Hello hello ladies and gentleworms. It’s Denise, for the millionth time. Term is ending! And the prospect of Freshers is upon us! I’m just as excited as you are, because if you’re coming to James College, I will be there when you arrive as your STYC! If you’re not coming to James, don’t worry! I will still be here a few days earlier to help you settle in. Nothing is worse than coming here with absolutely no clue what to do.
So this post will be slightly strange because the Societies and Sport here function a little bit different.
First of all…
Joining a Society/Sport isn’t like in Singapore. You aren’t forced to join anything. Everything you do is and should be something you are willing to do. No one is forcing you to join anything, and that includes the Singapore Society. We will not force you to join it just because you’re Singaporean. But I mean, you’re here in York and having a few Asian faces certainly can’t hurt, especially when you get homesick.
During Fresher’s Fair, you will have the chance to see all (or most) of the societies. There are MANY societies that you can join, so seriously, turn up for as many as you can. You don’t have to pay straight away. The idea is to turn up to a few, and if you like the vibe and the people, you should then pay membership.
Yes. Membership fees are a thing. Basically, you aren’t forced to join anything, but when you do, you’ll pay membership. You should aim to try out the society before actually paying. So just come down for a few sessions. If you think you like the people and the vibe and what they do, feel free to pay. Some societies are free, like the Pokémon Society, of which I am also a member of, but societies like the Singapore Society do require membership. It’s usually less than £5, so you shouldn’t feel like you’re paying an exorbitant amount compared to other unis.
Why should I even join a Society/Sport?
You’re a Fresher. First year doesn’t count. You can afford to faff about.
Plus, you’re going to be here for 3 years, and life in York can get a little bit stale when you’re settled in comfortably. You should try and spice it up by joining a society, fill your days with something you look forward to doing. I always look forward to Fridays because PokeSoc meets up. I filled my schedule with many things, and keeping yourself occupied helps when you get homesick because it helps you focus on something other than the negativity. I joined waaay too many societies, met great people, had loads of fun, learned new things, experienced new things, had great opportunities, and this made my life much richer.
Plus, it’s a good excuse to try new things. Never in my life did I think I would play Dungeons & Dragons. But here I am, at the end of my first year, having actively played D&D, and also correcting the stereotype that it’s played by sweaty nerds in a basement. The people I played with are smart intellectuals, some of them are athletic, some of them are smart as hell, some of them are prim and proper and wear a suit all day, people you wouldn’t imagine will play the game depicted as ‘solely for nerds’. You join a society and you learn to try everything.
Society vs. Sport
Joining a Society is a very general thing. There is a huge list of Societies here. (See if you can spot SingSoc) There are plenty of societies for plenty of interests. It’s really hard to tell you about all of them because there are just that many. If you like tea, there is a society for you. If you like Physics, there is a society for you. If you like knitting, there’s a society for you. If you like Pokemon, there is a Society for you. If you like NERF guns, there is a society for you. If you like Harry Potter, there is a Society for you. If you like Taylor Swift, there is a society for you. Just have a cup of Milo, sit down in front of the com and scroll through that list because it is quite extensive. Alternatively, come for Freshers Fair and see all the Societies in front of your eyes.
Sports, on the other hand, is as obvious as the name. Here is the list. During Fresher’s Fair, all these Clubs (by Clubs I mean Sports Clubs) will be in the York Sport Centre behind James College. They will have simultaneous Taster sessions on the Sunday of Freshers Week, so unfortunately, you can only go for one sport that weekend. But don’t worry, Clubs know that you can’t ever be happy with one, so they will open up free taster sessions in subsequent weeks, usually on Wednesday afternoons because it’s a Union thing that Wednesday afternoons are made free for sport. After which, free taster sessions will end and you will have to pay membership fee + AU (Athletic Union) fee.
Sports are designed to be played either at College or Uni level. Some clubs don’t play at College level, so you’ll need to see. Like the sports CCAs you joined in school (if you ever did), you will attend training and competitions and socials. Again, you are not obligated to turn up, but if you paid for membership, and if you’re representing your Uni, you should try to turn up, for obvious reasons. I emphasize: EVERYTHING IS OPTIONAL. So when you go for socials, which, for sport, usually involves exorbitant amounts of drinking, you need to stop when you feel like you’ve hit your limit. Don’t let people force you to drink. I got drunk on a social because I made the mistake of saying “Yes, I drink!”, following that, downed a shot of tequila, a shot of gin, a double vodka coke, a sex on the beach, 3 pints of beer (at one shot), and other things that I drank but don’t remember too well. I barely made it home. Don’t follow in my footsteps! IT IS A BAD IDEA.
However, unlike the sports CCAs you played in school (if you ever did), you can always pick up a sport you’ve never played before. Sports at the University cater to people who have never picked up a ball or a bat before. There is polesport, skydiving, ultimate frisbee, octopush (underwater hockey), kendo, akido, and loads of other stuff. You can always play the sport you’ve been playing forever, but if you’re like me and wanted to branch out, pick up something new!
What can I expect from joining?
You can expect to get what you paid for. Every society is different. You need to find what you like. Go for the society meetings, turn up and see the people, see the committee, see the events, see everything. You judge for yourself what you want in your University experience. You don’t have to know what you want, but you should at least be clear of what you don’t want.
Still unconvinced?
Here, you can join as many societies and clubs as you want. So long as you’ve got the time for it and money to pay for membership, you can go for as many or as little as you want.
I don’t really know how else to convince you to join societies/clubs. Don’t just keep studying, yeah? Have a bit of fun 😉
~:Denise
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