starts in January 😁
Cece ✨
Energy Engineering Student
De Montfort University

Reply 2

University of Kent

Official Rep

Original post by Nomeraaa

Hi there, its nice to hear that you are going to University in January and taking some time off to relax. :smile:

Depending on Universities, there may also be a welcome fair for students starting in January. The fresher's fair displayed all the societies available so new students could check out which interested them.

It is quite normal to join and leave societies throughout the year. From my own experience, societies generally welcome anyone to join their events, and you can find out how to join (depending on your University) on their website/ student union website. You can also see what events each society hosts by following their social media pages. These are all good ways to find meet new people and keep an eye on what is going on.

It will not be too different from starting in September, as there will also be students in the same position as you, who are starting in January. So don't worry :smile:

Hope this helps, and enjoy your holiday :biggrin:

Chloe
-University of Kent Student Rep

Reply 3

BCU Student Rep

Official Rep

Hey @Nomeraaa

It's great that you've made the best decision for you and decided to start in January. I think the majority of unis let you join societies at any point throughout the year as you just join online and attend the next event that sounds good.

Also, at BCU we have a 'refreshers' fair in January where you can meet all the societies and get involved in social events, just like students who started in September. I think a lot of students do this, so you won't miss out on the freshers experience at all!

I made a lot of friends throughout the whole of my first year, no just in September, so you will still be able to meet lots of people in January and make lots of friends.

Hope that helps :smile:

Abbie