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Uni societies

Is it just me who finds that Uni societies are elitist and non inclusive, and really just want members who will be 'the best' and be able to formally compete at whatever it is?
Like, the Dance society wants great dancers who can win competitions (although they claim you can just go along and dance 'for fun')...even the bloomin' table tennis society is about 'training' members and winning competitions as if their lives depend on it.
A lot of societies just seem to want lots of new members but they don't really want you to get involved in what they're doing, because the little clique that runs the society just wants to do everything themselves...
With one society I joined, its first meeting was the "AGM" (so pretentious), where they were electing committee members as if their lives depended on it. Some of the established committee members looked very aggressively protective of their positions and were punching the air like Rocky when they were re-elected without anyone daring to challenge them.
So it seems to me that if you want to make friends and hang out and you are not a highly competitive person, then don't bother with societies maybe...
(edited 4 years ago)
Hi @Paul1990s

I'm sorry to hear that you are having problems with university societies.

As someone that played rugby at university, I completely understand what you are talking about. The problem for societies especially sports ones, is that winning is part of the fun of taking part. In this sense, university societies do want to get the ablest students in their specific sport. Alternatively, the teams should be making everyone feel welcome. Even if you don't want to play at a high level, sports societies are there for everyone. Also, potentially someone can develop in that sport during university and become really good, given the opportunity.

My advice would be talking to the SU about this? They may be able to help you out more or find a society that is more welcoming or inform the current society that they need to be more welcoming. Or you could start your own society which is more for fun.

Hope this helps.

Dom :h:
Agreed. There is so much bull around societies. There needs to be a ‘for fun’ society for some of them like, rugby for fun, dancing for enjoyment and LGBT+ who aren’t ageists upstarts (ok my own experience lol). Start an unofficial shadow society with others who hold your view and when the ‘official’ one starts complaining tell it like it is!

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