Uni societies

I’m in yr 12 and was wondering if at university you can be a part of more than one society? I also read you have to pay for them.

Reply 1

Clearing and Applications Advisor, Universities Forum Helper

Original post

by Mglitter7.

I’m in yr 12 and was wondering if at university you can be a part of more than one society? I also read you have to pay for them.

Yes you can be member of as many societies and clubs as you like - it would be up to you to manage your time if events/activities/training clashed.

Clubs and societies will sometimes ask for a membership fee. That could be anything from a few pounds to a couple of hundreds (for sports clubs where membership of the gym is a requirement to participate). Student unions will sometimes have funding available to clubs but if they want to run events/activities that cost more than that small amount then they need to get that money from members.

Most university student union websites will list their clubs and societies with more information. And if a union doesn’t have a club/society then you can usually set one up yourself

Reply 2

McGinger

As above - you can join as many as you like, and there will be some sort of Freshers Fair event at the start of term so that you can find out more about each one.

Here are details of all the societies available at just a couple of Unis - something to suit everyone!
Activities (Sheffield)
Groups @ Bristol SU (Bristol)

Reply 3

Uni of Southampton Students

Official Rep

Original post

by Mglitter7.

I’m in yr 12 and was wondering if at university you can be a part of more than one society? I also read you have to pay for them.

Hi @Mglitter7.

I'm currently a second year geography student at the University of Southampton. In answer to your question, yes you can most definitely be part of more than one society! For me now I'm part of three societies: Rowing, Crochet and Knitters, and the Geography Society. I would say a lot of societies will take up a lot less time than the others, so for crochet it's only a once a week meet up to do some craft, whereas rowing is almost everyday you'll be training on land or on the water.
Having loads of societies does depend on your workload, which is different for every course. For geography it's obviously a lot more chill than doing a law or medicine degree 😅.So it's always good to go to taster sessions that societies will put on during fresher week (these will usually be free) and ask how much of your time is required for the society (for sport they might like you to do a lot of training outside of the sessions that are planned!).
Now paying for a membership all depends on the society as they'll set the price. For sports they tend to be a lot more expensive than something social like your course society since they need to use and look after equipment etc. For rowing it's £90 a semester plus the uni of Southampton's sports membership. For crochet I believe it was only £5 for the whole year and the geography society was only £10 for the year.
It's good to note that some societies you won't even need a membership for - sometimes a membership means a discounted price instead! So in first year I also did Zumba, now if you had a membership it was something like £4 for session but if you had no membership it was something like £6.

I hope this helps and if you have any more questions about societies or even the University of Southampton don't be afraid to ask!
Lucy

Reply 4

University of Strathclyde Student Ambassador

Official Rep

Original post

by Mglitter7.

I’m in yr 12 and was wondering if at university you can be a part of more than one society? I also read you have to pay for them.

Hi,
Absolutely! Yes, you can definitely join more than one society at uni- lots of people do!, at the moment I'm in the bookclub & the women+ in stem society! :biggrin:

-Just keep in mind that it’s all about balance. Depending on your course and schedule, it can get a bit tricky to juggle multiple commitments, so it’s important to see what works for you!

Some societies do charge a small fee, usually to help fund events/activities throughout the year. During Freshers’ Week, most societies run free taster sessions, which is a great chance to try them out before committing. That way, you can see what you enjoy and how it fits into your timetable without any pressure!

Hope this helps!
Emily (:
Official University of Strathclyde Rep

Reply 5

LJMUStudentReps

Official Rep

Hi @Mglitter7.

As others have said, you can absolutely join more than one society. It’s all about finding the right balance so it doesn’t interfere with your uni work. Some societies meet weekly, others monthly or even less often, so there's definitely room to mix and match based on your schedule and interests.

There’s a wide range to choose from, including sports teams, course-related groups, and general interest societies. Most societies have an annual membership fee, which is usually quite affordable. If you're looking to get involved in competitive sports through BUCS, the cost will be a bit higher to cover things like competition entry, travel, and kit.

These are some of the ones we have to give you a rough idea https://www.jmsu.co.uk/groups?group_type=societies-991&group_cat=&search=

Hope that helps 🙂

Megan (LJMU Postgraduate Student Rep)

Reply 6

Mglitter7.

Original post

by LJMUStudentReps

Hi @Mglitter7.
As others have said, you can absolutely join more than one society. It’s all about finding the right balance so it doesn’t interfere with your uni work. Some societies meet weekly, others monthly or even less often, so there's definitely room to mix and match based on your schedule and interests.
There’s a wide range to choose from, including sports teams, course-related groups, and general interest societies. Most societies have an annual membership fee, which is usually quite affordable. If you're looking to get involved in competitive sports through BUCS, the cost will be a bit higher to cover things like competition entry, travel, and kit.
These are some of the ones we have to give you a rough idea https://www.jmsu.co.uk/groups?group_type=societies-991&group_cat=&search=
Hope that helps 🙂
Megan (LJMU Postgraduate Student Rep)

Thank you so much!

Reply 7

PG Study Chester

Original post

by Mglitter7.

I’m in yr 12 and was wondering if at university you can be a part of more than one society? I also read you have to pay for them.

Hello Mglitter7,

You definitely can join as many university societies as you would like. Chester University has dozens and dozens of societies ranging from academic societies like English lit and Criminology, to hobbies such as the Chess and Gardening societies, there's a Taylor Swift society, a K-Pop, and lots of societies for different faith groups. The brilliant part about the societies is that anyone and everyone can join any society, so if you wanted to join the Criminology society but you were an English student say, it's no problem, everyone is welcome! And if you have a hobby or interest that isn't catered for by a society, just start your own, the Students' Union gives loads and loads of support to societies and helps students set them up. Societies are free to join, and students can join at any time through their university students' union website - there is a section on societies, but also during the first week of university in September/October a Freshers' Fair is held where all the societies gather together and you can walk around and speak to the committee members about their society and join if your interested in this. It's really easy to join.

Societies are a great way to meet new friends, and find like minded people, as well as have fun and take part in an activity that you enjoy. I highly recommend joining as many societies as you can when you go to university, you won't regret it. :flower2:

If you have any other questions just ask!
Jess
PhD English
University of Chester

Reply 8

De Montfort University

Official Rep

Original post

by Mglitter7.

I’m in yr 12 and was wondering if at university you can be a part of more than one society? I also read you have to pay for them.

Hi there,

It's really great that you are interested in such aspects of university so in advance!
You can be a part of as many societies as you wish. They do have some membership costs, but (at least at DMU) it is a very symbolic price as for example £10 a year :smile:

Take care,
Ilya,
Cyber Security student at DMU

Reply 9

Mglitter7.

Original post

by De Montfort University

Hi there,
It's really great that you are interested in such aspects of university so in advance!
You can be a part of as many societies as you wish. They do have some membership costs, but (at least at DMU) it is a very symbolic price as for example £10 a year :smile:

Take care,
Ilya,
Cyber Security student at DMU

Thank youu!

Reply 10

Mglitter7.

Original post

by PG Study Chester

Hello Mglitter7,
You definitely can join as many university societies as you would like. Chester University has dozens and dozens of societies ranging from academic societies like English lit and Criminology, to hobbies such as the Chess and Gardening societies, there's a Taylor Swift society, a K-Pop, and lots of societies for different faith groups. The brilliant part about the societies is that anyone and everyone can join any society, so if you wanted to join the Criminology society but you were an English student say, it's no problem, everyone is welcome! And if you have a hobby or interest that isn't catered for by a society, just start your own, the Students' Union gives loads and loads of support to societies and helps students set them up. Societies are free to join, and students can join at any time through their university students' union website - there is a section on societies, but also during the first week of university in September/October a Freshers' Fair is held where all the societies gather together and you can walk around and speak to the committee members about their society and join if your interested in this. It's really easy to join.
Societies are a great way to meet new friends, and find like minded people, as well as have fun and take part in an activity that you enjoy. I highly recommend joining as many societies as you can when you go to university, you won't regret it. :flower2: